bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diaphragmatic pacing for the prevention of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
Authors: Purnell Benton S , Braun Alexander , Fedele Denise , Murugan Madhuvika , Boison Detlev
Published: September 2022

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is the leading cause of epilepsy related death. Currently, there are no reliable methods for preventing sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. The precise pathophysiology of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is unclear; however, convergent lines of evidence suggest that seizure-induced respiratory arrest plays a central role. It is generally agreed that sudden unexpected death in epilepsy could be averted if the patient could be rapidly ventilated following the seizure. The diaphragm is a muscle in the chest which contracts to draw air into the lungs. Diaphragmatic pacing is a surgical intervention which facilitates normal ventilation in situations, such as spinal cord injury and sleep apnoea, in which endogenous respiration would be inadequate or non-existent. In diaphragmatic pacing, electrodes are implanted directly onto diaphragm or adjacent to the phrenic nerves which innervate the diaphragm. These electrodes are then rhythmically stimulated, thereby eliciting contractions of the diaphragm which emulate endogenous breathing. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that seizure-induced respiratory arrest and death can be prevented with diaphragmatic pacing. Our approach was to induce respiratory arrest using maximal electroshock seizures in adult, male, C57BL6 mice outfitted with EEG and diaphragmatic electrodes (n = 8 mice). In the experimental group, the diaphragm was stimulated to exogenously induce breathing. In the control group, no stimulation was applied. Breathing and cortical electrographic activity were monitored using whole body plethysmography and EEG, respectively. A majority of the animals that did not receive the diaphragmatic pacing intervention died of seizure-induced respiratory arrest. Conversely, none of the animals that received the diaphragmatic pacing intervention died. Diaphragmatic pacing improved postictal respiratory outcomes (two-way ANOVA, P < 0.001) and reduced the likelyhood of seizure-induced death (Fisher’s exact test, P = 0.026). Unexpectedly, diaphragmatic pacing did not instantly restore breathing during the postictal period, potentially indicating peripheral airway occlusion by laryngospasm. All diaphragmatically paced animals breathed at some point during the pacing stimulation. Two animals took their first breath prior to the onset of pacing and some animals had significant apnoeas after the pacing stimulation. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy results in more years of potential life lost than any other neurological condition with the exception of stroke. By demonstrating that seizure-induced respiratory arrest can be prevented by transient diaphragmatic pacing in animal models we hope to inform the development of closed-loop systems capable of detecting and preventing sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
Delta-band neural tracking primarily reflects rule-based chunking instead of semantic relatedness between words
Authors: Lu Yuhan , Jin Peiqing , Ding Nai , Tian Xing
Published: September 2022

It is debated whether cortical responses matching the time scales of phrases and sentences mediate the mental construction of the syntactic chunks or are simply caused by the semantic properties of words. Here, we investigate to what extent delta-band neural responses to speech can be explained by semantic relatedness between words. To dissociate the contribution of semantic relatedness from sentential structures, participants listened to sentence sequences and paired-word sequences in which semantically related words repeated at 1 Hz. Semantic relatedness in the 2 types of sequences was quantified using a word2vec model that captured the semantic relation between words without considering sentential structure. The word2vec model predicted comparable 1-Hz responses with paired-word sequences and sentence sequences. However, empirical neural activity, recorded using magnetoencephalography, showed a weaker 1-Hz response to paired-word sequences than sentence sequences in a word-level task that did not require sentential processing. Furthermore, when listeners applied a task-related rule to parse paired-word sequences into multi-word chunks, 1-Hz response was stronger than that in word-level task on the same sequences. Our results suggest that cortical activity tracks multi-word chunks constructed by either syntactic rules or task-related rules, whereas the semantic relatedness between words contributes only in a minor way.
Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Vaccination and Booster on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Symptom Severity Over Time in the COVID-OUT Trial
Authors: Boulware David R , Murray Thomas A , Proper Jennifer L , Tignanelli Christopher J , Buse John B , Liebovitz David M , Nicklas Jacinda M , Cohen Kenneth , Puskarich Michael A , Belani Hrishikesh K , Siegel Lianne K , Klatt Nichole R , Odde David J , Karger Amy B , Ingraham Nicholas E , Hartman Katrina M , Rao Via , Hagen Aubrey A , Patel Barkha , Fenno Sarah L , Avula Nandini , Reddy Neha V , Erickson Spencer M , Lindberg Sarah , Fricton Regina , Lee Samuel , Zaman Adnin , Saveraid Hanna G , Tordsen Walker J , Pullen Matthew F , Sherwood Nancy E , Huling Jared D , Bramante Carolyn T ,   for the COVID-OUT study team
Published: September 2022

Background

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination has decreasing protection from acquiring any infection with emergence of new variants; however, vaccination continues to protect against progression to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The impact of vaccination status on symptoms over time is less clear.

Methods

Within a randomized trial on early outpatient COVID-19 therapy testing metformin, ivermectin, and/or fluvoxamine, participants recorded symptoms daily for 14 days. Participants were given a paper symptom diary allowing them to circle the severity of 14 symptoms as none (0), mild (1), moderate (2), or severe (3). This is a secondary analysis of clinical trial data on symptom severity over time using generalized estimating equations comparing those unvaccinated, SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated with primary vaccine series only, or vaccine-boosted.

Results

The parent clinical trial prospectively enrolled 1323 participants, of whom 1062 (80%) prospectively recorded some daily symptom data. Of these, 480 (45%) were unvaccinated, 530 (50%) were vaccinated with primary series only, and 52 (5%) vaccine-boosted. Overall symptom severity was least for the vaccine-boosted group and most severe for unvaccinated at baseline and over the 14 days (P < .001). Individual symptoms were least severe in the vaccine-boosted group including cough, chills, fever, nausea, fatigue, myalgia, headache, and diarrhea, as well as smell and taste abnormalities. Results were consistent over Delta and Omicron variant time periods.

Conclusions

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-boosted participants had the least severe symptoms during COVID-19, which abated the quickest over time.

Clinical Trial Registration. NCT04510194.
Effectiveness of Ultraviolet-C Disinfection on Hospital-Onset Gram-Negative Rod Bloodstream Infection: A Nationwide Stepped-Wedge Time-Series Analysis
Authors: Goto Michihiko , Hasegawa Shinya , Balkenende Erin C , Clore Gosia S , Safdar Nasia , Perencevich Eli N ,   VA-CDC Practice-Based Research Network, Bradley Suzanne F , Morgan Daniel , Gupta Kalpana , Hostler Christopher , Evans Charlesnika , Goetz Matthew , Reisinger Heather , Safdar Nasia , Lira Gio J Baracco , DeVries Aaron , Harris Bryan , Bittner Marvin , Pfeiffer Christopher , Rubin Michael , Cadena-Zuluaga Jose , Suda Katie
Published: September 2022

Background

The effectiveness of enhanced terminal room cleaning with ultraviolet C (UV-C) disinfection in reducing gram-negative rod (GNR) infections has not been well evaluated. We assessed the association of implementation of UV-C disinfection systems with incidence rates of hospital-onset (HO) GNR bloodstream infection (BSI).

Methods

We obtained information regarding UV-C use and the timing of implementation through a survey of all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals providing inpatient acute care. Episodes of HO-GNR BSI were identified between January 2010 and December 2018. Bed days of care (BDOC) was used as the denominator. Over-dispersed Poisson regression models were fitted with hospital-specific random intercept, UV-C disinfection use for each month, baseline trend, and seasonality as explanatory variables. Hospitals without UV-C use were also included to the analysis as a nonequivalent concurrent control group.

Results

Among 128 VHA hospitals, 120 provided complete survey responses with 40 reporting implementations of UV-C systems. We identified 13 383 episodes of HO-GNR BSI and 24 141 378 BDOC. UV-C use was associated with a lower incidence rate of HO-GNR BSI (incidence rate ratio: 0.813; 95% confidence interval: .656–.969; P = .009). There was wide variability in the effect size of UV-C disinfection use among hospitals.

Conclusions

In this large quasi-experimental analysis within the VHA System, enhanced terminal room cleaning with UV-C disinfection was associated with an approximately 19% lower incidence of HO-GNR BSI, with wide variability in effectiveness among hospitals. Further studies are needed to identify the optimal implementation strategy to maximize the effectiveness of UV-C disinfection technology.
Impact of Enterococcus faecalis Endocarditis Treatment on Risk of Relapse
Authors: Danneels Pierre , Hamel Jean-François , Picard Léa , Rezig Schéhérazade , Martinet Pauline , Lorleac’h Aurélien , Talarmin Jean-Philippe , Buzelé Rodolphe , Guimard Thomas , Le Moal Gwenaël , Brochard-Libois Julia , Beaudron Aurélie , Letheulle Julien , Codde Cyrielle , Chenouard Rachel , Boutoille David , Lemaignen Adrien , Bernard Louis , Cattoir Vincent , Dubée Vincent ,   the EFEMER study group, Danneels Pierre , Dubee Vincent , HAMEL Jean-François , Kempf Marie , Chenouard Rachel , Rihet Camille , Vannier Clémence , Beaudron Aurélie , Perez Lucia , Boutoille David , Leroy Anne-Gaëlle , Bernard Louis , Lemaignen Adrien , Lartigue Marie Frédérique , Brun Cécile Le , Cattoir Vincent , Revest Matthieu , Picard Léa , Poussier Léa , Moaligou Camile , Nogues Sophie , Sassi Asma Zouari , Guérin François , Moal Gwenaël Le , Plouzeau-Jayle Chloé , Talarmin Jean-Philippe , Fangous Marie-Sarah , Codde Cyrielle , Faucher Jean-François , Brochard-Libois Julia , Guimard Thomas , Pelerin Hélène , Berthome Hélène , Buzele Rodolphe , Lorleac'h Aurélien , Rezig Scheherazade , Martinet Pauline , Jan Didier , Letheulle Julien , Turnier Paul Le
Published: September 2022

Background

Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis (EFIE) is characterized by a higher frequency of relapses than other infective endocarditis. The role of the treatment on its occurrence remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the antibiotic regimen could impact the risk of relapse in EFIE.

Materials

This was a multicenter retrospective study of patients diagnosed with definite EFIE between 2015 and 2019 in 14 French hospitals. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of relapses within the year following endocarditis diagnosis. As death was a competing risk for relapse, Fine and Gray models were used for studying risk factors and impact of treatment.

Results

Of the 279 patients included, 83 (29.7%) received the amoxicillin-gentamicin (A-G) combination, 114 (40.9%) amoxicillin-ceftriaxone (A-C), 63 (22.6%) A-G and A-C (A-G/A-C) sequentially, 9 (3.2%) amoxicillin (A), and 10 received other treatments. One-year-relapse rate was 9.3% (26 patients). Relapse occurred after a median delay of 107 days from EFIE diagnosis; 6 occurred after 6 months, and 6 were diagnosed by blood cultures in asymptomatic patients. In multivariate analysis, surgery during treatment was a protective factor against one-year relapse and death.

The cumulative incidence of relapse 1 year after endocarditis was 46.2% for patients treated with amoxicillin, 13.4% with A-G, 14.7% with A-C, and 4.3% with A-G/A-C (P≥.05 in multivariate analysis).

Conclusions

Relapses after treatment of EFIE are frequent, frequently asymptomatic, and may occur more than 6 months after the initial episode.
Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis: An Integrated Summary of up to 7.8 Years of Safety Data from the Global Clinical Programme
Authors: Sandborn William J , D’Haens Geert R , Sands Bruce E , Panaccione Remo , Ng Siew C , Lawendy Nervin , Kulisek Nicole , Modesto Irene , Guo Xiang , Mundayat Rajiv , Su Chinyu , Vranic Ivana , Panés Julian
Published: September 2022

Background and Aims

Tofacitinib is an oral small molecule Janus kinase [JAK] inhibitor for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. We report an integrated summary of tofacitinib safety [exposure: ≤7.8 years] from the global clinical programme.

Methods

Patients receiving tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice daily [BID] from completed phase [P]2/3 placebo-controlled studies, an open-label, long-term extension study [final data cut-off: August 24, 2020], and interim analysis of a P3b/4 study (interim data cut-off: February 20, 2020; Overall plus P3b/4 [2020] Cohort) were included. Proportions with adverse events [AEs] and serious AEs, and incidence rates [IRs; unique patients with events/100 patient-years] for deaths and AEs of special interest [AESI] were evaluated. Opportunistic infections, malignancies, major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE] and gastrointestinal perforations were adjudicated.

Results

In total, 1157 patients received one or more dose of tofacitinib (mean duration: 946.9 days); 955/1157 [83%] received a predominant dose of 10 mg BID; 412/1157 [35.6%] received tofacitinib for >4 years; 992/1157 [85.7%] had AEs, 244/1157 [21.1%] had serious AEs and 134/1157 (11.6%) discontinued use due to AEs. IRs [95% confidence intervals] for all tofacitinib doses were: deaths, 0.23 [0.09–0.46]; serious infections, 1.69 [1.26–2.21]; herpes zoster [non-serious and serious], 3.30 [2.67–4.04]; opportunistic infections, 1.03 [0.70–1.46]; malignancies (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer [NMSC]), 0.84 [0.55–1.24]; NMSC, 0.73 [0.45–1.10]; MACE, 0.29 [0.13–0.55]; deep vein thrombosis, 0.03 [0.00–0.18]; pulmonary embolism, 0.19 [0.07–0.42]; gastrointestinal perforations, 0.10 [0.02–0.28].

Conclusions

AESI IRs were stable to 7.8 years and generally <2.0 in the Overall plus P3b/4 [2020] Cohort, with the exception of herpes zoster [a known risk of tofacitinib treatment]. ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT00787202;NCT01465763;NCT01458951;NCT01458574;NCT01470612;NCT03281304

JCC Topic/keyword selection: 3. Clinical trials
Case report of a patient with congenital long QT syndrome Type 2 presenting with electrical storm: do not judge a book by its cover!
Authors: Lawin Dennis , Poudel Madan Raj , Lawrenz Thorsten , Stellbrink Christoph
Published: September 2022

Background

Patients with congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) are at high risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). Although several triggers can provoke ventricular fibrillation (VF) in patients suffering from LQTS acquired heart disease in addition to LQTS should not be overlooked.

Case summary

We present a case of a 47-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with congenital LQTS Type 2 at the age of 23 after surviving SCD. At that time, she underwent implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation and was free of events for 24 years. Recently, the patient was referred to our institution after suffering from an ICD shock during sleep. Upon arrival she developed electrical storm and received overall six ICD shocks. The initial electrocardiogram (ECG) showed atrially triggered ventricular pacing. However, distinct ST segment elevations in the inferior leads could be observed. Thus, coronary angiography was immediately performed and showed subtotal occlusion of the right coronary artery, which was treated by drug-eluting stent implantation. Atrioventricular conduction immediately resumed after revascularization and the following non-paced ECG revealed a prolonged QT interval. Laboratory measurements confirmed acute myocardial infarction with elevated cardiac enzymes. The patient was put on betablockers, dual antiplatelet therapy, and statins and discharged in good condition.

Discussion

This case report highlights that diagnostic work-up in patients with LQTS presenting with VF should always include the search for additional acquired heart disease such as myocardial infarction, as a potential trigger for electrical storm. Moreover, signs of ischaemia can be discerned even in a paced ECG which should lead to immediate cardiac catheterization.
Inclusionary Trials: A Review of Lessons Not Learned
Authors: Adkins-Jackson Paris B , Burke Nancy J , Espinosa Patricia Rodriguez , Ison Juliana M , Goold Susan D , Rosas Lisa G , Doubeni Chyke A , Brown Arleen F ,   The STOP COVID-19 California Alliance Trial Participation and Vaccine Hesitancy Working Groups
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed weaknesses in the public health infrastructure of the United States, including persistent barriers to engaging marginalized communities toward inclusion in clinical research, including trials. Inclusive participation in clinical trials is crucial for promoting vaccine confidence, public trust, and addressing disparate health outcomes. A long-standing body of literature describes the value of community-based participatory research in increasing marginalized community participation in research. Community-based participatory research emphasizes shared leadership with community members in all phases of the research process, including in the planning and implementation, interpretation, and dissemination. Shared leadership between academic and industry with marginalized communities can assist with inclusive participation in vaccine trials and increase public trust in the development of the vaccines and other therapies used during public emergencies. Nevertheless, epidemiologic and clinical research do not yet have a strong culture of community partnership in the scientific process, which takes time to build and therefore may be difficult to develop and rapidly scale to respond to the pandemic. We outline practices that contribute to a lack of inclusive participation and suggest steps that trialists and other researchers can take to increase marginalized communities’ participation in research. Practices include planning for community engagement during the planning and recruitment phases, having regular dialogues with communities about their priorities, supporting them throughout a study, and navigating complex structural determinants of health. Additionally, we discuss how research institutions can support inclusive practices by reexamining their policies to increase participation in clinical trials and instilling institutional trustworthiness.
Nuclear envelope protein lamin B receptor protects the genome from chromosomal instability and tumorigenesis
Authors: Patil Shalaka , Deshpande Shruti , Sengupta Kundan
Published: September 2022

Lamin B Receptor (LBR) is an inner nuclear membrane protein that assembles the nuclear envelope post mitosis. Here we show that LBR depletion induces mitotic defects accompanied by recurrent chromosomal losses. In addition, LBR knockdown results in nuclear aberrations such as nuclear blebs and micronuclei, with chromosomes showing higher frequency of losses, being enriched within the micronucleus. Furthermore, doxycycline-induced conditional depletion of LBR significantly increased tumor volumes that form within the subcutaneous xenografts of mice. Of note, the tumor-derived primary cells recapitulated chromosomal losses and gains, revealing a novel role for LBR as a tumor suppressor. Co-immunoprecipitation of LBR uncovered an association of LBR with telomere-associated factors. Interestingly, qPCR array-based gene expression profiling showed a significant upregulation of telomere repeat-binding factor 1 (TRF1) upon LBR depletion. Remarkably, TRF1 knockdown in the background of LBR depletion maintains chromosomal stability, unraveling a novel mechanism involving LBR and TRF in the maintenance of chromosomal stability in colorectal cancer cells.
Comparable Outcomes for Bebtelovimab and Ritonavir-Boosted Nirmatrelvir Treatment in High-Risk Patients With Coronavirus Disease-2019 During Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 BA.2 Omicron Epoch
Authors: Razonable Raymund R , O’Horo John C , Hanson Sara N , Arndt Richard F , Speicher Leigh L , Seville Teresa A , Hall Scott T , Pike Marsha L , Heyliger Alexander , Larsen Jennifer J , Ganesh Ravindra , Tulledge-Scheitel Sidna M
Published: September 2022

The effectiveness of bebtelovimab in real-world settings has not been assessed. In this retrospective cohort study of 3607 high-risk patients, bebtelovimab was used more commonly than nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among older patients, immunosuppressed patients, and those with multiple comorbid conditions. Despite its use in patients with multiple comorbid conditions, the rate of progression to severe disease after bebtelovimab (1.4% [95% confidence interval, 1.2%–1.7%]) was not significantly different from that for nirmatrelvir-ritonavir treatment (1.2% [.8%–1.5%]). Our findings support the emergency use authorization of bebtelovimab for treatment of COVID-19 during the Omicron epoch dominated by BA.2 and subvariants.
Social License and CSR in Extractive Industries: A Failed Approach to Governance
Authors: Akporiaye Alero , Webster D G
Published: September 2022

We examine the spread and persistence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to mitigate oil conflict, despite its failures. Our work challenges the ideas versus interests debate, arguing for a third way in which reinforcing feedbacks between ideas (problem narratives) and interests (power disconnects) interact to shape the persistence of failed CSR. Using Ogoniland, Nigeria, as a case study, we present novel findings showing that Shell and the Nigerian government developed problem narratives for CSR that reinforces rather than narrows existing power disconnects. In contrast, as those most negatively affected by oil extraction, the Ogoni people have a more complex understanding of the problems associated with extraction and the necessary solutions. Therefore, they are disappointed with failed CSR applications practiced by Shell since 1997 and continue to protest ongoing impacts of oil extraction. Oil companies need to change their problem narratives and concede more power to communities, and governments should cease enabling failed CSR strategies. Additionally, governments should reflect on and address the role they play in enabling CSR as a failed strategy, whether they are oil-producing host countries such as Nigeria or oil-consuming home countries such as Holland. Last, we discuss the generalizability of our theoretical framework and propose that the international community could play a role in narrowing domestic power disconnects.
Troubled Comparative Trajectories and the Statistical Construction of Disempowered Arab and Muslim Women Subjects
Authors: Jamal Manal A
Published: September 2022

Since 9/11, a number of scholars added gender as a new variable to explain how economic, political, and/or social developments in the Middle East have diverged from developments elsewhere. These studies relied almost exclusively on statistical analysis and frequently discounted much of the extant literature, especially the more feminist and historically sensitive and in-depth qualitative works on the subject matter. Almost uniformly, the point of departure for many of these works was the disempowered socioeconomic and/or political status of Arab/Muslim women. Most of the scholars of these works had no gender expertise and had never written on women previously. Regardless, these works spawned an important discussion in the field of comparative politics and their scholarly impact has been noteworthy. Such scholarship, however, is not benign.

Accordingly, this article seeks to answer two critical questions: How does the work of non-gender specialists of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) come to have such a significant impact on the study of women and politics in the field of comparative politics? How can we approach these research inquiries differently so that expertise, lived realities, and history matter? The article argues that feminist international relations could serve as a critical corrective to this current trajectory of comparative politics research. This corrective also requires a commitment to feminist scholarship that begins with women's lives and seeks to eliminate gender inequality, as well as greater understanding of the composition and changing structure of our disciplinary communities.
Intestinal Microflora Characteristics ofAntheraea pernyi(Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) Larvae With Vomit Disease
Authors: Jia Shu , Zhang Juntao , Li Xisheng , He Yingzi , Yu Tinghong , Zhao Chong , Song Ce
Published: September 2022

Antheraea pernyi Guérin-Méneville (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is of high economic value as a source of silk, food, and bioactive substances with medicinal properties. A. pernyi larvae are prone to A. pernyi vomit disease (AVD), which results in substantial economic losses during cultivation; however, the relationship between AVD and A. pernyi gut microbiota remains unclear. Here, we investigated the bacterial community in the midgut and feces of A. pernyi larvae with and without AVD using 16S rRNA gene sequencing with Illumina MiSeq technology. Compared with healthy larvae, intestinal bacterial diversity and community richness increased and decreased in larvae with mild and severe AVD, respectively. In addition, the proportion of gut Enterobacter Hormaeche and Edwards(Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) and Enterococcus Thiercelin and Jouhaud (Lactobacillales: Enterococcaceae) was higher and lower, respectively, in larvae with mild AVD than those in healthy larvae. A. pernyi vomit disease infection significantly increased the genera with abundance <1%. In the gut of larvae with severe AVD, the proportion of Turicibacter Bosshard et al. (Erysipelotrichales: Turicibacteraceae) increased significantly to 81.53–99.92%, whereas that of Enterobacter decreased compared with healthy larvae. However, the diversity of fecal bacteria was similar between healthy larvae and those with mild AVD. Overall, the findings demonstrate that intestinal microflora in A. pernyi larvae are altered by AVD infection and may cause secondary bacterial infection. This is the first report of the presence of Turicibacter in the intestinal tract of lepidopterans.
Spoken language identification based on the transcript analysis
Authors: Lande Dmytro V , Dmytrenko Olegh O , Shevchenko Anatolij I , Klymenko Mykyta S , Vakulenko Maksym O
Published: September 2022

Language identification is a great challenge in language engineering, which arises along with the tasks of speech recognition, machine translation, cross-language information retrieval, intelligent dialogue system creation, etc. The presented article introduces the intelligent language identification technology, which is based on speech recognition and statistical methods of spectrogram analysis. The approach to the automatic identification of the spoken language sample uploaded to the system, in particular from video streaming services such as YouTube, is put forward. The article focuses on the automatic identification of spoken language, taking into account several speech recognition solutions for correct or incorrect speech recognition and its conversion into correct or incorrect text. The obtained algorithm is demonstrated in the Ukrainian and Russian languages. The identification quality of the language of an utterance, which lasts >30 s is almost 100%, and for the utterance of a duration of 30 s, the quality is 98%, and for the 5-s utterance, it reaches 89.6%. In addition to that, the system performance is contingent on the streaming speed, so it is a real-time system.
S1.4d Cryptococcus qPCR assays: the future for routine mycology labs and clinical trials dealing with cryptococcosis
Authors: Mbangiwa Tshepiso , Sturny-Leclère Aude , Lechiile Kwana , Kajanga Cheusisime , Chammard Timothée Boyer , Lortholary Olivier , Dromer Francoise Dromer , Hoving Jennifer C. , Lawrence David S. , Mwandumba Henry , Mosepele Mosepele , Harrison Tom , Jarvis Joseph N , Alanio Alexandre
Published: September 2022

S1.4 Fungal infections in Asia, bringing it out of the dark, September 21, 2022, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

 

Background

Routine laboratory testing for cryptococcal meningitis currently consists of Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) testing in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), CSF India ink, and CSF fungal culture. Quantitative cryptococcal culture (QCC) is labor intensive and not feasible in most settings.

Objectives

We evaluated quantitative (qPCR) and reverse transcriptase qPCR (RT-qPCR) assays to quantify cryptococcal load in CSF, plasma, and blood. We also investigated the dynamics of fungal DNA and RNA detection during antifungal treatment.

Methods

We developed a qPCR assay that can differentiate serotypes A, D, and B/C of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii based on the amplification of a unique nuclear Quorum sensing protein 1 (QSP1) and a multicopy 28S rRNA gene and evaluated the assays on 205-patient samples from the AMBITION-cm trial in Botswana and Malawi (2018-2021). CSF, plasma, and whole blood samples were stored per patient and were sampled at day 0 (baseline), day 7 and 14 for CSF and at day 1, 3 and 7 for plasma and whole blood post antifungal treatment initiation. A Roche LightCycler480 and Graph pad prism were used for data analysis.

Results

A total of 205/209 stored patient samples (85 from Botswana; 124 from Malawi), were used. For QSP1 qPCR tested in CSF at D0, 138 (81.7%) were serotype A, 28 (16.6%) were serotype B/C and 3 (1.8%) were a mixed infection of serotype A and B/C. There was no amplification with 36 (17.6%) samples. There was no difference in fungal loads at D0, D7, and D14 between serotype A and B/C with the QSP1 qPCR assay, and QCC. QCC showed a good correlation with qPCR quantification with QSP1 qPCR (slope = 0.797, R2 = 0.73) and with 28S rRNA qPCR (Slope = 0.771, R2 = 0.778) assays. The fungal load at D0 was significantly higher in patients who died at week 2 (w2) and at week 10 (w10) as compared with patients who survived post-week 10 (P <.01), with no significant difference in initial fungal load in both treatment regimens (P >.05). Detection of Cryptococcus DNA (28S rRNA qPCR) in plasma or whole blood within the first 24 h of treatment was significantly associated with early mortality at w2 and mortality at w10 (P <.01). QSP1 RT-qPCR showed that detection of DNA was due to viable fungal cells as the quantification of QSP1 whole nucleic acids was systematically higher (X2 to 5) than that of DNA.

Conclusion

Quantification of C. neoformans and C. gattii load in CSF and plasma at D0 is useful in identifying patients at risk of death and may be a promising tool for monitoring treatment response in the future.
Intermediate-mass black holes and the Fundamental Plane of black hole accretion
Authors: Gültekin Kayhan , Nyland Kristina , Gray Nichole , Fehmer Greg , Huang Tianchi , Sparkman Matthew , Reines Amy E , Greene Jenny E , Cackett Edward M , Baldassare Vivienne
Published: September 2022

We present new 5 GHz Very Large Array observations of a sample of eight active intermediate-mass black holes with masses 104.9 M⊙ < M < 106.1 M⊙ found in galaxies with stellar masses M* < 3 × 109 M⊙. We detected five of the eight sources at high significance. Of the detections, four were consistent with a point source, and one (SDSS J095418.15+471725.1, with black hole mass M < 105 M⊙) clearly shows extended emission that has a jet morphology. Combining our new radio data with the black hole masses and literature X-ray measurements, we put the sources on the Fundamental Plane of black hole accretion. We find that the extent to which the sources agree with the Fundamental Plane depends on their star-forming/composite/active galactic nucleus (AGN) classification based on optical narrow emission-line ratios. The single star-forming source is inconsistent with the Fundamental Plane. The three composite sources are consistent, and three of the four AGN sources are inconsistent with the Fundamental Plane. We argue that this inconsistency is genuine and not a result of misattributing star formation to black hole activity. Instead, we identify the sources in our sample that have AGN-like optical emission-line ratios as not following the Fundamental Plane and thus caution the use of the Fundamental Plane to estimate masses without additional constraints, such as radio spectral index, radiative efficiency, or the Eddington fraction.
Study of correlation between optical flux and polarization variations in BL Lac objects
Authors: Rajput Bhoomika , Pandey Ashwani , Stalin C S , Mathew Blesson
Published: September 2022

Polarized radiation from blazars is one key piece of evidence for synchrotron radiation at low energy, which also shows variations. We present here our results on the correlation analysis between optical flux and polarization degree (PD) variations in a sample of 11 BL Lac objects using ∼10 yr of data from the Steward Observatory. We carried out the analysis on long-term (∼several months) as well as on short-term time-scales (∼several days). On long-term time-scales, for about 85 per cent of the observing cycles, we found no correlation between optical flux and PD. On short-term time-scales, we found a total of 58 epochs with a significant correlation between optical flux and PD, where both positive and negative correlation were observed. In addition, we also found a significant correlation between optical flux and γ-ray flux variations on long-term time-scales in 11 per cent of the observing cycles. The observed PD variations in our study cannot be explained by changes in the power-law spectral index of the relativistic electrons in the jets. The shock-in-jet scenario is favoured for the correlation between optical flux and PD, whereas the anticorrelation can be explained by the presence of multizone emission regions. The varying correlated behaviour can also be explained by the enhanced optical flux caused by the newly developed radio knots in the jets and their magnetic field alignment with the large-scale jet magnetic field.
Unsupervised clustering and analysis of WISE spiral galaxies
Authors: Guo Xiaoyu , Liu Cuixiang , Qiu Bo , Luo A-li , Jiang Xia , Shi Jinghang , Li Xiaotong , Wang Linqian
Published: September 2022

The Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WISE) survey captured massive amounts of infrared astronomical object data, and different astronomical objects will show different characteristics. Especially spiral galaxies that are richer in colour than other astronomical objects. In addition, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has obtained a large number of visible light images and their parameter. So this paper mainly explores the colour characteristics of WISE spiral galaxies, and uses SDSS, 2MASS, WISE, and MANGA parameters to analyse the differences between different classes and the commonality of the same class, so that provides help for astronomers to study infrared spiral galaxies. First, the RA and Dec. of the spiral galaxy samples were crossed in GalaxyZoo2. The flux data of w1, w2, and w3 bands in WISE were crossed for image synthesis. The Bootstrap Your Own Latent contrastive learning framework and K-means clustering were used to unsupervised classify the infrared spiral galaxy images. After multiple experiments, five classes of images were selected by referring to the best clustering results. Finally, the parameter of galaxies in SDSS, 2MASS, WISE, and MANGA catalogues were crossed, including redshift, 12 magnitudes that from visible light band to mid-infrared band, stellar formation rate, stellar metallicity, stellar velocity dispersion, etc. These parameters were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The effectiveness of unsupervised clustering algorithms for handling unlabeled data is demonstrated and two special classes of galaxies are found. The analysis result shows that the distribution characteristics of different parameters of different classes of infrared spiral galaxies are different.
Gas-phase spectroscopy of photostable PAH ions from the mid- to far-infrared
Authors: Wiersma Sandra D , Candian Alessandra , Bakker Joost M , Petrignani Annemieke
Published: September 2022

We present gas-phase InfraRed Multiple Photon Dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy of cationic phenanthrene, pyrene, and perylene over the 100–1700 cm−1 (6–95 μm) spectral range. This range covers both local vibrational modes involving C–C and C–H bonds in the mid-IR, and large-amplitude skeletal modes in the far-IR. The experiments were done using the 7T Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer integrated in the Free-Electron Laser for Intra-Cavity Experiments (FELICE), and findings were complemented with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculated harmonic and anharmonic spectra, matching the experimental spectra well. The experimental configuration that enables this sensitive spectroscopy of the strongly bound, photoresistant Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) over a wide range can provide such high photon densities that even combination modes with calculated intensities as low as 0.01 km mol−1 near 400 cm−1 (25 μm) can be detected. Experimental frequencies from this work and all currently available IRMPD spectra for PAH cations were compared to theoretical frequencies from the NASA Ames PAH IR Spectroscopic Database to verify predicted trends for far-IR vibrational modes depending on PAH shape and size, and only a relatively small redshift (6–11 cm−1) was found between experiment and theory. The absence of spectral congestion and the drastic reduction in bandwidth with respect to the mid-IR make the far-IR fingerprints viable candidates for theoretical benchmarking, which can aid in the search for individual large PAHs in the interstellar medium.
Signatures of extended discs and outflows in the circumgalactic medium using the Q0107 quasar triplet
Authors: Beckett Alexander , Morris Simon L , Fumagalli Michele , Tejos Nicolas , Jannuzi Buell , Cantalupo Sebastiano
Published: September 2022

We use H i absorption along the lines-of-sight to the Q0107 quasar triplet in order to model potential disc and outflow structures in the circumgalactic medium of intervening galaxies at z ≲ 1, as well as the intergalactic medium on scales of up to a few virial radii. We consider a sample of twelve isolated galaxies in the Q0107 field with position angles and inclinations measured from HST imaging as well as redshifts from our spectroscopic surveys, alongside 27 detected Ly α absorbers within 500 km s−1 of these galaxies. Building on previous work showing increased incidence of absorption close to the projected major and minor axes, we use model rotating discs and bi-conical outflows in attempting to reproduce the observed absorption. Requiring these models to match absorption in multiple lines-of-sight provides additional constraints over single-sightline observations. We identify four possible outflows with velocities ∼100 km s−1, two of which extend to or beyond the virial radius, with a variety of opening angles. Two galaxies have nearby co-rotating absorbers with rotation velocities ≲ vvir, that may probe disc-like structures, and we can rule out a disc/outflow origin for a further ten absorbers. These indicate that outflowing and co-rotating structures can extend to large scales but are either not ubiquitous, or do not always produce detectable Ly α. In some cases, disc models are successful even close to the minor axis of the galaxy, and some of our model outflows exhibit wide opening angles. These results imply that purely geometrical cuts are not sufficient to distinguish between discs and outflows in single line-of-sight studies.
Optical spectroscopic characterization of Fermi blazar candidates of uncertain type with TNG and DOT: first results
Authors: Olmo-García Amanda , Paliya Vaidehi S , Álvarez Crespo Nuria , Kumar Brajesh , Domínguez Alberto , Gil de Paz Armando , Sánchez-Blázquez Patricia
Published: September 2022

The classification of γ-ray-detected blazar candidates of uncertain type (BCU) is a relevant problem in extragalactic γ-ray astronomy. Here, we report the optical spectroscopic characterization, using two 3–4 m class telescopes, Telescopio Nazionale Galileo and Devasthal Optical Telescope, of 27 BCUs detected with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Since the identification of emission lines is easier in broad-line blazars, which usually exhibit low frequency peaked (synchrotron peak frequency ≤1014 Hz) spectral energy distribution, we primarily target such BCUs. We found that 8 out of 27 sources exhibit broad emission lines in their optical spectra, 3 of them have redshifts >1 and the farthest one is at z = 2.55. The optical spectra of 2 of the 19 remaining objects are dominated by the absorption spectra of the host galaxy, and there is a tentative detection of the Lyman-α absorption feature in one source. The spectra of the remaining 16 objects, on the other hand, are found to be featureless.
The physics of Lyman-α escape from disc-like galaxies
Authors: Smith Aaron , Kannan Rahul , Tacchella Sandro , Vogelsberger Mark , Hernquist Lars , Marinacci Federico , Sales Laura V , Torrey Paul , Li Hui , Yeh Jessica Y-C , Qi Jia
Published: September 2022

Hydrogen emission lines can provide extensive information about star-forming galaxies in both the local and high-redshift Universe. We present a detailed Lyman continuum (LyC), Lyman-α (Lyα), and Balmer line (Hα and Hβ) radiative transfer study of a high-resolution isolated Milky Way simulation using the state-of-the-art Arepo-RT radiation hydrodynamics code with the SMUGGLE galaxy formation model. The realistic framework includes stellar feedback, non-equilibrium thermochemistry accounting for molecular hydrogen, and dust grain evolution in the interstellar medium (ISM). We extend our publicly available Cosmic Lyα Transfer (COLT) code with photoionization equilibrium Monte Carlo radiative transfer and various methodology improvements for self-consistent end-to-end (non-)resonant line predictions. Accurate LyC reprocessing to recombination emission requires modelling pre-absorption by dust ($f_\text{abs} \approx 27.5\,\rm{per\,\,cent}$), helium ionization ($f_\text{He} \approx 8.7\,\rm{per\,\,cent}$), and anisotropic escape fractions ($f_\text{esc} \approx 7.9\,\rm{per\,\,cent}$), as these reduce the available budget for hydrogen line emission ($f_\text{H} \approx 55.9\,\rm{per\,\,cent}$). We investigate the role of the multiphase dusty ISM, disc geometry, gas kinematics, and star formation activity in governing the physics of emission and escape, focusing on the time variability, gas-phase structure, and spatial spectral, and viewing angle dependence of the emergent photons. Isolated disc simulations are well-suited for comprehensive observational comparisons with local Hα surveys, but would require a proper cosmological circumgalactic medium (CGM) environment as well as less dust absorption and rotational broadening to serve as analogs for high-redshift Lyα emitting galaxies. Future applications of our framework to next-generation cosmological simulations of galaxy formation including radiation-hydrodynamics that resolve ≲10 pc multiphase ISM and ≲1 kpc CGM structures will provide crucial insights and predictions for current and upcoming Lyα observations.
Weak gravitational lensing shear estimation with metacalibration for the Roman High-Latitude Imaging Survey
Authors: Yamamoto Masaya , Troxel M A , Jarvis Mike , Mandelbaum Rachel , Hirata Christopher , Long Heyang , Choi Ami , Zhang Tianqing
Published: September 2022

We investigate the performance of the metacalibration shear calibration framework using simulated imaging data for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) reference High-Latitude Imaging Survey (HLIS). The weak lensing programme of Roman requires the mean weak lensing shear estimate to be calibrated within about 0.03 per cent. To reach this goal, we can test our calibration process with various simulations and ultimately isolate the sources of residual shear biases in order to improve our methods. In this work, we build on the HLIS image simulation pipeline to incorporate several more realistic processing-pipeline updates. We show the first metacalibration results for 6 deg2 of the simulated reference HLIS and compare them to measurements on simpler, faster Roman-like image simulations. We neglect the impact of blending of objects. We find in the simplified simulations metacalibration can calibrate shapes to within m = (−0.01 ± 0.10) per cent. When applied to the current most-realistic version of the simulations, the precision is much lower, with estimates of m = (−0.76 ± 0.43) per cent for joint multiband multi-epoch measurements and m = (−1.13 ± 0.60) per cent for multiband coadd measurements. These results are all consistent with zero within 1–2σ, indicating we are currently limited by our simulated survey volume. Further work on testing the shear calibration methodology is necessary at the precision of the Roman requirements, in particular in the presence of blending. Current results demonstrate, however, that metacalibration can work on undersampled space-based Roman imaging data at levels comparable to requirements of current weak lensing surveys.
Primordial black holes capture by stars and induced collapse to low-mass stellar black holes
Authors: Oncins Marc , Miralda-Escudé Jordi , Gutiérrez Jordi L , Gil-Pons Pilar
Published: September 2022

Primordial black holes in the asteroid-mass window, which might constitute all the dark matter, can be captured by stars when they traverse them at low enough velocity. After being placed on a bound orbit during star formation, they can repeatedly cross the star if the orbit happens to be highly eccentric, slow down by dynamical friction, and end up in the stellar core. The rate of these captures is highest in haloes of high dark matter density and low velocity dispersion, when the first stars form at redshift z ∼ 20. We compute this capture rate for low-metallicity stars of 0.3–$1\, {\rm M_{\odot }}$, and find that a high fraction of these stars formed in the first dwarf galaxies would capture a primordial black hole, which would then grow by accretion up to a mass that may be close to the total star mass. We show the capture rate of primordial black holes does not depend on their mass over this asteroid-mass window, and should not be much affected by external tidal perturbations. These low-mass stellar black holes could be discovered today in low-metallicity, old binary systems in the Milky Way containing a surviving low-mass main-sequence star or a white dwarf, or via gravitational waves emitted in a merger with another compact object. No mechanisms in standard stellar evolution theory are known to form black holes below the Chandrasekhar mass, so detecting a low-mass black hole would fundamentally impact our understanding of stellar evolution, dark matter, and the early Universe.
Identifying the most constraining ice observations to infer molecular binding energies
Authors: Heyl Johannes , Sellentin Elena , Holdship Jonathan , Viti Serena
Published: September 2022

In order to understand grain-surface chemistry, one must have a good understanding of the reaction rate parameters. For diffusion-based reactions, these parameters are binding energies of the reacting species. However, attempts to estimate these values from grain-surface abundances using Bayesian inference are inhibited by a lack of enough sufficiently constraining data. In this work, we use the Massive Optimised Parameter Estimation and Data compression algorithm to determine which species should be prioritized for future ice observations to better constrain molecular binding energies. Using the results from this algorithm, we make recommendations for which species future observations should focus on.