bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adjoint Q tomography with central-frequency measurements in viscoelastic medium
Authors: Pan Wenyong , Innanen Kristopher A , Wang Yanfei
Published: December 2022

Accurate Q (quality factor) structures can provide important constraints for characterizing subsurface hydrocarbon/water resources in exploration geophysics and interpreting tectonic evolution of the Earth in earthquake seismology. Attenuation effects on seismic amplitudes and phases can be included in forward and inverse modellings by invoking a generalized standard linear solid rheology. Compared to traditional ray-based methods, full-waveform-based adjoint tomography approach, which is based on numerical solutions of the visco-elastodynamic wave equation, has the potential to provide more accurate Q models. However, applications of adjoint Q tomography are impeded by the computational complexity of Q sensitivity kernels and by strong velocity-Q trade-offs. In this study, following the adjoint-state method, we show that the Q (P- and S-wave quality factors QP and QS) sensitivity kernels can be constructed efficiently with adjoint memory strain variables. A novel central-frequency difference misfit function is designed to reduce the trade-off artefacts for adjoint Q tomography. Compared to traditional waveform-difference misfit function, this new central-frequency approach is less sensitive to velocity variations, and thus is expected to produce fewer trade-off uncertainties. The multiparameter Hessian-vector products are calculated to quantify the resolving abilities of different misfit functions. Comparative synthetic inversion examples are provided to verify the advantages of this strategy for adjoint QP and QS tomography. We end with a 3D viscoelastic inversion example designed to simulate a distributed acoustic sensing/vertical seismic profile survey for monitoring of CO2 sequestration.
Imaging shallow structures using interferometry of seismic body waves generated by train traffic
Authors: Rezaeifar M , Lavoué F , Maggio G , Xu Y , Bean C J , Pinzon-Rincon L , Lebedev S , Brenguier F
Published: December 2022

Train-induced vibrations act as potential powerful high-frequency source for imaging subsurface with higher resolution than typical ambient noise interferometry. In this study, we present results of seismic interferometry applied on three days of railroad traffic data recorded by an array of seismographs along a railway in Dublin, Ireland. Our virtual shot gathers show significant surface and body wave energy that could be used for seismic interferometry. Reflection sections obtained with our interferometry approaches applied on selected time windows of train-induced vibrations is consistent with nearby borehole data and an active seismic profile. The consistency of the results given by these approaches confirms that train-generated vibrations represent a valuable source of signal for high-resolution subsurface imaging. Furthermore, our results show spurious arrivals that are due to the train geometry and also the cross-correlation approach that needs consideration for body wave interferometry studies.
Contribution of loading deformation to the GNSS vertical velocity field in the Chinese mainland
Authors: Wen Zhiqiang , Rao Weilong , Sun Wenke
Published: December 2022

To obtain the deformation of the solid Earth from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-observed velocity field, the loading effect of the surface mass variations should be effectively deducted. However, the GNSS-observed velocity field in mainland China is currently limited only to the loading correction calculated using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) spherical harmonic coefficients, which is equivalent to the approximately 300-km smoothed result in the spatial domain; thus, the derived tectonic deformation is inaccurate. Therefore, it is important to study and identify a reasonable method for calculating the loading effect of the surface mass change model and to carry out an effective loading correction of the GNSS velocity field. In this study, the performances of two calculation methods, namely the GRACE spherical harmonic coefficient and Green's function, were analyzed and compared. In addition, we constructed a comprehensive model of the global surface mass variations, calculated the vertical load velocity in mainland China using Green's function method and compared the results with those for the GRACE spherical harmonic products. We found that the difference between the results of the GRACE spherical harmonic coefficient and Green's function methods was more than 1 mm/yr in the North China Plain, implying that the GRACE spherical harmonic coefficient method cannot be used for loading correction of the observed GNSS vertical velocity field. In contrast, the loading effect calculated using Green's function method can be more effectively applied for loading correction of the GNSS vertical velocity field in mainland China. The GNSS-observed velocity exhibited a clear uplift in the North China Plain and the west glacier areas; however, the GNSS velocity fields were significantly reduced after the loading correction, indicating that the observed GNSS vertical velocity fields were mainly caused by the surface mass loading due to the negative correlation between the vertical load velocity and the surface mass changes. Moreover, we found that the loading correction accounted for more than 50 per cent of the GNSS vertical velocity field in most of the glaciated regions in eastern and western China, and the maximum value exceeded 300 per cent, indicating that the loading effect was large. Finally, we obtained the GNSS vertical velocity field for mainland China with a loading correction. Additionally, the spectral characteristics of the time-varying gravity field in mainland China were investigated. The results showed that clear annual, semi-annual and 10-year medium- and long-period signals exist.
The Stochasticity Parameter of Quadratic Residues
Authors: Gabdullin Mikhail R
Published: December 2022

Following V. I. Arnold, we define the stochasticity parameter $S(U)$ of a subset $U$ of ${\mathbb {Z}}/M{\mathbb {Z}}$ to be the sum of squares of the consecutive distances between elements of $U$. In this paper, we study the stochasticity parameter of the set $R_{M}$ of quadratic residues modulo $M$. We present a method that allows to find the asymptotics of $S(R_{M})$ for a set of $M$ of positive density. In particular, we obtain the following two corollaries. Denote by $s(k)=s(k,{\mathbb {Z}}/M{\mathbb {Z}})$ the average value of $S(U)$ over all subsets $U\subseteq {\mathbb {Z}}/M{\mathbb {Z}}$ of size $k$, which can be thought of as the stochasticity parameter of a random set of size $k$. Let ${\mathfrak {S}}(R_{M})=S(R_{M})/s(|R_{M}|)$. We show that

(a) $\varliminf _{M\to \infty }{\mathfrak {S}}(R_{M})<1<\varlimsup _{M\to \infty }{\mathfrak {S}}(R_{M})$;

(b) the set $\{ M\in {\mathbb {N}}: {\mathfrak {S}}(R_{M})<1 \}$ has positive lower density.
Binomial Edge Ideals of Weakly Closed Graphs
Authors: Seccia Lisa
Published: December 2022

Closed graphs have been characterized by Herzog et al. as the graphs whose binomial edge ideals have a quadratic Gröbner basis with respect to a diagonal term order. In this paper, we focus on a generalization of closed graphs, namely weakly closed graphs (or co-comparability graphs). Building on some results about Knutson ideals of generic matrices, we characterize weakly closed graphs as the only graphs whose binomial edge ideals are Knutson ideals for a certain polynomial $f$. In doing so, we re-prove Matsuda’s theorem about the F-purity of binomial edge ideals of weakly closed graphs in positive characteristic and we extend it to generalized binomial edge ideals. Furthermore, we give a characterization of weakly closed graphs in terms of the minimal primes of their binomial edge ideals and we characterize all minimal primes of Knutson ideals for this choice of $f$.
Common Vaccines and the Risk of Incident Dementia: A Population-based Cohort Study
Authors: Douros Antonios , Ante Zharmaine , Suissa Samy , Brassard Paul
Published: December 2022

Background

Observational studies suggesting that immunizations strongly decrease the risk of dementia had several methodological limitations. We assessed whether common vaccines are associated with the risk of dementia.

Methods

We assembled a population-based cohort of dementia-free individuals aged ≥50 years in the United Kingdom’s Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 1988 and 2018. Using a nested case-control approach, we matched each patient with dementia with 4 controls. Conditional logistic regression yielded confounder-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of dementia associated with common vaccines >2 years before the index date compared with no exposure during the study period. Moreover, we applied a 10-year lag period and used active comparators (participation in breast or prostate cancer screening) to account for detection bias.

Results

Common vaccines were associated with an increased risk of dementia (OR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.36–1.40]), compared with no exposure. Applying a 10-year lag period (OR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.18–1.23]) and comparing versus prostate cancer screening (1.19 [ 1.11–1.27]) but not breast cancer screening (1.37 [1.30–1.45]) attenuated the risk increase.

Conclusions

Common vaccines were not associated with a decreased risk of dementia. Unmeasured confounding and detection bias likely accounted for the observed increased risk.
Addition of anaerobic coverage for treatment of biliary tract infections: a propensity score-matched cohort study
Authors: Simeonova Marina , Daneman Nick , Lam Philip W , Elligsen Marion
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To evaluate whether additional antibiotics that target anaerobes, including Bacteroides spp., are associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with biliary tract infections (BTIs).

Methods

This was a retrospective propensity score-matched cohort of adults aged ≥18 years with BTIs, admitted to hospital between 1 April 2015 and 30 March 2021. Eligible patients treated with antibiotics that provided coverage of anaerobes were compared with those treated with comparable regimens without anaerobic coverage. The primary outcome was a composite of mortality within 30 days or relapse within 90 days of source control or completion of antibiotics. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS), duration of antibiotic therapy and adverse drug reactions. ORs were calculated using a weighted generalized linear regression model with propensity-score matching.

Results

Among 398 patients included, 209 were treated without anaerobic coverage and 189 with anaerobic coverage. After propensity-score matching, there was no significant difference in primary outcome between propensity-matched patients who received additional anaerobic coverage and those who did not [adjusted OR (aOR) 1.23; 95% CI 0.69–2.22)]. Those with anti-anaerobic coverage had longer LOS (aOR 4.85; 95% CI 1.68–13.98) and longer duration of antibiotic treatment (aOR 4.14; 95% CI 2.61–6.57) than those who did not receive additional anaerobic therapy, but not more adverse drug reactions (aOR 1.01; 95% CI 0.97–1.05).

Conclusions

Omitting anti-anaerobic antibiotics may be a safe antimicrobial stewardship intervention. However, a randomized controlled trial may be warranted to definitively conclude whether additional anaerobic coverage in BTI treatment is necessary.
Comparative Study of Postmortem Concentrations of Benzodiazepines and Z-Hypnotics in Several Different Matrices
Authors: Øiestad Elisabeth Leere , Øiestad Åse Marit Leere , Middelkoop Gerrit , Brochmann Gerd-Wenche , Thaulow Cecilie Hasselø , Vindenes Vigdis
Published: December 2022

Benzodiazepines and z-hypnotics are detected in the majority of fatal overdose cases in Norway, often in combination with other drugs of abuse, and their concentrations in peripheral blood (PB) might be important to elucidate the cause of death. In some forensic autopsies, PB is however not available. The aim of the present study was to compare concentrations of benzodiazepines and z-hypnotics in five alternative matrices to assess whether these concentrations are comparable to concentrations in PB. A total of 109 forensic autopsy cases were included. PB, cardiac blood (CB), pericardial fluid (PF), psoas muscle (PM), lateral vastus muscle (LVM) and vitreous humor (VH) from each case were analyzed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry. We were able to detect clonazepam, 7-aminoclonazepam, flunitrazepam, 7-aminoflunitrazepam, nitrazepam, 7-aminonitrazepam, diazepam, nordiazepam, oxazepam, alprazolam, midazolam, zopiclone and zolpidem in all the analyzed matrices. Concentrations measured in VH were generally much lower than those of PB for all compounds except zopiclone. 7-Amino metabolite concentrations were high compared to the parent compounds, although less so for the muscle samples. Concentrations of the parent nitrobenzodiazepines in muscles were higher than those in PB, but for the other compounds, concentrations in muscle showed good correspondence with PB. Both CB and PF were viable alternative matrices for PB, although a larger variation and a tendency for higher concentrations in PF were observed. This study shows that CB, PM, LVM and PF can give comparable concentrations to PB for benzodiazepines and z-hypnotics, while VH was less suitable. The concentrations in alternative matrices must, however, be interpreted carefully.
Lucanian heritage across the world: the Spanish collections
Authors: Duplouy Alain , Silva Porto Mariana
Published: December 2022

Within the framework of a research project based at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne exploring collections of Lucanian objects in various countries, this study focuses on the collections currently held in Spain. By following the biographies of these Lucanian antiquities and tracing their journey from Italy to Spain, the paper also outlines the history of Spanish antiquities collections, from the royal collections of the eighteenth century, when the Bourbons ruled over both Spain and the Kingdom of Naples, to the rare aristocratic collections of the early nineteenth century and the more prolific collections of prominent figures like the Marquess of Salamanca in the second half of the century. It also looks at a few items acquired on the art market during the second half of the twentieth century. In covering this ground, the paper enhances our knowledge of Lucanian collections while highlighting the particularities of Spanish collecting during this period.
Evidence of Permethrin Resistance and Fipronil Tolerance inRhipicephalus sanguineuss.l. (Acari: Ixodidae) Populations From Florida and California
Authors: Tian Yuexun , Taylor Caitlin E , Lord Cynthia C , Kaufman Phillip E
Published: December 2022

Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (Latreille), is a vector of multiple disease-causing pathogens to humans and dogs. Permethrin and fipronil are two acaricides used to manage R. sanguineus s.l. infestations. Homeowners have reported treatment failures in managing brown dog ticks using permethrin and fipronil based products. Previous studies demonstrated that high permethrin resistance in some R. sanguineus s.l. populations was due to metabolic detoxification and target site insensitivity. In this study, three R. sanguineus s.l. strains, one from a laboratory colony (NC) and two colonies originally collected from Florida (FL) and California (CA), were evaluated for resistance expression against permethrin and fipronil. Metabolic detoxification mechanisms were evaluated in the FL strain using three synergists, while a polymerase chain reaction assay was used to detect a resistance mutation in all strains. The NC strain was susceptible to both permethrin and fipronil, while both the FL and CA strains exhibited high resistance to permethrin and tolerance to fipronil. The synergist tests and PCR results indicated that the FL strain utilized both metabolic resistance and target site insensitivity against permethrin, while the CA strain was documented to have the target-site insensitivity resistant allele. This study confirmed permethrin resistance in both California and Florida populations and its persistence in Florida populations, although its susceptibility can potentially be increased by adding a synergist. Fipronil resistance was not detected suggesting this acaricide may provide suitable tick control.
Fatal sepsis from appendicitis caused by an impacted tooth
Authors: Field Xavier , Burton Thomas , Christey Grant
Published: December 2022

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common causes of acute abdominal pain globally. The pathophysiology of acute appendicitis is due to occlusion of the appendiceal lumen commonly from a faecolith. Obstruction of the appendiceal lumen by ingested foreign bodies is possible albeit rare. Here, we present an extremely rare case of acute appendicitis caused by impaction of the patients tooth within the lumen of the appendix. There have been only seven reported cases of impacted teeth causing appendicitis in the literature. There are no evidence-based guidelines for the management of appendicitis caused by tooth impaction. The authors suggest operative management with appendicectomy should be considered in the first instance.
The importance of selecting a cruciate-retaining total knee prosthesis for a patient with a large physiological posterior tibial slope: a case report
Authors: Yamamoto Ayakane , Kaneko Takao , Takada Kazutaka , Yoshizawa Shu
Published: December 2022

For Japanese individuals, deep bending is inevitable in their daily lives, such as during seiza sitting and kneeling. Thus, achieving a good post-operative range of motion is an important factor in improving patient satisfaction. Even normal knees often have a posterior tibial slope of more than 10°. We report the case of a 76-year-old woman who underwent proximal tibial osteotomy at 8° with the Vanguard Knee cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty (TKA) system. She required the revision TKA 10 years later due to ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene wear and breakage of the posteromedial tibial component.
Use of allograft fat for aesthetic and functional restoration of soft tissue contour deformities
Authors: Salgado Christopher J , Gonzalez Daisy I , Gelles-Soto Desha , Mercado Adan
Published: December 2022

The authors report a case series of five patients with Leneva grafted into the nose, hand, genitalia and below-the-knee stump. Leneva is an allograft adipose matrix derived from aseptically processed human adipose tissue with retained matrix proteins, growth factors, cytokines and collagens. It is manufactured hydrated and is available in pre-loaded syringes. Five patients (3F, 2 M) with a mean age of 50.7 (range 31–77 years) injected with a mean volume of 4.2 cc (range 3–6 cc) of Leneva in various anatomic locations with an average follow up time of 4.25 months (range 0.5–12 months) experienced no allergic reactions, infection, fat necrosis or oil cysts. All patients were pleased with the restoration of fullness to the injected site. The authors believe that Leneva is a promising multi-use filler for restoring soft tissue defects following resection of tumours, to rejuvenate age-related atrophy, aesthetically enhance the genitals and provide padding for transtibial prostheses.
Constraining the physical properties of the first lensed z ∼ 9 − 16 galaxy candidates with JWST
Authors: Furtak Lukas J , Shuntov Marko , Atek Hakim , Zitrin Adi , Richard Johan , Lehnert Matthew D , Chevallard Jacopo
Published: December 2022

The first deep-field observations of the JWST have immediately yielded a surprisingly large number of very high redshift candidates, pushing the frontier of observability well beyond z ≳ 10. We here present a detailed SED-fitting analysis of the 10 gravitationally lensed z ∼ 9–16 galaxy candidates detected behind the galaxy cluster SMACS J0723.3−7327 in a previous paper using the BEAGLE tool. Our analysis makes use of dynamical considerations to place limits on the ages of these galaxies and of all three published SL models of the cluster to account for lensing systematics. We find the majority of these galaxies to have relatively low stellar masses $M_{\star }\sim 10^7-10^8\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ and young ages tage ∼ 10–100 Myr but with a few higher mass exceptions ($M_{\star }\sim 10^9\rm{-}10^{10}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) due to Balmer-break detections at z ∼ 9–10. Because of their very blue UV-slopes, down to β ∼ −3, all of the galaxies in our sample have extremely low dust attenuations AV ≲ 0.02. Placing the measured parameters into relation, we find a very shallow M⋆ − MUV-slope and high sSFRs above the main sequence of star formation with no significant redshift-evolution in either relation. This is in agreement with the bright UV luminosities measured for these objects and indicates that we are naturally selecting UV-bright galaxies that are undergoing intense star formation at the time they are observed. Finally, we discuss the robustness of our high-redshift galaxy sample regarding low-redshift interlopers and conclude that low-redshift solutions can safely be ruled out for roughly half of the sample, including the highest redshift galaxies at z ∼ 12–16. These objects represent compelling targets for spectroscopic follow-up observations with JWST and ALMA.
The MSPSRπ catalogue: VLBA astrometry of 18 millisecond pulsars
Authors: Ding H , Deller A T , Stappers B W , Lazio T J W , Kaplan D , Chatterjee S , Brisken W , Cordes J , Freire P C C , Fonseca E , Stairs I , Guillemot L , Lyne A , Cognard I , Reardon D J , Theureau G
Published: December 2022

With unparalleled rotational stability, millisecond pulsars (MSPs) serve as ideal laboratories for numerous astrophysical studies, many of which require precise knowledge of the distance and/or velocity of the MSP. Here, we present the astrometric results for 18 MSPs of the ‘MSPSR$\pi$’ project focusing exclusively on astrometry of MSPs, which includes the re-analysis of three previously published sources. On top of a standardized data reduction protocol, more complex strategies (i.e. normal and inverse-referenced 1D interpolation) were employed where possible to further improve astrometric precision. We derived astrometric parameters using sterne, a new Bayesian astrometry inference package that allows the incorporation of prior information based on pulsar timing where applicable. We measured significant (${>}3\, \sigma$) parallax-based distances for 15 MSPs, including 0.81 ± 0.02 kpc for PSR J1518+4904 – the most significant model-independent distance ever measured for a double neutron star system. For each MSP with a well-constrained distance, we estimated its transverse space velocity and radial acceleration. Among the estimated radial accelerations, the updated ones of PSR J1012+5307 and PSR J1738+0333 impose new constraints on dipole gravitational radiation and the time derivative of Newton’s gravitational constant. Additionally, significant angular broadening was detected for PSR J1643−1224, which offers an independent check of the postulated association between the HII region Sh 2-27 and the main scattering screen of PSR J1643−1224. Finally, the upper limit of the death line of γ-ray-emitting pulsars is refined with the new radial acceleration of the hitherto least energetic γ-ray pulsar PSR J1730−2304.
Validating galaxy clustering models with fixed and paired and matched-ICs simulations: application to primordial non-Gaussianities
Authors: Avila Santiago , Adame Adrian Gutierrez
Published: December 2022

The Fix and Pair techniques were designed to generate simulations with reduced variance in the two-point statistics by modifying the initial conditions (ICs). In this paper we show that this technique is also valid when the ICs have local primordial non-Gaussianities (PNG), parametrized by fNL, without biasing the two-point statistics but reducing significantly their variance. We show how to quantitatively use these techniques to test the accuracy of galaxy/halo clustering models down to a much reduced uncertainty and we apply them to test the standard model for halo clustering in the presence of PNG. Additionally, we show that by Matching the stochastic part of the ICs for two different cosmologies (Gaussian and non-Gaussian) we obtain a large correlation between the (two-point) statistics that can explicitly be used to further reduce the uncertainty of the model testing. For our reference analysis (fNL = 100, $V=1 [\, h^{-1}\, {\rm Gpc} ]^3$, $n= 2.5\times 10^{-4}[\, h^{-1}\, {\rm Mpc}]^{-3}$, b = 2.32), we obtain an uncertainty of σ(fNL) = 60 with a standard simulation, whereas using Fixed [Fixed-Paired] ICs it reduces to σ(fNL) = 12 [σ(fNL) = 12]. When also Matching the ICs we obtain σ(fNL) = 18 for the standard case, and σ(fNL) = 8 [σ(fNL) = 7] for Fixed [Fixed-Paired]. The combination of the Fix, Pair, and Match techniques can be used in the context of PNG to create simulations with an effective volume incremented by a factor ∼70 at given computational resources.
Reconstructing orbits of galaxies in extreme regions (ROGER) III: Galaxy evolution patterns in projected phase space around massive X-ray clusters
Authors: Martínez Héctor J , Coenda Valeria , Muriel Hernán , de los Rios Martín , Ruiz Andrés N
Published: December 2022

We use the roger code by de los Rios et al. to classify galaxies around a sample of X-ray clusters into five classes according to their positions in the projected phase space diagram: cluster galaxies, backsplash galaxies, recent infallers, infalling galaxies, and interlopers. To understand the effects of the cluster environment to the evolution of galaxies, we compare across the five classes: stellar mass, specific star formation rate, size, and morphology. Following the guidelines of Coenda et al., a separate analysis is carried out for red and blue galaxies. For red galaxies, cluster galaxies differ from the other classes, having a suppressed specific star formation rate, smaller sizes, and are more likely to be classified as ellipticals. Differences are smaller between the other classes, however backsplash galaxies have significantly lower specific star formation rates than early or recent infalling galaxies. For blue galaxies, we find evidence that recent infallers are smaller than infalling galaxies and interlopers, while the latter two are comparable in size. Our results provide evidence that, after a single passage, the cluster environment can diminish a galaxy’s star formation, modify its morphology, and can also reduce in size blue galaxies. We find evidence that quenching occurs faster than morphological transformation from spirals to ellipticals for all classes. While quenching is evidently enhanced as soon as galaxies get into clusters, significant morphological transformations require galaxies to experience the action of the physical mechanisms of the cluster for longer time-scales.
Impact of large-mass constraints on the properties of neutron stars
Authors: Ecker Christian , Rezzolla Luciano
Published: December 2022

The maximum mass of a non-rotating neutron star, MTOV, plays a very important role in deciphering the structure and composition of neutron stars and in revealing the equation of state (EOS) of nuclear matter. Although with a large-error bar, the recent mass estimate for the black-widow binary pulsar PSR J0952–0607, i.e. M = 2.35 ± 0.17 M⊙, provides the strongest lower bound on MTOV and suggests that neutron stars with very large masses can, in principle, be observed. Adopting an agnostic modelling of the EOS, we study the impact that large masses have on the neutron-star properties. In particular, we show that assuming $M_{\rm TOV}\gtrsim 2.35\, {\rm M_\odot}$ constrains tightly the behaviour of the pressure as a function of the energy density and moves the lower bounds for the stellar radii to values that are significantly larger than those constrained by the NICER measurements, rendering the latter ineffective in constraining the EOS. We also provide updated analytic expressions for the lower bound on the binary tidal deformability in terms of the chirp mass and show how larger bounds on MTOV lead to tighter constraints for this quantity. In addition, we point out a novel quasi-universal relation for the pressure profile inside neutron stars that is only weakly dependent on the EOS and the maximum-mass constraint. Finally, we study how the sound speed and the conformal anomaly are distributed inside neutron stars and show how these quantities depend on the imposed maximum-mass constraints.
Genetic spectrum of CAKUT and risk factors for kidney failure: a pediatric multicenter cohort study
Authors: Liu Jia-Lu , Wang Xiao-Wen , Liu Cui-Hua , Gao Duan Ma5 Xiao-Jie , Jiang Xiao-Yun , Mao Jian-Hua , Zhu Guang-Hua , Zhang Ai-Hua , Wang Mo , Dang Xi-Qiang , Zhuang Jie-Qiu , Li Yu-Feng , Bai Hai-Tao , Zhang Rui-Feng , Shen Tong , BI Yun-Li , Sun Yu-Bo , Wang Xiang , Wu Bing-Bing , Chen Jing , Rao Jia , Tang Xiao-Shan , Shen Qian , Xu Hong ,   Chinese Children Genetic Kidney Disease Database (CCGKDD), “Internet Plus” Nephrology Alliance of the National Center for Children's Care Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China
Published: December 2022

Background

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tracts (CAKUT) are the leading cause of kidney failure in children with phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity. Our objective was to describe the genetic spectrum and identify the risk factors for kidney failure in children with CAKUT.

Methods

Clinical and genetic data were derived from a multicenter network (Chinese Children Genetic Kidney Disease Database, CCGKDD) and the Chigene database. A total of 925 children with CAKUT who underwent genetic testing from 2014 to 2020 across China were studied. Data for a total of 584 children wereobtained from the CCGKDD, including longitudinal data regarding kidney function. The risk factors for kidney failure were determined by the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

A genetic diagnosis was established in 96 out of 925 (10.3%) children, including 72 (8%) with monogenic variants, 20 (2%) with copy number variants (CNVs), and 4 (0.4%)with major chromosomal anomalies. Patients with skeletal abnormalities were more likely to have large CNVs or abnormal karyotypes than monogenic variants. Eighty-two patients from the CCGKDD progressed to kidney failure at a median age of 13.0 (95% confidence interval, 12.4–13.6) years, and twenty-four were genetically diagnosed with variants of PAX2, TNXB, EYA1, HNF1B and GATA3 or the 48, XXYY karyotype. The multivariate analysis indicated that solitary kidney, posterior urethral valves, bilateral hypodysplasia, the presence of certain variants and premature birth were independent prognostic factors.

Conclusions

The genetic spectrum of CAKUT varies among different subphenotypes. The identified factors indicate areas that require special attention.
The Plastidial Glucan Phosphorylase Affects the Maltooligosaccharide Metabolism in Parenchyma Cells of Potato (Solanum tuberosumL.) Tuber Discs
Authors: Flores-Castellanos Junio , Fettke Joerg
Published: December 2022

Maltodextrin metabolism is thought to be involved in both starch initiation and degradation. In this study, potato tuber discs from transgenic lines containing antisense constructs against the plastidial and cytosolic isoforms of α-glucan phosphorylase and phosphoglucomutase were used to evaluate their influences on the conversion of externally supplied glucose-1-phosphate into soluble maltodextrins, as compared to wild-type potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Desiree). Relative maltodextrin amounts analyzed by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence revealed that tuber discs could immediately uptake glucose-1-phosphate and use it to produce maltooligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization of up to 30, as opposed to tubers repressing the plastidial glucan phosphorylase. The results presented here support previous indications that a specific transporter for glucose-1-phosphate may exist in both the plant cells and the plastidial membranes, thereby allowing a glucose-6-phosphate-independent transport. Furthermore, it confirms that the plastidial glucan phosphorylase is responsible for producing longer maltooligosaccharides in the plastids by catalyzing a glucosyl polymerization reaction when glucose-1-phosphate is available. All these findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of the plastidial phosphorylase as a key enzyme directly involved in the synthesis and degradation of glucans and their implication on starch metabolism.
Phenomenological implications on a hidden sector from the festina lente bound
Authors: Ban Kayoung , Cheong Dhong Yeon , Okada Hiroshi , Otsuka Hajime , Park Jong-Chul , Park Seong Chan
Published: December 2022

We apply the festina lente (FL) bound on a hidden sector with U(1) gauge symmetries. Since the FL bound puts a lower bound on masses of particles charged under the U(1) gauge symmetries, it is possible to constrain the hidden sector even with a tiny coupling to the Standard Model. In particular, we focus on the phenomenological implications of the FL bound on milli-charged particles, which naturally arise when kinetic mixing between the photon and the hidden photon is allowed. It turns out that the milli-charged particle with the mass M ≲ 5 meV is prohibited by the FL bound in the case of a single hidden U(1), insensitively of the value of small kinetic mixing. This bound is crucial when bosonic dark matter is taken into consideration in this framework: the fuzzy bosonic dark matter models requesting minuscule masses are ruled out by the FL bound if the longevity of dark matter is protected by the hidden gauge symmetry.
Hitchin WKB-problem andP = Wconjecture in lowest degree for rank 2 over the 5-punctured sphere
Authors: Szabó Szilárd
Published: December 2022

We use abelianization of Higgs bundles away from the ramification divisor and fiducial solutions to analyze the large-scale behavior of Fenchel–Nielsen co-ordinates on the moduli space of rank 2 Higgs bundles on the Riemann sphere with five punctures. We solve the related Hitchin WKB problem and prove the lowest degree weighted pieces of the P = W conjecture in this case.
Phylogeographic analysis of Tula hantavirus highlights a single introduction to central Europe
Authors: Cirkovic Valentina , Dellicour Simon , Stamenkovic Gorana , Siljic Marina , Gligic Ana , Stanojevic Maja
Published: December 2022

Orthohantaviruses are zoonotic pathogens of humans, unique among the bunyaviruses in not being transmitted by an arthropod vector. Tula orthohantavirus (TULV) is an old-world hantavirus, of yet unclear human pathogenicity, with few reported cases of clinically relevant human infection. So far, phylogeographic studies exploring the global pathways of hantaviral migration are scarce and generally do not focus on a specific hantavirus species. The aim of the present study was to reconstruct the dispersal history of TULV lineages across Eurasia based on S segment sequences sampled from different geographic areas. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference methods were used to perform the phylogenetic analysis and phylogeographic reconstructions. Sampling time and trapping localities were obtained for a total of 735 TULV S segment sequences available in public databases at the time of the study. The estimated substitution rate of the analyzed partial S segment alignment was 2.26 × 10–3 substitutions/site/year (95 per cent highest posterior density interval: 1.79 × 10−3 to 2.75 × 10–3). Continuous phylogeography of TULV S segment sequences placed the potential root and origin of TULV spread in the Black Sea region. In our study, we detect a single-lineage introduction of TULV to Europe, followed by local viral circulation further on.
“Whenever we exist on any land, we know it is our country”: Cocopa Mobility and the Colorado River in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, 1887–1936
Authors: Grant Daniel A
Published: December 2022

This article argues that between the 1890s and the 1920s, Cocopa Indians successfully parried the threats of expanding settler nation-states and modern capitalism by adapting ancestral mobility patterns to modern constraints of the U.S.-Mexico border. By moving with the changing flow of the Colorado River and, later, providing a cheap and indispensable migratory labor supply for both U.S. and Mexican farmers and ranchers, Cocopas were surprisingly successful at retaining autonomy within their ancestral homeland, even as both governments sought to enforce the international border and to colonize Cocopa lands. But a series of impediments eventually placed new and lasting limits on Cocopas’ abilities to move freely through their homeland of the Colorado River delta. A detailed account of how and why Cocopas moved, how and why state agents tried to limit their movements, and how and why both of these factors changed over time helps us understand why some Native peoples retained vestiges of autonomy within their ancestral homelands during an era commonly associated with genocide, displacement, or assimilation on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. This story shows us that Native movement was not only a geopolitical act but depended upon the specific landscapes in which it occurred. Long after the ink had dried on the map, this portion of the U.S.-Mexico border was rendered unstable by a river that knew no bounds and a people who knew how to move with it.
Audiological and Demographic Factors that Impact the Precision of Speech Categorization in Cochlear Implant Users
Authors: Colby Sarah , Seedorff Michael , McMurray Bob
Published: December 2022

Objectives:

The ability to adapt to subtle variations in acoustic input is a necessary skill for successful speech perception. Cochlear implant (CI) users tend to show speech perception benefits from the maintenance of their residual acoustic hearing. However, previous studies often compare CI users in different listening conditions within-subjects (i.e., in their typical Acoustic + Electric configuration compared with Acoustic-only or Electric-only configurations) and comparisons among different groups of CI users do not always reflect an Acoustic + Electric benefit. Existing work suggests that CI users with residual acoustic hearing perform similarly to Electric-only listeners on phonetic voicing contrasts and unexpectedly poorer with fricative contrasts which have little energy in the range of the Acoustic + Electric listeners’ acoustic hearing. To further investigate how residual acoustic hearing impacts sensitivity to phonetic ambiguity, we examined whether device configuration, age, and device experience influenced phonetic categorization in a large individual differences study.

Design:

CI users with various device configurations (Electric-only N = 41; Acoustic + Electric N = 95) categorized tokens from five /b-p/ and five /s-ʃ/ minimal pair continua (e.g., bet-pet; sock-shock). We investigated age, device experience, and when applicable, residual acoustic hearing (pure tone hearing thresholds) as predictors of categorization. We also examined the relationship between phonetic categorization and clinical outcomes (CNC, AzBio) in a subset of our sample.

Results:

Acoustic + Electric CI users were better able to categorize along the voicing contrast (steeper categorization slope) compared with Electric-only users, but there was no group-level difference for fricatives. There were differences within the subgroups for fricatives: bilateral users showed better categorization than unilateral users and bimodal users had better categorization than hybrid users. Age was a significant factor for voicing, while device experience was significant for fricatives. Critically, within the Acoustic + Electric group, hybrid CI users had shallower slopes than bimodal CI users.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest residual acoustic hearing is beneficial for categorizing stop voicing, but not frication. Age impacts the categorization of voicing, while device experience matters for fricatives. For CI users with ipsilateral residual acoustic hearing, those with better hearing thresholds may be over-relying on their acoustic hearing rather than extracting as much information as possible from their CI, and thus have shallower fricative categorization.
Screw Pullout Strength After Pedicle Screw Reposition: A Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Ye Yu-Xing , Huang Da-Geng , Hao Ding-Jun , Liu Jia-Yuan , Ji Jia-Jia , Guo Jin-Niu
Published: December 2022

Research design.

Finite element analysis based on computed tomography images from the lumbar spine.

Objective.

Determined the pullout strength of unsatisfactorily placed screws and repositioned screws after unsatisfactory place in lumbar spine surgery.

Background.

Pedicle screws are widely used to stabilize the spinal vertebral body. Unsatisfactory screws could lead to surgical complications, and may need to be repositioned. Screw removal and reposition, however, may decrease pullout strength.

Methods.

We conducted a three-dimensional finite element analysis based on high-resolution computed tomography images from a 39-year-old healthy woman. Pullout strength was determined with the screw placed in different orientations at the same entry point (as selected by the Magerl method), as well as after removal and reposition. The material properties of the vertebral body and the screw were simulated by using grayscale values and verified data, respectively. A load along the screw axis was applied to the end of the screw to simulate the pullout.

Results.

The pullout strength was 1840.0 N with the Magerl method. For unsatisfactorily placed screws, the pullout strength was 1500.8 N at 20% overlap, 1609.6 N at 40% overlap, 1628.9 N at 60% overlap, and 1734.7 N at 80% overlap with the hypothetical screw path of the Magerl method. For repositioned screws, the pullout strength was 1763.6 N, with 20% overlap, 1728.3 N at 40% overlap, 1544.0 N at 60% overlap, and 1491.1 N at 80% overlap, with the original path. Comparison of repositioned screw with unsatisfactorily placed screw showed 14.04% decrease in pullout strength at 80% overlap, 5.21% decrease at 60% overlap, 7.37% increase at 40% overlap, and 17.51% increase at 20% overlap, with the screw path of the Magerl method.

Conclusions.

Removal and reposition increased the pullout strength at 20% and 40% overlap, but decreased the pullout strength at 60% and 80% overlap. For clinical translation, we recommend removal and reposition of the screw when the overlap is in the range of 20% to 40% or less. In vitro specimen studies are needed to verify these preliminary findings.
MYBPC1 is a key regulator for laryngeal carcinoma formation
Authors: Liu Jing , Song Jinlan , Li Chao
Published: December 2022

Laryngeal carcinoma represents one of the most common types of tumor of the respiratory tract. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the functions of myosin-binding protein C1 (MYBPC1) in the progression of laryngeal carcinoma and to unravel the potential underlying molecular mechanism(s). Significantly differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs were analyzed, and potential genes were verified using clinically recruited patients with laryngeal carcinoma. The human laryngeal carcinoma cell lines TU686, TU212 and AMC-HN-8, as well as the control nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP69, were selected for the functional analysis of MYBPC1. The interaction between MYBPC1 and miR-451a was also explored in depth. The functions of MYBPC1 in the laryngeal carcinoma cell lines were examined using colony formation assay, cell proliferation and invasion assays, and via measuring the extent of apoptosis. The intracellular function of MYBPC1 was subsequently confirmed by constructing an in vivo xenograft model through the subcutaneous injection of laryngeal carcinoma cells into 4-week-old male nude mice. Compared with normal tissue, MYBPC1 was found to be the most significantly downregulated gene, whereas activating transcription factor-2 (ATF-2) was the most significantly upregulated one. At the same time, miR-451a was found to be the most significantly downregulated miRNA in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissues. According to the WHO classification system, we found that the level of MYBPC1 was significantly decreased in grade IV tissues compared with grade II and grade III tissues, a finding that was consistent with the observed activity of miR-451a. MiR-451a was found to cause a marked enhancement of the activity of MYBPC1 in TU212 cells, which in turn was attenuated by ATF overexpression, suggesting that miR-451a could indirectly modulate the function of MYBPC1 through the ATF2-dependent signaling axis. MYBPC1 suppressed the invasion of cells induced by ATF2 in laryngeal carcinoma cells. Moreover, subcutaneous injection of MYBPC1 to construct an in vivo xenograft mouse model enabled rescue of the mice from laryngeal carcinoma formation. Taken together, the results of the present study have shown that MYBPC1 fulfills a pivotal role in laryngeal carcinoma formation, and these findings may provide both a new avenue for research planning and a potential therapeutic target for laryngeal carcinoma.
Circ_0058608 contributes to the progression and taxol resistance of non-small cell lung cancer by sponging miR-1299 to upregulate GBP1
Authors: Xuan Xianglan , Wang Zhiguang , Wang Yayan
Published: December 2022

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) act as key regulators in human cancers and chemoresistance. Here, we aimed to explore the role and mechanism of circ_0058608 in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and taxol resistance. The expression of circ_0058608, microRNA-1299 (miR-1299) and guanylate binding protein 1 (GBP1) mRNA was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. In-vitro and in-vivo assays were conducted using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation, transwell assays, flow cytometry and animal xenograft experiments. The interaction between miR-1299 and circ_0058608 or GBP1 was confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Circ_0058608 was overexpressed in NSCLC tissues/cells and taxol-resistant NSCLC tissues/cells. Circ_0058608 knockdown inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and metastasis and also suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, circ_0058608 knockdown increased taxol sensitivity by increasing taxol-induced apoptosis in taxol-resistant NSCLC cells. Moreover, circ_0058608 silencing enhanced taxol-induced tumor growth of NSCLC in vivo. MiR-1299 was a target of circ_0058608, and the effects of circ_0058608 knockdown on NSCLC cell progression and taxol resistance were reversed by miR-1299 inhibition. Additionally, miR-1299 could interact with GBP1, and miR-1299 suppressed NSCLC cell progression and taxol resistance by targeting GBP1. Furthermore, circ_0058608 could regulate GBP1 expression by sponging miR-1299. Circ_0058608 promoted the progression and taxol resistance of NSCLC by regulating the miR-1299/GBP1 axis.