bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First semi-empirical test of the white dwarf mass–radius relationship using a single white dwarf via astrometric microlensing
Authors: McGill Peter , Anderson Jay , Casertano Stefano , Sahu Kailash C , Bergeron Pierre , Blouin Simon , Dufour Patrick , Smith Leigh C , Evans N Wyn , Belokurov Vasily , Smart Richard L , Bellini Andrea , Calamida Annalisa , Dominik Martin , Kains Noé , Klüter Jonas , Nielsen Martin Bo , Wambsganss Joachim
Published: December 2022

In November 2019, the nearby single, isolated DQ-type white dwarf LAWD 37 (WD 1142-645) aligned closely with a distant background source and caused an astrometric microlensing event. Leveraging astrometry from Gaia and followup data from the Hubble Space Telescope, we measure the astrometric deflection of the background source and obtain a gravitational mass for LAWD 37. The main challenge of this analysis is in extracting the lensing signal of the faint background source whilst it is buried in the wings of LAWD 37’s point spread function. Removal of LAWD 37’s point spread function induces a significant amount of correlated noise which we find can mimic the astrometric lensing signal. We find a deflection model, including correlated noise caused by the removal of LAWD 37’s point spread function best explains the data and yields a mass for LAWD 37 of $0.56\pm 0.08\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$. This mass is in agreement with the theoretical mass–radius relationship and cooling tracks expected for CO core white dwarfs. Furthermore, the mass is consistent with no or trace amounts of hydrogen that is expected for objects with helium-rich atmospheres like LAWD 37. We conclude that further astrometric followup data on the source is likely to improve the inference on LAWD 37’s mass at the ≈3 per cent level and definitively rule out purely correlated noise explanations of the data. This work provides the first semi-empirical test of the white dwarf mass–radius relationship using a single, isolated white dwarf and supports current model atmospheres of DQ white dwarfs and white dwarf evolutionary theory.
On the masses, age, and architecture of the VHS J1256−1257AB b system
Authors: Dupuy Trent J , Liu Michael C , Evans Elise L , Best William M J , Pearce Logan A , Sanghi Aniket , Phillips Mark W , Bardalez Gagliuffi Daniella C
Published: December 2022

VHS J1256−1257 AB is an ultracool dwarf binary that hosts a wide-separation planetary-mass companion that is a key target of the JWST Exoplanet Early Release Science programme. Using Keck adaptive optics imaging and aperture masking interferometry, we have determined the host binary’s orbit (a = 1.96 ± 0.03 au, P = 7.31 ± 0.02 yr, e = 0.883 ± 0.003) and measured its dynamical total mass (0.141 ± 0.008 M⊙). This total mass is consistent with VHS J1256−1257 AB being a brown dwarf binary or pair of very low-mass stars. In addition, we measured the orbital motion of VHS J1256−1257 b with respect to the barycentre of VHS J1256−1257 AB, finding that the wide companion’s orbit is also eccentric ($e=0.68^{+0.11}_{-0.10}$), with a mutual inclination of 115○ ± 14○ with respect to the central binary. This orbital architecture is consistent with VHS J1256−1257 b attaining a significant mutual inclination through dynamical scattering and thereafter driving Kozai–Lidov cycles to pump the eccentricity of VHS J1256−1257 AB. We derive a cooling age of 140 ± 20 Myr for VHS J1256−1257 AB from low-mass stellar/substellar evolutionary models. At this age, the luminosity of VHS J1256−1257 b is consistent with both deuterium-inert and deuterium-fusing evolutionary tracks. We thus find a bimodal probability distribution for the mass of VHS J1256−1257 b, either 12.0 ± 0.1 MJup or 16 ± 1 MJup, from these models. Future spectroscopic data to measure isotopologues such as HDO and CH3D could break this degeneracy and provide a strong test of substellar models at the deuterium-fusion mass boundary.
The tracking tapered gridded estimator for the power spectrum from drift scan observations
Authors: Chatterjee Suman , Bharadwaj Somnath , Choudhuri Samir , Sethi Shiv , Patwa Akash Kumar
Published: December 2022

Intensity mapping with the redshifted 21-cm line is an emerging tool in cosmology. Drift scan observations, where the antennas are fixed to the ground and the telescope’s pointing centre (PC) changes continuously on the sky due to earth’s rotation, provide broad sky coverage and sustained instrumental stability needed for 21-cm intensity mapping. Here, we present the Tracking Tapered Grided Estimator (TTGE) to quantify the power spectrum of the sky signal estimated directly from the visibilities measured in drift scan radio interferometric observations. The TTGE uses the data from the different PC to estimate the power spectrum of the signal from a small angular region located around a fixed tracking centre (TC). The size of this angular region is decided by a suitably chosen tapering window function that serves to reduce the foreground contamination from bright sources located at large angles from the TC. It is possible to cover the angular footprint of the drift scan observations using multiple TC, and combine the estimated power spectra to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Here, we have validated the TTGE using simulations of $154 \, {\rm MHz}$ Murchison Wide-field Array drift scan observations. We show that the TTGE can recover the input model angular power spectrum Cℓ within $20 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ accuracy over the ℓ range 40 < ℓ < 700.
Ironing the folds: the phase space chevrons of a GSE-like merger as a dark matter subhalo detector
Authors: Davies Elliot Y , Vasiliev Eugene , Belokurov Vasily , Evans N Wyn , Dillamore Adam M
Published: December 2022

Recent work uncovered features in the phase space of the Milky Way’s stellar halo which may be attributed to the last major merger. When stellar material from a satellite is accreted onto its host, it phase mixes and appears finely substructured in phase space. For a high-eccentricity merger, this substructure most clearly manifests as numerous wrapping chevrons in (vr, r) space, corresponding to stripes in (E, θr) space. We introduce the idea of using this substructure as an alternative subhalo detector to cold stellar streams. We simulate an N-body merger akin to the GSE and assess the impact of subhaloes on these chevrons. We examine how their deformation depends on the mass, pericentre, and number of subhaloes. To quantify the impact of perturbers in our simulations, we utilize the appearance of chevrons in (E, θr) space to introduce a new quantity – the ironing parameter. We show that: (1) a single flyby of a massive (∼1010 M⊙) subhalo with pericentre comparable to, or within, the shell’s apocentre smooths out the substructure, (2) a single flyby of a low mass (≲ 108 M⊙) has negligible effect, (3) multiple flybys of subhalos derived from a subhalo mass function between 107 and 1010 M⊙ cause significant damage if deep within the potential, (4) the effects of known perturbers (e.g. Sagittarius) should be detectable and offer constraints on their initial mass. The sensitivity to the populations of subhaloes suggests that we should be able to place an upper limit on the Milky Way’s subhalo mass function.
Forecast analysis on interacting dark energy models from future generation PICO and DESI missions
Authors: Joseph Albin , Saha Rajib
Published: December 2022

The next-generation cosmic microwave background (CMB) satellite missions are expected to provide robust constraints on a wide range of cosmological parameters with unprecedented precision. But these constraints on the parameters could weaken if we do not attribute dark energy to a cosmological constant. The cosmological models involving interaction between dark energy and dark matter can give rise to comparable energy densities at the present epoch, thereby alleviating the so-called cosmic coincidence problem. In the present paper, we perform a forecast analysis to test the ability of the future generation high-sensitive CMB, and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) experiments to constrain phenomenological interacting dark energy models. We consider cosmic variance limited future CMB experiment Probe of Inflation and Cosmic Origins (PICO) along with BAO information from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), to constrain the parameters of the interacting dark sector. Based on the stability of the cosmological perturbations, we consider two possibilities for the interaction scenario. We investigate the impact of both coupling constant and equation of state parameter of dark energy on CMB temperature power spectrum, matter power spectrum, and fσ8. We have used simulated temperature and polarization data from PICO within the multipole ranges (ℓ = 2–4000), and as expected, we do see PICO alone produces better constraints than Planck on the ΛCDM parameters. With the integration of PICO and DESI missions, we observe a significant improvement in the constraints on several cosmological parameters, especially the equation of state parameter of dark energy. However, we note that additional data are required to constrain a small positive coupling constant.
NGC 7538 IRS 2 in [Ne ii]: shell and cavity kinematics of a compact H ii region
Authors: Beilis Dan , Beck Sara , Lacy John
Published: December 2022

NGC 7538 IRS 2 is a compact H ii region and recent star formation source, with a shell morphology, lying on the border of the visible H ii region NGC 7538. We present a spectral cube of the [Ne ii] 12.8 $\mu$m emission line obtained with the TEXES spectrometer on Gemini North with velocity resolution ∼4 km s−1 and angular resolution ∼0.3 arcsec. The kinematics of the data cube show ionized gas flowing along multiple cavity walls. We have simulated the kinematics and structure of IRS 2 with a model of superimposed cavities created by outflows from embedded stars in a cloud with density gradients. Most of the cavities, including the largest that dominates IRS 2 structure, are associated with B-type stars; the outflow of the bright ionizing O star binary IRS 2a/b is small in extent and lies in a high-density clump. The IRS 2 model shows that the behaviour of an H ii region is not a matter of only the most massive star present; cloud clumpiness and activity of lower mass stars may determine the structure and kinematics.
Semi-analytic forecasts for Roman – the beginning of a new era of deep-wide galaxy surveys
Authors: Yung L Y Aaron , Somerville Rachel S , Finkelstein Steven L , Behroozi Peter , Davé Romeel , Ferguson Henry C , Gardner Jonathan P , Popping Gergö , Malhotra Sangeeta , Papovich Casey , Rhoads James E , Bagley Micaela B , Hirschmann Michaela , Koekemoer Anton M
Published: December 2022

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, NASA’s next flagship observatory, will redefine deep-field galaxy survey with a field of view two orders of magnitude larger than Hubble and an angular resolution of matching quality. These future deep-wide galaxy surveys necessitate new simulations to forecast their scientific output and to optimize survey strategies. In this work, we present five realizations of 2-deg2 light cones, containing a total of ≳25 million simulated galaxies with −16 ≳ MUV ≳ −25 spanning z ∼ 0 to 10. This data set enables a new set of experiments with the impacts of survey size on the derived galaxy formation and cosmological constraints. The intrinsic and observable galaxy properties are predicted using a well-established, physics-based semi-analytic modelling approach. We provide forecasts for number density, cosmic SFR, field-to-field variance, and angular two-point correlation functions, and demonstrate how the future wide-field surveys will be able to improve these measurements relative to current generation surveys. We also present a comparison between these light cones and others that have been constructed with empirical models. The mock light cones are designed to facilitate the exploration of multi-instrument synergies and connecting with current generation instruments and legacy surveys. In addition to Roman, we also provide photometry for a number of other instruments on upcoming facilities, including Euclid and Rubin, as well as the instruments, that are part of many legacy surveys. Full object catalogues and data tables for the results presented in this work are made available through a web-based, interactive portal.
Extending Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy abundances to Milky Way analogues
Authors: Karunakaran Ananthan , Zaritsky Dennis
Published: December 2022

We extend the Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy (UDG) abundance relation, NUDG − M200, to lower halo mass hosts $(M_{200}\sim 10^{11.6-12.2}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot })$. We select UDG satellites from published catalogues of dwarf satellite galaxies around Milky Way analogues, namely the Exploration of Local Volume Satellites (ELVES) survey, the Satellite Around Galactic Analogs (SAGA) survey, and a survey of Milky Way-like systems conducted using the Hyper-Suprime Cam. Of the 516 satellites around a total of 75 Milky Way-like hosts, we find that 41 satellites around 33 hosts satisfy the UDG criteria. The distributions of host halo masses peak around $M_{200}\sim 10^{12}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$, independent of whether the host has a UDG satellite or not. We use literature UDG abundances and those derived here to trace the NUDG − M200 relation over three orders of magnitude down to $M_{200}=10^{11.6}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ and find the best-fitting linear relation of $N_{\mathrm{ UDG}} = (38\pm 5) (\frac{M_{200}}{10^{14}})^{0.89\,\,\pm ~ 0.04}$. This sub-linear slope is consistent with earlier studies of UDG abundances as well as abundance relations for brighter dwarf galaxies, excluding UDG-formation mechanisms that require high-density environments. However, we highlight the need for further homogeneous characterization of UDGs across a wide range of environments to properly understand the NUDG − M200 relation.
A single centre in-depth analysis of death with a functioning kidney graft and reasons for overall graft failure
Authors: Mayrdorfer Manuel , Liefeldt Lutz , Osmanodja Bilgin , Naik Marcel G , Schmidt Danilo , Duettmann Wiebke , Hammett Charlotte , Schrezenmeier Eva , Friedersdorff Frank , Wu Kaiyin , Halleck Fabian , Budde Klemens
Published: December 2022

Background

High numbers of unknown classifications and inconsistent methodologies in previous studies make the interpretation of causes leading to graft loss difficult. In addition, data on a holistic view looking at both death with a functioning graft (DWFG) and death-censored graft failure (DCGF) are sparse.

Methods

In this single-centre study we included 1477 adult kidney transplants performed between 1997 and 2017, of which all 286 DWFGs until the end of observation were analysed and causes for death assigned. Additionally, the results were compared with the causes of 303 DCGFs of the same cohort to evaluate the impact of causes for overall graft loss.

Results

The most frequent causes for DWFG were cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 30.8%, malignancy in 28.3% and infections in 21%. Only 9.4% of reasons for DWFG were unknown. Sudden death occurred in 40% (35/88) of patients classified as DWFG due to CVD. Overall graft loss was related to the effect of immunosuppression in 36.2% [infection 20.9% (123/589), malignancy 15.3% (90/589)] and CVD in 22.4% (132/589). In 27.4% (161/589), graft failure was associated with underimmunosuppression (rejection). For infections (60 DWFG, 63 DCGF) and CVD (88 DWFG, 44 DCGF), a considerable overlap was observed between DWFG and DCGF. For patients >70 years of age at transplantation, medical events accounted for 78% of overall graft losses and only 6.5% were associated with rejection.

Conclusions

DWFG and DCGF share more causes for graft loss than previously reported and sudden death plays an underestimated role in death with a functioning graft.
Evidence of differing staging strategies between adult and juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers highlights the importance of small staging sites in Atlantic Canada
Authors: Linhart Rebeca C , Hamilton Diana J , Paquet Julie , Gratto-Trevor Cheri L
Published: December 2022

Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) are Arctic-breeding shorebirds that use staging sites in Atlantic Canada during their southbound migration to South America. The upper Bay of Fundy is recognized as a critical staging area, but hundreds of smaller sites outside the Bay of Fundy also host staging Semipalmated Sandpipers and have received comparatively little attention. Using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, we tracked adult and juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers and identified different staging strategies used by sandpipers tagged inside and outside the Bay of Fundy. Birds tagged in the Bay of Fundy remained there, while birds tagged along the Northumberland Strait, a tidal water body along the eastern coast of New Brunswick and northern Nova Scotia displayed multiple strategies. Most birds tagged along the Northumberland Strait used sites outside the Bay of Fundy exclusively, while a smaller proportion moved to the Bay of Fundy. Length of stay was shorter for birds using only sites outside the Bay of Fundy compared to birds using Bay sites or transferring between them. Choice of departure conditions also varied; birds using the Bay were more selective of specific wind conditions, favoring north and northwesterly winds. We found juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers stayed 3 days longer in the region than adults and appeared to use a broader variety of sites. Our results highlight the importance of implementing conservation measures for smaller, lesser-known staging sites in Atlantic Canada, many of which are at an increased risk of loss and degradation due to climate change, coastal development, pollution, and human disturbance.
Femicide and Public Health Ethics: Approaching Gender-based Violence and Death in the Health Professions
Authors: Bansal Esha , Patel Krishna , Hassan Yonis , Rice Timothy
Published: December 2022

Femicide is an ongoing public health and human rights crisis of global proportions. Currently, however, there is a relative vacuum of ethics theory and discussion about femicide amongst the health professions. This article draws from three illustrative case examples along the continuum of femicide to explore contemporary ethical concerns relevant to addressing gender-based violence and death through clinical medicine and public health. Using an epistemic justice framework, we analyze the relative invisibility of femicide in public health discourse today, and renew a conversation about ethical issues inherent to health interventions and policy-making around femicide.
Acylation driven by intracellular metabolites in host cells inhibits Cas9 activity used for genome editing
Authors: Zhao Li , You Di , Wang Ting , Zou Zhen-Ping , Yin Bin-Cheng , Zhou Ying , Ye Bang-Ce
Published: December 2022

CRISPR-Cas, the immune system of bacteria and archaea, has been widely harnessed for genome editing, including gene knockouts and knockins, single-base editing, gene activation, and silencing. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying fluctuations in the genome editing efficiency of crispr in various cells under different conditions remain poorly understood. In this work, we found that Cas9 can be ac(et)ylated by acetyl-phosphate or acyl-CoA metabolites both in vitro and in vivo. Several modifications are associated with the DNA or sgRNA binding sites. Notably, ac(et)ylation of Cas9 driven by these metabolites in host cells potently inhibited its binding and cleavage activity with the target DNA, thereby decreasing Crispr genome editing efficiency. This study provides more insights into understanding the effect of the intracellular environment on genome editing application of crispr with varying efficiency in hosts.
DOSE CALCULATION OF PROTON THERAPY BASED ON MONTE CARLO AND EMPIRICAL FORMULA
Authors: Yu Yue , Chen Zhi
Published: December 2022

In this work, we used the Monte Carlo-based TOPAS simulation software to calculate the ambient dose equivalents and annual effective dose due to the secondary neutron field produced in proton therapy, also we introduced a USTC phantom to access the organ equivalent dose. The ambient dose equivalent and annual effective dose were calculated in several positions of interest inside and outside the facility. The simulation results were compared qualitatively to the results of the Empirical Formula, showing that the Empirical Formula calculations overestimated the dose, 28.95 times higher than the MC simulations, on average, which would lead to over shielding. In addition, the highest equivalent dose rate of a single radiation-sensitive organ simulated by TOPAS was 1.50 × 10−9 mSv/a for the eye lens, 2.36 × 10−3 mSv/a for limbs and 1.01 × 10−3 mSv/a for skin, which also meets the limits. Therefore, MC simulation has great advantages in shielding design and safety evaluation. And this work presents a new method to calculate the dose, introducing a more anthropogenic phantom can get more realistic results.
Effects of temperament on reproductive performance of Bos taurus heifers enrolled in the 7-day CO-Synch + controlled internal drug release protocol
Authors: Dias Nicholas W , Timlin Claire L , Santilli Felipe V , Harvey Kelsey M , Cooke Reinaldo F , Clark Sherrie , Currin John F , Mercadante Vitor R G
Published: December 2022

Cattle temperament significantly impacts production traits such as reproduction. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of temperament on pregnancy rates to fixed-timed artificial insemination (TAI) in Bos taurus beef heifers. A total of 297 Angus influenced heifers from 3 different locations were evaluated for temperament based on chute score and exit velocity on the first day of the estrus synchronization protocol (d-9) and classified by temperament type based on temperament score (calm ≤ 3 < excitable). Pregnancy status was determined by transrectal ultrasonography approximately 40 d after TAI. Hair from the tail switch was collected at d-9 and at d0 (TAI) for cumulative cortisol evaluation. A subset of 43 heifers from location 3 had blood samples collected at all handling events and evaluated for cortisol concentrations. Overall, 71% of heifers were classified as calm whereas 29% as excitable. Pregnancy rates to TAI were reduced (P = 0.042) in excitable heifers compared to calm heifers (36% vs. 55%, respectively). Mean concentration of cortisol in the hair was reduced over time (P < 0.001) from d-9 (3.5 ± 0.3 pg/mg) to d0 (1.74 ± 0.3 pg/mg) in all heifers, regardless of temperament. In addition, excitable heifers had increased circulating concentrations of cortisol when compared to calm heifers in all handling events (P = 0.015). More interestingly, despite of temperament, concentrations of circulating cortisol were reduced as the protocol events progressed, with greater cortisol concentrations on d-9, intermediate on d-3, and lesser on d0 (P = 0.031). Therefore, the present study demonstrates that heifer temperament has negative effects in pregnancy rates to TAI programs. However, according to blood cortisol concentrations, no chronic stress response was detected due to cattle handling for the TAI protocol. In fact, blood cortisol concentration was reduced between the initiation and completion of the protocol, indicating that heifers were acclimated to handing. These results support the adoption of acclimation protocols and proper cattle handling as a strategy to increase fertility of heifers that are exposed to TAI.
The effects of feeding benzoic acid and/or active dry yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on fatty acid composition, sensory attributes, and retail shelf-life of beeflongissimus thoracis
Authors: Williams Melissa S , Mandell Ira B , Wood Katharine M , Bohrer Benjamin M
Published: December 2022

Fifty-nine Angus-cross steers (492 ± SD 36 kg) were arranged in a randomized complete block design and assigned to the following dietary treatments for the final 106 days of the finishing phase: no supplementation (CON), 0.5% benzoic acid (ACD), 3 g/steer/d active dry Saccharomyces cerevisiae (YST), or both [0.5% benzoic acid and 3 g/steer/d S. cerevisiae (AY)]. Steers were slaughtered at a commercial facility where longissimus thoracis (IMPS #107 Beef Rib) samples were retrieved and evaluated for fatty acid composition, sensory attributes, and shelf-life during a simulated retail display period. Data (N = 57) were analyzed using dietary treatment as a fixed effect, blocking weight at the beginning of the study as a random effect, and steer as the experimental unit. Muscle pH and proximate composition (moisture and intramuscular lipid) for longissimus samples were not different (P ≥ 0.39) among dietary treatments. Most fatty acid profile values and calculations were not different among dietary treatments (P ≥ 0.10); however, the n-6:n-3 ratio differed (P = 0.01), with ACD samples having lower n-6:n-3 compared with CON and YST samples while AY samples were intermediate and not different from other dietary treatments. The trained sensory panel did not detect differences among dietary treatments (P ≥ 0.23) for juiciness, beef flavor intensity, or off-flavor intensity; however, they did score AY samples as chewier than ACD samples with CON and YST samples intermediate and not different from other dietary treatments. Yet, tenderness was not different when scored by trained panelists (P = 0.10) or measured instrumentally (P = 0.21). Total color change tended to differ (P = 0.09) during the 12-d simulated retail display period with AY samples experiencing less color change compared with YST samples, while CON and ACD samples were intermediate and not different from other dietary treatments. Lipid oxidation (as measured with TBARS) tended to differ (P = 0.08) following the 12-d simulated retail display period with ACD and AY samples experiencing lower levels of oxidation compared with CON, while YST samples were intermediate and not different from other dietary treatments. Overall, these results suggest there were no negative impacts on meat quality when finishing steers were supplemented with either benzoic acid or S. cerevisiae, and there may even be advantages for fatty acid composition and oxidative stability when steers were supplemented with benzoic acid.
Competency-Based Assessments: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Predict Subcompetency Content
Authors: Booth Gregory J. , Ross Benjamin , Cronin William A. , McElrath Angela , Cyr Kyle L. , Hodgson John A. , Sibley Charles , Ismawan J. Martin , Zuehl Alyssa , Slotto James G. , Higgs Maureen , Haldeman Matthew , Geiger Phillip , Jardine Dink
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Faculty feedback on trainees is critical to guiding trainee progress in a competency-based medical education framework. The authors aimed to develop and evaluate a Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithm that automatically categorizes narrative feedback into corresponding Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestone 2.0 subcompetencies.

Method

Ten academic anesthesiologists analyzed 5,935 narrative evaluations on anesthesiology trainees at 4 graduate medical education (GME) programs between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021. Each sentence (n = 25,714) was labeled with the Milestone 2.0 subcompetency that best captured its content or was labeled as demographic or not useful. Inter-rater agreement was assessed by Fleiss’ Kappa. The authors trained an NLP model to predict feedback subcompetencies using data from 3 sites and evaluated its performance at a fourth site. Performance metrics included area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), positive predictive value, sensitivity, F1, and calibration curves. The model was implemented at 1 site in a self-assessment exercise.

Results

Fleiss’ Kappa for subcompetency agreement was moderate (0.44). Model performance was good for professionalism, interpersonal and communication skills, and practice-based learning and improvement (AUC 0.79, 0.79, and 0.75, respectively). Subcompetencies within medical knowledge and patient care ranged from fair to excellent (AUC 0.66–0.84 and 0.63–0.88, respectively). Performance for systems-based practice was poor (AUC 0.59). Performances for demographic and not useful categories were excellent (AUC 0.87 for both). In approximately 1 minute, the model interpreted several hundred evaluations and produced individual trainee reports with organized feedback to guide a self-assessment exercise. The model was built into a web-based application.

Conclusions

The authors developed an NLP model that recognized the feedback language of anesthesiologists across multiple GME programs. The model was operationalized in a self-assessment exercise. It is a powerful tool which rapidly organizes large amounts of narrative feedback.
Molecular genotyping in medullary thyroid cancer
Authors: Newbold Kate
Published: December 2022

Purpose of review

There has been a significant advance in our understanding of the molecular biology of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) alongside progress in the development of targeted therapies including multikinase and specific rearranged during transfection inhibitors.

Recent findings

This review will examine the latest data investigating the impact of the genomics of MTC on the prediction of the natural history of an individual's disease and the determination, selection and timing of treatment interventions.

Recent advances in genotyping in MTC and the development of targeted therapies have impacted on the clinical management of both sporadic and hereditary MTC.
Impact of a Pleural Care Program on the Management of Patients With Malignant Pleural Effusions
Authors: Alwakeel Amr J. , Shieh Benjamin , Gonzalez Anne V. , Beaudoin Stéphane
Published: December 2022

Background:

Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are common and associated with a poor prognosis. Yet, many patients face suboptimal management characterized by repeated, nondefinitive therapeutic procedures and potentially avoidable hospital admissions.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective comparison of patients who underwent a definitive palliative intervention for MPE (indwelling pleural catheter or pleurodesis) at our center, before and after the implementation of a pleural care program. Targeted interventions included staff education, establishment of formal pleural drainage policies, a pleural clinic with weekday walk-in capacity, and a rapid access pathway for oncology patients. Outcomes assessed were the proportion of emergency room (ER) presentations, hospitalizations, number of nondefinitive pleural procedures, and time-to-definitive palliative procedure.

Results:

A total of 144 patients were included: 69 in the preintervention group and 75 in the postintervention group. Although there was no difference in the proportion of ER presentations before and after interventions (43.5% vs. 38.7%, P=0.56), hospital admissions declined significantly (47.8% vs. 24.0%, P=0.003). The proportion of patients undergoing chest drain insertion decreased significantly (46.4% vs. 13.3%, P<0.001), with a stable low number of nondefinitive procedures per patient (1.6±1.1 vs. 1.3±0.9, P=0.32). A 7-day decrease in median time from presentation-to-definitive palliative procedure (P=0.05) was observed.

Conclusion:

A targeted pleural care program improved MPE palliation through reduction in hospitalizations and chest drain use, and shorter time-to-definitive palliation, despite failing to reduce ER presentations.
Burnout Among US Gastroenterologists and Fellows in Training
Authors: Anderson Joseph C. , Bilal Mohammad , Burke Carol A. , Gaidos Jill K. , Lopez Rocio , Oxentenko Amy S. , Surawicz Christina M.
Published: December 2022

Background:

Consequences of physician burnout include medical errors, higher rate of staff turnover, and decreased patient satisfaction. We examined the prevalence of burnout and identified the contributing factors in gastroenterologists and fellows in training.

Methods:

We performed 3 separate surveys through the American College of Gastroenterology. (1) A national survey of practicing gastroenterologists in the United States that measured burnout and contributing factors, (2) a survey of gastroenterology fellows in training to determine self-identified burnout, as well as mitigating and exacerbating factors, and (3) a follow-up survey of fellows during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results:

One thousand and twenty-one persons responded (9.2% response rate) to the first survey, including 756 individuals who completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory survey. Overall, the prevalence of high burnout was 49.3%. Factors associated with high burnout included female sex, younger age, shorter duration in practice, considering the electronic health record non–user-friendly, 2 or more hours of patient-related work at home per day, 8 or more hours of outpatient time per day, 6 or more inpatient consults per day, taking call with procedures 10 or more times per year, and having children at home. With regard to lifestyle factors, taking 20 days or more of vacation time was associated with a lower rate of burnout. The level of burnout for fellows was observed to be high (42.7% in survey 2 and 35.3% in survey 3).

Conclusions:

Burnout is high in gastroenterologists and fellows in training. Specific contributing factors were both systems based and personal and provide insight into changes that can be made to address burnout.
Application of TFE3 Immunophenotypic and TFE3 mRNA Expressions in Diagnosis and Prognostication of Adrenal Cortical Neoplasms and Distinction From Kidney Tumors
Authors: Wang Xingen , Ng Chi-Sing , Yin Weihua , Liang Li
Published: December 2022

We explored the application of TFE3 immunostaining and TFE3 mRNA expression in the differential diagnosis and prognostication of adrenal cortical tumors and distinction of the latter from clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) which show significant morphologic overlap. TFE3 immunostaining was performed on a large cohort of samples including 40 adrenal cortex tissues, 95 adrenocortical adenoma (ACA), 11 adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), 53 ccRCC, and 18 pheochromocytomas. TFE3 was compared with other immunomarkers melan-A, inhibin-α, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, CAIX and CD10. One hundred percent normal adrenal cortices and 94% ACA were strongly and diffusely stained for TFE3 while no ACC showed diffuse staining. TFE3 is thus useful in distinguishing ACA from ACC. TFE3 is also useful in separating ACC from ccRCC as 64% ACC showed partial, while only 7% of ccRCC showed partial TFE3 staining. Only 1 pheochromocytoma showed focal weak TFE3 staining. Results also demonstrated superiority of TFE3 over other commonly used immunomarkers. TFE3 gene rearrangement testing by fluorescence in situ hybridization showed no rearrangement in 6 TFE3 positive adrenal tumors. TFE3 mRNA were analyzed by the Cancer Genome Atlas database and we found TFE3 mRNA expression correlated with overall patient survival in ACC. Our study showed usefulness of TFE3 in distinguishing ACA from ACC, and ACC from ccRCC. TFE3 is superior over other commonly used immunomarkers for adrenal tumors. In addition, decreased TFE3 immunoexpression and TFE3 mRNA expression may carry poor prognostic implication in adrenal tumors.
Aerobic scope falls to nil at
P
crit
and anaerobic ATP production increases below
P
crit
in the tidepool sculpin,
Oligocottus maculosus
Authors: Somo Derek A. , Chu Ken , Richards Jeffrey G.
Published: December 2022

The critical oxygen tension of whole-animal oxygen uptake rate, or
P
crit
, has historically been defined as the oxygen partial pressure (
P

O
2

) at which aerobic scope falls to zero and further declines in
P

O
2

require substrate-level phosphorylation to meet shortfalls in aerobic ATP production, thereby time-limiting survival. Despite the inclusion of aerobic scope and anaerobic ATP production in the definition, little effort has been made to verify that
P
crit
measurements, the vast majority of which are obtained using respirometry in resting animals, actually reflect the predictions of zero aerobic scope and a transition to increasing reliance on anaerobic ATP production. To test these predictions, we compared aerobic scope and levels of whole-body lactate at oxygen partial pressures (
P

O
2

s) bracketing
P
crit
obtained in resting fish during progressive hypoxia in the tidepool sculpin,
Oligocottus maculosus
. We found that aerobic scope falls to zero at
P
crit
and, in resting fish exposed to
P

O
2

s <
P
crit
, whole-body lactate accumulated pointing to an increased reliance on anaerobic ATP production. These results support the interpretation of
P
crit
as a key oxygen threshold at which aerobic scope falls to nil and, below
P
crit
, survival is time-limited based on anaerobic metabolic capacity.
Temperature, size and developmental plasticity in birds
Authors: Weeks Brian C. , Klemz Madeleine , Wada Haruka , Darling Rachel , Dias Tiffany , O'Brien Bruce K. , Probst Charlotte M. , Zhang Mingyu , Zimova Marketa
Published: December 2022

As temperatures increase, there is growing evidence that species across much of the tree of life are getting smaller. These climate change-driven size reductions are often interpreted as a temporal analogue of the observation that individuals within a species tend to be smaller in the warmer parts of the species' range. For ectotherms, there has been a broad effort to understand the role of developmental plasticity in temperature–size relationships, but in endotherms, this mechanism has received relatively little attention in favour of selection-based explanations. We review the evidence for a role of developmental plasticity in warming-driven size reductions in birds and highlight insulin-like growth factors as a potential mechanism underlying plastic responses to temperature in endotherms. We find that, as with ectotherms, changes in temperature during development can result in shifts in body size in birds, with size reductions associated with warmer temperatures being the most frequent association. This suggests developmental plasticity may be an important, but largely overlooked, mechanism underlying warming-driven size reductions in endotherms. Plasticity and natural selection have very different constraining forces, thus understanding the mechanism linking temperature and body size in endotherms has broad implications for predicting future impacts of climate change on biodiversity.
Palaeopathological evidence for intraspecific combat in ankylosaurid dinosaurs
Authors: Arbour Victoria M. , Zanno Lindsay E. , Evans David C.
Published: December 2022

Ankylosaurid dinosaurs were heavily armoured herbivores with tails modified into club-like weapons. These tail clubs have widely been considered defensive adaptations wielded against predatory theropod dinosaurs. Here we argue instead that ankylosaurid tail clubs were sexually selected structures used primarily for intraspecific combat. We found pathological osteoderms (armour plates) in the holotype specimen of
Zuul crurivastator
, which are localized to the flanks in the hip region rather than distributed randomly across the body, consistent with injuries inflicted by lateral tail-swinging and ritualized combat. We failed to find convincing evidence for predation as a key selective pressure in the evolution of the tail club. High variation in tail club size through time, and delayed ontogenetic growth of the tail club further support the sexual selection hypothesis. There is little doubt that the tail club could have been used in defence when needed, but our results suggest that sexual selection drove the evolution of this impressive weapon. This changes the prevailing view of ankylosaurs, suggesting they were behaviorally complex animals that likely engaged in ritualized combat for social dominance as in other ornithischian dinosaurs and mammals.
Branching coral morphology affects physiological performance in the absence of colony integration
Authors: Edmunds Peter J. , Johnson Kelly W. , Burgess Scott C.
Published: December 2022

For nearly 50 years, analyses of coral physiology have used small coral fragments (nubbins) to make inferences about larger colonies. However, scaling in corals shows that linear extrapolations from nubbins to whole colonies can be misleading, because polyps in nubbins are divorced of their morphologically complex and physiologically integrated corallum. We tested for the effects of integration among branches in determining size-dependent calcification of the coralPocilloporaspp. under elevatedPCO2. Area-normalized net calcification was compared between branches (nubbins), aggregates of nubbins (complex morphologies without integration) and whole colonies (physiologically integrated) at 400 versus approximately 1000 µatmPCO2. Net calcification was unaffected byPCO2, but differed among colony types. Single nubbins grew faster than whole colonies, but when aggregated, nubbins changed calcification to match whole colonies even though they lacked integration among branches. Corallum morphology causes the phenotype of branching corals to differ from the summation of their branches.
Computationally efficient framework for diagnosing, understanding and predicting biphasic population growth
Authors: Murphy Ryan J. , Maclaren Oliver J. , Calabrese Alivia R. , Thomas Patrick B. , Warne David J. , Williams Elizabeth D. , Simpson Matthew J.
Published: December 2022

Throughout the life sciences, biological populations undergo multiple phases of growth, often referred to asbiphasic growthfor the commonly encountered situation involving two phases. Biphasic population growth occurs over a massive range of spatial and temporal scales, ranging from microscopic growth of tumours over several days, to decades-long regrowth of corals in coral reefs that can extend for hundreds of kilometres. Different mathematical models and statistical methods are used to diagnose, understand and predict biphasic growth. Common approaches can lead to inaccurate predictions of future growth that may result in inappropriate management and intervention strategies being implemented. Here, we develop a very general computationally efficient framework, based on profile likelihood analysis, for diagnosing, understanding and predicting biphasic population growth. The two key components of the framework are as follows: (i) an efficient method to form approximate confidence intervals for the change point of the growth dynamics and model parameters and (ii) parameter-wise profile predictions that systematically reveal the influence of individual model parameters on predictions. To illustrate our framework we explore real-world case studies across the life sciences.
Fury: an experimental dynamo with anisotropic electrical conductivity
Authors: Alboussière T. , Plunian F. , Moulin M.
Published: December 2022

We report measurements of dynamo action in a new experimental set-up, named Fury, based on the use of an anisotropic electrical conductivity. It consists of a copper rotor rotating inside a copper stator, electrically connected with a thin layer of liquid metal, galinstan. Grooves have been cut in the copper so that, everywhere, electrical conductivity can be considered to be that of copper along two directions while it is zero along the third one. The configuration is efficient and dynamo action can be powered by hand. We have also used a motor with better control, enabling us to drive the rotor at specified velocity or torque functions of time. The structure of the axisymmetric magnetic field produced is found to be close to the numerical modelling using FreeFem++. The experimental dynamo behaves very nearly as expected for a kinematic dynamo, so that the threshold dynamo velocity cannot be exceeded, or only briefly. More mechanical power in the rotor rotation leads to an increase in the magnetic field intensity, the magnetic energy being proportional to the extra mechanical power beyond the threshold. In the transient following a step increase of torque, magnetic and angular velocity oscillations have been observed and explained.
Cosection localization and the Quot scheme QuotSl(E)
Authors: Stark Samuel
Published: December 2022

Let

E

be a locally free sheaf of rank

r

on a smooth projective surface

S

. The Quot scheme

Quot

S

l

(

E

)

of length

l

coherent sheaf quotients of

E

is a natural higher-rank generalization of the Hilbert scheme of

l

points of

S

. We study the virtual intersection theory of this scheme. If

C
⊂
S

is a smooth canonical curve, we use cosection localization to show that the virtual fundamental class of

Quot

S

l

(

E

)

is

(
−
1
)

l

times the fundamental class of the smooth subscheme

Quot

C

l

(

E

|

C

)
⊂

Quot

S

l

(

E

)

. We then prove a structure theorem for virtual tautological integrals over

Quot

S

l

(

E

)

. From this, we deduce, among other things, the equality of virtual Euler characteristics

χ

vir

(

Quot

S

l

(

E

)
)
=

χ

vir

(

Quot

S

l

(

O

⊕
r

)
)

.
Direct and inverse scattering problems of the modified Sawada–Kotera equation: Riemann–Hilbert approach
Authors: Wang Deng-Shan , Zhu Xiaodong
Published: December 2022

It is known that both the Sawada–Kotera equation and the Kaup–Kupershmidt equation are related with the same modified equation by different Miura transformations. There is singularity at the origin in the spectral problems of the Sawada–Kotera equation and the Kaup–Kupershmidt equation. Instead, this work investigates the forward and inverse scattering problems of the modified Sawada–Kotera equation by Riemann–Hilbert approach to avoid the singularity at the origin. The Riemann–Hilbert problem along with the reconstructing formula of the modified Sawada–Kotera equation are proposed. Moreover, the properties of the reflection coefficients are analysed rigorously. The results in this paper make an important step toward the long-time asymptotics of the modified Sawada–Kotera equation.
Direct stress computations in arbitrarily shaped thin shells and elliptic bulge tests
Authors: Suleman Khurram , Bosi Federico
Published: December 2022

Most of engineering and biological thin shell structures are characterized by non-axisymmetric and statically indeterminate configurations, which often require the knowledge of the constitutive material model to determine the stress state. In this work, a forward elastostatic method is introduced for the direct stress measurements in elastic homogeneous thin shells of arbitrary shape. The stress distribution is proven to be independent of the material properties for incompressible solids, while in compressible materials it depends only on the Poisson’s ratio, which is shown to have a negligible influence on the stress state. Hence, the proposed technique enables the direct assessment of the stress field in statically indeterminate thin shells without a known material model. The shell formulation is implemented using the finite difference method to independently measure the stresses during finite inflation of planar elliptical membranes and from the deformed shapes obtained through digital image correlation during bulge tests on a hyperelastic material, showing very good agreement with finite-element predictions and the applicability of the method to nonlinear elastic materials. Therefore, the procedure can be coupled with imaging techniques for the direct assessment of stresses in thin shell structures and in the identification of material parameters through non-axisymmetric bulge tests.