bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Literature and Prophecy
Authors: Chantaca Claudia
Published: October 2023

This article analyzes Raquel Jodorowsky’s idea of poetry as revelation and examines the ludic aspects of her work, which functioned as a form of resistance to the canon. By focusing on her works Ajy Tojen [The Creator of Light] (1964) and Cuentos para cerebros detenidos [Tales for Detained Brains] (1974), this study highlights her relation to Latin American neovanguardias and explores her idea of the artist as a self-constructive individual. It also addresses her notion of Ajy Tojen, a mystical understanding of the poet as a person with the power to dissolve worn forms in order to seek a primordial expression and contribute to cosmic regeneration. Through an examination of her short stories, this study will show how she used different ludic strategies to desacralize literary and extra-literary genres.
A new high elevation species of Oreophryne Boettger (Anura: Microhylidae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: PUTRI AUNI ADE , TRILAKSONO WAHYU , KURNIATI HELLEN , HITCH ALAN THOMAS , JR ANDREW ENGILIS , WIDAYATI KANTHI ARUM , FARAJALLAH ACHMAD , HAMIDY AMIR
Published: October 2023

We examined the morphology of 50 specimens of Sulawesian Oreophryne and recognize a distinct, undescribed species. Based on morphological data and supported with phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, it is herein described and named as Oreophryne riyantoi sp. nov. The new species is diagnosed by having a combination of rounded snout in dorsal and lateral view, indistinct tympanum, narrow interorbital distance, small hands, small terminal discs on fingers and toes, toes without webbing, short legs, and dorsal surfaces of head, body and limbs irregularly tuberculated in life. It was found in leaf litter on the forest floor in extremely wet primary montane forest on Mount Mekongga at an altitude of 2528 m asl. The forest-dwelling habit of this terrestrial frog is unusual because other terrestrial Oreophryne occuring at high-altitude live in open grassy or fern dominated meadows. Four endemic species of Oreophryne are now known from Sulawesi. However, herpetological research activities, including high elevation surveys and additional taxonomic work, are necessary to achieve a comprehensive understanding of Oreophryne diversity and phylogeography in Sulawesi.
Nomenclatural reconsideration of the genera Aeschnophlebia Selys, 1883 and Planaeschna McLachlan, 1896 (Odonata, Aeshnidae)
Authors: KOSTERIN OLEG E.
Published: October 2023

The nominal species Aeschna milnei Selys, 1883 and Aeschnophlebia optata Selys, 1883 are considered subjective synonyms, with A. milnei as the valid name based on an act of the First Reviser. Since A. milnei is the type species of Planaeschna McLachlan, 1896, and A. optata is the type species of Aeschnophlebia Selys, 1883 (by subsequent designation), both nominal genera are also subjective synonyms, with Aeschnophlebia as the valid name. Species until recently included in Aeschnophlebia (except the type species), are now considered congeneric with Aeshna vernalis Vander Linden, 1820, the type species of Brachytron Evans, 1845 and a junior subjective synonym of B. pratense (Müller, 1764). The present paper provides the correct combinations and name spellings for all subspecies presently assigned to the genera Planaeschna and Aeschnophlebia.
Composite Mesoscale Environmental Conditions Influencing Tornado Frequencies in Landfalling Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Trier Stanley B. , Ahijevych David A. , Carroll-Smith Dereka , Bryan George H. , Edwards Roger
Published: October 2023

Spatial patterns of tropical cyclone tornadoes (TCTs), and their relationship to patterns of mesoscale predictors within U.S. landfalling tropical cyclones (LTCs) are investigated using multicase composites from 27 years of reanalysis data (1995–2021). For 72 cases of LTCs with wide-ranging TC intensities at landfall, daytime TCT frequency maxima are found in the northeast, right-front, and downshear-right quadrants when their composites are constructed in ground-relative, TC-heading relative, and environmental shear relative coordinates, respectively. TCT maxima are located near maxima of 10-m–700-hPa bulk wind difference (BWD), which are enhanced by the TC circulation. This proxy for bulk vertical shear in roughly the lowest 3 km is among the best predictors of maximum TCT frequency. Relative to other times, the position of maximum TCT frequency during the afternoon shifts ∼100 km outward from the LTC center toward larger MLCAPE values. Composites containing the strongest LTCs have the strongest maximum 10-m–700-hPa and 10-m–500-hPa BWDs (∼20 m s−1) with nearby maximum frequencies of TCTs. Corresponding composites containing weaker LTCs but still many TCTs, had bulk vertical shear values that were ∼20% smaller (∼16 m s−1). Additional composites of cases having similarly weak average LTC strength at landfall, but few or no TCTs, had both maximum bulk vertical shears that were an additional ∼20% lower (∼12 m s−1) and smaller MLCAPE. TCT environments occurring well inland are distinguished from others by having stronger westerly shear and a west–east-oriented baroclinic zone (i.e., north–south temperature gradient) that enhances mesoscale ascent and deep convection on the LTC’s east side.
Validating the Negative Context of Reception Scale for Mainland Puerto Ricans
Authors: Schwartz Seth J. , Maldonado-Molina Mildred M. , Bates Melissa M. , Calderón Ivonne , Garcia Maria Fernanda , Montero-Zamora Pablo , Duque Maria , Pineros-Leano María , Scaramutti Carolina , Brown Eric C. , Rodríguez José , Salas-Wright Christopher P.
Published: October 2023

This study examined the extent to which the Negative Context of Reception Scale generates valid and reliable scores with Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria survivors. A sample of 319 adult Hurricane Maria survivors completed measures of the negative context of reception, discrimination, language stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms, optimism, and life satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) indicated that the previously validated one-factor solution fit the data adequately, and multigroup invariance tests indicated that this solution fit largely equivalently across gender, age groups, year of arrival in the United States, and self-reported English proficiency. Negative context of reception was correlated positively with discrimination and language stress, positively with symptoms of depression and anxiety, and negatively with optimism and life satisfaction. It may be important to adjust item order to reduce intercorrelations among some item responses. This study offers an instrument that counselors can use with Hurricane Maria survivor clients.
Cultural Self-Awareness: An Initial Step in Home-School Partnerships
Authors: Bunch-Crump Kimberly , Hitt Sara Beth
Published: October 2023

The US is becoming progressively diverse and so are our classrooms. Home-school partnerships are essential to supporting diverse learners. It is critical both new and veteran practitioners make intentional efforts to provide culturally proficient practices when building home-school partnerships. Cultural awareness is identified across disciplines as the initial step to being a culturally proficient practitioner (e.g., CCPEP, nd; Randall-David, 1989; SAMHSA, 2014). Self-awareness is an important but often overlooked step in cultural awareness. This article addresses three techniques to increase cultural self-awareness as an initial step to building effective home-school partnerships with diverse families.
Knowledge-Making in Politics: Expertise in Democracy and Epistocracy
Authors: Lucky Matthew C.
Published: October 2023

Recently, epistocrats have challenged the value of democracy by claiming that policy outcomes can be improved if the electorate were narrowed to empower only those with sufficient knowledge to inform competent policy decisions. I argue that by centering on contesting how well regimes employ extant knowledge in decision-making, this conversation has neglected to consider how regimes influence the production of knowledge over time. Science and technology studies scholars have long recognized that political systems impact the productivity of expert research. I argue that in order to evaluate which regime is “smarter,” we must consider not only how well they employ existing knowledge in decision-making, but we must also assess how those regimes influence the ongoing production of policy-relevant knowledge. Thus, I offer an instrumental defense of democracy based on its capacity to encourage a superior pattern and quality of expert research to inform policy decisions over time. Epistocracy may be effective at employing extant knowledge in the short run, but in the long run, democracy is a superior environment for producing knowledge to inform policy decisions.
Public service television in the age of subscription video on demand: Shifting TV audience expectations in the UK during COVID-19
Authors: Johnson Catherine , Dempsey Lauren
Published: October 2023

This article asks how the rise in use of SVOD in the United Kingdom during 2020 impacted people’s expectations of public service television (PSTV). Drawing on 56 qualitative interviews with 28 UK participants conducted in 2019 and 2020, the article uses the COVID-19 lockdown to explore how disruption to the context of viewing might shape the cultural meanings people attach to PSTV. Challenging dominant approaches that measure audience assessments of public service media (PSM) against normative criteria, this article focuses instead on the processes through which people’s cultural meanings about PSTV are formed. Examining the interplay of their encounters with, expectations and evaluations of television, it reveals the divergent meanings our participants brought to linear and on-demand television. The article concludes by examining the implications of these expectations for PSM policy and for the ways in which we research people’s viewing experiences and choices amidst the rise of VOD.
Machine learning-based analysis of risk factors for chronic total occlusion in an Asian population
Authors: Shi Yuchen , Cheng Zichao , Jian Wen , Liu Yanci , Liu Jinghua
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) is a form of coronary artery disease (CAD) requiring percutaneous coronary intervention. There has been minimal research regarding CTO-specific risk factors and predictive models. We developed machine learning predictive models based on clinical characteristics to identify patients with CTO before coronary angiography.

Methods

Data from 1473 patients with CAD, including 317 patients with and 1156 patients without CTO, were retrospectively analyzed. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) models were used to identify CTO-specific risk factors and predict CTO development. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for model validation.

Results

For CTO prediction, the PLS-DA model included 10 variables; the ROC value was 0.706. The RF model included 42 variables; the ROC value was 0.702. The SVM model included 20 variables; the ROC value was 0.696. DeLong’s test showed no difference among the three models. Four variables were present in all models: sex, neutrophil percentage, creatinine, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP).

Conclusions

Validation of machine learning prediction models for CTO revealed that the PLS-DA model had the best prediction performance. Sex, neutrophil percentage, creatinine, and BNP may be important risk factors for CTO development.
Demographic Breakdown of Transit Rider Satisfaction
Authors: Mers Bianca , Watkins Kari , Hunter Michael
Published: October 2023

With ridership declining nationally and transit agencies looking for innovative ways to maintain and attract riders, a more complex understanding of transit riders and their satisfaction could provide additional insight and guidance to benefit the future of transit. This study challenged the traditional captive versus choice rider dichotomy and indicates the need for a more nuanced breakdown of transit riders based on the attributes most important to them. To conduct the analysis, the authors obtained rider survey data from nine agencies across the United States from varying geographic regions and representing various agency sizes. Agencies were selected based on their intentional use of demographic classifications and questions about satisfaction with various aspects of transit service. The authors then applied ordered logit regression across the 18,544 rider survey responses to predict the relative importance of service attributes on overall satisfaction. The findings suggested that different classifications of riders by gender, race, and income yielded diverse priorities, although certain service aspects such as reliability were important across demographics. In addition to the findings from the regression analysis, this study also offers a series of recommendations to facilitate future investigations by using more consistent, standardized data to further the breadth and depth of national transit rider analyses.
Environmental regulation and de-zombified governance of heavy polluting enterprises: Quasi-natural experiment of the China's New Environmental Protection Law
Authors: Chen Xiuying , Lan Haiming , Liu Sheng , Li Jianbin
Published: October 2023

Removing backward production capacity and clearing out zombie enterprises is crucial to realize the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. However, as a command-control environmental regulation policy, whether the New Environmental Protection Law (NEPL) can guide heavy-polluting enterprises to achieve green transformation and get rid of the zombified risk remains unknown. Our article applies the difference-in-difference (DID) method to explore the impact of the stricter environmental regulation policies on the de-zombification of heavily polluting enterprises in the context of the implementation of NEPL in China. The results show that the implementation of NEPL significantly reduces the zombified risk of heavy-polluting enterprises. The results were valid by a series of robustness tests of propensity score matching, common trends test, placebos test, conducting double clustered standard errors to industry and province level, eliminating other policy interference, ruling out reverse causation, easing the potential endogeneity problems, and controlling enterprise's internal management level. Furthermore, there is a time lag in NEPL policy, which requires a long-term mechanism. Moreover, the NEPL can promote enterprise de-zombie governance through the mechanism of market competition and market allocation. The effects of the NEPL are heterogeneous due to the nature of enterprise property rights, enterprise scale, industry radiation capacity, regional development level, and internal management capacity. This article provides policy implications for developing countries to promote de-zombified governance of their economic systems and defuse risks of green transition.
Fixing stone in time: Making and measuring consolidants for heritage futures
Authors: Douglas-Jones Rachel
Published: October 2023

Stone consolidants have been used in conservation practices for decades, with an increasingly interdisciplinary scientific attention to their composition and performance. This article is an ethnographic account of the process of testing a new consolidant's efficacy, drawn from fieldwork and interviews with scientists and heritage professionals involved in a European project in 2013. I illustrate, in line with prior scholarship on laboratory time, how time is a central tool of laboratory control, which must be managed to produce evidence of consolidant efficacy. Yet the ‘fast time’ of controlled experimental conditions is also suspect for those working in the field of heritage. By tracing the temporal tensions between scientific evidence making, laboratory practice and heritage practitioners’ values, I illustrate that the project of materially fixing stone in time means intervening on heritage futures.
Incorporation of Innovative Strategies for Patient Education in Pharmacist-Led Transition of Care Initiatives
Authors: Thurston Maria Miller , Dupree Lori H. , Shogbon Nwaesei Angela , Newsom Lydia C.
Published: October 2023

As patients transition between health care settings, they are at an increased risk of adverse events and medication errors as a result of medication changes and miscommunication. Pharmacists have traditionally provided transitions of care (TOC) services, including patient education, in a face-to-face manner with the goal of reducing medication errors and enhancing patient safety and understanding. However, changes in care delivery models, a burdened health care workforce, and diminishing resources necessitate innovative approaches for the provision of patient education within TOC. Pharmacists should consider novel approaches to expand scope, reduce barriers, and creatively use existing resources to optimize patient education in TOC.
The End of Race? Racial Identity and the Resurrection of the Body
Authors: Hill Daniel Lee
Published: October 2023

Recent theological and philosophical accounts of race have rightly called into question race and racial identity's rootedness in the created order. If race is not a fact of human biology or physiology but is instead the product of imposing malicious institutional judgments on members of the human community, does the Christian confession of faith in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting entail a resurrection and redemption from racial identity? Building on the work of Jonathan Tran and Eleonore Stump, this author argues that race persists in the eschatological state as a healed wound or scar that indexes the lamentable past from which we have been redeemed.
A Lutheran Interpretation of Communicatio Idiomatum: A Response to Richard Cross
Authors: Wiberg Pedersen Else Marie
Published: October 2023

This response to Richard Cross offers a different interpretation of Luther's employment of the communicatio idiomatum. Whereas Cross wants to place Luther's understanding of the communicatio idiomatum within a strictly philosophical framework of abstractions in order to make it fit a scholastic understanding, Luther firmly objects to such a m odus operandi. Luther clearly differentiates between philosophy and theology, finding the former insufficient when dealing with Christology and soteriology. Counter to the scholastics but in continuity with Bernard of Clairvaux, Luther's Christology is incarnational and bound to humanity. To Luther it is fundamental that God can and will be known only as a human being (homo), yet Christ's real presence is presented three-dimensionally. Luther's complex understanding of Christ as really human and the Word incarnate is reflected in his intense work with semantics and the art of translation. Hence Christ is precisely human, not male; ministry is reconfigured as a human function ( ministerium verbi), not a substitute for divine sacredness that is assigned to the Catholic vicarious Christi.
Cabozantinib-induced heart failure
Authors: Sekmek Serhat , Bayram Dogan , Ucar Gokhan , Civelek Burak , Kos Fahriye Tugba , Uncu Dogan
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Cabozantinib is a multikinase inhibitor agent used in the treatment of hepatocellular, renal, and thyroid cancers. The development of heart failure after cabozantinib initiation is an extremely rare side effect, with only four case reports published in the literature. We describe a case of cabozantinib-induced cardiac failure in a patient with thyroid cancer refractory to standard treatment.

Case report

Fifty-seven-year-old woman had no history of cardiovascular disease. Echocardiography prior to chemotherapy revealed normal cardiac function. However, she developed pretibial edema and shortness of breath after 2 months of cabozantinib treatment. Ejection fraction was found to be 30% in the echocardiography of the patient, and global hypokinesia was detected in cardiac functions.

Management and outcome

Cabozantinib treatment of the patient was discontinued. After discontinuation of treatment, the patient's cardiac functions did not return to normal. Heart failure due to cabozantinib treatment was thought to be permanent.

Discussion

There are only four cases on this subject in the literature. Although the use of cabozantinib rarely causes heart failure, this side effect can have extremely serious consequences. Even if it is a rare condition, cardiological evaluations should be performed before and after cabozantinib therapy because it can be reversible after discontinuation of the treatment.
Ocular syphilis masquerading as CMV retinitis in a transplanted patient
Authors: Rissotto Federico , Scandale Pierluigi , Miserocchi Elisabetta
Published: October 2023

Background

Syphilis has historically been referred to as “the great imitator”, for the extent of disease manifestations secondary to infection. Ocular manifestations include a wide range of intra-ocular inflammation.

Methods

In this study, we report the case of a 52 years-old male patient with syphilitic hemorrhagic necrotizing retinitis.

Results

The patient presented to the emergency room for rapid and progressive vision loss and ocular redness lasting three weeks and was under immunosuppressive treatment. The diagnosis was syphilitic hemorrhagic necrotizing retinitis mimicking the typical clinical picture of retinitis caused by Cytomegalovirus infection in immunocompromised patients.

Conclusions

The presented case highlights the need to consider ocular syphilis as a great masquerader even in the presence of atypical presentations such as hemorrhagic retinitis. Syphilis should be tested for treponemal and non-treponemal tests, and it should be ruled out as an etiological agent in every case of new-onset intra-ocular inflammation.
‘You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it's gone’: Police retention of investigative materials
Authors: McCartney Carole , Shorter Louise
Published: October 2023

The seizure, safe handling and secure storage of evidence during criminal investigations is pivotal to the successful detection and prosecution of offences. The safe retention of materials after an investigation closes, even post-conviction, is also critical both to the ability of the appellate system to function and for ‘cold cases’ to be reviewed. Yet despite periodic high-profile instances in which failures to ensure the integrity and retention of evidence have occurred, there is a reticence to admit to evidence being lost; in particular, to consider the issue on an aggregate rather than a case-by-case basis. This lack of transparency is compounded by an accountability deficit, in which the issue falls through regulatory gaps. Provoked to locate proof of lost evidence, this article examines police retention of investigative materials, and details the results of surveys undertaken with lawyers and miscarriage of justice campaigners ( n = 65) and police ( n = 87), and 21 interviews with serving and retired police officers. We identify ‘weak links’ in the evidence chain that need strengthening, including the enhancement of training, improved physical packaging and storage facilities, sufficient training of police staff and the creation of specialised ‘exhibits’ roles. Further to practical resource demands, the issue requires accessible data so that the problem can be acknowledged, and accountability and oversight mechanisms created to assure processes.
Doing disability activism through the embodied experiences of creative practice: participating in a community art exhibition
Authors: Graeme-Cook Andy , Graeme-Cook Catherine , Waitt Gordon , Harada Theresa
Published: October 2023

Creative practice is frequently being deployed in research by cultural geographers. This article explores one such deployment, centering on a participatory community art exhibition titled ‘Wheelability’. The exhibition was organized by non-disabled geographers for people who use powered mobility devices in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The article illustrates the distinctive contribution art can make to disability mobility justice. It uses the personal stories and mobile creative expressions of one co-researcher and their carer to explore how engaging in creative activities provides opportunities to understand the emotional aspects of everyday mobility challenges and what emotions can do. Thinking through the emotional geographies of a mobile form of creative practice allows us to illustrate how dominant social norms are confirmed, ruptured, and reconfigured by the co-researcher. In conclusion, we discuss the implications of creative practices for conducting geographical research that promotes justice for individuals with mobility disabilities.
Analysis of treatment cost differences in patients undergoing femoral versus radial access in outpatient diagnostic cerebral arteriograms
Authors: Findlay Matthew C , Baker Cordell M , Childs Sarah , Gautam Diwas , Salah Walid K , Bounajem Michael , Joyce Evan , Budohoski Karol P , Kilburg Craig , Alexander Matthew D , Taussky Phillip , Grandhi Ramesh
Published: October 2023

Background

Outpatient diagnostic cerebral arteriograms are the most common procedure in neuroendovascular surgery, and the use of transradial access for these studies is growing. Although transradial access has been associated with lower hospital costs for elective diagnostic and interventional neuroendovascular procedures, no study has compared transfemoral access and transradial access costs for a homogenous population of patients undergoing outpatient diagnostic cerebral arteriogram.

Methods

In this single-center retrospective study, the Value Driven Outcomes database was used to evaluate treatment costs for patients who underwent outpatient diagnostic cerebral arteriogram from January 2019 to December 2022. Propensity-score matching was performed to reduce confounders. Costs from each encounter were subcategorized into imaging, supplies, pharmacy, procedures, labs, and facility costs.

Results

After matching, 337 patients each for transradial access and transfemoral access were available for analysis. A total of 118,992 cost data points were associated with all encounters. Overall, per-visit costs were 15.2% cheaper for patients who underwent transradial access versus transfemoral access ( p < 0.001). Most of the cost difference was due to supplies (35.2% cost difference, p < 0.001) and procedure costs (9.3% cost difference, p < 0.001). No statistical differences were observed between the two approaches in imaging, pharmacy, labs, and facility costs (all p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Costs for outpatient diagnostic cerebral arteriogram were lower in patients who underwent transradial access versus transfemoral access because of supply and procedure costs. Understanding reasons for cost differences in common procedures is important for creating strategies to reduce overall healthcare costs. Additionally, addressing the cost differences of newer techniques may increase the likelihood that they are more readily implemented by hospitals and providers.
The State of Cognitive Control in Language Processing
Authors: Ness Tal , Langlois Valerie J. , Kim Albert E. , Novick Jared M.
Published: October 2023

Understanding language requires readers and listeners to cull meaning from fast-unfolding messages that often contain conflicting cues pointing to incompatible ways of interpreting the input (e.g., “The cat was chased by the mouse”). This article reviews mounting evidence from multiple methods demonstrating that cognitive control plays an essential role in resolving conflict during language comprehension. How does cognitive control accomplish this task? Psycholinguistic proposals have conspicuously failed to address this question. We introduce an account in which cognitive control aids language processing when cues conflict by sending top-down biasing signals that strengthen the interpretation supported by the most reliable evidence available. We also provide a computationally plausible model that solves the critical problem of how cognitive control “knows” which way to direct its biasing signal by allowing linguistic knowledge itself to issue crucial guidance. Such a mental architecture can explain a range of experimental findings, including how moment-to-moment shifts in cognitive-control state—its level of activity within a person—directly impact how quickly and successfully language comprehension is achieved.
Comparison of the profiles of first-line PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for advanced NSCLC lacking driver gene mutations: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis
Authors: Wenfan Fu , Manman Xu , Xingyuan Shi , Zeyong Jiang , Jian Zhao , Lu Dai
Published: October 2023

Background:

Numerous first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) were developed for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lacking driver gene mutations. However, this group consists of a heterogeneous patient population, for whom the optimal therapeutic choice is yet to be confirmed.

Objective:

To identify the best first-line immunotherapy regimen for overall advanced NSCLC patients and different subgroups.

Design:

Systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA).

Methods:

We searched several databases to retrieve relevant literature. We performed Bayesian NMA for the overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and treatment-related adverse events (tr-AEs) with a grade equal or more than 3 (grade ⩾ 3 tr-AEs). Subgroup analysis was conducted according to programed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) levels, histologic type, central nervous system (CNS) metastases and tobacco use history.

Results:

For the PD-L1 non-selective patients, sintilimab plus chemotherapy (sinti-chemo) provided the best OS [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.59, 95% confidence interval (CI):0.42–0.83]. Nivolumab plus bevacizumab plus chemotherapy (nivo-bev-chemo) was comparable to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab plus chemotherapy (atezo-bev-chemo) in prolonging PFS (HR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.51–1.91). Atezo-bev-chemo remarkably elevated the ORR than chemotherapy (OR = 3.13, 95% CI: 1.51–6.59). Subgroup analysis showed pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy (pembro-chemo) ranked first in OS in subgroups of PD-L1 < 1%, non-squamous, no CNS metastases, with or without smoking history, and ranked second in OS in subgroups of PD-L1 ⩾ 1% and PD-L1 1–49%. Cemiplimab and sugemalimab plus chemotherapy ranked first in OS and PFS for squamous subgroup, respectively. For patients with CNS metastases, nivolumab plus ipilimumab plus chemotherapy (nivo-ipili-chemo) and camrelizumab plus chemotherapy provided the best OS and PFS, respectively.

Conclusions:

Sinti-chemo and nivo-bev-chemo were two effective first-line regimens ranked first in OS and PFS for overall patients, respectively. Pembro-chemo was favorable for patients in subgroups of PD-L1 < 1%, PD-L1 ⩾ 1%, PD-L1 1–49%, non-squamous, no CNS metastases, with or without smoking history. Addition of bevacizumab consistently provided with favorable PFS results in patients of all PD-L1 levels. Cemiplimab was the best option in squamous subgroup and nivo-ipili-chemo in CNS metastases subgroup due to their advantages in OS.
Does participation in municipality-initiated incentivized health promotion programs promote physical activity among the physically inactive? Verification in six Japanese municipalities
Authors: Chijiki Shoko , Tanabe Kai , Tsukao Akiko , Kuno Shinya
Published: October 2023

Background:

Physical activity can prevent lifestyle-related diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes. However, many people in society are physically inactive, especially middle-aged and older adults over 40. Therefore, this study examined the effects of a municipality-led incentivized health promotion program to clarify: (1) whether the average number of steps increased from the preparticipation period to the 18th month following the program; and (2) whether such increases were influenced by financial incentives.

Design and methods:

This study analyzed gender, age, step, and incentive type data from 5688 middle-aged and elderly participants in an incentivized health promotion program. The incentives were regional gift certificates that could only be used in local areas, national gift certificates, common points that could be used in department and convenience stores nationwide, and donations. The incentives were worth a maximum of 24,000 yen per year.

Results:

Both the physically active group and the physically inactive group had increased the step count markedly 18 months post-participation; however those participants chosing financial incentives showed significantly higher steps after 18 months than those who opted for non-financial incentives (time: p < 0.05, time × group: p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

Municipality-led financially incentivized health promotion programs could motivate increases in the average number of steps taken by those physically inactive residents.
Anatomic Double-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using the Anatomic Double-Bundle 2-in-1 Guide System
Authors: Nakanishi Yuta , Hoshino Yuichi , Nukuto Koji , Nishida Kyohei , Nagai Kanto , Kanzaki Noriyuki , Matsushita Takehiko , Kuroda Ryosuke
Published: October 2023

Background:

In double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, tunnel coalition may occur intraoperatively or during the postoperative course. Tibial tunnel coalition is more common compared with femoral tunnel coalition. Once tunnel coalition occurs on the tibial side, rotatory knee laxity may not be controlled as expected. We have developed a new device to avoid tibial tunnel coalition with consistency. The purpose of this video is to present the surgical technique for double-bundle ACL reconstruction using a new drill guide.

Indications:

The novel guide may be used in all cases with confirmed ACL tear in a physically active patient, identical to indications for current ACL reconstruction using the double-bundle technique.

Technique Description:

The hamstring tendon is harvested for the ACL grafts. Two guide pins for the anteromedial bundle and posterolateral bundle for the tibial tunnel are inserted through the Anatomic Double-Bundle 2-in-1 Guide System. Cannulated drills and dilators are used to create the tunnel to the final diameter. Next, femoral tunnels are created by the outside-in technique using the Anatomic Double-Bundle 2-in-1 Guide System. Grafts are inserted from the tibia and passed through the femur. The grafts are fixed with a post screw and/or interference screw.

Results:

Two weeks after surgery, no tibial or femoral coalition (0/20 cases) were confirmed and tibial bony bridge at the intraarticular surface was measured 2.7 ± 0.9 mm using computed tomography (CT). One year after surgery, tibial coalition was confirmed in 13.3% (2/15 cases), and femoral coalition in 6.7% (1/15 cases) on CT image mainly due to tunnel widening. The 2 cases with tibial coalition had tibial bony bridge of less than 2 mm on immediate postoperative CT.

Discussion/Conclusion:

Using the novel guide, 2 tibial tunnels were created easily and accurately compared with the conventional independent drilling technique. The 2 tunnels can also be created simultaneously with single placement of the guide. Two separate tunnels help maintain expected rotatory knee stability after double-bundle ACL reconstruction.

Patient Consent Disclosure Statement:

The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.
GFAP-NpHR mediated optogenetic inhibition of trigeminal nucleus caudalis attenuates hypersensitive behaviors and thalamic discharge attributed to infraorbital nerve constriction injury
Authors: KC Elina , Islam Jaisan , Kim Hyong Kyu , Park Young Seok
Published: October 2023

The significance of hyperactive astrocytes in neuropathic pain is crucial. However, the association between medullary astrocytes and trigeminal neuralgia (TN)-related pain processing is unclear. Here, we examined how optogenetic inhibition of medullary astrocytes in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC) regulates pain hypersensitivity in an infraorbital nerve (ION) constricted TN model. We used adult Sprague Dawley rats subjected to infraorbital nerve (ION) constriction to mimic TN symptoms, with naive and sham rats serving as controls. For in vivo optogenetic manipulations, rats stereotaxically received AAV8-GFAP-eNpHR3.0-mCherry or AAV8-GFAP-mCherry at the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC). Open field, von Frey, air puff, and acetone tests measured pain behavioral flexibility. In vivo thalamic recordings were obtained simultaneously with optogenetic manipulation in the TNC. Orofacial hyperalgesia and thalamic hyperexcitability were both accompanied by medullary astrocyte hyperactivity, marked by upregulated GFAP. The yellow laser-driven inhibition of TNC astrocytes markedly improved behavioral responses and regulated thalamic neuronal responses. Halorhodopsin-mediated inhibition in medullary astrocytes may modify the nociceptive input transmitted through the trigeminothalamic tract and pain perception. Taken together, these findings imply that this subpopulation in the TNC and its thalamic connections play a significant role in regulating the trigeminal pain circuitry, which might aid in the identification of new therapeutic measures in TN management.

Graphical Abstract
disperseNN2: a neural network for estimating dispersal distance from georeferenced polymorphism data
Authors: Smith Chris C. R. , Kern Andrew D.
Published: October 2023

Spatial genetic variation is shaped in part by an organism’s dispersal ability. We present a deep learning tool, , for estimating the mean per-generation dispersal distance from georeferenced polymorphism data. Our neural network performs feature extraction on pairs of genotypes, and uses the geographic information that comes with each sample. These attributes led to outperform a state-of-the-art deep learning method that does not use explicit spatial information: the mean relative absolute error was reduced by 33% and 48% using sample sizes of 10 and 100 individuals, respectively. is particularly useful for non-model organisms or systems with sparse genomic resources, as it uses unphased, single nucleotide polymorphisms as its input. The software is open source and available from https://github.com/kr-colab/disperseNN2, with documentation located at https://dispersenn2.readthedocs.io/en/latest/.
Regulation of cashmere fineness traits by noncoding RNA in Jiangnan cashmere goats
Authors: Wu Cuiling , Xu Qin , Li Jianying , Qin Chongkai , Tulafu Hanikezi , Liu Wenna , Lu Qingwei , Zheng Wenxin , Fu Xuefeng
Published: October 2023

Background

Cashmere has long been used as the raw material for wool textiles. The diameter of the cashmere fibre determines its quality and economic value. However, the regulatory role of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in cashmere fineness remains unclear, especially regarding the interaction between ncRNAs and coding RNAs.

Results

Transcriptome sequencing was used to identify the expression profiles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in the skin tissues of Jiangnan cashmere goats with different cashmere fineness levels. Integration analysis of ncRNA and coding RNA was performed in combination with previous research results. The results showed that 16,437 lncRNAs, 2234 circRNAs, and 1322 miRNAs were identified in 8 skin samples of cashmere goats. A total of 403 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, 62 DE circRNAs and 30 DE miRNAs were identified in the skin tissues of the fine groups (Fe) and coarse groups (Ce). We predicted the target gene of DE lncRNA, the target gene of DE miRNA and the host gene of DE circRNA. Based on functional annotation and enrichment analysis of target genes, we found that DE lncRNAs could be involved in regulating the fineness traits of cashmere. The most potential lncRNAs were MSTRG.42054.1, MSTRG.18602.3, and MSTRG.2199.13.

Conclusions

The data from this study enriched the cashmere goat noncoding RNA database and helped to supplement the annotation of the goat genome. The results provided a new direction for the breeding of cashmere characters.
In silico and computational analysis of zinc finger motif-associated homeodomain (ZF-HD) family genes in chilli (Capsicum annuum L)
Authors: Islam Md. Abir Ul , Nupur Juthy Abedin , Shafiq Muhammad , Ali Qurban , Sami Adnan , Shahid Muhammad Adnan
Published: October 2023

Zinc finger-homeodomain (ZHD) proteins are mostly expressed in plants and are involved in proper growth and development and minimizing biotic and abiotic stress. A recent study identified and characterized the ZHD gene family in chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) to determine their probable molecular function. ZHD genes with various physicochemical characteristics were discovered on twelve chromosomes in chilli. We separated ZHD proteins into two major groups using sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. These groups differ in gene structure, motif distribution, and a conserved ZHD and micro-zinc finger ZF domain. The majority of the CaZHDs genes are preserved, early duplication occurred recently, and significant pure selection took place throughout evolution, according to evolutionary study. According to expression profiling, the genes were found to be equally expressed in tissues above the ground, contribute to plant growth and development and provide tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. This in silico analysis, taken as a whole, hypothesized that these genes perform distinct roles in molecular and phytohormone signaling processes, which may serve as a foundation for subsequent research into the roles of these genes in other crops.
Chromosome-level genome assemblies of Cutaneotrichosporon spp. (Trichosporonales, Basidiomycota) reveal imbalanced evolution between nucleotide sequences and chromosome synteny
Authors: Kobayashi Yuuki , Kayamori Ayane , Aoki Keita , Shiwa Yuh , Matsutani Minenosuke , Fujita Nobuyuki , Sugita Takashi , Iwasaki Wataru , Tanaka Naoto , Takashima Masako
Published: October 2023

Background

Since DNA information was first used in taxonomy, barcode sequences such as the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region have greatly aided fungal identification; however, a barcode sequence alone is often insufficient. Thus, multi-gene- or whole-genome-based methods were developed. We previously isolated Basidiomycota yeasts classified in the Trichosporonales. Some strains were described as Cutaneotrichosporon cavernicola and C. spelunceum, whereas strain HIS471 remained unidentified. We analysed the genomes of these strains to elucidate their taxonomic relationship and genetic diversity.

Results

The long-read-based assembly resulted in chromosome-level draft genomes consisting of seven chromosomes and one mitochondrial genome. The genome of strain HIS471 has more than ten chromosome inversions or translocations compared to the type strain of C. cavernicola despite sharing identical ITS barcode sequences and displaying an average nucleotide identity (ANI) above 93%. Also, the chromosome synteny between C. cavernicola and the related species, C. spelunceum, showed significant rearrangements, whereas the ITS sequence identity exceeds 98.6% and the ANI is approximately 82%. Our results indicate that the relative evolutionary rates of barcode sequences, whole-genome nucleotide sequences, and chromosome synteny in Cutaneotrichosporon significantly differ from those in the model yeast Saccharomyces.

Conclusions

Our results revealed that the relative evolutionary rates of nucleotide sequences and chromosome synteny are different among fungal clades, likely because different clades have diverse mutation/repair rates and distinct selection pressures on their genomic sequences and syntenic structures. Because diverse syntenic structures can be a barrier to meiotic recombination and may lead to speciation, the non-linear relationships between nucleotide and synteny diversification indicate that sequence-level distances at the barcode or whole-genome level are not sufficient for delineating species boundaries.
Does the evolution of micromorphology accompany chromosomal changes on dysploid and polyploid levels in the Barnardia japonica complex (Hyacinthaceae)?
Authors: Kim Hyeonjin , Choi Bokyung , Lee Changyoung , Paik Jin-Hyub , Jang Chang-Gee , Weiss-Schneeweiss Hanna , Jang Tae-Soo
Published: October 2023

Background

Chromosome number and genome size changes via dysploidy and polyploidy accompany plant diversification and speciation. Such changes often impact also morphological characters. An excellent system to address the questions of how extensive and structured chromosomal changes within one species complex affect the phenotype is the monocot species complex of Barnardia japonica. This taxon contains two well established and distinct diploid cytotypes differing in base chromosome numbers (AA: x = 8, BB: x = 9) and their allopolyploid derivatives on several ploidy levels (from 3x to 6x). This extensive and structured genomic variation, however, is not mirrored by gross morphological differentiation.

Results

The current study aims to analyze the correlations between the changes of chromosome numbers and genome sizes with palynological and leaf micromorphological characters in diploids and selected allopolyploids of the B. japonica complex. The chromosome numbers varied from 2n = 16 and 18 (2n = 25 with the presence of supernumerary B chromosomes), and from 2n = 26 to 51 in polyploids on four different ploidy levels (3x, 4x, 5x, and 6x). Despite additive chromosome numbers compared to diploid parental cytotypes, all polyploid cytotypes have experienced genome downsizing. Analyses of leaf micromorphological characters did not reveal any diagnostic traits that could be specifically assigned to individual cytotypes. The variation of pollen grain sizes correlated positively with ploidy levels.

Conclusions

This study clearly demonstrates that karyotype and genome size differentiation does not have to be correlated with morphological differentiation of cytotypes.