bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-Energy Spin Excitations in Detwinned FeSe
Authors: Liu 刘 Ruixian 瑞鲜 , Nakamura Mitsutaka , Kamazawa Kazuya , Lu 鲁 Xingye 兴业
Published: May 2024

Antiferromagnetic spin fluctuation is regarded as the leading driving force for electron pairing in high-T
c superconductors. In iron-based superconductors, spin excitations at low energy range, especially the spin-resonance mode at E
R ∼ 5k
B
T
c, are important for understanding the superconductivity. Here, we use inelastic neutron scattering (INS) to investigate the symmetry and in-plane wave-vector dependence of low-energy spin excitations in uniaxial-strain detwinned FeSe. The low-energy spin excitations (E < 10 meV) appear mainly at
Q
= (±1, 0) in the superconducting state (T ≲ 9 K) and the nematic state (T ≲ 90 K), confirming the constant C
2 rotational symmetry and ruling out the C
4 mode at E ≈ 3 meV reported in a prior INS study. Moreover, our results reveal an isotropic spin resonance in the superconducting state, which is consistent with the s
± wave pairing symmetry. At slightly higher energy, low-energy spin excitations become highly anisotropic. The full width at half maximum of spin excitations is elongated along the transverse direction. The Q-space isotropic spin resonance and highly anisotropic low-energy spin excitations could arise from dyz
intra-orbital selective Fermi surface nesting between the hole pocket around Γ point and the electron pockets centered at M
X point.
Evaluation of the single-frequency variometric approach based on low-cost GNSS observations and different satellite combinations for detecting short-term dynamic behaviors
Authors: Bahadur Berkay , Bezcioglu Mert , Yigit Cemal Ozer
Published: May 2024

This study presents the capability of the single-frequency (SF) variometric approach (VA) technique with low-cost GNSS observations to detect short-term dynamic behaviors. Harmonic oscillations with amplitudes between 5 and 20 mm and frequencies between 0.3 and 5.0 Hz were generated employing a single-axis shake table to investigate the performance of the SF-VA technique in the structural health monitoring (SHM) system. Besides, a Mw 6.9 Kobe, 1995 earthquake simulation was generated using the shake table to analyze the SF-VA performance for the earthquake early warning (EEW) system. A low-cost u-blox ZED-F9P GNSS receiver and ANN-MB-00 patch antenna were used to collect GNSS observations at a 20 Hz sampling rate during the experiments. The observations were processed using the MATLAB-based open-source PPPH-VA software in real-time (RT) mode, considering eight different satellite combinations. The capability of the SF-VA technique to detect horizontal dynamic behaviors in RT mode was investigated in the frequency and time domains, accepting the displacements from the linear variable differential transformer sensor as a reference. The results in the frequency domain demonstrate that the SF-VA technique with low-cost GNSS observations can successfully detect the peak frequency value of short-term harmonic oscillations up to 5 Hz. Moreover, time domain findings emphasize that the short-time dynamic oscillations can be determined with the SF-VA technique with an accuracy ranging from 0.8 to 6.4 mm. Earthquake simulation experiment results demonstrate that the strong ground motions caused by mega earthquakes can be determined at mm-level by the SF-VA method. The results of both experiments show that multi-GNSS observations contribute to the SF-VA technique considerably. Overall, the findings reveal that the SHM and EEW systems can be operated with low-cost GNSS receivers, and the natural frequency of the man-made structures and accurate displacement values of seismic waveforms can be determined in RT with the SF-VA technique.
PCO and hardware delay calibration for LEO satellite antenna downlinking navigation signals
Authors: Liu Jiawei , Wang Kan , El-Mowafy Ahmed , Yang Xuhai
Published: May 2024

Augmentation of the Global Navigation Satellite System by low earth orbit (LEO) satellites is a promising approach benefiting from the advantages of LEO satellites. This, however, requires errors and biases in the satellite downlink navigation signals to be calibrated, modeled, or eliminated. This contribution introduces an approach for in-orbit calibration of the phase center offsets (PCOs) and code hardware delays of the LEO downlink navigation signal transmitter/antenna. Using the satellite geometries of Sentinel-3B and Sentinel-6A as examples, the study analyzed the formal precision and bias influences for potential downlink antenna PCOs and hardware delays of LEO satellites under different ground network distributions, and processing periods. It was found that increasing the number of tracking stations and processing periods can improve the formal precision of PCOs and hardware delay. Less than 3.5 mm and 3 cm, respectively, can be achieved with 10 stations and 6 processing days. The bias projections of the real-time LEO satellite orbital and clock errors can reach below 3 mm in such a case. For near-polar LEO satellites, stations in polar areas are essential for strengthening the observation model.
Lifetime measurements in the yrast band of 187Hg
Authors: Bhushan Ravi , Pandey Anand , Rohilla Aman , Kumar A , Govil I M , Chamoli S K
Published: May 2024

Lifetimes of excited nuclear states in 187Hg have been measured using the 159Tb (32S, p3n)187Hg reaction at a beam energy of 154 MeV at the Inter University Accelerator Center, Delhi. In the experiment, the lifetimes of the five lowest yrast states have been determined using the recoil distance Doppler-shift (RDM) method. The extracted transition quadrupole moments show a sharp increase with increasing level spin, indicating a major shape transition happening in this nucleus. For a better insight into the predicted shape coexistence picture in 187Hg nucleus, the experimental results are compared with the results of the total Routhian surface calculations. The results indicate the shifting of deformed structures from weakly prolate at low-spins to strongly prolate at high spins in 187Hg nucleus.
A general method for the estimation of moments of substitution number in molecular evolution
Authors: Houchmandzadeh Bahram
Published: May 2024

The random variable ‘substitution number’ N

t
, i.e.the number of mutations that have accumulated in a sequence under neutral evolution during a time t, is a cornerstone of the field of molecular evolution. We show here that a complete solution of the moments of this random variable can be obtained explicitly by recurrence, using a simple matrix shift method. This result leads to simple expressions for both the short and long time limits of the moments that can be computed directly from the substitution matrix used to model the neutral evolution. The method developed here is also used to compute the moments of the complementary variable, T

n
, the time it takes to accumulate n mutations. The method we develop here necessitates only elementary operations on the substitution matrix and does not involve spectral decomposition.
Exploring the effect of ELM and code-coupling frequencies on plasma and material modeling of dynamic recycling in divertors
Authors: Lasa A. , Park J.-S. , Lore J. , Blondel S. , Bernholdt D.E. , Canik J.M. , Cianciosa M. , Coburn J. , Curreli D. , Elwasif W. , Guterl J. , Hoffman J. , Park J.M. , Sinclair G. , Wirth B.D.
Published: May 2024

Integrated modeling of plasma-surface interactions provides a comprehensive and self-consistent description of the system, moving the field closer to developing predictive and design capabilities for plasma facing components. One such workflow, including descriptions for the scrape-off-layer plasma, ion-surface interactions and the sub-surface evolution, was previously used to address steady-state scenarios and has recently been extended to incorporate time-dependence and two-way information flow. The new model can address dynamic recycling in transient scenarios, such as the application presented in this paper: the evolution of W samples pre-damaged by helium and exposed to ELMy H-mode plasmas in the DIII-D DiMES. A first set of simulations explored the effect of ELM frequency. This study was discussed in detail in this conference’s proceedings and is summarized here. The 2nd set of simulations, which is the focus of this paper, explores the effect of code-coupling frequency. These simulations include initial SOLPS solutions converged to the inter-ELM state, ion impact energy (E
in) and angles (A
in) calculated by hPIC2, and an improved heat transfer description in Xolotl. The model predicts increases in particle fluxes and decreases in heat fluxes by 10%–20% with the coupling time-step. Compared with the first set of simulations, the less shallow impact angle leads to smaller reflection rates and significant D implantation. The higher fraction of implanted flux (and deeper), in particular during ELMs, increases the accumulated D content in the W near-surface region. Future expansion of the workflow includes coupling to hPIC2 and GITR to ensure accurate descriptions of E
in and A
in, and W impurity transport.
Measurement-based carbon intensity of US offshore oil and gas production
Authors: Gorchov Negron Alan M , Kort Eric A , Plant Genevieve , Brandt Adam R , Chen Yuanlei , Hausman Catherine , Smith Mackenzie L
Published: May 2024

The United States (US) produces oil and gas from six offshore regions: the North Slope of Alaska, Cook Inlet in Alaska, offshore California, and three Gulf of Mexico (GOM) sub-regions: state shallow, federal shallow, and deep waters. Measurement-based assessment of direct greenhouse gas emissions from this production can provide real-world information on carbon emissions to inform decisions on current and future production. In evaluating the climate impact of production, the carbon intensity (CI, the ratio of greenhouse gases emitted compared to the energy of fuels produced) is often used, though it is rarely quantified with measurements. Here, we complete an observational evaluation of the US offshore sector and present the largest current set of measurement-based CIs. We collected airborne measurements of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides from the North Slope, Cook Inlet, and California and combined with prior GOM results. For Alaska and California, we found emissions agree with facility-level inventories, however, the inventories miss some facilities. The US offshore CI, on a 100 year GWP basis, is 5.7 g CO2e/MJ[4.5, 6.8, 95% confidence interval]. This is greater than double the CI based on the national US inventory, with the discrepancy attributed primarily to methane emissions from GOM shallow waters, with a methane dominated CI of 16[12, 22] for GOM federal shallow waters and 43[25–65] for state shallow waters. Regional intensities vary, with carbon dioxide emissions largely responsible for CI on the North Slope 11[7.5, 15], in Cook Inlet 22[13, 34], offshore California 7.2[3.2, 13], and in GOM deep waters 1.1[1.0, 1.1]. These observations indicate offshore operations outside of the GOM in the US have modest methane emissions, but the CI can still be elevated due to direct carbon dioxide emissions. Accurate assessment of different offshore basins, with differing characteristics and practices, is important for the climate considerations of expanded production.
Particle-in-cell simulations of EUV-induced hydrogen plasma in the vicinity of a reflective mirror
Authors: ZHANG 张 Yuqiang 宇强 , YU 余 Xingang 新刚 , YE 叶 Zongbiao 宗标
Published: May 2024

Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations were performed in this work to study the dynamics of the EUV-induced hydrogen plasma. The Monte-Carlo Collision (MCC) model was employed to deal with the collisions between charged particles and background gas molecules. The dynamic evolution of the plasma sheath, as well as the flux and energy distribution of ions impacting on the mirror surface, was discussed. It was found that the emission of secondary electrons under the EUV irradiation on the ruthenium mirror coating creates a positively charged wall and then prevents the ions from impacting on the mirror and therefore changes the flux and energy distribution of ions reaching the mirror. Furthermore, gas pressure has a notable effect on the plasma sheath and the characteristics of the ions impinging on the mirrors. With greater gas pressure, the sheath potential decreases more rapidly. The flux of ions received by the mirror grows approximately linearly and at the same time the energy corresponding to the peak flux decreases slightly. However, the EUV source intensity barely changes the sheath potential, and its influence on the ion impact is mainly limited to the approximate linear increase in ion flux.
Gender, Caste, and Class in South India's Technical Institutions
Authors: Hebbar N. Nandini
Published: May 2024

With a wide arc that encompasses the ‘institutional big men’ who run the colleges to the micropolitics of friendship and the suitability of relationships among youth, this volume is a deep dive into the world of engineering colleges. The book attempts to make sense of the engineering college boom in South India that was largely fuelled by the growth of the IT industry as well as the aspirations, complexities, and crises emerging from the boom. Both office- and temple-like, these colleges are symbolic of a distinctive aspirational culture that reveres the engineering profession. This book tries to map the historical antecedents of that culture, the contemporary contexts created by it, and the diverse lived experiences in these spaces. What does it mean to live in such a setting for four years, especially as a young woman? What does it mean to study and make friends here? How are gender differences reinforced through language, rules, regulations, surveillance, and control? Drawing on young people’s narratives of upward social mobility, crafting respectability, and notions of being adult, this book attempts to hold a mirror to the fraught social landscape of the education sector. By centring young people’s desires, tensions, anxieties, and processes of self-construction, the book moves the theoretical emphasis from engineering college ‘subject’ to ‘subjectivities’, and brings to the fore the ways in which youth is experienced in higher education.
Manufacturing Respectability
Authors: Hebbar N. Nandini
Published: May 2024

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers is common in every region in the world. Despite performing well academically in science and math, women are underrepresented, underpaid, and likely to exit STEM career sooner than men because of ubiquity of biases and stereotypes working against them, both at home and in the work place. In India, although women enroll for STEM subjects almost in party with men, they face major hurdles when it comes to pursuing their careers: the traditional secondary status of women or the fear that they will engage in transgressions that emerges as a major hurdle in the completion of their education. In addition to caste and class biases, gender difference is reinforced through language, rules, regulations, surveillance, and control. This chapter examines how women sustain their higher education only under conditions of being able to enhance their family’s respectability. Colleges run by one’s own caste association are able to guarantee these conditions through various rules. Though women strategize to escape, reject, or negotiate the boundaries imposed on them, many are forced to discontinue their studies when found to exceed the ‘allowances’ made for them.
Negotiating Intimate Risk
Authors: Hebbar N. Nandini
Published: May 2024

It is important to capture processes of love pandrudu (doing love) based on the premise that the space of an institution is not limited to technical education, but is also an important aspect of young people’s social lives as they romance, experiment with sexuality, and seek sexual and marriage partners. The chapter pays special attention to students’ articulations of caste and profession in relation to choice of intimate partners, and to gendered subjectivities within heterosexual relationships. The choices made by young people illustrate the reproduction of certain class, caste, and gender orthodoxies, even as they attempt to move away from caste-based occupations to an urban-based profession.
Miike Takashi’s Crows Zero and adaptive authorship revisited
Authors: Sun Yi
Published: May 2024

This article contributes to the scholarship on Japanese director Miike Takashi, who has gained increasing international recognition over the past two decades. Through a case study of Miike’s manga-inspired live-action film, Crows Zero (2007), I delve into specific aspects of the film’s settings, especially poetry and linguistic sings, to explore authorship from a comparative perspective and its manifestation in transmedia adaptation. This analysis draws upon Thomas Leitch’s concept of adaptive authorship and rethinks the historical dichotomy between the auteur and the metteur-en-scène, as originally delineated by François Truffaut. By arguing that Miike’s role in the film is neither a mere adapter lacking creativity nor a consistent artist, and by highlighting instances of directorial authorship in the film’s nuanced details, I question the tendency in film studies that adaptive authorship is often overshadowed by, and eventually integrated into, auteurship to the point where it can only be examined within broader auteurist analyses. Thus, this case study underscores the advantages of an adapter-based approach over an auteurist one, suggesting that moving beyond the doctrines of consistency and coherence may facilitate the identification of authorship from different perspectives.
Author reply to ‘Comment on ChatGPT and medical writing in dermatology: why should we keep writing?’
Authors: Potestio Luca , Megna Matteo , Cacciapuoti Sara , Martora Fabrizio , Villani Alessia
Published: May 2024

We read with great interest the article by Daungsupawong and Wiwanitkitin recently published in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, commenting on our previously submitted Letter to the Editor entitled ‘ChatGPT and medical writing in dermatology: why should we keep writing?’ We wanted to address their comments.
Identification and characterization of long non-coding RNAs in mammary gland tissues of Chinese Holstein cows
Authors: Wang Yanru , Liang Yan , Xia Yuxin , Wang Mengqi , Zhang Huimin , Li Mingxun , Yang Zhangping , Karrow Niel A , Mao Yongjiang
Published: May 2024

LncRNAs (Long non-coding RNA) is an RNA molecule with a length of more than 200 bp. LncRNAs can directly act on mRNA, thus affecting the expression of downstream target genes and proteins, and widely participate in many important physiological and pathological regulation processes of the body. In this study, RNA-Seq was performed to detect lncRNAs from mammary gland tissues of three Chinese Holstein cows, including three cows at 7 d before calving and the same three cows at 30 d postpartum (early lactation stage). A total of 1,905 novel lncRNAs were detected, 57.3% of the predicted lncRNAs are ≥ 500 bp and 612 lncRNAs are intronic lncRNAs. The exon number of lncRNAs ranged from 2 to 10. A total of 96 lncRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between two stages, of which 47 were upregulated and 49 were downregulated. Pathway analysis found that target genes were mainly concentrated on the ECM-receptor interaction, Jak-STAT signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and TGF-beta signaling pathway. This study revealed the expression profile and characteristics of lncRNAs in the mammary gland tissues of Holstein cows at non-lactation and early lactation periods, and provided a basis for studying the functions of lncRNAs in Holstein cows during different lactation periods.
Smart Cap
Authors: Karp Larry , Traeger Christian
Published: May 2024

Policymakers’imperfect knowledge about firms’ abatement costs leads to inefficient regulation, reducing the welfare gains from carbon markets around the world. We introduce a “smart” cap and trade system that eliminates these costs. This cap responds endogenously to technology or macroeconomic shocks, relying on the market price of certificates to aggregate information. It allows policy makers to modify existing institutions to achieve more efficient emissions reductions. The paper also shows that the slow diffusion of technology innovations typically makes the optimal carbon price a much steeper function of emissions than suggested by the Social Cost of Carbon.
Long-term cardiovascular disease risk after anthracycline and trastuzumab treatments in US breast cancer survivors
Authors: Vo Jacqueline B , Ramin Cody , Veiga Lene H S , Brandt Carolyn , Curtis Rochelle E , Bodelon Clara , Barac Ana , Roger Véronique L , Feigelson Heather Spencer , Buist Diana S M , Bowles Erin J Aiello , Gierach Gretchen L , Berrington de González Amy
Published: May 2024

Background

Although breast cancer survivors are at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) from treatment late effects, evidence to inform long-term and age-specific cardiovascular surveillance recommendations is lacking.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 10 211 women diagnosed with first primary unilateral breast cancer in Kaiser Permanente Washington or Colorado (aged 20 years and older, survived ≥1 year). We estimated multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for associations between initial chemotherapy regimen type (anthracycline and/or trastuzumab, other chemotherapies, no chemotherapy [referent]) and CVD risk, adjusted for patient characteristics, other treatments, and CVD risk factors. Cumulative incidence was calculated considering competing events.

Results

After 5.79 median years, 14.67% of women developed CVD (cardiomyopathy and/or heart failure [HF], ischemic heart disease, stroke). Women treated with anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab had a higher risk of CVD compared with no chemotherapy (adjusted HR = 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.31 to 1.79), persisting at least 5 years postdiagnosis (adjusted HR5-<10 years = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.44 to 2.39; adjusted HR≥10 years = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.34 to 2.49). Cardiomyopathy and/or HF risks were elevated among women treated with anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab compared with no chemotherapy, especially for those aged younger than 65 years (adjusted HR20-54years = 2.97, 95% CI = 1.72 to 5.12; adjusted HR55-64years = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.52 to 3.21), differing for older women (adjusted HR≥65 years = 1.32, 95% CI = 0.97 to 1.78), and at least 5 years postdiagnosis (adjusted HR5-<10years = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.35 to 2.64; adjusted HR≥10 years = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.52 to 3.20). Anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab receipt was associated with increased ischemic heart disease risks after 5 or more years (adjusted HR5-<10years = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.06 to 2.14; adjusted HR≥10 years = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.18 to 2.93) with no clear age effects, and stroke risk (adjusted HR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.69), which did not vary by time or age. There was some evidence of long-term cardiomyopathy and/or HF and ischemic heart disease risks with other chemotherapies. Among women aged younger than 65 treated with anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab, up to 16% developed CVD by 10 years (20-54 years = 6.91%; 55-64 years = 16.00%), driven by cardiomyopathy and/or HF (20-54 years = 3.90%; 55-64 years = 9.78%).

Conclusions

We found increased long-term risks of cardiomyopathy and/or HF and ischemic heart disease among breast cancer survivors treated with anthracyclines and/or trastuzumab and increased cardiomyopathy and/or HF risk among women aged younger than 65 years.
Prostate cancer incidence and mortality in men exposed to α1-adrenergic receptor antagonists
Authors: Björnebo Lars , Razdan Shirin , Discacciati Andrea , Palsdottir Thorgerdur , Aly Markus , Nordström Tobias , Eklund Martin , Lundon Dara , Grönberg Henrik , Tewari Ash , Wiklund Peter , Kyprianou Natasha , Lantz Anna
Published: May 2024

Background

α1-Adrenergic receptor antagonists are commonly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. Preclinical studies suggest that they induce cell death and inhibit tumor growth. This study evaluated the risk of prostate cancer death in men using α1-adrenergic receptor antagonists.

Methods

A population-based cohort study in Stockholm, Sweden (January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2019) included 451 779 men with a prostate-specific antigen test result. Study entry was 1 year after the first prostate-specific antigen test. Men were considered exposed at their second filled prescription. The primary outcome was prostate cancer mortality. Secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality and prostate cancer incidence. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all outcomes. Inverse-probability weighting with marginal structural models accounted for time-dependent confounders.

Results

Of 351 297 men in the final cohort, 39 856 (11.3%) were exposed to α1-adrenergic receptor antagonists. Median (interquartile range) follow-up for prostate cancer mortality was 8.9 (5.1-10.9) years; median (interquartile range) exposure time to α1-adrenergic receptor antagonists was 4.4 (2.0-7.6) years. There was no evidence of an association between α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist use and prostate cancer mortality, all-cause mortality, or high-grade prostate cancer. α1-Adrenergic receptor antagonist use was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (HR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.17) and low-grade prostate cancer (HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.33). Men whose prostate cancer was treated with α1-adrenergic receptor antagonists underwent more frequent prostate-specific antigen testing.

Conclusions

Our findings show no significant association between α1-adrenergic receptor adrenoceptor antagonist exposure and prostate cancer mortality or high-grade prostate cancer. Although the preclinical evidence indicates a potential chemopreventive effect, this study’s findings do not support it.
Probabilistic scenario-based assessment of national food security risks with application to Egypt and Ethiopia
Authors: Koundouri P , Papayiannis G I , Vassilopoulos A , Yannacopoulos A N
Published: May 2024

This study presents a novel approach to assessing food security risks at the national level, employing a probabilistic scenario-based framework that integrates both Shared Socio-economic Pathways and Representative Concentration Pathways. This innovative method allows each scenario, encompassing socio-economic, and climate factors, to be treated as a model capable of generating diverse trajectories. This approach offers a more dynamic understanding of food security risks under varying future conditions. The paper details the methodologies employed, showcasing their applicability through a focused analysis of food security challenges in Egypt and Ethiopia, and underscores the importance of considering a spectrum of socio-economic and climatic factors in national food security assessments.
Fishbone perforating Meckel’s diverticulum: an acute appendicitis mimicker
Authors: Kafle Sujan , Chhetri Varsha , Jha Binesh , Bhujel Nabin , Khadka Rambabu , Das Subhash Kumar
Published: May 2024

Perforation of Meckel’s diverticulum by a foreign body is rare, but when it occurs, it can mimic acute appendicitis, leading to diagnostic challenges. We present a case of a 45-year-old male initially diagnosed with acute appendicitis, but intra-operative exploration revealed a perforated Meckel’s diverticulum with a fish bone. Meckel’s diverticulum perforation remains diagnostically elusive, highlighting the need for intra-operative vigilance in cases of inconsistent findings like the presence of bilious fluid in the abdominal cavity. This case report underscores the importance of considering perforated Meckel’s diverticulum in the differential diagnosis of right iliac fossa pain and the necessity of surgical exploration for atypical presentations to ensure timely diagnosis and appropriate management.
Valve-sparing double root replacement after the Ross procedure
Authors: Aichi Chiaki , Itatani Keiichi , Kawase Takumi , Suda Hisao
Published: May 2024

An inherent limitation of the Ross procedure is long-term two valve disease which will require repetitive reintervention. In this case, a 31-year-old man who had underwent Ross operation due to congenital bicuspid valve 20 years before, underwent double root replacement: valve sparing root reimplantation concomitant with the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction with a bioprosthesis for severe RVOT stenosis. Although the diameter of autograft root was 42 mm and aortic insufficiency was mild, we added root surgery due to concerns regarding autograft root dilation in response to left ventricular volume load after RVOT reconstruction. The postoperative echocardiogram showed minimal aortic valve regurgitation and normal blood flow in the RVOT, and he was discharged from the hospital on the 17th day after the surgery. In this report, we present the outcomes of Valve-sparing double root replacement following Ross surgery.
Discovery of evolving low-frequency QPOs in hard X-rays (∼100 keV) observed in black hole Swift J1727.8−1613 with AstroSat
Authors: Nandi Anuj , Das Santabrata , Majumder Seshadri , Katoch Tilak , Antia H M , Shah Parag
Published: May 2024

We report the first detection of evolving low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation (LFQPO) frequencies in hard X-rays upto 100 keV with AstroSat/LAXPC during ‘unusual’ outburst phase of Swift J1727.8−1613 in hard intermediate state (HIMS). The observed LFQPO in 20–100 keV has a centroid $\nu _{_{\rm QPO}}=1.43$ Hz, a coherence factor Q = 7.14 and an amplitude ${\rm rms_{_{\rm QPO}}} = 10.95{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ with significance σ = 5.46. Type-C QPOs (1.09–2.6 Hz) are found to evolve monotonically during HIMS of the outburst with clear detection in hard X-rays (80−100 keV), where ${\rm rms_{_{\rm QPO}}}$ decreases ($\sim 12\!-\!3{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) with energy. Further, $\nu _{_{\rm QPO}}$ is seen to correlate (anticorrelate) with low- (high-) energy flux in 2–20 keV (15–50 keV). Wide-band (0.7−40 keV) energy spectrum of NICER/XTI and AstroSat/LAXPC is satisfactorily described by the ‘dominant’ thermal Comptonization contribution (∼88 per cent) in presence of a ‘weak’ signature of disc emissions (kTin ∼ 0.36 keV) indicating the harder spectral distribution. Considering source mass $M_{\rm BH}=10\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ and distance 1.5 < d (kpc) < 5, the unabsorbed bolometric luminosity is estimated as $\sim 0.03\!-\!0.92{{\ \rm per\ cent}}\, L_{\rm Edd}$. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings in the context of accretion dynamics around black hole X-ray binaries.
Macroevolutionary Dynamics in Micro-organisms: Generalists Give Rise to Specialists Across Biomes in the Ubiquitous Bacterial Phylum Myxococcota
Authors: Padfield Daniel , Kay Suzanne , Vos Rutger , Quince Christopher , Vos Michiel
Published: May 2024

Prokaryotes dominate the Tree of Life, but our understanding of the macroevolutionary processes generating this diversity is still limited. Habitat transitions are thought to be a key driver of prokaryote diversity. However, relatively little is known about how prokaryotes successfully transition and persist across environments, and how these processes might vary between biomes and lineages. Here, we investigate biome transitions and specialization in natural populations of a focal bacterial phylum, the Myxococcota, sampled across a range of replicated soils and freshwater and marine sediments in Cornwall (UK). By targeted deep sequencing of the protein-coding gene rpoB, we found >2,000 unique Myxococcota lineages, with the majority (77%) classified as biome specialists and with only <5% of lineages distributed across the salt barrier. Discrete character evolution models revealed that specialists in one biome rarely transitioned into specialists in another biome. Instead, evolved generalism mediated transitions between biome specialists. State-dependent diversification models found variation in speciation rates across the tree, but this variation was independent of biome association or specialization. Our findings were robust to phylogenetic uncertainty, different levels of species delineation, and different assumed amounts of unsampled diversity resulting in an incomplete phylogeny. Overall, our results are consistent with a “jack-of-all-trades” tradeoff where generalists suffer a cost in any individual environment, resulting in rapid evolution of niche specialists and shed light on how bacteria could transition between biomes.
The OMERACT giant cell arteritis ultrasonography score: a potential predictive outcome for assessing the risk of relapse during follow-up
Authors: Molina-Collada Juan , Monjo-Henry Irene , Fernández-Fernández Elisa , Álvaro-Gracia José María , de Miguel Eugenio
Published: May 2024

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine whether the OMERACT GCA US Score (OGUS) change after treatment can be used for assessing the probability of relapse.

Methods

This study was a multicentre retrospective study of GCA patients referred to two US GCA fast-track clinics over 2 years. The patients underwent US evaluation at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months. EULAR criteria for remission and relapse were checked at 3 and 6 months. OGUS changes at 0–3 months and 0–6 months were compared between patients with and without relapse at 6 months, as well as between those with and without remission at 6 months.

Results

A total of 76 patients were included (mean age 77.2 years, 55.3% females). Nineteen (26%) patients relapsed at 6 months, of whom 14 (19.1%) showed a minor relapse and 5 (6.8%) a major relapse. EULAR remission at 6 months was achieved in 32 (43.8%) patients. The standardized mean difference in OGUS between baseline and 3 months and between 3 months and 6 months was −0.25 and −0.38, respectively. OGUS significantly improved between baseline and 6 months (1.18 to 0.99, P = 0.004) and from 3–6 months (1.08 to 0.99, P = 0.04) in non-relapsing patients, whereas no significant changes at 3  (1.17 to 1.17; P = 0.736) and 6 months (1.17 to 1.21; P = 0.343) months were observed in those who experienced relapse. The mean 0–6-month OGUS improvement was lower in patients who relapsed (−0.1 to 0.16, P = 0.037). The mean 0–6-months OGUS improvement (decrease) was greater in patients who achieved remission at 6 months (0.28 to −0.07, P = 0.001).

Conclusion

The absence of OGUS improvement during follow-up in GCA may be used to assess the probability of relapse and the absence of remission at 6 months.
A multi-locus phylogeny for the Diamesinae (Chironomidae: Diptera) provides new insights into evolution of an amphitropical clade
Authors: Semenchenko Alexander A , Cranston Peter S , Makarchenko Eugenyi A
Published: May 2024

Diamesinae is a subfamily of Chironomidae, whose species live in cold lotic or oligotrophic lentic habitats with global distribution excepting Antarctica. The cool stenothermic ecology of nearly all diamesines produces a typical amphitropical pattern of absence at tropical latitudes, except at high elevation. Recent attention has focused on the species discovery, while evolutionary relationships at the generic and tribal level have remained inadequately understood. Current classification implies analogous evolutionary diversification in each hemisphere (boreal and austral). To test this concept, we used six genetic markers (18S, 28S, CAD1, COI-5p, COI-3p and COII) and fossil calibrations to produce a well-supported and resolved time-calibrated phylogeny of the subfamily. Austral and boreal diamesines indeed are reciprocally monophyletic lineages, with estimated Jurassic divergence (130-196, 164 Ma). The boreal Protanypodini, previously understood to be a tribe within Diamesinae, is excluded and elevated here to subfamily rank as Protanypodinae stat. nov. Ancestral austral diamesines probably originated in South America and successively reached New Zealand, Australia and South Africa during the Cretaceous-Paleogene. The Holarctic tribes Diamesini and Boreoheptagyiini probably originated in the Eastern Palaearctic with further dispersal/vicariance into the Western Palaearctic, Nearctic, East, and very likely dispersed southwards to montane East Africa and Borneo.
Detection of Podosphaera macularis in Air Samples by Quantitative PCR
Authors: Gent David H. , Adair Nanci L. , Hatlen Ross J. , Miles Timothy D. , Richardson Briana J. , Rivedal Hannah M. , Ross Cameron , Wiseman Michele S.
Published: May 2024

Detection and quantification of pathogen propagules in the air or other environmental samples is facilitated by culture-independent assays. We developed a quantitative PCR assay for the hop powdery mildew fungus, Podosphaera macularis, for detection of the organism from air samples. The assay uses primers and a TaqMan probe designed to target species-specific sequences in the 28S large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. Analytical sensitivity was not affected by the presence of an exogenous internal control or potential PCR inhibitors associated with DNA extracted from soil. The level of quantification of the assay was between 200 and 350 conidia when DNA was extracted from a fixed number of conidia. The assay amplified all isolates of P. macularis tested and had minimal cross-reactivity with other Podosphaera species when assayed with biologically relevant quantities of DNA. Standard curves generated independently in two other laboratories indicated that assay sensitivity was qualitatively similar and reproducible. All laboratories successfully detected eight unknown isolates of P. macularis and correctly discriminated Pseudoperonospora humuli and a water control. The usefulness of the assay for air sampling for late-season inoculum of P. macularis was demonstrated in field studies in 2019 and 2020. In both years, airborne populations of P. macularis in hop yards were detected consistently and increased during bloom and cone development.
Susceptibility of Zucchini Cultivars to Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera xanthii) Under High- and Low-Nitrogen Regimes
Authors: Rudolph Rachel E. , Dixon Edward , Munir Misbakhul , Leonberger Kimberly , Pettigrew Kathryn , Polo Martín , Smith Henry S. , Gauthier Nicole A.
Published: May 2024

Powdery mildew, primarily caused by Podosphaera xanthii, threatens cucurbit crop yield and longevity. Fungicides and resistant cultivars cannot fully manage or prevent the disease. Previous work has shown that powdery mildew incidence and severity can increase under high soil nitrogen. This study was conducted in Kentucky to determine disease severity and yield using a split plot design with nitrogen fertility (high: 140 kg/ha; low: 84 kg/ha) and zucchini cultivar (Cash Machine, Cue Ball, Desert, Dunja, Eight Ball, Emerald Delight, Golden Glory, Mexicana, and Spineless Perfection) as the main plot and subplot factors, respectively. In year 1, powdery mildew severity was significantly higher in high soil nitrogen and varied significantly among cultivars. Yield was significantly lower in high soil nitrogen. Significant differences in fruit count, but not fruit weight, were observed among the cultivars. In year 2, nitrogen did not significantly affect disease severity, but fruit weight and count were significantly lower in the high soil nitrogen treatment. Golden Glory had significantly higher powdery mildew severity, while Mexicana and Eight Ball had significantly lower severity compared to all other cultivars. Spineless Perfection had the highest fruit weight and was significantly higher than all other cultivars except for Cue Ball and Eight Ball. Golden Glory had the highest fruit count and was significantly higher than all others except for Dunja. Nitrogen did not consistently affect disease severity throughout the study. The effects of powdery mildew on yield should be explored further, as heavily diseased plants did not always have low yield.
Metformin induction of heat shock factor 1 activation and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response alleviate cardiac remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Xu Man , Li Li‐Peng , He Xi , Lu Xing‐Zhu , Bi Xue‐Yuan , Li Qi , Xue Xiao‐Rong
Published: May 2024

Heart failure and cardiac remodeling are both characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction. Healthy mitochondria are required for adequate contractile activity and appropriate regulation of cell survival. In the mammalian heart, enhancement of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) is cardioprotective under pressure overload conditions. We explored the UPRmt and the underlying regulatory mechanism in terms of hypertension‐induced cardiac remodeling and the cardioprotective effect of metformin. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats and angiotensin II‐treated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were used to induce cardiac hypertrophy. The results showed that hypertension induced the formation of aberrant mitochondria, characterized by a reduced mtDNA/nDNA ratio and swelling, as well as lower levels of mitochondrial complexes I to V and inhibition of the expression of one protein subunit of each of complexes I to IV. Such changes eventually enlarged cardiomyocytes and increased cardiac fibrosis. Metformin treatment increased the mtDNA/nDNA ratio and regulated the UPRmt, as indicated by increased expression of activating transcription factor 5, Lon protease 1, and heat shock protein 60, and decreased expression of C/EBP homologous protein. Thus, metformin improved mitochondrial ultrastructure and function in spontaneously hypertensive rats. In vitro analyses revealed that metformin reduced the high levels of angiotensin II‐induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in such animals and stimulated nuclear translocation of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1). Moreover, HSF1 small‐interfering RNA reduced the metformin‐mediated improvements in mitochondrial morphology and the UPRmt by suppressing hypertrophic signals and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. These results suggest that HSF1/UPRmt signaling contributes to the beneficial effects of metformin. Metformin‐mediated targeting of mitochondrial protein homeostasis and modulation of HSF1 levels have potential therapeutic implications in terms of cardiac remodeling.
TRIM11 expression levels was downregulated and prevents ferroptosis of cardiomyocyte by Dusp6 in acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Wu Xiaofu , Zhang Wenyuan
Published: May 2024

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the high incidence rate and mortality of common cardiovascular disease. Herein, we explored the critical role of TRIM11 in AMI and its underlying mechanism. Serum from patients with AMI were collected from our hospital. Mice of model group received angiotensin II. Mice of model + TRIM11 group received with Ang II and TRIM11 vectors. Mice of sham group received normal saline. H9c2 cells were performed transfections using Lipofectamine 2000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, Shanghai, China), and treated with Ang II. TRIM11 mRNA expression was reduced, was negative correlation with collagen I/III mRNA expression, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, left anteroposterior atrial diameter, right atrial diameter, or left ventricular ejection fraction in patient with AMI. TRIM11 mRNA and protein expression were also suppressed. METTL3 regulates TRIM11 methylation to reduce TRIM11 gene stability in model of AMI. TRIM11 gene ameliorated AMI in mice model. TRIM11 gene reduced reactive oxygen species production level of cardiomyocyte in-vitro model. TRIM11 gene reduced ferroptosis of cardiomyocyte in-vitro model. TRIM11 gene reduced ferroptosis by the inhibition of mitochondrial damage of cardiomyocyte in model of AMI. TRIM11 induced Dusp6 protein expression. Bioluminescence imaging showed that TRIM11 virus increased Dusp6 expression in heart tissue of mice model. The inhibition of Dusp6 reduced the effects of TRIM11 on ferroptosis of cardiomyocyte in model of AMI. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that TRIM11 improves AMI by regulating Dusp6 to inhibit ferroptosis of cardiomyocyte, and suggest a novel target for AMI.
Prophylactic Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface (RPNI) Surgery in Pediatric Lower Limb Amputation Patients
Authors: Mohanty Ahneesh J. , Cederna Paul S. , Kemp Stephen W.P. , Kung Theodore A.
Published: May 2024

Objective:

To evaluate the prophylactic effect of Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface (RPNI) surgery on pediatric post-amputation pain.

Summary of Background Data:

Chronic post-amputation pain is a debilitating and refractory sequela of limb amputation affecting up to 83% of pediatric patients with limb loss, resulting in disability and decreased quality of life. We postulate that prophylactic RPNI surgery performed during amputation may decrease the incidence of symptomatic neuroma and development of phantom limb pain, as well as limit analgesic use among pediatric patients with limb loss.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review was performed on pediatric patients between the ages of 8 and 21 years who underwent major lower limb amputation with and without RPNI surgery. Documented neuroma and phantom limb pain scores as well as analgesic use was recorded. Narcotic use was converted to milligrams morphine equivalents per day (MME/day) while overall analgesic use was converted to Medication Quantification Scale version III (MQSIII) scores. Analysis was performed using Stata.

Results:

Forty-four pediatric patients were identified; 25 RPNI patients and 19 controls. Seventy-nine percent of control patients developed chronic post-amputation pain versus 21% of RPNI patients (P<0.001). Among the patients who developed post-amputation pain, 20% of controls developed clinical neuroma pain, compared to 0% of RPNI patients (P<0.001). Additionally, RPNI patients demonstrated a significant decrease in pain score (P=0.007) and narcotic usage (P<0.01), compared to controls. Overall analgesic use did not vary significantly between groups.

Conclusions:

Prophylactic RPNI surgery shows promise for pediatric patients undergoing major lower limb amputation by preventing both symptomatic neuromas and possibly the development of phantom limb pain.
Virus-vectoring thrips regulate the excessive multiplication of tomato spotted wilt virus using their antiviral immune responses
Authors: Mandal Eeshita , Khan Falguni , Kil Eui-Joon , Kim Yonggyun
Published: May 2024

The tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is a member of the Tospoviridae family and has an negative/ambisense single-stranded RNA genome. Frankliniella occidentalis and F. intonsa are known to be dominant pests in Capsicum annuum (hot pepper) and can cause damage to the plant either directly by feeding, or indirectly by transmitting TSWV in a persistent and propagative manner, resulting in serious economic damage. This study compared the immune responses of two different thrips species against TSWV infection by transcriptome analysis, which then allowed the assessment of antiviral responses using RNA interference (RNAi). Both adult thrips shared about 90 % of the transcripts in non-viruliferous conditions. Most signal components of the immune pathways were shared by these two thrips species, and their expression levels fluctuated differentially in response to TSWV infection at early immature stages. The functional assays using RNAi treatments indicated that the Toll and JAK/STAT pathways were associated with the antiviral responses, but the IMD pathway was not. The upregulation of dorsal switch protein one supported its physiological role in recognizing TSWV infection and triggering the eicosanoid biosynthetic pathway, which mediates melanization and apoptosis in thrips. In addition, the signal components of the RNAi pathways fluctuated highly after TSWV infection. Individual RNAi treatments specific to the antiviral signalling and response components led to significant increases in the TSWV amount in the thrips, causing virus-induced mortality. These findings suggest that immune signalling pathways leading to antiviral responses are operating in the thrips to regulate TSWV litres to prevent a fatal viral overload. This study also indicates the differential antiviral responses between the TSWV-transmitting F. occidentalis and F. intonsa.