bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of metaheuristic algorithms in healthcare: a comprehensive investigation across clinical diagnosis, medical imaging, operations management, and public health
Authors: Lameesa Aiman , Hoque Mahfara , Alam Md Sakib Bin , Ahmed Shams Forruque , Gandomi Amir H
Published: May 2024

Metaheuristic algorithms have emerged in recent years as effective computational tools for addressing complex optimization problems in many areas, including healthcare. These algorithms can efficiently search through large solution spaces and locate optimal or near-optimal responses to complex issues. Although metaheuristic algorithms are crucial, previous review studies have not thoroughly investigated their applications in key healthcare areas such as clinical diagnosis and monitoring, medical imaging and processing, healthcare operations and management, as well as public health and emergency response. Numerous studies also failed to highlight the common challenges faced by metaheuristics in these areas. This review thus offers a comprehensive understanding of metaheuristic algorithms in these domains, along with their challenges and future development. It focuses on specific challenges associated with data quality and quantity, privacy and security, the complexity of high-dimensional spaces, and interpretability. We also investigate the capacity of metaheuristics to tackle and mitigate these challenges efficiently. Metaheuristic algorithms have significantly contributed to clinical decision-making by optimizing treatment plans and resource allocation and improving patient outcomes, as demonstrated in the literature. Nevertheless, the improper utilization of metaheuristic algorithms may give rise to various complications within medicine and healthcare despite their numerous benefits. Primary concerns comprise the complexity of the algorithms employed, the challenge in understanding the outcomes, and ethical considerations concerning data confidentiality and the well-being of patients. Advanced metaheuristic algorithms can optimize the scheduling of maintenance for medical equipment, minimizing operational downtime and ensuring continuous access to critical resources.
Hunger games search algorithm based on stochastic individual information for engineering design optimization problems
Authors: Wang Zhen , Zhao Dong , Heidari Ali Asghar , Chen Huiling
Published: May 2024

The hunger games search algorithm (HGS) is a newly proposed metaheuristic algorithm that emulates hunger-driven foraging behaviors in a population. It combines fitness values to determine individual weights and updates them based on fitness value size, resulting in high adaptability and effective optimization. However, HGS faces issues like low convergence accuracy and susceptibility to local optima in complex optimization problems. To address these problems, an improved version called BDFXHGS is introduced. BDFXHGS incorporates a collaborative feeding strategy based on HGS’s design advantages. Individuals approach others based on hunger degree, facilitating information exchange and resolving convergence and accuracy issues. BDFXHGS combines a disperse foraging strategy and a directional crossover strategy to enhance exploration and convergence speed. The paper conducts qualitative analysis and ablation experiments to examine the effectiveness of the strategies. Comparative experiments are performed using IEEE CEC 2017 benchmark functions to compare BDFXHGS with competitive algorithms, including previous champion algorithms in different dimensions. Additionally, BDFXHGS is evaluated on 25 constrained optimization problems from the IEEE CEC 2020 competition and five real engineering optimization problems. Experimental results show that BDFXHGS performs well on benchmarks and outperforms other algorithms in real-world applications.
Advancing feature ranking with hybrid feature ranking weighted majority model: a weighted majority voting strategy enhanced by the Harris hawks optimizer
Authors: Aljohani Mansourah , AbdulAzeem Yousry , Balaha Hossam Magdy , Badawy Mahmoud , Elhosseini Mostafa A
Published: May 2024

Feature selection (FS) is vital in improving the performance of machine learning (ML) algorithms. Despite its importance, identifying the most important features remains challenging, highlighting the need for advanced optimization techniques. In this study, we propose a novel hybrid feature ranking technique called the Hybrid Feature Ranking Weighted Majority Model (HFRWM2). HFRWM2 combines ML models with the Harris Hawks Optimizer (HHO) metaheuristic. HHO is known for its versatility in addressing various optimization challenges, thanks to its ability to handle continuous, discrete, and combinatorial optimization problems. It achieves a balance between exploration and exploitation by mimicking the cooperative hunting behavior of Harris’s hawks, thus thoroughly exploring the search space and converging toward optimal solutions. Our approach operates in two phases. First, an odd number of ML models, in conjunction with HHO, generate feature encodings along with performance metrics. These encodings are then weighted based on their metrics and vertically aggregated. This process produces feature rankings, facilitating the extraction of the top-K features. The motivation behind our research is 2-fold: to enhance the precision of ML algorithms through optimized FS and to improve the overall efficiency of predictive models. To evaluate the effectiveness of HFRWM2, we conducted rigorous tests on two datasets: “Australian” and “Fertility.” Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of HFRWM2 in navigating the search space and identifying optimal solutions. We compared HFRWM2 with 12 other feature ranking techniques and found it to outperform them. This superiority was particularly evident in the graphical comparison of the “Australian” dataset, where HFRWM2 showed significant advancements in feature ranking.
Toxic positivity intentions: an image management approach to upward social comparison and false self-presentation
Authors: Salopek Abby H , Eastin Matthew S
Published: May 2024

Media users are often overwhelmed with excessive amounts of positivity on social media. While a healthy positive outlook acknowledges both the positive and negative aspects of life, a growing term in popular media referring to toxic positivity suggests users leverage positivity and avoid negativity for personal gain. Employing a two-study, multi-method design, Study 1 is framed within the impression management literature to conceptually and operationally define perceived toxic positivity intentions (TPI) through qualitative and quantitative measures. Study 2 is framed within the bandwagon and descriptive norm literature to investigate the role of perceived TPI in upward social comparisons and digital self-presentation behaviors. Results of Study 1 indicate a five-factor solution of perceived TPI on social media. Results of Study 2 suggest the relationship between (most) dimensions of perceived TPI and false social media self-presentations is significantly mediated by upward social comparison.
Elranatamab in Japanese patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: results from MagnetisMM-2 and MagnetisMM-3
Authors: Iida Shinsuke , Ito Satoshi , Yokoyama Hisayuki , Ishida Tadao , Nagai Yuya , Handa Hiroshi , Ito Shigeki , Kamei Yoichi , Nakamura Masatoshi , Suzuki Kenshi
Published: May 2024

Background

Despite advances, most patients with multiple myeloma (MM) experience relapse and repeat multiple treatment lines, highlighting an unmet need for patients with relapsed or refractory MM (RRMM). Bispecific antibodies are a new option, but their efficacy and safety in Japanese patients are unknown.

Methods

This was an analysis of Japanese patients receiving elranatamab monotherapy in MagnetisMM-2 (NCT04798586) and MagnetisMM-3 (NCT04649359). Both studies evaluated a priming dose regimen of elranatamab followed by weekly subcutaneous doses, in patients with disease progression while receiving or who were intolerant to ≥3 prior therapies (≥1 proteasome inhibitor, ≥1 immunomodulatory drug and ≥1 anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody). The primary endpoints were dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) in MagnetisMM-2 and confirmed objective response rate (ORR) in MagnetisMM-3. In both, key secondary endpoints included safety, tolerability, duration of response, time to response, progression-free survival and overall survival.

Results

In MagnetisMM-2 (N = 4) and MagnetisMM-3 (n = 12), median ages were 68.5 and 66.5 years, respectively. No DLTs were observed in MagnetisMM-2. ORRs were 50.0% (95% CI, 6.8–93.2) and 58.3% (95% CI, 27.7–84.8) in MagnetisMM-2 and MagnetisMM-3, respectively. All patients experienced treatment-emergent adverse events in MagnetisMM-2 (grade 3/4: 75.0%) and MagnetisMM-3 (grade 3/4: 100%); cytokine release syndrome occurred in 100% (grade 3/4: 25.0%) and 58.3% (no grade 3/4) of patients, respectively. Neither study reported immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome.

Conclusions

No new safety signals were observed, and ORRs were similar to that of the overall MagnetisMM-3 trial population, supporting further studies of elranatamab in Japanese patients with RRMM.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04798586 (MagnetisMM-2), NCT04649359 (MagnetisMM-3).
Emergency department involvement in the diagnosis of cancer among older adults: a SEER-Medicare study
Authors: Thompson Caroline A , Sheridan Paige , Metwally Eman , Peacock Hinton Sharon , Mullins Megan A , Dillon Ellis C , Thompson Matthew , Pettit Nicholas , Kurian Allison W , Pruitt Sandi L , Lyratzopoulos Georgios
Published: May 2024

Background

Internationally, 20% to 50% of cancer is diagnosed through emergency presentation, which is associated with lower survival, poor patient experience, and socioeconomic disparities, but population-based evidence about emergency diagnosis in the United States is limited. We estimated emergency department (ED) involvement in the diagnosis of cancer in a nationally representative population of older US adults, and its association with sociodemographic, clinical, and tumor characteristics.

Methods

We analyzed Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program–Medicare data for Medicare beneficiaries (≥66 years old) with a diagnosis of female breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers (2008-2017), defining their earliest cancer-related claim as their index date, and patients who visited the ED 0 to 30 days before their index date to have “ED involvement” in their diagnosis, with stratification as 0 to 7 or 8 to 30 days. We estimated covariate-adjusted associations of patient age, sex, race and ethnicity, marital status, comorbidity score, tumor stage, year of diagnosis, rurality, and census-tract poverty with ED involvement using modified Poisson regression.

Results

Among 614 748 patients, 23% had ED involvement, with 18% visiting the ED in the 0 to 7 days before their index date. This rate varied greatly by tumor site, with breast cancer at 8%, colorectal cancer at 39%, lung cancer at 40%, and prostate cancer at 7%. In adjusted models, older age, female sex, non-Hispanic Black and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander race, being unmarried, recent year of diagnosis, later-stage disease, comorbidities, and poverty were associated with ED involvement.

Conclusions

The ED may be involved in the initial identification of cancer for 1 in 5 patients. Earlier, system-level identification of cancer in non-ED settings should be prioritized, especially among underserved populations.
Non-chronic kidney disease-induced calciphylaxis: a rare case report
Authors: Giese Drake , Ernste Katherine , Jnaneswaran Geethu , Elkhedr Ali
Published: May 2024

Calciphylaxis is a disorder causing ischemic skin necrosis, typically associated with end-stage renal disease or those receiving dialysis. Occurrence is rare in those without end-stage renal disease, and treatment options are limited. This case report describes a patient with calciphylaxis without end-stage renal disease or history of dialysis. Treatment with sodium thiosulfate, a first line option, had to be stopped due to metabolic derangements, limiting the healing process. Diagnosis and treatment of this rare disorder are important to prevent further complications that may result.
Is critique part of the practice of international law?
Authors: Byrne William Hamilton
Published: May 2024

This article empirically explores whether critique is part of the practice of international law by drawing from citation practices and interviews with actors of international courts and tribunals. It argues that critique is immanent to practice as part of international law’s unending, hermeneutic, and transformative engagement with human society.
The psychiatrisation of international law in James Lorimer’s The Institutes
Authors: Bagulaya José Duke
Published: May 2024

Using the categories of normal and abnormal, James Lorimer’s The Institutes of the Law of Nations subjectivised the native as the abnormal in international relations, denying recognition of their independent communities and providing justification for their perpetual subjugation. This article deploys Foucault’s critique of psychiatry to contextualise the unexplored intersections of Lorimer’s ‘science’ of international law and positivist psychiatry in the 19th century. It rereads Lorimer’s work as a psychiatrisation of international law, thus throwing light on the category of the abnormal and its persistence in international legal discourse.
Links between optical and X-ray light in Cygnus X-2
Authors: Igl Alexander B , Hynes R I , O’Brien K S , Robinson E L , Britt C T
Published: May 2024

We observed the low-mass X-ray binary Cyg X-2 for a total of 18 nights over two observing runs in July and September of 2006, using the Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. Using discrete cross-correlations, we found peaks occurring at near-zero lags in the flaring branch of the colour–colour diagram, which could signify reprocessing, in addition to an anticorrelation within the normal branch. When comparing optical flux to the system’s placement on the Z track, two distinct behaviours were seen: (1) a state with no correlation, and (2) a multivalued (horizontal and normal branches)/correlated (flaring branch) state. The correlation was the result of direct steps and more gradual falls to and from the flaring branch, respectively. Finally, we modelled timed spectra with 64 s bins with an extended accretion disc corona model. We found that correlations occurred between the optical and the various fitted parameters, particularly the blackbody normalization (and blackbody radius by extension) in higher intensity regions. Despite this, the Z track location was found to be a far better predictor of physical parameters than the optical flux, with clean correlations seen in every branch of the Z track. Where optical correlations are found, the location on the Z track was a better predictor of optical flux than any individual physical parameter.
Constraining the LVK AGN channel with black hole spins
Authors: McKernan B , Ford K E S
Published: May 2024

Merging black holes (BHs) are expected to produce remnants with large dimensionless spin parameters (aspin ∼ 0.7). However, gravitational wave (GW) observations with LIGO–Virgo–Kagra (LVK) suggest that merging BHs are consistent with modestly positive but not high spin (aspin ∼ 0.2), causing tension with models suggesting that high-mass mergers are produced by hierarchical merger channels. Some BHs also show evidence for strong in-plane spin components. Here, we point out that spin-down of BHs due to eccentric prograde post-merger orbits within the gas of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) disc can yield BHs with masses in the upper mass gap, but only modestly positive aspin, and thus observations of BHs with low spin do not rule out hierarchical models. We also point out that the fraction of binary black hole (BBH) mergers with significant in-plane spin components is a strong test of interactions between disc BBHs and nuclear spheroid orbiters. Spin magnitude and spin tilt constraints from LVK observations of BBHs are an excellent test of dynamics of BHs in AGN discs, disc properties, and the nuclear clusters interacting with AGNs.
The Association Between Overall, Healthy, and Unhealthy Plant-Based Diet Index and Risk of Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies
Authors: Nikparast Ali , Mirzaei Parmis , Tadayoni Zeinab S , Asghari Golaleh
Published: May 2024

Context

The global incidence of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has increased substantially in recent years. Among the established, modifiable lifestyle factors associated with favorable prediabetes and T2DM risk, healthy dietary patterns have attracted considerable attention.

Objective

The association between adherence to plant-based dietary pattern indices (PDIs), including the overall PDI (O-PDI), healthy PDI (H-PDI), and unhealthy PDI (U-PDI), and the risk of prediabetes and T2DM was investigated in this study.

Data Sources

A literature search was conducted of the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Sciences databases from their inception to February 2024. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using random effects models and dose–response analyses. The Cochran Q test and the I2 statistic were used to evaluate heterogeneity between studies.

Data Extraction

A total of 16 publications, with data on a total of 721 012 participants, were identified for the meta-analysis.

Data Analysis

According to a pooled analysis, compared with the lowest category of O-PDI and H-PDI adherence, the highest category was associated with a 14% and 19% reduction in T2DM risk, respectively, for O-PDI (effect size [ES] = 0.86; 95%CI, 0.82-0.90; I2 = 57.7) and H-PDI (ES = 0.81; 95%CI, 0.75-0.88; I2 = 82.6). Greater adherence to U-PDI was significantly associated with an 10% increase in the risk of T2DM (ES = 1.10; 95%CI, 1.04-1.16). Consistent associations were found within the predetermined subgroups. As well, there was a nonlinear inverse association between O-PDI, H-PDI, and T2DM risk. No significant association was found between adherence to O-PDI (ES = 0.87; 95%CI, 0.75-1.01; I2 = 68%), H-PDI (ES = 0.99; 95%CI, 0.87-1.13; I2 = 0.0%), and U-PDI (ES = 1.09; 95%CI, 0.94-1.21; I2 = 22.9%) and risk of prediabetes.

Conclusion

These findings underscore the importance of dietary selections within the framework of a plant-based dietary pattern, particularly when incorporating healthful, plant-based foods, which may have potential benefits in reducing the T2DM risk.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42023459851.
Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Preeclampsia: A Scoping Review
Authors: Zhao Heather J , Chen Yingan , Liu Tiange , McArthur Kristen , Mueller Noel T
Published: May 2024

Background

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-associated hypertension disorder with high morbidity and mortality. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—molecules produced by gut microbes—have been associated with hypertension, yet their relation to PE remains uncertain.

Objectives

The aim was to review existing human studies that examined associations of the major SCFAs (acetate, propionate, butyrate) in pregnancy with PE development.

Methods

Two reviewers independently searched online databases (EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) in January 2024 using the following terms: “short-chain fatty acids,” “acetic acid,” “butyric acid,” “propionic acid,” and “preeclampsia.” The final set of included studies had to report associations of SCFAs with PE, be peer-reviewed, be written in English, and be conducted in humans.

Results

The abstracts of 907 studies were screened; 43 underwent full-text screening and 11 (1318 total participants, 352 with PE) were included in the final review. All studies used a case-control design. SCFAs were measured in a range of biospecimens (eg, serum, plasma, feces, placentas, and amniotic fluid) that were collected at distinct time points in pregnancy. All 7 studies that investigated butyrate found that it was lower in PE cases than in controls, with 6 of these showing statistical significance (P < .05). Five studies showed that acetate was significantly lower in individuals with PE compared with healthy individuals, while 1 study found that acetate was significantly higher in PE cases. One study reported significantly higher propionate among PE cases vs controls, while 2 studies reported significantly lower propionate levels in PE cases. The nuance in results for acetate and propionate may owe to reasons such as differences in distributions of population characteristics associated with SCFA level and PE or type of PE (early vs late).

Conclusion

Current epidemiologic evidence, which derives only from case-control studies, suggests that SCFAs, particularly butyrate (protective), in pregnancy are related to the development of PE. Large-cohort studies are warranted to investigate the temporality and potential causality of these associations.
Tailoring Interventions for Control of Endemic Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis
Authors: Schechner Vered , Cohen Adi , Carmeli Yehuda
Published: May 2024

Background

We examined temporal trends in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infections in a hospital with hyperendemic CRAB and assessed the efficacy of varied infection control strategies in different ward types.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed all CRAB clinical samples from 2006 to 2019 and categorized infections as hospital-onset (HO) or community-onset. We used interrupted time series analysis to assess the impact of interventions on the incidence of all HO-CRAB infections and bloodstream infections (BSIs) at the hospital and ward group levels.

Results

Over 14 years, 4009 CRAB infections were identified (89.7% HO), with 813 CRAB BSI (93.2% HO). The incidence per 100 000 patient-days of CRAB infections peaked in 2008 at 79.1, and that of CRAB BSI peaked in 2010 at 16.2. These rates decreased by two-thirds by 2019. In the general intensive care unit (ICU), hand hygiene and environmental cleaning interventions were followed by a significant reduction in the level of HO-CRAB infections, with an additional decrease in the slope after the introduction of active surveillance and 2% chlorhexidine bathing. In the surgical ICU and surgical department, a reduction in slope or level of CRAB infection was observed after moving ventilated patients to single rooms. In medical wards, a multimodal intervention was followed by a reduction in the slope of HO-CRAB infections and BSIs. In wards where CRAB infections were uncommon, the incidence of HO-CRAB infections decreased throughout the study period.

Conclusions

Ward-specific variables determine the success of interventions in reducing CRAB infections; therefore, interventions should be tailored to each setting.
Delta-5 elongase knockout reduces docosahexaenoic acid and lipid synthesis and increases heat sensitivity in a diatom
Authors: Zhu Junkai , Li Shuangqing , Chen Weizhong , Xu Xinde , Wang Xiaoping , Wang Xinwei , Han Jichang , Jouhet Juliette , Amato Alberto , Maréchal Eric , Hu Hanhua , Allen Andrew E , Gong Yangmin , Jiang Haibo
Published: May 2024

Recent global marine lipidomic analysis reveals a strong relationship between ocean temperature and phytoplanktonic abundance of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are essential for human nutrition and primarily sourced from phytoplankton in marine food webs. In phytoplanktonic organisms, EPA may play a major role in regulating the phase transition temperature of membranes, while the function of DHA remains unexplored. In the oleaginous diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, DHA is distributed mainly on extraplastidial phospholipids, which is very different from the EPA enriched in thylakoid lipids. Here, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9–mediated knockout of delta-5 elongase (ptELO5a), which encodes a delta-5 elongase (ELO5) catalyzing the elongation of EPA to synthesize DHA, led to a substantial interruption of DHA synthesis in P. tricornutum. The ptELO5a mutants showed some alterations in transcriptome and glycerolipidomes, including membrane lipids and triacylglycerols under normal temperature (22 °C), and were more sensitive to elevated temperature (28 °C) than wild type. We conclude that PtELO5a-mediated synthesis of small amounts of DHA has indispensable functions in regulating membrane lipids, indirectly contributing to storage lipid accumulation, and maintaining thermomorphogenesis in P. tricornutum. This study also highlights the significance of DHA synthesis and lipid composition for environmental adaptation of P. tricornutum.
A potential association between COVID-19 vaccination and development of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Roh Jee Hoon , Jung Inha , Suh Yunsun , Kim Min-Ho
Published: May 2024

Background

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic extend to concerns about vaccine side effects, particularly potential links to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Aim

This study investigates the association between COVID-19 vaccination and the onset of AD and its prodromal state, mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Design

A nationwide, retrospective cohort study leveraging data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service was conducted.

Methods

The study, conducted in Seoul, South Korea, analyzed data from a random 50% sample of city residents aged 65 and above, totaling 558 017 individuals. Participants were divided into vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, with vaccinations including mRNA and cDNA vaccines. The study focused on AD and MCI incidences post-vaccination, identified via ICD-10 codes, using multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses. Patients with vascular dementia or Parkinson’s disease served as controls.

Results

Findings showed an increased incidence of MCI and AD in vaccinated individuals, particularly those receiving mRNA vaccines, within three months post-vaccination. The mRNA vaccine group exhibited a significantly higher incidence of AD (odds ratio [OR]: 1.225; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.025–1.464; P = 0.026) and MCI (OR: 2.377; CI: 1.845–3.064; P < 0.001) compared to the unvaccinated group. No significant relationship was found with vascular dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

Conclusions

Preliminary evidence suggests a potential link between COVID-19 vaccination, particularly mRNA vaccines, and increased incidences of AD and MCI. This warrants the need for further research to elucidate the relationship between vaccine-induced immune responses and neurodegenerative processes, advocating for continuous monitoring and investigation into the vaccines' long-term neurological impacts.
No experience necessary: the peer effects of intended entrepreneurs
Authors: Hacamo Isaac , Kleiner Kristoph
Published: May 2024

Under a randomized setting, this article finds workers with entrepreneurial ambitions—intended entrepreneurs—are (1) far more common than workers with past entrepreneurial experience and (2) increase the rate of entrepreneurship among their peers. Peer effects are persistent, stronger for tighter networks, and extend to the decision to join a startup. As intended peers explain half of the variation in entrepreneurship rates in our sample, our results demonstrate that intended entrepreneurs, even those that never personally start a firm, represent a vital component of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Addressing the unspoken: sexual dysfunction in men with systemic lupus erythematosus, a call to action for rheumatologists
Authors: Carrillo Abril , Marengo-Rodríguez Daniela , Ibarra-Velasco-Siles Monserrat , Chávez-Barajas María José , Barrera-Vargas Ana , Pérez-García Luis Fernando , Merayo-Chalico Javier
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Sexual dysfunction (SD) is highly prevalent and multifactorial; nevertheless, recent research has shed light on a notable phenomenon: male patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) exhibit an elevated prevalence of sexual function disorders compared with the general population. Despite this recognition, the precise nature and extent of this association remain incompletely understood.

Objectives

This comprehensive review aims to clarify the link by providing an overview of the fundamental components of normal male sexual function, delving into the pathogenesis of male SD and exploring the primary factors predisposing male SLE patients to SD. Additionally, the review offers insights into potential screening, diagnostic, and treatment strategies based on the current body of literature.

Methods

A meticulous search of relevant literature was conducted using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases.

Results

Studies exploring the correlation between SLE and SD in both genders have revealed a nearly 2-fold increased risk of SD among individuals with SLE compared with healthy counterparts. Moreover, these studies suggest that male SLE patients may have a higher susceptibility to SD, with reported prevalence ranging from 12% to 68%, compared with 0% to 22% in healthy individuals. Male patients with SLE are influenced by a spectrum of pathological factors, including pharmacological, psychological, and disease-related determinants, which, through their intricate interplay, elevate the likelihood of developing SD.

Conclusion

Healthcare professionals must remain vigilant in understanding the intricacies of human sexuality and its dysfunction, particularly in males with SLE. The objective is to establish effective and potentially standardized methods for promptly diagnosing and optimally managing SD, recognizing its significant impact on the quality of life for males living with SLE. The pivotal role of rheumatologists in initiating discussions about sexual health, diagnosing SD, investigating causes, and implementing tailored strategies is underscored as crucial in addressing this multifaceted issue.
Jasmonic acid and heat stress induce high volatile organic compound emissions in Picea abies from needles, but not from roots
Authors: Meischner Mirjam , Dumberger Stefanie , Daber Lars Erik , Haberstroh Simon , Kreuzwieser Jürgen , Schnitzler Jörg-Peter , Werner Christiane
Published: May 2024

Plants emit diverse volatile organic compounds from their leaves and roots for protection against biotic and abiotic stress. An important signaling cascade activated by aboveground herbivory is the jasmonic acid pathway that stimulates the production of volatile organic compounds. So far it remains unclear if the activation of this pathway also leads to enhanced volatile organic compound emissions from conifer roots, and how the interplay of above- and below-ground defenses in plants are affected by multiple stressors. Therefore, we simultaneously analyzed needle and root volatile organic compound emissions of Picea abies saplings, as well as CO2 and H2O fluxes in response to aboveground jasmonic acid treatment, heat stress and their interaction in a controlled climate chamber experiment. Continuous online volatile organic compound measurements by proton-transfer time-of-flight mass-spectrometry showed an inverse pattern of total needle and root volatile organic compound emissions, when plants were treated with jasmonic acid and heat. While needle sesquiterpene emissions increased ninefold 1 day after jasmonic acid application, total root volatile organic compound emissions decreased. This was mainly due to reduced emissions of acetone and monoterpenes by roots. In response to aboveground jasmonic acid treatment, root total carbon emitted as volatile organic compounds decreased from 31% to only 4%. While volatile organic compound emissions aboveground increased, net CO2 assimilation strongly declined due to jasmonic acid treatment, resulting in net respiration during the day. Interestingly, root respiration was not affected by aboveground jasmonic acid application. Under heat the effect of jasmonic acid on volatile organic compound emissions of needles and roots was less pronounced. The buffering effect of heat on volatile organic compound emissions following jasmonic acid treatment points towards an impaired defense reaction of the plants under multiple stress. Our results indicate efficient resource allocation within the plant to protect threatened tissues by a rather local volatile organic compound release. Roots may only be affected indirectly by reduced belowground carbon allocation, but are not involved directly in the jasmonic acid-induced stress response.
Fast evolutionary turnover and overlapping variances of sex-biased gene expression patterns defy a simple binary classification of sexes
Authors: Xie Chen , Künzel Sven , Tautz Diethard
Published: May 2024

The phenotypic differences between the sexes are generated by genes with sex-biased expression. These range from a few major regulators to large numbers of organ-specific effector genes in sexually mature individuals. We explore the variation and evolutionary patterns of these genes in a large dataset from natural populations of sub-species and species of mice across an evolutionary distance of two million years. Within these short phylogenetic distances, we find a faster evolutionary turnover of sex-biased gene expression compared to non-sex-biased genes and a faster adaptive protein evolution for the genes that are sex-biased in a given taxon. We show that sex-biased genes occur only in a subset of the co-expression modules of each organ and the turnover of genes between the taxa occurs often within the main modules. Given that our dataset is the first in animals that was generated in a combined population genetic and phylogenetic context, we were interested to study the within-group variances for sex-biased gene expression in somatic and gonadal tissues and their evolutionary turnover. To visualize the individual variances, we have developed a sex-biased gene expression index (SBI) that represents the cumulative expression of all sex-biased genes for each individual in each organ. We find that SBI distributions can range from close to binary patterns to overlapping patterns between the sexes. They do not correlate between organs of the same individuals, thus supporting a mosaic model of sex-determination of individuals. Comparison with data from humans shows fewer sex-biased genes compared to mice and strongly overlapping SBI distributions between the sexes. We conclude that sex-biased genes are subject to fast evolution, with no long-term stability for male or female expression characteristics.
SASH1 impairs melanin synthesis and metastasis by down-regulating the TGF-β signaling pathway
Authors: Cui Hongzhou , Wang Qiong , Liang Honggang , Zhang Yingjie , Liang Bo , Wang Wenjun , Ge Shanshan , He Hongxia , Ren Xiaoli , Su Zhenxing , Guo Shuping
Published: May 2024

Dyschromatosis universalis hereditaria (DUH) is a rare genetic dermatosis characterized by widespread hyperpigmentation and depigmentation. In our previous study, we identified SH3 domain-containing protein 1 (SASH1) mutations associated with the DUH phenotype in Chinese families and predict SASH1/THBS1/TGF-β1 signaling to mediate melanin production and melanocyte transport. We detected SASH1/THBS1/TGF-β1 pathway genes expression and evaluated cell phenotypes and melanin synthesis in A375 and PIG1 cell lines by regulating the expression of SASH1 and THBS1 respectively. Finally, we validated the results of the cellular experiments in nude mice. Results showed that SASH1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT ability and melanin synthesis via TGF-β1 signaling, and THBS1 reversed the elevation of TGF-β1 caused by SASH1 knockdown. We demonstrated that SASH1 further inhibits TGF-β1 through its regulatory effect on THBS1, thereby inhibiting melanin synthesis and metastasis, which may advance the utilization of TGF-β1 for therapeutic purposes.

Plain Language Summary

Dyschromatosis universalis hereditaria(DUH) is a genetic disease showing uneven pigment pattern, which greatly affects the appearance. In our previous study, we had reported a SASH1 mutation in a Chinese DUH pedigree. In this study, we mainly focus on the effect of SASH1 gene on pigment synthesis and metabolism at the cell and animal level. The results show SASH1 inhibits the melanin synthesis of melanocytes, it can also hinder cell migration, invasion, and EMT. More than that, SASH1 reduced TGF-β1 mRNA, protein expression and promoter activity, and THBS1 could discharge this effect. In mice, SASH1 inhibits the tumor growth via TGF-β1 signaling. We detected a novel SASH1/THBS1/TGF-β1 pathway in cell phenotypes and melanin synthesis.
Multiplexed detection, partitioning, and persistence of wild type and vaccine strains of measles, mumps, and rubella viruses in wastewater
Authors: Wu Jingjing , Wang Michael X. , Kalvapalle Prashant , Nute Michael , Treangen Todd J. , Ensor Katherine , Hopkins Loren , Poretsky Rachel , Stadler Lauren B.
Published: May 2024

Wastewater surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases may provide early warning of outbreaks and identify areas to target for immunization. To advance wastewater monitoring of measles, mumps, and rubella viruses, we developed and validated a multiplexed RT-ddPCR assay for the detection of their RNA. Because the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is an attenuated live virus vaccine, we also developed an assay that distinguishes between wild-type and vaccine strains of measles in wastewater and validated it using a wastewater sample collected from a facility with an active measles outbreak. We also evaluated the partitioning behavior the viruses in between the liquid and solid fractions of influent wastewater. We found that assaying the liquid fraction of the wastewater resulted in more sensitive detection of the viruses despite the fact that the viral RNA was enriched in the solid fraction due to the low solids content of the influent wastewater. Finally, we investigated the stability of measles, mumps, and rubella RNA in wastewater samples spiked with viruses over 28 days at two different concentrations and two temperatures (4°C and room temperature) and observed limited viral decay. Our study supports the feasibility of wastewater monitoring for measles, mumps, and rubella viruses for population-level surveillance.
Active fluctuations of cytoplasmic actomyosin networks facilitate dynein-driven intracellular transport along microtubules
Authors: Torisawa Takayuki , Saito Kei , Furuta Ken’ya , Kimura Akatsuki
Published: May 2024

Inside cells, molecular motors transport cargoes within the actively fluctuating environment known as the cytoplasm. How fluctuations in the cytoplasm affect motor-driven transport is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of fluctuations for transport along microtubules usingC. elegansearly embryos, focusing on transport driven by cytoplasmic dynein. An artificial motor-cargo complex showed faster transportin vivothanin vitro, suggesting anin vivoacceleration mechanism. We also found that endogenous early endosome transport by dynein is significantly enhanced by the fluctuations in the cytoplasm, which is attributed to the activity of actomyosin networks. Anin vitroforce measurement of dynein suggests that the asymmetric force response would play a key role in the acceleration. This study provides insights into a regulatory mechanism of molecular motors within actively fluctuating cytoplasm, potentially utilizing random force originating from fluctuating dynamics in the cytoplasm to increase transport efficiency.
In-Silo Federated Learning vs. Centralized Learning for Segmenting Acute and Chronic Ischemic Brain Lesions
Authors: Kim Joon , Lee Hoyeon , Park Jonghyeok , Park Sang Hyun , Lee Myungjae , Sunwoo Leonard , Kim Chi Kyung , Kim Beom Joon , Ryu Wi-Sun
Published: May 2024

Purpose

To investigate the efficacy of federated learning (FL) compared to industry-level centralized learning (CL) for segmenting acute infarct and white matter hyperintensity.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective study included 13,546 diffusion-weighted images (DWI) from 10 hospitals and 8,421 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images (FLAIR) from 9 hospitals for acute (Task I) and chronic (Task II) lesion segmentation. The mean ages (SD) for the training datasets were 68.1 (12.8) for Task I and 67.4 (13.0) for Task II. The frequency of male participants was 51.5% and 60.4%, respectively. We trained with datasets from 9 and 3 institutions for Task I and Task II, respectively, and externally tested them in datasets from 1 and 9 institutions each. For FL, the central server aggregated training results every four rounds with FedYogi (Task I) and FedAvg (Task II). A batch clipping strategy was tested for the FL models. Performances were evaluated with the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC).

Results

In Task I, the FL model employing batch clipping trained for 360 epochs achieved a DSC of 0.754±0.183, surpassing an equivalent CL model (DSC 0.691±0.229; p<0.001) and comparable to the best-performing CL model at 940 epochs (DSC 0.755±0.207; p=0.701). In Task II, no significant differences were observed amongst FL model with clipping, without clipping, and CL model after 48 epochs (DSCs of 0.761±0.299, 0.751±0.304, 0.744±0.304). Few-shot FL showed significantly lower performance. Task II reduced training times with batch clipping (3.5 to 1.75 hours).

Conclusion

Comparisons between CL and FL in identical settings suggest the feasibility of FL for medical image segmentation.
Evidence from metagenomic study indicate that subclinical mastitis may have a different pathological origin than clinical mastitis
Authors: Bhar Subhrajit , Bose Tungadri
Published: May 2024

Bovine mastitis is one of the main causes of low milk production, resulting in significant economic losses for the dairy industry. Therefore, the industry will benefit from the development of strategies for the timely diagnosis of bovine mastitis, especially the sub-clinical sub-type. Here, we analysed the milk metagenome of healthy cows and cows suffering from various forms of mastitis, viz. clinical, sub-clinical and chronic/ recurrent sub-types. We identifiedNeisseria,EubacteriumandStreptococcusas the key drivers of the change in microbial community structure from a healthy state to a clinical mastitis state. Our results also indicate that the microbiota composition and the probable cause of clinical and recurrent bovine mastitis may not be the same as that of sub-clinical mastitis. Further, the sensory protein load in the sub-clinical mastitis sub-group differed significantly from the other studied categories, whereinAchromobacter,Dickeya,PectobacteriumandRaoultellawere identified as the discriminatory features. We also propose ML-based classifiers to screen for bovine mastitis using milk metagenomic samples. The principles elucidated here through the study of mastitis in cows can be applied to other animals and hopefully will benefit the entire dairy industry.
Merging Metabolic Modeling and Imaging for Screening Therapeutic Targets in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Tavakoli Niki , Fong Emma J. , Coleman Abigail , Huang Yu-Kai , Bigger Mathias , Doche Michael E. , Kim Seungil , Lenz Heinz-Josef , Graham Nicholas A. , Macklin Paul , Finley Stacey D. , Mumenthaler Shannon M.
Published: May 2024

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a key role in metabolic reprogramming and are well-established contributors to drug resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). To exploit this metabolic crosstalk, we integrated a systems biology approach that identified key metabolic targets in a data-driven method and validated them experimentally. This process involved a novel machine learning-based method to computationally screen, in a high-throughput manner, the effects of enzyme perturbations predicted by a computational model of CRC metabolism. This approach reveals the network-wide effects of metabolic perturbations. Our results highlighted hexokinase (HK) as a crucial target, which subsequently became our focus for experimental validation using patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs). Through metabolic imaging and viability assays, we found that PDTOs cultured in CAF-conditioned media exhibited increased sensitivity to HK inhibition, confirming the model predictions. Our approach emphasizes the critical role of integrating computational and experimental techniques in exploring and exploiting CRC-CAF crosstalk.
An atlas of expressed transcripts in the prenatal and postnatal human cortex
Authors: Bamford Rosemary A. , Leung Szi Kay , Chundru V. Kartik , Jeffries Aaron R. , Davies Jonathan P. , Franklin Alice , Chen Xinmu , McQuillin Andrew , Bass Nicholas ,   APEX consortium, Walker Emma , O’Neill Paul , Pishva Ehsan , Dempster Emma L. , Hannon Eilis , Wright Caroline F. , Mill Jonathan
Published: May 2024

Alternative splicing is a post-transcriptional mechanism that increases the diversity of expressed transcripts and plays an important role in regulating gene expression in the developing central nervous system. We used long-read transcriptome sequencing to characterise the structure and abundance of full-length transcripts in the human cortex from donors aged 6 weeks post-conception to 83 years old. We identified thousands of novel transcripts, with dramatic differences in the diversity of expressed transcripts between prenatal and postnatal cortex. A large proportion of these previously uncharacterised transcripts have high coding potential, with corresponding peptides detected in proteomic data. Novel putative coding sequences are highly conserved and overlapde novomutations in genes linked with neurodevelopmental disorders in individuals with relevant clinical phenotypes. Our findings underscore the potential of novel coding sequences to harbor clinically relevant variants, offering new insights into the genetic architecture of human disease. Our cortical transcript annotations are available as a resource to the research community via an online database.
Transcriptomic landscape of mammalian ventral pallidum at single-cell resolution
Authors: Yang Lite , Fang Lisa Z , Lynch Michelle R , Xu Chang S , Hahm Hannah , Zhang Yufen , Heitmeier Monique R , Costa Vincent , Samineni Vijay K , Creed Meaghan C
Published: May 2024

The ventral pallidum (VP) is critical for motivated behaviors. While contemporary work has begun to elucidate the functional diversity of VP neurons, the molecular heterogeneity underlying this functional diversity remains incompletely understood. We used snRNA-seq andin situhybridization to define the transcriptional taxonomy of VP cell types in mice, macaques, and baboons. We found transcriptional conservation between all three species, within the broader neurochemical cell types. Unique dopaminoceptive and cholinergic subclusters were identified and conserved across both primate species but had no homolog in mice. This harmonized consensus VP cellular atlas will pave the way for understanding the structure and function of the VP and identified key neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, and neuro receptors that could be targeted within specific VP cell types for functional investigations.

Teaser

Genetic identity of ventral pallidum cell types is conserved across rodents and primates at the transcriptional level