bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic Delineation of Combined Oxidative Phosphorylation Deficiency-12: Clinical Features of 2 Patients
Authors: Bahar Ister Meral , Cinar Muge , Ceylaner Serdar , Uzun Ozlem Unal
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency-12 (COXPD12) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder. Neurological findings and lactic acidosis can be presenting signs of COXPD12. Case Presentation: Here, we present identical dysmorphic facial features that have not been described before in the literature, in 2 patients with two different EARS2 gene variants. Case 1 was a 2.5-month-old male who presented with hypotonia and lactic acidosis. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed diffusion restriction in the supratentorial deep white matter, around the ventricle, in the bilateral periaqueductal gray matter at the level of the basal ganglia, and in the dentate nuclei in the tegmentum. Case 2 was a 2-month-old boy who also presented with lactic acidosis and hypotonia. Diffusion MRI reported hypomyelination. Dysmorphic facial features including slight metopic ridge, ptosis, wide palpebral fissure length, sparse eyebrows, bulbous nose, thin upper lip, full cheeks, small chin, large ears, thin ear helix, and prominent antihelix were common findings in both patients. Molecular genetic analysis indicated c.319C>T(p. Arg107Cys) common genetic variant in our 2 patients. In case 2, the second allele was a novel genetic variant. Conclusion: For COXPD12 disease, facial features are considered the main diagnostic clue, such as hypotonia or lactic acidosis; thus, the characteristic facial phenotype will help clinicians diagnose the disease.
Psoriasis: Sind Geschlechtsunterschiede bedeutsam?
Authors: Sticherling Michael
Published: October 2024

Background: Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with an exceptionally high burden for women. Objective: Sex-dependent differences in disease manifestation, severity, treatment choices, subjective disease perception, and the impact on quality of life and risk factors are described and comprehensively discussed. Methods: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (PubMed) and the Cochrane Library for systematic reviews to investigate the challenges in treating women with psoriasis. Results and conclusions: : The incidence, prevalence, and manifestation of psoriasis of the skin are similar between different sexes. Genetic and environmental factors such as obesity and metabolic syndrome are risk factors and are not equally relevant or pronounced in women and men. Overall, women have a lower disease severity measured by the Psoriasis Area Severity Index, which is associated with a higher impairment of their life quality measured by the Dermatology Life Quality Index compared with men. In addition, women with psoriasis are more likely to have depression than men. Hormonal factors affect psoriasis, with a correlation of high estrogen levels and improvement of psoriasis. Data regarding differences in prescribing patterns of systemic treatments and the severity of psoriasis are not entirely consistent. Registry studies show that men tend to have more severe psoriasis and, in some cases, are prescribed systemic therapies more frequently. Women tend to respond better to systemic treatments and to experience more adverse events. Treatment options are the same for both sexes, except during pregnancy and lactation. Various treatment options are contraindicated due to fear of fetal or neonate harm and lack of data. Topical steroids can be prescribed with a high degree of safety during pregnancy. For other topical therapies (calcineurin inhibitors and vitamin D analogs), no studies of adverse effects in pregnancy are available, and safety data mainly stem from studies examining effects after systemic administration. Antitumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibodies (except for certolizumab pegol) have been associated with a possible increased risk of preterm birth, low gestational age, and cesarean deliveries. Prospective data on the safety of biologics other than antitumor necrosis factor-alpha antibodies to accurately assess whether novel biologics (eg, anti-interleukin 17, 12/23, 23) can be used for systemic therapy in pregnancy are lacking or currently being conducted. © 2022 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of Women’s Dermatologic Society.
Interpersonal Curiosity: A Missing Construct in the Field of Human Development
Authors: Way Niobe , Taffe Rachel
Published: October 2024

Children demonstrate a remarkable capacity for both intellectual and interpersonal curiosity, reflecting their desires to know about the physical, material, and natural world and about the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of other people. Yet the study of curiosity and its educational applications have focused almost exclusively on the former, even though interpersonal curiosity may be critical for social-emotional learning, human connection, and the capacity to understand and take the perspective of others. In this article, we review the research on intellectual and interpersonal curiosity, focusing on the latter and including our own research that indicates that it is associated with social-emotional wellbeing, academic engagement, and a sense of common humanity. We also review research on how ecological contexts (e.g., of families and schools) shape curiosity, how contextual variation may lead to individual variation (i.e., by gender and age), and offer directions for future research.
Elucidating a statistical learning brain network: Coordinate-based meta-analyses and functional connectivity profiles of artificial grammar learning in healthy adults
Authors: Ramage Amy E. , Cote Kaila , Thorson Jill C. , Lerner Katelyn , Reidel Michael C. , Laird Angela R.
Published: October 2024

Language rehabilitation centers on modifying its use through experience-based neuroplasticity. Statistical learning of language is essential to its acquisition and likely its rehabilitation following brain injury, but its corresponding brain networks remain elusive. Coordinate-based meta-analyses were conducted to identify common and distinct brain activity across 25 studies coded for meta-data and experimental contrasts (Grammatical and Ungrammatical). The resultant brain regions served as seeds for profiling functional connectivity in large task-independent and task-dependent data sets. Hierarchical clustering of these profiles grouped brain regions into three subnetworks associated with statistical learning processes. Functional decoding clarified the mental operations associated with those subnetworks. Results support a left-dominant language sub-network and two cognitive control networks as scaffolds for language rule identification, maintenance, and application in healthy adults. These data suggest that cognitive control is necessary to track regularities across stimuli and imperative for rule identification and application of grammar. Future empirical investigation of these brain networks for language learning in individuals with brain injury will clarify their prognostic role in language recovery.
Pollen morphology and fruit anatomy of the enigmatic monotypic genus Dicranocarpus (Coreopsideae, Asteraceae)
Authors: SÁNCHEZ-CHÁVEZ ERANDI , VOVIDES ANDREW P. , CASTRO-CASTRO ARTURO , SOSA VICTORIA
Published: October 2024

Dicranocarpus is a monotypic genus endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert with atypical attributes among species of tribe Coreopsideae. Phylogenetic position of Dicranocarpus parviflorus has been controversial. A molecular phylogeny showed that the taxon was closely related to Dahlia; however, further analyses with a wider sampling of Dahlia, also including Hidalgoa, identified the genus in a more distant clade. The objective of this study is to gather anatomical attributes from the cypselae as well as palynological characters along with macromorphology to determine whether Dicranocarpus shares characters with these genera in Coreopsideae. Our results show that although the pollen of D. parviflorus does not possess attributes that distinguish it from the rest of the tribe Coreopsideae, they were useful to confirm its membership in the tribe. The cypselae anatomy identified that D. parviflorus has characters of taxonomic value that differentiate this species from the rest of the Coreopsideae. The three most significant novel characters in Dicranocarpus were in the outer mesocarp, consisting of tracheoidal-like cells forming irregular rows up to 250 μm in length, an aerenchyma in the middle mesocarp, and the lack of phytomelanin and calcium oxalate crystals. Furthermore, the results of the phytomelanin patterns in the studied taxa highlight the need for further anatomical studies of the cypselae to fully understand the evolution of phytomelanin deposition in the tribe Coreopsideae and even in the Heliantheae Alliance. Macromorphological, palynological and anatomical attributes of the cypsela in Dicranocarpus were not shared with Dahlia. Moreover, the sexual condition of the disc and ray florets shared with Hidalgoa has evolved independently in lineages of Asteraceae.
Taxonomic and phylogenetic evidence reveal two new Volvariella species (Agaricales, Volvariellaceae) from Denmark
Authors: KAYGUSUZ OĞUZHAN , KNUDSEN HENNING
Published: October 2024

Two new species of Volvariella from Denmark, V. similis and V. sulcata, are described with phylogenetic inference based on multiple loci (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and 28S). Volvariella similis is characterized by its brownish pileus, grey stipe without caulocystidia, clavate to broadly subutriform pleurocystidia, and cylindrical, tapering pileipellis elements. Volvariella sulcata is distinguished by its smaller basidiomata with a short stipe, sulcate-striate pileus margin, 35–45 lamellae, lageniform pleurocystidia with a long neck and pedicel, and a preference for man-made habitats. Comprehensive descriptions, illustrations, line drawings, and comparisons with morphologically similar and phylogenetically related species are provided.
Revision of the polyphyletic genus Hirrius Bolívar, 1887 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae), with descriptions of three new genera and insights into antennal sensilla morphology
Authors: SKEJO JOSIP , HUSEMANN MARTIN , JR. ROMEO PATANO , TUMBRINCK JOSEF , PUSHKAR TARAS I. , PAVLOVIĆ MARKO , MOHAGAN ALMA , PAMIN JAN-HENRIK , KASALO NIKO
Published: October 2024

Discotettiginae were recently synonymized with Scelimeninae, but the polyphyletic genus Hirrius Bolívar, 1887, with five species endemic to the Philippines and Sulawesi, remained an unsolved issue. Besides similarly widened subapical antennomeres, head and pronotum, other traits suggest that Hirrius members belong to different subfamilies.
The genus is now split into four genera, with four new species. Hirrius (Tetrigidae: incertae sedis) now includes three species, one of which is new, all endemic to Mindanao, the Philippines: H. punctatus (Stål 1877), H. mindanaensis (Günther, 1938), and H. ruber Skejo, Patano et Kasalo sp. nov. A lectotype is designated for H. punctatus, because the type series was found to contain two different species belonging to two different genera. Three new genera are described. Genus Parahirrius Skejo, Patano et Kasalo gen. nov. (Tetrigidae: incertae sedis) consists of P. parvus Skejo, Patano et Kasalo sp. nov. and P. amorosus Skejo, Patano et Kasalo sp. nov., both endemic to Mindanao. Genus Zvierckia Skejo, Tumbrinck et Pushkar gen. nov. (Scelimeninae: Discotettigini) includes Z. montana (Günther, 1937), comb. nov., Z. sarasinorum (Günther, 1937), comb nov., and Z. storozhenkoi Skejo et Tumbrinck sp. nov., all endemic to Sulawesi. Genus Guentheracris Skejo, Tumbrinck et Pushkar gen. nov. (Tetrigidae: “Asian Metrodorinae”) includes G. scrobiculata (Günther, 1937), comb. nov. from Sulawesi.
Subapical antennomeres of Zvierckia storozhenkoi sp. nov. and Phaesticus mellerborgi (Stål, 1855) were scanned for the first time and compared to Discotettix belzebuth (Serville, 1838). Zvierckia gen. nov. and Discotettix Costa, 1864, both Scelimeninae: Discotettigini members, share many features of the antennal morphology, such as many basiconic sensilla on the antennal margins giving the ridge a saw-like impression. On the other hand, antennae of Phaesticus Uvarov, 1940 contain many elongated placoid sensilla, which are fully absent in the subapical widened segments of Zvierckia gen. nov. and Discotettix.
Review of Neoleptastacus Nicholls, 1945 (Harpacticoida, Arenopontiidae), including an updated key to species and proposal of Phreatipontia gen. nov.
Authors: SAK SERDAR , KARAYTUĞ SÜPHAN , HUYS RONY
Published: October 2024

A revision of the genus Neoleptastacus Nicholls, 1945 (Harpacticoida, Arenopontiidae) is presented, resulting in the recognition of 24 valid species. The genus is divided in five species groups based on shared morphological character states, i.e. the acanthus-, australis-, speluncae-, trisetosus- and spinicaudatus-groups with the acanthus-group being further fragmented in three subgroups (acanthus, gussoae, ornamentus). The two members of the speluncae-group, Neoleptastacus phreatica (Cottarelli, Bruno & Venanzetti, 1994) and N. speluncae (Cottarelli, Bruno & Venanzetti, 1994), are redescribed and transferred to a new genus, Phreatipontia gen. nov., that appears to have a preference for low salinity habitats. The Mediterranean N. acanthus (Chappuis, 1954) is redescribed based on material from Türkiye and considered potentially conspecific with N. huysi (Karanovic, 2000). The male specimen illustrated in the original description of N. longiremis (Chappuis, 1955) is designated as the lectotype to define the nominal taxon objectively in the likely event that females and males assigned to this inadequately described species turn out to be non-conspecific. Detailed morphological comparison of species currently allocated to the gussoae-complex revealed three new cryptic taxa from Central and South America which are accorded specific rank (N. abbreviatus sp. nov., N. chilensis sp. nov., and N. rectus sp. nov.). The taxonomic status of Arenopontia (Neoleptastacus) acantha accraensis Lang, 1965 sensu Kunz (1971) is reassessed based on material from Angola and described as N. emendatus sp. nov. The Panamanian material previously identified as N. trisetosus (Mielke, 1982) is considered to represent a distinct species, N. panamensis sp. nov. while N. pseudishikarianus sp. nov. is proposed for the Chilean “population” of N. ishikarianus (Itô, 1968). Neoleptastacus supersetosus sp. nov. is described from Kuwait, representing the first arenopontiid record from the Arabian Peninsula. Neoleptastacus secundus Krishnaswamy, 1957 and N. accraensis (Lang, 1965) are treated as species inquirendae while Arenopontia breviarticulata Mielke, 1975 is removed from its provisional position in Neoleptastacus and placed as species incertae sedis in the Arenopontiidae. Distribution data are summarized for each species and the previously assumed amphi-Panamanian and amphi-Pacific distribution patterns of N. gussoae (Cottarelli, 1973) and N. ishikarianus, respectively, are rejected. Updated keys to the 24 valid species of Neoleptastacus and the six genera currently recognized in the family are provided.
New Ecological Observations and Occurrence for Asteroidea and Echinoidea in Hong Kong
Authors: YIU SAM KING FUNG , MAH CHRISTOPHER L.
Published: October 2024

This paper reports several new occurrences for Asteroidea and Echinoidea in Hong Kong. New records for asteroids include Anseropoda rosacea, Aquilonastra cepheus, Pentaceraster alveolatus, Pentaceraster sibogae, and Culcita novaeguineae. For echinoids, new records include Coelopleurus maculatus, Eucidaris metularia, Prionocidaris baculosa, Echinostrephus molaris, Pseudoboletia indiana, Salmacis bicolor, Stomopneustes variolaris, Toxopneustes pileolus, Clypeaster reticulatus, Metalia spatagus, and Nacospatangus altus. Several novel ecological observations on behavior, diet and morphological variation are also described. These additional occurrences and new observations are attributed to more comprehensive reporting from SCUBA diving as well as the advent of shared resources from social media platforms.
The genus Tetralicia Harrison (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae) in California, U.S.A., with the description of five new species and a redescription of Tetralicia granulata Sampson & Drews, 1941
Authors: ELLENRIEDER NATALIA VON , GILL RAYMOND J.
Published: October 2024

Nineteen species of Tetralicia Harrison are recorded from California, United States of America, of which five are new to science and are described here: Tetralicia agrifoliae sp. nov., T. guajavae sp. nov., T. hoelmeri sp. nov., T. lantanae sp. nov., and T. salsolae sp. nov., and four are new records for the State: T. abnormis (Quaintance, 1900), T. eriogonum (Carapia-Ruiz, 2020), T. mexicana (Carapia Ruiz & Sánchez Flores in Carapia Ruiz, Sánchez Flores, García Martínez & Castillo Gutiérrez, 2018), and T. nevadensis (Dooley in Dooley, Lambrecht & Honda, 2010). Neotypes are designated for California species for which types were not designated originally and for which type material is apparently lost: Aleuropleurocelus acaudatus Drews & Sampson, 1958, A. coachellensis Drews & Sampson, 1958, A. laingi Drews & Sampson, 1956, A. oblanceolatus Drews & Sampson, 1958, and A. ornatus Drews & Sampson, 1958. All Tetralicia species found in California are keyed, fully illustrated, measured, and accompanied by species accounts based on their puparia including characterization, diagnosis, hosts, and distribution. Tetralicia granulata Sampson & Drews, 1941 is redescribed based on its type material, and it is believed to be currently known only from its type series from Mexico. The earlier nymphal instars of four species (T. guajavae, T. hoelmeri, T. hyptisemoryi, and T. lantanae) and the adults of three species (T. guajavae, T. hoelmeri, and T. lantanae) are described, illustrated, and diagnosed from known congeners.
Counseling Psychology Marches Toward Racial Justice as Society Embraces “Neutrality”
Authors: Helms Janet E.
Published: October 2024

In the inaugural speech for the Society of Counseling Psychology’s Janet E. Helms Racial Justice Award, the author thanked the multiple parties responsible for establishing the award in recognition of her efforts toward promoting racial justice and for providing impetus for future generations to carry forth the mission of racial justice in the various domains that define counseling psychology. In addition, she contended that the march toward racial justice has been obscured by multicultural pluralism that denies the effects of racism on everyone regardless of culture or other isms. As a consequence, counselors’ skills are often inadequate for addressing systemic policies intended to neutralize racial justice efforts. The author proposes some crude racial justice guidelines for counselors to encourage them to mitigate the confusion that now exists with respect to racism, racial justice, and culture in our profession and society at large.
EXPRESS: The Multitier Discount Effect
Authors: Yang Haiyang
Published: October 2024

How can firms make their quantity discounts more attractive to consumers? This research proposes that, instead of providing only a quantity discount (e.g., regular price: $6.99 each; buy two: $5.59 each), offering it along with an additional tier of discount (e.g., buy one: $6.79 each) can increase the likelihood that consumers take the quantity discount. This “multitier discount effect” occurs because the inclusion of the additional discount tier can lead consumers to perceive the quantity discount price as lower. Through a series of studies involving different consumption contexts, product categories, price points and discount levels, this research demonstrates the multitier discount effect, its mechanism and key boundary conditions. Specifically, Study 1 shows that social media ads featuring multitier (vs. control) discounts can attract higher clickthrough rates. In a preregistered incentive-compatible setup, Study 2 demonstrates the multitier discount effect and the mediating role of perceived price difference. Studies 3-5 indicate that the price level of the additional discount tier, consumers’ prior purchase frequency, and their distrust of advertised original price can each moderate the multitier discount effect. These findings add to the theoretical literature and provide actionable managerial insights.
LncRNA NRIR serves as a biomarker for systemic lupus erythematosus and participates in the disease progression
Authors: Ma Qingfeng , Li Li , Xing Youzhong
Published: October 2024

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disorder characterized by a malfunction of the body’s immune defense system.

Objective

The objective of the present investigation was to examine the expression and diagnostic significance of NRIR in SLE and to prove whether it is involved in the progression of SLE.

Methods

The study involved 110 participants, including 55 healthy individuals and 55 SLE patients. The expression levels of NRIR, miR-31-5p, and ICAM-1 were measured using qRT-PCR. The ROC curve was performed to assess the diagnostic significance of NRIR in SLE patients. Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to explore the relationship between NRIR and other indicators. Cytokines including IL-4, IL-6, and IL-21, along with IgG levels, were assessed using ELISA. The interaction between NRIR and miR-31-5p was validated using a dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Result

Upregulated expression of NRIR was observed in individuals with SLE, serving a diagnostic function for SLE. Additionally, abnormal expression of NRIR impacted the viability of CD4+ T cells within SLE patients. NRIR could negatively modulate the expression of miR-31-5p.

Conclusion

LncRNA NRIR may be a potential biomarker for SLE and is likely involved in the progression of SLE.
Preventative Polarization: Republican Senators’ Positional Adaptation in the Tea Party Era
Authors: Cowburn Mike , Theriault Sean
Published: October 2024

Republicans in Congress have, by almost any measure, become significantly more conservative over the last 25 years. We propose that the changing pressures they face when seeking reelection helps explain this trend. Rather than moderating towards the general election median voter as they had previously done, Republican senators became more conservative when seeking reelection to avoid the emergence of, or mitigate the threat from, a primary opponent after the Tea Party emerged. We also show that at the height of the Tea Party era—the 111th to 113th congresses—retiring senators moderated their voting behavior, suggesting that their personal preferences were more moderate than their expressed preferences. During the Trump era, we report mixed results, suggesting that the threat posed by primary challengers was not solely ideological, though the new dynamics and behaviors that emerged in the Tea Party era have continued to shape the Republican Party in the Senate.
Getting time and building trust: unveiling the systemic, relational, and personal factors influencing clinical pharmacy service implementation in South Africa, a qualitative study
Authors: Crafford Lucille , Kusurkar Rashmi A , Bronkhorst Elmien , Gous Andries , Wouters Anouk
Published: October 2024

Background

While multidisciplinary teams with clinical pharmacists improve medication use and outcomes, their integration in South Africa faces limitations. A lack of dedicated positions and healthcare professionals’ misunderstanding restrict ward activities and hinder full collaboration, limiting their potential to optimize patient care. This study addresses a gap by exploring how perceived healthcare professionals’ understanding of clinical pharmacists’ roles impacts their motivation and service implementation. Understanding these dynamics, particularly in resource-constrained settings, is crucial for optimizing integration and healthcare delivery.

Methods

Adopting a constructivist approach, this qualitative study was conducted using focus group discussions. Through purposive sampling clinical pharmacists were recruited across South Africa’s public healthcare sector. A semi-structured guide based on previous findings explored how the perceived understanding around clinical pharmacy impacts service delivery and work motivation. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis, guided by the Self-Determination Theory framework. Thematic analysis employed an inductive approach, following an initial preliminary analysis of open and selective coding to develop a coding framework.

Results

Clinical pharmacists (n = 16) reported various challenges impacting service implementation and motivation. Two main themes were identified: (1) Time: Dedicated ward time is crucial for both the proper implementation of clinical services, as well as the clinical pharmacists’ motivation; and (2) Trust: Clinical pharmacists experience a lack of trust amongst healthcare professionals in the value of clinical pharmacy services. The themes illustrated mechanisms at work at three levels: systemic (lack of dedicated positions), inter-relational (healthcare professional’s misconceptions), and personal (thwarted autonomy).

Conclusions

Systemic challenges, like the absence of official positions present the biggest obstacle, affecting support, scope of practice, and healthcare professional interactions. While systemic changes are crucial for full integration of clinical pharmacists, in resource-constrained settings fostering autonomous motivation is equally important. This study emphasizes the need for a multi-faceted approach, including policy changes, international collaboration, interprofessional education, and interventions to empower clinical pharmacists for proactive service delivery. By addressing these interconnected challenges, healthcare systems can leverage the full potential of clinical pharmacists, ultimately improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
Spatial-transcriptomic profiling: a new lens for understanding myelofibrosis pathophysiology
Authors: Peroni Edoardo , Calistri Elisabetta , Amato Rosario , Gottardi Michele , Rosato Antonio
Published: October 2024

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a complex myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by abnormal hematopoietic stem cell proliferation and subsequent bone marrow (BM) fibrosis. First documented in the late 19th century, MF has since been extensively studied to unravel its pathophysiology, clinical phenotypes, and therapeutic interventions. MF can be classified into primary and secondary forms, both driven by mutations in genes such as JAK2, CALR, and MPL, which activate the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. These driver mutations are frequently accompanied by additional non-driver mutations in genes like TET2, SRSF2, and TP53, contributing to disease complexity. The BM microenvironment, consisting of stromal cells, extracellular matrix, and cytokines such as TGF-β and TNF-α, plays a critical role in fibrosis and aberrant hematopoiesis. Clinically, MF manifests with symptoms ranging from anemia, splenomegaly, and fatigue to severe complications such as leukemic transformation. Splenomegaly, caused by extramedullary hematopoiesis, leads to abdominal discomfort and early satiety. Current therapeutic strategies include JAK inhibitors like Ruxolitinib, which target the JAK-STAT pathway, alongside supportive treatments such as blood transfusions, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and developing combinatorial approaches. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative option, though it is limited to younger, high-risk patients. Recently approved JAK inhibitors, including Fedratinib, Pacritinib, and Momelotinib, have expanded the therapeutic landscape. Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics (SRT) has revolutionized the study of gene expression within the spatial context of tissues, providing unprecedented insights into cellular heterogeneity, spatial gene regulation, and microenvironmental interactions, including stromal-hematopoietic dynamics. SRT enables high-resolution mapping of gene expression in the BM and spleen, revealing molecular signatures, spatial heterogeneity, and pathological niches that drive disease progression. These technologies elucidate the role of the spleen in MF, highlighting its transformation into a site of abnormal hematopoietic activity, fibrotic changes, and immune cell infiltration, functioning as a “tumor surrogate.” By profiling diverse cell populations and molecular alterations within the BM and spleen, SRT facilitates a deeper understanding of MF pathophysiology, helping identify novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Ultimately, integrating spatial transcriptomics into MF research promises to enhance diagnostic precision and therapeutic innovation, addressing the multifaceted challenges of this disease.
Mapping the glial transcriptome in Huntington’s disease using snRNAseq: selective disruption of glial signatures across brain regions
Authors: Bøstrand Sunniva M. K. , Seeker Luise A. , Bestard-Cuche Nadine , Kazakou Nina-Lydia , Jäkel Sarah , Kenkhuis Boyd , Henderson Neil C. , de Bot Susanne T. , van Roon-Mom Willeke M. C. , Priller Josef , Williams Anna
Published: October 2024

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease with a fatal outcome. There is accumulating evidence of a prominent role of glia in the pathology of HD, and we investigated this by conducting single nuclear RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) of human post mortem brain in four differentially affected regions; caudate nucleus, frontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. Across 127,205 nuclei from donors with HD and age/sex matched controls, we found heterogeneity of glia which is altered in HD. We describe prominent changes in the abundance of certain subtypes of astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocyte precursor cells and oligodendrocytes between HD and control samples, and these differences are widespread across brain regions. Furthermore, we highlight possible mechanisms that characterise the glial contribution to HD pathology including depletion of myelinating oligodendrocytes, an oligodendrocyte-specific upregulation of the calmodulin-dependent 3’,5’-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 1 A (PDE1A) and an upregulation of molecular chaperones as a cross-glial signature and a potential adaptive response to the accumulation of mutant huntingtin (mHTT). Our results support the hypothesis that glia have an important role in the pathology of HD, and show that all types of glia are affected in the disease.
DroneSilient (drone + resilient): an anti-drone system
Authors: Nair Meghna Manoj , Sriraman Harini , Sai Gadiparthy Harika , Pattabiraman V.
Published: October 2024

It is imperative to take a holistic strategy to thwarting drone threats, including the identification of drones and drone-like gadgets like ornithopters that visually imitate birds. In this study, we present the DroneSilient System, a novel anti-drone system that combines different parts. The DroneSilient system includes components that connect to RF identification technology and image-capture technology. A modified bloom filter method is used to further identify the recognized object after a drone-like object has been found, allowing for the differentiation between regular drones, ornithopters, and genuine birds. The CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) method, created using the Google Cloud Platform and AutoML widget, is used in our model for object identification and categorization. DroneSilient has an RF sensor that can identify and imitate the threat presented by recognized drones. Convolutional Network, Modified Blooms Algorithm, RFID, and RF Sensor systems are all integrated into the DroneSilient system as part of this methodology combination, which provides a thorough method for identifying and eliminating drone threats. The bloom filter proposed takes 27.6 to 12.4 microseconds. Overall time for handling the unauthorized drone will be less than 180 s. By tackling every facet of the problem, our strategy outperforms many current anti-drone solutions in terms of functionality.
Pharmacological interventions for co-occurring psychopathology in people with borderline personality disorder: secondary analysis of the Cochrane systematic review with meta-analyses
Authors: Pereira Ribeiro Johanne , Juul Sophie , Kongerslev Mickey T. , Jørgensen Mie Sedoc , Völlm Birgit A , Edemann-Callesen Henriette , Sales Christian , Schaug Julie P. , Lieb Klaus , Simonsen Erik , Stoffers-Winterling Jutta M. , Storebø Ole Jakob
Published: October 2024

Background

Medications are commonly used to treat co-occurring psychopathology in persons with borderline personality disorder (BPD)

Aims

To systematically review and integrate the evidence of medications for treatment of co-occurring psychopathology in people with BPD, and explore the role of comorbidities.

Method

Building on the current Cochrane review of medications in BPD, an update literature search was done in March 2024. We followed the methods of this Cochrane review, but scrutinised all identified placebo-controlled trials post hoc for reporting of non BPD-specific (‘co-occurring’) psychopathology, and explored treatment effects in subgroups of samples with and without defined co-occurring disorders. GRADE ratings were done to assess the evidence certainty.

Results

Twenty-two trials were available for quantitative analyses. For antipsychotics, we found very-low-certainty evidence (VLCE) of an effect on depressive symptoms (standardised mean difference (SMD) −0.22, P = 0.04), and low-certainty evidence (LCE) of an effect on psychotic–dissociative symptoms (SMD −0.28, P = 0.007). There was evidence of effects of anticonvulsants on depressive (SMD −0.44, P = 0.02; LCE) and anxious symptoms (SMD −1.11, P < 0.00001; VLCE). For antidepressants, no significant findings were observed (VLCE). Exploratory subgroup analyses indicated a greater effect of antipsychotics in samples including participants with co-occurring substance use disorders on psychotic–dissociative symptoms (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Our findings, based on VLCE and LCE only, do not support the use of pharmacological interventions in people with BPD to target co-occurring psychopathology. Overall, the current evidence does not support differential treatment effects in persons with versus without defined comorbidities. Medications should be used cautiously to target co-occurring psychopathology.
Effect of Prednisone Dosing on Mineralocorticoid-Related Side Effects With Abiraterone in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Goryachok Maksym , Nicklawsky Andrew , Ahmad Hiba , Geiger Christopher , Kim Simon , Flaig Thomas W.
Published: October 2024

PURPOSE

Abiraterone use for prostate cancer can cause mineralocorticoid excess syndrome (MES; eg, hypertension and hypokalemia). Prednisone mitigates these effects; however, the optimal dose level is unclear. This study examines MES effects from abiraterone with 5 mg of prednisone once daily versus 5 mg twice daily.

METHODS

Data for 1,410 abiraterone-treated patients from 2011 to 2022 were identified from a large academic/community hospital system. Three hundred and fifty-three patients were excluded for missing medication data and use of an alternative steroid; 1,057 patients remained (5 mg once daily, n = 550, 5 mg twice daily, n = 507). Prednisone dose was treated as a time-varying covariate. Hypokalemia and hypertension incidence over 24 weeks after abiraterone initiation was analyzed via Cox proportional hazard models using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (v5.0) grading via direct clinical measurements and International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 code outcomes.

RESULTS

Patients receiving 5 mg of prednisone twice daily had a statistically significant decrease in cumulative hazard for experiencing at least one MES event (hypertension and/or hypokalemia) via direct clinical measurement (hazard ratio [HR], 0.79 [CI, 0.68 to 0.91];
P
= .002) and by ICD-10 code (HR, 0.65 [CI, 0.54 to 0.79];
P
< .001) analysis. This finding was durable with individual end point analysis of hypertension and hypokalemia. There were no changes to BMI or hyperglycemia (>140 mg/dL) between the cohorts.

CONCLUSION

This retrospective analysis shows a decrease in risk for the development of at least one episode of hypertension or hypokalemia with abiraterone using 5 mg twice-daily prednisone in the study population. Assessments of metabolic impacts (BMI, hyperglycemia) did not show differences with prednisone dosing. These findings may merit consideration when determining an optimal prednisone dosing regimen.
Microsatellite Instability and Clinical Use in Sarcomas: Systematic Review and Illustrative Case Report
Authors: Fernandes Italo , Dias e Silva Douglas , Segatelli Vanderlei , Filippi Renée Zon , Carolina de Rezende Ana , Campregher Paulo , Moura Fernando , Jesus-Garcia Reynaldo , Pestana Roberto Carmagnani
Published: October 2024

Sarcomas, a diverse group of malignancies, exhibit substantial heterogeneity in both biological behavior and microenvironment, influencing their response to immunotherapy. Although pembrolizumab is approved for deficient mismatch repair or microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) tumors regardless of histology, there is a paucity of data to support its effectiveness in dMMR/MSI-H sarcomas. This study presents a case of a metastatic undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of the retroperitoneum with dMMR status demonstrating a sustained complete response to pembrolizumab. Our case revealed inconsistencies in identifying dMMR/MSI-H status through next-generation sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction methods. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to analyze various methods for assessing dMMR/MSI-H and to explore whether pembrolizumab's indications rely on this biomarker.
Imogen Binnie's Unreliable Narrators
Authors: Grossman Jonathan H.
Published: October 2024

This essay makes the case that Binnie has crafted an unreliable narrator in the 2012 short story “I Met a Girl Named Bat Who Met Jeffrey Palmer,” and it then extends that argument to her 2013 novel Nevada. The literary device of the unreliable narrator has long been, and continues to be, entangled with the status of bodies, racialized, colonized, sexualized, neurodiverse, gendered, age categorized, and so on. My contention is that Binnie ought to be recognized for the way she claims the fictional device of the unreliable narrator for a modern US trans context. As this essay contends, Nevada may depict the experiences of being trans in all kinds of insightful ways, but it makes the comic absurdity of ever adequately creating a reliable framework to explicate being trans into its structuring starting point. In developing the unreliable narrator as a riposte to trans legibility, Binnie's fiction instances what Grace Lavery calls “trans realism.”
Lacanian Anxieties
Authors: Lovett Matthew
Published: October 2024

This essay argues that Lacanian psychoanalysis and trans studies can indeed accommodate each other rather than appear incommensurable. It first acknowledges the problem of Lacanian transphobia via the recent work of Slavoj Žižek and Jacques-Alain Miller, and organizes their arguments around three related psychoanalytic concerns: demand, desire, and the real of sexual difference. In showing how Žižek and Miller orient their arguments around these axes, the author shows that they misread trans subjects solely as subjects of demand, as those who refuse to cope with, and instead misrecognize or cancel, the real of sexual difference. After indicating the role of countertransference in these interpretations, the author then turns to accounts from trans persons and trans affirmative Lacanians to resituate trans subjects as subjects of desire rather than of demand. This shows requests for trans medical care to be in the name of facilitating, rather than stopping, desire.
Rethinking Trans Trajectories via Life History
Authors: Lewis Vek
Published: October 2024

This article provides a life history analysis of Pepa Moreno, a transgender individual from Puebla, Mexico. The life events that she narrated in the interview conducted at her home and business—her move out of street sex work and her start as a business and property owner—offer a glimpse into the intertwining of personal/familial history and the processes unfolding in the spaces of society and economy. The article employs a critical realist framework around identity, based on life history as method, setting the scene around major restructurings of economy that private property regimes, urban transformation, morphing class realities, and capital investment (under neoliberalism) effected over her life: from adolescence into middle age. These transformations conjugate with changes across Pepa's own trajectory; key here are the meanings of “legitimate” work and moral worth that lie at the heart of the moral-legal economies that trans people in town, especially of working-class backgrounds, must confront. Labor status and class deeply intersect with a remaking of herself, which culminates with her naming herself as transgender once she has established herself as property owner and businessperson. However, even while invoking this category, she does not use it in line with the activist and sexological discourses that arose from the late 1990s on in Mexico City and which became prominent in Puebla in the early 2000s. The article thus maps the changing positions—and positionalities—of Pepa, examining the dialectics between lived experience and social structure, and the spaces of agency achieved through identity work.
Initial Symptom Severity and Recovery of Sport-Related Concussion in Team Versus Individual Sport Athletes
Authors: Long Connor C. , Dugan John E. , Jo Jacob , Williams Kristen L. , Jonzzon Soren , Terry Douglas P. , Yengo-Kahn Aaron M. , Zuckerman Scott L.
Published: October 2024

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Recovery after sport-related concussion is variable, and potential differences between team vs individual sport athletes are not fully understood. In a cohort of athletes with concussions, we sought to compare these groups across (1) symptom severity score, (2) individual symptom cluster scores, and (3) recovery metrics.

METHODS:

A retrospective, cohort study of 13 to 23-year-old athletes treated at a regional sport concussion center between November 2017 and April 2022 was conducted. Athletes were categorized into team vs individual sport athletes, with additional classification of individual sports based on strong vs minimal team elements (ie, the degree of interdependence displayed by athletes). The primary outcomes were symptom severity score, measured by either the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5th Edition or the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing, and physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep symptom cluster scores. Secondary outcomes were recovery metrics, including time to return-to-learn, symptom resolution, and return-to-play.

RESULTS:

Of the 1051 athletes, 954 (90.8%) were in team sports and 97 (9.2%) in individual sports. In multivariable linear regression, individual sport athletes had higher emotional symptom severity compared with team sport athletes (β = 0.09 [0.01, 0.17], P = .034) when adjusting for sex, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, psychological disorders, time to clinic, on-field evaluation, and Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing vs Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5th Edition scale. There were no significant differences in return-to-learn (P = .104), symptom resolution (P = .941), or return-to-play (P = .279) on univariate regressions.

CONCLUSION:

In the current single-center, pilot study of athletes with a sport-related concussion, individual sport athletes exhibited more emotional symptoms than team sport athletes. These preliminary data lend early support that individual sport athletes may be more at risk of emotional symptoms than team sport athletes after a sport-related concussion. Clinicians may use these findings to identify athletes who may be particularly vulnerable to emotional symptoms.
COMPARATIVE STUDY ON CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE LEVEL AMONG EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES IN RUSSIA AND CHINA
Authors: Li Zijun , Tokarskaya Lyudmila V.
Published: October 2024

Background. As inclusive education and social participatory parity continue to develop, more and more professional-trained people with disabilities are seeking opportunities for integration into the workplace. However, they face various of challenges in the current work environment. From the perspective of the cultural model of disability, employees with disabilities vary from their able-bodied colleagues in terms of cognition or behavioral patterns. As a result, newer concept such as the disability cultural competence has emerged. In order to adapt and function well in diverse and inclusive work teams, the cultural intelligence of employees with disabilities has become vital yet to be deeply explored in Russia.
Purpose. This paper attempts to reveal the cultural intelligence level of Russian employees with disabilities and to compare cultural intelligence between employees with disabilities from Russia and China.
Materials and methods. Cultural intelligence has been measured through the Russia and Chinese adaptation Cultural Intelligence Scale among 25 Russian and 23 Chinese employees with disabilities. Then, SPSS 26.0 was used to carry out the descriptive analysis, normality test and mean comparison analysis.
Results. Both Russian and Chinese employees' cultural intelligence are at average level. And Russian employees with disabilities have higher cultural intelligence level than the Chinese ones. Besides, this study underlined that there is no significant difference in cultural intelligence by ethnic, gender or type of disability while there is significant difference in cultural intelligence depending on the participants' age.
SOCIAL PORTRAIT OF A STUDENT OF THE ADVANCED ENGINEERING SCHOOL OF KAZAN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY
Authors: Bilyalova Albina A. , Gilyazeva Emma N. , Khairullina Dinara D.
Published: October 2024

Background. In modern Russia, there is a task of creating a strong corps of highly qualified engineers capable of implementing the country’s scientific and technical strategies. Engineers should not only possess professional skills but also creative thinking to generate and implement innovative ideas.
Purpose. The aim of the research is to develop and analyze the social portrait of students of the Advanced Engineering School “Cyber Auto Tech” of Kazan Federal University.
Materials and methods. The study relies on an integrative approach that combines theoretical positions of psychology and sociology, as well as research methods of comparative analysis, modeling, and classification. Social statistics methods included surveying and data analysis.
Results. The research revealed that the typical student of the Advanced Engineering School “Cyber Auto Tech” of Kazan Federal University is a young person aged 18-21 years, with high academic motivation and interested in receiving quality education. Students value the opportunity for budget-based education and the geographical proximity of the university, strive for professional development and financial stability. The research results emphasize the importance of adapting educational programs to modern requirements and challenges to support the youth in the engineering field and contribute to the development of the country’s technological and economic potential.