bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A theory of oligogenic adaptation of a quantitative trait
Authors: Höllinger Ilse , Wölfl Benjamin , Hermisson Joachim
Published: August 2023

Rapid phenotypic adaptation is widespread in nature, but the underlying genetic dynamics remain controversial. Whereas population genetics envisages sequential beneficial substitutions, quantitative genetics assumes a collective response through subtle shifts in allele frequencies. This dichotomy of a monogenic and a highly polygenic view of adaptation raises the question of a middle ground, as well as the factors controlling the transition. Here, we consider an additive quantitative trait with equal locus effects under Gaussian stabilizing selection that adapts to a new trait optimum after an environmental change. We present an analytical framework based on Yule branching processes to describe how phenotypic adaptation is achieved by collective changes in allele frequencies at the underlying loci. In particular, we derive an approximation for the joint allele-frequency distribution conditioned on the trait mean as a comprehensive descriptor of the adaptive architecture. Depending on the model parameters, this architecture reproduces the well-known patterns of sequential, monogenic sweeps, or of subtle, polygenic frequency shifts. Between these endpoints, we observe oligogenic architecture types that exhibit characteristic patterns of partial sweeps. We find that a single compound parameter, the population-scaled background mutation rate Θbg, is the most important predictor of the type of adaptation, while selection strength, the number of loci in the genetic basis, and linkage only play a minor role.
Membrane traffic governs the STING inflammatory signalling
Authors: Taguchi Tomohiko
Published: August 2023

The cGAS-STING innate immune pathway has recently emerged as a critical driver of inflammation in a variety of settings, such as virus infection, cellular stress and tissue damage. The pathway detects microbial and host-derived double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in the cytosol, and triggers the production of the type I interferons through the activation of IRF3. The detailed mechanistic and biochemical understanding of the pathway has enabled the development of pharmacological agents for the treatment of chronic inflammation and cancer. STING is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized transmembrane protein. Upon emergence of cytosolic dsDNA, STING exits the ER and migrates sequentially to the Golgi, recycling endosomes and lysosomes. Importantly, the intracellular translocation of STING is essential for the activation and inactivation of the STING signalling. In this review, I summarize the recent insights into the regulators of the membrane traffic of STING and STING-associated autoinflammatory diseases.
Gender in Climate Litigation in Latin America: Epistemic Justice Through a Feminist Lens
Authors: Urzola Gutiérrez Natalia
Published: August 2023

Emerging strategic litigation in Latin America, in particular, and the Global South more broadly, brings visibility to marginalized groups and allows novel approaches to promote climate action. Rights-based claims have taken centre stage in Global South climate litigation, strengthening the links between human rights and the environment. However, the gendered impacts of the climate crisis are not broadly discussed within the climate litigation movement. This article focuses on how gender has impacted marginalized groups’ participation in knowledge production regarding climate change and litigation. This article draws on feminist epistemology theories to problematize epistemic injustices that fail to acknowledge socially situated knowledge of marginalized groups as relevant and vital. Knowledge production regarding climate change tends to reproduce power dynamics that exclude local and marginalized groups’ knowledge. It also recreates epistemic injustices through objectification and exploitation of the epistemic agent. Moreover, knowledge production in climate litigation fails to recognize marginalized groups’ agency. Drawing from the emerging body of climate cases in Latin America, this article assesses how gender is portrayed and understood by scholars, petitioners and judges working in the region and how this understanding, or the lack of it, impacts knowledge production and power dynamics that intersect with other forms of discrimination.
The Gate of Mercy as a Contested Monument: Jerusalem’s Sealed Gate as a Muslim Site of Memory
Authors: Sarah Christiane-Marie Abu
Published: August 2023

English-language guides to the city of Jerusalem often describe the Golden Gate or Gate of Mercy (Bāb al-Raḥma) as sealed by the Muslims to prevent the return of the Messiah. This narrative, inherited from British colonial-era sources, has no basis in Islamic history or theology. A review of Umayyad, ʿAbbasid, and Fāṭimid-era traditions instead reveals that the Gate of Mercy was a site where Muslims prayed for repentance, envisioned the gardens of paradise, and imagined a Day of Judgment when the Prophets Muḥammad, Moses, and Jesus would stand side-by-side at the throne of God. These descriptions of the gate shifted during the Crusades: encountering a blocked passage, pilgrims attempted to explain the gate’s closure. However, rather than blame any particular religious community for the closure, medieval Muslim, Jewish, and Christian pilgrims described the gate as sealed by heaven on account of its great sanctity. These remained the predominant narratives about the monument until the Ottoman and British empires renewed the Gate of Mercy (and other sites in the Noble Sanctuary/Temple Mount complex) as a battleground for imperial claims-making. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, British travellers wove tales about how Muslims in their ‘childishness’ had sealed the gate to thwart the Messiah, and predicted a Christian conqueror would soon ‘wrest the Holy City from the Moslems’. These Orientalist narratives constructed Jerusalem’s Palestinian community as an impediment to be cleared aside, and silenced shared traditions about the gate. The gate’s history thus reflects how pilgrims, politicians, and other ‘memory activists’ use monuments to manifest preferred pasts and favoured futures. Gates emerge as particularly potent sites where visitors act out personal and political transformations.
Why fake death? Environmental and genetic control of tonic immobility in larval lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)
Authors: Taylor Katherine L , Henry Charles S , Farkas Timothy E
Published: August 2023

Tonic immobility is a passive antipredator strategy employed late in the predation sequence that may decrease individual mortality in prey animals. Here, we investigate how energetic state and genetic predisposition influence antipredator decision-making in green lacewing larvae, Chrysoperla plorabunda (Fitch), using simulated predatory encounters. We demonstrate that tonic immobility is a plastic response influenced by energetic resource limitation. Larvae exposed to 1 or 2 days of food deprivation initiate tonic immobility more often and with less physical provocation than individuals fed ad libitum. Recently molted individuals exposed to food deprivation, the individuals most energetically challenged, engage in tonic immobility at a higher rate than any other group. We also find that variation in antipredator strategy between individuals is partly the result of within-population genetic variation. We estimate the propensity to enter tonic immobility to have a broad-sense heritability of 0.502. Taken together our results suggest that larval lacewings under energetic stress are more likely to engage in tonic immobility. Yet, energetic state does not explain all within-population variation, as individuals can have a genetic predisposition for tonic immobility.
New Approaches to Robust Inference on Market (Non-)efficiency, Volatility Clustering and Nonlinear Dependence
Authors: Ibragimov Rustam , Pedersen Rasmus Søndergaard , Skrobotov Anton
Published: August 2023

We present novel, robust methods for inference on market (non-)efficiency, volatility clustering, and nonlinear dependence in financial return series. In contrast to existing methodology, our proposed methods are robust against nonlinear dynamics and tail-heaviness of returns. Specifically, our methods only rely on return processes being stationary and weakly dependent (mixing) with finite moments of a suitable order. This includes robustness against power-law distributions associated with nonlinear dynamic models such as GARCH and stochastic volatility. The methods are easy to implement and perform well in realistic settings. We revisit a recent study by Baltussen, van Bekkum, and Da (2019, J. Financ. Econ., 132, 26–48) on autocorrelation in major stock indexes. Using our robust methods, we document that the evidence of the presence of negative autocorrelation is weaker, compared with the conclusions of the original study.
Validation of Childhood Pneumonia Prognostic Models for Use in Emergency Care Settings
Authors: Antoon James W , Nian Hui , Ampofo Krow , Zhu Yuwei , Sartori Laura F , Johnson Jakobi , Arnold Donald H , Stassun Justine , Pavia Andrew T , Grijalva Carlos G , Williams Derek J
Published: August 2023

Background

Unwarranted variation in disposition decisions exist among children with pneumonia. We validated three prognostic models for predicting pneumonia severity among children in the emergency department (ED) and hospital.

Methods

We performed a two-center, prospective study of children 6 months to <18 years presenting to the ED with pneumonia from January 2014 to May 2019. We evaluated three previously developed disease-specific prognostic models which use demographic, clinical, and diagnostic predictor variables, with each model estimating risk for Very Severe (mechanical ventilation or shock), Severe (ICU without very severe features), and Moderate/Mild (Hospitalization without severe features or ED discharge) pneumonia. Predictive accuracy was measured using discrimination (concordance or c-statistic) and re-calibration.

Results

There were 1088 children included in one or more of the three models. Median age was 3.6 years and the majority of children were male (53.7%) and identified as non-Hispanic White (63.7%). The distribution for the ordinal severity outcome was mild or moderate (79.1%), severe (15.9%), and very severe (4.9%). The three models each demonstrated excellent discrimination (C-statistic range across models [0.786–0.803]) with no appreciable degradation in predictive accuracy from the derivation cohort.

Conclusions

All three prognostic models accurately identified risk for three clinically meaningful levels of pneumonia severity and demonstrated very good predictive performance. Physiologic variables contributed the most to model prediction. Application of these objective tools may help standardize and improve disposition and other management decisions for children with pneumonia.
Many a Slip between Cup and Lip: Navigating Noncitizenship and School-to-Work Transitions in Kakuma Refugee Camp
Authors: Bellino Michelle J , Oka Rahul , Ortiz-Guerrero Marcela , Mabil Khot Deng , Abdi Ali Adan , Magdalene Arii Awar
Published: August 2023

This article draws from curricular analysis and ethnographic methods in school and community spaces where young people live, learn, and work in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp. We describe how formal citizenship education intended for Kenyan citizens is mediated by teachers working in refugee-serving schools. Our analysis shows how these messages, often scarce and decontextualized, orient refugees to project an imagined future of stability, obscuring the skills needed to navigate the uncertainty they will encounter as noncitizens enduring protracted exile. Examining refugee youth transitions after completing their schooling, we document ‘slips’ in the gaps between the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions promoted in schools and those required within a limited opportunity structure dominated by a relief economy. Beyond school, we examine pathways that young refugees charted through apprenticeships within the informal economy, leveraging their social networks, gaining life skills, and enacting civic commitments while honing more sustainable livelihoods in exile. We argue that education’s value cannot be contingent on belonging or citizenship status and suggest that the contextualized nature of practice-based learning entailed through apprenticeships enables young refugees to create community through everyday participation, where social relationships both facilitate civic learning and are an outcome of that learning.
Debiased inference on heterogeneous quantile treatment effects with regression rank scores
Authors: Giessing Alexander , Wang Jingshen
Published: August 2023

Understanding treatment effect heterogeneity is vital to many scientific fields because the same treatment may affect different individuals differently. Quantile regression provides a natural framework for modelling such heterogeneity. We propose a new method for inference on heterogeneous quantile treatment effects (HQTE) in the presence of high-dimensional covariates. Our estimator combines an ℓ1-penalised regression adjustment with a quantile-specific bias correction scheme based on rank scores. We study the theoretical properties of this estimator, including weak convergence and semi-parametric efficiency of the estimated HQTE process. We illustrate the finite-sample performance of our approach through simulations and an empirical example, dealing with the differential effect of statin usage for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels for the Alzheimer’s disease patients who participated in the UK Biobank study.
Papillary carcinoma on thyroglossal tract cyst: our attitude toward a rare pathology whose management is often controversial
Authors: Foma Winga , Boko Solim U R , Douhadji Ingrid , Amana Essobiziou , Pegbessou Essobozou P , Amegbor Koffi , Amana Bathokedeou , Boko Essohanam
Published: August 2023

Malignant degeneration on remnants of the thyroglossal tract is a very rare phenomenon. In our practice setting, we report the management of papillary carcinoma on a thyroglossal tract cyst. This was a 44-year-old female patient with a postoperative diagnosis of papillary carcinoma of the thyroglossal tract with an atypical clinical and ultrasound presentation. She subsequently underwent total thyroidectomy and bilateral recurrent lymph node dissection, with resection of fibrous scar tissue in the previously operated hyoid region. We have discussed our therapeutic attitude to this rare pathology, the management of which is the subject of controversy.
Leaf rolling precedes stomatal closure in rice (Oryza sativa) under drought conditions
Authors: Wang Xiaoxiao , Huang Jianliang , Peng Shaobing , Xiong Dongliang
Published: August 2023

Leaf rolling is a physiological response to drought that may help to reduce water loss, but its significance as a contribution to drought tolerance is uncertain. We scored the leaf rolling of four rice genotypes along an experimental drought gradient using an improved cryo-microscopy method. Leaf water potential (Ψleaf), gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf hydraulic conductance, rehydration capacity, and the bulk turgor loss point were also analysed. During the drought process, stomatal conductance declined sharply to reduce water loss, and leaves rolled up before the stomata completely closed. The leaf water loss rate of rolled leaves was significantly reduced compared with artificially flattened leaves. The Ψleaf threshold of initial leaf rolling ranged from −1.95 to −1.04 MPa across genotypes. When a leaf rolled so that the leaf edges were touching, photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance declined more than 80%. Across genotypes, leaf hydraulic conductance declined first, followed by gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. However, the Ψleaf threshold for a given functional trait decline differed significantly among genotypes, with the exception of leaf hydraulic conductance. Our results suggested that leaf rolling was mechanistically linked to drought avoidance and tolerance traits and might serve as a useful phenotypic trait for rice breeding in future drought scenarios.
Observability of flashes from ejecta crashes in aspherical supernovae, with application to SN 2008D
Authors: Scully Benjamin , Matzner Christopher D , Yalinewich Almog
Published: August 2023

A new class of transient, which has been hypothesized to accompany the explosion of an aspherical compact supernova, would arise when streams of ejecta collide outside the star. However, conditions that favour the prompt release of radiation from the collision, such as a diffuse stellar envelope, disfavour the creation of non-radial ejecta in the first place. To determine whether the collision can both occur and be visible, we simulate aspherical explosions using the HUJI-RICH moving-mesh hydrodynamics code and analyse them in terms of diffusion measures defined for individual fluid elements. While our simulations are highly idealized, they connect to realistic explosions via a single dimensionless parameter. Defining two measures of the importance of diffusivity (two versions of the inverse Péclet number), we find that one varies in a way that indicates colliding ejecta can release a photon flash, while the other does not. Examining the X-ray transient XT 080109 associated with supernova SN 2008D, we find that its fluence and duration are consistent with the properties of an ejecta collision in the aspherical model that is most likely to emit a flash. Our results give tentative evidence for the possibility of collision-induced flashes for a narrow and radius-dependent range of asphericity, and motivate future radiation hydrodynamics simulations.
The impact of ultra-processed foods on obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities in children and adolescents: a systematic review
Authors: Petridi Evgenia , Karatzi Kalliopi , Magriplis Emmanuella , Charidemou Evelina , Philippou Elena , Zampelas Antonis
Published: August 2023

Context

Over the past few decades, traditional foods have been displaced by ultra-processed foods (UPFs), with the latter being associated with health problems.

Objective

This scoping systematic review aimed to identify the relationship between UPF intake and overweight/obesity as well as other cardiometabolic risk factors during childhood and adolescence.

Data Sources

The guidance for this protocol is the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). A systematic search was undertaken on PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library electronic databases based on prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria up to 6 February 2022.

Data Extraction

A total of 17 observational studies—9 cross-sectional, 7 cohort-longitudinal, and 1 study reporting both cross-sectional and longitudinal outcomes—among children and adolescents aged ≤18 years were eligible for inclusion in this review. Fourteen studies evaluated the consumption of UPFs in association with overweight/obesity and 9 studies examined the association of UPF consumption and cardiometabolic-related risk factors.

Data Analysis

Most studies (14/17) showed that an increase in UPFs was associated with a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities among children and adolescents, whereas 4 of 17 studies (3 cross-sectional and 1 cohort) found no association. Most cohort and cross-sectional studies showed good quality according to the National Institutes of Health and Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment, respectively.

Conclusion

The positive association found between UPFs and overweight/obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities among children and adolescents raises concerns for future health. Further investigation is recommended to explore the role of specific types of UPFs on cardiometabolic conditions and to identify the amount of daily intake that increase risk in order to shape appropriate public health policies.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022316432.
Circadian Clock Controls Root Hair Elongation through Long-Distance Communication
Authors: Ikeda Hikari , Uchikawa Taiga , Kondo Yohei , Takahashi Nozomu , Shishikui Takuma , Watahiki Masaaki K , Kubota Akane , Endo Motomu
Published: August 2023

Plants adapt to periodic environmental changes, such as day and night, by using circadian clocks. Cell division and elongation are primary steps to adjust plant development according to their environments. In Arabidopsis, hypocotyl elongation has been studied as a representative model to understand how the circadian clock regulates cell elongation. However, it remains unknown whether similar phenomena exist in other organs, such as roots, where circadian clocks regulate physiological responses. Here, we show that root hair elongation is controlled by both light and the circadian clock. By developing machine-learning models to automatically analyze the images of root hairs, we found that genes encoding major components of the central oscillator, such as TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1) or CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1), regulate the rhythmicity of root hair length. The partial illumination of light to either shoots or roots suggested that light received in shoots is mainly responsible for the generation of root hair rhythmicity. Furthermore, grafting experiments between wild-type (WT) and toc1 plants demonstrated that TOC1 in shoots is responsible for the generation of root hair rhythmicity. Our results illustrate the combinational effects of long-distance signaling and the circadian clock on the regulation of root hair length.
Melt Diffusion-Moderated Crystal Growth and its Effect on Euhedral Crystal Shapes
Authors: Mangler Martin F , Humphreys Madeleine C S , Geifman Eshbal , Iveson Alexander A , Wadsworth Fabian B , Brooker Richard A , Lindoo Amanda , Hammond Keiji
Published: August 2023

Crystal growth is often described as either interface-controlled or diffusion-controlled. Here, we study crystal growth in an intermediate scenario where reaction rates at the crystal-melt interface are similar to the rates of diffusive transport of ions through the melt to the advancing crystal surface. To this end, we experimentally investigated euhedral plagioclase crystal shapes in dry mafic (basaltic) and hydrous silicic (haplodacitic) melts. Aspect ratios and inferred relative growth rates of the 3D short (S) and intermediate (I) crystal dimensions vary significantly between mafic and silicic melts, with δS:δI = 1:6–1:20 in basalt and 1:2.5–1:8 in hydrous haplodacite. The lower aspect ratios of plagioclase grown in the silicic melt coincide with 10 to 100× lower melt diffusion rates than in the mafic melt. Using an anisotropic growth model, we show that such differences in melt diffusivity can explain the discrepancy in plagioclase aspect ratios: if interface reaction and melt diffusion rates are of similar magnitude, then the growth of a crystal facet with high interfacial reaction rates may be limited by melt diffusion, while another facet of the same crystal with lower interfacial reaction rates may grow uninhibited by melt diffusivity. This selective control of melt diffusion on crystal growth rates results in progressively more equant crystal shapes as diffusivity decreases, consistent with our experimental observations. Importantly, crystals formed in this diffusion-moderated, intermediate growth regime may not show any classical diffusion-controlled growth features. The proposed model was developed for plagioclase microlites but should be generalisable to all anisotropic microlite growth in volcanic rocks.
Do Anomalies Really Predict Market Returns? New Data and New Evidence
Authors: Cakici Nusret , Fieberg Christian , Metko Daniel , Zaremba Adam
Published: August 2023

Using new data from US and global markets, we revisit market risk premium predictability by equity anomalies. We apply a repertoire of machine-learning methods to forty-two countries to reach a simple conclusion: anomalies, as such, cannot predict aggregate market returns. Any ostensible evidence from the USA lacks external validity in two ways: it cannot be extended internationally and does not hold for alternative anomaly sets—regardless of the selection and design of factor strategies. The predictability—if any—originates from a handful of specific anomalies and depends heavily on seemingly minor methodological choices. Overall, our results challenge the view that anomalies as a group contain helpful information for forecasting market risk premia.
Scorpion venom heat-resistant peptide alleviates mitochondrial dynamics imbalance induced by PM2.5 exposure by downregulating the PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway
Authors: Huang Lanyi , Xu Jingbin , Duan Kaiqian , Bao Tuya , Cheng Yu , Zhang Haimin , Zhang Yong , Lin Yingwei , Li Fasheng
Published: August 2023

Background

Epidemiological inquiry reveals that neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction caused by PM2.5 exposure are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial dynamics and neuroinflammation induced by PM2.5 exposure remain elusive. In this study, our objective was to explore the impact of PM2.5 on mitochondrial dynamics and neuroinflammation, while also examining the reparative potential of scorpion venom heat-resistant synthetic peptide (SVHRSP).

Methods

Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were employed to ascertain the protein and gene levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in BV2 cells. The concentration of IL-6 in the supernatant of the BV2 cell culture was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For the assessment of mitochondrial homeostasis, western blot, RT-qPCR, and cellular immunohistochemistry methods were utilized to investigate the protein and gene levels of DRP1 and MFN-2 in HT22 cells. In the context of signal pathway analyses, western blot, RT-qPCR, and immunofluorescence techniques were employed to detect the protein and gene expressions of PGC-1α and SIRT3 in HT22 cells, respectively. Following the transfection with siPGC-1αRNA, downstream proteins of PGC-1α/SIRT3 pathway in HT22 cells were investigated by Western blot and RT-qPCR.

Results

The experimental findings demonstrated that exposure to PM2.5 exacerbated neuroinflammation, resulting in elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Furthermore, it perturbed mitochondrial dynamics, as evidenced by increased DRP1 expression and decreased MFN-2 expression. Additionally, dysfunction was observed in the PGC-1α/SIRT3 signal pathway. However, intervention with SVHRSP ameliorated the cellular damage induced by PM2.5 exposure.

Conclusions

SVHRSP alleviated neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dynamics imbalance induced by PM2.5 exposure by downregulating the PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway.
Leaf-level metabolic changes in response to drought affect daytime CO2 emission and isoprenoid synthesis pathways
Authors: Ladd S Nemiah , Daber L Erik , Bamberger Ines , Kübert Angelika , Kreuzwieser Jürgen , Purser Gemma , Ingrisch Johannes , Deleeuw Jason , van Haren Joost , Meredith Laura K , Werner Christiane
Published: August 2023

In the near future, climate change will cause enhanced frequency and/or severity of droughts in terrestrial ecosystems, including tropical forests. Drought responses by tropical trees may affect their carbon use, including production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with implications for carbon cycling and atmospheric chemistry that are challenging to predict. It remains unclear how metabolic adjustments by mature tropical trees in response to drought will affect their carbon fluxes associated with daytime CO2 production and VOC emission. To address this gap, we used position-specific 13C-pyruvate labeling to investigate leaf CO2 and VOC fluxes from four tropical species before and during a controlled drought in the enclosed rainforest of Biosphere 2 (B2). Overall, plants that were more drought-sensitive had greater reductions in daytime CO2 production. Although daytime CO2 production was always dominated by non-mitochondrial processes, the relative contribution of CO2 from the tricarboxylic acid cycle tended to increase under drought. A notable exception was the legume tree Clitoria fairchildiana R.A. Howard, which had less anabolic CO2 production than the other species even under pre-drought conditions, perhaps due to more efficient refixation of CO2 and anaplerotic use for amino acid synthesis. The C. fairchildiana was also the only species to allocate detectable amounts of 13C label to VOCs and was a major source of VOCs in B2. In C. fairchildiana leaves, our data indicate that intermediates from the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway are used to produce the volatile monoterpene trans-β-ocimene, but not isoprene. This apparent crosstalk between the MVA and methylerythritol phosphate pathways for monoterpene synthesis declined with drought. Finally, although trans-β-ocimene emissions increased under drought, it was increasingly sourced from stored intermediates and not de novo synthesis. Unique metabolic responses of legumes may play a disproportionate role in the overall changes in daytime CO2 and VOC fluxes in tropical forests experiencing drought.
14Science and Medicine
Authors: Alves Kathleen Tamayo , Spratt Danielle
Published: August 2023

This year’s review highlights scholarship in the history of science and medicine that rejects easy teleologies of scientific progress and overturns tidy, nationally oriented historical accounts of biomedical practice. Here, we recognize four studies that serve as models in cutting-edge, decolonial scholarship in the field. These works acknowledge the contingent and socially constructed nature of both science and medicine and center long-understudied healers, patients, and communities who have traditionally existed outside of normative Western archives and the historical record.

In section 1, ‘The Politics of Plague in the Invisible Commonwealth’, Cindy Ermus’s monograph explores the impact of a fairly contained, regional plague event in Provence, which catalysed a series of increasingly centralized disaster and public health management measures that emerged across the West and the colonies. Section 2, ‘Interspecies Contact Zones and American Xenophobia’, considers Jeannie N. Shinozuka’s research on the racist parallels that American culture drew between Asian plant and insect migration and anti-Asian policies and practices across the twentieth century. Section 3, ‘Transhistorical and Transborder Healers’, studies Diego Armus and Pablo F. Gómez’s edited collection on traditional and Indigenous healers and patients across Latin America from the seventeenth century to the present, and the fluid and complex boundaries between their practices and those of Western and imperial medicine. Finally, section 4, ‘Imagining and Enforcing the Boundaries of Gender’, resituates such medical boundaries to the site of the clinic, following Sandra Eder’s account of the highly contingent and artificial construction of gender and gender normativity that emerged across the twentieth century.

These studies, to use the words of Diego Armus and Pablo F. Gómez, exemplify an understanding of the ways that categories like medicine, health, illness, disaster, and indeed identity itself ‘have not only a biological dimension but also social, cultural, political, and economic connotations’ that are ‘historically located processes whose seeming social and cultural dominance was never preordained or inevitable’ (Armus and Gómez, p. 6). Tellingly, each of these studies connects transborder and transhistorical incidents and events—some largely known, others newly revealed—to our contemporary moment, demonstrating how the urgent crises, fiery debates, and institutional pressures that preoccupied individuals and whole nations in both the recent and distant past continue to shape the demands of our present and future.
16Theory on Theory
Authors: Carr Nicholas
Published: August 2023

Taking up what was foreshadowed in last year’s instalment of ‘Theory on Theory’, this chapter takes as its theme the evident and disturbing trend within our field to forget, if not actively attempt to erase, Marxist and dialectical thought. The first section notices this tendency in the course of its wider review of a major new reference work, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Literary Theory. The second section notices another manifestation of the tendency in the course of reviewing a significant new work of metatheoretical reflection and critique, Elizabeth Anker’s On Paradox. In the third and final section, a cluster of works are reviewed that show the range and ongoing vitality of dialectical thought.
XIILiterature 1780–1830: The Romantic Period
Authors: Davis Amanda Blake , Thompson Will , Talbott Tyler , Fancett Anna , Coughlin Thomas , Greentree Shane , Khan Yasser Shams
Published: August 2023

This chapter has four sections: 1. General and Prose; 2. The Novel; 3. Poetry; 4. Drama. Section 1 is by Amanda Blake Davis; section 2 is by Will Thompson, Tyler Talbott, and Anna Fancett; section 3 is by Thomas Coughlin and Shane Greentree; section 4 is by Yasser Shams Khan.
Melatonin ameliorates simulated‐microgravity‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction and lipid metabolism dysregulation in hepatocytes
Authors: Xiong Yue , Ma Chiyuan , Li Qin , Zhang Wenya , Zhao Huashan , Ren Peigen , Zhang Ke , Lei Xiaohua
Published: August 2023

The liver is an essential multifunctional organ, which constantly communicates with nearly all tissues. It has raised the concern that microgravity exposure can lead to liver dysfunction and metabolic syndromes. However, molecular mechanisms and intervention measures of the adverse effects of microgravity on hepatocytes are limited. In this study, we utilized the random positioning machine culture system to investigate the adverse effects on hepatocytes under simulated microgravity (SMG). Our results showed that SMG impaired hepatocyte viability, causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Compared to normal gravity, it also triggered lipid accumulation, elevated triglyceride (TG) and ROS levels, and impaired mitochondria function in hepatocytes. Furthermore, RNA sequencing results showed that SMG upregulated genes implicated in lipid metabolisms, including PPARγ, PLIN2, CD36, FABPs, etc. Importantly, all these defects can be suppressed by melatonin, a potent antioxidant secreted by the pineal gland, suggesting its potential use of therapeutic intervention.
Nutritional considerations for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis
Authors: Grippe Kristen , Ryan Victoria
Published: August 2023

Osteoporosis commonly affects postmenopausal women and accounts for 300,000 hip fractures in the United States each year. More women are deferring or discontinuing pharmacologic treatment because of intolerable adverse reactions or fear of long-term safety. Supplementing dietary intake of certain vitamins and minerals can have positive effects on bone parameters. Calcium is frequently recommended for osteoporotic patients but many not confer much benefit toward bone density. Certain forms of vitamins A and K have been shown to increase bone density. Isoflavones and phytates are phytochemicals found in soy foods that are comparable to bisphosphonates when consumed at certain levels. Lastly, increasing certain daily fruit and vegetable servings can improve bone health. Nutritional interventions are typically safe alternatives that should be considered for postmenopausal women who are seeking nonpharmacologic treatment options for osteoporosis.
Chronic post amputation pain: pathophysiology and prevention options for a heterogenous phenomenon
Authors: Stone Alexander B. , Hollmann Markus W. , Terwindt Lotte E. , Lirk Philipp
Published: August 2023

Purpose of review

Chronic postamputation pain (cPAP) remains a clinical challenge, and current understanding places a high emphasis on prevention strategies. Unfortunately, there is still no evidence-based regimen to reliably prevent chronic pain after amputation.

Recent findings

Risk factors for the development of phantom limb pain have been proposed. Analgesic preventive interventions are numerous and no silver bullet has been found. Novel techniques such as neuromodulation and cryoablation have been proposed. Surgical techniques focusing on reimplantation of the injured nerve might reduce the incidence of phantom limb pain after surgery.

Phantom limb pain is a multifactorial process involving profound functional and structural changes in the peripheral and central nervous system. These changes interact with individual medical, psychosocial and genetic patient risk factors. The patient collective of amputees is very heterogeneous. Available evidence suggests that efforts should focus on prevention of phantom limb pain, since treatment is notoriously difficult. Questions as yet unanswered include the evidence-base of specific analgesic interventions, their optimal “window of opportunity” where they may be most effective, and whether patient stratification according to biopsychosocial risk factors can help guide preventive therapy.
Prevalence and radiological definitions of acetabular dysplasia after the age of 2 years: a systematic review
Authors: de Vos-Jakobs Suzanne , Boel Fleur , Bramer Wichor M. , Bierma-Zeinstra Sita M.A. , Agricola Rintje
Published: August 2023

Acetabular dysplasia is one of the most common causes of early hip osteoarthritis and hip replacement surgery. Recent literature suggests that acetabular dysplasia does not always originate at infancy, but can also develop later during childhood. This systematic review aims to appraise the literature on prevalence numbers of acetabular dysplasia in children after the age of 2 years. A systematic search was performed in several scientific databases. Publications were considered eligible for inclusion if they presented prevalence numbers on acetabular dysplasia in a general population of healthy children aged 2–18 years with description of the radiological examination. Quality assessment was done using the Newcastle-Ottawa score. Acetabular dysplasia was defined mild when: the center-edge angle of Wiberg (CEA-W) measured 15–20°, the CEA-W ranged between -1 to -2SD for age, or based on the acetabular index using thresholds from the Tönnis table. Severe dysplasia was defined by a CEA-W < 15°, <-2SD for age, or acetabular index according to Tönnis. Of the 1837 screened articles, four were included for review. Depending on radiological measurement, age and reference values used, prevalence numbers for mild acetabular dysplasia vary from 13.4 to 25.6% and for severe acetabular dysplasia from 2.2 to 10.9%. Limited literature is available on prevalence of acetabular dysplasia in children after the age of 2 years. Prevalence numbers suggest that acetabular dysplasia is not only a condition in infants but also highly prevalent later in childhood.
Application of natural killer immunotherapy in blood cancers and solid tumors
Authors: Sayegh Mark , Ma Shoubao , Yu Jianhua
Published: August 2023

Purpose of review

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells characterized by their ability to attack aberrant and cancerous cells. In contrast to the activation of T-cells, NK cell activation is controlled by the interaction of NK cell receptors and their target cells in a manner independent of antigen organization. Due to NK cells’ broad array of activation cues, they have gained great attention as a potential therapeutic agent in cancer immunotherapy.

Recent findings

Ex vivo activation, expansion, and genetic modifications, such as the addition of a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), will allow the next generation of NK cells to enhance cytotoxicity, promote survival, and create “off-the-shelf” products. In addition to these that are poised to greatly enhance their clinical activity, the inherent lack of potential for causing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) suggest that CAR NK cells have the potential to be complementary to CAR-T cells as a component of therapeutic strategies for cancer.

In this review, we will provide a general understanding of NK cell biology, CAR-NK cell advantages over CAR-T cell therapy, barriers to making NK cell immunotherapy viable, and current NK cell clinical trials for hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The next generation of NK cells has potential to change the circumstances guiding present cancer immunotherapies.
Safety of assisted reproductive techniques in gynecological cancer patients
Authors: Caballero Sergio , Domingo Javier , Garcia-Velasco Juan Antonio
Published: August 2023

Purpose of review

Gynecological cancer is a very important cause of comorbidity and mortality in women. The current delay in motherhood is increasing the incidence of women under 40 years of age that have not yet achieved their maternity goals when they are diagnosed and standard treatment negatively impacts the reproductive potential of cancer survivors. In this review, we update the information available about the safety of fertility-sparing treatments in young gynecological cancer patients, as well as the safety and efficacy of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) in such group. We also evaluate the long-term gynecological cancer risk in women requiring ART.

Recent findings

Although eligibility criteria continue to be very strict, there are more and more reports of fertility-sparing approaches outside of what traditionally has been considered safe. Molecular assessment is starting to be used in the selection of appropriate candidates. Data increasingly shows the long term safety and the efficacy of ART and pregnancy in these patients.

Appropriate selection is key to safely preconize fertility-sparing alternatives. Because subfertility may be a result of these procedures, ART could be indicated in this setting. Neither ART nor pregnancy appear to increase recurrences or affect survival rates.
New hopes in relapsed refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma
Authors: Calimeri Teresa , Steidl Carolina , Fiore Paolo , Ferreri Andrés J.M.
Published: August 2023

Purpose of review

Patients with relapsed/refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma (rrPCNSL) have poor prognosis, with a median survival after relapse of 6.8 months. In this review, we discuss the evolving landscape and the possible future directions related to this important unmet clinical need.

Recent findings

The modern two-phase approach for newly diagnosed PCNSL based on an induction using high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) combinations and a subsequent consolidation, has significantly improved the outcome in this setting. However, this strategy is able to cure more or less 50% of patients. rrPCNSL patients have a very poor prognosis with a reported 5-year overall survival of 18%. Late relapses (after third year) and use of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDT-ASCT) represent important factors associated with a better outcome in this setting. On the basis of the growing acquisition of knowledge on the molecular characteristics of PCNSL, the use of non-chemotherapeutic drugs such as bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTK-is), immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) and immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) is increasing in the last years along with the introduction of novel approaches (CAR-T cells and blood--brain barrier disruption). However, despite high responses in some cases, durations are often short, translating in outcome results still unsatisfactory.

Treatment of rrPCNSL patients is challenging. As no standard of care exist in this setting, it is of paramount importance to acquire new knowledge related to this condition and start multidisciplinary collaboration in order to improve pts outcome.
Relationship Between Parental Postnatal Distress and 5-Year Mental Health Outcomes of Children Born at <30 Weeks and at Term
Authors: Yates Rosemary , Treyvaud Karli , Lee Katherine J. , Doyle Lex W. , Cheong Jeanie L. Y. , Pace Carmen C. , Spittle Alicia J. , Spencer-Smith Megan , Anderson Peter J.
Published: August 2023

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to compare mental health symptoms and diagnoses at age 5 years between children born <30 weeks' gestation and their term-born peers and associations with postnatal symptoms of depression and anxiety in their mothers and fathers.

Methods:

Parents of children born <30 weeks' gestation (n = 106) and at term (n = 105) completed measures of anxiety and depression symptoms within 4 weeks of birth and questionnaires assessing child socioemotional symptoms and mental health/neurodevelopmental diagnostic criteria at age 5 years.

Results:

At age 5 years, children born <30 weeks' gestation were more likely to show clinically concerning levels of total difficulties (odds ratio [OR] = 3.97, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–13.05), emotional problems (OR = 3.71, 95% CI, 1.14–12.15), and inattention/hyperactivity problems (OR = 4.34, 95% CI, 1.51–12.47) than term-born peers. They also showed higher rates of mental health/neurodevelopmental diagnoses than their term-born peers (18% vs 9%), although evidence for the group difference was weak (p = 0.08). Maternal postnatal anxiety and depression symptoms were related to poorer child mental health outcomes in many domains. There was little evidence that paternal postnatal anxiety/depression symptoms were related to child outcomes or that any associations varied by birth group.

Conclusion:

Children born <30 weeks' gestation showed more mental health symptoms than their term-born peers at age 5 years. Maternal postnatal distress was associated with poorer child mental health across both groups, reinforcing the need for early identification and support of mental health distress in the postnatal period to improve longer-term child well-being.
Intra-operative electroencephalogram frontal alpha-band spectral analysis and postoperative delirium in cardiac surgery
Authors: Khalifa Céline , Lenoir Cédric , Robert Annie , Watremez Christine , Kahn David , Mastrobuoni Stefano , Aphram Gaby , Ivanoiu Adrian , Bonhomme Vincent , Mouraux André , Momeni Mona
Published: August 2023

BACKGROUND

Postoperative delirium (POD) remains a frequent complication after cardiac surgery, with pre-operative cognitive status being one of the main predisposing factors. However, performing complete pre-operative neuropsychological testing is challenging. The magnitude of frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) α oscillations during general anaesthesia has been related to pre-operative cognition and could constitute a functional marker for brain vulnerability.

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesised that features of intra-operative α-band activity could predict the occurrence of POD.

DESIGN

Single-centre prospective observational study.

SETTING

University hospital, from 15 May 2019 to 15 December 2021.

PATIENTS

Adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Pre-operative cognitive status was assessed by neuropsychological tests and scored as a global z score. A 5-min EEG recording was obtained 30 min after induction of anaesthesia. Anaesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane. Power and peak frequency in the α-band were extracted from the frequency spectra. POD was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit, the Confusion Assessment Method and a chart review.

RESULTS

Sixty-five (29.5%) of 220 patients developed POD. Delirious patients were significantly older with median [IQR] ages of 74 [64 to 79] years vs. 67 [59 to 74] years; P < 0.001) and had lower pre-operative cognitive z scores (−0.52 ± 1.14 vs. 0.21 ± 0.84; P < 0.001). Mean α power (−14.03 ± 4.61 dB vs. −11.59 ± 3.37 dB; P < 0.001) and maximum α power (−11.36 ± 5.28 dB vs. −8.85 ± 3.90 dB; P < 0.001) were significantly lower in delirious patients. Intra-operative mean α power was significantly associated with the probability of developing POD (adjusted odds ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.81 to 0.96; P = 0.007), independently of age and only whenever cognitive status was not considered.

CONCLUSION

A lower intra-operative frontal α-band power is associated with a higher incidence of POD after cardiac surgery. Intra-operative measures of α power could constitute a means of identifying patients at risk of this complication.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03706989.