bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plenteous stationary wave patterns for (2+1) dimensional fokas system
Authors: Thilakavathy J , Amrutha R , Subramanian K , Sivatharani B
Published: September 2023

This paper investigates the most straightforward extension of the (2+1) dimensional Nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation, termed the Fokas system. The evolution equation is trilinearized, employing a unique method called Truncated Painlevé Approach (TPA) for the (2+1) dimensional Fokas System (FS). In terms of arbitrary functions, this method finds relatively extensive classes of solutions. Localized solutions, including dromion triplet, lump, multi-compacton and multi-rogue wave are generated by efficiently utilizing arbitrary functions. The analysis reveals that the localized solutions evolved do not move in space and only their amplitude changes with time.
The energy dispersion of magnetic Rossby waves in zonally nonuniform basic states
Authors: Li YaoKun
Published: September 2023

The energy dispersion of magnetic Rossby waves was investigated by applying two-dimensional incompressible magnetohydrodynamic equations in both zonally varying basic flow and basic magnetic field. A derived cubic dispersion relation suggests that there are at most three types of magnetic Rossby wave. Two of them represent waves that gradually tend to Alfvén waves during the energy dispersion process. The energy dispersion trajectories (wave rays) finally move with the zonal group velocity that tends to be equal to the zonal phase speed after being reflected by at least one turning location at which the meridional group velocity equal to zero. Along the marching rays, both the wave action density and wave energy tend to be constant values while the wave amplitude will decrease with increasing total wavenumber. The third one represents a wave that gradually have the constant meridional wavenumber, wave action density, wave energy, and wave amplitude. However, the difference in the zonal group velocity and the zonal phase speed suggests that the wave is still dispersive. This type of wave will disappear if specifying uniform basic magnetic field. The cubic dispersion relation is then reduced to a quadratic one. Correspondingly, the remaining two dispersion relations feature a fast- and a slow-propagating magnetic Rossby wave, respectively. They finally tend to be Alfvén waves with no energy dispersion when the energy dispersion process completes.
Impact of m-projective curvature tensor in f (, G)-gravity and f (, 
m
)-gravity
Authors: De Uday Chand , Hazra Dipankar
Published: September 2023

This article deals with the characterization of a spacetime and modified gravity, such as

f


,
G

-gravity and

f


,



m

-gravity endowed with the m-projective curvature tensor. At first, we show that a m-projectively flat perfect fluid spacetime satisfying Einstein’s field equations represents a dark energy era. Also, we prove that such a spacetime obeying the strong energy condition is locally isometric to Minkowski spacetime. Moreover, it is established that a m-projectively flat perfect fluid spacetime is either a de-Sitter spacetime or a Minkowski spacetime. In addition, we show that a perfect fluid spacetime admitting harmonic m-projective curvature tensor is a Robertson-Walker spacetime. Next, we study m-projectively flat perfect fluid spacetime as a solution of

f


,
G

-gravity and

f


,



m

-gravity theories and explain their physical meaning. Several energy conditions in terms of Ricci scalar are investigated with the models

f


,
G

=
exp
(

)
+
α
ln
(
6
G
)

and

f


,



m

=
λ
+



2

2

+



m

. For these models, the weak, null and dominant energy conditions are satisfied, while the strong energy condition is violated, which is good agreement with the recent observational studies and this reveals that the current Universe is in accelerating phase.
Weak measurement as a tool for characterizing coherence and quantum correlations in bipartite systems
Authors: V S Indrajith , Muthuganesan R , Sankaranarayanan R
Published: September 2023

In this article, we study quantum coherence of bipartite state from the perspective of weak measurement, which generalizes the notion of coherence relative to measurement. This is being illustrated by computing coherence for the well-known Bell diagonal and Werner states. Further, we have expanded the notion of coherence to encompass correlations, exploring its connections with other quantifications of nonlocality. We have determined that this coherence measure can be perceived as a generalized version of the Wigner-Yanese skew information measure and several other nonlocal measures. As a natural extension, we introduce uncertainty relations within the context of weak measurements. Additionally, we propose a novel form of variance by considering the weak value of an observable within a comprehensive framework.
Dual-FBG arrays hybrid measurement technology for mechanical strain, temperature, and thermal strain on composite materials
Authors: Liang Zhihong , Wang Xuan , Ma Yunlong , Yan Jiajia , Di Wu  , Wang Yue , Wang Yishou
Published: September 2023

The response measurement of spacecraft during reentry is very important for designing the base composite structure. This paper proposes a hybrid measurement method to measure the mechanical strain, the temperature, and the thermal strain using dual fiber Bragg grating (FBG) arrays. The decoupling of temperature and stain is illustrated by a three-step process such that triple physical variables are measured simultaneously. For the base composite structure, four heating scenarios with thermal steady and non-steady states encountered during the lifting re-entry were designed to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed method. Under the thermal non-steady state, the average absolute error of the temperature measured by the dual-FBG and the thermocouple did not exceed 2.799 K. Meanwhile, the dual FBG-based thermal strain was compared with the thermally measured strain with an average relative error of no more than 2.913%. A finite element model at different temperatures was developed to calculate mechanical responses and was compared with the results obtained by FBG. The results show significant agreement between the measurement and the simulation, with a maximum error of 3.61%.
The Simons Observatory: a new open-source power spectrum pipeline applied to the Planck legacy data
Authors: Li Zack , Louis Thibaut , Calabrese Erminia , Jense Hidde , Alonso David , Atkins Zachary , Bond J. Richard , Choi Steve K. , Dunkley Jo , Fabbian Giulio , Garrido Xavier , H. Jaffe Andrew , Madhavacheril Mathew S. , Meerburg P. Daniel , Natale Umberto , Qu Frank J.
Published: September 2023

We present a reproduction of the Planck 2018 angular power spectra at ℓ > 30,
and associated covariance matrices, for intensity and polarization maps at 100, 143 and 217
GHz. This uses a new, publicly available, pipeline that is part of the PSpipe package.
As a test case we use the same input maps, ancillary products, and analysis choices as in the Planck 2018 analysis, and find that we can reproduce the spectra to 0.1σ precision, and
the covariance matrices to 10%. We show that cosmological parameters estimated from our
re-derived products agree with the public Planck products to 0.1σ, providing an
independent cross-check of the Planck team's analysis. Going forward, the
publicly-available code can be easily adapted to use alternative input maps, data selections and
analysis choices, for future optimal analysis of Planck data with new ground-based Cosmic
Microwave Background data.
Leading all-loop quantum contribution to the effective potential in the inflationary cosmology
Authors: Kazakov D.I. , Iakhibbaev R.M. , Tolkachev D.M.
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we have constructed quantum effective potentials and used them to study slow-roll inflationary cosmology. We derived the generalised RG equation for the effective potential in the leading logarithmic approximation and applied it to evaluate the potentials of the T
2 and T
4-models, which are often used in modern models of slow-roll inflation. We found that while the one-loop correction strongly affects the potential, breaking its original symmetry, the contribution of higher loops smoothes the behaviour of the potential. However, unlike the ϕ
4-case, we found that the effective potentials preserve spontaneous symmetry breaking when summing all the leading corrections.
We calculated the spectral indices ns
and r for the effective potentials of both models and found that they are consistent with the observational data for a wide range of parameters of the models.
The Potential of Detecting Nearby Terrestrial Planets in the HZ with Different Methods
Authors: Qiao-Yang Hao , Shen-Wei Zhou , Hui-Gen Liu
Published: September 2023

Terrestrial planets in the habitable zone (hereafter HZ) around nearby stars are of great interest and provide a good sample to characterize their habitability. In this paper, we collect a nearby star catalog within 20 pc according to the Gaia Catalog of Nearby Stars, complete the physical parameters of the stars, and select stars that are not brown or white dwarfs. After selection, a sample of 2234 main-sequence stars is used to estimate the extended HZ. Then we inject Earth-like planets into the extended HZ around each star and calculate the signals with four methods, i.e., velocity amplitude for radial velocity, transit probability and depth for transit, stellar displacements for astrometry, and contrast and angular separation for imaging. Considering a typical noise model based on classic instruments, e.g., ESPRESSO, Kepler, Gaia, HabEx, and LIFE, we predict the highest possible detection number of Earth-like planets via different methods in the best-case hypothetical scenario. According to this, we conclude that both astrometry and imaging have the potential to detect nearby Earth-like planets around G-type stars, while radial velocity has the potential to detect 2% of nearby Earth-like planets around M stars with a precision of 0.2 m s−1. Our work also provides the precision requirements for future missions to reveal the nearby Earth-like planet in the HZ.
Cross-dataset transfer learning for motor imagery signal classification via multi-task learning and pre-training
Authors: Xie Yuting , Wang Kun , Meng Jiayuan , Yue Jin , Meng Lin , Yi Weibo , Jung Tzyy-Ping , Xu Minpeng , Ming Dong
Published: September 2023

Objective. Deep learning (DL) models have been proven to be effective in decoding motor imagery (MI) signals in Electroencephalogram (EEG) data. However, DL models’ success relies heavily on large amounts of training data, whereas EEG data collection is laborious and time-consuming. Recently, cross-dataset transfer learning has emerged as a promising approach to meet the data requirements of DL models. Nevertheless, transferring knowledge across datasets involving different MI tasks remains a significant challenge in cross-dataset transfer learning, limiting the full utilization of valuable data resources. Approach: This study proposes a pre-training-based cross-dataset transfer learning method inspired by Hard Parameter Sharing in multi-task learning. Different datasets with distinct MI paradigms are considered as different tasks, classified with shared feature extraction layers and individual task-specific layers to allow cross-dataset classification with one unified model. Then, Pre-training and fine-tuning are employed to transfer knowledge across datasets. We also designed four fine-tuning schemes and conducted extensive experiments on them. Main results: The results showed that compared to models without pre-training, models with pre-training achieved a maximum increase in accuracy of 7.76%. Moreover, when limited training data were available, the pre-training method significantly improved DL model’s accuracy by 27.34% at most. The experiments also revealed that pre-trained models exhibit faster convergence and remarkable robustness. The training time per subject could be reduced by up to 102.83 s, and the variance of classification accuracy decreased by 75.22% at best. Significance: This study represents the first comprehensive investigation of the cross-dataset transfer learning method between two datasets with different MI tasks. The proposed pre-training method requires only minimal fine-tuning data when applying DL models to new MI paradigms, making MI-Brain–computer interface more practical and user-friendly.
Comparison of machine learning systems trained to detect Alfvén eigenmodes using the CO2 interferometer on DIII-D
Authors: Garcia Alvin V. , Jalalvand Azarakhsh , Steiner Peter , Rothstein Andy , Van Zeeland Michael , Heidbrink William W. , Kolemen Egemen
Published: September 2023

A Machine-Learning (ML) based detection scheme that automatically detects Alfvén Eigenmodes (AE) in a labelled DIII-D database is presented here. Controlling AEs is important for the success of planned burning plasma devices such as ITER, since resonant fast ions can drive AEs unstable and degrade the performance of the plasma or damage the first walls of the machine vessel. Artificial Intelligence could be useful for real-time detection and control of AEs in steady-state plasma scenarios by implementing ML-based models into control algorithms that drive actuators for mitigation of AE impacts. Thus, the objective is to compare differences in performance between using two different recurrent neural network systems (Reservoir Computing Network and Long Short Term Memory Network) and two different representations of the

C

O
2

phase data (simple and crosspower spectrograms). All

C

O
2

interferometer chords are used to train both models, but only one is processed during each training step. The results from the model and data comparison show higher performance for the RCN model (True Positive Rate = 90% and False Positive Rate = 14%), and that using simple magnitude spectrograms is sufficient to detect AEs. Also, the vertical

C

O
2

interferometer chord passing near the center is better for ML-based detection of AEs.
Investigations into 3D-printed nautiloid-inspired pressure housings
Authors: Karp Madeline A , Phillips Brennan , Edie Stewart M
Published: September 2023

The shell of the chambered nautilus is one of the few examples in nature of a biologically derived one-atmosphere pressure housing, which the animal uses to maintain neutral buoyancy via a series of sealed chambers. Extant species such as Nautilus pompilius live at depths from 200 to 800 m, and similar depth ranges have been hypothesized for their hyper diverse but extinct relatives, the ammonoids. Given the evolutionary success of these molluscan clades, their complex shell morphologies may reveal pressure-tolerant geometries comparable to the ‘ideal’ ones currently used in deep-sea marine robotics: simple spheres and cylinders, which have minimized surface area to volume ratio and easier manufacturability. We modeled and empirically tested 3D-printed bioinspired pressure housings for deep-sea applications using high resolution stereolithography 3D printing. These designs were modeled on the shells of N. pompilius and were compared to conventional 3D-printed spheres with similar wall thicknesses and implodable volumes. Two nautilus-inspired models with internal supports designed after their septal walls (one concave, one convex) had a higher-pressure tolerance compared to hollow models, but none outperformed spherical models with the same outer-wall thickness. Although spheres outperform the nautilus-inspired housings, the methods developed here show that pressure housings with complex geometries can be printed by additive manufacturing and empirically tested. From a biological perspective, this method can be a new tool for empirically testing viable depth tolerances for extinct coiled cephalopod morphologies.
Tableau evacuation and webs
Authors: Patrias Rebecca , Pechenik Oliver
Published: September 2023

Webs are certain planar diagrams embedded in disks. They index and describe bases of tensor products of representations of

s
l

2

\mathfrak {sl}_2

and

s
l

3

\mathfrak {sl}_3

. There are explicit bijections between webs and certain rectangular tableaux. Work of Petersen–Pylyavskyy–Rhoades (2009) and Russell (2013) shows that these bijections relate web rotation to tableau promotion. We describe the analogous relation between web reflection and tableau evacuation.
Anatomic and clinical pathology services and infrastructure in Zambia
Authors: Jacobs Jeremy W , Milner Dan , Shibemba Aaron Lunda , Eichbaum Quentin
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Pathology services are limited across most of sub-Saharan Africa. We sought to ascertain the availability of anatomic and clinical pathology services and diagnostic resources in Zambia.

Methods

Two individual surveys—one for anatomic pathology and one for clinical pathology/laboratory medicine—were developed by subject matter experts. These surveys were administered to individuals involved in pathology and laboratory medicine diagnostic services at hospitals and laboratories across Zambia from May to October 2022 using the American Society for Clinical Pathology email listserv.

Results

A total of 20 responses were received from 17 unique laboratories—8 sites provide anatomic pathology (AP) services, 12 provide clinical pathology (CP) services, and 3 perform both AP and CP services. Anatomic pathology services are variable and generally limited to a few of the responding laboratories, as only 1 laboratory performs immunohistochemical staining on surgical pathology specimens, and only 2 perform general histochemical stains. Conversely, certain microbiology testing (eg, for HIV) is more widely available.

Conclusions

This study of 17 unique laboratories represents the most complete analysis of pathology capabilities in Zambia. Despite initiatives to improve pathology services, both personnel and infrastructure challenges remain. Given a population of approximately 20 million, expansion of anatomic pathology in Zambia must be prioritized.
A pain in the neck
Authors: Victory Liana , Quigley Claire , Bowe Stephanie , Dempsey Philip , Lenane Patsy , O Ceallaigh Padraig , Shudell Emma
Published: September 2023

This clinical case describes a patient with a cutaneous dental sinus initially misdiagnosed as a primary dermatological issue and treated unsuccessfully with prolonged antimicrobial therapy. It highlights the importance of considering odontogenic cutaneous fistula as a possible differential diagnosis for chronic suppurative cutaneous lesions on the face or neck.
Novel network representation model for improving controllability processes on temporal networks
Authors: Liu Yan , Zeng Jianhang , Xu Yue
Published: September 2023

Temporal networks are known as the most important tools for representing and storing dynamic systems. This type of network accurately demonstrates all the dynamic changes that occur in a dynamic system. In different applications of dynamic systems, different representation of network models has been used to represent temporal networks. In the last decade, controllability in dynamic systems has become one of the most important challenges in this field. Controllability means the transfer of the network from an initial state to a desired final state in a certain period of time. The most common representation of network model used in control processes is the layered model. But this model has a high overhead, and on the other hand, it slows down the network control processes. In this article, we have proposed a new model for storing and representing temporal networks, which uses a tree structure to save all dynamics of network. Considering that in the proposed model only essential network control information is stored, this model has a very low data overhead compared to the layered model, and this makes the control processes run at a higher speed.
Identifying the elasticity of substitution with biased technical change: a structural panel GMM estimator
Authors: von Brasch Thomas , Raknerud Arvid , Vigtel Trond C
Published: September 2023

This paper provides a structural panel GMM (P-GMM) estimator of the elasticity of substitution between capital and labour that does not depend on external instruments, and which can be applied in the presence of biased technical change. We identify the conditions under which P-GMM is a consistent estimator and compare it to a fixed effects estimator. Using a Monte Carlo study, we find that the P-GMM estimator is nearly unbiased provided the number of time periods (T) is not too small. We show analytically how the small-T bias is related to metrics of weak identification. In an application on manufacturing firms in Norway, we estimate the elasticity of substitution to be 1.9 using the P-GMM and 1.0 using the fixed effects estimator. Neglecting simultaneity may thus lead to the conclusion that capital and labour are complements or can be described by Cobb–Douglas technology, when, in fact, they are substitutes.
An unexpected cause of pulmonary hypertension in a young woman: a case report
Authors: Aeberhard Judith , Lichtblau Mona , Arenja Nisha
Published: September 2023

Background

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined as a progressive disease that leads to right heart failure and death if untreated. This case report presents a young woman with reversible precapillary PH in the setting of a gastric cancer.

Case summary

A 37-year-old woman presented with exertional dyspnoea and syncope. The transthoracic echocardiographic findings were consistent with a cor pulmonale. Right heart catheterization (RHC) proved a precapillary PH. Specific PH therapy with macitentan and tadalafil was initiated. Shortly thereafter, a gastric carcinoma was diagnosed, and oncologic treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and subsequent gastrectomy was promptly initiated. Retrospectively, we considered a pulmonary tumour thrombotic microangiopathy the most probable cause of PH. Follow-up after successful oncologic treatment and cumulative 10 months of specific PH medication showed an excellent clinical response with complete remission of PH confirmed by RHC at rest.

Discussion

Tumour-related PH is very rare and might be largely underdiagnosed as the clinical course often results in a rapid deterioration and fatal outcome before diagnostics are completed. Post mortem studies have documented tumoural emboli in pulmonary microcirculation in ∼26% of patients with a solid tumour, markedly associated with adenocarcinoma. Prompt initiation of cancer treatment on tumoural PH is essential. To our knowledge, this report documents the first full recovery of tumoural PH at rest after successful cancer treatment and temporary specific PH medication. We therefore conclude that a multidisciplinary approach with an initially combined oncologic and PH therapy may be most beneficial with the potential of complete remission of PH.
Risk of incident cardiovascular disease among patients with gastrointestinal disorder: a prospective cohort study of 330 751 individuals
Authors: Chen Jie , Sun Yuhao , Fu Tian , Lu Shiyuan , Shi Wenming , Zhao Jianhui , Li Sen , Li Xue , Yuan Shuai , Larsson Susanna C
Published: September 2023

Background and aims

The associations between gastrointestinal diseases (GIs) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) were unclear. We conducted a prospective cohort study to explore their associations.

Methods

This study included 330 751 individuals without baseline CVD from the UK Biobank cohort. Individuals with and without GIs were followed up until the ascertainment of incident CVDs, including coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease (CeVD), heart failure (HF), and peripheral artery disease (PAD). The diagnosis of diseases was confirmed with combination of the nationwide inpatient data, primary care data, and cancer registries. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the associations between GIs and the risk of incident CVD.

Results

During a median follow-up of 11.8 years, 31 605 incident CVD cases were diagnosed. Individuals with GIs had an elevated risk of CVD (hazard ratio 1.37; 95% confidence interval 1.34–1.41, P < 0.001). Eleven out of 15 GIs were associated with an increased risk of CVD after Bonferroni-correction, including cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gastritis and duodenitis, irritable bowel syndrome, Barrett's esophagus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer, celiac disease, diverticulum, appendicitis, and biliary disease. The associations were stronger among women, individuals aged ≤60 years, and those with body mass index ≥25 kg/m2.

Conclusions

This large-scale prospective cohort study revealed the associations of GIs with an increased risk of incident CVD, in particular CHD and PAD. These findings support the reinforced secondary CVD prevention among patients with gastrointestinal disorders.
Negative Tail Events, Emotions and Risk Taking
Authors: Corgnet Brice , Cornand Camille , Hanaki Nobuyuki
Published: September 2023

We design a novel experiment to assess investors’ behavioural and physiological reactions to negative tail events. Investors who observed, without suffering from, tail events decreased their bids, whereas investors suffering tail losses increased them. However, the increase in bids after tail losses was not observed for those who exhibited no emotional arousal. This suggests that emotions are key in explaining prospect theory prediction of risk seeking in the loss domain.
Mother’s warmth from maternal genes: genomic imprinting of brown adipose tissue
Authors: Ayache Lynn , Bushell Aiden , Lee Jessica , Salminen Iiro , Crespi Bernard
Published: September 2023

Background and objectives

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays key roles in mammalian physiology, most notably with regard to thermoregulation in infants and juveniles. Previous studies have suggested that intragenomic conflict, in the form of genomic imprinting, mediates BAT thermogenesis, because it represents a public good for groups of siblings, or a mother with her offspring, who huddle together to conserve warmth. By this hypothesis, maternally expressed imprinted genes should promote BAT, while paternally expressed genes should repress it.

Methodology

We systematically searched the literature using two curated lists of genes imprinted in humans and/or mice, in association with evidence regarding effects of perturbation to imprinted gene expression on BAT development or activity.

Results

Overall, enhanced BAT was associated with relatively higher expression of maternally expressed imprinted genes, and relatively lower expression of paternally expressed imprinted genes; this pattern was found for 16 of the 19 genes with sufficient information for robust ascertainment (Binomial test, P < 0.005, 2-tailed).

Conclusions and implications

These results support the kinship theory of imprinting and indicate that future studies of BAT, and its roles in human health and disease, may usefully focus on effects of imprinted genes and associated genomic conflicts.
Long-term lifestyle change and risk of mortality and Type 2 diabetes in patients with cardiovascular disease
Authors: Bonekamp Nadia E , Visseren Frank L J , Cramer Maarten J , Dorresteijn Jannick A N , van der Meer Manon G , Ruigrok Ynte M , van Sloten Thomas T , Teraa Martin , Geleijnse Johanna M , Koopal Charlotte
Published: September 2023

Aims

To quantify the relationship between self-reported, long-term lifestyle changes (smoking, waist circumference, physical activity, and alcohol consumption) and clinical outcomes in patients with established cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods and results

Data were used from 2011 participants (78% male, age 57 ± 9 years) from the Utrecht Cardiovascular Cohort—Second Manifestations of ARTerial disease cohort who returned for a re-assessment visit (SMART2) after ∼10 years. Self-reported lifestyle change was classified as persistently healthy, improved, worsened, or persistently unhealthy. Cox proportional hazard models were used to quantify the relationship between lifestyle changes and the risk of (cardiovascular) mortality and incident Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Fifty-seven per cent of participants was persistently healthy, 17% improved their lifestyle, 8% worsened, and 17% was persistently unhealthy. During a median follow-up time of 6.1 (inter-quartile range 3.6–9.6) years after the SMART2 visit, 285 deaths occurred, and 99 new T2D diagnoses were made. Compared with a persistently unhealthy lifestyle, individuals who maintained a healthy lifestyle had a lower risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36–0.63], cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.38–0.87), and incident T2D (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.28–0.73). Similarly, those who improved their lifestyle had a lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.37–0.74), cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.26–0.81), and incident T2D (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.27–0.92).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that maintaining or adopting a healthy lifestyle can significantly lower mortality and incident T2D risk in CVD patients. This study emphasizes the importance of ongoing lifestyle optimization in CVD patients, highlighting the potential for positive change regardless of previous lifestyle habits.
Patient-reported outcome measures on mental health and psychosocial factors in patients with Brugada syndrome
Authors: Six Stefaan , Theuns Peter , Libin Pieter , Nowé Ann , Pannone Luigi , Bogaerts Bart , Jaxy Simon , Olsen Catharina , Pappaert Gudrun , Grau Isel , Sieira Juan , Van Dooren Sonia , Scheirlynck Esther , Nekkebroeck Julie , Mallefroy Marina , de Asmundis Carlo , Bilsen Johan
Published: September 2023

Aims

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a hereditary arrhythmic disease, associated with sudden cardiac death. To date, little is known about the psychosocial correlates and impacts associated with this disease. The aim of this study was to assess a set of patient-reported psychosocial outcomes, to better profile these patients, and to propose a tailored psychosocial care.

Methods and results

Patients were recruited at the European reference Centre for BrS at Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Belgium. Recruitment was undertaken in two phases: phase 1 (retrospective), patients with confirmed BrS, and phase 2 (prospective), patients referred for ajmaline testing who had an either positive or negative diagnosis. BrS patients were compared to controls from the general population. Two hundred and nine questionnaires were analysed (144 retrospective and 65 prospective). Collected patient-reported outcomes were on mental health (12 item General Health Questionnaire; GHQ-12), social support (Oslo Social Support Scale), health-related quality of life, presence of Type-D personality (Type-D Scale; DS14), coping styles (Brief-COPE), and personality dimensions (Ten Item Personality Inventory). Results showed higher mental distress (GHQ-12) in BrS patients (2.53 ± 3.03) than in the general population (P < 0.001) and higher prevalence (32.7%) of Type D personality (P < 0.001) in patients with confirmed Brugada syndrome (BrS +). A strong correlation was found in the BrS + group (0.611, P < 0.001) between DS14 negative affectivity subscale and mental distress (GHQ-12).

Conclusion

Mental distress and type D personality are significantly more common in BrS patients compared to the general population. This clearly illustrates the necessity to include mental health screening and care as standard for BrS.
Lead management in patients undergoing percutaneous tricuspid valve replacement or repair: a ‘heart team’ approach
Authors: Gabriels James K , Schaller Robert D , Koss Elana , Rutkin Bruce J , Carrillo Roger G , Epstein Laurence M
Published: September 2023

Clinically significant tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has historically been managed with either medical therapy or surgical interventions. More recently, percutaneous trans-catheter tricuspid valve (TV) replacement and tricuspid trans-catheter edge-to-edge repair have emerged as alternative treatment modalities. Patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) have an increased incidence of TR. Severe TR in this population can occur for multiple reasons but most often results from the interactions between the CIED lead and the TV apparatus. Management decisions in patients with CIED leads and clinically significant TR, who are undergoing evaluation for a percutaneous TV intervention, need careful consideration as a trans-venous lead extraction (TLE) may both worsen and improve TR severity. Furthermore, given the potential risks of ‘jailing’ a CIED lead at the time of a percutaneous TV intervention (lead fracture and risk of subsequent infections), consideration should be given to performing a TLE prior to a percutaneous TV intervention. The purpose of this ‘state-of-the-art’ review is to provide an overview of the causes of TR in patients with CIEDs, discuss the available therapeutic options for patients with TR and CIED leads, and advocate for including a lead management specialist as a member of the ‘heart team’ when making treatment decisions in patients TR and CIED leads.
A conceptual framework for understanding stress-induced physiological and transgenerational effects on population responses to climate change
Authors: Crino Ondi L , Bonduriansky Russell , Martin Lynn B , Noble Daniel W A
Published: September 2023

Organisms are experiencing higher average temperatures and greater temperature variability because of anthropogenic climate change. Some populations respond to changes in temperature by shifting their ranges or adjusting their phenotypes via plasticity and/or evolution, while others go extinct. Predicting how populations will respond to temperature changes is challenging because extreme and unpredictable climate changes will exert novel selective pressures. For this reason, there is a need to understand the physiological mechanisms that regulate organismal responses to temperature changes. In vertebrates, glucocorticoid hormones mediate physiological and behavioral responses to environmental stressors and thus are likely to play an important role in how vertebrates respond to global temperature changes. Glucocorticoids have cascading effects that influence the phenotype and fitness of individuals, and some of these effects can be transmitted to offspring via trans- or intergenerational effects. Consequently, glucocorticoid-mediated responses could affect populations and could even be a powerful driver of rapid evolutionary change. Here, we present a conceptual framework that outlines how temperature changes due to global climate change could affect population persistence via glucocorticoid responses within and across generations (via epigenetic modifications). We briefly review glucocorticoid physiology, the interactions between environmental temperatures and glucocorticoid responses, and the phenotypic consequences of glucocorticoid responses within and across generations. We then discuss possible hypotheses for how glucocorticoid-mediated phenotypic effects might impact fitness and population persistence via evolutionary change. Finally, we pose pressing questions to guide future research. Understanding the physiological mechanisms that underpin the responses of vertebrates to elevated temperatures will help predict population-level responses to the changing climates we are experiencing.
Hyperparasitism and the evolution of parasite virulence
Authors: Wood Jason , Ashby Ben
Published: September 2023

Hyperparasites (species which parasitize other parasites) are common in natural populations, affecting many parasitic taxa, including: eukaryotic parasites; bacterial and fungal pathogens. Hyperparasitism is therefore likely to shape the ecology and evolution of many host–parasite systems, representing a promising method for biocontrol (e.g., treating antimicrobial resistant infections). However, the eco-evolutionary consequences of hyperparasitism have received little attention. We use a host–parasite–hyperparasite model to explore how introducing a hyperparasite drives the evolution of parasite virulence, and what impact this has on the host population. We show when the introduction of a hyperparasite selects for higher or lower parasite virulence, and the changes in virulence experienced by the host population. Crucially, we show that variation in the direct effects of hyperparasites on virulence and transmission, and the probability of cotransmission, can lead to a previously unseen hysteresis effect, whereby small shifts in hyperparasite characteristics can lead to sudden shifts in parasite virulence. We also show that hyperparasites can induce diversification in parasite virulence, leading to the coexistence of high and low virulence strains. Our results show hyperparasites can have dramatic effects on the evolution of parasite virulence, and that the use of hyperparasites in biocontrol should be approached with caution.
Quantitative trait locus mapping of osmotic stress response in the fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici
Authors: Stapley Jessica , McDonald Bruce A
Published: September 2023

Osmotic stress is a ubiquitous and potent stress for all living organisms, but few studies have investigated the genetic basis of salt tolerance in filamentous fungi. The main aim of this study was to identify regions of the genome associated with tolerance to potassium chloride (KCl) in the wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. A secondary aim was to identify candidate genes affecting salt tolerance within the most promising chromosomal regions. We achieved these aims with a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping study using offspring from 2 crosses grown in vitro in the presence or absence of osmotic stress imposed by 0.75 M KCl. We identified significant QTL for most of the traits in both crosses. Several QTLs overlapped with QTL identified in earlier studies for other traits, and some QTL explained trait variation in both the control and salt stress environments. A significant QTL on chromosome 3 explained variation in colony radius at 8-day postinoculation (dpi) in the KCl environment as well as colony radius KCl tolerance at 8 dpi. The QTL peak had a high logarithm of the odds ratio (LOD) and encompassed an interval containing only 36 genes. Six of these genes present promising candidates for functional analyses. A gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of QTL unique to the KCl environment found evidence for the enrichment of functions involved in osmotic stress responses.
Older Adults and Their Families’ Online Reviews of Urban Nursing Homes in China
Authors: Yuan Hao , Shen Xiumei , Kong Guangyan , Duan Chenhao
Published: September 2023

Background and Objectives

Social media has made online care facility reviews popular. By analyzing online reviews of nursing homes (NHs), managers and designers can acquire insight into the perceptions of the older adults and their families. This study aims to help improve the care and environment of NHs.

Research Design and Methods

This study employed a mixed-methods approach to analyze online NH reviews. An inductive thematic analysis was utilized to identify and develop themes, followed by a detailed content analysis using Jieba, a Python-based program. Also, a regression analysis was conducted between the sentiment level of each subtheme and the final star ratings.

Results

Online reviews of NHs could be classified into 6 main themes, 18 subthemes, and 53 initial themes. Among the main themes, “service quality” received the most reviews, followed by “physical space environment.” Of the 53 initial themes, “attitude and caring” received the most feedback, followed by “general impression of the space environment,” and “meals and nutrition.” Regression analysis using 18 subthemes revealed that, except for the “facility scale,” all 17 subthemes were significantly connected with the final star rating. “Personal and property security” had the highest regression coefficients, followed by “service attitude” and “space.”

Discussion and Implications

Online reviews provide a valuable supplement to conventional NH quality assessment criteria, enhancing person-centered care delivery. Based on the findings, recommendations for NH management and design are proposed to improve care quality, environment, and satisfaction for older adults and families.
Infertility in patients with uterine fibroids: a debate about the hypothetical mechanisms
Authors: Don Emma E , Mijatovic Velja , Huirne Judith A F
Published: September 2023

Fibroids are benign tumours of the myometrium and are the most common gynaecologic abnormality. Although most fibroids are asymptomatic, they can cause symptoms like heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, pressure complaints, and infertility. The association between fibroids and infertility has been debated for decades. It is generally acknowledged that the closer the fibroid is to the uterine cavity and the endometrium lining, the more unfavourable effect it might have on fertility, reducing the odds for successful implantation and gestation. Based on the limited available literature, we propose and discuss seven hypotheses on the underlying mechanism by which fibroids may reduce fertility. (i) Fibroids can cause sexual dysfunction, as fibroids can cause dyspareunia, pelvic pain, and prolonged and heavy menstrual bleeding, which could interfere with sexual arousal and as a consequence the frequency of intercourse, resulting in a reduced probability of conception. (ii) Mechanical compression by fibroids on theinterstitial part of the fallopian tubes or deformation of uterine cavity could disturb oocyte and sperm transport. (iii) Fibroids can disturb peristalsis of the junctional zone in the myometrium, which could negatively influence oocyte and sperm transport as well as implantation. In addition, fibroids could induce a detrimental environment for implantation in other ways, by: (iv) changing the vagino-uterine microbiome; (v) disturbing the levels of inflammation and autophagy; (vi) inducing molecular changes in the endometrium; and (vii) inducing aberrant angiogenesis and altering the endometrial blood supply. After the discussion of these hypotheses, the implication of the influence of fibroids on early pregnancy loss is discussed. Surgical fibroid treatment is not tailored nor focussed on the pathophysiology of the fibroid; consequently it may be accompanied by recurrence of fibroids and risks of complications. Unravelling the pathogenic mechanisms about how fibroids influence fertility is essential to evolve classic surgical fibroid treatment. Instead of treatment of fibroid-related symptoms, the research should supports development of fibroid-targeted (pharmaceutical) treatment that is compatible with an active wish to become pregnant.
Starting Strong: Investigating the Importance of Early Academic Performance for Adult Human Capital
Authors: Kaila Heidi , Sahn David E , Sunder Naveen
Published: September 2023

We use a production function approach to investigate the factors that determine young adults' human capital outcomes in Madagascar and Senegal. Our study relies on unique and comparable panel data spanning over 15 years for both countries. We find that second-grade students' test scores are strong indicators of their French and math skills, as well as their educational attainment in their early twenties. Moreover, we observe that the association between second-grade skills and later-life outcomes is stronger among girls than boys, and in math test scores compared with French test scores. Our results emphasise the critical role of performing well during the early school years, as it predicts long-term outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations such as girls.
Effects of weight loss and feeding specially formulated diets on the body composition, blood metabolite profiles, voluntary physical activity, and fecal metabolites and microbiota of overweight cats
Authors: Opetz Danielle L , Oba Patricia M , Kostiuk Darcia , Kelly Janelle , Swanson Kelly S
Published: September 2023

Feline obesity is a common and preventable disease, posing a myriad of health risks and detriments. Specially formulated diets and restricted feeding may serve as an intervention strategy to promote weight loss and improve feline health. In this study, our objective was to determine the effects of restricted feeding and weight loss on body composition, voluntary physical activity, blood hormones and metabolites, and fecal microbiota of overweight cats. Twenty-two overweight adult spayed female and neutered male cats [body weight (BW) = 5.70 ± 1.0 kg; body condition score (BCS) = 7.68 ± 0.6; age = 4 ± 0.4 yr] were used in a weight loss study. A control diet (OR) was fed during a 4-wk baseline to identify intake needed to maintain BW. After baseline (week 0), cats were allotted to OR or a test diet (FT) and fed to lose ~1.0% BW/wk for 24 wk. At baseline and 6, 12, 18, and 24 wk after weight loss, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans were performed and blood samples were collected. Voluntary physical activity was measured at weeks 0, 8, 16, and 24. Fecal samples were collected at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24. Change from baseline data were analyzed statistically using the Mixed Models procedure of SAS, with P < 0.05 considered significant. Restricted feeding of both diets led to weight and fat mass loss, lower BCS, and lower blood triglyceride and leptin concentrations. Cats fed the FT diet had a greater reduction in blood triglycerides and cholesterol than cats fed the OR diet. Restricted feeding and weight loss reduced fecal short-chain fatty acid, branched-chain fatty acid, phenol, and indole concentrations. Fecal valerate concentrations were affected by diet, with cats fed the OR diet having a greater reduction than those fed the FT diet. Fecal bacterial alpha diversity was not affected, but fecal bacterial beta diversity analysis showed clustering by diet. Restricted feeding and weight loss affected relative abundances of 7 fecal bacterial genera, while dietary intervention affected change from baseline relative abundances of 2 fecal bacterial phyla and 20 fecal bacterial genera. Our data demonstrate that restricted feeding promoted controlled and safe weight and fat loss, reduced blood lipids and leptin concentrations, and shifted fecal metabolites and microbiota. Some changes were also impacted by diet, highlighting the importance of ingredient and nutrient composition in weight loss diets.