bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Female Genital Cosmetic and Reconstructive Procedures on Body and Genital Self-Image: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Alavi-Arjas Fatemeh , Goodman Michael P , Simbar Masoumeh , Majd Hamid Alavi , Sharp Gemma , Nahidi Fatemeh
Published: April 2023

Performance of female genital cosmetic and reconstructive procedures (FGCRP) has been increasing over past decades. Appearance and functional concerns are the most common reasons for seeking FGCRP. Poor body and genital self-image may contribute to the increase in demand for surgery. The aim of this systematic review is to explore outcomes of FGCRP in the domains of body and genital self-image. A systematic literature review of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was conducted to identify articles that measured body and genital self-image in females after FGCRP. The authors identified 5 articles for a systematic review of body image and 8 studies for a systematic review of genital self-image. The most common procedure performed was labia minora labiaplasty. Instruments for body image evaluation were the Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder and the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory. Genital image was assessed with the Female Genital Self-Image Scale and Genital Appearance Satisfaction (GAS) scale. Most of the studies indicated that FGCRP can improve both body image and genital self-image; meta-analysis revealed that FGCRP improved GAS scores by 17.96 (range: 0-33; P < .001). It appears that FGCRP leads to improvements in females’ body and genital self-image. Inconsistencies in study design and measures, however, limit this conclusion. Future research should involve more rigorous study designs (for example randomized clinical trials with large sample sizes) for a more accurate assessment of FGCRP's consequences.

Level of Evidence: 4
NSRGRN: a network structure refinement method for gene regulatory network inference
Authors: Liu Wei , Yang Yu , Lu Xu , Fu Xiangzheng , Sun Ruiqing , Yang Li , Peng Li
Published: April 2023

The elucidation of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) is one of the central challenges of systems biology, which is crucial for understanding pathogenesis and curing diseases. Various computational methods have been developed for GRN inference, but identifying redundant regulation remains a fundamental problem. Although considering topological properties and edge importance measures simultaneously can identify and reduce redundant regulations, how to address their respective weaknesses whilst leveraging their strengths is a critical problem faced by researchers. Here, we propose a network structure refinement method for GRN (NSRGRN) that effectively combines the topological properties and edge importance measures during GRN inference. NSRGRN has two major parts. The first part constructs a preliminary ranking list of gene regulations to avoid starting the GRN inference from a directed complete graph. The second part develops a novel network structure refinement (NSR) algorithm to refine the network structure from local and global topology perspectives. Specifically, the Conditional Mutual Information with Directionality and network motifs are applied to optimise the local topology, and the lower and upper networks are used to balance the bilateral relationship between the local topology’s optimisation and the global topology’s maintenance. NSRGRN is compared with six state-of-the-art methods on three datasets (26 networks in total), and it shows the best all-round performance. Furthermore, when acting as a post-processing step, the NSR algorithm can improve the results of other methods in most datasets.
LogBTF: gene regulatory network inference using Boolean threshold network model from single-cell gene expression data
Authors: Li Lingyu , Sun Liangjie , Chen Guangyi , Wong Chi-Wing , Ching Wai-Ki , Liu Zhi-Ping
Published: April 2023

Motivation

From a systematic perspective, it is crucial to infer and analyze gene regulatory network (GRN) from high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing data. However, most existing GRN inference methods mainly focus on the network topology, only few of them consider how to explicitly describe the updated logic rules of regulation in GRNs to obtain their dynamics. Moreover, some inference methods also fail to deal with the over-fitting problem caused by the noise in time series data.

Results

In this article, we propose a novel embedded Boolean threshold network method called LogBTF, which effectively infers GRN by integrating regularized logistic regression and Boolean threshold function. First, the continuous gene expression values are converted into Boolean values and the elastic net regression model is adopted to fit the binarized time series data. Then, the estimated regression coefficients are applied to represent the unknown Boolean threshold function of the candidate Boolean threshold network as the dynamical equations. To overcome the multi-collinearity and over-fitting problems, a new and effective approach is designed to optimize the network topology by adding a perturbation design matrix to the input data and thereafter setting sufficiently small elements of the output coefficient vector to zeros. In addition, the cross-validation procedure is implemented into the Boolean threshold network model framework to strengthen the inference capability. Finally, extensive experiments on one simulated Boolean value dataset, dozens of simulation datasets, and three real single-cell RNA sequencing datasets demonstrate that the LogBTF method can infer GRNs from time series data more accurately than some other alternative methods for GRN inference.

Availability and implementation

The source data and code are available at https://github.com/zpliulab/LogBTF.
RING-PyMOL: residue interaction networks of structural ensembles and molecular dynamics
Authors: Del Conte Alessio , Monzon Alexander Miguel , Clementel Damiano , Camagni Giorgia F , Minervini Giovanni , Tosatto Silvio C E , Piovesan Damiano
Published: April 2023

RING-PyMOL is a plugin for PyMOL providing a set of analysis tools for structural ensembles and molecular dynamic simulations. RING-PyMOL combines residue interaction networks, as provided by the RING software, with structural clustering to enhance the analysis and visualization of the conformational complexity. It combines precise calculation of non-covalent interactions with the power of PyMOL to manipulate and visualize protein structures. The plugin identifies and highlights correlating contacts and interaction patterns that can explain structural allostery, active sites, and structural heterogeneity connected with molecular function. It is easy to use and extremely fast, processing and rendering hundreds of models and long trajectories in seconds. RING-PyMOL generates a number of interactive plots and output files for use with external tools. The underlying RING software has been improved extensively. It is 10 times faster, can process mmCIF files and it identifies typed interactions also for nucleic acids.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/BioComputingUP/ring-pymol
A parahippocampal-sensory Bayesian vicious circle generates pain or tinnitus: a source-localized EEG study
Authors: De Ridder Dirk , Friston Karl , Sedley William , Vanneste Sven
Published: April 2023

Pain and tinnitus share common pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical features, and treatment approaches. A source-localized resting-state EEG study was conducted in 150 participants: 50 healthy controls, 50 pain, and 50 tinnitus patients. Resting-state activity as well as functional and effective connectivity was computed in source space. Pain and tinnitus were characterized by increased theta activity in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, extending to the lateral prefrontal cortex and medial anterior temporal lobe. Gamma-band activity was increased in both auditory and somatosensory cortex, irrespective of the pathology, and extended to the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and parahippocampus. Functional and effective connectivity were largely similar in pain and tinnitus, except for a parahippocampal-sensory loop that distinguished pain from tinnitus. In tinnitus, the effective connectivity between parahippocampus and auditory cortex is bidirectional, whereas the effective connectivity between parahippocampus and somatosensory cortex is unidirectional. In pain, the parahippocampal-somatosensory cortex is bidirectional, but parahippocampal auditory cortex unidirectional. These modality-specific loops exhibited theta–gamma nesting. Applying a Bayesian brain model of brain functioning, these findings suggest that the phenomenological difference between auditory and somatosensory phantom percepts result from a vicious circle of belief updating in the context of missing sensory information. This finding may further our understanding of multisensory integration and speaks to a universal treatment for pain and tinnitus—by selectively disrupting parahippocampal-somatosensory and parahippocampal-auditory theta–gamma activity and connectivity.
A grey case
Authors: Rolls Sophie , Eraifej Natalie , Craig Paul , Wainman Hannah
Published: April 2023

We present an unusual case of a 67-year-old woman who gradually noted blue–grey pigmentation developing in a photodistributed pattern. She felt well in herself and there were no systemic features. She had a history of hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia and absence seizures for which she took ramipril, atorvastatin, levetiracetam as well as alternative therapies for recurrent urinary tract infections.
Therapy With Allogeneic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2–Specific T Cells for Persistent Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Immunocompromised Patients
Authors: Haidar Ghady , Jacobs Jana L , Kramer Kailey Hughes , Naqvi Asma , Heaps Amy , Parikh Urvi , McCormick Kevin D , Sobolewski Michele D , Agha Mounzer , Bogdanovich Tatiana , Bushunow Vasilii , Farah Rafic , Hensley Matthew , Hsu Yen-Michael S , Johnson Bruce , Klamar-Blain Cynthia , Kozar Jennifer , Lendermon Elizabeth , Macatangay Bernard J C , Marino Christopher C , Raptis Anastasios , Salese Erin , Silveira Fernanda P , Leen Ann M , Marshall William L , Miller Michael , Patel Badrish , Atillasoy Ercem , Mellors John W
Published: April 2023

We administered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 viral-specific T cells (VSTs) under emergency investigational new drug applications to 6 immunocompromised patients with persistent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and characterized clinical and virologic responses. Three patients had partial responses after failing other therapies but then died. Two patients completely recovered, but the role of VSTs in recovery was unclear due to concomitant use of other antivirals. One patient had not responded to 2 courses of remdesivir and experienced sustained recovery after VST administration. The use of VSTs in immunocompromised patients with persistent COVID-19 requires further study.
Economic Burden of Fatigue in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Ananthakrishnan Ashwin N , Desai Raj , Lee Wan-Ju , Griffith Jenny , Chen Naijun , Loftus Edward V
Published: April 2023

Background

This retrospective study gathered medical/pharmacy claims data on patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) between January 01, 2000 and March 31, 2019 from the IBM MarketScan commercial claims database to assess the real-world impact of fatigue on healthcare costs in patients newly diagnosed with IBD.

Methods

Eligible participants were ≥18 years, newly diagnosed with IBD (≥2 separate claims), and had ≥12 months of continuous database enrollment before and after fatigue diagnosis. The date of fatigue diagnosis was the index date; participants were followed for 12 months post-index. Patients with (cases) or without (controls) fatigue were matched 1:1 by propensity score matching. Patients with evidence of prior IBD diagnosis/treatment, or those with a chronic disease other than IBD wherein fatigue is the primary symptom, were excluded. Healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), including hospitalizations, inpatient and outpatient visits, and associated costs were compared between cases and controls.

Results

Matched IBD cohorts (21 321 cases/21 321 controls) were identified (42% Crohn’s disease [CD] and 58% ulcerative colitis [UC]) with similar baseline characteristics (average age: 46 years; 60% female). Cases versus controls had significantly more all-cause outpatient visits (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 95% confidence intervals [95% CI]: 1.64 [1.61, 1.67], P < .001) and all-cause hospitalizations (IRR [95% CI]: 1.92 [1.81, 2.04], P < .001); as well as significantly higher all-cause total direct healthcare costs (mean: $24 620 vs. $15 324; P < .001). Similar findings were observed for IBD-related outcomes, as well as in CD- and UC-specific subgroups.

Conclusions

Presence of fatigue is associated with an increase in HCRU and total medical costs among patients newly diagnosed with IBD.
Lipoprotein(a) and calcific aortic valve disease initiation and progression: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pantelidis Panteleimon , Oikonomou Evangelos , Lampsas Stamatios , Zakynthinos Georgios E , Lysandrou Antonios , Kalogeras Konstantinos , Katsianos Efstratios , Theofilis Panagiotis , Siasos Gerasimos , Vavuranakis Michael Andrew , Antonopoulos Alexios S , Tousoulis Dimitris , Vavouranakis Manolis
Published: April 2023

Although evidence indicates the association of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] with atherosclerosis, the link with calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis explores the connection between Lp(a) and aortic valve calcification and stenosis (AVS). We included all relevant studies, indexed in eight databases, up to February 2023. A total of 44 studies (163 139 subjects) were included, with 16 of them being further meta-analysed. Despite considerable heterogeneity, most studies support the relationship between Lp(a) and CAVD, especially in younger populations, with evidence of early aortic valve micro-calcification in elevated-Lp(a) populations. The quantitative synthesis showed higher Lp(a) levels, by 22.63 nmol/L (95% CI: 9.98–35.27), for patients with AVS, while meta-regressing the data revealed smaller Lp(a) differences for older populations with a higher proportion of females. The meta-analysis of eight studies providing genetic data, revealed that the minor alleles of both rs10455872 and rs3798220 LPA gene loci were associated with higher risk for AVS (pooled odds ratio 1.42; 95% CI: 1.34–1.50 and 1.27; 95% CI: 1.09–1.48, respectively). Importantly, high-Lp(a) individuals displayed not only faster AVS progression, by a mean difference of 0.09 m/s/year (95% CI: 0.09–0.09), but also a higher risk of serious adverse outcomes, including death (pooled hazard ratio 1.39; 95% CI: 1.01–1.90). These summary findings highlight the effect of Lp(a) on CAVD initiation, progression and outcomes, and support the early onset of Lp(a)-related subclinical lesions before clinical evidence.
Stochastic processes shape the functional and phylogenetic structure of bird assemblages at the mine area in southwest China
Authors: Liu Shilong , Zhou Tianlong , Tan Xiaocai , Mtemi Wambura M , Jiang Aiwu
Published: April 2023

Understanding the mechanisms of community assembly is a key question in ecology. Metal pollution may result in significant changes in bird community structure and diversity, with implications for ecosystem processes and function. However, the relative importance of these processes in shaping the bird community at the polluted area is still not clear. Here, we explored bird species richness, functional, and phylogenetic diversity, and the assembly processes of community at the mine region of southwest China. Our results showed that the 3 dimensions of diversity at the mine area were lower than that at the reference sites. In the community assembly, the result was 0 < NRI/ NFRI < 1.96, which indicated deterministic processes (environmental filtering) might drive community clustering. The results of the neutral community model, and normalized stochasticity ratio, showed the dominant role of stochastic processes in shaping the bird community assembly. We further quantified the community-level habitat niche breadth (Bcom), and we found that there was no difference in Bcom-value between the mine area and reference sites. This indicates that the bird communities at the mine area and 3 reference sites were not subjected to extreme environmental selection (same or different resource allocation) to form a highly specialized niche. These findings provide insights into the distribution patterns and dominant ecological processes of bird communities under metal exposure, and extend the knowledge in community assembly mechanisms of bird communities living in the mine area.
Global Type-Specific Genital Human Papillomavirus Prevalence in Men, by Sexual Orientation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kusters Johannes M A , Brouwer Jesca G M , van Benthem Birgit H B , Heijne Janneke C M , Schim van der Loeff Maarten F
Published: April 2023

Background

Knowledge on genital type-specific human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence among men is important for prevention of HPV-related cancers and other diseases. Men who have sex with men (MSM) have higher anal prevalence than men who have sex with women only (MSW) but for genital HPV this is unclear. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of type-specific genital HPV prevalence among men, by sexual orientation.

Methods

MEDLINE and Embase were used for searching publications reporting on male genital HPV prevalence with data from November 2011 onwards. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted estimating pooled type-specific and grouped external genital and urethral HPV prevalence. Subgroup analyses were conducted for sexual orientation.

Results

Twenty-nine studies were eligible. Of those, 13 studies reported prevalence among MSM, 5 among MSW, and 13 studies did not stratify by sexual orientation. The most common genotypes were HPV-6 and HPV-16 for both anatomical locations, although heterogeneity was high. HPV prevalence was similar among studies reporting on MSW, MSM, and men with unknown sexual orientation.

Conclusions

Genital HPV is common among men, with HPV-6 and HPV-16 being the most common genotypes. Type-specific HPV genital prevalence appears to be similar among MSM and MSW, which contrasts with earlier findings on anal HPV.
Rifabutin-Containing Triple Therapy Versus Bismuth Quadruple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Rescue Treatment: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Chen Jinnan , Guo Yixian , Huang Yu , Ding Zhaohui , Wang Jing , Liang Xiao , Xu Ping , Han Yaohua , Lu Hong
Published: April 2023

Background

We compared the efficacy and safety of rifabutin-containing triple therapy with bismuth quadruple therapy for rescue treatment of Helicobacter pylori.

Methods

This was a noninferiority study trial of H. pylori treatment for subjects who had failed at least 2 prior treatments. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive rifabutin triple therapy with 14-day esomeprazole (20 mg), amoxicillin (1.0 g), and rifabutin (150 mg) twice a day; or bismuth quadruple therapy with esomeprazole (20 mg) and bismuth (220 mg) twice a day, plus metronidazole (400 mg) and tetracycline (500 mg) 4 times a day. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by agar dilution and E-test.

Results

From May 2021 to October 2022, a total of 364 subjects were randomized. The eradication rates by intention-to-treat, per-protocol, and modified intention-to-treat were 89.0% (162/182; 95% confidence interval [CI], 83.6%–92.8%), 94.0% (157/167; 95% CI, 89.3%–96.7%), and 93.6% (162/173; 95% CI, 89.0%–96.4%) for rifabutin triple group. For bismuth quadruple group, they were 89.6% (163/182; 95% CI, 84.3%–93.2%), 95.3% (143/150; 95% CI, 90.7%–97.7%), and 93.7% (163/174; 95% CI, 89.0%–96.4%).

Conclusions

The rifabutin triple therapy is an alternative to classical bismuth quadruple therapy for the rescue treatment of H. pylori with fewer side effects and higher compliance.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT04879992.
Reconstruction of Postburn Bone Exposed Defect in the Head and Face Using Two Separate Anterolateral Thigh Chimeric Flap: A Case Report
Authors: Quang Vinh Vu , Thanh Tuan Hoang , Van Anh Tran , Thanh Hai Tong , Trung Quyet Do
Published: April 2023

Reconstruction of soft-tissue defects in the head and face region requires attention to both functional and aesthetic outcomes. In general, large postburn scars are still a daunting challenge for plastic surgeons. Various types of free flaps were previously performed for head and face reconstruction, including the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap. However, to fully cover large and complex defects, the skin pedicle needs a sufficient width. Thus, we have combined dual ALT flaps that were harvested from both the lateral thighs. In this article, we described the case of a 49-year-old female who was presented with a severe scar on the right side of the head and face and zygomatic along with the exposure of temporal bones after extensive burns. Two ALT flaps were supplied by perforators of the descending branches of lateral circumflex femoral arteries. These two source arteries were anastomosed end-to-end to merge into a chimeric flap. The 6-month follow-up revealed an acceptable aesthetic outcome. The effectiveness of the ALT chimeric flap for reconstructing head and face postburn contracture is discussed.
The Saturated Phenomenon of Flesh and Mineness and Otherness of the Body in Illness
Authors: Grīnfelde Māra
Published: April 2023

A key topic within the field of the phenomenology of medicine has been the relationship between body and self in illness, including discussions about the otherness and mineness of the body. The aim of this article is to distinguish between different meanings of bodily otherness and mineness in illness with reference to the interpretation of the body as “saturated phenomenon,” inspired by the phenomenology of Jean-Luc Marion. With the help of Marion’s ideas it is possible to distinguish between two meanings of bodily otherness and of mineness (objective and non-objective forms). These distinctions support and elaborate on ideas already found in the phenomenology of medicine and offer further insights into the nature of the experience of illness.
Solastalgia: Climatic Anxiety—An Emotional Geography to Find Our Way Out
Authors: Ferrarello Susi
Published: April 2023

This paper will discuss the notion of solastalgia or climatic anxiety (Albrecht et al., 2007; Galea et al., 2005) as a form of anxiety connected to traumatic environmental changes that generate an emotional blockage between individuals, their environment (Cloke et al., 2004) and their place (Nancy, 1993). I will use a phenomenological approach to explain the way in which emotions shape our constitution of reality (Husserl, 1970; Sartre, 1983, 1993, 1996; Seamon and Sowers, 2009; Shaw and Ward, 2009). The article’s overall goal is to describe the relationship between environment and “climatic” emotions to understand what we can do to improve our well-being. I believe that scientistic and reductionistic ways of looking at climatic anxiety do not consider this complex dynamic and fail to propose actual solutions for the well-being of both the environment and the individuals.
Fast and fair simultaneous confidence bands for functional parameters
Authors: Liebl Dominik , Reimherr Matthew
Published: April 2023

Quantifying uncertainty using confidence regions is a central goal of statistical inference. Despite this, methodologies for confidence bands in functional data analysis are still underdeveloped compared to estimation and hypothesis testing. In this work, we present a new methodology for constructing simultaneous confidence bands for functional parameter estimates. Our bands possess a number of positive qualities: (1) they are not based on resampling and thus are fast to compute, (2) they are constructed under the fairness constraint of balanced false positive rates across partitions of the bands’ domain which facilitates the typical global, but also novel local interpretations, and (3) they do not require an estimate of the full covariance function and thus can be used in the case of fragmentary functional data. Simulations show the excellent finite-sample behaviour of our bands in comparison to existing alternatives. The practical use of our bands is demonstrated in two case studies on sports biomechanics and fragmentary growth curves.
Improving communication between women with vulvodynia and their romantic partners: insights and recommendations for practitioners
Authors: Hintz Elizabeth A
Published: April 2023

Background

Interactions among female patients with vulvodynia, their romantic partners, and clinicians are key to promoting positive health outcomes. Previous studies have investigated how the content of romantic partners’ responses to expressions of pain are related to these outcomes. Yet, the content of patients’ conversations and the appraisals of their difficulty remain unknown.

Aim

This study offers guidance to clinicians counseling patients with vulvodynia by explicating the frequency and difficulty of various salient conversational topics.

Methods

Thirty-four women with vulvodynia completed a screener survey indicating the frequency and difficulty of conversational topics. Follow-up in-depth interviews were conducted with 26 women. A dominant partner response type was identified for each participant.

Results

Topics most often discussed, such as sex, were rated as among the least difficult to discuss. Most participants reported experiencing the facilitative partner response type, which promotes adaptive coping.

Conclusion

Determining patients’ perceived conversational difficulty and frequency is necessary to provide quality and efficient counseling to women with vulvodynia and their partners. Patients also experience partner response types. Therefore, clinicians must solicit subjective assessments of conversational difficulty when advising patients and their romantic partners.
Molecular diagnostic results of a nephropathy gene panel in patients with suspected hereditary kidney disease
Authors: Topak Ali
Published: April 2023

Objective

Clinical diagnosis of hereditary kidney disease can be difficult because of its rarity and severe phenotypic variability. Identifying mutated causative genes can provide diagnostic and prognostic information. In this study, we report the clinical application and outcome of a next-generation sequencing–based, targeted multi-gene panel test for the genetic diagnosis of patients with hereditary kidney disease.

Methods

A total of 145 patients evaluated for hereditary kidney disease who underwent a nephropathy panel with 44 different genes were retrospectively reviewed and included in the study.

Results

Genetic diagnosis of other hereditary kidney diseases, particularly autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, was made in 48% of patients. The nephropathy panel changed the preliminary diagnosis in 6% of patients. The variants in 18 (12%) patients had not been previously reported in the literature.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the utility of the nephropathy panel in identifying patients diagnosed with hereditary kidney disease who are referred for genetic testing. A contribution was made to the variant spectrum of genes associated with hereditary kidney disease.
Analysis of two sampling treatments of beef for microbiome studies based on metataxonomic
Authors: Almeida Otávio G , Freitas Caio F , Carvalho Lara M V F , De Martinis Elaine C P , Nero Luis A
Published: April 2023

Microbial enumeration by serial dilution is one of the best resources to estimate cellular density for microbiological analysis. However, for metataxonomic analysis, it is not clear if serially diluted samples may accurately be used for metataxonomic analysis to represent species composition in beef samples. In this study, the effect of sampling preparation of beef samples on the bacterial composition was evaluated by the comparison of dilution and exudate. Based on the obtained results, data obtained from the exudate of the samples were more robust in terms of number of generated reads, but no significant differences in terms of biological diversity were observed (P < .05, Wicoxon Test). Besides, both sample preparation procedures evidenced equivalent results of bacterial composition as well as its relative abundances. In conclusion, the use of exudate allows bacterial enumeration and metataxonomic analysis, which is interesting for the point of view of food microbiologists as cellular loads and microbial composition of culturable and unculturable bacteria could be compared.
Orbital evolution of binaries in circumbinary discs
Authors: Siwek Magdalena , Weinberger Rainer , Hernquist Lars
Published: April 2023

We present the to-date largest parameter space exploration of binaries in circumbinary discs (CBDs), deriving orbital evolution prescriptions for eccentric, unequal mass binaries from our suite of hydrodynamic simulations. In all cases, binary eccentricities evolve towards steady state values that increase with mass ratio, and saturate at an equilibrium eccentricity eb,eq ∼ 0.5 in the large mass ratio regime, in line with resonant theory. For binaries accreting at their combined Eddington limit, a steady state eccentricity can be achieved within a few megayears. Once at their steady state eccentricities, binaries with qb ≳ 0.3 evolve towards coalescence, while lower mass ratio systems expand due to CBD torques. We discuss implications for population studies of massive black hole binaries, protostars in binary systems, and post-common envelope binaries observed by ground-based gravitational wave detectors.
The first quiescent galaxies in TNG300
Authors: Hartley Abigail I , Nelson Erica J , Suess Katherine A , Garcia Alex M , Park Minjung , Hernquist Lars , Bezanson Rachel , Nevin Rebecca , Pillepich Annalisa , Schechter Aimee L , Terrazas Bryan A , Torrey Paul , Wellons Sarah , Whitaker Katherine E , Williams Christina C
Published: April 2023

We identify the first quiescent galaxies in TNG300, the largest volume of the IllustrisTNG cosmological simulation suite, and explore their quenching processes and time evolution to z  = 0. We find that the first quiescent galaxies with stellar masses M* > 3 × 1010 M⊙ and specific star formation rates sSFR < 10−11 yr−1 emerge at z ∼ 4.2 in TNG300. Suppression of star formation in these galaxies begins with a thermal mode of active galactic nucleus feedback at z ∼ 6, and a kinetic feedback mode acts in each galaxy by z ∼ 4.7 to complete the quenching process, which occurs on a time-scale of ∼0.35 Gyr. Surprisingly, we find that the majority of these galaxies are not the main progenitors of their z  = 0 descendants; instead, four of the five galaxies fall into more massive galaxies in subsequent mergers at a range of redshifts 2.5 < z < 0.2. By z  = 0, these descendants are the centres of galaxy clusters with average stellar masses of 8 × 1011 M⊙. We make predictions for the first quenched galaxies to be located by the JWST.
The circumgalactic medium of Milky Way-like galaxies in the TNG50 simulation – II. Cold, dense gas clouds and high-velocity cloud analogs
Authors: Ramesh Rahul , Nelson Dylan , Pillepich Annalisa
Published: April 2023

We use the TNG50 simulation of the IllustrisTNG project to study cold, dense clouds of gas in the circumgalactic media (CGM) of Milky Way-like galaxies. We find that their CGM is typically filled with of order one hundred (thousand) reasonably (marginally) resolved clouds, possible analogs of high-velocity clouds (HVCs). There is a large variation in cloud abundance from galaxy to galaxy, and the physical properties of clouds that we explore – mass, size, metallicity, pressure, and kinematics – are also diverse. We quantify the distributions of cloud properties and cloud-background contrasts, providing cosmological inputs for idealized simulations. Clouds characteristically have subsolar metallicities, diverse shapes, small overdensities (χ = ncold/ nhot ≲ 10), are mostly inflowing, and have sub-virial rotation. At TNG50 resolution, resolved clouds have median masses of ∼ $10^6\, \rm {M_\odot }$ and sizes of ∼10 kpc. Larger clouds are well converged numerically, while the abundance of the smallest clouds increases with resolution, as expected. In TNG50 MW-like haloes, clouds are slightly (severely) underpressurized relative to their surroundings with respect to total (thermal) pressure, implying that magnetic fields may be important. Clouds are not distributed uniformly throughout the CGM but are clustered around other clouds, often near baryon-rich satellite galaxies. This suggests that at least some clouds originate from satellites, via direct ram-pressure stripping or otherwise. Finally, we compare with observations of intermediate and high velocity clouds from the real Milky Way halo. TNG50 shows a similar cloud velocity distribution as observations and predicts a significant population of currently difficult-to-detect low velocity clouds.
Large Diffusion of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 After the Successive Epidemiological Waves, Including Omicron, in Guinea and Cameroon: Implications for Vaccine Strategies
Authors: Diallo Mamadou Saliou Kalifa , Amougou-Atsama Marie , Ayouba Ahidjo , Kpamou Cece , Mimbe Taze Eric Donald , Thaurignac Guillaume , Diallo Haby , Lamare Nadine Boutgam , Bouillin Julie , Soumah Abdoul Karim , Noah Sébastien Awono , Guichet Emilande , Keita Alpha Kabinet , Varloteaux Marie , Peeters Martine , Bissek Anne-Cécile Zoung-Kanyi , Toure Abdoulaye , Delaporte Eric , Kouanfack Charles
Published: April 2023

Background

We aimed to estimate the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence among the general population in Conakry, Guinea and Yaounde, Cameroon after the coronavirus disease 2019 Omicron wave.

Methods

We conducted population-based, age-stratified seroprevalence surveys in Conakry and Yaounde (May and June 2022). We collected demographic and epidemiologic information and dried blood spot samples that were tested for SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies using recombinant nucleocapsid and spike proteins with Luminex technology.

Results

Samples were obtained from 1386 and 1425 participants in Guinea and Cameroon, respectively. The overall age-standardized SARS-CoV-2 IgG seroprevalence against spike and nucleocapsid proteins was 71.57% (95% confidence interval [CI], 67.48%–75.33%) in Guinea and 74.71% (95% CI, 71.99%–77.25%) in Cameroon. Seroprevalence increased significantly with age categories. Female participants were more likely than male participants to be seropositive. The seroprevalence in unvaccinated participants was 69.6% (95% CI, 65.5%–73.41%) in Guinea and 74.8% (95% CI, 72.04%–77.38%) in Cameroon. In multivariate analysis, only age, sex, and education were independently associated with seropositivity.

Conclusions

These findings show a high community transmission after the different epidemiological waves including Omicron, especially among people aged >40 years. In addition, our results suggest that the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been underestimated as a significant proportion of the population has already contracted the virus and that vaccine strategies should focus on vulnerable populations.
The Futuristic Fifties
Authors: Sprengler Christine
Published: April 2023

Chapter 2, “The Futuristic Fifties,” launches from the assumption that there is a wide “image envelope,” to borrow Victor Burgin’s suggestive term, which includes all the visual and material detritus that comprises a “picture” of the 1950s. Although much of this picture was generated in earnest during the postwar period’s commitment to self-mythologization and subsequent—and often nostalgic—representations of the 1950s (produced since the late 1960s), our first images of the 1950s emerged much earlier. Due to the prognosticating efforts of filmmakers like Maurice Elvey, fascinating images of the 1950s surfaced as early as the 1920s and 1930s. This chapter, therefore, examines how the 1950s were imagined in Last Man on Earth (1924), High Treason (1929), and Transatlantic Tunnel (1935). The point here is not to itemize instances where films got it right, so to speak, but rather to acknowledge that such predictive efforts have contributed to our vast repository that is the 1950s and thus should not be ignored in a project concerned with engagements with that decade.
The Pre-Federal “State” Constitutions
Authors: Williams Robert F. , Friedman Lawrence
Published: April 2023

This chapter covers both the founding decades of the republic and the early state constitutional experiments that occurred in those decades. As an initial matter, the chapter explores the first and second waves of state constitution making following the American Revolution and the legacies of each wave in the states. The chapter also addresses the phenomenon of legislative dominance in many states, as well as the development of separation of powers principles in state constitutions and the influence of state constitution making on the framers of the U.S. Constitution as they sought to develop the design of the federal constitution.
State Constitutional Distribution of Powers
Authors: Williams Robert F. , Friedman Lawrence
Published: April 2023

In Part III, the general approach to state constitutional separation/distribution of powers and checks and balances will be considered. There are virtually no enforceable federal requirements regulating how the states structure their governments and distribute powers within them. None of the federal separation of powers doctrines apply to the states. Further, there is substantial variation among the states as to how governmental power is distributed within them. As a consequence, state separation of powers issues should be resolved in the context of that particular state’s governmental arrangements. A general introduction is followed by chapters on the three branches, each of which differs in important ways from the federal executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Interpreting State Constitutions
Authors: Williams Robert F. , Friedman Lawrence
Published: April 2023

Part IV surveys the range of interpretation issues that arise in state constitutional law, with a specific focus on those that arise from the unique nature of state constitutions. There are, of course, similarities to other forms of textual interpretation, particularly statutory interpretation. This part highlights the contrasts with federal constitutional law and refers to judicial opinions to illustrate various interpretation approaches, relying upon decisions that allow readers to study the specific contexts of the cases and compare them to the context with which they are currently concerned. This part reflects cases discussing interpretation techniques from the past three decades and highlights relatively recent cases, as the goal is to present current techniques. Through these more recent cases, readers can elaborate the specific technique, in a particular state, by tracing the judicial decisions on the point back through time.
Queering Tinderella
Authors: Duguay Stefanie
Published: April 2023

This chapter examines how queer women respond to Tinder’s automated creation of user profiles involving highly personally identifiable information from Facebook. Although Tinder imports individuals’ names, photos, and other information, the app lacks fields or features relating to sexual identity and user intention, while catering to a large heterosexual user base. In turn, many of the women interviewed increased the salience of sexual identity in their profiles in order to dissuade heterosexual men, women, and couples from approaching them through the app. They added indicators of sexual identity in the form of photos, emoji, and media references, which helped them to connect with other queer women but also required management in relation to the app’s location-based audiences. Queer women’s repeated and often stereotyped representations of sexual identity drew some boundaries of exclusion, requiring users to display literacy pertaining to digital technologies and sexual cultures, but also aided trust building among matches.
Beyond the Gated Community
Authors: Duguay Stefanie
Published: April 2023

This chapter identifies how salient representations of sexual identity can combine with platform affordances to give rise to publics and counterpublics. The prominence of normatively feminine women and glamorous lifestyles on Instagram reflects a networked intimate public that provides queer women with a sense of community but remains largely apolitical. This intimate public communicates that the trappings of neoliberal capitalism are attainable for queer women who can perpetuate homonormative appearances. In contrast, highly salient self-representations on Vine, such as thirst traps and counternormative skits, facilitated the formation of counterpublics. These counterpublics, rendered visible through the platform’s trending section, circulated challenges to dominant discourses. However, queer women’s salient self-representations made them targets for censorship, harassment, and discrimination on both platforms. Such platform governance policies, which provide a patchwork of protections insufficient to preserve these publics, is reflected upon in light of Tumblr’s more recent ban on nudity and sexual content.
A Defense of Revisionist Just War Theory
Authors: Strawser Bradley Jay
Published: April 2023

In the first three chapters of the book, I laid out a rights-based account of permissible defensive harm, namely the Evidence-Relative Account. In this chapter, I step back and apply that rights-based approach to our understanding of the ethics of war as a collective enterprise. To do so, I review the fundamentals of just war theory, and dive head-long into the contemporary debate between so-called “traditionalist” and “revisionist” accounts. I contend that, despite the traditionalist approach, there is no good basis for treating the morality of war as somehow separate from the “everyday morality” that we examine other instances of killing. I offer a robust defense of the revisionist view more broadly, and specifically against what is known as the “responsibility dilemma.” This will set things up for proposing how we could apply the Evidence-Relative Account of liability to killing in war in this next chapter.
Conclusion
Authors: Strawser Bradley Jay
Published: April 2023

In the concluding chapter of the book, I review how the work presented in this book answers Calvin’s original question at the outset of the book. “How do soldiers killing each other solve the world’s problems?” I show how the long and, at times, winding argument of the book gives us a tentative answer. To do so, I retrace the outlines of a rights-based approach to defensive killing, how the evidence-relative account of liability attribution is the strongest approach therein, how that supports revisionist just war theory, and how a commitment to liberal autonomy can ground collective force therein used. In this chapter, we again use the 2022 Russian war in Ukraine as an example of how the questions central to the theoretical frameworks outlined in this book, particularly the issue of epistemic standing and one’s liability therein, apply exceptionally well to the horrors of modern warfare.
Neurons, Glia, and Basic Neuroanatomy
Authors: Uysal Suzan
Published: April 2023

The human nervous system forms the underlying physiological basis for one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (including even one’s interest in and ability to analyze and understand that system). A basic knowledge of structural neuroanatomy is the starting point for developing an understanding of nervous system function, the mechanisms of brain diseases and injuries, and their resulting effects on cognition and behavior. This chapter acquaints the reader with the cells of the nervous system, basic neuroanatomical terminology, anatomical terms of direction, and basic brain anatomy. It concludes with a general description of one class of brain disorder, the neurodegenerative diseases, which selectively target specific anatomical regions or functional systems of the nervous system and are therefore discussed throughout this book.
The Frontal Lobes and Associated Disorders
Authors: Uysal Suzan
Published: April 2023

The human frontal lobes are very large, making up approximately one-third of the cerebral hemispheres. They can be divided into two major functional subdivisions: motor cortex and prefrontal cortex. Motor cortex is defined as cortical areas from which motor responses are elicited by electrical stimulation. Frontal lobe cortical areas from which motor responses are not elicited by electrical stimulation (i.e., non-motor areas of the frontal lobe) are referred to as prefrontal cortex because they are located anterior to the motor areas. This region is associated with personality and higher levels of cognitive and behavioral control that are collectively referred to as executive functions. This chapter describes basic frontal lobe structural and functional anatomy, the landmark case of Phineas Gage, prefrontal injury and disease syndromes, behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, and prefrontal lobotomy.
Language and the Aphasias
Authors: Uysal Suzan
Published: April 2023

Language is a system of symbols and the rules for structuring those symbols that allows us to communicate with others through speaking, reading/writing, and signing, in both expression and comprehension. Aphasia is loss or deterioration of one or more aspects of the process of comprehending and/or formulating verbal messages due to an acquired brain disorder. Language is lateralized to the left hemisphere in 90% of people; consquently, aphasia is usually due to damage to the left hemisphere cerebral cortex. Within the language-dominant hemisphere, lesions in different parts of the cerebral cortex produce different patterns of language disturbance. This chapter discusses the distinction between speech and language, clinical assessment of language, the classical aphasia syndromes (Broca’s aphasia, Wernicke’s aphasia, global aphasia, conduction aphasia, anomic aphasia, and the transcortical aphasias), and the primary progressive aphasia syndromes (semantic dementia, progressive nonfluent aphasia, and logopenic progressive aphasia).
Logical and Extra-Logical Entailment
Authors: Beall Jc
Published: April 2023

This chapter lays out, in an accessible fashion, what Beall takes to be the correct account of logic (-al consequence), as well as how logic relates to (and functions within) true theories. Specifically, Beall discusses the fundamental sematic properties (viz., truth and falsity) and ‘semantic statuses’ for sentences; the basic logical vocabulary and truth and falsity conditions for logical compounds; and logical consequence (entailment) and the space of logical possibilities. Additionally, Beall outlines the ingredients and mechanics of extra-logical (theory-specific) entailment relations under which true and complete theories are closed. The chapter sets the background framework on which Chapter 3’s account of identity relations (in general) and trinitarian identity (in particular) rest.
Scouting the limits of structuralism
Authors: McElvenny James
Published: April 2023

What is structuralism? In this introductory chapter, we explore the contours of this question that animates the present volume and offer an answer in sociological terms. We begin by examining the emergence of linguistic structuralism between the two World Wars in the work of the Prague Linguistic Circle. We then trace the spread of structuralism throughout Europe and America, and across such disciplines as linguistics, anthropology, and literary studies. Here we highlight the role of the Prague Circle member Roman Jakobson as a primary vector through which structuralism was transmitted to new audiences. In the final section, we outline the content of following chapters in this volume, pointing out how each probes the limits of structuralism.