bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher Serum Infliximab Concentrations Following Subcutaneous Dosing are Associated with Deep Remission in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Roblin Xavier , Nancey Stéphane , Papamichael Konstantinos , Duru Gérard , Flamand Mathurin , Kwiatek Sandy , Cheifetz Adam , Fabien Nicole , Barrau Mathilde , Paul Stéphane
Published: November 2023

Background

The relationship between subcutaneous infliximab [SC-IFX] concentrations and favourable therapeutic outcomes in patients with Crohn’s disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC] remains elusive.

Patients and Methods

This cross-sectional study included consecutive adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] treated with SC-IFX at a maintenance dose of 120 mg/2 weeks. Investigated therapeutic outcomes included sustained clinical remission; composite clinical and biomarker remission [clinical remission and C-reactive protein <5 mg/L]; biochemical remission [faecal calprotectin <250 µg/g]; and deep remission [clinical, biological, and biochemical remission].

Results

Of 91 patients identified, 71 qualified for inclusion in the study [70% with CD; 27% with concomitant immunomodulators]. At the time of drug concentration measurement [median 13.5 months after switch], 55 [77%] patients had sustained clinical remission; n = 44 [62%] composite clinical and biomarker remission; n = 40 [56%] biochemical remission; and n = 31 [43%] deep remission. The mean SC-IFX concentrations were significantly higher in patients with sustained clinical remission [p = 0.014]; composite clinical and biomarker remission [p = 0.003]; biochemical remission [p < 0.001]; and deep remission [p < 0.001] compared to patients without having these outcomes. In multivariate analysis, SC-IFX concentration was the only factor independently associated with sustained clinical remission (odds ratio [OR]: 4.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.1–12.2, p = 0.005); clinical and biomarker remission [OR: 9.21, 95% CI: 6.09–18.7, p = 0.006]; biochemical remission [OR: 37, 95% CI: 14–39.3, p < 0.001]; and deep remission [OR: 29, 95% CI: 15.7–37.4, p < 0.001]. The optimal SC-IFX concentration cut-off associated with deep remission based on ROC analysis was 20 µg/mL [sensitivity: 0.91, specificity: 0.80, accuracy: 0.85]. Combination with an immunomodulator failed to improve SC-IFX pharmacokinetics.

Conclusion

Higher SC-IFX concentrations are associated with higher rates of favourable therapeutic outcomes in IBD patients. Serum SC-IFX concentrations >20 µg/mL were significantly associated with deep remission.
The French ecology of medical care. A nationwide population-based cross sectional study
Authors: Laporte Catherine , Fortin Frédéric , Dupouy Julie , Darmon David , Pereira Bruno , Authier Nicolas , Delorme Jessica , Chenaf Chouki , Maisonneuve Hubert , Schuers Matthieu
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Studies in the United States, Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland showed that the majority of health problems are managed within primary health care; however, the ecology of French medical care has not yet been described.

Methods

Nationwide, population-based, cross sectional study. In 2018, we included data from 576,125 beneficiaries from the General Sample of Beneficiaries database. We analysed the reimbursement of consultations with (i) a general practitioner (GP), (ii) an outpatient doctor other than a GP, (iii) a doctor from a university or non-university hospital; and the reimbursement of (iv) hospitalization in a private establishment, (v) general hospital, and (vi) university hospital. For each criterion, we calculated the average monthly number of reimbursements reported on 1,000 beneficiaries. For categorical variables, we used the χ2 test, and to compare means we used the z test. All tests were 2-tailed with a P-value < 5% considered significant.

Results

Each month, on average, 454 (out of 1,000) beneficiaries received at least 1 reimbursement, 235 consulted a GP, 74 consulted other outpatient doctors in ambulatory care and 24 in a hospital, 13 were hospitalized in a public non-university hospital and 10 in the private sector, and 5 were admitted to a university hospital. Independently of age, people consulted GPs twice as much as other specialists. The 13–25-year-old group consulted the least. Women consulted more than men. Individuals covered by complementary universal health insurance had more care.

Conclusions

Our study on reimbursement data confirmed that, like in other countries, in France the majority of health problems are managed within primary health care.
Array analysis of seismo-volcanic activity with distributed acoustic sensing
Authors: Biagioli Francesco , Métaxian Jean-Philippe , Stutzmann Eléonore , Ripepe Maurizio , Bernard Pascal , Trabattoni Alister , Longo Roberto , Bouin Marie-Paule
Published: November 2023

Continuous seismic monitoring of volcanoes is challenging due to harsh environments and associated hazards. However, the investigation of volcanic phenomena is essential for eruption forecasting. In seismo-volcanic applications, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) offers new possibilities for long-duration surveys. We analyse DAS strain rate signals generated by volcanic explosions and tremor at Stromboli volcano (Italy) recorded along 1 km of dedicated fibre-optic cable. We validate DAS recordings with colocated nodal seismometers. Converting node measurements to strain rate, we observe a perfect match in phase between DAS and node waveforms. However, DAS amplitudes appear to be around 2.7 times smaller than those of node records, which we explain as due to the inefficient ground-to-fibre strain transfer in the loose cable. We invert time delays between strain rate waveforms and confirm that the DAS enables us to retrieve a dominant and persistent seismic source in the proximity of active craters. This stable source location is confirmed by node array analyses. Despite an observed high noise level of strain rate signals outside a range of 2–15 Hz, our results demonstrate the potential of this new technology in monitoring volcanic areas.
Reciprocity and sensitivity kernels for sea level fingerprints
Authors: Al-Attar D , Syvret F , Crawford O , Mitrovica J X , Lloyd A J
Published: November 2023

Reciprocity theorems are established for the elastic sea level fingerprint problem including rotational feedbacks. In their simplest form, these results show that the sea level change at a location x due to melting a unit point mass of ice at x′ is equal to the sea level change at x′ due to melting a unit point mass of ice at x. This identity holds irrespective of the shoreline geometry or of lateral variations in elastic Earth structure. Using the reciprocity theorems, sensitivity kernels for sea level and related observables with respect to the ice load can be readily derived. It is notable that calculation of the sensitivity kernels is possible using standard fingerprint codes, though for some types of observable a slight generalization to the fingerprint problem must be considered. These results are of use within coastal hazard assessment and have a range of applications within studies of modern-day sea level change. To illustrate the latter point, we use sensitivity kernels to investigate two widely used methods for estimating, respectively, ice sheet mass loss from satellite gravity, and rates of global mean sea level rise from satellite altimetry. Though our analysis is idealized in some respects, we identify systematic errors of order 5 per cent due to the use of simplified sea level physics. Crucially, calculation of the relevant sensitivity kernels provides not only a means for understanding sources of bias in existing methods, but will aid in the design of new and improved data-assimilation techniques.
Transdimensional ambient-noise surface wave tomography of the Reykjanes Peninsula, SW Iceland
Authors: Rahimi Dalkhani Amin , Ágústsdóttir Thorbjörg , Gudnason Egill Árni , Hersir Gylfi Páll , Zhang Xin , Weemstra Cornelis
Published: November 2023

Ambient noise seismic tomography has proven to be an effective tool for subsurface imaging, particularly in volcanic regions such as the Reykjanes Peninsula (RP), SW Iceland, where ambient seismic noise is ideal with isotropic illumination. The primary purpose of this study is to obtain a reliable shear wave velocity model of the RP, to get a better understanding of the subsurface structure of the RP and how it relates to other geoscientific results. This is the first tomographic model of the RP which is based on both on- and off-shore seismic stations. We use the ambient seismic noise data and apply a novel algorithm called one-step 3-D transdimensional tomography. The main geological structures in the study area (i.e. covered by seismic stations) are the four NE–SW trending volcanic systems, orientated highly oblique to the plate spreading on the RP. These are from west to east; Reykjanes, Eldvörp-Svartsengi, Fagradalsfjall and Krýsuvík, of which all except Fagradalsfjall host a known high-temperature geothermal field. Using surface waves retrieved from ambient noise recordings, we recovered a 3-D model of shear wave velocity. We observe low-velocity anomalies below these known high-temperature fields. The observed low-velocity anomalies below Reykjanes and Eldvörp-Svartsengi are significant but relatively small. The low-velocity anomaly observed below Krýsuvík is both larger and stronger, oriented near-perpendicular to the volcanic system, and coinciding well with a previously found low-resistivity anomaly. A low-velocity anomaly in the depth range of 5–8 km extends horizontally along the whole RP, but below the high-temperature fields, the onset of the velocity decrease is shallower, at around 3 km depth. This is in good agreement with the brittle–ductile transition zone on the RP. In considerably greater detail, our results confirm previous tomographic models obtained in the area. This study demonstrates the potential of the entirely data-driven, one-step 3-D transdimensional ambient noise tomography as a routine tomography tool and a complementary seismological tool for geothermal exploration, providing an enhanced understanding of the upper crustal structure of the RP.
Deep ensemble geophysics-informed neural networks for the prediction of celestial pole offsets
Authors: Kiani Shahvandi Mostafa , Belda Santiago , Karbon Maria , Mishra Siddhartha , Soja Benedikt
Published: November 2023

Celestial Pole Offsets (CPO), denoted by dX and dY, describe the differences in the observed position of the pole in the celestial frame with respect to a certain precession-nutation model. Precession and nutation components are part of the transformation matrix between terrestrial and celestial systems. Therefore, various applications in geodetic science such as high-precision spacecraft navigation require information regrading precession and nutation. For this purpose, CPO can be added to the precession-nutation model to precisely describe the motion of the celestial pole. However, as Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)—currently the only technique providing CPO—requires long data processing times resulting in several weeks of latency, predictions of CPO become necessary. Here we present a new methodology named Deep Ensemble Geophysics-Informed Neural Networks (DEGINNs) to provide accurate CPO predictions. The methodology has three main elements: (1) deep ensemble learning to provide the prediction uncertainty; (2) broad-band Liouville equation as a geophysical constraint connecting the rotational dynamics of CPO to the atmospheric and oceanic Effective Angular Momentum (EAM) functions and (3) coupled oscillatory recurrent neural networks to model the sequential characteristics of CPO time-series, also capable of handling irregularly sampled time-series. To test the methodology, we use the newest version of the final CPO time-series of International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), namely IERS 20 C04. We focus on a forecasting horizon of 90 days, the practical forecasting horizon needed in space-geodetic applications. Furthermore, for validation purposes we generate an independent global VLBI solution for CPO since 1984 up to the end of 2022 and analyse the series. We draw the following conclusions. First, the prediction performance of DEGINNs demonstrates up to 25 and 33 percent improvement, respectively, for dX and dY, with respect to the rapid data provided by IERS. Secondly, predictions made with the help of EAM are more accurate compared to those without EAM, thus providing a clue to the role of atmosphere and ocean on the excitation of CPO. Finally, free core nutation period shows temporal variations with a dominant periodicity of around one year, partially excited by EAM.
Time-varying treatment effect modification of oral analgesic effectiveness by depressive symptoms in knee osteoarthritis: an application of structural nested mean models in a prospective cohort
Authors: Rathbun Alan M , Shardell Michelle D , Gallo Joseph J , Ryan Alice S , Stuart Elizabeth A , Schuler Megan S , Dong Yu , Beamer Brock , Mehta Rhea , Peer Jason E , Hochberg Marc C
Published: November 2023

Background

Depressive symptoms are common in knee osteoarthritis (OA), exacerbate knee pain severity and may influence outcomes of oral analgesic treatments. The aim was to assess whether oral analgesic effectiveness in knee OA varies by fluctuations in depressive symptoms.

Methods

The sample included Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) participants not treated with oral analgesics at enrolment (n = 1477), with radiographic disease at the first follow-up visit (defined as the index date). Oral analgesic treatment and depressive symptoms, assessed with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression [(CES-D) score ≥16] Scale, were measured over three annual visits. Knee pain severity was measured at visits adjacent to treatment and modifier using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale (rescaled range = 0–100). Structural nested mean models (SNMMs) estimated causal mean differences in knee pain severity comparing treatment versus no treatment.

Results

The average causal effects of treated versus not treated for observations without depressive symptoms showed negligible differences in knee pain severity. However, causal mean differences in knee pain severity comparing treatment versus no treatment among observations with depressive symptoms increased over time from −0.10 [95% confidence interval (CI): −9.94, 9.74] to −16.67 (95% CI: −26.33, −7.01). Accordingly, the difference in average causal effects regarding oral analgesic treatment for knee pain severity between person-time with and without depressive symptoms was largest (−16.53; 95% CI: −26.75, −6.31) at the last time point. Cumulative treatment for 2 or 3 years did not yield larger causal mean differences.

Conclusions

Knee OA patients with persistent depressive symptoms and chronic pain may derive more analgesic treatment benefit than those without depressive symptoms and less pain.
Student-Designed Simulation: Teaching Global Governance in Practice through a Student-Led Role-Play for Practitioners
Authors: Maertens Lucile , Cheli Zoé
Published: November 2023

Building on the growing interest in role-play in international relations pedagogy, this article suggests student-designed simulation as an active learning exercise defined to help students get a nuanced understanding of the way global governance works in practice. Based on a teaching experience for graduate students at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), this article makes two contributions. First, it proposes a concrete roadmap for those who would like to supervise students in creating a simulation for and with practitioners. Second, it shows the benefits of student-designed simulation in terms of learning outcomes for students and participants involved in the role-play. It highlights how the conceptualization of a detailed scenario, on the one hand, leads students to uncover the daily practices through which global problems are (tentatively) governed within international organizations. The implementation, on the other hand, fosters dialogue between aid workers specialized in emergency situations and actors working in the field of (sustainable) development who are invited to swap roles during a two-hour student-led simulation. By promoting this reversed type of simulation, the article intends to further expand the active learning toolbox while proposing a pedagogical activity that builds a bridge between academics and students of international studies and practitioners.
Physiological and genomic characterization of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolated from Indri indri in Madagascar
Authors: Qiao Nanzhen , Gaur Gautam , Modesto Monica , Chinnici Fabio , Scarafile Donatella , Borruso Luigimaria , Marin Antonio Castro , Spiezio Caterina , Valente Daria , Sandri Camillo , Gänzle Michael G , Mattarelli Paola
Published: November 2023

Aims

Indri indri is a lemur of Madagascar which is critically endangered. The analysis of the microbial ecology of the intestine offers tools to improve conservation efforts. This study aimed to achieve a functional genomic analysis of three Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolates from indris.

Methods and results

Samples were obtained from 18 indri; 3 isolates of Lp. plantarum were obtained from two individuals. The three isolates were closely related to each other, with <10 single nucleotide polymorphisms, suggesting that the two individuals shared diet-associated microbes. The genomes of the three isolates were compared to 96 reference strains of Lp. plantarum. The three isolates of Lp. plantarum were not phenotypically resistant to antibiotics but shared all 17 genes related to antimicrobial resistance that are part of the core genome of Lp. plantarum. The genomes of the three indri isolates of Lp. plantarum also encoded for the 6 core genome genes coding for enzymes related to metabolism of hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids. The phenotype for metabolism of hydroxycinnamic acids by indri isolates of Lp. plantarum matched the genotype.

Conclusions

Multiple antimicrobial resistance genes and gene coding for metabolism of phenolic compounds were identified in the genomes of the indri isolates, suggesting that Lp. plantarum maintains antimicrobial resistance in defense of antimicrobial plant secondary pathogens and that their metabolism by intestinal bacteria aids digestion of plant material by primate hosts.
Multi-faceted analysis and prediction for the outbreak of pediatric respiratory syncytial virus
Authors: Yang Chaoqi , Gao Junyi , Glass Lucas , Cross Adam , Sun Jimeng
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant cause of pediatric hospitalizations. This article aims to utilize multisource data and leverage the tensor methods to uncover distinct RSV geographic clusters and develop an accurate RSV prediction model for future seasons.

Materials and Methods

This study utilizes 5-year RSV data from sources, including medical claims, CDC surveillance data, and Google search trends. We conduct spatiotemporal tensor analysis and prediction for pediatric RSV in the United States by designing (i) a nonnegative tensor factorization model for pediatric RSV diseases and location clustering; (ii) and a recurrent neural network tensor regression model for county-level trend prediction using the disease and location features.

Results

We identify a clustering hierarchy of pediatric diseases: Three common geographic clusters of RSV outbreaks were identified from independent sources, showing an annual RSV trend shifting across different US regions, from the South and Southeast regions to the Central and Northeast regions and then to the West and Northwest regions, while precipitation and temperature were found as correlative factors with the coefficient of determination R2≈0.5, respectively. Our regression model accurately predicted the 2022-2023 RSV season at the county level, achieving R2≈0.3 mean absolute error MAE < 0.4 and a Pearson correlation greater than 0.75, which significantly outperforms the baselines with P-values <.05.

Conclusion

Our proposed framework provides a thorough analysis of RSV disease in the United States, which enables healthcare providers to better prepare for potential outbreaks, anticipate increased demand for services and supplies, and save more lives with timely interventions.
Dietary 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol and additional vitamin E improve bone development and antioxidant capacity in high-density stocking broilers
Authors: Xiao Chuanpi , Zhu Qijiang , Comer Luke , Pan Xue , Everaert Nadia , Schroyen Martine , Song Bochen , Song Zhigang
Published: November 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effects of diets supplemented with 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25-(OH)D3] and additional vitamin E on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, bone development, and carcass characteristics at different stocking densities on commercial broiler farms. A total of 118,800 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial treatment consisting of two dietary vitamin levels (5,500 IU vitamin D3 and 60 IU vitamin E: normal diet, using half 25-(OH)D3 as a source of vitamin D3 and an additional 60 IU of vitamin E: 25-(OH)D3+VE diet) and two stocking densities (high density of 20 chickens/m2: HD and 16 chickens/m2: LD). The experiment lasted for 42 d. The results showed that high-density stocking negatively affected the growth performance of broilers during the first four weeks, whereas the vitamin diet treatment significantly improved the feed conversion ratios (FCR) during the last 2 wk. Vitamin diets increased catalase at 14 and 42 d, and the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) levels at 42 d in high-density-stocked broilers. The interaction showed that serum vitamin E levels were significantly improved at 28 d of age in high-density-stocked broilers as a result of the vitamin diets. Stocking density and dietary treatments were found to significantly affect bone development, with the vitamin diet significantly increasing metatarsal length and femoral bone strength in broilers from high-density stocking density at 28 d of age. High stocking density increased the proportion of leg muscles and meat yield per square meter. In general, 25-(OH)D3 and additional vitamin E suppressed oxidative stress and ameliorated the negative effects of high-density stocking on bone development in a commercial chicken farm setting. Vitamin diets improved the FCR of broilers, while high-density stocking resulted in better economic outcomes.
Variable selection for individualised treatment rules with discrete outcomes
Authors: Bian Zeyu , Moodie Erica E M , Shortreed Susan M , Lambert Sylvie D , Bhatnagar Sahir
Published: November 2023

An individualised treatment rule (ITR) is a decision rule that aims to improve individuals’ health outcomes by recommending treatments according to subject-specific information. In observational studies, collected data may contain many variables that are irrelevant to treatment decisions. Including all variables in an ITR could yield low efficiency and a complicated treatment rule that is difficult to implement. Thus, selecting variables to improve the treatment rule is crucial. We propose a doubly robust variable selection method for ITRs, and show that it compares favourably with competing approaches. We illustrate the proposed method on data from an adaptive, web-based stress management tool.
Insufflation via a peritoneal dialysis catheter is a safe way to achieve pneumoperitoneum: a case report
Authors: Jain Neil , Hernandez Evan , Wu Amy
Published: November 2023

A 66-year-old female with a preoperative high index hostile abdomen was incidentally found to have a right T1a 16 mm renal cell carcinoma mass. She safely underwent robot assisted partial nephrectomy after her peritoneal dialysis catheter was alternatively used for insufflation. This adjustment in technique reduced risk related morbidity and possible conversion to open laparotomy.
Boosting Triticeae crop grain yield by manipulating molecular modules to regulate inflorescence architecture: insights and knowledge from other cereal crops
Authors: Zhang Yueya , Shen Chaoqun , Shi Jin , Shi Jianxin , Zhang Dabing
Published: November 2023

One of the challenges for global food security is to reliably and sustainably improve the grain yield of cereal crops. One solution is to modify the architecture of the grain-bearing inflorescence to optimize for grain number and size. Cereal inflorescences are complex structures, with determinacy, branching patterns, and spikelet/floret growth patterns that vary by species. Recent decades have witnessed rapid advancements in our understanding of the genetic regulation of inflorescence architecture in rice, maize, wheat, and barley. Here, we summarize current knowledge on key genetic factors underlying the different inflorescence morphologies of these crops and model plants (Arabidopsis and tomato), focusing particularly on the regulation of inflorescence meristem determinacy and spikelet meristem identity and determinacy. We also discuss strategies to identify and utilize these superior alleles to optimize inflorescence architecture and, ultimately, improve crop grain yield.
Sugt1 loss in skeletal muscle stem cells impairs muscle regeneration and causes premature muscle aging
Authors: He Zhiming , Chen Xiaona , Liu Gexin , Li Yuying , Yang Feng , Sun Hao , Wang Huating
Published: November 2023

Adult skeletal muscle stem cells (MuSCs) are essential for muscle homeostasis and regeneration. During aging, the number of MuSCs and their regenerative capacity gradually decline but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we identify Sugt1 (suppressor of G2 allele of SKP1 homolog), which is a chaperone for kinetochore function during mitosis and is essential for muscle regeneration by regulating MuSC proliferation. Sugt1 expression level is low in quiescent MuSCs but highly induced when the cells become activated and expand as proliferating myoblasts. Inducible inactivation of Sugt1 in MuSCs causes impaired muscle regeneration upon acute injury by impairing MuSC proliferation. Furthermore, loss of Sugt1 leads to cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and cellular senescence. Moreover, long-term loss of Sugt1 in MuSCs results in precocious muscle aging by inhibiting MuSC cell proliferation and promoting cellular senescence. Mechanistically, we identify a cytosolic E3 ubiquitin-ligase, Trim21 as a protein interacting partner for Sugt1 in myoblast cells. We further demonstrate that Sugt1 promotes the ubiquitination of p21 via Trim21; and Sugt1 loss causes p21 accumulation to inhibit cell cycle progression and stimulates cellular senescence. Collectively, our findings uncover that Sugt1 is an essential regulator for MuSC regenerative function during muscle regeneration and aging.
Excess of high-z galaxies as a test for bumpy power spectrum of density perturbations
Authors: Tkachev M V , Pilipenko S V , Mikheeva E V , Lukash V N
Published: November 2023

Modified matter power spectra with approximately Gaussian bump on sub-Mpc scales can be a result of a complex inflation. We consider five spectra with different Gaussian amplitudes A and locations k0 and run N-body simulations in a cube (5 Mpc h−1)3 at z > 8 to reveal the halo mass functions and their evolution with redshift. We have found that the Sheth–Tormen formula provides a good approximation to a such kind of halo mass functions. In the considered models, the dark matter halo formation starts much more earlier than in Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM), which in turn can result in an earlier star formation and a nuclear activity in galaxies and can be detected and tested by, e.g. JWST. At z = 0, the halo mass functions are hardly distinguishable from the standard ΛCDM, therefore the models with the bumpy spectra can be identified in observations by their excess in number of bright sources at high redshift only.
Stored in the archives: Uncovering the CN/CO intensity ratio with ALMA in nearby U/LIRGs
Authors: Ledger B , Saito T , Iono D , Wilson C D
Published: November 2023

We present an archival Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) study of the cyanide radical (CN) N = 1 − 0/carbon monoxide (CO) J = 1 − 0 intensity ratio in nearby (z < 0.05) ultra-luminous and luminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs). We identify 16 U/LIRGs that have been observed in both CN and CO lines at ∼500 pc resolution based on 16 different ALMA projects. We measure the (CN bright)/CO and (CN bright)/(CN faint) intensity ratios at an ensemble of molecular clouds scales (CN bright = CN N = 1 − 0, J = 3/2 − 1/2; CN faint = CN N = 1 − 0, J = 1/2 − 1/2 hyperfine groupings). Our global measured (CN bright)/CO ratios range 0.02–0.15 in LIRGs and 0.08–0.17 in ULIRGs. We attribute the larger spread in LIRGs to the variety of galaxy environments included in our sample. Overall, we find that the (CN bright)/CO ratio is higher in nuclear regions, where the physical and excitation conditions favour increased CN emission relative to the disc regions. 10 out of 11 galaxies which contain well-documented active galactic nuclei show higher ratios in the nucleus compared with the disc. Finally, we measure the median resolved (CN bright)/(CN faint) ratio and use it to estimate the total integrated CN line optical depth in ULIRGs (τ ∼ 0.96) and LIRGs (τ ∼ 0.23). The optical depth difference is likely due to the higher molecular gas surface densities found in the more compact ULIRG systems.
Cygnus A obscuring torus: ionized, atomic, or molecular?
Authors: Bagul Atharva , Ogle Patrick , Antonucci Robert , Maloney Philip , Lopez Rodriguez Enrique
Published: November 2023

The prototypical powerful FR II radio galaxy Cygnus A fits extremely well into the quasar/radio galaxy unified model: high polarization with an angle almost perpendicular to the radio jet and polarized flux showing broad permitted lines. It has been claimed that ionized gas in the torus reveals a very clear torus shape via Bremmstrahlung emission. We rule out the later with an energetic argument, and we constrain the molecular and atomic gas properties with existing observations. The atomic absorption against the core has been shown to match the X-ray column only if the spin temperature is an implausible Ts = 1 × 106 K. This points to a molecular medium for the X-ray column $\log (N_{\rm H} ~[\rm {cm^{-2}}]) \sim 23.5$. Yet not low-J CO absorption is detected to sensitive limits. The non-detection is surprising given that this powerful radio galaxy hosts a luminous, dust-obscured active nucleus and copious warm molecular hydrogen. These conditions suggest a detectable level of emission. Furthermore, the torus X-ray column density suggests detectable absorption. We explore various possibilities to explain the lack of a signature from warm CO (200–250 K). Specifically, that the radiative excitation by the radio core renders low-J CO absorption below current sensitivities, and that high-J levels are well populated and conducive to producing absorption. We test this hypothesis using archival Hershel/SPIRE FTS observations of Cygnus A of high-J CO lines (14 ≥ J ≥ 4 transitions). Still high-J CO lines are not detected. We suggest that ALMA observations near its high frequency limit can be critical to obtain the signature of molecular line of the torus of Cygnus A.
Where have all the low-metallicity galaxies gone? Tracing evolution in the mass–metallicity plane since a redshift of 0.7
Authors: Zhou Shuang , Aragón-Salamanca Alfonso , Merrifield Michael , Sampaio V M
Published: November 2023

Even over relatively recent epochs, galaxies have evolved significantly in their location in the mass–metallicity plane, which must be telling us something about the latter stages of galaxy evolution. In this paper, we analyse data from the LEGA-C survey using semi-analytic spectral and photometric fitting to determine these galaxies’ evolution up to their observed epoch at z ∼ 0.7. We confirm that, at z ∼ 0.7, many objects already lie on the present-day mass–metallicity relation, but with a significant tail of high-mass low-metallicity galaxies that is not seen in the nearby Universe. Similar modelling of the evolution of galaxies in the nearby MaNGA survey allows us to reconstruct their properties at z ∼ 0.7. Once selection criteria similar to those of LEGA-C are applied, we reassuringly find that the MaNGA galaxies populate the mass–metallicity plane in the same way at z ∼ 0.7. Matching the LEGA-C sample to their mass–metallicity ‘twins’ in MaNGA at this redshift, we can explore the likely subsequent evolution of individual LEGA-C galaxies. Galaxies already on the present-day mass–metallicity relation form few more stars and their discs fade, so they become smaller and more bulge-like. By contrast, the high-mass low-metallicity galaxies grow their discs through late star formation, and evolve rapidly to higher metallicities due to a cut-off in their wind-driven mass-loss. There are significant indications that this late cut-off is associated with the belated end of strong active galactic nucleus activity in these objects.
Investigating scaling relations in X-ray reverberating AGN using symbolic regression
Authors: Thongkonsing P , Chainakun P , Worrakitpoonpon T , Young A J
Published: November 2023

Symbolic regression (SR) is a regression analysis based on genetic algorithms to search for mathematical expressions that best fit a given data set, by allowing the expressions themselves to mutate. We use the SR to analyse the parameter relations of the X-ray reverberating active galactic nuclei where the soft Fe-L lags were observed by the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM–Newton). First, we revisit the lag–mass scaling relations by using the SR to derive all possible mathematical expressions and test them in terms of accuracy, simplicity, and robustness. We find that the correlation between the lags, τ, and the black hole mass, MBH, is certain, but the relation should be written in the form of log(τ) = α + β(log(MBH/M⊙))γ, where 1 ≲ γ ≲ 2. Moreover, incorporating more parameters such as the reflection fraction (RF) and the Eddington ratio (λEdd) to the lag–mass scaling relation is made possible by the SR. It reveals that α, rather than being a constant, can be −2.15 + 0.02RF or 0.03(RF + λEdd), with the fine-tuned different β and γ. These further support the relativistic disc–reflection framework in which such functional dependences can be straightforwardly explained. Furthermore, we derive their host-galaxy mass, M*, by fitting the spectral energy distribution. We find that the SR model supports a non-linear MBH–M* relationship, while log(MBH/M*) varies between −5.4 and −1.5, with an average value of ∼−3.7. No significant correlation between M* and λEdd is confirmed in these samples.
The first glimpse of ULXs through the near-infrared images captured by the JWST
Authors: Allak Sinan
Published: November 2023

This work presents the first results of near-infrared (NIR) counterparts of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) in the case of NGC 1672 by using JWST observations. Through advanced astrometry, unique counterparts were identified for four of the eight ULXs (ULX-1, ULX-4, ULX5, and ULX-8) located in NGC 1672, while multiple counterparts were identified for the remaining ULXs. The NIR observations show clues of warm dust or circumbinary disc around ULX-5 and ULX-8. In the case of ULX-5, optical spectral energy distribution is a well-fitted blackbody with 4300 K while NIR excess is well-fitted by a blackbody with a temperature of 1600 K. The optical-NIR photometric results show that the possible donor star of ULX-5 may be a K–M type red supergiant (RSG) whose optical emission is affected by the presence of a circumbinary disc or warm dust. Additionally, the counterpart of ULX-4 could be an active galactic nuclei (AGN) or star cluster due to its high K-band magnitude. Thanks to the good enough resolution of the JWST images, in past studies, most of the point-like and/or bright NIR counterparts of ULXs in distant galaxies observed appear to be likely blended sources, so most likely, many of them do not have the red colour that an RSG could have. The significant improvement in sensitivity and resolution supplied by JWST will lead to a new perspective on the ambiguous nature of ULXs donors and environments necessitating a significant reassessment of earlier infrared studies of ULXs.
The motivation for flexible star-formation histories from spatially resolved scales within galaxies
Authors: Jain Shweta , Tacchella Sandro , Mosleh Moein
Published: November 2023

The estimation of galaxy stellar masses depends on the assumed prior of the star-formation history (SFH) and spatial scale of the analysis (spatially resolved versus integrated scales). In this paper, we connect the prescription of the SFH in the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to spatially resolved scales (∼kpc) to shed light on the systematics involved when estimating stellar masses. Specifically, we fit the integrated photometry of ∼970 massive (log (M⋆/M⊙) = 9.8–11.5), intermediate redshift (z = 0.5–2.0) galaxies with PROSPECTOR, assuming both exponentially declining tau model and flexible SFHs. We complement these fits with the results of spatially resolved SFH estimates obtained by pixel-by-pixel SED fitting, which assume tau models for individual pixels. These spatially resolved SFHs show a large diversity in shapes, which can largely be accounted for by the flexible SFHs with PROSPECTOR. The differences in the stellar masses from those two approaches are overall in good agreement (average difference of ∼0.07 dex). Contrarily, the simpler tau model SFHs typically miss the oldest episode of star formation, leading to an underestimation of the stellar mass by ∼0.3 dex. We further compare the derived global specific star-formation rate (sSFR), the mass-weighted stellar age (t50), and the star-formation time-scale (τSF) obtained from the different SFH approaches. We conclude that the spatially resolved scales within galaxies motivate a flexible SFH on global scales to account for the diversity of SFHs and counteract the effects of outshining of older stellar populations by younger ones.
Mixing bispectrum multipoles under geometric distortions
Authors: Khomeriki Giorgi , Samushia Lado
Published: November 2023

We derive general expressions for how the Alcock–Paczynski distortions affect the power spectrum and the bispectrum of cosmological fields. We compute explicit formulas for the mixing coefficients of bispectrum multipoles in the linear approximation. The leading-order effect for the bispectrum is the uniform dilation of all three wavevectors. The mixing coefficients depend on the shape of the bispectrum triplet. Our results for the bispectrum multipoles are framed in terms of the ‘natural’ basis of the lengths of three wavevectors but can be easily generalized for other bases and reduction schemes. Our validation tests confirm that the linear approximation is extremely accurate for all power spectrum multipoles. The linear approximation is accurate for the bispectrum monopole but results in sub-per cent level inaccuracies for the bispectrum quadrupole and fails for the bispectrum hexadecapole. Our results can be used to simplify the analysis of the bispectrum from galaxy surveys, especially the measurement of the baryon acoustic oscillation peak position. They can be used to replace numeric schemes with exact analytical formulae.
The STATiX pipeline for the detection of X-ray transients in three dimensions
Authors: Ruiz A , Georgakakis A , Georgantopoulos I , Akylas A , Pierre M , Starck J L
Published: November 2023

The recent serendipitous discovery of a new population of short duration X-ray transients, thought to be associated with collisions of compact objects or stellar explosions in distant galaxies, has motivated efforts to build up statistical samples by mining X-ray telescope archives. Most searches to date, however, do not fully exploit recent developments in the signal and imaging processing research domains to optimize searches for short X-ray flashes. This paper addresses this issue by presenting a new source detection pipeline, STATiX (Space and Time Algorithm for Transients in X-rays), which directly operates on three-dimensional X-ray data cubes consisting of two spatial and one temporal dimension. The algorithm leverages wavelet transforms and the principles of sparsity to denoise X-ray observations and then detect source candidates on the denoised data cubes. The light curves of the detected sources are then characterized using the Bayesian blocks algorithm to identify flaring periods. We describe the implementation of STATiX in the case of XMM–Newton data, present extensive validation and performance verification tests based on simulations and also apply the pipeline to a small subset of seven XMM–Newton observations, which are known to contain transients sources. In addition to known flares in the selected fields, we report a previously unknown short duration transient found by our algorithm that is likely associated with a flaring Galactic star. This discovery demonstrates the potential of applying STATiX to the full XMM–Newton archive.
Catalogue of model star clusters in the Milky Way and M31 galaxies
Authors: Chen Yingtian , Gnedin Oleg Y
Published: November 2023

Detailed understanding of the formation and evolution of globular clusters (GCs) has been recently advanced through a combination of numerical simulations and analytical models. We employ a state-of-the-art model to create a comprehensive catalogue of simulated clusters in three Milky Way (MW) and three Andromeda (M31) analogue galaxies. Our catalogue aims to connect the chemical and kinematic properties of GCs to the assembly histories of their host galaxies. We apply the model to a selected sample of simulated galaxies that closely match the virial mass, circular velocity profile, and defining assembly events of the MW and M31. The resulting catalogue has been calibrated to successfully reproduce key characteristics of the observed GC systems, including total cluster mass, mass function, metallicity distribution, radial profile, and velocity dispersion. We find that clusters in M31 span a wider range of age and metallicity, relative to the MW, possibly due to M31’s recent major merger. Such a merger also heated up the in-situ GC population to higher orbital energy and introduced a large number of ex-situ clusters at large radii. Understanding the impacts of galaxy mergers and accretion on the GC populations is crucial for uncovering the galaxy assembly histories.
Hierarchical structure of the cosmic web and galaxy properties
Authors: Jaber Mariana , Peper Marius , Hellwing Wojciech A , Aragón-Calvo Miguel A , Valenzuela Octavio
Published: November 2023

Voids possess a very complex internal structure and dynamics. Using N-body simulations, we study the hierarchical nature of sub-structures present in the cosmic web (CW). We use the $\tt {SpineWeb}$ method which provides a complete characterization of the CW into its primary constituents: voids, walls, filaments, and nodes. We aim to characterize the inner compositions of voids by detecting their internal CW structure and explore the impact of this on the properties of void galaxies. Using a semi-analytical galaxy evolution model, we explore the impact of the CW on several galaxies’ properties. We find the number fraction of haloes living in various CW components to be a function of their mass, with the majority of the haloes of mass below 1012 M⊙ h−1, residing in voids and haloes of higher masses distributed mostly in walls. Similarly, in the stellar-to-halo mass relationship, we observe an environmental dependence for haloes of masses below 1012 M⊙ h−1, showing an increased stellar mass fraction for the galaxies identified in the densest environments. The spin is lower for galaxies in the densest environments for the mass range of 1010−1012 M⊙ h−1. Finally, we found a strong trend of higher metallicity fractions for filaments and node galaxies, with respect to the full sample, in the range of $M_*\stackrel{\lt }{{}_\sim }10^{10}$ M⊙ h−1. Our results show that cosmic voids possess an intricate internal network of substructures. This, in turn, makes them a complex environment for galaxy formation, impacting in an unique way the properties and evolution of the chosen few galaxies that form inside them.
Study of the variability and components of the pulsar B0823+26 at a frequency of 111 MHz
Authors: Toropov M O , Tyul’bashev S A , Smirnova T V , Samodurov V A , L. Ovchinnikov I
Published: November 2023

Studies of the pulsar B0823+26 have been carried out using the Large Phased Array (LPA) radio telescope. At a time span of 5.5 yr, the amplitudes of the main pulse (MP), postcursor (PC), and interpulse (IP) were evaluated in daily sessions lasting 3.7 min. It is shown that the ratio of the average amplitudes of MP in the bright (B) and quiet (Q) modes is 60. For B-mode, the average ratio of MP amplitudes to IP amplitudes is 65, and the ratio of MP amplitudes to PC amplitudes is 28. The number of sessions with a nulling is 4 per cent of the total number of sessions. Structure function (SF) and correlation function analysis of MP, IP, and PC amplitude variations of over a long-time interval allowed us to detect typical time scales 37 ± 5 d and one year. The analysis of time variations shows that the time scale of 37 d is well explained by refraction on inhomogeneities of interstellar plasma, which is distributed mostly quasi-uniformly in the line of sight. This scintillation makes the main contribution to the observed variability. Analysis of the structure function showed that there may be a few days variability. This time scale does not have an unambiguous interpretation but is apparently associated with the refraction of radio waves on the interstellar medium. One-year variability time scale has not been previously detected. We associate its appearance with the presence of a scattering layer on a closely located screen at a distance of about 50–100 pc from the Earth.
A simultaneous solution to the Hubble tension and observed bulk flow within 250 h−1 Mpc
Authors: Mazurenko Sergij , Banik Indranil , Kroupa Pavel , Haslbauer Moritz
Published: November 2023

The Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) standard cosmological model is in severe tension with several cosmological observations. Foremost is the Hubble tension, which exceeds 5σ confidence. Galaxy number counts show the Keenan–Barger–Cowie (KBC) supervoid, a significant underdensity out to 300 Mpc that cannot be reconciled with ΛCDM cosmology. Haslbauer et al. previously showed that a high local Hubble constant arises naturally due to gravitationally driven outflows from the observed KBC supervoid. The main prediction of this model is that peculiar velocities are typically much larger than expected in the ΛCDM framework. This agrees with the recent discovery by Watkins et al. that galaxies in the CosmicFlows-4 catalogue have significantly faster bulk flows than expected in the ΛCDM model on scales of $100-250 \, h^{-1}$ Mpc. The rising bulk flow curve is unexpected in standard cosmology, causing 4.8σ tension at $200 \, h^{-1}$ Mpc. In this work, we determine what the semi-analytic void model of Haslbauer et al. predicts for the bulk flows on these scales. We find qualitative agreement with the observations, especially if our vantage point is chosen to match the observed bulk flow on a scale of $50 \, h^{-1}$ Mpc. This represents a highly non-trivial success of a previously published model that was not constrained by bulk flow measurements, but which was shown to solve the Hubble tension and explain the KBC void consistently with the peculiar velocity of the Local Group. Our results suggest that several cosmological tensions can be simultaneously resolved if structure grows more efficiently than in the ΛCDM paradigm on scales of tens to hundreds of Mpc.