bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-grade malignancy glomus tumor of the abdominal wall: a case report and literature review
Authors: Trajkovski Gjorgji , Trajkovska Vanja , Kostadinova-Kunovska Slavica , Kostovski Ognen , Gelevski Radomir , Nikolovski Andrej
Published: December 2023

Glomus tumors are painful neoplasms arising from the glomus body (responsible for body temperature and blood pressure regulation) in the skin. Although mostly present in the interdigital areas, glomus tumors can arise elsewhere. The vast majority of them are benign. Rarely, malignant variants are reported and are associated with the potential for local infiltration and metastatic dissemination. The abdominal wall location of glomus tumors is extremely rare regardless of whether they present as benign or malignant. We present a case of a 58-year-old female patient with a low-grade malignancy infiltrative glomus tumor of the abdominal wall.
Effect of fecal microbiota transplantation on early intestinal immune function and histomorphology of immune organs in chicks
Authors: Song Yang , Yu Jing , Wang Baolin , Wen Qiongyi , Zhong Yue , Wu Min , Zheng Xin
Published: December 2023

The intestinal microbiota drives the maturation of the immune system, which is essential for maintaining lifetime homeostasis. Whether fecal microbiota transplantation can promote the development of the immune system in chicks? On days 1, 3, and 5, the post-hatch Hy-line Brown chicks were treated with fecal suspension from breeding hens. Intestinal length, blood biochemical indicators, the morphology of immune organs, and intestinal immunity-related indicators were focused on days 7 and 14. Short-chain fatty acids were determined by gas chromatography. We discovered that fecal microbial transplantation significantly increased the area of the follicles and medulla from the bursa of Fabricius, as well as the area of the medulla, cortex, and both ratios from the thymus on 14 d, the concentration of butyric acid in feces, the levels of immunologically active substances (transforming growth factor-β, interleukin 10, forkhead box protein P3, G-Protein Coupled Receptor 43, immunoglobulin A, etc.) in serum or the intestine, and the number of goblet cells. Correlation analysis indicated that short-chain fatty acids, as metabolites of the gut microbiota, were correlated with intestinal immunity. In short, fecal microbiota transplantation regulated early intestinal immunity, which provided the possibility for the processing and utilization of gut microbiota as germplasm resources.

Impact Statement

Modern management of eggs causes the normal vertical transmission of microbiota from hens to be significantly reduced. The risk of environmental threats to newborn chicks is raised. The microbial community helps to mature the immune system of chicks and protect them from pathogen invasion. We still have doubts about whether transplanting the microbiota can regulate gut immunity. Using the gut microbiota of hens as an excellent resource to improve the immunity of chicks may provide new ideas for the development of the poultry industry.
Bar properties as a function of wavelength: a local baseline with S4G for high-redshift studies
Authors: Menéndez-Delmestre Karín , Gonçalves Thiago S , Sheth Kartik , Düringer Jacques de Lima Tomás , Kim Taehyun , Gadotti Dimitri A , Schinnerer Eva , Athanassoula E , Bosma Albert , Elmegreen Debra Meloy , Knapen Johan H , Machado Rubens E G , Salo Heikki
Published: December 2023

The redshift evolution of bars is an important signpost of the dynamic maturity of disc galaxies. To characterize the intrinsic evolution safe from band-shifting effects, it is necessary to gauge how bar properties vary locally as a function of wavelength. We investigate bar properties in 16 nearby galaxies from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G) at ultraviolet, optical, and mid-infrared wavebands. Based on the ellipticity and position angle profiles from fitting elliptical isophotes to the two-dimensional light distribution, we find that both bar length and ellipticity – the latter often used as a proxy for bar strength – increase at bluer wavebands. Bars are 9 per cent longer in the B band than at 3.6 μm. Their ellipticity increases typically by 8 per cent in the B band, with a significant fraction (>40 per cent) displaying an increase up to 35 per cent. We attribute the increase in bar length to the presence of star-forming knots at the end of bars: these regions are brighter in bluer bands, stretching the bar signature further out. The increase in bar ellipticity could be driven by the apparent bulge size: the bulge is less prominent at bluer bands, allowing for thinner ellipses within the bar region. Alternatively, it could be due to younger stellar populations associated with the bar. The resulting effect is that bars appear longer and thinner at bluer wavebands. This indicates that band-shifting effects are significant and need to be corrected for high-redshift studies to reliably gauge any intrinsic evolution of the bar properties with redshift.
DEATHSTAR: a system for confirming planets and identifying false-positive signals in TESS data using ground-based time-domain surveys
Authors: Ross Gabrielle , Vanderburg Andrew , de Beurs Zoë L , Collins Karen A , Siverd Rob J , Burdge Kevin
Published: December 2023

We present a technique for verifying or refuting exoplanet candidates from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission by searching for nearby eclipsing binary stars using higher resolution archival images from ground-based telescopes. Our new system is called Detecting and Evaluating A Transit: finding its Hidden Source in Time-domain Archival Records (DEATHSTAR). We downloaded time series of cutout images from two ground-based telescope surveys (the Zwicky Transient Facility, and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, analysed the images to create apertures and measure the brightness of each star in the field, and plotted the resulting light curves using custom routines. Thus far, we have confirmed on-target transits for 17 planet candidates, and identified 35 false positives and located their actual transit sources. With future improvements to automation, DEATHSTAR will be scaleable to run on the majority of TESS Objects of Interest.
Kinetic simulations and gamma-ray signatures of Klein–Nishina relativistic magnetic reconnection
Authors: Mehlhaff J , Werner G , Cerutti B , Uzdensky D , Begelman M
Published: December 2023

Black hole and neutron star environments often comprise collisionless plasmas immersed in strong magnetic fields and intense baths of low-frequency radiation. In such conditions, relativistic magnetic reconnection can tap the magnetic field energy, accelerating high-energy particles that rapidly cool by inverse Compton (IC) scattering the dense photon background. At the highest particle energies reached in bright gamma-ray sources, IC scattering can stray into the Klein–Nishina regime. Here, the Comptonized photons exceed pair-production threshold with the radiation background and may thus return their energy to the reconnecting plasma as fresh electron–positron pairs. To reliably characterize observable signatures of such Klein–Nishina reconnection, in this work, we present first-principles particle-in-cell simulations of pair-plasma relativistic reconnection coupled to Klein–Nishina and pair-production physics. The simulations show substantial differences between the observable signatures of Klein–Nishina reconnection and reconnection coupled only to low-energy Thomson IC cooling (without pair production). The latter regime exhibits strong harder-when-brighter behaviour; the former involves a stable spectral shape independent of overall brightness. This spectral stability is reminiscent of flat-spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) GeV high states, furnishing evidence that Klein–Nishina radiative physics operates in FSRQs. The simulated Klein–Nishina reconnection pair yield spans from low to order-unity and follows an exponential scaling law in a single governing parameter. Pushing this parameter beyond its range studied here might give way to a copious pair-creation regime. Besides FSRQs, we discuss potential applications to accreting black hole X-ray binaries, the M87* magnetosphere, and gamma-ray binaries.
Watching the Universe’s acceleration era with the SKAO
Authors: Marques C M J , Martins C J A P , Gilabert López B
Published: December 2023

The possibility of watching the Universe expand in real time and in a model-independent way, first envisaged by Allan Sandage more than 60 yr ago and known as the redshift drift, is within reach of forthcoming astrophysical facilities, particularly the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO). The latter, probing lower redshifts, enables us to watch the Universe’s acceleration era in real time, while the former does the same for the matter era. We use Fisher matrix analysis techniques, which we show to give comparable results to those of a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach, to discuss forecasts for SKAO measurements of the redshift drift and their cosmological impact. We consider specific fiducial cosmological models but mainly rely on a more agnostic cosmographic series (which includes the deceleration and jerk parameters), and we also discuss prospects for measurements of the drift of the drift. Overall, our analysis shows that SKAO measurements, with a reasonable amount of observing time, can provide a competitive probe of the low-redshift accelerating Universe.
UOCS-XII. A study of open cluster NGC 6940 using UVIT/AstroSat cluster properties and exotic populations
Authors: Panthi Anju , Vaidya Kaushar
Published: December 2023

We study an open cluster NGC 6940 using AstroSat/UVIT (Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) data and other archival data. This is an intermediate age cluster (∼1 Gyr), located at about 770 pc distance, harbouring several exotic populations apart from normal single and binary stars. We identify members of this cluster using a machine learning algorithm, ML-MOC and identify 492 members, including one blue straggler star (BSS), two yellow straggler stars (YSS), 11 blue lurker (BL) candidates, and two red clump (RC) stars. The cluster shows the effect of mass segregation, with massive stars segregated the most into the cluster, followed by the equal-mass binary members and the single low-mass stars. We report the presence of an extended main-sequence turn-off (eMSTO) feature in this cluster and suggest that the age spread may be a contributing factor behind it. However, the effect of stellar rotation, and the dust absorption needs to be examined more comprehensively with a larger fraction of MSTO stars. All the sixteen sources mentioned above have a counterpart in the UVIT/F169M filter. In order to characterize them, we construct multi-wavelength spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 14 of these objects having no nearby sources within 3 arcsec. The BSS is successfully fitted with a single-component SED. We find that three BLs, two YSS, and one RC star have UV excess greater than 50 per cent and successfully fit two-component SEDs having hot companions. The parameters derived from the SEDs imply that the hot companions of BLs and the RC star are low-mass and normal-mass white dwarfs, whereas the hot companions of YSS are likely to be subdwarf B stars. We suggest that at least 6 out of 14 stars (∼42 per cent) are formed via mass transfer and/or merger pathways.
Gravitational waves from the pulsar magnetosphere
Authors: Contopoulos Ioannis , Kazanas Demosthenes , Papadopoulos Demetrios B
Published: December 2023

We investigate the generation of gravitational waves from the rotation of an orthogonal pulsar magnetosphere in flat space-time. We calculate the first-order metric perturbation due to the rotation of the non-axisymmetric distribution of electromagnetic energy density around the central star. We show that gravitational waves from a strong magnetic field pulsar right after its formation within a distance of 1 kpc may be detectable with the new generation of gravitational wave detectors.
He abundance in NGC 1850 A and B: Are we observing the early stage of the formation of multiple populations in a stellar cluster?
Authors: Carini R , Sollima A , Brocato E , Biazzo K
Published: December 2023

We present the results for a sample of B stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud young double stellar cluster NGC 1850 A and NGC 1850 B, as observed with the integral-field spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope, the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). We compare the observed equivalent widths (EWs) of four He lines (4922, 5015, 6678, and 7065 Å) with those determined from synthetic spectra computed with different He mass fractions (Y = 0.25, 0.27, 0.30, and 0.35) with the code synspec, which takes into account the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium effect. From this comparison, we determine the He mass fraction of the B stars, finding a distribution that is not homogeneous. The stars can be divided in three groups: He-weak (Y < 0.24) and He-normal (0.24 ≤ Y ≤ 0.26) stars, belonging to the main sequence of NGC 1850 A, and He-rich stars (0.33 ≤ Y ≤ 0.38), situated in the main sequence associated with NGC 1850 B. We analyse the stellar rotation as possibly being responsible for the anomalous features of the He lines in the He-rich stars. We provide a simple analysis of the differences between the observed EWs and those obtained from theoretical models with different rotation velocities (Vsini = 0 and 250 km s–1). The resolution of the MUSE spectra does not allow us to obtain a conclusive result; however, our analysis support the He-enhanced hypothesis.
Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Micro–Computed Tomography Study
Authors: Li Kangpeng , Ma Rui , Xu Biao , Zhang Qiang
Published: December 2023

Background

The incidence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is 10–100 times higher than that in the general population. However, the specific bone microstructure and extent of damage within the femoral head in PWH are still unclear.

Methods

Femoral head samples were obtained by total hip arthroplasty, micro–computed tomography (micro-CT) was employed to investigate the microstructure of trabecular bone across 4 representative regions within necrotic femoral heads, and quantitative analysis was performed.

Results

On general observation, different degrees of degenerative cartilage, fibrocartilage, hyperplastic bone, and exposed bone were presented alternately, with a “map-like” appearance. On micro-CT, compared with the normal and necrotic areas, the bone volume/tissue volume and bone mineral density of the sclerotic areas were significantly increased, the number of trabeculae was significantly increased, and the gap was smaller (P < .05). There was no significant difference in trabecular thickness among the groups (P < .05).

Conclusions

The systemic immune syndrome caused by HIV itself may interfere with the normal metabolism of bone, including osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and thus participate in HIV-related ONFH.
Gendering Illiberal Politics
Authors: Graff Agnieszka , Korolczuk Elżbieta
Published: December 2023

This chapter argues that gender plays a key role in the illiberal project of demonizing liberalism by reducing it to its sociocultural dimension and by culturalizing political cleavages. It explores what is meant by “resistance to gender” and how this trend resonates with core features of the illiberal worldview: its anti-modernism, anti-globalism, anti-individualism, and post-postmodernism. While anti-genderism’s origins are religious, the role of religion in illiberal anti-gender politics is often instrumental. We provide evidence of the convergence between illiberalism and anti-genderism from countries such as Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Spain, and the United States. Finally, the chapter discusses existing conceptualizations of the relationship between anti-genderism on the one hand and illiberalism as well as populism on the other. We propose the concept of opportunistic synergy to capture the growing ideological affinity and developing political collaboration between religious fundamentalists, ultraconservative civil-society actors, and right-wing politicians.
Illiberalism, Left-Wing Populism, and Popular Sovereignty in Latin America
Authors: Carrión Julio F.
Published: December 2023

This chapter discusses the record of left-wing populism in power in relation to the exercise of popular sovereignty. Many left- and right-wing populist leaders claim to want to enhance the “people’s power” and reduce the influence of corrupt elites or politicians. Because populism has a strong illiberal orientation, these leaders seek to monopolize political representation and demonize those who refuse to support them. When unconstrained by existing liberal institutions, their illiberalism leads populist leaders to undermine the popular sovereignty they claim to not only defend but deepen. This manifests in unfair and rigged elections. Their illiberal anti-pluralism means that populist chief executives cannot accept the legitimacy of opposition, especially when it comes from civil society, because it threatens their contention that they are the sole embodiment of “the people.” Without liberal constraints, the illiberalism of populism weakens, not enhances, popular sovereignty. The chapter illustrates these points using evidence from Latin America.
From Backsliding to Illiberalism and Beyond
Authors: de Sa e Silva Fabio
Published: December 2023

Around the world, scholars and citizens are facing winds of “democratic backsliding,” leading to “hybrid” regimes that feature elections (democracy) but lack political liberalism. The role of legal reforms and tools in such changes has become central to various interdisciplinary projects—including the Project on Autocratic Legalism (PAL). This chapter builds on PAL data from three large Global South democracies (Brazil, India, and South Africa) to examine the links between law and illiberalism in the multiple and contested definitions of the latter. The chapter arrives at three propositions: (1) there is fertile ground for studies connecting illiberalism and law, as evidence grows that law plays an intricate role in the erosion of liberalism within and across countries; (2) in these studies, attacks on liberalism must be understood broadly as targeting not just political liberalism but also liberal experiences and legacies more generally; and (3) studies of law and illiberalism must unfold in relation also to broader conceptions of freedom and equality.
Illiberalism as a Key to De-Democratization
Authors: Massicard Elise
Published: December 2023

Political developments in Turkey in the last decade have been conceived in the academic literature mostly in terms of de-democratization/autocratization and, more recently, populism—and much less in terms of illiberalism. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002 with a liberalization program, not only on an economic level but also on a political platform of defending less state intervention and protecting rights and pluralism. Within a few years, however, the same rulers began to heavily restrict checks and balances, the rule of law, and basic rights and freedoms. This chapter argues that considering these developments in terms of illiberalism—by disentangling democracy and liberalism—provides new insights. It is based on the study of the political practices of the AKP in office and their evolution. It suggests ways to operationalize the notion of illiberalism in the recent Turkish experience, showing the analytical perspectives this case offers.
The Illiberalism(s) of Polish Conservative Intellectuals
Authors: Behr Valentin
Published: December 2023

Drawing on intellectual history and the sociology of intellectuals, this chapter takes a close look at the critiques of liberalism that have been formulated by Polish conservative intellectuals since the end of the communist era. It depicts the evolution of their ideology by distinguishing four types of critiques: (1) liberalism as a dominant ideology, in the context of the postcommunist changes; (2) liberalism as moral relativism; (3) liberalism as a threat to the natural (social and political) order; and (4) liberalism as Westernization/colonization. It also depicts the environment in which the intellectuals under study are evolving, comprising academia, the media, think tanks, the political landscape. Such an approach permits us to understand the social mechanisms and dynamics by which ideas gain power, and to identify what is contextual (i.e., specific to the Polish or postcommunist context) and what is common to a broader context of the global (far) right.
Genomic signatures of strawberry domestication and diversification
Authors: Fan Zhen , Whitaker Vance M
Published: December 2023

Cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) has a brief history of less than 300 yr, beginning with the hybridization of octoploids Fragaria chiloensis and Fragaria virginiana. Here we explored the genomic signatures of early domestication and subsequent diversification for different climates using whole-genome sequences of 289 wild, heirloom, and modern varieties from two major breeding programs in the United States. Four nonadmixed wild octoploid populations were identified, with recurrent introgression among the sympatric populations. The proportion of F. virginiana ancestry increased by 20% in modern varieties over initial hybrids, and the proportion of F. chiloensis subsp. pacifica rose from 0% to 3.4%. Effective population size rapidly declined during early breeding. Meanwhile, divergent selection for distinct environments reshaped wild allelic origins in 21 out of 28 chromosomes. Overlapping divergent selective sweeps in natural and domesticated populations revealed 16 convergent genomic signatures that may be important for climatic adaptation. Despite 20 breeding cycles since initial hybridization, more than half of loci underlying yield and fruit size are still not under artificial selection. These insights add clarity to the domestication and breeding history of what is now the most widely cultivated fruit in the world.
Cognitive reappraisal of food craving and emotions: a coordinate-based meta-analysis of fMRI studies
Authors: Gerosa Marta , Canessa Nicola , Morawetz Carmen , Mattavelli Giulia
Published: December 2023

Growing evidence supports the effectiveness of cognitive reappraisal in down-regulating food desire. Still, the neural bases of food craving down-regulation via reappraisal, as well as their degree of overlap vs specificity compared with emotion down-regulation, remain unclear. We addressed this gap through activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses of neuroimaging studies on the neural bases of (i) food craving down-regulation and (ii) emotion down-regulation, alongside conjunction and subtraction analyses among the resulting maps. Exploratory meta-analyses on activations related to food viewing compared with active regulation and up-regulation of food craving have also been performed. Food and emotion down-regulation via reappraisal consistently engaged overlapping activations in dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal, posterior parietal, pre-supplementary motor and lateral posterior temporal cortices, mainly in the left hemisphere. Its distinctive association with the right anterior/posterior insula and left inferior frontal gyrus suggests that food craving down-regulation entails a more extensive integration of interoceptive information about bodily states and greater inhibitory control over the appetitive urge towards food compared with emotion down-regulation. This evidence is suggestive of unique interoceptive and motivational components elicited by food craving reappraisal, associated with distinctive patterns of fronto-insular activity. These results might inform theoretical models of food craving regulation and prompt novel therapeutic interventions for obesity and eating disorders.
EvoLaps 2: Advanced phylogeographic visualization
Authors: Chevenet F , Fargette D , Bastide P , Vitré T , Guindon S
Published: December 2023

EvoLaps is a user-friendly web application designed to visualize the spatial and temporal spread of pathogens. It takes an annotated tree as entry, such as a maximum clade credibility tree obtained through continuous phylogeographic inference. By following a ‘Top-Down’ reading of a tree recursively, transitions (latitude/longitude changes from a node to its children) are represented on a cartographic background using graphical paths. The complete set of paths forms the phylogeographic scenario. EvoLaps offers several features to analyze complex scenarios: (1) enhanced path display using multiple graphical variables with time-dependent gradients, (2) cross-highlighting and selection capabilities between the phylogeographic scenario and the phylogenetic tree, (3) production of specific spatio-temporal scales and synthetic views through dynamic and iterative clustering of localities into spatial clusters, (4) animation of the phylogeographic scenario using tree brushing, which can be done manually or automatically, gradually over time or at specific time intervals, and for the entire tree or a specific clade, and (5) an evolving library of additional tools. EvoLaps is freely available for use at evolaps.org.
Same But Different: An 18-Month Cross-Sectional Study of Cosmetic Procedures in Patients With Skin Phototype I–III Versus IV–VI in Toronto, Canada
Authors: Williams Stephen , McDonald Katherine A. , Beach Renée A.
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND

Patients with darker skin phototypes self-report less facial aging than their lighter-skinned counterparts. However, the association of skin phototype with the type of cosmetic procedures received, is yet to be established in a Canadian context.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the pattern of nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed on people with different Fitzpatrick SPTs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cross-sectional study of patient encounters from October 2020–April 2022. Charts and photographs were reviewed and analyzed for age, sex, SPT, and procedure type. Participants were stratified by SPT into 2 cohorts: SPT I–III and SPT IV–VI. SPTs were collapsed into groups based on definitions of “skin of color” (SPT IV–VI) in previous literature.

RESULTS

We analyzed 350 patients with mean age 43.4, of whom 320 (91%) were female and 30 (9%) were male. The SPT I–III cohort was older (mean age 45 vs 38.5 years, p < .0001) and more frequently underwent neuromodulator injection. The SPT IV–VI cohort more frequently underwent microneedling, platelet-rich plasma, or electrodessication.

CONCLUSION

There are distinct patterns of cosmetic procedures performed. The SPT I–III cohort more commonly received procedures to manage facial aging. The SPT IV–VI cohort was younger and more commonly underwent procedures to manage hyperpigmentation.
Impact of Prepectoral vs. Subpectoral Tissue Expander Placement on Post-mastectomy Radiation Therapy Delivery: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Copeland-Halperin Libby R. , Lyatskaya Yulia , Bellon Jennifer R. , Dey Tanujit , Carty Matthew J. , Barbie Thanh , Erdmann-Sager Jessica
Published: December 2023

Background:

Implant-based reconstruction is the most common method of postmastectomy reconstruction. Many patients require postmastectomy radiation (PMRT). Tissue expanders (TEs), typically inserted as a first stage, have historically been placed subpectorally. More recently, prepectoral reconstruction has gained popularity, but its impact on PMRT is unknown. Prior studies focus on complication rates and aesthetic outcomes. This study examines whether there is a difference in radiation dosimetry among patients undergoing prepectoral versus subpectoral TE reconstruction.

Methods:

Electronic medical records and radiation plans of 50 patients (25 prepectoral, 25 subpectoral) who underwent mastectomy with immediate TE reconstruction at our institution or affiliate site were reviewed. Pectoralis major muscle and chest wall structures were contoured and mean percentage volumes of these structures receiving less than 95%, 100%, and more than 105% target radiation dose were calculated, as were heart and ipsilateral lung doses. Welch two sample t test, Fisher exact test, and Pearson chi-squared tests were performed.

Results:

The groups had comparable patient and tumor characteristics and underwent similar ablative and reconstructive procedures and radiation dosimetry. Subpectoral patients had larger mean areas receiving less than 95% target dose (“cold spots”); prepectoral patients had larger mean areas receiving greater than 105% (“hot spots”) and 100% target doses. There were no differences in chest wall, heart, and lung doses.

Conclusions:

Our results demonstrate an increased mean percentage area of pectoralis cold spots with subpectoral reconstruction and increased area of hot spots and 100% dose delivery to the pectoralis in prepectoral patients. Larger studies should analyze long-term effects of prepectoral reconstruction on radiation dosing and recurrence rates.
Free Flap Survival with External Jugular Vein as a Detour Due to Internal Jugular Vein Thrombosis
Authors: Sotsuka Yohei , Murakami Ayaka , Wakatsuki Hanako , Matsuda Ken
Published: December 2023

In head and neck reconstructions, venous anastomosis of the free flap to the internal jugular vein system is a common procedure. However, in some cases, postoperative complications such as internal jugular vein thrombosis can occur. In this report, we present a case where postoperative internal jugular vein thrombosis was identified after venous anastomosis of the free flap to the internal jugular vein system. In this case, preserving the external jugular vein allowed for retrograde flow of venous blood in the internal jugular vein to enter the external jugular vein, serving as an alternative drainage pathway. This finding highlights the potential benefits of preserving the external jugular vein in head and neck surgery involving free flap venous anastomosis to mitigate the adverse effects of internal jugular vein thrombosis. Further investigations are warranted to better understand the underlying mechanisms and optimize surgical approaches for improved patient outcomes.
30-gauge needle technique for dislocated intraocular lens: novel surgical technique
Authors: Buchacra Leonardo , Gochicoa-Mulet Paula , Diaz-Herrera Leandro E.
Published: December 2023

A new, simple and effective technique is described, using a 30-gauge needle that offers many advantages to repositioning of dislocated single-piece posterior chamber intraocular lenses (IOLs) in eyes without sufficient capsular support. This technique may shorten the surgical time and minimize surgical trauma. The data regarding treatment modalities available for dislocated IOLs in eyes without sufficient capsular support remain scarce, thus reporting new surgical techniques is beneficial.
Evaluation of biological agents and small-molecule drugs in the treatment of pruritus caused by various dermatoses
Authors: Wu Hao-Hao , Yi You
Published: December 2023

Pruritus is a common symptom of many skin diseases that seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients. In clinical practice, many patients have pruritus that cannot be effectively improved by conventional treatments. Recent studies have found that pruritus is related to a variety of cells and cytokines that are expected to become therapeutic targets. Biological agents and new small-molecule drugs have shown good prospects in the treatment of pruritus. We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and other databases for clinical trials and case reports of biological agents and small-molecule drugs in the treatment of pruritus, and reviewed the relevant content. This review provides new ideas for the improvement of pruritus and quality of life of patients with skin diseases.
Coexistence of Bloom Syndrome and Kostmann Disease and a Novel Mutation
Authors: Pekpak Sahinoglu Esra , Oren Ayse Ceyda , Sahinoglu Bahtiyar , Gumus Ugur , Akbayram Sinan
Published: December 2023

Bloom syndrome (BS) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder. Patients with BS have photosensitivity, telangiectatic facial erythema, and stunted growth. They usually have mild microcephaly, and distinctive facial features such as a narrow, slender face, micrognathism, and a prominent nose. Kostmann disease (KD) is a subgroup of severe congenital neutropenias. The diagnosis of severe congenital neutropenia is based on clinical symptoms, bone marrow findings, and genetic mutation. Here, we report a female patient with a triangular face, nasal prominence, and protruding ears presenting with recurrent infections and severe neutropenia. Molecular genetic testing revealed a compound heterozygous variant in the HCLS-1–associated protein X-1 gene [(c.130_131insA) p.(trp44*), c.430 dup(p.Val144fs)] and a new homozygous variant in Bloom Syndrome RecQ like helicase gene [c.2074+2T>C p.(?)]. She was diagnosed with both BS and KD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of coexisting BS and KD in a patient ever reported.
Ensuring Intervention Fidelity of an Attention Control Arm in a Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Newman Amy R. , Moody Karen M. , Becktell Kerri , Connelly Erin , Holladay Cynthia , Parisio Katie , Powell Jonathan L. , Steineck Angela , Hendricks-Ferguson Verna L.
Published: December 2023

Background

Intervention fidelity is a critical element of randomized controlled trials, yet reporting of intervention fidelity among attention control arms is limited. Lack of fidelity to attention control procedures can affect study outcomes by either over- or underestimating the efficacy of the intervention under examination.

Objectives

This brief report describes the approach researchers took to promote fidelity to the attention control arm of a National Institutes of Health-funded pediatric palliative care randomized controlled trial.

Methods

The Informational Meetings for Planning and Coordinating Treatment trial aims to determine the efficacy of a communication intervention that uses care team dyads (i.e., physicians partnered with nurses or advanced practice providers) to engage parents of children with cancer that have a poor prognosis in structured conversations about prognostic information, goals of care, and care planning. The intervention is compared to an attention control arm, which provides parents with structured conversations on common pediatric cancer education topics, such as talking with their child about their cancer, clinical trials, cancer treatment, side effects, etc. National Institutes of Health guidelines for assessing and implementing strategies to promote intervention fidelity were used to design (a) the attention control arm of a randomized controlled trial, (b) related attention control arm training, and (c) quality assurance monitoring.

Results

Attention control study procedures were designed to mirror that of the intervention arm (i.e., same number, frequency, and time spent in study visits). Cluster randomization was used to allocate care team dyads to one arm of the randomized controlled trial. Care team dyads assigned to the attention control arm participated in online training sessions to learn attention control procedures, the different roles of research team members, and quality assurance methods. Fidelity to attention control procedures is assessed by both the interveners themselves and a quality assurance team.

Discussion

Study design, training, and delivery are all critical to attention control fidelity. Baseline training often needs to be supplemented with booster training when time gaps occur between study start-up and implementation. Quality assurance procedures are essential to determine whether interveners consistently deliver attention control procedures correctly.
Achieving Functional Goals during a Skilled Nursing Facility Stay: A National Study of Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Downer Brian , Wickliff Megan , Malagaris Ioannis , Li Chih-Ying , Lee Mi Jung
Published: December 2023

Objective

To describe the frequency that functional goals are documented on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) and identify resident characteristics associated with meeting or exceeding discharge goals.

Methods

We selected Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries admitted to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) within three days of hospital discharge from 10/01/2018-12/31/2019 (n = 1,228,913). The admission MDS was used to describe the discharge goal scores for seven self-care and 16 mobility items. We used the eight self-care and mobility items originally included in a publicly reported quality measure to calculate total scores for discharge goals, admission performance, and discharge performance (n = 371,801).

Results

For all self-care items, over 70% of residents had a goal score of 1-6 points documented on the admission MDS. Chair/bed-to-chair transfer had the highest percentage of residents with a score of 1-6 points (77.1%) and walking up/down 12-steps had the lowest (23.2%). Approximately 44% of residents had a discharge performance score that met or exceeded their goal score. Older age, urinary incontinence, and cognitive impairment had the lowest odds of meeting or exceeding discharge goals.

Conclusions

Assessing a resident’s functional goals is important to providing patient-centered care. This information may help SNFs determine if a resident has made meaningful functional improvements.
The Efficacy of Different Exercises on Mild to Moderate Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Peng Cheng , Li Daxin , Guo Tianxiao , Li Shuairan , Chen Yonghui , Zhao Li , Mi Jing
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of different exercise interventions on patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) and provide evidence-based exercise prescriptions for this population.

Methods

The PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), VIP, and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform were searched until January 2023. The data were pooled and a meta-analysis was conducted.

Results

A total of 19 studies were conducted with 778 participants. The Schroth exercises group (MD = -3.48, 95% CI [-4.73, -2.23], P < 0.00001) and strength training group (MD = -3.43, 95% CI [-4.06, -2.80], P < 0.00001) had better recovery of the Cobb angle than the other groups. The Cobb angle rehabilitation effect was good in the time of less than 60 minutes group. Additionally, there was no significant difference found between the different intervention periods groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Schroth exercise and strength training significantly improved Cobb angle of AIS patients; Exercising for less than 60 minutes is effective for Cobb angle rehabilitation, but prolonging exercise time cannot improve training effectiveness; 12 weeks of exercise significantly improved Cobb angle, but prolonged training periods did not have a significant impact.
A maternal germline mutator phenotype in a family affected by heritable colorectal cancer
Authors: Young Candice L. , Beichman Annabel C. , Mas-Ponte David , Hemker Shelby L. , Zhu Luke , Kitzman Jacob O. , Shirts Brian H. , Harris Kelley
Published: December 2023

Variation in DNA repair genes can increase cancer risk by elevating the rate of oncogenic mutation. Defects in one such gene,MUTYH, are known to elevate the incidence of colorectal cancer in a recessive Mendelian manner. Recent evidence has also linkedMUTYHto a mutator phenotype affecting normal somatic cells as well as the female germline. Here, we use whole genome sequencing to measure germline de novo mutation rates in a large extended family containing both mothers and fathers who are affected by pathogenicMUTYHvariation. By developing novel methodology that uses siblings as “surrogate parents” to identify de novo mutations, we were able to include mutation data from several children whose parents were unavailable for sequencing. In the children of mothers affected by the pathogenicMUTYHgenotype p.Y179C/V234M, we identify an elevation of the C>A mutation rate that is weaker than mutator effects previously reported to be caused by other pathogenicMUTYHgenotypes, suggesting that mutation rates in normal tissues may be useful for classifying cancer-associated variation along a continuum of severity. Surprisingly, we detect no significant elevation of the C>A mutation rate in children born to a father with the sameMUTYHgenotype, and we similarly find that the mutator effect of the mouse homologMutyhappears to be localized to embryonic development, not the spermatocytes. Our results suggest that maternalMUTYHvariants can cause germline mutations by attenuating the repair of oxidative DNA damage in the early embryo.
Machine learning of brain-specific biomarkers from EEG
Authors: Bomatter Philipp , Paillard Joseph , Garces Pilar , Hipp Jörg , Engemann Denis
Published: December 2023

Electroencephalography (EEG) has a long history as a clinical tool to study brain function, and its potential to derive biomarkers for various applications is far from exhausted. Machine learning (ML) can guide future innovation by harnessing the wealth of complex EEG signals to isolate relevant brain activity. Yet, ML studies in EEG tend to ignore physiological artifacts, which may cause problems for deriving biomarkers specific to the central nervous system (CNS). We present a framework for conceptualizing machine learning from CNS versus peripheral signals measured with EEG. A common signal representation across the frequency spectrum based on Morlet wavelets allowed us to define traditional brain activity features (e.g. log power) and alternative inputs used by state-of-the-art ML approaches (covariance matrices). Using more than 2600 EEG recordings from large public databases (TUAB, TDBRAIN), we studied the impact of peripheral signals and artifact removal techniques on ML models in exemplary age and sex prediction analyses. Across benchmarks, basic artifact rejection improved model performance whereas further removal of peripheral signals using ICA decreased performance. Our analyses revealed that peripheral signals enable age and sex prediction. However, they explained only a fraction of the performance provided by brain signals. We show that brain signals and body signals, both reflected in the EEG, allow for prediction of personal characteristics. While these results may depend on specific prediction problems, our work suggests that great care is needed to separate these signals when the goal is to develop CNS-specific biomarkers using ML.
Conformational sampling and interpolation using language-based protein folding neural networks
Authors: del Alamo Diego , Jeliazkov Jeliazko R. , Truan Daphné , Karpiak Joel D.
Published: December 2023

Protein language models (PLMs), such ESM2, learn a rich semantic grammar of the protein sequence space. When coupled to protein folding neural networks (e.g., ESMFold), they can facilitate the prediction of tertiary and quaternary protein structures at high accuracy. However, they are limited to modeling protein structures in single states. This manuscript demonstrates that ESMFold can predict alternate conformations of some proteins, includingde novodesigned proteins. Randomly masking the sequence prior to PLM input returned alternate embeddings that ESMFold sometimes mapped to distinct physiologically relevant conformations. From there, inversion of the ESMFold trunk facilitated the generation of high-confidence interconversion paths between the two states. These paths provide a deeper glimpse of how language-based protein folding neural networks derive structural information from high-dimensional sequence representations, while exposing limitations in their general understanding of protein structure and folding.
Mitochondrial thermogenesis regulates heat-shock response in the nucleus
Authors: Lee Hee Yong , Kim Hwa-Ryeon , Kwak Chulhwan , Kang Myeong-Gyun , Roe Jae-Seok , Rhee Hyun-Woo
Published: December 2023

Mitochondrial thermogenesis is a process in which heat is generated by mitochondrial respiration. In living organisms, the thermogenic mechanisms that maintain body temperature have been studied extensively in fat cells, with little knowledge on how mitochondrial heat may act beyond energy expenditure. Here, we highlighted exothermic oxygen reduction reaction (ΔHf° = -285 kJ/mol) is the main source of the protonophore-induced mitochondrial thermogenesis and this heat was conducted to other cellular organelles, including the nuclei. As a result, mitochondrial heat that reached the nucleus initiated the classical heat shock response, including the formation of nuclear stress granules and localization of heat shock factor 1 to chromatin. Consequently, activated HSF1 increases gene expression associated with the response to thermal stress in mammalian cells. Our results illustrate heat generated within the cells as a potential source of mitochondrial-nucleus communication and expand our understanding of the biological functions of mitochondria in cell physiology.
Distinct transcriptomic and epigenomic responses of mature oligodendrocytes during disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Zheng Chao , Hervé Bastien , Meijer Mandy , Rubio Rodríguez-Kirby Leslie Ann , Guerreiro Cacais André Ortlieb , Kukanja Petra , Kabbe Mukund , Olsson Tomas , Agirre Eneritz , Castelo-Branco Gonçalo
Published: December 2023

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating autoimmune disease that targets mature oligodendrocytes(MOLs) and their myelin. MOLs are transcriptionally heterogeneous and can transition to immune-like states in the context of MS. However, the intricacies of their dynamics throughout disease progression remain poorly understood. Here, we employed simultaneous single-cell multiome ATAC and RNA sequencing targeting oligodendroglia (OLGs) from the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) MS mouse model at different stages of the disease course. We found that the transition to immune OLG states appear already at the early stages of EAE and persist to the late stages of the disease. Interestingly, transcription factor activity suggested immunosuppression in MOLs at early stages of EAE and we also observed a transitory activation of a regenerative program in MOLs at this stage. Importantly, different MOLs exhibit a differential responsiveness to EAE, with MOL2 exhibiting a stronger transcriptional immune response than MOL5/6. Moreover, we observed divergent responses at the epigenetic level of MOL2 and MOL5/6 during disease evolution. Thus, our single-cell multiomic resource highlights dynamic and distinct responses of OLG subpopulations to the evolving environment in EAE, which might modulate their response to regenerative therapeutic interventions in MS.