bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-z quasar candidate archive: a spectroscopic catalogue of quasars and contaminants in various quasar searches
Authors: Yang Da-Ming , Schindler Jan-Torge , Nanni Riccardo , Hennawi Joseph F , Bañados Eduardo , Fan Xiaohui , Gloudemans Anniek , Mazzucchelli Chiara , Rottgering Huub , Venemans Bram , Wang Feige , Yang Jinyi
Published: January 2024

We present the high-z quasar candidate archive (HzQCA), summarizing the spectroscopic observations of 207 z ≳ 5 quasar candidates using Keck/LRIS, Keck/MOSFIRE, and Keck/NIRES. We identify 14 candidates as z ∼ 6 quasars, with 10 of them newly reported here and 63 candidates as brown dwarfs. In the remaining sources, 79 candidates are unlikely to be quasars; 2 sources are inconclusive; the others could not be fully reduced or extracted. Based on the classifications, we investigate the distributions of quasars and contaminants in colour space with photometry measurements from DELS (z), VIKING/UKIDSS (YJHKs/YJHK), and unWISE (W1W2). We find that the identified brown dwarfs are consistent with the empirical brown dwarf model that is commonly used in quasar candidate selection methods. To refine spectroscopic confirmation strategies, we simulate synthetic spectroscopy of high-z quasars and contaminants for all three instruments. The simulations utilize the spectroscopic data in HzQCA. We predict the required exposure times for quasar confirmation and propose an optimal strategy for spectroscopic follow-up observations. For instance, we demonstrate that we can identify a mJ = 21.5 at z = 7.6 or a mJ = 23.0 at z = 7.0 within 15 min of exposure time with LRIS. With the publication of the HzQCA, we aim to provide guidance for future quasar surveys and candidate classification.
Cluster halo shapes in CDM and SIDM models: unveiling the DM particle nature using a weak-lensing approach
Authors: Gonzalez Elizabeth J , Rodríguez-Medrano Agustín , Pereyra Luis , García Lambas Diego
Published: January 2024

Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) is an alternative to the standard collisionless cold dark matter model (CDM), allowing for interactions between the dark-matter particles through the introduction of a self-scattering cross-section. However, the observable effects between these two scenarios are hard to detect. In this work, we present a detailed analysis of an application of galaxy–galaxy lensing to measure with high precision the shapes of cluster haloes and how this approach can be used to obtain information regarding the nature of the dark-matter particle. Using two sets of simulated data, SIDM and CDM simulations, we compute stacked shear maps centred on several subsets of haloes with masses ≳1013.5 M⊙. From these maps, we obtain the quadrupole profiles related to the mean projected elongation of the particle distribution from which the shape parameters are derived. Accounting for a radial shape variation, this technique provides an enhancement of the observed differences between the simulated data sets. In particular, we obtain a higher slope of the power law for the shape-radial relation for the haloes identified in the SIDM simulation, which are rounder towards the centre. Also, as approaching to the mean virial radius, the projected semi-axis ratios converge to similar values than in the CDM simulation. Moreover, we account for the impact of the neighbouring mass, where more strongly elongated distributions are found for the haloes in the SIDM simulation, indicating that under dark matter self interaction, the large-scale structure imprints a more coherent accretion process.
A convenient approach to characterizing model uncertainty with application to early dark energy solutions of the Hubble tension
Authors: Paradiso S , DiMarco M , Chen M , McGee G , Percival W J
Published: January 2024

Despite increasingly precise observations and sophisticated theoretical models, the discrepancy between measurements of H0 from the cosmic microwave background or from baryon acoustic oscillations combined with big bang nucleosynthesis versus those from local distance ladder probes – commonly known as the ‘H0 tension’ – continues to perplex the scientific community. To address this tension, early dark energy (EDE) models have been proposed as alternatives to Lambda cold dark matter, as they can change the observed sound horizon and the inferred Hubble constant from measurements based on this. In this paper, we investigate the use of Bayesian model averaging (BMA) to evaluate EDE as a solution to the H0 tension. BMA consists of assigning a prior to the model and deriving a posterior as for any other unknown parameter in a Bayesian analysis. BMA can be computationally challenging in that one must approximate the joint posterior of both model and parameters. Here, we present a computational strategy for BMA that exploits existing Markov chain Monte Carlo software and combines model-specific posteriors post hoc. In application to a comprehensive analysis of cosmological data sets, we quantify the impact of EDE on the H0 discrepancy. We find an EDE model probability of ${\sim} 90~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ whenever we include the H0 measurement from Type Ia supernovae in the analysis, whereas the other data show a strong preference for the standard cosmological model. We finally present constraints on common parameters marginalized over both cosmological models. For reasonable priors on models with and without EDE, the H0 tension is reduced by at least 20 per cent.
Concurrent E-cigarette Use While Enrolled in a Smoking Cessation Program: Associations Between Frequency of Use, Motives for Use, and Smoking Cessation
Authors: Iturralde Kameron , Veldhuizen Scott , Selby Peter , Zawertailo Laurie
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Trial evidence suggests that e-cigarettes may aid in quitting smoking, while observational studies have found conflicting results. However, many observational studies have not adjusted for important differences between e-cigarette users and non-users.

Aims and Methods

We aimed to determine the association between e-cigarette use frequency and motivation to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking, and smoking cessation using data from Canada’s largest smoking cessation program. Participants who completed a baseline assessment and 6-month follow-up questionnaire were divided post hoc into four groups based on their self-reported e-cigarette use during the 30 days before baseline: (1) non-users; (2) users of e-cigarettes not containing nicotine; (3) occasional users; and (4) frequent users. Occasional and frequent users were further divided into two groups based on whether they reported using e-cigarettes to quit smoking. Abstinence at 6-month follow-up (7-day point prevalence abstinence) was compared among groups.

Results

Adjusted quit probabilities were significantly higher (both p < .001) for frequent baseline e-cigarette users (31.6%; 95% CI = 29.3%, 33.8%) than for non-users (25.8%; 25.3% and 26.3%) or occasional users (24.2%; 22.5% and 26.0%). Unadjusted proportions favored non-users over occasional users (p < .001), but this was not significant after adjustment (p = .06). People using e-cigarettes to quit smoking were not likelier than other users to be successful, but were likelier to report frequent e-cigarette use during follow-up.

Conclusions

Frequent baseline e-cigarette use predicted successful smoking cessation, compared to occasional and non-users. Use of e-cigarettes to quit did not predict smoking cessation but was associated with continued use during follow-up, perhaps due in part to planned transitions to e-cigarettes.

Implications

Prior observational studies investigating e-cigarette use for smoking cessation have found that occasional users have poorer outcomes than either frequent or non-users. Consistent with these studies, occasional users in our data also had poorer outcomes. However, after adjustment for variables associated with cessation success, we found that cessation probabilities did not differ between occasional and non-users. These findings are consistent with trial data showing the benefit of e-cigarette use among people trying to quit smoking. Results of this study suggest that differences between trials and previous observational studies may be because of unaddressed confounding in the latter.
Assimilation
Authors: Tran Van C. , Khan Christine S.
Published: January 2024

Immigration has transformed every aspect of cultural, economic, political, and social life in both European and US societies. The changing nature of immigrant assimilation, integration, and incorporation spurred robust research on both sides of the Atlantic. Immigrant assimilation is a conceptually rich, theoretically nuanced, empirically rigorous, and substantively consequential field of academic research. The diversity of perspectives and voices not only reflects the complexity of new immigrant groups but also captures distinctive aspects of the immigrant experience for different ethnoracial groups in the same host society. Despite the diversity of trajectories and specificity in the national context, research has pointed to the relatively successful integration of immigrants and their descendants. This article presents competing theoretical conceptions of immigrant assimilation that have emerged from the US experience while also assessing how well these US-based theories explain integration outcomes among immigrants and their descendants in Europe. This article proceeds in four parts. First, it discusses major theories of immigrant assimilation. Second, it reviews relevant scholarship on the second generation (i.e., native-born children of immigrants) in the United States and Europe while pointing to the emergence of the third generation. Third, it summarizes four dimensions of immigrant integration—identity and belonging, socioeconomic integration, citizenship and participation, and intermarriage and racial mixing. Finally, it underscores legal status as a barrier to full integration and a consequential dimension of inequality.
The Bible and the Qurʾan
Authors: O'Connor Andrew
Published: January 2024

The Qurʾan frequently alludes to material from the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and post-biblical Christian or Jewish literature, referencing, echoing, and developing many figures, concepts, and themes from biblical tradition in the articulation of its message. These biblical motifs are often allotted slightly different shades of meaning than in their earlier Jewish or Christian contexts. Early scholarship on the Qurʾan’s engagement with biblical material sometimes sought to depict the relationship between the two corpora of texts as fundamentally one of dependence or plagiarism, whereby the Qurʾan is reliant upon or even derivative of earlier scriptures. In some cases, scholars have presented the Qurʾan or Muhammad as misconstruing or corrupting earlier traditions. However, an exploration of this intertextual relationship between the Bible and the Qurʾan need not seek to depict the Qurʾan as a patchwork of Christian and Jewish sources. Exploring the relationship between the Qurʾan and the Bible serves as an attempt to reconstruct the cultural and religious knowledge of the text’s initial audience and to highlight its creative adaptation of Jewish and Christian traditions for its own sectarian purposes, aligning them with the text’s didactic and theological message. A critical study of the Qurʾan therefore benefits from an intertextual reading through the texts, legends, and wider religious discourses circulating in its historical environment. Today academic scholars largely agree that the Qurʾan shares an intimate relationship with biblical traditions, but there is disagreement over the nature of this relationship. For example, they differ on whether scholars ought to give preference to Jewish or Christian sources to understand qurʾanic material, and they likewise debate whether the Qurʾan evinces direct knowledge of the Bible as a text or instead interacts with oral traditions, though most evidence seems to support the latter. Another element of debate is the Qurʾan’s view of the Bible: the text speaks of the divine origin of the Torah (al-tawrah) and the Gospel (al-injil), and in some instances the Qurʾan features challenges to his audience to consult a previous scripture (al-kitab), implied to be the Bible, or the “People of the Scripture” (ahl al-kitab), Christians and Jews, to confirm the veracity of its revelations (e.g., Q 10:94; 16:43; 21:7). In other cases, however, the Qurʾan seems to imply that Christians and Jews have fundamentally misunderstood or misused their scriptures (a concept known in Arabic as tahrif). Scholars also continue to debate to what extent the sophisticated methodologies developed from biblical studies, such as form criticism or redaction criticism, can be adopted wholesale into qurʾanic studies, or whether more analysis and methodological sophistication is needed before adopting these approaches to fit the history of the qurʾanic text.
Snorra Edda
Authors: Beyer Emily , Wolf Kirsten
Published: January 2024

Snorra Edda is sometimes also referred to as the Prose Edda or the Younger Edda in order to distinguish it from the Poetic Edda. It was composed by the chieftain, lawyer, and poet Snorri Sturluson (b. 1179–d. 1241). The work, a main source of information about Norse mythology, is a treatise on skaldic poetry. It consists of four parts. The Prologue provides an account of the origin of pagan religions and a euhemeristic explanation of the origin of the Norse gods in Asia. The second part, Gylfaginning (“The delusion of Gylvi”), is a dialogue between three of the newly migrated gods from Troy and the Swedish King Gylfi. The gods’ answers to Gylfi’s questions comprise a full account of Norse mythology, and this part was likely included because many skaldic kennings require a knowledge of pagan mythology. The first section of the third part, Skáldskaparmal (“The language of poetry”), is also a dialogue, here between Bragi, god of poetry, and Ægir, a personification of the sea. It is followed by a discussion of the language of poetry. The discussion includes some narratives in order to account for the origins of kennings, both mythological and heroic. It is at the beginning of this part that Snorri describes the purpose of the work: to instruct young poets in the traditional techniques of skaldic verse. The final part is Háttatal (“List of verse forms”), which consists of a series of three poems composed by Snorri himself along with a prose commentary that explains the meters and devices used. Snorri’s Edda is preserved in a large number of manuscripts. Seven manuscripts and manuscript fragments have independent textual value. Most editions are based on the Codex Regius from the latter half of the fourteenth century.
War at Sea in the Age of Napoleon
Authors: Wilson Evan
Published: January 2024

There is an irony at the heart of this bibliography on war at sea in the age of Napoleon—Napoleon was famously not a sailor. But it is fair to say that he defined an age, which this bibliography takes to mean the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars of 1792–1815. Many of the works cited below span larger timescales, but nearly all of them deal with those years and those wars in some significant way. Writing the history of war at sea in the age of Napoleon began even before Napoleon’s death, when the British lawyer William James published An Inquiry into the Merits of the Principal Naval Actions between Great Britain and the United States in 1816. By 1824 he had produced a five-volume Naval History of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. His competition came from the British naval officer Edward Pelham Brenton, with his 1823 Naval History of Great Britain from the Year 1783 to 1822. That both of these early works were published by Britons about British naval history should not be surprising. After all, this was the age of Nelson, of the great fleet victories, and of the establishment of British naval supremacy. While the field has diversified substantially in the two centuries since James and Brenton, it is largely still the case that the subject is dominated by histories of the British navy. That is especially true of the underpinnings of naval power, such as logistics, naval medicine, finance, and infrastructure, and it is also true of recent social and cultural histories, albeit to a lesser degree. There is clearly scope for further research on other navies and on the transnational nature of the maritime domain. Some of the most exciting new work does not only that, but also asks novel questions of naval archives. Navies, after all, produced enormous quantities of paperwork about all aspects of life at sea, and the field is ready for a new generation of historians to dive into it.
Audiences and Moviegoing Cultures
Authors: Stamp Shelley
Published: January 2024

Scholars have studied movie audiences almost since the beginning of cinema, eager to understand the medium’s impact on its viewers. When movies first became the dominant mass commercial entertainment form in the early decades of the 20th century, social scientists, progressive reformers, and cultural theorists were drawn to study the audiences gathered for this new medium and the new culture surrounding moviegoing as a favorite pastime. By mid-century, the Hollywood industry commissioned serious “audience research” to understand its customers and bolster its bottom line. In the 1970s and 1980s, film historians began studying historical movie audiences, challenging monolithic theories of film spectatorship developing at the time. Studies of moviegoing, as opposed to film viewing, focus on the social experiences of going to the movies and the social dynamics within viewing spaces. They are attentive to the emotional investments of fan culture, dating culture, and cinephilia often attached to moviegoing. While much of the initial scholarly research on movie audiences focused on early cinema in the United States, scholarship has grown to encompass many global contexts and to consider factors like transnational film consumption, diasporic audiences, and colonialism. And many scholars are attentive to newer patterns of film consumption that include watching films on video or streaming services. The methodologies used to chart moviegoing and movie cultures vary enormously, with some researchers relying on ethnographies and oral histories, some drawing information from marketing campaigns and the popular press, while others mine business records, cultural geographies, and industry trade papers. Scholars study audiences and moviegoing cultures by looking at the varied sites where movies are consumed, including commercial cinemas, art house theaters, film festivals, museums, prisons, and private homes. Others study the materiality of moviegoing, considering food we consume at the movies and the chairs we sit in. In each case, scholars look beyond the screen to study the social and cultural dynamics of cinema and cinemagoing. Additional information related to audiences and moviegoing cultures can be found in the separate Oxford Bibliographies in Cinema and Media Studies articles “Fan Studies,” “Exhibition and Distribution,” and “Censorship.” See also the bibliography on “Television Audiences.” There is considerable research on the broader phenomenon of mass media audiences, which is not included in this bibliography.
Twenty-First-Century Irish Prose
Authors: Reynolds Paige
Published: January 2024

In 2018, while serving as the second Laureate for Irish Fiction, the author Sebastian Barry proclaimed, “We are in an unexpected golden age of Irish prose writing” (Barry 2018, cited under General Studies and Background). His announcement referred in part to a surfeit of new literary fiction by writers from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, including works by Anna Burns, Mike McCormack, and Sally Rooney, which has won widespread critical acclaim and prestigious literary prizes as well as commercial success. Scholarship relevant to many such writers and texts are cited in the separate Oxford Bibliographies articles “The Contemporary Irish Novel” and “The Irish Short Story.” However, the term “prose” also invites attention to other forms composed amid this “golden age” that have come to the fore but thus far received less critical attention. In 21st-century Ireland, nonfiction prose has flourished, derived in part from a rich tradition evident in the Oxford Bibliographies articles “Irish Travel Writing” and “Irish Life Writing.” This bibliography highlights in particular the essay as a prose form that has come to prominence in recent decades. The Irish writer Brian Dillon has emerged as an internationally influential practitioner and theorist of the essay, and collections from Emilie Pine, Emma Dabiri, and Rosaleen McDonagh have helped to expand representation in Irish writing. This entry also includes popular prose forms, among them varieties of genre fiction, young adult and children’s literature, and humor writing. As they have for centuries, Irish prose writers closely examine the natural world, though they now consider a world dramatically marked by climate change, and they assess contemporary conditions in Irish language prose, often turning attention to the transnational aspects of this tradition. In its form, content, and distribution, Irish prose also reflects the rising influence of digital media. One notable feature of much recent prose has been an activist impulse, as seen in projects that expose histories and experiences long hidden, and those that endeavor to assess and even intervene in contemporary sociopolitical movements, among them campaigns for same-sex marriage, reproductive rights, racial justice, and migrant rights. Finally, 21st-century Irish prose benefits from an array of literary magazines and independent publishers that make such work available in print and online to readers across the globe. The categories below reflect the generative overlap between the prose work as creative writing and the prose work as reference, so that a number of texts cited serve both as an example of 21st-century Irish prose as well as an important critical resource for understanding Irish prose.
Rapid Propagation of Ca2+ Waves and Electrical Signals in the Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha
Authors: Watanabe Kenshiro , Hashimoto Kenji , Hasegawa Kota , Shindo Hiroki , Tsuruda Yushin , Kupisz Kamila , Koselski Mateusz , Wasko Piotr , Trebacz Kazimierz , Kuchitsu Kazuyuki
Published: January 2024

In response to both biotic and abiotic stresses, vascular plants transmit long-distance Ca2+ and electrical signals from localized stress sites to distant tissues through their vasculature. Various models have been proposed for the mechanisms underlying the long-distance signaling, primarily centered around the presence of vascular bundles. We here demonstrate that the non-vascular liverwort Marchantia polymorpha possesses a mechanism for propagating Ca2+ waves and electrical signals in response to wounding. The propagation velocity of these signals was approximately 1–2 mm s-1, equivalent to that observed in vascular plants. Both Ca2+ waves and electrical signals were inhibited by La3+ as well as tetraethylammonium chloride, suggesting the crucial importance of both Ca2+ channel(s) and K+ channel(s) in wound-induced membrane depolarization as well as the subsequent long-distance signal propagation. Simultaneous recordings of Ca2+ and electrical signals indicated a tight coupling between the dynamics of these two signaling modalities. Furthermore, molecular genetic studies revealed that a GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE (GLR) channel plays a central role in the propagation of both Ca2+ waves and electrical signals. Conversely, none of the three two-pore channels were implicated in either signal propagation. These findings shed light on the evolutionary conservation of rapid long-distance Ca2+ wave and electrical signal propagation involving GLRs in land plants, even in the absence of vascular tissue.
Trajectories of prescription opioid tapering in patients with chronic non-cancer pain: a retrospective cohort study, 2015–2020
Authors: Jung Monica , Xia Ting , Ilomäki Jenni , Pearce Christopher , Nielsen Suzanne
Published: January 2024

Objective

To identify common opioid tapering trajectories among patients commencing opioid taper from long-term opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain and to examine patient-level characteristics associated with these different trajectories.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Australian primary care.

Subjects

Patients prescribed opioid analgesics between 2015 and 2020.

Methods

Group-based trajectory modeling and multinomial logistic regression analysis were conducted to determine tapering trajectories and to examine demographic and clinical factors associated with the different trajectories.

Results

A total of 3369 patients commenced a taper from long-term opioid therapy. Six distinct opioid tapering trajectories were identified: low dose / completed taper (12.9%), medium dose / faster taper (12.2%), medium dose / gradual taper (6.5%), low dose / noncompleted taper (21.3%), medium dose / noncompleted taper (30.4%), and high dose / noncompleted taper (16.7%). A completed tapering trajectory from a high opioid dose was not identified. Among patients prescribed medium opioid doses, those who completed their taper were more likely to have higher geographically derived socioeconomic status (relative risk ratio [RRR], 1.067; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001–1.137) and less likely to have sleep disorders (RRR, 0.661; 95% CI, 0.463–0.945) than were those who didn’t complete their taper. Patients who didn’t complete their taper were more likely to be prescribed strong opioids (eg, morphine, oxycodone), regardless of whether they were tapered from low (RRR, 1.444; 95% CI, 1.138–1.831) or high (RRR, 1.344; 95% CI, 1.027–1.760) doses.

Conclusions

Those prescribed strong opioids and high doses appear to be less likely to complete tapering. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with the identified trajectories.
Wondering and Epistemic Desires
Authors: Teague Richard
Published: January 2024

This paper explores the relationship between the questioning attitude of wondering and a class of attitudes I call epistemic desires. Broadly, these are desires to improve one’s epistemic position on some question. A common example is the attitude of wanting to know the answer to some question. I argue that one can have any kind of epistemic desire towards any question, Q, without necessarily wondering Q, but not conversely. That is, one cannot wonder Q without having at least some epistemic desire directed towards Q. I defend this latter claim from apparent counterexamples due to Friedman and Drucker, and finish with a proposal on which epistemic desires, particularly the desire for understanding, play an explanatory role in distinguishing wondering from other forms of question-directed thought.
Independent association of estimated pulse-wave velocity with all-cause mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Solini A , Orsi E , Vitale M , Garofolo M , Resi V , Bonora E , Fondelli C , Trevisan R , Vedovato M , Nicolucci A , Penno G , Pugliese G ,   for the Renal Insufficiency And Cardiovascular Events (RIACE) Study Group
Published: January 2024

Background

Estimated pulse-wave velocity (ePWV), a surrogate measure of arterial stiffness, was shown to independently predict morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease and other causes in both the general population and high-risk individuals. However, in people with type 2 diabetes, it is unknown whether ePWV adds prognostic information beyond the parameters used for calculating it.

Aims

To assess the independent association of ePWV with all-cause mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Design

Prospective cohort study that enrolled 15 773 patients in 19 Italian centres in 2006–08.

Methods

ePWV was calculated from a regression equation using age and mean blood pressure (BP). All-cause mortality was retrieved for 15 656 patients in 2015.

Results

Percentage and rate of deaths, Kaplan–Meier estimates and unadjusted hazard ratios increased from Quartile I to Quartile IV of ePWV. After adjustment for age, sex, BP levels and anti-hypertensive treatment, the strength of association decreased but mortality risk remained significantly higher for Quartiles II (+34%), III (+82%) and IV (+181%) vs. Quartile I and was virtually unchanged when further adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors and complications/comorbidities. Each m·s− 1 increase in ePWV was associated with an increased adjusted risk of death in the whole cohort (+53%) and in participants with (+52%) and without (+65%) cardiorenal complications. Moreover, ePWV significantly improved prediction of mortality risk over cardiovascular risk factors and complications/comorbidities, though the net increase was modest.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that ePWV may represent a simple and inexpensive tool for providing prognostic information beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00715481, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00715481.
CD4+ T cell‐derived IFN‐γ and LIGHT synergistically upregulate chemokine production from airway smooth muscle cells
Authors: Zhou Muyang , Sun Rui , Chakraborty Rohin , Wang Christina , Lauzon Anne‐Marie , Martin James G.
Published: January 2024

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) remodeling in asthmatic airways may contribute to persistent airflow limitation and airway hyperresponsiveness. CD4+ T cells infiltrate the ASM layer where they may induce a proliferative and secretory ASM cell phenotype. We studied the interaction between activated CD4+ T cells and ASM cells in co‐culture in vitro and investigated the effects of CD4+ T cells on chemokine production by ASM cells. CD4+ T cells induced marked upregulation of C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligands (CXCL) 9, 10, and 11 in ASM cells. Blockade of the IFN‐γ receptor on ASM cells prevented this upregulation. Furthermore, T cell‐derived IFN‐γ and LIGHT (lymphotoxin, exhibits inducible expression and competes with HSV glycoprotein D for binding to herpesvirus entry mediator, a receptor expressed on T lymphocytes) synergize in a dose‐dependent manner to coordinately enhance CXCL9, 10, and 11 expression. The synergistic property of LIGHT was mediated exclusively through the lymphotoxin‐β receptor (LTBR), but not herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM). Disruption of LTBR signaling in ASM cells reduced CXCL9, 10, and 11 production and ASM cell‐mediated CD4+ T cell chemotaxis. We conclude that the LIGHT‐LTBR signaling axis acts together with IFN‐γ to regulate chemokines that mediate lymphocyte infiltration in asthmatics.
Comparison of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound and Contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Assessment of Infant Hip Perfusion and Prediction of Proximal Femoral Growth Disturbance Following Closed and Open Reduction for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Matheney Travis , Shore Benjamin , Miller Patricia , Barnewolt Carol , Kim Young-Jo , Paltiel Harriet
Published: January 2024

Objective:

Proximal femoral growth disturbance (PFGD) is a significant complication associated with surgical treatment of infant hip dislocation. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI) has been utilized to assess perfusion in these hips and avoid PFGD. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is an imaging technique utilized to evaluate perfusion in other organs. The aims of this study were to compare perfusion of dysplastic infant hips with CEUS and CEMRI after surgical treatment and to determine whether CEUS was as effective as CEMRI at predicting PFGD.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing closed or open reduction for infant hip dislocation between 2012 and 2019 was performed. All patients underwent intraoperative CEUS and postoperative CEMRI to assess femoral epiphyseal perfusion using intravenous contrast. Perfusion status was rated as normal, partially decreased, or globally decreased in both modalities. Agreement in perfusion status between CEUS and CEMRI was assessed. Patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years postoperatively and assessed for PFGD.

Results:

Eighteen patients (28% males) underwent closed or open reduction at an average age of 8 months (3 to 16 mo). The agreement in perfusion status between CEUS and CEMRI was substantial (α = 0.74). Patients were followed for a median of 3 years. PFGD developed in 3 hips (17%). For the detection of PFGD, both imaging modalities performed very well and with no difference in the diagnostic utility of CEUS compared with CEMRI. Considering normal perfusion alone the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for CEUS were 83%, 100%, and 80%, and for CEMRI were 78%, 100%, and 73%, respectively. Considering global decreased perfusion alone, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for CEUS were 94%, 67%, and 100%, and for CEMRI were 89%, 67%, and 93%, respectively.

Conclusions:

CEUS is a viable intraoperative method to assess infant hip perfusion. This pilot study appears to be comparable to CEMRI at visualizing perfusion of infant hips and as good or better in predicting PFGD after hip reduction. Prospective studies of this imaging technique should be performed to confirm the findings of this retrospective review.

Level of Evidence:

Level II—development diagnostic criteria on the basis of consecutive patients (with generally preferred standard).
Health Care Costs Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion or Cervical Disc Arthroplasty
Authors: Nin Darren Z. , Chen Ya-Wen , Kim David H. , Niu Ruijia , Powers Andrew , Chang David C. , Hwang Raymond W.
Published: January 2024

Study Design.

Observational cohort study.

Objective.

To describe the postoperative costs associated with both anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) in the two-year period following surgery.

Summary of Background Data.

CDA has become an increasingly common alternative to ACDF for the treatment of cervical disc disorders. Although a number of studies have compared clinical outcomes between both procedures, much less is known about the postoperative economic burden of each procedure.

Materials and Methods.

By analyzing a commercial insurance claims database (Marketscan, Merative), patients who underwent one-level or two-level ACDF and CDA procedures between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017 were identified and included in the study. The primary outcome was the cost of payments for postoperative management in the two-year period following ACDF or CDA. Identified postoperative interventions included in the study were: (i) physical therapy, (ii) pain medication, (iii) injections, (iv) psychological treatment, and (iv) subsequent spine surgeries.

Results.

Totally, 2304 patients (age: 49.0±9.4 yr; male, 50.1%) were included in the study. In all, 1723 (74.8%) patients underwent ACDF, while 581 (25.2%) underwent CDA. The cost of surgery was similar between both groups (ACDF: $26,819±23,449; CDA: $25,954±20,620; P=0.429). Thirty-day, 90-day, and two-year global costs were all lower for patients who underwent CDA compared with ACDF ($31,024 vs. $34,411, $33,064 vs. $37,517, and $55,723 vs. $68,113, respectively).

Conclusion.

Lower two-year health care costs were found for patients undergoing CDA compared with ACDF. Further work is necessary to determine the drivers of these findings and the associated longer-term outcomes.
Hematopoietic stem cell heterogeneity in non-human primates revealed by five-lineage output bias analysis
Authors: Zhang Man , Liu Di , Lan Yu , Liu Bing , Li Zongcheng , Ni Yanli
Published: January 2024

Understanding hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) heterogeneity is crucial for treating malignant blood disorders. Compared with mice, we have limited knowledge of the heterogeneity of human HSCs. Fortunately, non-human primates (NHPs) have become the best animal models for studying human HSCs. Here, we employed a public dataset derived from NHP autologous bone marrow transplantation, and focused on a total of 820 HSC clones with reconstitution capacity of all available five lineages (granulocyte, monocyte, B cell, T cell, and natural killer cell) at two time points (11/12 and/or 42/43 months). Intriguingly, unsupervised clustering on these clones revealed six HSC subtypes, including a lymphoid/myeloid balanced (LM-balanced) subtype and five single-lineage–biased subtypes. We also observed that the subtypes of these HSC clones might change over time, and a given subtype could transition into any one of the other five subtypes, albeit with a certain degree of selectivity. Particularly, each of the six subtypes was more likely to turn into lymphoid-biased rather than myeloid-biased ones. Additionally, our five-lineage classification method exhibited strong correlation with traditional lymphoid/myeloid bias classification method. Specifically, our granulocyte- and monocyte-biased subtypes were predominantly attributed to α-HSCs, while LM-balanced, B cell-biased, and T cell-biased subtypes were primarily associated with β-HSCs. The γ-HSCs were composed of a small subset of B cell-biased and T cell-biased subtypes. In summary, our five-lineage classification identifies more finely tuned HSC subtypes based on lineage output bias. These findings enrich our understanding of HSC heterogeneity in NHPs and provide important insights for human research.
Efficacy and safety of letermovir prophylaxis for cytomegalovirus infection after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Li Wen-Wen , Zhang Yong-Mei , Shen Meng-Zhu , Mo Xiao-Dong
Published: January 2024

Letermovir is a specific inhibitor of cytomegalovirus (CMV) terminase complex. Several studies have reported that letermovir can effectively prevent CMV activation after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We aimed to identify the efficacy and safety of letermovir prophylaxis for CMV infection after allo-HSCT with a systemic review and meta-analysis. A literature search was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement. PubMed and Embase databases were searched. A total of 28 studies were included. The incidence of CMV activation at 14 weeks after HSCT was 0.10 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06–0.18), which was 0.10 (95% CI, 0.04–0.21) and 0% in adult and children (2 studies were included and both of them were 0%). In addition, the incidence of CMV activation at 14 weeks after allo-HSCT was 0.11 (95% CI, 0.06–0.21) and 0.07 (only 1 study included), respectively, in retrospective and prospective studies. The incidence of CMV activation at 100 and 200 days after HSCT was 0.23 (95% CI, 0.16–0.33) and 0.49 (95% CI, 0.32–0.67), respectively. The incidence of CMV disease at 14 weeks and at 6 months after HSCT was 0.01 (95% CI, 0.01–0.02) and 0.03 (95% CI, 0.01–0.09), respectively. Thus, our systemic review and meta-analysis suggested that letermovir prophylaxis was safe and effective for CMV activation after allo-HSCT.
Minimally Invasive Scarf Calcaneal Osteotomy is an Alternative Technique for the Correction of Progressive Collapsing Foot Deformity
Authors: Trojner Teodor , Cvetko Tomaž , Merc Matjaž
Published: January 2024

Scarf calcaneal osteotomy is an extra-articular procedure to correct progressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD). As an open approach may display wound healing problems, we herein report a novel method of percutaneously performed minimally invasive scarf calcaneal osteotomy. Twenty patients aged 56.75 ± 7.13 with grade 1AB of PCFD were included. A radiologic assessment was performed before the procedure and after 3 months. Clinical evaluation was done before the procedure, after 3 months, and after 12 months. The Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire and Functional Foot Index score improved from 77.63 ± 11.67 preoperatively to 33.29 ± 18.55 at the follow-up (P < 0.001) and from 69.26 ± 16.32 preoperatively to 32.00 ± 20.35 at the follow-up (P < 0.001), respectively. There was a statistically significant improvement in all radiologic measurements, namely, talonavicular coverage angle from 20.03 ± 5.51 to 14.18 ± 6.49 (P < 0.001), the distance between medial cuneiform and fifth metatarsal from 0.53 ± 3.31 to 6.95 ± 4.01 (P < 0.001), anteroposterior talo-first metatarsal angle from 22.13 ± 7.28 to 17.09 ± 6.87 (P < 0.005), Meary angle from 25.12 ± 2.73 to 15.17 ± 7.06 (P < 0.001), calcaneal inclination angle from 12.23 ± 4.01 to 16.82 ± 5.53 (P < 0.001), navicular height from 15.57 ± 4.10 to 20.57 ± 6.87 (P < 0.005), and tibio-calcaneal angle from −3.79 ± 5.15 to 6.71 ± 4.41 (P < 0.001). In experienced hands, minimally invasive scarf calcaneal osteotomy seems to be an effective and reproducible subtalar preserving surgical technique for PCFD cases with mild midfoot abduction severity.

Level of Evidence:

Diagnostic Level 4. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Pharmacotherapy for opioid use disorder in pregnancy
Authors: Trammel Cassandra J. , Whitley Julia , Kelly Jeannie C.
Published: January 2024

Purpose of review

Opioid use disorder (OUD) in pregnancy has significantly increased in the last decade, impacting 8.2 per 1000 deliveries. OUD carries significant risk of morbidity and mortality for both the birthing person and neonate, but outcomes for both are improved with opioid agonist treatment (OAT). Here, we describe the recommended forms of OAT in pregnancy, updates to the literature, and alternate OAT strategies, and share practical peripartum considerations for patients on OAT.

Recent findings

Recent studies comparing buprenorphine and methadone have reaffirmed previous findings that buprenorphine is associated with superior outcomes for the neonate, without clear differences in morbidity or mortality for the birthing person. Optimal initiation and dosing of OAT remains unclear, with several recent studies evaluating methods of initiation, as well as a potential role for higher and more rapid dosing in the fentanyl era. Alternative products such as buprenorphine-naloxone and extended-release buprenorphine are of significant research interest, though randomized prospective data are not yet available.

Buprenorphine and methadone are standard of care for treatment of OUD during pregnancy, and multiple patient factors impact the optimal choice. Insufficient data exist to recommend alternative agents as a primary strategy currently. All patients with OUD in pregnancy should be counseled regarding OAT.

Video

http://links.lww.com/COOG/A94
Treatment Outcomes of Primary Combined Trabeculotomy With Trabeculectomy in Early Onset Glaucoma With Sturge-Weber Syndrome
Authors: Senthil Sirisha , Durgam Shravya Sri , Ali Hasnat , Pratinya Kolipaka Gowri , Krishnamurthy Rashmi , Mandal Anil K.
Published: January 2024

Précis:

In eyes with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) with early onset glaucoma, primary combined trabeculotomy with trabeculectomy (CTT) had a good intermediate-term success rate and minimal postoperative complications.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Objective:

To report the intermediate-term outcomes of primary CTT in early onset glaucoma with SWS.

Patients and Methods:

This study included 49 eyes of 49 children (1997–2020) with SWS and early onset glaucoma who underwent primary CTT with at least 1-year postoperative follow-up. Success was defined as complete when intraocular pressure was >5 mm Hg and ≤16 mm Hg under general anesthesia or ≤21 mm Hg in the clinic without antiglaucoma medications (AGMs) and as qualified with AGM.

Results:

The median age (interquartile range) at CTT was 0.58 (0.19, 8.3) years. The median postoperative follow-up was 4.7 years (2.5, 9). The majority were male children (31/49, 63%). Epilepsy was noted in 7 (14.3%) and diffuse choroidal hemangioma in 17 children (35%). At diagnosis, 37 eyes(75%), had corneal edema, and the mean (±SD) horizontal corneal diameter was 12.8 ± 0.7 mm. Postoperatively, the median intraocular pressure decreased from 26 (22, 30) mm Hg to 16 (12, 20) mm Hg (P < 0.0001) and the median number of AGM reduced from 1 (0,1) to 0 (0,1; P < 0.01). Complete success probability of CTT was 86% (76, 96) at 1 year and 64% (49, 84) at 5 years. Qualified success was 98% (94, 100) at 1 year and 89% (78, 100) at 5 years. A larger cup-to-disk ratio (P < 0.005) was associated with a higher risk of surgical failure. Postoperative complications were noted in 9 eyes (18%), all resolved with conservative management except one eye with a retinal detachment that ended in phthisis bulbi.

Conclusion:

CTT as a primary procedure showed good long-term efficacy and safety in SWS with early onset glaucoma.
Opioid trends and risk factors for sustained use among children and adolescents in Israel: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Tuttnauer Aviv , Atias Dor , Reznik Orly , Shomron Noam , Obolski Uri
Published: January 2024

Despite growing global concern over opioids, little is known about the epidemiology of opioid use in children and adolescents. This retrospective study investigated opioid use trends and identified risk factors associated with sustained opioid use among outpatient children and adolescents in Israel. Electronic health records of 110,955 children and adolescents were used to establish opioid purchase trends in outpatient settings between 2003 and 2021. Of these, data from 2012 to 2021, n = 32,956, were included in a Cox proportional hazards analysis to identify demographic, clinical, and pharmacological risk factors for sustained opioid use. An increase in opioid use was observed, with a notable rise among strong opioids, peripheral areas, and noncancer patients. Prevalence of sustained opioid users was approximately 2.5%. Risk factors with significant adjusted hazard ratios for sustained use included history of frequent doctor visits 1.82 (95% CI [1.50-2.22]) and drug purchases 1.30 (95% CI [1.07-1.58]), malignancy 1.50 (95% CI [1.07-2.09]), history of cardiovascular (1.44 (95% CI [1.04-1.98]) and pain-related conditions 1.34 (95% CI [1.14-1.58]), and different opioid substances (relative to codeine use): tramadol 2.38 (95% CI [1.73-3.27]), oxycodone 4.29 (95% CI [3.00-6.16]), and “other strong opioids” 6.05 (95% CI [3.59-10.2]). Awareness of observed increase in opioid purchases is crucial for doctors and public health practitioners. Additional monitoring and secondary prevention of children and adolescents possessing the identified risk factors should facilitate where appropriate reducing sustained opioid use when it is unnecessary.
Perceiving and Mentally Rotating Real and Artificial Hands
Authors: Duncan-Cross Isaac , Kyberd Peter , Poliakoff Ellen
Published: January 2024

Introduction

In a hand laterality judgment task, participants determine whether rotated images depict a left or a right hand. It is believed that people use motor imagery (imagining their own body moving) to complete this task. This is evidenced by a biomechanical constraints effect (BCE), whereby people take longer to respond to hands shown at biologically awkward angles. It is unknown whether this extends to artificial hands. This study investigated whether prosthetic hands are processed differently when mentally manipulated, potentially due to their perceived eeriness.

Materials and Methods

In two online studies, participants completed a hand laterality judgment task containing real and artificial hands (realistic and mechanical prosthetics).

Results

All three hand types produced a BCE, evidencing motor imagery, although this was weaker in mechanical hands. Reaction time and slope (effect of angular rotation on reaction time) also varied between the hand types.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that people use motor imagery to process artificial hands, although possible differences in processing between the hands should be followed up.

Clinical Relevance

Hand laterality judgment tasks could be used to further explore differences in how people process real and artificial hands. Future research might incorporate these tasks with users of prosthetic hands.