bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduced Vancomycin Susceptibility in Clostridioides difficile Is Associated With Lower Rates of Initial Cure and Sustained Clinical Response
Authors: Eubank Taryn A , Dureja Chetna , Garey Kevin W , Hurdle Julian G , Gonzales-Luna Anne J
Published: February 2024

Background

Epidemiologic studies have shown decreasing vancomycin susceptibility among clinical Clostridioides difficile isolates, but the impact on patient outcomes is unknown. We hypothesized that reduced vancomycin susceptibility would be associated with decreased rates of sustained clinical response (SCR).

Methods

This multicenter cohort study included adults with C. difficile infection (CDI) treated with oral vancomycin between 2016 and 2021. Clostridioides difficile isolates underwent agar dilution vancomycin susceptibility testing, ribotyping, and Sanger sequencing of the vancomycin resistance vanR gene. Reduced susceptibility was defined as vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) >2 μg/mL. The primary outcome was 30-day SCR; secondary outcomes were 14-day initial cure, 30-day recurrence, and 30-day mortality. Exploratory analysis assessed the association between the VanR Thr115Ala polymorphism, susceptibility, and outcomes.

Results

A high proportion (34% [102/300]) of C. difficile isolates exhibited reduced vancomycin susceptibility (range, 0.5–16 μg/mL; MIC50/90 = 2/4 μg/mL). Ribotype 027 accounted for the highest proportion (77.4% [41/53]) of isolates with reduced vancomycin susceptibility. Overall, 83% (249) of patients achieved 30-day SCR. Reduced vancomycin susceptibility was associated with lower rates of 30-day SCR (76% [78/102]) than vancomycin-susceptible strains (86% [171/198]; P = .031). A significantly lower rate of 14-day initial cure was also observed among individuals infected with strains with reduced vancomycin susceptibility (89% vs 96%; P = .04). Reduced susceptibility remained an independent predictor of 30-day SCR in multivariable modeling (odds ratio, 0.52 [95% confidence interval, .28–.97]; P = .04).

Conclusions

Reduced vancomycin susceptibility in C. difficile was associated with decreased odds of 30-day SCR and lower 14-day initial cure rates in the studied patient cohort.
Effect of lipid-lowering therapies on C-reactive protein levels: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Xie Sining , Galimberti Federica , Olmastroni Elena , Luscher Thomas F , Carugo Stefano , Catapano Alberico L , Casula Manuela ,   META-LIPID Group, Catapano Alberico L , Casula Manuela , Galimberti Federica , Olmastroni Elena , Xie Sining , Wanner Christoph , Yusuf Salim , Maggioni Aldo , Kirby Adrienne , Ogawa Hiroshi , Hoogeveen Ellen K , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Welty Francine K , Benderly Michal , Manson JoAnn E , Wolski Kathy , Cannon Christopher P , Raal Frederick J , Kallend David , Foody JoAnne , Louie Michael
Published: February 2024

Chronic low-degree inflammation is a hallmark of atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease. To assess the effect of lipid-lowering therapies on C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of inflammation, we conducted a meta-analysis according to the PRISMA guidelines. Databases were searched from inception to July 2023. Inclusion criteria were: (i) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in human, Phase II, III, or IV; (ii) English language; (iii) comparing the effect of lipid-lowering drugs vs. placebo; (iv) reporting the effects on CRP levels; (v) with intervention duration of more than 3 weeks; (vi) and sample size (for both intervention and control group) over than 100 subjects. The between-group (treatment-placebo) CRP absolute mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each drug class separately. A total of 171 668 subjects from 53 RCTs were included. CRP levels (mg/L) were significantly decreased by statins [−0.65 (−0.87 to −0.43), bempedoic acid; −0.43 (−0.67 to −0.20), ezetimibe; −0.28 (−0.48 to −0.08)], and omega-3 fatty acids [omega3FAs, −0.27 (−0.52 to −0.01)]. CRP was reduced by −0.40 (−1.17 to 0.38) with fibrates, although not statistically significant. A slight increase of CRP concentration was observed for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors [0.11 (0.07–0.14)] and cholesteryl-ester transfer protein inhibitors [0.10 (0.00–0.21)], the latter being not statistically significant. Meta-regression analysis did not show a significant correlation between changes in CRP and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) or triglycerides. Statins, bempedoic acid, ezetimibe, and omega3FAs significantly reduce serum CRP concentration, independently of LDL-C reductions. The impact of this anti-inflammatory effect in terms of CV prevention needs further investigation.
Questionnaire for diagnosis and response to therapy in rumination syndrome
Authors: Pomenti Sydney F , Tsang Amanda J , Khan Abraham R , Katz Philip O , Katzka David A
Published: February 2024

Rumination is a behavioral disorder characterized by regurgitation of food without retching. It is diagnosed clinically by the Rome Criteria and treated primarily by diaphragmatic breathing. Despite diagnosis and follow-up being based on symptomatic responses to therapies, there are no published or validated questionnaires. To address this care-gap, a rumination questionnaire was developed and reviewed by two expert esophagologists and five patients diagnosed with rumination. Ultimately, an eight-point questionnaire with scoring ranging from −1 to 10 was finalized. This newly developed questionnaire was implemented on five additional patients diagnosed clinically with rumination syndrome with improvement after interventions noted.
The outcomes of patients with septic shock treated with propafenone compared to amiodarone for supraventricular arrhythmias are related to end-systolic left atrial volume
Authors: Waldauf P , Porizka M , Horejsek J , Otahal M , Svobodova E , Jurisinova I , Maly M , Brozek T , Rulisek J , Trachta P , Tencer T , Krajcova A , Duska F , Balik M
Published: February 2024

Background

A recently published trial has shown no differences in outcomes between patients with new-onset supraventricular arrhythmia (SVA) in septic shock treated with either propafenone or amiodarone. However, these outcome data have not been evaluated in relation to the presence or absence of a dilated left atrium (LA).

Methods

Patients with SVA and a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥35% were randomized to receive intravenous propafenone (70mg bolus followed by 400-840mg/24h) or amiodarone (300mg bolus followed by 600-1800mg/24h). They were divided into groups based on whether their end-systolic left atrial volume (LAVI) was ≥40 ml/m². The subgroup outcomes assessed were survival at ICU discharge, 1-month, 3-months, 6-months, and 12-months.

Results

Propafenone cardioverted earlier (p=0.009) and with fewer recurrences (p=0.001) in the patients without LA enlargement (n=133). Patients with LAVI˂40ml/m2 demonstrated a mortality benefit of propafenone over the follow up of 1-year (Cox regression, HR 0.6 (95% CI 0.4; 0.9), p=0.014). Patients with dilated LA (n=37) achieved rhythm control earlier in amiodarone (p=0.05) with similar rates of recurrences (p=0.5) compared to propafenone. The outcomes for patients with LAVI≥40 ml/m2 were less favourable with propafenone compared to amiodarone at 1-month (HR 3.6 (95% CI 1.03; 12.5), p=0.045) however, it did not reach statistical significance at 1 year (HR 1.9 (95% CI 0.8; 4.4), p=0.138).

Conclusion

Patients with non-dilated LA who achieved rhythm control with propafenone in the setting of septic shock had better short-term and long-term outcomes than those treated with amiodarone, which seemed to be more effective in patients with LAVI≥40 ml/m².

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03029169, registered on 24th of January 2017
Initial experience, safety, and feasibility using remote access or onsite technical support for complex ablation procedures: results of the REMOTE study
Authors: Heeger Christian-H , Vogler Julia , Eitel Charlotte , Feher Marcel , Popescu Sorin Ștefan , Kirstein Bettina , Hatahet Sascha , Subin Benham , Kuck Karl-Heinz , Tilz Roland R
Published: February 2024

Aims

Electroanatomical mapping (EAM) systems are essential for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. The EAM system is usually operated by qualified staff or field technical engineers from the control room. Novel remote support technology allows for remote access of EAM via online services. Remote access increases the flexibility of the electrophysiological lab, reduces travel time, and overcomes hospital access limitations especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we report on the feasibility and safety of EAM remote access for cardiac ablation procedures.

Methods and results

Mapping and ablation were achieved by combining the EnsiteX™ EAM system and the integrated Ensite™ Connect Remote Support software, together with an integrated audiovisual solution system for remote support (Medinbox). Communication between the operator and the remote support was achieved using an incorporated internet-based common communication platform (Zoom™), headphones, and high-resolution cameras. We investigated 50 remote access–assisted consecutive electrophysiological procedures from September 2022 to February 2023 (remote group). The data were compared with matched patients (n = 50) with onsite support from the control room (control group). The median procedure time was 100 min (76, 120; remote) vs. 86 min (60, 110; control), P = 0.090. The procedural success (both groups 100%, P = 0.999) and complication rate (remote: 2%, control: 0%, P = 0.553) were comparable between the groups. Travel burden could be reduced by 11 280 km.

Conclusion

Remote access for EAM was feasible and safe in this single-centre study. Procedural data were comparable to procedures with onsite support. In the future, this new solution might have a great impact on facilitating electrophysiological procedures.
Decoding 2.3 million ECGs: interpretable deep learning for advancing cardiovascular diagnosis and mortality risk stratification
Authors: Lu Lei , Zhu Tingting , Ribeiro Antonio H , Clifton Lei , Zhao Erying , Zhou Jiandong , Ribeiro Antonio Luiz P , Zhang Yuan-Ting , Clifton David A
Published: February 2024

Aims

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is widely considered the primary test for evaluating cardiovascular diseases. However, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to advance these medical practices and learn new clinical insights from ECGs remains largely unexplored. We hypothesize that AI models with a specific design can provide fine-grained interpretation of ECGs to advance cardiovascular diagnosis, stratify mortality risks, and identify new clinically useful information.

Methods and results

Utilizing a data set of 2 322 513 ECGs collected from 1 558 772 patients with 7 years follow-up, we developed a deep-learning model with state-of-the-art granularity for the interpretable diagnosis of cardiac abnormalities, gender identification, and hypertension screening solely from ECGs, which are then used to stratify the risk of mortality. The model achieved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) scores of 0.998 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.995–0.999), 0.964 (95% CI, 0.963–0.965), and 0.839 (95% CI, 0.837–0.841) for the three diagnostic tasks separately. Using ECG-predicted results, we find high risks of mortality for subjects with sinus tachycardia (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.24, 1.96–2.57), and atrial fibrillation (adjusted HR of 2.22, 1.99–2.48). We further use salient morphologies produced by the deep-learning model to identify key ECG leads that achieved similar performance for the three diagnoses, and we find that the V1 ECG lead is important for hypertension screening and mortality risk stratification of hypertensive cohorts, with an AUC of 0.816 (0.814–0.818) and a univariate HR of 1.70 (1.61–1.79) for the two tasks separately.

Conclusion

Using ECGs alone, our developed model showed cardiologist-level accuracy in interpretable cardiac diagnosis and the advancement in mortality risk stratification. In addition, it demonstrated the potential to facilitate clinical knowledge discovery for gender and hypertension detection which are not readily available.
Claudin-1 as a novel target gene induced in obesity and associated to inflammation, fibrosis, and cell differentiation
Authors: Fernández-García Pablo , Taxerås Siri D , Reyes-Farias Marjorie , González Lorena , Soria-Gondek Andrea , Pellitero Silvia , Tarascó Jordi , Moreno Pau , Sumoy Lauro , Stephens Jacqueline M , Yoo Lindsey G , Galán María , Izquierdo Adriana , Medina-Gómez Gema , Herrero Laura , Corrales Patricia , Villarroya Francesc , Cereijo Rubén , Sánchez-Infantes David
Published: February 2024

Objective

T lymphocytes from visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissues (vWAT and sWAT, respectively) can have opposing roles in the systemic metabolic changes associated with obesity. However, few studies have focused on this subject. Claudin-1 (CLDN1) is a protein involved canonically in tight junctions and tissue paracellular permeability. We evaluated T-lymphocyte gene expression in vWAT and sWAT and in the whole adipose depots in human samples.

Methods

A Clariom D-based transcriptomic analysis was performed on T lymphocytes magnetically separated from vWAT and sWAT from patients with obesity (Cohort 1; N = 11). Expression of candidate genes resulting from that analysis was determined in whole WAT from individuals with and without obesity (Cohort 2; patients with obesity: N = 13; patients without obesity: N = 14).

Results

We observed transcriptional differences between T lymphocytes from sWAT compared with vWAT. Specifically, CLDN1 expression was found to be dramatically induced in vWAT T cells relative to those isolated from sWAT in patients with obesity. CLDN1 was also induced in obesity in vWAT and its expression correlates with genes involved in inflammation, fibrosis, and adipogenesis.

Conclusion

These results suggest that CLDN1 is a novel marker induced in obesity and differentially expressed in T lymphocytes infiltrated in human vWAT as compared with sWAT. This protein may have a crucial role in the crosstalk between T lymphocytes and other adipose tissue cells and may contribute to inflammation, fibrosis, and alter homeostasis and promote metabolic disease in obesity.
Host and nonhost bacteria support bacteriophage dissemination along mycelia and abiotic dispersal networks
Authors: Périat Claire , Kuhn Thierry , Buffi Matteo , Corona-Ramirez Andrea , Fatton Mathilda , Cailleau Guillaume , Chain Patrick S , Stanley Claire E , Wick Lukas Y , Bindschedler Saskia , Gonzalez Diego , Li Richter Xiang-Yi , Junier Pilar
Published: February 2024

Bacteriophages play a crucial role in shaping bacterial communities, yet the mechanisms by which nonmotile bacteriophages interact with their hosts remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap is especially pronounced in structured environments like soil, where spatial constraints and air-filled zones hinder aqueous diffusion. In soil, hyphae of filamentous microorganisms form a network of ‘fungal highways’ (FHs) that facilitate the dispersal of other microorganisms. We propose that FHs also promote bacteriophage dissemination. Viral particles can diffuse in liquid films surrounding hyphae or be transported by infectable (host) or uninfectable (nonhost) bacterial carriers coexisting on FH networks. To test this, two bacteriophages that infect Pseudomonas putida DSM291 (host) but not KT2440 (nonhost) were used. In the absence of carriers, bacteriophages showed limited diffusion on 3D-printed abiotic networks, but diffusion was significantly improved in Pythium ultimum-formed FHs when the number of connecting hyphae exceeded 20. Transport by both host and nonhost carriers enhanced bacteriophage dissemination. Host carriers were five times more effective in transporting bacteriophages, particularly in FHs with over 30 connecting hyphae. This study enhances our understanding of bacteriophage dissemination in nonsaturated environments like soils, highlighting the importance of biotic networks and bacterial hosts in facilitating this process.
Analysis of the spatio-temporal dynamics of Buxus hyrcana Pojark defoliation using spaceborne satellite data
Authors: Saba Fatemeh , Latifi Hooman , Zoej Mohammad Javad Valadan , Heipke Christian
Published: February 2024

This study aims to assess the spatio-temporal defoliation dynamics of box tree, one of the few evergreen species of the Hyrcanian Forests. For this, we integrated multi-temporal leaf-off optical Sentinel-2 and radar Sentinel-1 data from 2017 to 2021 with elevation data. A state-of-the-art sample migration approach was used to generate annual reference samples of two categories (defoliated and healthy box tree) for a set of target years 2017–2020. This approach is based on field samples of the reference year 2021 and two similarity measures, the Euclidean distance and the spectral angle distance. The analysis of spectral and radar profiles showed that the migrated samples were well representative of both defoliated and healthy box trees categories. The migrated samples were then used for spatially mapping the two classes using support vector machine classification. The results of support vector machine classification indicated a large extent of box tree mortality. The most significant changes from healthy box trees to defoliated ones, or vice versa, occurred during the years 2017 and 2018. In the consecutive years of 2019, 2020, and 2021, no significant changes in the distribution of healthy or defoliated box trees were observed. The statistical assessment also revealed that mortality of evergreen understory tree species can be mapped with practically sufficient overall accuracies reaching from 84% (in 2017) to 91%–92% (in 2020 and 2021) using spaceborne remote sensing data. This information using freely accessible satellite data can benefit forest managers responsible for monitoring landscapes affected by the box moth and facilitates the identification of optimal control programs.
The Impact of Air Pollution on Physical Functioning Decline and the Benefits of Greenness: Evidence From a Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Ke , He Jie , Chen Zhongyang , Pan Mengnan , Tong Jiahui , Kou Dejian , Liu Feifei , Xiang Hao
Published: February 2024

Background

Physical functional limitations (PFLs) increase the vulnerability of adults, but their pathogenesis remains unclear.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide longitudinal study on 62 749 records from 18 878 adults (aged ≥45) from 28 provinces in China. Risk of PFLs was assessed using a validated 9-item questionnaire. Exposure levels of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1) and greenness (normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI) were estimated using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model. We used the cumulative link mixed effects model to estimate the associations between short-term and long-term exposure to air pollutants, greenness, and risk of PFLs. We employed the interaction effect model to evaluate interactions between air pollutants and greenness.

Results

Participants were 60.9 ± 9.6 years, with an average follow-up of 5.87 (1.65) years. Exposure to air pollution was significantly associated with a higher risk of PFLs. For instance, the odds ratio (OR) associated with each 10 μg/m3 higher in 6-month averaged PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 were 1.025 (95% CI: 1.015–1.035), 1.035 (95% CI: 1.018–1.054), and 1.029 (95% CI: 1.007–1.050), respectively. Conversely, exposure to greenness was associated with decreased risk of PFLs; the OR associated with each 1-unit higher in 1-year averaged NDVI was 0.724 (95% CI: 0.544–0.962). Furthermore, higher greenness levels were found to mitigate the adverse effects of 1-year, 6-month, 1-month averaged PM10, and 1-year averaged PM2.5 on the risk of PFLs.

Conclusions

Air pollution raises the risk of PFLs, whereas greenness could mitigate the adverse effects. Reducing air pollution and enhancing greenness could prevent physical functioning.
Abdominal Body Composition Reference Ranges and Association With Chronic Conditions in an Age- and Sex-Stratified Representative Sample of a Geographically Defined American Population
Authors: Weston Alexander D , Grossardt Brandon R , Garner Hillary W , Kline Timothy L , Chamberlain Alanna M , Allen Alina M , Erickson Bradley J , Rocca Walter A , Rule Andrew D , St. Sauver Jennifer L
Published: February 2024

Background

Body composition can be accurately quantified from abdominal computed tomography (CT) exams and is a predictor for the development of aging-related conditions and for mortality. However, reference ranges for CT-derived body composition measures of obesity, sarcopenia, and bone loss have yet to be defined in the general population.

Methods

We identified a population-representative sample of 4 900 persons aged 20 to 89 years who underwent an abdominal CT exam from 2010 to 2020. The sample was constructed using propensity score matching an age and sex stratified sample of persons residing in the 27-county region of Southern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. The matching included race, ethnicity, education level, region of residence, and the presence of 20 chronic conditions. We used a validated deep learning based algorithm to calculate subcutaneous adipose tissue area, visceral adipose tissue area, skeletal muscle area, skeletal muscle density, vertebral bone area, and vertebral bone density from a CT abdominal section.

Results

We report CT-based body composition reference ranges on 4 649 persons representative of our geographic region. Older age was associated with a decrease in skeletal muscle area and density, and an increase in visceral adiposity. All chronic conditions were associated with a statistically significant difference in at least one body composition biomarker. The presence of a chronic condition was generally associated with greater subcutaneous and visceral adiposity, and lower muscle density and vertebrae bone density.

Conclusions

We report reference ranges for CT-based body composition biomarkers in a population-representative cohort of 4 649 persons by age, sex, body mass index, and chronic conditions.
Chromosome-level genome of the poultry shaft louse Menopon gallinae provides insight into the host-switching and adaptive evolution of parasitic lice
Authors: Xu Ye , Ma Ling , Liu Shanlin , Liang Yanxin , Liu Qiaoqiao , He Zhixin , Tian Li , Duan Yuange , Cai Wanzhi , Li Hu , Song Fan
Published: February 2024

Background

Lice (Psocodea: Phthiraptera) are one important group of parasites that infects birds and mammals. It is believed that the ancestor of parasitic lice originated on the ancient avian host, and ancient mammals acquired these parasites via host-switching from birds. Here we present the first chromosome-level genome of Menopon gallinae in Amblycera (earliest diverging lineage of parasitic lice). We explore the transition of louse host-switching from birds to mammals at the genomic level by identifying numerous idiosyncratic genomic variations.

Results

The assembled genome is 155 Mb in length, with a contig N50 of 27.42 Mb. Hi-C scaffolding assigned 97% of the bases to 5 chromosomes. The genome of M. gallinae retains a basal insect repertoire of 11,950 protein-coding genes. By comparing the genomes of lice to those of multiple representative insects in other orders, we discovered that gene families of digestion, detoxification, and immunity-related are generally conserved between bird lice and mammal lice, while mammal lice have undergone a significant reduction in genes related to chemosensory systems and temperature. This suggests that mammal lice have lost some of these genes through the adaption to environment and temperatures after host-switching. Furthermore, 7 genes related to hematophagy were positively selected in mammal lice, suggesting their involvement in the hematophagous behavior.

Conclusions

Our high-quality genome of M. gallinae provides a valuable resource for comparative genomic research in Phthiraptera and facilitates further studies on adaptive evolution of host-switching within parasitic lice.
Socializing Warlord Democrats: Analyzing Violent Discursive Practices in Post-Civil War Politics
Authors: Sjöstedt Roxanna , Kovacs Mimmi Söderberg , Themnér Anders , Persson Henrik
Published: February 2024

Across the world, so-called warlord democrats (WDs) – former military or political leaders of armed groups who subsequently enter formal electoral politics – strongly influence the dynamics and trajectory of post-civil war politics. However, scholarship on war-to-peace transitions and post-conflict politics have often failed to pay attention to the agency of these important actors. This article rectifies this oversight, and thereby adds to the overarching scholarly debate on what enhances or hampers democratic processes after violent conflict. It makes two main contributions. First, by putting an explicit focus on the individual level of analysis and on the agency of WDs, the article opens up an avenue of research that previously has been black-boxed. Second, it demonstrates that the assumptions of socialization theory are particular suitable for enhancing our understanding of variations in the agency of WDs and their impact on post-conflict electoral politics. A novel analytical framework that refines the concept guides the empirical examination of the socialization processes of two WDs over time: Julius Maada Bio, the ex-junta leader who became President of Sierra Leone and Prince Johnson, the ex-warlord in Liberia who became Senator and presidential candidate. The findings suggest that the socialization theory holds promise as a new perspective on the study of WDs, but the theory may also need additional conceptual development and adjustment when applied outside its traditional empirical context and at the individual levels of analysis. Specifically, we find that the democratic socialization of our selected WDs display the characteristics of hybrid socialization, where conflicting normative frameworks result in lopsided socialization processes. But more research is needed on how to empirically distinguish between cost-benefit calculations and a logic of appropriateness, the long-term implications of hybrid socialization, and how to theoretically reconcile individual level socialization processes with that of states or groups.
Host associations of Culex panocossa (Diptera: Culicidae) in southern Florida and its implications for arbovirus transmission
Authors: Sloyer Kristin E , Reeves Lawrence E , Burkett-Cadena Nathan D
Published: February 2024

Culex panocossa, Dyar and Knab, an important enzootic vector of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus subtype ID in Central and South America, was found to have invaded and become established in southern Florida in 2016. No information is currently available regarding the ecology of this invasive mosquito in the United States. Here, we use PCR-based blood meal analysis to investigate vertebrate host associations of Cx. panocossa from Florida to provide information necessary for determining the potential importance of this mosquito for arbovirus transmission in the United States. Culex panocossa fed mainly upon birds (49.5%) but took a substantial fraction of blood meals from mammals (33.3%) and reptiles (17.1%). By feeding upon amplifying hosts of Everglades virus (hispid cotton rat) and eastern equine encephalitis virus (wading birds) and humans, Cx. panocossa could act as a bridge vector for these pathogenic Alphaviruses in Florida, potentially resulting in increased human disease.
Fusariosis in burn patients: A systematic review of case reports
Authors: Piccoli Paola , Lucini Fabíola , Al-Hatmi Abdullah M S , Rossato Luana
Published: February 2024

Burns can cause skin damage, facilitating the entry of fungi and other microorganisms into the body, leading to infections. Fusarium is a fungus capable of infecting individuals with burn injuries. Diagnosing and treating Fusarium infections in burn patients can be challenging due to the manifestation of nonspecific symptoms. This study aims to investigate case reports and case series from published literature describing Fusarium infection in burned patients, in order to assess treatment regimens, clinical outcomes, and make recommendations for future management. We conducted searches on Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Medline for all case reports and case series containing keywords ‘Burn’, ‘Burns’, ‘Burned’, ‘Fusarium’, or ‘Fusariosis’ in the title or abstract. All burn patients who developed Fusarium fungal infections between January 1974 and March 2023 were included in the study. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed retrospectivity. The final analysis incorporates 24 case reports encompassing a total of 87 burn patients with Fusarium infection. Patient ages ranged from one to 85 years, with the majority being male (53%). The median percentage of burn surface area was 78%, and the skin in the face, upper limbs, and lower limbs were the most commonly infected sites. Fungal infections appeared around 10 days after the burn injury on average. The majority of the patients were identified through culture or histopathology. The Fusarium dimerum species complex, which was found in nine patients, was the most frequently identified Fusarium species complex. Amphotericin B was the most preferred treatment drug, followed by voriconazole, and 62% of patients underwent debridement. In our study, 23 patients (37%) died from fungal infections. Implementing early and effective treatment protocols targeting Fusarium spp. in burn treatment units can significantly reduce mortality rates. It is critical to enhance the understanding of fusariosis epidemiology and emphasize the importance of maintaining a high clinical suspicion for this condition in burn patients.
ERGO-ML: comparing IllustrisTNG and HSC galaxy images via contrastive learning
Authors: Eisert Lukas , Bottrell Connor , Pillepich Annalisa , Shimakawa Rhythm , Rodriguez-Gomez Vicente , Nelson Dylan , Angeloudi Eirini , Huertas-Company Marc
Published: February 2024

Modern cosmological hydrodynamical galaxy simulations provide tens of thousands of reasonably realistic synthetic galaxies across cosmic time. However, quantitatively assessing the level of realism of simulated universes in comparison to the real one is difficult. In this paper of the Extracting Reality from Galaxy Observables with Machine Learning series, we utilize contrastive learning to directly compare a large sample of simulated and observed galaxies based on their stellar-light images. This eliminates the need to specify summary statistics and allows to exploit the whole information content of the observations. We produce survey-realistic galaxy mock data sets resembling real Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) observations using the cosmological simulations TNG50 and TNG100. Our focus is on galaxies with stellar masses between 109 and 1012 M⊙ at z = 0.1–0.4. This allows us to evaluate the realism of the simulated TNG galaxies in comparison to actual HSC observations. We apply the self-supervised contrastive learning method Nearest Neighbour Contrastive Learning to the images from both simulated and observed data sets (g-, r-, i-bands). This results in a 256-dimensional representation space, encoding all relevant observable galaxy properties. First, this allows us to identify simulated galaxies that closely resemble real ones by seeking similar images in this multidimensional space. Even more powerful, we quantify the alignment between the representations of these two image sets, finding that the majority (≳ 70 per cent) of the TNG galaxies align well with observed HSC images. However, a subset of simulated galaxies with larger sizes, steeper Sérsic profiles, smaller Sérsic ellipticities, and larger asymmetries appears unrealistic. We also demonstrate the utility of our derived image representations by inferring properties of real HSC galaxies using simulated TNG galaxies as the ground truth.
Probing the accretion geometry of the atoll source 4U 1702−429 in different spectral states with NICER, NuSTAR, and AstroSat
Authors: Banerjee Srimanta , Homan Jeroen
Published: February 2024

We perform a comprehensive spectral study of a carefully selected sample (total exposure ∼50.5 ks) of NICER observations of the atoll neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1702−429. Our sample encompasses nearly all classical spectral states found within the NICER data set. We require two thermal emission components, originating from the accretion disc and the boundary layer, to describe the soft state spectra in the energy band 0.3–10.0 keV. In contrast, in our model, only the disc component directly contributes to the intermediate/hard state. Additionally, we use a thermally Comptonized component (or a power law with pegged normalization) to represent the hard coronal emission in the soft and intermediate/hard state spectra. The boundary layer emerges as the principal source providing soft seed photons for Comptonization across all spectral states. In contrast to a previously held assertion regarding this source, our analyses reveal a decrease in the inner disc temperature coupled with the retreat of the inner disc from the neutron star surface as the source evolves from the soft to the intermediate/hard state. The reflection features are either absent or weak (∼3σ–4σ) in all these observations. Further investigation using broad-band NuSTAR (3.0–50.0 keV) and AstroSat spectra (1.3–25.0 keV) shows a slightly stronger iron emission line (∼5.8σ) in the NuSTAR spectra. However, this feature is not significantly detected in the AstroSat observation. The AstroSat data suggest a highly ionized disc, explaining the absence of reflection features. In the case of NuSTAR, a truncated disc is likely responsible for the weak reflection features.
Artificial-intelligence-driven measurements of brain metastases’ response to SRS compare favorably with current manual standards of assessment
Authors: Prezelski Kayla , Hsu Dylan G , del Balzo Luke , Heller Erica , Ma Jennifer , Pike Luke R G , Ballangrud Åse , Aristophanous Michalis
Published: February 2024

Background

Evaluation of treatment response for brain metastases (BMs) following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) becomes complex as the number of treated BMs increases. This study uses artificial intelligence (AI) to track BMs after SRS and validates its output compared with manual measurements.

Methods

Patients with BMs who received at least one course of SRS and followed up with MRI scans were retrospectively identified. A tool for automated detection, segmentation, and tracking of intracranial metastases on longitudinal imaging, MEtastasis Tracking with Repeated Observations (METRO), was applied to the dataset. The longest three-dimensional (3D) diameter identified with METRO was compared with manual measurements of maximum axial BM diameter, and their correlation was analyzed. Change in size of the measured BM identified with METRO after SRS treatment was used to classify BMs as responding, or not responding, to treatment, and its accuracy was determined relative to manual measurements.

Results

From 71 patients, 176 BMs were identified and measured with METRO and manual methods. Based on a one-to-one correlation analysis, the correlation coefficient was R2 = 0.76 (P = .0001). Using modified BM response classifications of BM change in size, the longest 3D diameter data identified with METRO had a sensitivity of 0.72 and a specificity of 0.95 in identifying lesions that responded to SRS, when using manual axial diameter measurements as the ground truth.

Conclusions

Using AI to automatically measure and track BM volumes following SRS treatment, this study showed a strong correlation between AI-driven measurements and the current clinically used method: manual axial diameter measurements.
Unraveling the relations between post-traumatic stress symptoms, neurocognitive functioning, and limbic white matter in pediatric brain tumor patients
Authors: Leenders Anne E M , Kremer-Hooft van Huijsduijnen Eva , Robalo Bruno , van Male Rosa , De Luca Alberto , Kemps Rachèl , Hoving Eelco , Lequin Maarten H , Grootenhuis Martha A , Partanen Marita
Published: February 2024

Background

Pediatric brain tumor patients are at risk of developing neurocognitive impairments and associated white matter alterations. In other populations, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) impact cognition and white matter. This study aims to investigate the effect of PTSS on neurocognitive functioning and limbic white matter in pediatric brain tumor patients.

Methods

Sixty-six patients (6–16 years) completed neuropsychological assessment and brain MRI (1-year post-diagnosis) and parents completed PTSS proxy questionnaires (CRIES-13; 1–3 months and 1-year post-diagnosis). Mean Z-scores and percentage impaired (>1SD) for attention, processing speed, executive functioning, and memory were compared to normscores (t-tests, chi-square tests). Multi-shell diffusion MRI data were analyzed for white matter tractography (fractional anisotropy/axial diffusivity). Effects of PTSS on neurocognition and white matter were explored with linear regression models (FDR correction for multiple testing), including age at diagnosis, treatment intensity, and tumor location as covariates. Neurocognition and limbic white matter associations were explored with correlations.

Results

Attention (M = −0.49, 33% impaired; P < .05) and processing speed (M = −0.57, 34% impaired; P < .05) were significantly lower than healthy peers. PTSS was associated with poorer processing speed (β = −0.64, P < .01). Treatment intensity, age at diagnosis, and tumor location, but not PTSS, were associated with limbic white matter metrics. Neurocognition and white matter metrics were not associated.

Conclusions

Higher PTSS was associated with poorer processing speed, highlighting the need for monitoring, and timely referrals to optimize psychological well-being and neurocognitive functioning. Future research should focus on longitudinal follow-up and explore the impact of PTSS interventions on neurocognitive performance.
Border Cities
Authors: Prokkola Eeva-Kaisa
Published: February 2024

The scholarly fascination with border cities often proliferates with geopolitical events that transform the security and economic and social landscapes of the state’s border areas. The early scholarly interest in border cities arose in the United States in the latter half of the twentieth century when new infrastructure initiatives and industrialization policies, the Maquiladora Program in particular, boosted industrial development and activities in northern Mexican border cities and across the US-Mexico border. The US-Mexico border cities have served as paradigmatic examples of how international economic agreements transform border cities and towns. The turn toward open borders and the new international trade agreements in the late 1980s and the 1990s boosted the growth and significance of border cities and towns. Since the turn of the millennium, the study of border cities has become increasingly diverse both geographically and thematically. Research on the regional economic development of Asian and African border cities and towns has mushroomed, reflecting their central position in regional trade systems as well as the rapid growth of border settlements. Another key area of research is the European integration process and the ways in which cross-border governance and collaboration transform European border towns, cities, and metropolises. In this area of interest, the problematic issues around border cities are often approached by combining governance, planning, and innovation studies with border studies. Some new research directions have been more popular in specific geopolitical contexts, but many questions regarding border cities are persistent and worldwide. Similarly, there is a persistent fascination with the imaginaries and myths of border cities, including recent attention to the development of cross-border brands as well as their possible mismatch with the perceptions and identity of border inhabitants. The increasing refugee and migration influxes have highlighted the gateway roles of border cities as well as the agency and strategies adopted in border cities to cope with resettlement, including the utilization of resources and knowledge from both sides. Many studies approach borders in terms of a resource, yet the barrier and even violent effects of borders are also of continuing relevance and interest. In this area, divided border cities with persistent conflict and political violence are of specific interest, but they are also examined in relation to the above-mentioned themes, such as cooperation and planning. The recent trend of border fencing and protectionism has similarly highlighted the need for border city research.
Detroit
Authors: Kornberg Dana , Torres Mo
Published: February 2024

The Motor City, Motown, the “D”—Detroit has had many monikers since European colonization fashioned the region into a major center of capitalist extraction and production. As the birthplace of the auto industry and Fordism, center of the labor movement, generator of radical organizing, place for innovative arts and culture, and destination city for African Americans during the Great Migration, Detroit has experienced changes so dizzying over the decades that their consequences have reverberated throughout the world. Often looked at as an extreme example of more general trends, the City of Detroit has experienced severe population decline and capital disinvestment since the 1950s, when capital paved the way for white flight to the suburbs. As the Blackest large US city by the late twentieth century, Detroit’s African American population rose through the year 2000, while the metropolitan region’s population overall remained relatively stable. In 2013 the city declared a historic bankruptcy, the culmination of decades of fiscal austerity. A robust urban studies literature has accompanied these changes, examining the causes, consequences, and reimaginings of Detroit’s austerity landscape—from redlining, suburbanization, and deindustrialization to the civil rights and Black Power struggles and the devastating decline of housing and city services. Perhaps most of all, Detroit has become known in the urban studies literature for the questions the city raises about the labor and civil rights movements, persistent racist segregation, Black autonomy, urban environmental issues, fiscal austerity, and the consequences of population decline. Detroit continues to challenge urbanists to reimagine what cities have been and offers generative examples of what they could yet be.
Antisthenes
Authors: Prince Susan
Published: February 2024

Antisthenes of Athens (c. 445–365 bce) was a disciple of Socrates, among the first Socratics to gain influence in 4th-century Athens, if Isocrates’ Against the Sophists refers in part to him. The remains of his large literary production are fragmentary: some sixty-three texts are listed in a catalog of his writings, but only the short pseudo-forensic speeches Ajax and Odysseus survive. Citations and testimonia are the main basis for reconstructing Antisthenes’ intellectual production and influence on contemporaries and successors, both the Cynics and the Stoics. He was a rival of Plato, whose literary and philosophical successes eclipsed his own. Antisthenes differed from Plato on the theory of Forms, which Antisthenes rejected as unreal; the value of reading Homeric poetry, from which Antisthenes derived serious ethical truth; and the way that philosophically authoritative statements were true. According to a Hellenistic anecdote devised to represent the antagonism between the two Socratics, Plato responded to Antisthenes’ famous thesis that gainsaying cannot occur—because apparently contradicting statements can both be true from different perspectives—by asserting that Antisthenes had eliminated the basis for saying anything at all. Diogenes Laertius credits Antisthenes with the first definition of “logos,” a plausible contribution in the context of early Socraticism. Interpretation of Antisthenes’ positions on logos and gainsaying remains controversial. In ethics and politics, Antisthenes agreed with Plato generally and was overshadowed by Plato’s more successful versions of Socratic inquiry and doctrine. He was famous for denying the goodness of pleasure and elevating the value of toil. He was radically individualist and seems to have valorized mythical and legendary heroes—foremost, Heracles and Cyrus the Great, but possibly also Odysseus and others—for purposes of demonstrating ethical virtue and presumably its basis in knowledge. In his fictions about these characters, the nature of virtue might have been analyzed through narrative depiction of its acquisition during a process of education and other experience. The remains of Antisthenes’ ethical thought are preserved largely in apophthegmatic form, which are reductions of the fictions and dialogues for which he was famous until the time of the Emperor Julian. Meanwhile, Xenophon’s portrayal of Antisthenes suggests that the historical Antisthenes was abrupt and disruptive, consistently with the tone of many apophthegmata. The chief controversy in the reconstruction of Antisthenes’ ethical views is the degree of certainty, in contrast to dialogic investigation and aporetic protreptic, in his original philosophical pronouncements, which do not survive.
The Swedish Atlantic World
Authors: Fur Gunlög
Published: February 2024

Sweden’s involvement in the formation of an Atlantic world of circulation, travel, and commerce followed upon the formal establishment of a kingdom in the early 16th century and subsequent interests in expanding the kingdom’s territories and strategic footholds in all geographical directions. While formal colonies constituted only a small part of the country’s investment in the Atlantic world, a wider and more significant involvement occurred through trade and travel and the circulation of goods, narratives, and objects which contributed to the development of a transatlantic consciousness in Sweden. Interest and investment in trade included exporting iron and copper from Swedish mines and importing sugar, cotton, and tobacco. Swedish ships sailed the transatlantic routes, carried goods, and enslaved people from West African harbors to the Caribbean and the American mainland. Knowledge of the vast amounts of gold and silver pouring into Spain from its claims in South America inspired royal officers and merchants to seek and invest in silver and copper mining in northern Scandinavia, hoping for glorious profits. They followed the events of the American War of Independence and Sweden was the first foreign power to formally recognize the new nation. Stories, novels, images, and objects from the colonies near and far adorned curiosity cabinets and entertained an increasing number of readers and contributed to spreading awareness and knowledge of the existence of places far away across the Atlantic. By the mid-19th century, the large-scale emigration to North America constituted the dominating feature of Swedish Atlantic presence. That, however, falls beyond the scope of this article. Three larger trends can be discerned in the interest of scholarship since 2000. One is a sustained interest in the New Sweden colony but with a greater focus on materiality and circulation, while an interest in emphasizing a bilateral US-Swedish history suffuses commemorations. The second trend consists of a concerted effort at analyzing and making available the records pertaining to St. Barthélemy and Sweden’s involvement in the slave trade. Both New Sweden and St. Barthélemy are increasingly interpreted in terms of Sweden’s complicity in the creation of an early modern colonial world and often discussed in the context of specificities and commonalities among the Nordic countries. The third trend is a movement away from methodological nationalism toward greater emphasis on global interactions and entanglements, with studies on the circulation of objects, ideas, goods, and faiths.