bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beam commissioning of the SARAF Injector and MEBT (protons)
Authors: Weissman L. , Weiss-Babai R. , Barak A. , Choquet A. , Cohen S. , Elimeleh K. , Eliyahu I. , Isakov H. , Gertz I. , Goldberger N. , Goresnic C. , Itzhaki Y. , Kaizer B. , Kreisel A. , Lapin I. , Luner Y. , Paami H. , Perry A. , Polikarpov I. , Reinfeld E. , Rodnizky J. , Shor A. , Shmuely I. , Solomon Y. , Talala Sh. , Tamim N. , Vaintraub S. , Varulker Sh. , Zchut T. , Dumas J. , Chance A. , Chirpaz D. , Darde D. , Desmarchelier G. , Duperrier R. , Ferrand G. , Gaget A. , Gohier F. , Gougnaud F. , Joannem T. , Nadot V. , Pichoff N. , Senee F. , Simon C. , Solenne N. , Uriot D. , Zhao L.
Published: December 2023

The SARAF Phase II cryogenic linear accelerator (linac) is
currently under construction and will be commissioned through
collaborative efforts between SNRC and CEA. The linac will
accelerate a 5 mA pulsed/continuous wave (CW) proton and deuteron
beam, reaching energies of up to 35 MeV and 40 MeV,
respectively. The linac injector consists of Phase I components,
including an ECR ion source, a Low-Energy Beam Transport (LEBT)
line, and a 4-rod Radio Frequency Quadruple (RFQ). Additionally, a
new Medium Energy Beam Transport (MEBT) line has been installed and
integrated into the injector infrastructure. The MEBT includes three
rebuncher resonators, magneto-optical elements, and beam
diagnostics. The MEBT beam diagnostics, as well as the Phase I
D-plate installed downstream, were used for beam
characterization. The downstream-installed Temporary Beam Line (TBL)
and a prototype of the Gallium Indium Liquid Target (GALIT) were
used for commissioning, operating at high beam duty cycles,
including CW mode. The report describes the proton beam
commissioning process of the injector prior to the delivery of the
cryomodules, scheduled for the second half of 2023.
Design and development of MTCA.4-based generic control and data acquisition module for CSNS-II and SAPS-TP
Authors: Long W. , Li X. , Liu Y. , Wu B. , Liu S. , Zhang C. , Chen S. , Zhu J. , Lu Z. , Li X. , Wu J.
Published: December 2023

A new generation of domestically generic control and data
acquisition AMC module has been developed to meet the requirements
of the upgrade and renovation of the RCS LLRF system in the CSNS-II
project, as well as the horizontal testing needs of the
SAPS-TP. This module complies with the MicroTCA.4 standard and
utilizes the Xilinx ZYNQ 7045 SOC as the core data processing
chip. It can simultaneously run FPGA algorithms and the EPICS IOC
remote control application program, serving as an autonomous control
node. The module is equipped with 8 channels of 125 MSPS 16-bit ADC
and 2 channels of 16-bit DAC with a maximum sampling rate of up to
500 MSPS. It also features standard expansion interface, front
optical panel fiber interface, external clock interface, front panel
digital IO interface, and more, catering to the needs of multiple
systems in accelerator facilities such as radio-frequency, beam
diagnostics, and control system. Additionally, the module can
function independently for smaller-scale experimental and testing
systems, such as the LLRF system for horizontal testing of
SAPS-TP. To guarantee the seamless integration and proper operation
of the AMC module within the MicroTCA.4 ecosystem, the MMC mezzanine
card has been developed and thoroughly tested. In order to further
reduce costs for small-scale systems, we optimized the software of
the MMC so that the AMC board can run without the MCH module and
realize self-health monitoring. For common applications, we have
developed a complete software architecture and demo programs,
including FPGA firmware, embedded Linux operating system, kernel
driver modules, and EPICS IOC demo application programs. Detailed
measurements have been conducted on hardware performance such as
SNR, SFDR, channel isolation, as well as software performance
including AXI DMA data bandwidth and system resources utilization,
etc. The measurement results indicate that the module's performance
indicators meet the design requirements.
MXene-GaAs heterojunctions: interface modeling, electronic properties and optical absorption
Authors: Zhou Shuaiqi
Published: December 2023

MXene has gained favor in the field of material research and development due to its excellent two-dimensional structural properties, electronic structure properties, scalability, etc The heterostructures with MXene on one end not only make full use of the characteristics of MXene itself but also have the potential for transformative and application-rich materials when combined with other materials on the opposite end. Inspired by potentials in MXene-contained heterojunctions, this study focuses on the MXene-GaAs heterostructures to better understand their binding characters, structure features, and electron structures. First, the heterostructures (GaAs-Ti3C2O, GaAs-Ti3C2F, and GaAs-Ti3C2OH) are modeled aiming to provide comprehensive insights into their formation. The results reveal that the MXene layer in these heterostructures plays a crucial role in protecting the GaAs crystal, as evidenced by the substantial binding energy observed. Among the three heterostructures, GaAs-Ti3C2OH shows the closest proximity at the interface, attributed to the strong binding between MXene surfaces and Ga atoms. Various analyses, including binding energy calculations, charge polarization evaluations, interface electrostatic potential biases, and electron localization function studies, yield valuable insights into the formation process of these heterojunctions. Moreover, the incorporation of MXene layers enables electron conduction, effectively transforming the heterostructures into Schottky barriers. The density of states (DOS) analysis reveals pronounced peaks near the Fermi levels, indicating excellent electron mobility. Notably, all three heterostructures demonstrate weak magnetic features of the surface GaAs near the Fermi levels, imparted by the MXene layers. Lastly, optical simulations predict an absorption peak located around 4.3 eV for GaAs-Ti3C2OH.
Tabebuia rosea seed extract mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles with antibacterial, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activities
Authors: Muruganandham Moorthy , Al-Otibi Fatimah Oleyan , Alharbi Raedah Ibrahim , Sivasubramanian Kanagasabapathy , Chaulagain Anon , Velmurugan Palanivel , Basavegowda Nagaraj
Published: December 2023

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plants has grown in significance recently. The present investigation involved the synthesis of AgNPs utilizing Tabebuia rosea (TR) seeds as a reducing agent. The bioactive potential of the synthesized AgNP was evaluated through antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxicity assays. The confirmation of the formation of AgNPs was achieved through the utilization of UV–vis spectroscopy. The spectroscopic analysis revealed the presence of absorption maxima at 450 nm, which is a distinctive feature of AgNPs. The optimization process for the synthesis of nanoparticles was conducted by varying the pH levels, metal ion (AgNO3), and substrate (Seed extract). The size range of the synthesized nanoparticles was found to be less than 100 nm through the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The profile obtained through energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis of AgNPs exhibited a characteristic optical absorption peak at approximately 3 keV. Further investigation using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed the involvement of O–H stretching in phenolic compounds and O–H and C=O stretching in carboxylic acids forming AgNPs. The results of the antimicrobial activity assay indicate that the bacteria K. pneumonia exhibited the maximum inhibition zone of 20 ± 0.48 mm, followed by E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis, and S. aureus at the highest concentration of 100 mg ml−1, respectively. The DPPH assay findings suggest that the maximum concentration of 500 μg ml−1 of AgNPs exhibited a unique scavenging ability, with a value of 80.98%. Additionally, the application of biologically synthesized AgNPs to treated cells resulted in a cytotoxic effect. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 45  μg ml−1 was determined following a 24 h treatment with human fibroblast cells (L929). Using T. rosea seed to produce AgNPs holds promise for their potential application as nano drugs.
Experimental study of the effect of gas discharge on ionic liquid electrospray
Authors: SHI 石 Wen 文 , YANG 杨 Pengfei 鹏飞 , SONG 宋 Peiyi 培义 , WU 吴 Jian 健
Published: December 2023

Ionic liquid electrospray (ILE) in an atmospheric environment is often accompanied by the gas discharge phenomenon. It interferes with the normal operation of the electrospray and the measurement of experimental parameters. In this study, electrospray experiments were conducted on the ionic liquid EMI-BF4. The observations revealed that the operating modes of the ionic liquid depend on the voltage polarity at high voltages. Additionally, a correspondence between the operating mode of ILE and the current signal in the circuit was established. The shape of the liquid cone formed at the needle tip bore a striking resemblance to the plume of corona discharge, suggesting that the motion trajectory of electrons influenced the curvature of the liquid cone. Steamer theory provided a clear explanation for the change in curvature as the voltage increased.
A finite element-convolutional neural network model (FE-CNN) for stress field analysis around arbitrary inclusions
Authors: Rezasefat Mohammad , Hogan James D
Published: December 2023

This study presents a data-driven finite element-machine learning surrogate model for predicting the end-to-end full-field stress distribution and stress concentration around an arbitrary-shaped inclusion. This is important because the model’s capacity to handle large datasets, consider variations in size and shape, and accurately replicate stress fields makes it a valuable tool for studying how inclusion characteristics affect material performance. An automatized dataset generation method using finite element simulation is proposed, validated, and used for attaining a dataset with one thousand inclusion shapes motivated by experimental observations and their corresponding spatially-varying stress distributions. A U-Net-based convolutional neural network (CNN) is trained using the dataset, and its performance is evaluated through quantitative and qualitative comparisons. The dataset, consisting of these stress data arrays, is directly fed into the CNN model for training and evaluation. This approach bypasses the need for converting the stress data into image format, allowing for a more direct and efficient input representation for the CNN. The model was evaluated through a series of sensitivity analyses, focusing on the impact of dataset size and model resolution on accuracy and performance. The results demonstrated that increasing the dataset size significantly improved the model’s prediction accuracy, as indicated by the correlation values. Additionally, the investigation into the effect of model resolution revealed that higher resolutions led to better stress field predictions and reduced error. Overall, the surrogate model proved effective in accurately predicting the effective stress concentration in inclusions, showcasing its potential in practical applications requiring stress analysis such as structural engineering, material design, failure analysis, and multi-scale modeling.
Correcting for artificial heat in coupled sea ice perturbation experiments
Authors: Fraser-Leach Luke , Kushner Paul , Audette Alexandre
Published: December 2023

A common approach to assessing how polar amplification affects lower latitude climate is to perform coupled ocean-atmosphere experiments in which sea ice is perturbed to a future state. Recent work with a simple 1-dimensional energy balance model (EBM) shows that sea ice perturbation experiments impose an artificial heat flux on the climate system. We explore this effect in a broader range of models and suggest a technique to correct for the artificial heat post-hoc. Our technique successfully corrects for artificial heat in the EBM, and a possible generalization of this approach is developed to correct for artificial heat in an albedo modification experiment in a comprehensive earth system model. Generalizing this technique to sea ice perturbation methodologies that employ a ‘ghost flux’ seen only by the sea ice model would require a better understanding of the effect of ghost fluxes on the surface energy budget. Applying the correction to the comprehensive albedo modification experiment, we find stronger artificial warming than in the EBM. Failing to account for the artificial heat also leads to overestimation of the climate response to sea ice loss (SIL), and can suggest false or artificially strong ‘tugs-of-war’ between low latitude warming and SIL over some fields, for example Arctic surface temperature and zonal wind.
iAMP-Attenpred: a novel antimicrobial peptide predictor based on BERT feature extraction method and CNN-BiLSTM-Attention combination model
Authors: Xing Wenxuan , Zhang Jie , Li Chen , Huo Yujia , Dong Gaifang
Published: December 2023

As a kind of small molecule protein that can fight against various microorganisms in nature, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play an indispensable role in maintaining the health of organisms and fortifying defenses against diseases. Nevertheless, experimental approaches for AMP identification still demand substantial allocation of human resources and material inputs. Alternatively, computing approaches can assist researchers effectively and promptly predict AMPs. In this study, we present a novel AMP predictor called iAMP-Attenpred. As far as we know, this is the first work that not only employs the popular BERT model in the field of natural language processing (NLP) for AMPs feature encoding, but also utilizes the idea of combining multiple models to discover AMPs. Firstly, we treat each amino acid from preprocessed AMPs and non-AMP sequences as a word, and then input it into BERT pre-training model for feature extraction. Moreover, the features obtained from BERT method are fed to a composite model composed of one-dimensional CNN, BiLSTM and attention mechanism for better discriminating features. Finally, a flatten layer and various fully connected layers are utilized for the final classification of AMPs. Experimental results reveal that, compared with the existing predictors, our iAMP-Attenpred predictor achieves better performance indicators, such as accuracy, precision and so on. This further demonstrates that using the BERT approach to capture effective feature information of peptide sequences and combining multiple deep learning models are effective and meaningful for predicting AMPs.
Local Disordered Region Sampling (LDRS) for ensemble modeling of proteins with experimentally undetermined or low confidence prediction segments
Authors: Liu Zi Hao , Teixeira João M C , Zhang Oufan , Tsangaris Thomas E , Li Jie , Gradinaru Claudiu C , Head-Gordon Teresa , Forman-Kay Julie D
Published: December 2023

The Local Disordered Region Sampling (LDRS, pronounced loaders) tool is a new module developed for IDPConformerGenerator, a previously validated approach to model intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). The IDPConformerGenerator LDRS module provides a method for generating all-atom conformations of intrinsically disordered protein regions at N- and C-termini of and in loops or linkers between folded regions of an existing protein structure. These disordered elements often lead to missing coordinates in experimental structures or low confidence in predicted structures. Requiring only a pre-existing PDB or mmCIF formatted structural template of the protein with missing coordinates or with predicted confidence scores and its full-length primary sequence, LDRS will automatically generate physically meaningful conformational ensembles of the missing flexible regions to complete the full-length protein. The capabilities of the LDRS tool of IDPConformerGenerator include modeling phosphorylation sites using enhanced Monte Carlo-Side Chain Entropy, transmembrane proteins within an all-atom bilayer, and multi-chain complexes. The modeling capacity of LDRS capitalizes on the modularity, the ability to be used as a library and via command-line, and the computational speed of the IDPConformerGenerator platform.

Availability and implementation

The LDRS module is part of the IDPConformerGenerator modeling suite, which can be downloaded from GitHub at https://github.com/julie-forman-kay-lab/IDPConformerGenerator. IDPConformerGenerator is written in Python3 and works on Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS versions that support DSSP. Users can utilize LDRS’s Python API for scripting the same way they can use any part of IDPConformerGenerator’s API, by importing functions from the “idpconfgen.ldrs_helper” library. Otherwise, LDRS can be used as a command line interface application within IDPConformerGenerator. Full documentation is available within the command-line interface as well as on IDPConformerGenerator’s official documentation pages (https://idpconformergenerator.readthedocs.io/en/latest/).
Artificial intelligence-assisted quantification and assessment of whole slide images for pediatric kidney disease diagnosis
Authors: Feng Chunyue , Ong Kokhaur , Young David M , Chen Bingxian , Li Longjie , Huo Xinmi , Lu Haoda , Gu Weizhong , Liu Fei , Tang Hongfeng , Zhao Manli , Yang Min , Zhu Kun , Huang Limin , Wang Qiang , Marini Gabriel Pik Liang , Gui Kun , Han Hao , Sanders Stephan J , Li Lin , Yu Weimiao , Mao Jianhua
Published: December 2023

Motivation

Pediatric kidney disease is a widespread, progressive condition that severely impacts growth and development of children. Chronic kidney disease is often more insidious in children than in adults, usually requiring a renal biopsy for diagnosis. Biopsy evaluation requires copious examination by trained pathologists, which can be tedious and prone to human error. In this study, we propose an artificial intelligence (AI) method to assist pathologists in accurate segmentation and classification of pediatric kidney structures, named as AI-based Pediatric Kidney Diagnosis (APKD).

Results

We collected 2935 pediatric patients diagnosed with kidney disease for the development of APKD. The dataset comprised 93 932 histological structures annotated manually by three skilled nephropathologists. APKD scored an average accuracy of 94% for each kidney structure category, including 99% in the glomerulus. We found strong correlation between the model and manual detection in detected glomeruli (Spearman correlation coefficient r = 0.98, P < .001; intraclass correlation coefficient ICC = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.96–0.98). Compared to manual detection, APKD was approximately 5.5 times faster in segmenting glomeruli. Finally, we show how the pathological features extracted by APKD can identify focal abnormalities of the glomerular capillary wall to aid in the early diagnosis of pediatric kidney disease.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/ChunyueFeng/Kidney-DataSet.
FunctanSNP: an R package for functional analysis of dense SNP data (with interactions)
Authors: Ren Rui , Fang Kuangnan , Zhang Qingzhao , Ma Shuangge
Published: December 2023

Densely measured SNP data are routinely analyzed but face challenges due to its high dimensionality, especially when gene–environment interactions are incorporated. In recent literature, a functional analysis strategy has been developed, which treats dense SNP measurements as a realization of a genetic function and can ‘bypass’ the dimensionality challenge. However, there is a lack of portable and friendly software, which hinders practical utilization of these functional methods. We fill this knowledge gap and develop the R package FunctanSNP. This comprehensive package encompasses estimation, identification, and visualization tools and has undergone extensive testing using both simulated and real data, confirming its reliability. FunctanSNP can serve as a convenient and reliable tool for analyzing SNP and other densely measured data.

Availability and implementation

The package is available at https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=FunctanSNP.
TADA: taxonomy-aware dataset aggregator
Authors: Hägglund Emil , Andersson Siv G E , Guy Lionel
Published: December 2023

The profusion of sequenced genomes across the bacterial and archeal domains offers unprecedented possibilities for phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses. In general, phylogenetic reconstruction is improved by the use of more data. However, including all available data is (i) not computationally tractable, and (ii) prone to biases, as the abundance of genomes is very unequally distributed over the biological diversity. Thus, in most cases, subsampling taxa to build a phylogeny is necessary. Currently, though, there is no available software to perform that handily. Here we present TADA, a taxonomic-aware dataset selection workflow that allows sampling across user-defined portions of the prokaryotic diversity with variable granularity, while setting constraints on genome quality and balance between branches.

Availability and implementation

TADA is implemented as a snakemake workflow and is freely available at https://github.com/emilhaegglund/TADA.
Plasma lipidomics reveal systemic changes persistent throughout early life following a childhood burn injury
Authors: Kierath Eva , Ryan Monique , Holmes Elaine , Nicholson Jeremy K , Fear Mark W , Wood Fiona M , Whiley Luke , Gray Nicola
Published: December 2023

Background

Non-severe paediatric burns can result in poor long-term health outcomes. This occurs even in cases with good acute burn-related outcomes, including minimal scarring. The mechanisms that underpin the transition from non-severe burn to sustained negative long-term health impacts are currently unknown. However, sustained metabolic and immune changes have been observed in paediatric burn studies, suggesting these changes may be important.

The plasma lipidome consists of a rich pool of bioactive metabolites that play critical roles in systemic processes including molecular signalling and inflammation. We hypothesised that changes in the plasma lipidome may reflect underlying changes in health status and be linked to long-term health after burn trauma.

Methods

This study analysed the lipidome in children who had previously experienced a non-severe burn, compared to non-injured controls. Thirty-three participants were recruited between the ages of 5 and 8 years who had experienced a non-severe burn between the ages of 1 and 3 years. Plasma samples were also collected from a non-injured, healthy, age and gender matched control group (n = 21). Plasma lipids were measured using reversed-phase liquid chromatographymass spectrometery (LC-MS).

Results

In total 838 reproducible lipid species from 19 sub-classes passed quality control procedures and progressed to statistical analysis. Analysis of individual lipid metabolites showed significantly higher concentrations of lysophosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylethanolamines, and significantly lower concentrations in myristic, palmitic and palmitoleic acids in the plasma of those who had experienced burn injury compared to controls.

Conclusion

Long-term changes in the lipid profile may give insight into the mechanisms underlying poor long-term health subsequent to non-severe burn injury. Further work to investigate the relationship between long-term pathology and lipidomic changes may lead to a better understanding of the causes of secondary morbidity post-burn and to clinical intervention to reduce the long-term health burden of burn trauma.
A case report of myocardial infarction in a young transgender man with testosterone therapy: raising awareness on healthcare issues in the transgender community and a call for further research
Authors: Connelly Paul J , Osmanska Joanna , Lee Matthew M Y , Delles Christian , McEntegart Margaret B , Byrne John
Published: December 2023

Background

People who are transgender may utilize masculinizing or feminizing gender-affirming hormonal therapy. Testosterone and oestrogen receptors are expressed throughout the cardiovascular system, yet the effects of these therapies on cardiovascular risk and outcomes are largely unknown. We report the case of a young transgender man with no discernible cardiovascular risk factors presenting with an acute coronary syndrome.

Case summary

A 31-year-old transgender man utilizing intramuscular testosterone masculinizing gender-affirming hormonal therapy presented with central chest pain radiating to the left arm. He had no past medical history of hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, or smoking. Electrocardiography demonstrated infero-septal ST depression, and high-sensitivity troponin-I was elevated and increased to 19 686 ng/L. He was diagnosed with a non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Inpatient coronary angiography confirmed a critical focal lesion in the mid right coronary artery, which was managed with two drug-eluting stents. Medical management (i.e. aspirin, ticagrelor, atorvastatin, ramipril, and bisoprolol) and surveillance of residual plaque disease evident in the long tubular left main stem, proximal left anterior descending, and proximal circumflex vessels was undertaken. The masculinizing gender-affirming hormonal therapy was continued.

Discussion

Despite a greater awareness of the potential risk of increased cardiovascular disease in transgender people, the fundamental lack of data regarding cardiovascular outcomes in transgender people may be contributing to healthcare inequalities in this population. We must implement better training, awareness, and research into transgender cardiovascular health to facilitate equitable and evidence-based outcomes.
A national overview of nonprofit hospital community benefit programs to address the social determinants of health
Authors: Franz Berkeley , Burns Ashlyn , Kueffner Kristin , Bhardwaj Meeta , Yeager Valerie A , Singh Simone , Puro Neeraj , Cronin Cory E
Published: December 2023

Decades of research have solidified the crucial role that social determinants of health (SDOH) play in shaping health outcomes, yet strategies to address these upstream factors remain elusive. The aim of this study was to understand the extent to which US nonprofit hospitals invest in SDOH at either the community or individual patient level and to provide examples of programs in each area. We analyzed data from a national dataset of 613 hospital community health needs assessments and corresponding implementation strategies. Among sample hospitals, 69.3% (n = 373) identified SDOH as a top-5 health need in their community and 60.6% (n = 326) reported investments in SDOH. Of hospitals with investments in SDOH, 44% of programs addressed health-related social needs of individual patients, while the remaining 56% of programs addressed SDOH at the community level. Hospitals that were major teaching organizations, those in the Western region of the United States, and hospitals in counties with more severe housing problems had greater odds of investing in SDOH at the community level. Although many nonprofit hospitals have integrated SDOH-related activities into their community benefit work, stronger policies are necessary to encourage greater investments at the community-level that move beyond the needs of individual patients.
What works in sanitation promotion?
Authors: Aunger Robert
Published: December 2023

Promotion appears to be the least effective but is nevertheless often the only available, means to achieve increased access to sanitation services, especially at scale, in lower-income countries. A cursory examination of the history of past and present approaches to sanitation promotion, including sanitation marketing, community development, community-led total sanitation and public health, shows that they have a variety of features and characteristics which make them distinctive. Unfortunately, rigorous evaluation has not kept pace with this proliferation of approaches, so it is difficult to recommend any one approach over the others, based on empirical performance in a range of circumstances. However, I argue that a ‘hybrid’ approach which exhibits a number of salient features from all of the previous approaches is likely to be a good bet. I present a recent example of such a hybrid programme which proved to significantly increase the rate of improved sanitation coverage through promotion (without subsidy of any kind) at scale in Tanzania. I suggest other sanitation promotion programs may want to think about adopting similar practices in their own programming going forward.
The Wehrmacht’s Complicity in Late-War Genocide: The Palmnicken Massacre and the Military in East Prussia, 1944–1945
Authors: Willems Bastiaan
Published: December 2023

By examining the death marches from Stutthof’s East Prussian subcamps in January 1945 and the following “Palmnicken Massacre,” this article retraces the role of the Wehrmacht in late-war genocidal violence. Scholars have established the complicity of Wehrmacht soldiers in acts of genocide during their stay on the Eastern Front, and documented the racist mindset that underpinned their behavior. Yet no such research exists on the final year of the war. From Summer 1944 until May 1945, the Wehrmacht’s main task was to defend its home soil. Scholarship has thus focused more on the military’s defense of Germany rather than their willingness to support the regime’s genocidal demands. This article argues that many Wehrmacht commanders were fully aware of the genocide perpetrated in their midst during the war’s final months, and when called upon, different Wehrmacht commanders actively assisted the SS in carrying out the regime’s racist mission even at the very end of the war. Finally, the author reveals how the military attempted to conceal these acts of violence throughout the postwar years.
Carbohydrate nutrition associated with health of overwintering honey bees
Authors: Quinlan Gabriela , Döke Mehmet Ali , Ortiz-Alvarado Yarira , Rodriguez-Gomez Norma , Koru Yilmaz Berk , Underwood Robyn
Published: December 2023

In temperate climates, honey bees rely on stored carbohydrates to sustain them throughout the winter. In nature, honey serves as the bees’ source of carbohydrates, but when managed, beekeepers often harvest honey and replace it with cheaper, artificial feed. The effects of alternative carbohydrate sources on colony survival, strength, and individual bee metabolic health are poorly understood. We assessed the impacts of carbohydrate diets (honey, sucrose syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, and invert syrup) on colony winter survival, population size, and worker bee nutritional state (i.e., fat content and gene expression of overwintered bees and emerging callow bees). We observed a nonsignificant trend for greater survival and larger adult population size among colonies overwintered on honey compared to the artificial feeds, with colonies fed high-fructose corn syrup performing particularly poorly. These trends were mirrored in individual bee physiology, with bees from colonies fed honey having significantly larger fat bodies than those from colonies fed high-fructose corn syrup. For bees fed honey or sucrose, we also observed gene expression profiles consistent with a higher nutritional state, associated with physiologically younger individuals. That is, there was significantly higher expression of vitellogenin and insulin-like peptide 2 and lower expression of insulin-like peptide 1 and juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase in the brains of bees that consumed honey or sucrose syrup relative to those that consumed invert syrup or high-fructose corn syrup. These findings further our understanding of the physiological implications of carbohydrate nutrition in honey bees and have applied implications for colony management.
Effect on genetic diversity of the absence of intraspecies preference in 2 sympatric Reticulitermes termite species (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
Authors: Wu Jia , Dong Ya-Nan , Niu Tong , Wang Huan , Hassan Ali , Du Bei
Published: December 2023

The recombinant genotypes that can be produced when closely related species mate improve the genetic diversity of the population. Among closely related species, the link between interspecific reproduction behaviors and genetic diversity has barely been studied. Reticulitermes chinensis and R. flaviceps, which live close to each other, were used as research subjects in our study to find out how preferring conspecifics affects reproductive behavior between species. We discovered that neither R. chinensis nor R. flaviceps displayed preference behavior for conspecifics. Males of R. chinensis and R. flaviceps chased and groomed not only intraspecific females but also interspecific females. In a brief period of time, 2 mating behaviors, intra- and interspecific mating, were also observed. There were no significant differences in the duration of each behavior (tandem, grooming, and mating) between interspecies and intraspecies partners. Moreover, genetic analysis showed both interspecific mating and intraspecific mating can produce living offspring when the 2 types of mating occur in a colony. Our findings showed that there was no obvious intraspecific preference between the 2 species of termite Reticulitermes when it came to tandem, grooming, and mating, which not only makes it easier for interspecific hybridization to occur but also sheds light on the genetic diversity.
Glycogen synthase kinase 3 signaling in neural regeneration in vivo
Authors: Zhang Jing , Yang Shu-Guang , Zhou Feng-Quan
Published: December 2023

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) signaling plays important and broad roles in regulating neural development in vitro and in vivo. Here, we reviewed recent findings of GSK3-regulated axon regeneration in vivo in both the peripheral and central nervous systems and discussed a few controversial findings in the field. Overall, current evidence indicates that GSK3β signaling serves as an important downstream mediator of the PI3K–AKT pathway to regulate axon regeneration in parallel with the mTORC1 pathway. Specifically, the mTORC1 pathway supports axon regeneration mainly through its role in regulating cap-dependent protein translation, whereas GSK3β signaling might be involved in regulating N6-methyladenosine mRNA methylation-mediated, cap-independent protein translation. In addition, GSK3 signaling also plays a key role in reshaping the neuronal transcriptomic landscape during neural regeneration. Finally, we proposed some research directions to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulatory function of GSK3 signaling and discover novel GSK3 signaling-related therapeutic targets. Together, we hope to provide an updated and insightful overview of how GSK3 signaling regulates neural regeneration in vivo.
Impaired dNKAP function drives genome instability and tumorigenic growth in Drosophila epithelia
Authors: Guo Ting , Miao Chen , Liu Zhonghua , Duan Jingwei , Ma Yanbin , Zhang Xiao , Yang Weiwei , Xue Maoguang , Deng Qiannan , Guo Pengfei , Xi Yongmei , Yang Xiaohang , Huang Xun , Ge Wanzhong
Published: December 2023

Mutations or dysregulated expression of NF-kappaB-activating protein (NKAP) family genes have been found in human cancers. How NKAP family gene mutations promote tumor initiation and progression remains to be determined. Here, we characterized dNKAP, the Drosophila homolog of NKAP, and showed that impaired dNKAP function causes genome instability and tumorigenic growth in a Drosophila epithelial tumor model. dNKAP-knockdown wing imaginal discs exhibit tumorigenic characteristics, including tissue overgrowth, cell-invasive behavior, abnormal cell polarity, and cell adhesion defects. dNKAP knockdown causes both R-loop accumulation and DNA damage, indicating the disruption of genome integrity. Further analysis showed that dNKAP knockdown induces c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent apoptosis and causes aberrant cell proliferation in distinct cell populations. Activation of the Notch and JAK/STAT signaling pathways contributes to the tumorigenic growth of dNKAP-knockdown tissues. Furthermore, JNK signaling is essential for dNKAP depletion-mediated cell invasion. Transcriptome analysis of dNKAP-knockdown tissues confirmed the misregulation of signaling pathways involved in promoting tumorigenesis and revealed abnormal regulation of metabolic pathways. dNKAP knockdown and oncogenic Ras, Notch, or Yki mutations show synergies in driving tumorigenesis, further supporting the tumor-suppressive role of dNKAP. In summary, this study demonstrates that dNKAP plays a tumor-suppressive role by preventing genome instability in Drosophila epithelia and thus provides novel insights into the roles of human NKAP family genes in tumor initiation and progression.
Taxanes for the treatment of breast cancer during pregnancy: an international cohort study
Authors: Ferrigno Guajardo Ana S , Vaca-Cartagena Bryan F , Mayer Erica L , Bousrih Chayma , Oluchi Oke , Saura Cristina , Peccatori Fedro , Muñoz-Montaño Wendy , Cabrera-Garcia Alvaro , Lambertini Matteo , Corrales Luis , Becerril-Gaitan Andrea , Sella Tal , Newman Alexandra Bili , Pistilli Barbara , Martinez Ashley , Ortiz Carolina , Joval-Ramentol Laia , Scarfone Giovanna , Buonomo Barbara , Lara-Medina Fernando , Sanchez Jacqueline , Arecco Luca , Ramos-Esquivel Allan , Susnjar Snezana , Morgan Gilberto , Villarreal-Garza Cynthia , Azim Hatem A
Published: December 2023

Introduction

The addition of taxanes to anthracycline-based chemotherapy is considered standard of care in the treatment of breast cancer. However, there are insufficient data regarding the safety of taxanes during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence of obstetric and neonatal adverse events associated with the use of taxane-containing chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of breast cancer during pregnancy.

Methods

This is a multicenter, international cohort study of breast cancer patients treated with taxanes during pregnancy. A descriptive analysis was undertaken to synthetize available data.

Results

A total of 103 patients were included, most of whom were treated with paclitaxel and anthracyclines given in sequence during gestation (90.1%). The median gestational age at taxane initiation was 28 weeks (range = 12-37 weeks). Grade 3-4 adverse events were reported in 7 of 103 (6.8%) patients. The most common reported obstetric complications were intrauterine growth restriction (n = 8 of 94, 8.5%) and preterm premature rupture of membranes (n = 5 of 94, 5.3%). The live birth rate was 92 of 94 (97.9%), and the median gestational age at delivery was 37 weeks (range = 32-40 weeks). Admission to an intensive care unit was reported in 14 of 88 (15.9%) neonates, and 17 of 70 (24.3%) live births resulted in small for gestational age neonates. Congenital malformations were reported in 2 of 93 (2.2%).

Conclusion

Obstetric and neonatal outcomes after taxane exposure during pregnancy were generally favorable and did not seem to differ from those reported in the literature with standard anthracycline-based regimens. This study supports the use of taxanes during gestation when clinically indicated.
Self-selection of Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons in Europe
Authors: van Tubergen Frank , Kogan Irena , Kosyakova Yuliya , Pötzschke Steffen
Published: December 2023

The literature on migrants’ self-selection is focused on labour migrants, while little is known about refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). We contribute to this scant literature, by (1) examining a broad set of factors that could determine self-selection, (2) contrasting self-selection profiles of refugees and IDPs, and (3) comparing self-selection profiles of refugees across countries. Specifically, we compare the self-selection profiles of Ukrainian refugees and IDPs with stayers in the months directly following the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022. We draw on unique, cross-nationally comparative data from the OneUA project, which surveyed Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons in Europe as well as those who stayed in Ukraine in the summer of 2022. More than 24,000 Ukrainian women residing in nine countries participated in this survey. We find systematic empirical patterns of self-selection related to people’s region of origin, family status, and individual-level characteristics.
A rare case of jejunal Vanek’s tumor causing intussusception in an adult: a case report and comprehensive literature overview
Authors: Fabbri Nicolò , Rimi Francesco , Sani Valentina , Pesce Antonio , Greco Salvatore , Gobbo Stefano , Feo Carlo V
Published: December 2023

Inflammatory fibroid polyp, or Vanek's tumor, is an uncommon benign small bowel tumor and a rare cause of intussusception in adults. This case involves a 62-year-old man with persistent abdominal pain, diagnosed with jejunoileal intussusception. A 4 cm inflammatory fibroid polyp was discovered during surgery, leading to distal jejunal resection. Despite the rarity of adult intussusceptions, they should be considered in abdominal pain diagnoses. The optimal management approach, whether en bloc resection or initial reduction with limited resection, remains debated.
Low-grade sinonasal non-intestinal-type adenocarcinoma: a rare case report and literature review
Authors: Alrodiman Osama A , Alwadi Fahad A , Almahdi Mohammed , Pharaon Majed
Published: December 2023

Sinonasal non-intestinal-type adenocarcinoma is a rare but important differential diagnosis in patients presenting with recurrent, unexplained epistaxis. Low-grade types have a more favourable prognosis as opposed to the more aggressive high-grade. Symptoms include nasal obstruction and epistaxis that can last up to 5 years. We report a case of a rare low-grade sinonasal non-intestinal-type adenocarcinoma in a 43-year-old male who is frequently exposed to wood and dust particles. Endoscopy revealed right nasal mass occupying the entire nasal cavity as well as inferior turbinate hypertrophy and mass attached to the nasal septum on computed tomography. Biopsy confirmed the diagnosis and was classified as pT1NX with the presence of mitotic figures, which are more commonly present in the high-grade subtype.
Endovascular repair of a ruptured axillary artery during open reduction of the shoulder dislocation with humerus fracture
Authors: Matsushima Hirokazu , Shintani Tsunehiro , Kita Hidenori , Hasegawa Yuto
Published: December 2023

Axillary artery injury secondary to shoulder dislocation with humerus fracture is rare. Rupture of the axillary artery during open reduction is extremely rare. Here, we report about a rare case of a ruptured axillary artery during an open reduction for shoulder dislocation with humerus fracture. A 58-year-old man with left shoulder pain because of a fall after alcohol consumption was diagnosed as having left shoulder dislocation with a humerus fracture. He underwent open reduction surgery. During the procedure, bleeding was observed, and further examination through angiography revealed an ruptured axillary artery. To address this urgent situation, stent grafts were promptly deployed retrogradely from the brachial artery. The postoperative course was uneventful, except for brachial plexus palsy. In the emergent setting, endovascular repair is an efficient alternative to conventional open surgery for controlling bleeding when a ruptured axillary artery occur during open reduction for shoulder dislocation.
An insidious internal hernia 30 years after jejunoileal bypass: a case report
Authors: Palomäki Ville A , Palomurto Saana , Venesmaa Sari , Käkelä Pirjo
Published: December 2023

Jejunoileal bypass (JIB) was an early bariatric procedure that involved bypassing most of the small bowel resulting in malabsorption and weight loss. Due to serious complications associated with the procedure, JIB was largely discontinued by the mid-1980s. We report the case of a 77-year-old woman with a history of JIB 31 years earlier. In 2022, she was hospitalized for acute abdominal pain. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a suspicion of internal hernia (IH) with a typical swirl sign. Due to the quick relief of symptoms an emergency surgery was not considered at the time. Nevertheless, a subsequent operation revealed a large mesenteric defect, adhesions and 100 cm of effective small bowel left. Although the procedure is no longer performed, some patients with JIB are still alive and develop late complications. To our knowledge, this is the first case report describing an IH in a patient who has undergone JIB.
Heart failure in valvular heart disease
Authors: Sanz Ana Pardo , Milinković Ivan , Zamorano José Luis
Published: December 2023

Heart failure (HF) is a serious complication of valvular heart disease (VHD) and is related to worse outcomes. The most common aetiologies of severe native VHD are aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation. In all patients with VHD, echocardiography is the mainstay for diagnosis and severity stratification, and other non-invasive and invasive methods provide more precise insight into valve anatomy, as well as heart and pulmonary function. Guideline-directed medical treatment may be used in patients with HF and aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation. Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors, vasodilators, and diuretics are useful in aortic regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation. Percutaneous intervention and/or surgery is the method of choice that improves outcomes in selected patients. It is advisable that treatment decision should be made by a multidisciplinary heart team, taking into consideration specific aspects of every single valve disease.
Genetic basis of cardiomyopathies
Authors: Thum Thomas , Heymans Stephane , Backs Johannes
Published: December 2023

Genetic variants are major determinants of susceptibility to disease and clinical outcomes in many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, in particular cardiomyopathies. Next-generation sequencing approaches have discovered a vast majority of genetic variants in the human genome and pinpointed several gene loci with particular importance in the development of cardiomyopathies. This particular chapter highlights the genetic diversity of cardiomyopathies, focuses on molecular and functional phenotyping of disease cohorts, and summarizes the current key aspects in specific forms of cardiomyopathies, including hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies, storage disease cardiomyopathies, and peripartum cardiomyopathies. Finally, the chapter describes current knowledge about underlying molecular pathways and provides an overview of future next-generation therapeutics targeting cardiomyopathies.
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
Authors: Basso Cristina , Calkins Hugh , Corrado Domenico
Published: December 2023

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a heredo-familial heart muscle disease characterized by progressive myocardial atrophy with fibrofatty replacement. It is a rare disease with an estimated prevalence of 1:2000 to 1:5000. Pathogenic mutations are identified in about 50% of probands, mostly in genes encoding desmosomal proteins. ARVC is a major cause of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias at risk of sudden death in the young. A less common presentation is heart failure mimicking dilated cardiomyopathy. Risk stratification is a major clinical challenge, and sport disqualification is lifesaving. Antiarrhythmic drugs, catheter ablation, and implantable cardioverter–defibrillator are the therapeutic tools. The diagnostic criteria have been updated to improve diagnostic sensitivity while maintaining specificity. The identification of biventricular and left ventricular variants, through genotype–phenotype studies, including contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, supports the use of the broader term ‘arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy’. The recently proposed international consensus guidelines for diagnosis will be discussed.