bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel diabetes gene discovery through comprehensive characterization and integrative analysis of longitudinal gene expression changes
Authors: Chen Hung-Hsin , Petty Lauren E , North Kari E , McCormick Joseph B , Fisher-Hoch Susan P , Gamazon Eric R , Below Jennifer E
Published: February 2022

Type 2 diabetes is a complex, systemic disease affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Previous research has identified genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes risk; however, gene regulatory changes underlying progression to metabolic dysfunction are still largely unknown. We investigated RNA expression changes that occur during diabetes progression using a two-stage approach. In our discovery stage, we compared changes in gene expression using two longitudinally collected blood samples from subjects whose fasting blood glucose transitioned to a level consistent with type 2 diabetes diagnosis between the time points against those who did not with a novel analytical network approach. Our network methodology identified 17 networks, one of which was significantly associated with transition status. This 822-gene network harbors many genes novel to the type 2 diabetes literature but is also significantly enriched for genes previously associated with type 2 diabetes. In the validation stage, we queried associations of genetically determined expression with diabetes-related traits in a large biobank with linked electronic health records. We observed a significant enrichment of genes in our identified network whose genetically determined expression is associated with type 2 diabetes and other metabolic traits and validated 31 genes that are not near previously reported type 2 diabetes loci. Finally, we provide additional functional support, which suggests that the genes in this network are regulated by enhancers that operate in human pancreatic islet cells. We present an innovative and systematic approach that identified and validated key gene expression changes associated with type 2 diabetes transition status and demonstrated their translational relevance in a large clinical resource.
Sunitinib inhibits STAT3 phosphorylation in cardiac muscle and prevents cardiomyopathy in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Oliveira-Santos Ariany , Dagda Marisela , Burkin Dean J
Published: February 2022

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal X-linked genetic disorder affecting approximately 1 in 5000 male births worldwide. DMD is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Dystrophin is essential for maintaining muscle cell membrane integrity and stability by linking the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix, which protects myofibers from contraction-induced damage. Loss of dystrophin leads to mechanically induced skeletal and cardiac muscle damage. Although the disease is not evident in DMD patients at birth, muscular dystrophy rapidly progresses and results in respiratory and cardiac muscle failure as early as the teenage years. Premature death in DMD patients is due to cardiac arrhythmias and left ventricular dysfunction. Currently, there is no effective treatment for DMD-related cardiac failure. Recently, we have shown that a Food and Drug Administration-approved small molecule, sunitinib, a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor can mitigate skeletal muscle disease through an increase in myogenic capacity, cell membrane integrity, and improvement of skeletal muscle function via regulation of STAT3-related signaling pathway. Chronic activation of STAT3 has been shown to promote cardiac hypertrophy and failure. In this study, we examined the effects of long-term sunitinib treatment on cardiac pathology and function. Our results showed sunitinib treatment reduced STAT3 phosphorylation in the heart muscle of mdx mice, improved cardiac electrical function, increased cardiac output and stroke volume, decreased ventricular hypertrophy, reduced cardiomyocytes membrane damage, fibrotic tissue deposition and slightly decreased cardiac inflammation. Together, our studies support the idea that sunitinib could serve as a novel treatment to slow cardiomyopathy progression in DMD.

One Sentence Summary In this study, we determined if sunitinib, a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug, could reduce the pathology and improve cardiac function in an animal model for DMD.
Principal consumer: President Biden's approach to intelligence
Authors: Lockhart James , Moran Christopher R
Published: February 2022

This article assesses United States President Joe Biden's approach to intelligence. It evaluates his evolving relationship with the Central Intelligence Agency and the rest of the intelligence community from the early 1970s, when he was elected to Congress, to the early 2020s, when he became the forty-sixth president of the United States. It concludes that, against the ever-changing context of international affairs, from the late Cold War to the global ‘war on terror’, Biden's approach to intelligence has remained consistent and stable, showing, on the one hand, enthusiasm for the production of national intelligence, and, on the other, a marked uneasiness about paramilitary covert action and the militarization of intelligence. The discussion that follows speaks to a larger debate, dating to the 1940s and still ongoing, in the executive and legislative branches of government, concerning the purposes and proper use of intelligence. This will interest policy-makers, officials and lawmakers responsible for intelligence and oversight, researchers and practitioners in security and intelligence, and scholars of American foreign relations.
Similar Gut Bacterial Composition Between Patients With Ulcerative Colitis and Healthy Controls in a High Incidence Population: A Cross-sectional Study of the Faroe Islands IBD Cohort
Authors: Berbisá Marjun á Fríðirksmørk , Nielsen Kári Rubek , Ingham Anna Cäcilia , Midjord Jóngerð , Hammer Turið , Patursson Poula , Vest Nicolina M O , Gregersen Noomi O , Burisch Johan , Vang Amanda
Published: February 2022

Background

The Faroe Islands has the world’s highest incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Epidemiological studies have characterized this unique cohort and a decreased risk of developing IBD with emigration. Therefore, this well-characterized Faroese IBD cohort gives the opportunity to better understand this complex disease. This study represents the first investigation of the gut microbiota for the cohort.

Methods

This cross-sectional study consisted of 41 patients with established ulcerative colitis and 144 age- and sex-matched healthy controls recruited through the Faroe Genome project. Participants donated a 1-time fecal sample and completed questionnaires on food frequency, background health, and lifestyle. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of the V3-V4 region was performed followed by bioinformatic analysis of taxonomy and diversity metrics.

Results

The overall bacterial composition in both groups was dominated by Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. No significant differences were found based on metrics of alpha or beta diversity. However, discriminatory analysis identified differential abundance of several indicator taxa in healthy controls and ulcerative colitis participants, whereas Akkermansia was completely absent from 27% of all study participants. Food frequency questionnaires revealed similar dietary patterns between the 2 groups.

Conclusion

The similarity in bacterial community composition and absence of the beneficial Akkermansia genus in both groups raise further questions concerning the underlying susceptibility toward inflammatory disorders within this high-risk population. Results vary widely by study design and geographic location, which speaks to the need for regionally tuned reference groups and disease-based studies on the Faroe Islands.
Quantifying risk assessments for monitoring control and surveillance of illegal fishing
Authors: Ford Jessica H , Wilcox Chris
Published: February 2022

One of the key international efforts to reduce Illegal, Unreported,and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's Port State Measures Agreement. The agreement is designed to close off the opportunities for non-compliance, such as vessels engaging in illegal practices to land their catch. However, with thousands of vessels at sea and relatively limited inspection capacity, enhanced communication and information sharing to identify priority high-risk vessels is fundamental to successful implementation. Moving from traditional qualitative to quantitative risk assessments is one key step in ensuring the effective and efficient implementation. Risk profiling is in its infancy in the field of IUU fishing. Here, we present a transparent and repeatable method for eliciting quantitative weightings for indicators of IUU fishing using the Analytical Hierarchy Process. The method highlights the improvements in discrepancy with quantitative rankings, in comparison to traditional qualitative approach used, and the inherent ambiguity associated. This method can help to improve decision support systems used by fisheries surveillance agencies around the world. Knowing which vessels are high-risk is key to decision-making. Working towards a quantitative risk-based approach is fundamental step to improving oversight and control of IUU.
Climate-mediated stock redistribution causes increased risk and challenges for fisheries management
Authors: Jacobsen Nis S , Marshall Kristin N , Berger Aaron M , Grandin Chris , Taylor Ian G
Published: February 2022

The environmental conditions that marine populations experience are being altered because of climate change. In particular, changes in temperature and increased variability can cause shifts in spatial distribution, leading to changes in local physiological rates and recruitment success. Yet, management of fish stocks rarely accounts for variable spatial dynamics or changes in movement rates when estimating management quantities such as stock abundance or maximum sustainable yield. To address this concern, a management strategy evaluation (MSE) was developed to evaluate the robustness of the international management system for Pacific hake, an economically important migratory stock, by incorporating spatio-temporal population dynamics. Alternative hypotheses about climate-induced changes in age-specific movement rates, in combination with three different harvest control rules (HCR), were evaluated using a set of simulations that coupled single-area estimation models with alternative operating models representing spatial stock complexity. Movement rates intensified by climate change caused a median decline in catches, increased annual catch variability, and lower average spawning biomass. Impacts varied by area and HCR, underscoring the importance of spatial management. Incorporating spatial dynamics and climate change effects into management procedures for fish stocks with spatial complexity is warranted to mitigate risk and uncertainty for exploited marine populations.
Effect of Glucocorticoid and 11β-Hydroxysteroid-Dehydrogenase Type 1 (11β-HSD1) in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders
Authors: Dodd Seetal , Skvarc David R , Dean Olivia M , Anderson Anna , Kotowicz Mark , Berk Michael
Published: February 2022

11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) activity is implicated as a moderator of the progression of multiple diseases and disorders in medicine and is actively subject to investigation as a therapeutic target. Here we summarize the mechanisms of the enzyme and detail the novel agents under investigation. Such agents modulate peripheral cortisol and cortisone levels in hypertension, type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease models, but there is mixed evidence for transduction into symptom management. There is inchoate evidence that 11β-HSD1 modulators may be useful pharmacotherapies for clinical improvement in psychiatry and neurology; however, more research is required.
New and emerging concepts and therapies for the treatment of food allergy
Authors: Hwang David W , Nagler Cathryn R , Ciaccio Christina E
Published: February 2022

Food allergy is an increasingly common disease that often starts in early childhood and lasts throughout life. Self-reported food allergy has risen at a rate of 1.2% per decade since 1988, and by 2018, the prevalence of food allergy in the United States was estimated to be 8% in children and 11% in adults.- This prevalence has led to an economic burden of almost $25 billion annually. Despite these staggering statistics, as of the time of this writing, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved one treatment for food allergy, which is limited to use in children with peanut allergy. Fortunately, a new horizon of therapeutic interventions, in all stages of development, lay ahead and hold promise for the near future.
On Inhomogeneous Extension of Thue–Roth’s Type Inequality with Moving Targets
Authors: Kumar Veekesh
Published: February 2022

Let $\Gamma \subset \overline{\mathbb Q}^{\times }$ be a finitely generated multiplicative group of algebraic numbers. Let $\delta ,\linebreak\beta \in \overline{\mathbb Q}^\times $ be algebraic numbers with $\beta $ irrational. In this paper, we prove that there exist only finitely many triples $(u, q, p)\in \Gamma \times \mathbb{Z}^2$ with $d = [\mathbb{Q}(u):\mathbb{Q}]$ such that $|\delta qu|>1$ and $$\begin{align*} & 0<|\delta qu+\beta-p|<\frac{1}{H(u)^\varepsilon q^{d+\varepsilon}}, \end{align*}$$where $H(u)$ denotes the absolute Weil height. This is an inhomogeneous analogue of the main theorem in [ 2]. As an application of our result, we also prove a transcendence result, which states as follows: let $\alpha>1$ be a real number. Let $\beta $ be an algebraic irrational number and $\lambda $ be a non-zero real algebraic number. For a given real number $\varepsilon>0$, if there are infinitely many natural numbers $n$ for which $||\lambda \alpha ^n+\beta || < 2^{- \varepsilon n}$ holds true, then $\alpha $ is transcendental, where $||x||$ denotes the distance from its nearest integer. When $\alpha $ and $\beta $ both are algebraic numbers satisfying same conditions, then a particular result of Kulkarni et al. [ 3] asserts that $\alpha ^d$ is a Pisot number. When $\beta $ is an algebraic irrational, our result implies that no algebraic number $\alpha $ satisfies the inequality for infinitely many natural numbers $n$. Also, our result strengthens a result of Wagner and Ziegler [ 7].
Collection Tubes Can Cause False Elevations in Occupational and Clinical Evaluation of Antimony Exposure
Authors: Yang Yifei K , Genesi Bryce , Adams Austin H
Published: February 2022

Occupational exposure to antimony has become rare in the past decades due to antimony mine closures and technological improvement in antimony processing plants in the USA. Although antimony’s ubiquitous presence in plasticwares does not pose known health risk, it can present as a potential contaminant to antimony analysis for occupational exposure assessment. To understand the level of antimony contamination from plastic collection devices, we evaluated two different whole-blood plastic collection tubes that are routinely used for trace and toxic element assessment: royal blue BD Vacutainer® EDTA tube and Greiner VACUETTE® trace elements sodium heparin tube. We analyzed how different fill volumes may impact the concentrations of antimony detected. Although both collection tubes can introduce antimony contaminations to nitric acid and neutral buffer rinse, the Greiner heparin tube introduces a significantly lower amount of antimony to freshly collected whole-blood samples compared to the BD EDTA tube. When patients’ samples are collected with BD EDTA tubes, they would exhibit elevated antimony concentrations that can be interpreted as potential antimony exposure. We conclude that the royal blue BD EDTA plastic tube is not suitable to evaluate blood antimony levels, and laboratories need to validate their own alternative sources when the glass tubes are not available.
Urban wage premia, cost of living, and collective bargaining
Authors: Belloc Marianna , Naticchioni Paolo , Vittori Claudia
Published: February 2022

In this article, we estimate urban wage premia (UWPs) in Italy, with its economy characterized by the interplay between collective wage bargaining and spatial heterogeneity in the cost of living. Our dataset for the 2005–2015 period exploits detailed information on the universe of workers in the private sector and price measures disaggregated at a fine spatial level. For employees under collective bargaining, we find a zero UWP in nominal terms and a negative UWP in real terms. When we turn to consider various groups of self-employed workers, who are not covered by national labor agreements, we instead find a positive nominal UWP and no real wage penalties.
Thermal biology and roost selection of free-ranging male little forest bats, Vespadelus vulturnus, during winter
Authors: Chenery Melissa , Geiser Fritz , Stawski Clare
Published: February 2022

Insectivorous bats are particularly susceptible to heat loss due to their relatively large surface area to volume ratio. Therefore, to maintain a high normothermic body temperature, bats require large amounts of energy for thermoregulation. This can be energetically challenging for small bats during cold periods as heat loss is augmented and insect prey is reduced. To conserve energy many bats enter a state of torpor characterized by a controlled reduction of metabolism and body temperature in combination with selecting roosts based upon thermal properties. Our study aimed to quantify torpor patterns and roost preferences of free-ranging little forest bats (Vespadelus vulturnus) during winter to identify physiological and behavioral mechanisms used by this species for survival of the cold season. All bats captured were male (body mass 4.9 ± 0.7 g, n = 6) and used torpor on every day monitored, with bouts lasting up to 187.58 h (mean = 35.5 ± 36.7 h, n = 6, total number of samples [N] = 61). Torpor bout duration was significantly correlated with daily minimum and maximum ambient temperature, mean skin temperature, insect mass, and body mass of individuals and the multiday torpor bouts recorded in the cold qualify as hibernation. The lowest skin temperature recorded was 5.2°C, which corresponded to the lowest ambient temperature measurement of −5.8°C. Most bats chose tall, large, live Eucalyptus trees for roosting and to leave their roost for foraging on warmer days. Many individuals often switched roosts (every 3–5 days) and movements increased as spring approached (every 1–2 days). Our data suggest that V. vulturnus are capable of using the environmental temperature to gauge potential foraging opportunities and as a cue to reenter torpor when conditions are unsuitable. Importantly, frequent use of torpor and appropriate roost selection form key roles in the winter survival of these tiny bats.
Predator niche overlap and partitioning and potential interactions in the mountains of Central Asia
Authors: Kachel Shannon M , Karimov Khalil , Wirsing Aaron J
Published: February 2022

Direct and indirect interactions among predators affect predator fitness, distribution, and overall community structure. Yet, outside of experimental settings, such interactions are difficult to observe and thus poorly understood. Patterns of niche overlap among predators reflect and shape community interactions and may therefore help elucidate the nature and intensity of intraguild interactions. To better understand the coexistence of two apex predators, snow leopards (Panthera uncia) and wolves (Canis lupus), we investigated their spatial, temporal, and dietary niche overlap in summer in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan. We estimated population-level space use via spatial capture–recapture models based on noninvasive genetics and camera traps, diel activity patterns based on camera trap detections, and diet composition from prey remains in carnivore scats, from which we estimated coefficients between 0 and 1 for overlap in space, time, and diet, respectively. Snow leopards and wolves displayed moderate spatial partitioning (0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.17–37), but overlapping temporal (0.77, 95% CI: 0.64–0.90) and dietary (0.97, 95% CI: 0.80–0.99) niches. Both predators relied on seasonally abundant marmots (Marmota caudata) rather than wild ungulates, their typical primary prey, suggesting that despite patterns of overlap that were superficially conducive to exploitation competition and predator facilitation, prey were likely not a limiting factor. Therefore, prey-mediated interactions, if present, were unlikely to be a major structuring force in the ecosystem. By implication, carnivore conservation planning and monitoring in the mountains of Central Asia should more fully account for the seasonal importance of marmots in the ecosystem.
Review of the Situation of Human African Trypanosomiasis in the Republic of Congo From the 1950s to 2020
Authors: Bemba Irina , Bamou Roland , Lenga Arsene , Okoko Aline , Awono-Ambene Parfait , Antonio-Nkondjio Christophe
Published: February 2022

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), despite considerable progress in the control, is still occurring in many countries in both west and central African regions. The HAT situation in the Republic of Congo has always been overshadowed by its neighbor the Democratic Republic of Congo where over 60% of all HAT cases occur. In the Republic of Congo, HAT cases have been significantly reduced to about 20 reported cases yearly and the disease is still prevalent in few foci across the country. Although continuous assessment of HAT situation in Congo is been led by the National Control Program for HAT, research on the vector, parasite, and vector control has received little attention. Because there have not been enough reviews summarizing key findings from studies conducted so far, there is still a poor understanding of the global situation of HAT in Congo. In order to achieve sustainable elimination of HAT in Congo a deep appraisal of HAT situation is required. The present study provides a review of studies conducted on HAT in the republic of Congo since the 1950s to date in order to identify gaps in knowledge and help consolidate the gains and progress towards the elimination of sleeping sickness.
Discrimination of 15 Amazonian Anopheline Mosquito Species by Polymerase Chain Reaction—Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism
Authors: Vezenegho S B , Issaly J , Carinci R , Gaborit P , Girod R , Dusfour Isabelle , Briolant S
Published: February 2022

Precise identification of anopheline species is paramount for incrimination of malaria vectors and implementation of a sustainable control program. Anopheline mosquitoes are routinely identified morphologically, a technique that is time-consuming, needs high level of expertise, and prone to misidentifications especially when considering Amazonian species. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a DNA-based identification technique to supplement traditional morphological identification methods for the discrimination of anopheline mosquitoes collected in French Guiana. The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) for anopheline species was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and digested with AluI/MspI restriction enzymes. PCR-restriction fragments length polymorphism (RFLP) assay was compared to sequencing of the ITS2 region for validation. Fifteen Anopheles species have shown distinct PCR-RFLP profiles. A concordance of 100% was obtained when identification by PCR-RFLP was compared to sequencing of ITS2. A high throughput, fast, and cost-effective PCR-RFLP assay has been developed for unambiguous discrimination of fifteen anopheline mosquito species from French Guiana including primary and suspected secondary malaria vectors.
Cervical Precancers and Cancers Attributed to HPV Types by Race and Ethnicity: Implications for Vaccination, Screening, and Management
Authors: Mix Jacqueline , Saraiya Mona , Hallowell Benjamin D , Befano Brian , Cheung Li C , Unger Elizabeth R , Gargano Julia W , Markowitz Lauri E , Castle Philip E , Raine-Bennett Tina , Walker Joan , Zuna Rosemary , Schiffman Mark , Wentzensen Nicolas , Gage Julia C
Published: February 2022

Background

Racial and ethnic variations in attribution of cervical precancer and cancer to human papillomavirus (HPV) types may result in different HPV vaccine protection, screening test coverage, and clinical management.

Methods

Pooling data from 7 US studies, we calculated the proportional attribution of precancers and cancers to HPV types using HPV DNA typing from diagnosis. All statistical tests were 2-sided.

Results

For all racial and ethnic groups, most cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) (84.2%-90.8% of 5526) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (90.4%-93.8% of 1138) were attributed to types targeted by the 9-valent vaccine. A higher proportion of CIN3s were attributed to nonvaccine HPV types among non-Hispanic Black women (15.8%) compared with non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander (9.7%; P = .002), non-Hispanic White (9.2%; P < .001), and Hispanic (11.3%; P = .004) women. The proportion of SCCs attributed to 9-valent types was similar by race and ethnicity (P = .80). A higher proportion of CIN3s were attributed to nonvaccine HPV35 among non-Hispanic Black (9.0%) compared with non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander (2.2%), non-Hispanic White (2.5%), and Hispanic (3.0%; all P < .001) women. Compared with CIN3, the proportion of SCCs attributed to HPV35 among non-Hispanic Black women (3.2%) was lower and closer to other groups (0.3%-2.1%; P = .70).

Conclusion

The 9-valent HPV vaccine will prevent nearly all cervical precancers and invasive cancers among major racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Adding HPV35 to vaccines could prevent a small percentage of CIN3s and SCCs, with greater potential impact for CIN3s among Black women. HPV screening tests target high-risk HPV types, including HPV35. Future genotyping triage strategies could consider the importance of HPV35- and other HPV16-related types.
Widespread Mislocalization of FUS Is Associated With Mitochondrial Abnormalities in Skeletal Muscle in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis With FUS Mutations
Authors: Yu Meng , Zhao Xutong , Wu Wei , Wang Qingqing , Liu Jing , Zhang Wei , Yuan Yun , Hong Daojun , Wang Zhaoxia , Deng Jianwen
Published: February 2022

Mutations in the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene have been reported to be the most common genetic cause of early-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); cytoplasmic inclusions containing FUS protein are the predominant pathological feature. Recent studies indicated that mutant FUS impaired neuromuscular junctions and induced muscle intrinsic toxicity in cell and animal models. However, the role of FUS in muscle degeneration remains unclear. In this study, we investigated FUS protein distribution in skeletal muscle fibers in ALS-FUS. Our data show that cytoplasmic mislocalized FUS in the unaggregated form represented a remarkable pathological feature in affected muscle fibers in ALS-FUS. Additional studies found that cytoplasmic FUS colocalized with some mitochondria and was associated with mitochondrial swelling and disorganized cristae. RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses indicated downregulation of the key subunits of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complexes in the affected skeletal muscle in ALS-FUS patients. Further immunoblot analysis showed increased levels of FUS, but decreased levels of Cox I (subunit of complex IV) in ALS-FUS patients compared with age-matched controls. This is the first demonstration of the close association of cytoplasmic mislocalized FUS with mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle, implicating the presence of a cell-autonomous mechanism in muscle degeneration in ALS.
Fluorescence-guided laparoscopic lymph node biopsy in a lymphoma patient: a possible new clinical application of indocyanine green
Authors: Casaccia Marco , Testa Tommaso , Martigli Sofia Paola , Santoliquido Matteo , Lemoli Roberto Massimo
Published: February 2022

To date, there are no reports indicating the use of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence to detect pathologic lymphatic tissue when a laparoscopic lymph node biopsy (LLB) for suspected new or recurrent lymphoma is performed. We present the case of a 72-year-old female patient admitted for suspicion of recurrent lymphoma. A preoperative imaging work-up showed solid tissue enveloping the terminal portion of the abdominal aorta with a standardized uptake value (SUV) of 10. Therefore, an LLB was planned. After induction of anesthesia, a ICG solution was injected intravenously and subcutaneously at both inguinal regions. At laparoscopy, a complete visualization of the pathologic lymph nodes was achieved, enabling an incisional biopsy of the lymphomatous mass. LLB with ICG-fluorescence offers a simple and safe method for pathologic lymph node detection in the suspicion of intra-abdominal lymphoma. More studies with large case series are needed to confirm the efficacy of this application.
Pleomorphic spindle cell sarcoma of the adrenal gland: an extremely rare cause of a large abdominal mass and a challenging diagnosis
Authors: Omar Mohamed Ozaal Abdul Mubarack , Rajendra Sittambalam
Published: February 2022

Primary adrenal pleomorphic spindle cell sarcoma (PSCS) is an exceedingly rare mesenchymal tumour that was previously known as malignant fibrous histiocytoma. It commonly occurs in extremities, retroperitoneum, peritoneal cavity and rarely in visceral organs. We report the first case of PSCS in the left adrenal gland in a 65-year-old female who presented with a large abdominal mass with vague symptoms. The wide range of differential diagnoses posed a challenge in establishing the diagnosis. However, this was overcome by appropriate radiological, intra-operative, histological and most importantly, comprehensive immunohistochemical findings. The patient underwent complete surgical resection of the tumour and had an unremarkable recovery. She remains without metastasis or recurrences to date through her 18 months of post-operative follow-up despite the poor prognosis of this tumour.
Missed traumatic abdominal injury with challenging management: report of 12-year follow-up
Authors: Ceballos-Esparragón José J , Servide-Staffolani María José , Petrone Patrizio
Published: February 2022

Despite well-established clinical guidelines and use of radiologic imaging for diagnosis, challenges are faced when accurate decisions must be made within seconds. Patients with life-threatening injuries represent 10–15% of all hospitalized trauma patients. In fact, 20% of abdominal injuries will require surgical intervention. In abdominal trauma, it is important to distinguish the difference between surgical intervention, which includes damage control procedures and definitive treatment. The main objective of damage control surgery is to control the bleeding, reduce the contamination and delay additional surgical stress at a time of physiological vulnerability of the patient, along with abdominal containment, visceral protection and avoiding aponeurotic retraction in situations where primary abdominal closure is not possible. However, this technique has high morbidity and comes with a myriad of complications, including development of catastrophic abdomen and formation of enterocutaneous fistulas.
‘Goblin Market’, Sisterhood and the Church Penitentiary Association
Authors: Rogers Scott T
Published: February 2022

Christina Rossetti’s work with fallen women and penitent prostitutes as a volunteer for the Church Penitentiary Association has long been known, but to date there is little scholarship on the relationship between her poem ‘Goblin Market’ and the actual rules and structures of the types of institutions where Rossetti volunteered for a decade. In this essay, I examine the ways that ‘Goblin Market’ both reflects the influence of the Church Penitentiary Association and interrogates questions about the viability of female communities.
H2 profiles of C-type bow shocks
Authors: Smith M D , Brand P W J L
Published: February 2022

We present emission-line profiles of molecular hydrogen from curved C-shocks within molecular clouds. Shock configurations arising from the supersonic motion of jets and bullets within a dense cloud are chosen. Bow shock speeds in the range vw = 40-200 km s-1 are investigated. Breakdown through dissociation and selfionization restricts the C-shock section to the bow tail. We find that profiles ire essentially single-peaked and narrow with full widths (at 10 per cent maximum intensity, deconvolved) of up to about 50,40 and 30 km s-1 for cones, hemispherical caps and paraboloids, respectively. Exceptional field alignments can produce lines as wide as 75 km s-1 in the conical shock model. Line asymmetry is critically dependent on the orientation to the observer and, for low-velocity bows, the magnetic field direction. The peak is never significantly shifted away from the radial component of the pre-shock velocity. These results are consistent with observed profiles from H2 peaks associated with Herbig-Haro objects but not with the particularly broad H2 lines in OMC-1 and DR2 1
A search for quasars in a field around NGC 520
Authors: Gosset E , Clowes R G , Surdej J , Swings J P
Published: February 2022

We have performed an objective-prism search for quasars in a field around the galaxy NGC 520. The AUTOMATED QUASAR DETECTION (AQD) software has been applied and a sample of 175 highly rated quasar candidates has been selected and is presented here. The 2D and 3D distributions of the candidates have been analysed. The distribution on the celestial sphere turns out to be non-random. The deviations from randomness are both a tendency to exhibit anticorrelation at the scale of a few arcmin and a significant excess of objects at separations of about 20 arcmin. A very weak tendency towards spatial clustering is also detected (significance level 0.04) at a typical scale of 10 h−1 Mpc, but it concerns an extremely small number of candidates and a definitive conclusion is delayed until all the candidates have been observed spectroscopically. Finally, in order to test the claims by Arp & Duhalde that an excess of quasars exists near NGC 520 and that there is a preferential NE-SW alignment of bright quasars across this amorphous galaxy, we have also performed various statistical analyses of the distribution of the high-grade quasar candidates with respect to NGC 520: no sign of any possible relation is present in our data.
Spectroscopy of faint, high latitude cataclysmic variable candidates
Authors: Mukai K , Mason K O , Howell S B , Allington-Smith J , Callanan P J , Charles P A , Hassall B J M , Machin G , Naylor T , Smale A P , van Paradijs J
Published: February 2022

The fields of several variable stars believed to be cataclysmic binaries at large distances above the Galactic plane have been examined using low resolution spectroscopy in the 3600-10000 Å wavelength range. The spectral characteristics of the stars observed are presented. We find that AL Com may be an intermediate polar on the basis of its modulation period, and the observation of hydrogen lines in its spectrum. In four systems, ARCnc, DVUMa, DODra and BCUMa, there is evidence for the spectral signature of the mass-donating secondary, and we use the spectral type of the secondary to estimate the system parameters. At least two of these binaries, ARCnc and DVUMa, are eclipsing. The inferred absolute magnitude of BC UMa is faint, in the range 11.0-13.5. The blue spectrum of this star is remarkably similar to that of the unusual cataclysmic variable WZ Sge. We note that BC UMa and WZ Sge also exhibit similar, and extreme, outburst amplitudes, and have very similar orbital periods.
Possible chaotic pulsations in ZZ Ceti and rapidly oscillating Ap stars due to non-linear harmonic mode coupling
Authors: Verheest Frank , Hereman Willy , Serras Herman
Published: February 2022

Some ZZ Ceti and rapidly oscillating Ap stars show some multi-periodic behaviour, including prominent peaks in their power spectra at harmonically spaced frequencies with ratios 1 :2:3. The non-linear interaction between three such modes is a combination of the usual three-wave interaction coupled to second-harmonic generation. The amplitude equations for such a combined interaction are fundamentally different, and the Painleve analysis carried out here shows them to be non-integrable in the Hamiltonian sense, so that for long-term behaviour one expects irregular or chaotic phenomena instead of simple periodic or multi-periodic pulsations, especially when other modes and dissipation are included. Some examples of stars to which this might apply are given. These include VY Hor = BPM 3 1594 and BG CVn = GD 154 among the ZZ Ceti stars, PG 1351 + 489 among the DB variable white dwarfs, and HD 60435 and HD 22374 among the rapidly oscillating Ap stars.
Variability of the Ap star 21 Com: results from multiple-site campaigns
Authors: Kreidl Tobias J , Garrido Rafael , Huang Lin , Guo Zihe , Belmonte Juan A , Fernie J D , Zverko Juraj , Žižňovský Jozef , Weiss Werner W , Elliott Ian , Matthews Jaymie M
Published: February 2022

A total of over 210 hr of previously unpublished differential photoelectric photometry of 21 Com (HD 108945, HR4766), obtained in five years, were analysed to search for periodicities. Of these, the 88 hr obtained in 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1989 were searched for, and show no indications of short-period variability. In 1988, over 116 hr of differential photoelectric photometry of 21 Com were obtained from six observing sites in North America, Europe and Asia in Stromgren b in order to look for rotational, as well as pulsational, periodicities. Most of the data were obtained during a three-week period of time in 1988 March—April, and nearly 6 hr of additional data were obtained in 1989 June. No statistically significant short-period variability was detected in the period range of 4.8 min to 2 hr in any of these data. The lack of detection of short-period variability contradicts the findings of numerous other authors, most recently those of Santagati et al. We have found a double-peaked lightcurve with a period of 2.00435 ± 0.00080 d and a peak-to-peak amplitude of about 0.03 mag in b that we attribute to rotational variability. The time-base between our 1988 and 1989 data allows us to establish this accuracy for the period. We present arguments which rule out a single-wave lightcurve of half this period (namely 1.002 d).
Plateaus, dips, and rebrightenings during the outbursts of WZ Sge: no magnetic propeller, but a veiling curtain
Authors: Georganti M , Knigge C , Castro Segura N , Long K S
Published: February 2022

WZ Sge is the prototype of highly evolved, low-accretion rate dwarf novae (DNe). During the decline from eruptions, its light curve displays a ‘dip’ followed by ≃10 ‘echo outbursts’. The standard disc instability model does not account for this behaviour, which is also seen in other low-accretion rate DNe. One recent interpretation for these rapid brightness changes is that they represent transitions into and out of a magnetic propeller regime. Here, we test this scenario with time-resolved, ultraviolet spectroscopy taken with the Hubble Space Telescope just before, during and after the dip in WZ Sge’s 2001 eruption. We find no distinctive or unique signatures that could be attributed to a propeller in either the time-averaged UV spectrum or the variability spectrum. Thus the data do not support the magnetic propeller scenario. Instead of resolving the mystery of WZ Sge’s outburst light curve, our study has actually added another: the origin of the narrow absorption features seen in all outburst phases. We show explicitly that these features are likely formed in a high-density ‘veiling curtain’ with a characteristic temperature $\rm T \simeq 17,000~\mathrm{K}$. However, the nature and origin of this veil are unclear. Given that WZ Sge-type DNe are the most intrinsically common class of accreting white dwarfs, resolving these questions should be a high priority.
PKS 1424+240: yet another masquerading BL Lac object as a possible IceCube neutrino source
Authors: Padovani P , Boccardi B , Falomo R , Giommi P
Published: February 2022

We show that the blazar PKS 1424+240, which has been recently associated by IceCube with a neutrino excess at the $3.3\, \sigma$ level together with three other sources, is similar to the first plausible non-stellar neutrino source, TXS 0506+056, in being also a masquerading BL Lac object, i.e. intrinsically a flat-spectrum radio quasar with hidden broad lines and a standard accretion disc. We point out that these two sources share other properties, including spectral energy distribution, high powers, parsec scale properties, and possibly radio morphology. We speculate that the relatively rare combination of proton-loaded jets, possibly typical of high-excitation sources, and efficient particle acceleration processes, related to their relatively high synchrotron peak frequencies, might favour neutrino production in these two sources. GB6 J1542+6129, which has also recently appeared twice in a list of IceCube associations, seems also to belong to this rare blazar sub-class, which includes at most ≈20 Fermi-4LAC blazars.
SYMBIOSIS: synthetic manipulable biobricks via orthogonal serine integrase systems
Authors: Ba Fang , Liu Yushi , Liu Wan-Qiu , Tian Xintong , Li Jian
Published: February 2022

Serine integrases are emerging as one of the most powerful biological tools for synthetic biology. They have been widely used across genome engineering and genetic circuit design. However, developing serine integrase-based tools for directly/precisely manipulating synthetic biobricks is still missing. Here, we report SYMBIOSIS, a versatile method that can robustly manipulate DNA parts in vivo and in vitro. First, we propose a ‘keys match locks’ model to demonstrate that three orthogonal serine integrases are able to irreversibly and stably switch on seven synthetic biobricks with high accuracy in vivo. Then, we demonstrate that purified integrases can facilitate the assembly of ‘donor’ and ‘acceptor’ plasmids in vitro to construct composite plasmids. Finally, we use SYMBIOSIS to assemble different chromoprotein genes and create novel colored Escherichia coli. We anticipate that our SYMBIOSIS strategy will accelerate synthetic biobrick manipulation, genetic circuit design and multiple plasmid assembly for synthetic biology with broad potential applications.
An improved molecular inversion probe based targeted sequencing approach for low variant allele frequency
Authors: Biezuner Tamir , Brilon Yardena , Arye Asaf Ben , Oron Barak , Kadam Aditee , Danin Adi , Furer Nili , Minden Mark D , Hwan Kim Dennis Dong , Shapira Shiran , Arber Nadir , Dick John , Thavendiranathan Paaladinesh , Moskovitz Yoni , Kaushansky Nathali , Chapal-Ilani Noa , Shlush Liran I
Published: February 2022

Deep targeted sequencing technologies are still not widely used in clinical practice due to the complexity of the methods and their cost. The Molecular Inversion Probes (MIP) technology is cost effective and scalable in the number of targets, however, suffers from low overall performance especially in GC rich regions. In order to improve the MIP performance, we sequenced a large cohort of healthy individuals (n = 4417), with a panel of 616 MIPs, at high depth in duplicates. To improve the previous state-of-the-art statistical model for low variant allele frequency, we selected 4635 potentially positive variants and validated them using amplicon sequencing. Using machine learning prediction tools, we significantly improved precision of 10–56.25% (P < 0.0004) to detect variants with VAF > 0.005. We further developed biochemically modified MIP protocol and improved its turn-around-time to ∼4 h. Our new biochemistry significantly improved uniformity, GC-Rich regions coverage, and enabled 95% on target reads in a large MIP panel of 8349 genomic targets. Overall, we demonstrate an enhancement of the MIP targeted sequencing approach in both detection of low frequency variants and in other key parameters, paving its way to become an ultrafast cost-effective research and clinical diagnostic tool.
gpuZoo: Cost-effective estimation of gene regulatory networks using the Graphics Processing Unit
Authors: Guebila Marouen Ben , Morgan Daniel C , Glass Kimberly , Kuijjer Marieke L , DeMeo Dawn L , Quackenbush John
Published: February 2022

Gene regulatory network inference allows for the modeling of genome-scale regulatory processes that are altered during development, in disease, and in response to perturbations. Our group has developed a collection of tools to model various regulatory processes, including transcriptional (PANDA, SPIDER) and post-transcriptional (PUMA) gene regulation, as well as gene regulation in individual samples (LIONESS). These methods work by postulating a network structure and then optimizing that structure to be consistent with multiple lines of biological evidence through repeated operations on data matrices. Although our methods are widely used, the corresponding computational complexity, and the associated costs and run times, do limit some applications. To improve the cost/time performance of these algorithms, we developed gpuZoo which implements GPU-accelerated calculations, dramatically improving the performance of these algorithms. The runtime of the gpuZoo implementation in MATLAB and Python is up to 61 times faster and 28 times less expensive than multi-core CPU implementation of the same methods. gpuZoo is available in MATLAB through the netZooM package https://github.com/netZoo/netZooM and in Python through the netZooPy package https://github.com/netZoo/netZooPy.
Herpes Zoster Following Recombinant Zoster Vaccine With or Without Concomitant Vaccination
Authors: Bruxvoort Katia J , Qian Lei , Wu Jun , Florea Ana , Ackerson Bradley , Sy Lina S , Vega Daily Leticia , Takhar Harpreet , Tseng Hung Fu
Published: February 2022

Background

The 2-dose recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) series is recommended for prevention of herpes zoster (HZ) in adults aged ≥50 years, but data are limited on the impact of concomitant administration with other vaccines on subsequent HZ risk.

Methods

This cohort study included Kaiser Permanente Southern California members aged ≥50 years who received 2 doses of RZV 4 weeks to ≤6 months apart during 1 April 2018–30 September 2019. RZV recipients with and without same-day concomitant vaccination for either RZV dose were followed up for incident HZ beginning 31 days after the second RZV dose until 30 September 2020. The hazard ratio (HR) for HZ comparing RZV recipients with and without concomitant vaccination was estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for confounders.

Results

RZV with and without concomitant vaccination was received by 12 898 and 28 353 individuals, respectively. HZ occurred among 41 individuals with concomitant vaccination (incidence rate, 2.2 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.6–3.0] per 1000 person-years) and 136 without concomitant vaccination (3.4 [95% CI, 2.9–4.0] per 1000 person-years). The adjusted HR for HZ comparing RZV recipients with and without concomitant vaccination was 0.75 (95% CI, .53–1.08).

Conclusions

HZ risk was not significantly different between RZV recipients with and without concomitant vaccination, supporting recommendations allowing for concomitant administration of RZV with other vaccines.