bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accuracy of MR neurography as a diagnostic tool in detecting injuries to the lingual and inferior alveolar nerve in patients with iatrogenic post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy
Authors: Bangia Mado , Ahmadzai Iraj , Casselman Jan , Politis Constantinus , Jacobs Reinhilde , Van der Cruyssen Fréderic
Published: December 2023

Objectives

MR neurography has the ability to detect and depict peripheral nerve injuries. This study evaluated the potential of MR neurography in the diagnosis of post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy.

Methods

Forty-one participants prospectively underwent MR neurography of the lingual and inferior alveolar nerves using a 3D TSE STIR black-blood sequence. Two blinded and independent observers recorded the following information for each nerve of interest: presence of injury, nerve thickness, nerve signal intensity, MR neurography Sunderland class, and signal gap. Afterwards, the apparent nerve-muscle contrast-to-noise ratio and apparent signal-to-noise ratio were calculated. Clinical data (neurosensory testing score and clinical Sunderland class) was extracted retrospectively from the medical records of patients diagnosed with post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy.

Results

Compared to neurosensory testing, MR neurography had a sensitivity of 38.2% and specificity of 93.5% detecting nerve injuries. When differentiated according to clinical Sunderland class, sensitivity was 19.1% in the presence of a low class injury (I to III) and improved to 83.3% in the presence of a high class (IV to V). Specificity remained unchanged. The area under the curve using the apparent nerve-muscle contrast-to-noise ratio, apparent signal-to-noise ratio, and nerve thickness to predict the presence of an injury was 0.78 (p < .05). Signal intensities and nerve diameter increased in injured nerves (p < .05). Clinical and MR neurography Sunderland scores positively correlated (correlation coefficient = 0.53; p = .005).

Conclusions

This study shows that MR neurography can accurately differentiate between injured and healthy nerves, especially in the presence of a more severe nerve injury.

Clinical relevance statement

MR neurography is not only able to detect trigeminal nerve injuries, but it can also provide information about the anatomical specifications of the injury, which is not possible with clinical neurosensory testing. This makes MR neurography an added value in the management of post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy.

Key Points

• The current diagnosis of post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy is mainly based on clinical examination.

• MR neurography is able to visualize and stratify peripheral trigeminal nerve injuries.

• MR neurography contributes to the diagnostic process as well as to further decision-making.
Metabolically ‘extremely unhealthy’ obese and non-obese patients with diabetes and the risk of cardiovascular events: a French nationwide cohort study
Authors: Nabrdalik Katarzyna , Bisson Arnaud , Irlik Krzysztof , Fauchier Gregoire , Ducluzeau Pierre Henri , Lip Gregory Y. H. , Fauchier Laurent
Published: December 2023

Background

Non-obese patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are becoming more prevalent, but their cardiovascular risk (CV) especially when accompanied with cardio-renal-metabolic co-morbidities (hypertension, chronic kidney disease, hyperlipidemia) is not well characterised. The aim of the study was to assess the CV risk among patients with DM in relation to obesity and cardio-renal-metabolic co-morbidities.

Materials and methods

This was a cohort study of all patients with DM without a history of major adverse cardiovascular event who were hospitalized for any reason in France in 2013 with at least 5 years of follow-up. They were categorized by the presence of obesity vs no obesity, as well as three cardio–renal–metabolic co-morbidities: hypertension, chronic kidney disease, hyperlipidemia. ‘Extremely unhealthy’ patients with DM were defined as those having all 3 co-morbidities.

Results

There were 196,112 patients (mean age 65.7 (SD 13.7) years; 54.3% males) included into the analysis. During a mean follow-up of 4.69 ± 1.79 years, when adjusted for multiple covariates, the non-obese and ‘extremely unhealthy’ obese patients had the highest risk of CV death [aHR 1.40 (95% CI, 1.22–1.61) and 1.48 (95% CI, 1.25–1.75), respectively]. The ‘extremely unhealthy’ obese had the highest risk of MACE-HF [aHR 1.84 (95% CI, 1.72–1.97)] and new-onset AF [aHR 1.64 (95% CI, 1.47–1.83)].

Conclusion

Both non-obese and obese patients with DM with associated cardio-renal-metabolic co-morbidities are an ‘extremely unhealthy’ phenotype with the highest risk of CV death and CV events.

Graphical abstract
Fentanyl Exposure and Detection Strategies Utilized by Clinical Trial Participants Seeking Linkage to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment at a Syringe Service Program
Authors: Watson Dennis P. , Ray Bradley , Phalen Peter , Duhart Clarke Sarah E. , Taylor Lisa , Swartz James , Gastala Nicole
Published: December 2023

Introduction

The USA continues to face a fentanyl-driven overdose epidemic. Prior research has demonstrated users of illicit opioids are concerned about fentanyl exposure and overdose, but the strategies they report using to detect fentanyl’s presence lack empirical support. This study compares self-report and biologically detected fentanyl use and investigates overdose risk and risk reduction behaviors among a sample of high-risk people who use opioids.

Methods

Structured enrollment interviews conducted as part of a larger clinical trial assessed self-reported fentanyl exposure as well as strategies used to determine believed fentanyl exposure and prevent overdose among 240 participants enrolled at a Chicago, IL syringe service program. Urinalysis measured actual fentanyl exposure.

Results

Most participants identified as African American (66.7%) and had considerable overdose experience (76.7% lifetime and 48% in the past year). Most also tested positive for fentanyl (93.75%) despite reporting no past year use of fentanyl or fentanyl-adulterated drugs (64.17%). The most utilized approaches reported for identifying fentanyl exposure were stronger effects of the drug (60.7%), sight or taste (46.9%), and being told by someone using the same drugs (34.2%). Few participants (14%) reported using fentanyl test strips. No significant associations were identified between self-report and urinalysis measures or urinalysis results and risk reduction strategies.

Conclusion

This study adds to prior fentanyl exposure risk research. The disconnect between participants’ fentanyl detection methods and reported overdose experiences supports the need for more research to identify and understand factors driving access and use of overdose prevention resources and strategies.
Molecular design of recyclable thermosetting polyimide and its composite with excellent mechanical and tribological properties
Authors: Wang Xiaoyue , Yang Zenghui , Wang Tingmei , Wang Qihua , Zhang Xinrui , Li Song
Published: December 2023

Recyclability of thermosetting polymers and their composites is a challenge for alleviating environmental pollution and resource waste. In this study, solvent-recyclable thermosetting polyimide (PI) and its composite were successfully synthesized. The tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young’s modulus of PI are 108.70 ± 7.29 MPa, 19.35% ± 3.89%, and 2336.42 ± 128.00 MPa, respectively. The addition of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) not only enhances the mechanical properties of PI but also endows it with excellent tribological properties. The PI illustrates a high recycling efficiency of 94.15%, but the recycled composite exhibits inferior mechanical properties. The recycling and utilization of PI and its composite are realized through imine bonds (–C=N), which provides new guidance for solving the problem of environmental pollution and resource waste and is potential application in the field of sustainable tribology.
Is artificial intelligence and machine learning changing the ways of banking: a systematic literature review and meta analysis
Authors: Kalyani Sushil , Gupta Neha
Published: December 2023

This study aims to analyze the research work and present an SLR (Systematic Literature Review) on the initiatives taken by players in the banking sector, especially toward the technological innovations done in the field of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) that have contributed to the growth of the sector as well towards the ease of doing and building trust amongst consumers in the digitalized era of Banking. Growing security risks in cyberspace accompany the enormous and complex digital versions of virtual services. In total, 734 articles were reviewed to explore how Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have been used in various banking facets and how they have evolved to cater to different banking sector requirements. The findings reveal the areas where these modern-age technologies have been adopted and where the same can be used efficiently. Lastly, this study elaborates and evaluates the applications of these technologies on the parameters of scalability going further, keeping in mind the unprecedented dynamic times, and serving the very purpose of banks and how the banks are dealing with all the opportunities and challenges these new technologies bring in. This SLR also provides an overview of the research that can be taken up in future by the researchers in this domain.
Meeting families in various social situations: reflections from healthcare staff working with an extended home-visiting program in Sweden
Authors: Mangrio Elisabeth , Hjortsjö Maria
Published: December 2023

Objectives

Health inequalities exist among children in Sweden, and one effort that the Swedish government has focused on to promote health among small children and their parents is an extended home-visiting program during the child’s first 15 months. This study aimed to illuminate healthcare professionals’ experiences of meeting parents in different social situations during the home visits within Grow safely.

Methods

The chosen method was qualitative, and 13 interviews were carried out with healthcare, social, and dental professionals working with the extended home-visiting program within the child healthcare in the south of Sweden.

Results

The results revealed that the parents raised differing needs in the meetings with the healthcare professionals in the program. The needs included advice on children with special needs, support with problematic breastfeeding, and more psychosocial support. The professionals met different groups of parents, such as young parents or newly arrived migrant parents, that in different ways needed the team to reach out to them. The professionals also met families who came from better-off areas and who were not initially considered to really need the program. As the program progressed, these parents could see that diverse, unpredictable needs could be met by the intervention. For example, the program provided access to and advice from social workers, which in turn created contacts that lasted longer than the program itself.

Conclusions

The professionals encountered various family situations and needs within the extended home-visiting program. This highlights the need for a close collaboration between child healthcare nurses and social workers, in order to be able to support the families and work towards the aim of reaching equal health among all children in Sweden.
Multilevel meta-analysis of stated preference values of marine ecosystem services in China
Authors: Guo Jing , Chen Kai , Hynes Stephen
Published: December 2023

On the basis of a review of studies on the stated preference valuation of China’s marine ecosystem services conducted between 1996 and 2021, this paper presents a meta-analysis of the estimates of marine ecosystem service benefits by using a multilevel modeling approach. The results indicate that a range of factors influence the estimated economic values of China’s marine ecosystem services, including ecosystem area, ecosystem type, respondent identity, regional gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, ecosystem services being valued, valuation method, and hypothetical scenario being employed. Additionally, the meta-regression results indicate that the willingness to pay for marine ecosystem services in China depends largely on people’s perception of the importance of an ecosystem service. Such a perception is influenced by national policies, educational attainment, and the degree to which the service is linked to people’s lives. This situation is evidenced by the high willingness of people to pay for coastal wetlands and recreational services. People were also found to be most willing to pay for conservation scenarios and least willing to pay for environmental compensation scenarios. These findings contribute to the research on the valuation of marine ecosystem services in China and to the incorporation of research results into ecosystem-based management decisions by clarifying the effects of different factors on valuation estimates.
Drones, Force and Law
Authors: Dunn David Hastings , Wheeler Nicholas J. , Davies Jack , Sabur Zeenat
Published: December 2023

The central argument set out in this Element is that the combination of a perceived radical change in the threat environment post 9/11, and the new capabilities afforded by the long silent reach of the drone, have put pressure on the previously accepted legal frameworks justifying the use of force. This has resulted in disagreements - both articulated and unarticulated - in how the Western allies should respond to both the legal and operational innovations in the use of force that drones have catalysed. The Element focuses on the responses of the UK, France, and Germany to these developments in the context of the changing US approach to the use of force. Locating itself at the interface of international law and politics, this is the first attempt to look at the interplay between technological innovations, legal justifications, and inter-alliance politics in the context of the use of armed drones.
Positivity of repeat nasal MRSA PCR screening: a single-center experience
Authors: Earl Ali , Greenlee Sage , Fong Karen , Imlay Hannah , Spivak Emily S.
Published: December 2023

Repeating nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) within 14 days may increase healthcare costs and inform anti-MRSA antibiotic therapy without known benefit. Within an inpatient admission, our retrospective, single-center evaluation found that conversion from negative to positive on repeat nasal MRSA PCR screen was uncommon (2%).
Extending scene-to-patch models: Multi-resolution multiple instance learning for Earth observation
Authors: Early Joseph , Deweese Ying-Jung Chen , Evers Christine , Ramchurn Sarvapali
Published: December 2023

Land cover classification (LCC) and natural disaster response (NDR) are important issues in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Existing approaches that use machine learning with Earth observation (EO) imaging data for LCC and NDR often rely on fully annotated and segmented datasets. Creating these datasets requires a large amount of effort, and a lack of suitable datasets has become an obstacle in scaling the use of machine learning for EO. In this study, we extend our prior work on Scene-to-Patch models: an alternative machine learning approach for EO that utilizes Multiple Instance Learning (MIL). As our approach only requires high-level scene labels, it enables much faster development of new datasets while still providing segmentation through patch-level predictions, ultimately increasing the accessibility of using machine learning for EO. We propose new multi-resolution MIL architectures that outperform single-resolution MIL models and non-MIL baselines on the DeepGlobe LCC and FloodNet NDR datasets. In addition, we conduct a thorough analysis of model performance and interpretability.
Short-term forecasting of ozone air pollution across Europe with transformers
Authors: Hickman Sebastian H. M. , Griffiths Paul T. , Nowack Peer J. , Archibald Alexander T.
Published: December 2023

Surface ozone is an air pollutant that contributes to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually. Accurate short-term ozone forecasts may allow improved policy actions to reduce the risk to human health. However, forecasting surface ozone is a difficult problem as its concentrations are controlled by a number of physical and chemical processes that act on varying timescales. We implement a state-of-the-art transformer-based model, the temporal fusion transformer, trained on observational data from three European countries. In four-day forecasts of daily maximum 8-hour ozone (DMA8), our novel approach is highly skillful (MAE = 4.9 ppb, coefficient of determination

$ {\mathrm{R}}^2=0.81 $

) and generalizes well to data from 13 other European countries unseen during training (MAE = 5.0 ppb,

$ {\mathrm{R}}^2=0.78 $

). The model outperforms other machine learning models on our data (ridge regression, random forests, and long short-term memory networks) and compares favorably to the performance of other published deep learning architectures tested on different data. Furthermore, we illustrate that the model pays attention to physical variables known to control ozone concentrations and that the attention mechanism allows the model to use the most relevant days of past ozone concentrations to make accurate forecasts on test data. The skillful performance of the model, particularly in generalizing to unseen European countries, suggests that machine learning methods may provide a computationally cheap approach for accurate air quality forecasting across Europe.
Media, Cultural Techniques, and the Law: The Other Cornelia Vismann
Authors: Minkkinen Panu
Published: December 2023

In the Anglophone world of law, the German legal historian and legal theorist Cornelia Vismann (1961–2010) is best known as an acute interpreter of French high theory, especially of Jacques Derrida, Jacques Lacan, and Michel Foucault. This type of reception is, I argue, somewhat distorted. For her English-speaking colleagues, French “poststructuralism” provides the interface that enables Vismann to enter into shared discursive constellations with her Anglo-American critical legal colleagues. But at the same time, such a reception also downplays the very specifically German soil from which her unique scholarship arose. This Article discusses Vismann’s German background as media theory, the discipline that she was mostly associated with by her compatriots. The Article then assesses what Vismann’s media-theoretical contributions potentially offer to the contemporary study of law. For this “other Vismann,” the media-theoretical study of law was, I suggest, a practically oriented critical discipline that focused on law’s “cultural techniques” and how they operated. I also briefly touch upon what is generally known as “German media theory” through key figures such as Friedrich A. Kittler and Bernhard Siegert.
The relationship between the permeability and liquid water content of polycrystalline temperate ice
Authors: Fowler Jacob R. , Iverson Neal R.
Published: December 2023

To better constrain meltwater transport and ice viscosity in temperate glaciers, particularly in ice stream shear margins, we use a custom permeameter to study the untested model relationship between the permeability of temperate ice and its liquid water content. The permeability of lab-made ice of two mean grain diameters (1.8 and 4.2 mm) is measured, and water content is controlled with the ice salinity and measured calorimetrically. Fluorescein dye is added to through-flowing, chilled water to highlight flow pathways through the ice after experiments. As predicted by a simple model, permeability increases with approximately the square of the water content and by about three orders of magnitude across water contents of 0.1–4.4%. However, permeability values are less than those of the model by average factors of 2.6 and 4.1 for the finer and coarser ice, respectively. This discrepancy is likely due to tortuous, truncated or air-clogged veins. The order-of-magnitude agreement between measured and modeled values may indicate that reduced permeability from these factors is nearly compensated by preferential flow in oversized veins that are isolated or arborescent. Both kinds of preferred flow pathways are observed but the latter only in fine-grained ice at water contents > 2%.
Biography, Women and Power
Authors: Flemming Rebecca
Published: December 2023

Julia Hillner's life of Helena, mother of Constantine, is the twentieth volume published in OUP's ‘Women in Antiquity’ series, launched in 2010 with Duane Roller's biography of Cleopatra. An earlier and overlapping series on the same theme — Routledge's ‘Women of the Ancient World’ — began in 2006 and adds a further half-dozen titles to the portfolio, from Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great by Elizbeth Carney to The Women of Pliny's Letters by Jo-Ann Shelton.1 The pace of publication picked up in 2018 and two lives from the later Roman empire — of Melania the Younger by Elizabeth Clark and Sosipatra of Pergamum by Heidi Marx — appeared alongside Celia Schultz's account of Fulvia in 2021, for example. Late republican and late antique women dominate the catalogue overall, with some empresses and exotic leaders in between, and alongside a smaller set of Hellenistic royalty.2
Functional and phylogenetic metrics to evaluate the potential of flagship species: the case of the salamander Ambystoma ordinarium
Authors: Suazo-Ortuño Ireri , Benítez-Malvido Julieta , Oropeza-Sánchez Marco Tulio
Published: December 2023

Flagship species are those chosen to raise support for broader conservation marketing campaigns and can be used as symbols of the ecosystem services and evolutionary history of particular areas. Thus, flagship species can be employed for the protection of endangered species and threatened ecosystems. Northeastern Michoacán, Mexico, is an important region for amphibian diversity but approximately 40% of its mature forest has been removed. Among northeastern Michoacán amphibians, the use of Ambystoma ordinarium as a flagship species is supported by its co-occurrence with other threatened amphibians along riparian zones. To support this proposal, however, it is important to assess the functional traits and evolutionary history of amphibian species sharing their habitat with A. ordinarium. To evaluate the potential of A. ordinarium as a flagship species, we estimated the functional and phylogenetic diversity of amphibian assemblages in 60 riparian zones. The results showed that amphibian assemblages sharing habitat with A. ordinarium presented higher functional and phylogenetic diversity than those in which this species was absent. These results highlight the potential of A. ordinarium as a flagship species for the protection of associated amphibian species, their functions, and evolutionary history.
The Effectiveness of Prehospital Subcutaneous Continuous Lactate Monitoring in Adult Trauma: A Systematic Review
Authors: Scriven Jamie W. , Battaloglu Emir
Published: December 2023

Introduction:

Existing diagnostics for polytrauma patients continue to rely on non-invasive monitoring techniques with limited sensitivity and specificity for critically unwell patients. Lactate is a known diagnostic and prognostic marker used in infection and trauma and has been associated with mortality, need for surgery, and organ dysfunction. Point-of-care (POC) testing allows for the periodic assessment of lactate levels; however, there is an associated expense and equipment burden associated with repeated sampling, with limited feasibility in prehospital care. Subcutaneous lactate monitoring has the potential to provide a dynamic assessment of physiological lactate levels and utilize these trends to guide management and response to given treatments.

Study Objective:

The aim of this study was to appraise the current literature on dynamic subcutaneous continuous lactate monitoring (SCLM) in adult trauma patients and its use in lactate-guided therapy in the prehospital environment.

Methods:

The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO. Searched databases included PubMed, EMBASE via Ovid SP, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Databases were searched from inception to March 29, 2022. Relevant manuscripts were further scrutinized for reference citations to interrogate the fullness of the adjacent literature.

Results:

Searches returned 600 studies, including 551 unique manuscripts. Following title and abstract screening, 14 manuscripts met the threshold for full-text sourcing. Subsequent to the scrutiny of all 14 manuscripts, none fully met the specified eligibility criteria. Following careful examination, no article was found to cover the exact area of scientific inquiry due to disparity in technological or environmental characteristics.

Conclusion:

Little is known about the utility of dynamic subcutaneous lactate monitoring, and this review highlights a clear gap in current literature. Novel subcutaneous lactate monitors are in development, and the literature describing the prototype experimentation has been summarized. These studies demonstrate device accuracy, which shows a close correlation with venous lactate while providing dynamic readings without significant lag times. Their availability and cost remain barriers to implementation at present. This represents a clear target for future feasibility studies to be conducted into the clinical use of dynamic subcutaneous lactate monitoring in trauma and resuscitation.
Was global deforestation under lockdown?
Authors: Saavedra Santiago
Published: December 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic and government responses led to a halt in economic activity. While this reduced pollution in urban areas, its effect on deforestation in areas outside of cities is unclear. Deforestation may have decreased due to the restrictions on economic activity, but, it may have increased due to the drying up of alternative income sources. We analyzed bi-weekly data on tropical forests worldwide in relation to the dates when different countries implemented lockdown restrictions. Our analysis found that while lockdowns did reduce mobility in forest municipalities, the average effect on deforestation was not significant. However, we did observe variations in the impact of lockdowns on deforestation based on the share of lockdown-vulnerable GDP and the level of government effectiveness. These results stand across tropical countries and within Colombia. These findings highlight the importance of alternative income sources and strong state capacity for effective policies aimed at reducing deforestation.
Globalisation and mental health: is globalisation good or bad for mental health? Testing for quadratic effects
Authors: Amin Saqib
Published: December 2023

This paper explores the relationship between globalisation and mental health by using the global dataset of high-, middle-, and low-income countries for the period 1970–2020. Although the consequences of globalisation on general health have been extensively studied, limited attention has been paid to investigating the implications on mental health. To show robustness, globalisation has been divided into three main dimensions such as economic globalisation, political globalisation, and social globalisation while, mental health has been classified through various indicators, i.e., mental disorder, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder. The study used panel fixed effect techniques to demonstrate the quadratic effects of globalisation on mental health. A U-shaped curve relationship between globalisation (including economic, political, and political globalisation) and mental disorders, anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders was identified. However, findings also indicate an inverted U-shaped curve relationship between globalisation and mental health for high-income countries and a U-shaped curve relationship for middle- and low-income countries. Prioritizing mental health is crucial for overall well-being and productivity. Furthermore, a comprehensive policy implementation is strongly recommended to protect societies from mental distress when a country plans to expand globalisation worldwide.
Source of Radio Emissions Induced by the Galilean Moons Io, Europa and Ganymede: In Situ Measurements by Juno
Authors: Louis C. K. , Louarn P. , Collet B. , Clément N. , Al Saati S. , Szalay J. R. , Hue V. , Lamy L. , Kotsiaros S. , Kurth W. S. , Jackman C. M. , Wang Y. , Blanc M. , Allegrini F. , Connerney J. E. P. , Gershman D.
Published: December 2023

At Jupiter, part of the auroral radio emissions are induced by the Galilean moons Io, Europa and Ganymede. Until now, except for Ganymede, they have been only remotely detected, using ground–based radio–telescopes or electric antennas aboard spacecraft. The polar trajectory of the Juno orbiter allows the spacecraft to cross the range of magnetic flux tubes which sustain the various Jupiter–satellite interactions, and in turn to sample in situ the associated radio emission regions. In this study, we focus on the detection and the characterization of radio sources associated with Io, Europa and Ganymede. Using electric wave measurements or radio observations (Juno/Waves), in situ electron measurements (Juno/JADE–E), and magnetic field measurements (Juno/MAG) we demonstrate that the Cyclotron Maser Instability (CMI) driven by a loss–cone electron distribution function is responsible for the encountered radio sources. We confirmed that radio emissions are associated with Main (MAW) or Reflected Alfvén Wing (RAW), but also show that for Europa and Ganymede, induced radio emissions are associated with Transhemispheric Electron Beam (TEB). For each traversed radio source, we determine the latitudinal extension, the CMI–resonant electron energy, and the bandwidth of the emission. We show that the presence of Alfvén perturbations and downward field–aligned currents are necessary for the radio emissions to be amplified.
Noncoding mutations cause super-enhancer retargeting resulting in protein synthesis dysregulation during B cell lymphoma progression
Authors: Leeman-Neill Rebecca J. , Song Dong , Bizarro Jonathan , Wacheul Ludivine , Rothschild Gerson , Singh Sameer , Yang Yang , Sarode Aditya Y. , Gollapalli Kishore , Wu Lijing , Zhang Wanwei , Chen Yiyun , Lauring Max C. , Whisenant D. Eric , Bhavsar Shweta , Lim Junghyun , Swerdlow Steven H. , Bhagat Govind , Zhao Qian , Berchowitz Luke E. , Lafontaine Denis L. J. , Wang Jiguang , Basu Uttiya
Published: December 2023

Whole-genome sequencing of longitudinal tumor pairs representing transformation of follicular lymphoma to high-grade B cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements (double-hit lymphoma) identified coding and noncoding genomic alterations acquired during lymphoma progression. Many of these transformation-associated alterations recurrently and focally occur at topologically associating domain resident regulatory DNA elements, including H3K4me3 promoter marks located within H3K27ac super-enhancer clusters in B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. One region found to undergo recurrent alteration upon transformation overlaps a super-enhancer affecting the expression of the PAX5/ZCCHC7 gene pair. ZCCHC7 encodes a subunit of the Trf4/5-Air1/2-Mtr4 polyadenylation-like complex and demonstrated copy number gain, chromosomal translocation and enhancer retargeting-mediated transcriptional upregulation upon lymphoma transformation. Consequently, lymphoma cells demonstrate nucleolar dysregulation via altered noncoding 5.8S ribosomal RNA processing. We find that a noncoding mutation acquired during lymphoma progression affects noncoding rRNA processing, thereby rewiring protein synthesis leading to oncogenic changes in the lymphoma proteome.
Perturbational phenotyping of human blood cells reveals genetically determined latent traits associated with subsets of common diseases
Authors: Homilius Max , Zhu Wandi , Eddy Samuel S. , Thompson Patrick C. , Zheng Huahua , Warren Caleb N. , Evans Chiara G. , Kim David D. , Xuan Lucius L. , Nsubuga Cissy , Strecker Zachary , Pettit Christopher J. , Cho Jungwoo , Howie Mikayla N. , Thaler Alexandra S. , Wilson Evan , Wollison Bruce , Smith Courtney , Nascimben Julia B. , Nascimben Diana N. , Lunati Gabriella M. , Folks Hassan C. , Cupelo Matthew , Sridaran Suriya , Rheinstein Carolyn , McClennen Taylor , Goto Shinichi , Truslow James G. , Vandenwijngaert Sara , MacRae Calum A. , Deo Rahul C.
Published: December 2023

Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully linked genetic risk loci to various disorders, identifying underlying cellular biological mechanisms remains challenging due to the complex nature of common diseases. We established a framework using human peripheral blood cells, physical, chemical and pharmacological perturbations, and flow cytometry-based functional readouts to reveal latent cellular processes and performed GWAS based on these evoked traits in up to 2,600 individuals. We identified 119 genomic loci implicating 96 genes associated with these cellular responses and discovered associations between evoked blood phenotypes and subsets of common diseases. We found a population of pro-inflammatory anti-apoptotic neutrophils prevalent in individuals with specific subsets of cardiometabolic disease. Multigenic models based on this trait predicted the risk of developing chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes patients. By expanding the phenotypic space for human genetic studies, we could identify variants associated with large effect response differences, stratify patients and efficiently characterize the underlying biology.
The BAF chromatin remodeler synergizes with RNA polymerase II and transcription factors to evict nucleosomes
Authors: Brahma Sandipan , Henikoff Steven
Published: December 2023

Chromatin accessibility is a hallmark of active transcription and entails ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling, which is carried out by complexes such as Brahma-associated factor (BAF). However, the mechanistic links between transcription, nucleosome remodeling and chromatin accessibility are unclear. Here, we used a chemical–genetic approach coupled with time-resolved chromatin profiling to dissect the interplay between RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII), BAF and DNA-sequence-specific transcription factors in mouse embryonic stem cells. We show that BAF dynamically unwraps and evicts nucleosomes at accessible chromatin regions, while RNAPII promoter-proximal pausing stabilizes BAF chromatin occupancy and enhances ATP-dependent nucleosome eviction by BAF. We find that although RNAPII and BAF dynamically probe both transcriptionally active and Polycomb-repressed genomic regions, pluripotency transcription factor chromatin binding confers locus specificity for productive chromatin remodeling and nucleosome eviction by BAF. Our study suggests a paradigm for how functional synergy between dynamically acting chromatin factors regulates locus-specific nucleosome organization and chromatin accessibility.
Comparative and phylogenetic analyses of nine complete chloroplast genomes of Orchidaceae
Authors: Liu Likuan , Du Jingxuan , Liu Zhihua , Zuo Wenming , Wang Zhenglei , Li Jinping , Zeng Yang
Published: December 2023

The orchid family has 200,000 species and 700 genera, and it is found worldwide in the tropics and subtropics. In China, there are 1247 species and subspecies of orchids belonging to the Orchidaceae family. Orchidaceae is one of the most diverse plant families in the world, known for their lush look, remarkable ecological tolerance, and capability for reproduction. It has significant decorative and therapeutic value. In terms of evolution, the orchid family is one of the more complicated groups, but up until now, little has been known about its affinities. This study examined the properties of 19 chloroplast (cp) genomes, of which 11 had previously been published and nine had only recently been revealed. Following that, topics such as analysis of selection pressure, codon usage, amino acid frequencies, repeated sequences, and reverse repeat contraction and expansion are covered. The Orchidaceae share similar cp chromosomal characteristics, and we have conducted a preliminary analysis of their evolutionary connections. The cp genome of this family has a typical tepartite structure and a high degree of consistency across species. Platanthera urceolata with more tandem repeats of the cp genome. Similar cp chromosomal traits can be seen in the orchidaceae. Galearis roborowskyi, Neottianthe cucullata, Neottianthe monophylla, Platanthera urceolata and Ponerorchis compacta are the closest cousins, according to phylogenetic study.
Contact with nature for emotion regulation: the roles of nature connectedness and beauty engagement in urban young adults
Authors: Gu Xuan , Zheng Hailin , Tse Chi-Shing
Published: December 2023

Contact with nature has emotional benefits, but the psychological mechanism and potential moderator underlying the association between nature contact and emotion regulation remain unclear. The present study investigated how self-reported frequency of nature contact is associated with the use of emotion regulation strategies and explored the mediating role of nature connectedness (i.e., psychological connection to nature) and the moderating role of engagement with natural beauty. Employing mediation and moderated mediation analyses, in a cross-sectional sample of 2097 young adults aged 18–35 years old (M = 24.01, SD = 4.80) residing in urban China, we obtained three major findings. First, nature connectedness mediated the associations between direct/indirect nature contact and cognitive reappraisal as well as expressive suppression. Second, engagement with natural beauty moderated the path from direct/indirect nature contact to cognitive reappraisal in the mediation models. Third, engagement with natural beauty moderated the path from indirect nature contact to nature connectedness in the mediation models. Our study is the first to reveal mediating and moderating factors in the relationships among direct/indirect contact with nature, nature connectedness, engagement with natural beauty, and emotion regulation strategies. These findings provide support for the emotional health of nature contact and have implications for nature-based education and urban planning.
A high urinary urobilinogen/serum total bilirubin ratio indicates acute hepatic porphyria in patients with abdominal pain
Authors: Song Chengyuan , Liu Yuan
Published: December 2023

Acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) has always been a diagnostic dilemma for physicians due to its variable symptoms. Correct diagnosis mainly depends on the detection of an elevated urinary porphobilinogen (PBG), which is not a routine test and highly relies on the physician’s awareness of AHP. In the present study, we identified a more convenient indicator during routine examinations to improve the diagnosis of AHP. We found that AHP patients showed a significant higher “FALSE” urinary urobilinogen level caused by urinary PBG during the urinalysis when detected by strips impregnated with Ehrlich reagent (P < 0.05). And a remarkable increase in the urinary urobilinogen/serum total bilirubin ratio was observed in AHP patients. The area under the ROC curve of this ratio for AHP was 1.000 (95% confidence interval 1.000–1.000, P < 0.01). A cutoff value of 3.22 for this ratio yielded a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100% to distinguish AHP patients from the controls. Thus, we proved that a “falsely” high urinary urobilinogen level that was adjusted by the serum total bilirubin level (urinary urobilinogen/serum total bilirubin ratio) could be used as a sensitive and specific screening marker for AHP in patients with abdominal pain.
A novel surgical strategy of three column osteotomy at non-lesioned area for correcting severe angular kyphosis due to Pott’s disease: a retrospectively study
Authors: Zhao Deng , Wang Fei , Hu Zhengjun , Zhong Rui , Huang Huaqiang , Zhang Zhong , Jiang Dengxu , Liang Yan , Liang Yijian
Published: December 2023

Severe sharp angular kyphosis resulting from Pott’s disease typically necessitates surgical intervention. The deployment of three-column osteotomy within the lesion and apical regions has been validated as an effective modality for the amelioration of angular kyphosis. Nonetheless, a propensity for residual kyphosis persists, accompanied by a significant perioperative risk profile. In pursuit of optimizing correctional outcomes and diminishing complication rates, we proposed an innovative surgical approach, utilizing osteotomy in the non-lesioned zones for the rectification of severe angular kyphosis associated with Pott’s disease. This retrospective investigation encompasses 16 subjects who underwent this novel surgical tactic, involving osteotomies in non-lesioned vertebral segments, at our institution from 2016 to 2018. Radiographic measures, encompassing kyphotic angle and sagittal vertical axis (SVA), were documented at baseline and during terminal follow-up. Neurological status was evaluated via the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grading system. Operative duration, volume of hemorrhage, and perioperative complications were systematically recorded. The cohort included 6 males and 10 females with an average age of 30.7 ± 11.41 years. Follow-up intervals spanned 24 to 42 months. Mean operative time and blood loss were 492 ± 127.3 min and 1791 ± 788.8 ml, respectively. The kyphotic angle improved from 97.6 ± 14.6° to 28.8 ± 18.70°. In cases with lumbar afflictions, vertebral restoration was achieved (L1–L5 and L2–S1). Initial mean SVA of 6.7 ± 3.58 cm was reduced to 3.3 ± 1.57 cm at follow-up. Neurological function enhancement was observed in six patients, while ten maintained baseline status. Complication rates, including wound infection and rod fracture at 12 months, were observed in approximately 11.8% of cases. Our findings suggest that the surgical strategy is both effective and safe for addressing severe angular kyphosis due to Pott’s disease, contingent upon the expertise of the surgical unit.
Theoretical insights into the structural, electronic and thermoelectric properties of the inorganic biphenylene monolayer
Authors: Kumar Ajay , Senapati Parbati , Parida Prakash
Published: December 2023

I-BPN monolayer as a good p-type thermoelectric material with enhanced Seebeck coefficient and their corresponding anisotropic nature of figure of merit.
Adsorption and sensing performance of air pollutants on a β-TeO2 monolayer: a first-principles study
Authors: Wang Ying , Guo Shiying , Xu Xiaoyong , Pan Jing , Hu Jingguo , Zhang Shengli
Published: December 2023

The adsorption of SO2 obviously changes the electrical conductivity of the β-TeO2 monolayer which has great potential as a SO2 sensing material for gas sensors.
Correlative super-resolution bright-field and fluorescence imaging by microsphere assisted microscopy
Authors: Luo Hao , Jiang Chaodi , Wen Yangdong , Wang Xiaoduo , Wang Feifei , Liu Lianqing , Yu Haibo
Published: December 2023

We employed microsphere superlenses to simultaneously enhance the resolution of bright-field and fluorescence imaging, achieving correlated super-resolution bright-field and fluorescence imaging (from λ/1.3 to λ/4.2).
10 Guiding principles for learning in the laboratory
Authors: Seery Michael K. , Agustian Hendra Y. , Christiansen Frederik V. , Gammelgaard Bente , Malm Rie H.
Published: December 2023

Laboratory work in chemistry has been extensively researched in the last decade but the gap between research and practice is still broad. This Perspective shares 10 guiding principles relating to university laboratory education, drawing on research over the last decade. Written with an audience of practitioners in mind, the Perspective aligns with Hounsell and Hounsell's congruence framework, so that the 10 principles consider all aspects of the laboratory curriculum: design, teaching approaches, and assessment approaches as suggested by Biggs, but additional contextual factors relating to teaching context: backgrounds of students and their support, and overall laboratory organisation and management. After discussing the rationale for each guiding principle, examples of approaches are given from recent literature along with prompts to help enact the guiding principle in practice.
Dual‐polarised end‐fire antenna based on the high‐order mode of spoof surface plasmon polaritons
Authors: Liang Zheng , Qi Shi‐Shan , Wu Wen
Published: December 2023

A planar antenna with dual‐linearly polarised end‐fire radiation is proposed. A tapered double‐sided symmetrical spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) transmission line (TL) with tilted unit cells is proposed. The SSPP TL can operate in two types of first high‐order modes: the first high‐order even mode and the first high‐order odd mode. A two‐port feeding structure is designed to feed the SSPP TL. When the signal is fed from port 1, the energy travels through the substrate integrated waveguide and eventually excites the even mode on the SSPP TL, leading to vertically polarised radiation. Conversely, when the signal is input from port 2, the energy travels through the stripline‐to‐slotline transition and eventually excites the odd mode on the SSPP TL, generating horizontally polarised radiation. According to the measured results, a 54.6% overlapping bandwidth is obtained. The horizontal and the vertical polarisations achieve a maximum gain of 14.7 and 12.2 dBi, respectively.
Deformation mechanism finite element analysis and die geometry optimization of magnesium alloys by equal channel angular processing
Authors: Zou Zhongping , Xu Shubo , Gao Ruilan , Xue Xianmeng , Li Tingting , Ren Guocheng
Published: December 2023

Magnesium alloys are one of the highly promising structural metals. hcp structure makes it less plastic at room temperature, which greatly limits the development of magnesium alloys. The problem of poor plastic deformation of magnesium alloy can be solved by grain refinement methods, and equal channel angle pressing is one of the more effective methods in grain refinement. In this paper, two-dimensional dynamic simulation of equal channel angle pressing of magnesium alloy is carried out by using finite element software DEFORM F2™. The deformation of magnesium alloy with different of die angles and die corner angles was analyzed. The results show that in the main deformation zone, when the die angles are different, the deformation of the workpiece in the horizontal direction is very uniform. However, in the longitudinal direction of the workpiece, the larger the die angle is, the more uniform the workpiece deformation is. The die corner angle has no significant effect on the uniformity of workpiece deformation in the longitudinal direction, but it has an effect on the dead zone area and workpiece warpage. The dead zone area and workpiece warpage increase with the increase of die angle.
Adipositas: Keine Frage der Schuld
Authors: Dippel Franz-Werner
Published: December 2023

Zerlegt, modifiziert, neu zusammengesetzt, mit Zusatzstoffen angereichert und in
Form gepresst. Schmackhafte und energiereiche Fertigprodukte sind immer und
überall verfügbar und machen mittlerweile den
größten Teil unserer täglichen Kalorienzufuhr aus.
Ernährungsexperten vermuten darin die Hauptursache für den
rasanten Anstieg von Übergewicht und Adipositas in unserer
Gesellschaft.