bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Perceived Uncontrollable Mortality Risk and Health Effort: Replication, Secondary Analysis, and Mini Meta-analysis
Authors: Brown Richard , Pepper Gillian
Published: January 2024

Background

The Uncontrollable Mortality Risk Hypothesis (UMRH) states that those who are more likely to die due to factors beyond their control should be less motivated to invest in preventative health behaviors. Greater levels of perceived uncontrollable mortality risk (PUMR) have been associated with lower health effort in previous research, but the topic remains understudied.

Purpose

To examine the evidence for the UMRH by replicating a previous study investigating the effects of PUMR on social gradients in health effort, and conducting a mini meta-analysis of the overall relationship between PUMR and health effort.

Methods

We replicated Pepper and Nettle (2014), who reported a negative relationship between PUMR and health effort, and that the positive effect of subjective socioeconomic position on health effort was explained away by PUMR. We also compared the predictive effect of PUMR on health effort with that of dimensions from the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale—a well-used measure of a similar construct, which is frequently found to be associated with health behavior. Finally, we conducted a mini meta-analysis of the relationship between PUMR and health effort from the available research.

Results

PUMR was negatively associated with health effort, and mediated 24% of the total effect of subjective socioeconomic position on health effort, though this mediation effect was weaker than in Pepper and Nettle (2014). PUMR was shown to be a substantially stronger predictor of health effort than the relevant dimensions of the MHLC scale. Finally, our mini meta-analysis indicated a medium-sized negative relationship between PUMR and health effort.

Conclusions

Our findings offer support for the role of PUMR in mediating the relationship between subjective socioeconomic position and health effort. The results highlight the importance of measuring and understanding PUMR in studying socioeconomic inequalities in health behaviors. We discuss potential areas for future research, including determining the accuracy of PUMR, investigating influential cues, examining the role of media in shaping risk perceptions, and understanding individuals’ awareness of their own perceptions of mortality risk.
Physical Activity Moderates the Association Between Pain and Depressive Symptoms Among Persons with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Bradson Megan L , Riegler Kaitlin E , Thomas Garrett A , Sakamoto McKenna S , Arnett Peter A
Published: January 2024

Objective

The present study examined physical activity as a possible moderator in the relationship between pain and depressive symptoms among persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).

Method

Fifty-three PwMS completed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and psychosocial questionnaires. Pain was operationalized as a composite of measures from the Brief Pain Inventory. Metabolic equivalents (METs) of energy expended during self-reported vigorous activity (VA), moderate activity (MA), and walking, as well as global physical activity which combined the three, were derived from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. Self-reported physical activity was measured using the Cognitive Health Questionnaire Exercise Scale. Regressions on depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen) examining both conceptualizations of physical activity, pain, and their interactions were explored.

Results

Regression analyses revealed that interactions between pain and each measure of global physical activity were significant (p = .01). Simple effects tests revealed that pain only influenced depressive symptoms in PwMS with low global physical activity METs (p < .001) and low overall self-reported physical activity (p < .001). The separate interactions between pain and METs during self-reported VA, MA, and walking on depressive symptoms were not significant.

Conclusion

We found that global physical activity moderated the relationship between pain and depressive symptoms in MS. Specifically, pain influenced depressive symptoms in PwMS who engaged in less overall physical activity. These results highlight the importance of screening PwMS for pain and suggest that behavioral interventions aimed at increasing overall lifestyle physical activity may be useful in improving depressive outcomes in PwMS with pain.
Attention is all you need: utilizing attention in AI-enabled drug discovery
Authors: Zhang Yang , Liu Caiqi , Liu Mujiexin , Liu Tianyuan , Lin Hao , Huang Cheng-Bing , Ning Lin
Published: January 2024

Recently, attention mechanism and derived models have gained significant traction in drug development due to their outstanding performance and interpretability in handling complex data structures. This review offers an in-depth exploration of the principles underlying attention-based models and their advantages in drug discovery. We further elaborate on their applications in various aspects of drug development, from molecular screening and target binding to property prediction and molecule generation. Finally, we discuss the current challenges faced in the application of attention mechanisms and Artificial Intelligence technologies, including data quality, model interpretability and computational resource constraints, along with future directions for research. Given the accelerating pace of technological advancement, we believe that attention-based models will have an increasingly prominent role in future drug discovery. We anticipate that these models will usher in revolutionary breakthroughs in the pharmaceutical domain, significantly accelerating the pace of drug development.
NanoDeep: a deep learning framework for nanopore adaptive sampling on microbial sequencing
Authors: Lin Yusen , Zhang Yongjun , Sun Hang , Jiang Hang , Zhao Xing , Teng Xiaojuan , Lin Jingxia , Shu Bowen , Sun Hao , Liao Yuhui , Zhou Jiajian
Published: January 2024

Nanopore sequencers can enrich or deplete the targeted DNA molecules in a library by reversing the voltage across individual nanopores. However, it requires substantial computational resources to achieve rapid operations in parallel at read-time sequencing. We present a deep learning framework, NanoDeep, to overcome these limitations by incorporating convolutional neural network and squeeze and excitation. We first showed that the raw squiggle derived from native DNA sequences determines the origin of microbial and human genomes. Then, we demonstrated that NanoDeep successfully classified bacterial reads from the pooled library with human sequence and showed enrichment for bacterial sequence compared with routine nanopore sequencing setting. Further, we showed that NanoDeep improves the sequencing efficiency and preserves the fidelity of bacterial genomes in the mock sample. In addition, NanoDeep performs well in the enrichment of metagenome sequences of gut samples, showing its potential applications in the enrichment of unknown microbiota. Our toolkit is available at https://github.com/lysovosyl/NanoDeep.
stAA: adversarial graph autoencoder for spatial clustering task of spatially resolved transcriptomics
Authors: Fang Zhaoyu , Liu Teng , Zheng Ruiqing , A Jin , Yin Mingzhu , Li Min
Published: January 2024

With the development of spatially resolved transcriptomics technologies, it is now possible to explore the gene expression profiles of single cells while preserving their spatial context. Spatial clustering plays a key role in spatial transcriptome data analysis. In the past 2 years, several graph neural network-based methods have emerged, which significantly improved the accuracy of spatial clustering. However, accurately identifying the boundaries of spatial domains remains a challenging task. In this article, we propose stAA, an adversarial variational graph autoencoder, to identify spatial domain. stAA generates cell embedding by leveraging gene expression and spatial information using graph neural networks and enforces the distribution of cell embeddings to a prior distribution through Wasserstein distance. The adversarial training process can make cell embeddings better capture spatial domain information and more robust. Moreover, stAA incorporates global graph information into cell embeddings using labels generated by pre-clustering. Our experimental results show that stAA outperforms the state-of-the-art methods and achieves better clustering results across different profiling platforms and various resolutions. We also conducted numerous biological analyses and found that stAA can identify fine-grained structures in tissues, recognize different functional subtypes within tumors and accurately identify developmental trajectories.
Factors influencing the reliability of a CT angiography-based deep learning method for infarct volume estimation
Authors: Hokkinen Lasse , Mäkelä Teemu , Savolainen Sauli , Kangasniemi Marko
Published: January 2024

Objectives

CT angiography (CTA)-based machine learning methods for infarct volume estimation have shown a tendency to overestimate infarct core and final infarct volumes (FIV). Our aim was to assess factors influencing the reliability of these methods.

Methods

The effect of collateral circulation on the correlation between convolutional neural network (CNN) estimations and FIV was assessed based on the Miteff system and hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) in 121 patients with anterior circulation acute ischaemic stroke using Pearson correlation coefficients and median volumes. Correlation was also assessed between successful and futile thrombectomies. The timing of individual CTAs in relation to CTP studies was analysed.

Results

The strength of correlation between CNN estimated volumes and FIV did not change significantly depending on collateral status as assessed with the Miteff system or HIR, being poor to moderate (r = 0.09-0.50). The strongest correlation was found in patients with futile thrombectomies (r = 0.61). Median CNN estimates showed a trend for overestimation compared to FIVs. CTA was acquired in the mid arterial phase in virtually all patients (120/121).

Conclusions

This study showed no effect of collateral status on the reliability of the CNN and best correlation was found in patients with futile thrombectomies. CTA timing in the mid arterial phase in virtually all patients can explain infarct volume overestimation.

Advances in knowledge

CTA timing seems to be the most important factor influencing the reliability of current CTA-based machine learning methods, emphasizing the need for CTA protocol optimization for infarct core estimation.
Prosopagnosia: face blindness and its association with neurological disorders
Authors: Josephs Kennedy A , Josephs Keith A
Published: January 2024

Loss of facial recognition or prosopagnosia has been well-recognized for over a century. It has been categorized as developmental or acquired depending on whether the onset is in early childhood or beyond, and acquired cases can have degenerative or non-degenerative aetiologies. Prosopagnosia has been linked to involvement of the fusiform gyri, mainly in the right hemisphere. The literature on prosopagnosia comprises case reports and small case series. We aim to assess demographic, clinical and imaging characteristics and neurological and neuropathological disorders associated with a diagnosis of prosopagnosia in a large cohort. Patients were categorized as developmental versus acquired; those with acquired prosopagnosia were further subdivided into degenerative versus non-degenerative, based on neurological aetiology. We assessed regional involvement on [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-PET and MRI of the right and left frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes. The Intake and Referral Center at the Mayo Clinic identified 487 patients with possible prosopagnosia, of which 336 met study criteria for probable or definite prosopagnosia. Ten patients, 80.0% male, had developmental prosopagnosia including one with Niemann–Pick type C and another with a forkhead box G1 gene mutation. Of the 326 with acquired prosopagnosia, 235 (72.1%) were categorized as degenerative, 91 (27.9%) as non-degenerative. The most common degenerative diagnoses were posterior cortical atrophy, primary prosopagnosia syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease dementia and semantic dementia, with each diagnosis accounting for >10% of this group. The most common non-degenerative diagnoses were infarcts (ischaemic and haemorrhagic), epilepsy-related and primary brain tumours, each accounting for >10%. We identified a group of patients with non-degenerative transient prosopagnosia in which facial recognition loss improved or resolved over time. These patients had migraine-related prosopagnosia, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, delirium, hypoxic encephalopathy and ischaemic infarcts. On [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-PET, the temporal lobes proved to be the most frequently affected regions in 117 patients with degenerative prosopagnosia, while in 82 patients with non-degenerative prosopagnosia, MRI revealed the right temporal and right occipital lobes as most affected by a focal lesion. The most common pathological findings in those with degenerative prosopagnosia were frontotemporal lobar degeneration with hippocampal sclerosis and mixed Alzheimer’s and Lewy body disease pathology. In this large case series of patients diagnosed with prosopagnosia, we observed that facial recognition loss occurs across a wide range of acquired degenerative and non-degenerative neurological disorders, most commonly in males with developmental prosopagnosia. The right temporal and occipital lobes, and connecting fusiform gyrus, are key areas. Multiple different pathologies cause degenerative prosopagnosia.
Cortical atrophy in early-stage patients with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis: a machine-learning MRI study with various feature extraction
Authors: Shen Sisi , Wei Ran , Gao Yu , Yang Xinyuan , Zhang Guoning , Yan Bo , Xiao Zhuoling , Li Jinmei
Published: January 2024

Conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor encephalitis (NMDARE) is non-specific, thus showing little differential diagnostic value, especially for MRI-negative patients. To characterize patterns of structural alterations and facilitate the diagnosis of MRI-negative NMDARE patients, we build two support vector machine models (NMDARE versus healthy controls [HC] model and NMDARE versus viral encephalitis [VE] model) based on radiomics features extracted from brain MRI. A total of 109 MRI-negative NMDARE patients in the acute phase, 108 HCs and 84 acute MRI-negative VE cases were included for training. Another 29 NMDARE patients, 28 HCs and 26 VE cases were included for validation. Eighty features discriminated NMDARE patients from HCs, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.963 in validation set. NMDARE patients presented with significantly lower thickness, area, and volume and higher mean curvature than HCs. Potential atrophy predominately presented in the frontal lobe (cumulative weight = 4.3725, contribution rate of 29.86%), and temporal lobe (cumulative weight = 2.573, contribution rate of 17.57%). The NMDARE versus VE model achieved certain diagnostic power, with AUC of 0.879 in validation set. Our research shows potential atrophy across the entire cerebral cortex in acute NMDARE patients, and MRI machine learning model has a potential to facilitate the diagnosis MRI-negative NMDARE.
On the survival of a flawed theory of capital: mainstream economics and the Cambridge capital controversies
Authors: Nunes-Pereira Francisco , Graça Moura Mário
Published: January 2024

The Cambridge controversies on capital theory opposed heterodox economists, mainly from the University of Cambridge, UK, to mainstream economists, mostly based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA. The controversies started in the 1950s and occupied the pages of some of the most influential journals. Their primary outcome was the broad acknowledgement of flaws, which we retrieve, in the concept of aggregate capital. Despite that acknowledgement, aggregate, homogeneous capital remains a staple of contemporary macroeconomics, as if the Cambridge controversies had never existed. To account for this apparent paradox is the aim of this article. We examine the arguments seeking to justify the enduring commitment to the aggregate capital approach and argue that they indicate an implicit commitment to instrumentalism. The indifference to the results of the Cambridge controversies is a consequence of methodological conformism and has shaky foundations.
Catheter-directed thrombolysis guided by pulmonary artery pressure registration in pulmonary embolism: a case report
Authors: Berenjkoub Ehssan , Kemper Charlotte , Lewandowski Nicole , Horlitz Marc , Rottländer Dennis
Published: January 2024

Background

Duration and dosage of thrombolysis for ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis (UACDT) in patients with intermediate high-risk pulmonary embolism remain controversial and treatment protocols vary.

Case summary

A 58-year-old female patient suffered from a right-sided urolithiasis. The clinical course was complicated by an intermediate high-risk pulmonary embolism [pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) score 108 points and simplified PESI ≥1] with bilateral proximal thrombus and significant right heart dysfunction. The pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) made a decision towards UACDT. The standard duration of UACDT ranges between 6 and 15 h depending on clinical parameters. In this particular case, the clinical parameters such as heart rate (no tachycardia) or oxygen saturation (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) might lead to premature termination of UACDT. Therefore, PERT decided to additionally monitor pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) continuously during the UACDT via a separate pigtail catheter in the pulmonary artery. Ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis was performed using 1 mg/h recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) per catheter, while PAP was registered continuously. Heart rate and oxygen saturation remained unchanged during UACDT. However, after 6 h of UACDT, systolic PAP decreased slightly from 62 to 55 mmHg and therapy was prolonged to 15 h. Pulmonary artery pressure dropped to 46 mmHg after 15 h. The patient was discharged from hospital at Day 7, and echocardiography revealed no signs of right heart dysfunction.

Discussion

Dosage of the thrombolysis agent and duration of UACDT are still a matter of debate. Besides clinical parameters and transthoracic echocardiography, invasive real-time PAP monitoring during UACDT could facilitate important information for therapy guidance in selected cases.
Strategies for improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in cardiovascular research: a primer
Authors: Prichard Roslyn , Maneze Della , Straiton Nicola , Inglis Sally C , McDonagh Julee
Published: January 2024

This paper aims to empower cardiovascular (CV) researchers by promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) principles throughout the research cycle. It defines DE&I and introduces practical strategies for implementation in recruitment, retention, and team dynamics within CV research. Evidence-based approaches supporting underrepresented populations’ participation are outlined for each research phase. Emphasizing the significance of inclusive research environments, the paper offers guidance and resources. We invite CV researchers to actively embrace DE&I principles, enhancing research relevance and addressing longstanding CV health disparities.
A chromosome-scale assembly for ‘d’Anjou’ pear
Authors: Yocca Alan , Akinyuwa Mary , Bailey Nick , Cliver Brannan , Estes Harrison , Guillemette Abigail , Hasannin Omar , Hutchison Jennifer , Jenkins Wren , Kaur Ishveen , Khanna Risheek Rahul , Loftin Madelene , Lopes Lauren , Moore-Pollard Erika , Olofintila Oluwakemisola , Oyebode Gideon Oluwaseye , Patel Jinesh , Thapa Parbati , Waldinger Martin , Zhang Jie , Zhang Qiong , Goertzen Leslie , Carey Sarah B , Hargarten Heidi , Mattheis James , Zhang Huiting , Jones Teresa , Boston LoriBeth , Grimwood Jane , Ficklin Stephen , Honaas Loren , Harkess Alex
Published: January 2024

Cultivated pear consists of several Pyrus species with Pyrus communis (European pear) representing a large fraction of worldwide production. As a relatively recently domesticated crop and perennial tree, pear can benefit from genome-assisted breeding. Additionally, comparative genomics within Rosaceae promises greater understanding of evolution within this economically important family. Here, we generate a fully phased chromosome-scale genome assembly of P. communis ‘d’Anjou.’ Using PacBio HiFi and Dovetail Omni-C reads, the genome is resolved into the expected 17 chromosomes, with each haplotype totaling nearly 540 Megabases and a contig N50 of nearly 14 Mb. Both haplotypes are highly syntenic to each other and to the Malus domestica ‘Honeycrisp’ apple genome. Nearly 45,000 genes were annotated in each haplotype, over 90% of which have direct RNA-seq expression evidence. We detect signatures of the known whole-genome duplication shared between apple and pear, and we estimate 57% of d’Anjou genes are retained in duplicate derived from this event. This genome highlights the value of generating phased diploid assemblies for recovering the full allelic complement in highly heterozygous crop species.
The unusual predominance of maintenance DNA methylation in Spirodela polyrhiza
Authors: Harkess Alex , Bewick Adam J , Lu Zefu , Fourounjian Paul , Michael Todd P , Schmitz Robert J , Meyers Blake C
Published: January 2024

Duckweeds are among the fastest reproducing plants, able to clonally divide at exponential rates. However, the genetic and epigenetic impact of clonality on plant genomes is poorly understood. 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is a modified base often described as necessary for the proper regulation of certain genes and transposons and for the maintenance of genome integrity in plants. However, the extent of this dogma is limited by the current phylogenetic sampling of land plant species diversity. Here we analyzed DNA methylomes, small RNAs, mRNA-seq, and H3K9me2 histone modification for Spirodela polyrhiza. S. polyrhiza has lost highly conserved genes involved in de novo methylation of DNA at sites often associated with repetitive DNA, and within genes, however, symmetrical DNA methylation and heterochromatin are maintained during cell division at certain transposons and repeats. Consequently, small RNAs that normally guide methylation to silence repetitive DNA like retrotransposons are diminished. Despite the loss of a highly conserved methylation pathway, and the reduction of small RNAs that normally target repetitive DNA, transposons have not proliferated in the genome, perhaps due in part to the rapid, clonal growth lifestyle of duckweeds.
A Systematic Review of Red Blood Cells Biomarkers in Human Aging
Authors: Yadav Somu , Deepika  , Maurya Pawan Kumar
Published: January 2024

Red blood cells (RBCs) have emerged as biomarkers of the aging process as they undergo several changes in human aging and age-related diseases. The objectives of our study are to explore the effect of human aging on RBC indices, the strengths, therapeutic interventions, challenges, and future directions for using RBCs as a biomarker. Two online databases, PubMed and ScienceDirect, were used to search relevant studies using “RBCs as biomarkers of human aging,” “red blood cells [MeSH Terms] AND biomarkers [MeSH Terms] AND human aging [MeSH Terms],” and “erythrocytes and human aging” as keywords. A total of 474 studies were identified, and after the removal of duplicates, excluding studies based on title, abstract, or full text, 74 studies and 48 additional studies found through cross-referencing were included in this systematic review. Based on the evidence, we concluded that RBC indices such as hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, RBC distribution width, RBC membrane, oxidative stress, and metabolism change with human aging. Several studies have applied therapeutic interventions to RBCs, including dietary supplementation, phytochemicals, nanoparticles, and physical activity, to mitigate aging and related outcomes. Hence, the quality of life for older people and healthy aging can be improved by further investigating the RBC parameters, molecular mechanisms, and their implications for age-related health consequences.
Prevention as a norm cluster? Mapping China's contestation on atrocity prevention
Authors: Zhang Qiaochu
Published: January 2024

This article argues that China's rhetorical support for prevention at the United Nations obscures its underlying contestation of atrocity prevention in both conception and practice. It introduces a novel conceptual framework, coined as the two-level norm cluster of prevention, which includes three conceptually aligned yet distinct parts: operational conflict prevention, direct atrocity prevention and root-cause prevention. Drawing on interviews and policy documents, this article finds that China conflates direct atrocity prevention with operational conflict prevention, with a preference for the agenda of conflict prevention, as seen in China's divergent commitments to preventing armed conflicts and peacetime atrocities. This conflation represents a deliberate political choice rather than a result of misunderstanding or lack of knowledge regarding their distinctions. China also endorses a strong linkage between direct atrocity prevention and development-focused root cause prevention. Despite China's growing assertiveness in shaping liberal norms and the favourable perception of its development-focused approaches among elite groups in host states, the Chinese government hesitates to officially promote the scholarly concept of developmental peace and present it as an alternative to the existing liberal principles. This reluctance reflects China's intention to avoid explicit confrontation with liberal norms and its concerns about the potential failure of norm entrepreneurship.
Digital diplomacy against international stigmatization: the Bukele case
Authors: Parthenay Kevin
Published: January 2024

The article addresses the diversity of digital diplomatic strategies used by governmental actors to fight international stigmatization. Faced with structural limitations, the leaders of small states use it to defend their political project's image or reputation when they come under international criticism for deviating from or transgressing international norms. Borrowing from Erving Goffman, I draw on the idea that social networks can be conceptualized as orders of interaction, in which digital diplomatic strategies can be put in place and international politicization and normative debates can develop. An examination of Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele's Twitter posts from January 2019 to May 2022, during a period of increasing international criticism regarding the authoritarian–populist drift in El Salvador, improves our knowledge of the diversity of digital diplomatic strategies. Consequently, this enlightens us on the constitutive elements of how small states manage their relationship with external actors, their image and status, and eventually how they challenge the international order, international norms and powers.
Narrative alliances: the discursive foundations of international order
Authors: Homolar Alexandra , Turner Oliver
Published: January 2024

Alliances are generally understood as groupings of states that combine to aggregate their physical capabilities against security threats. In this article we suggest transposing this well-established terminology of inter-state allegiance to the dimension of narrative. Focusing on the example of the ‘rules-based order’ (RBO), we provide a new conceptual entry point for understanding the complex relationship between order and discourse at the international level. Specifically, we examine how countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India and Japan—with varying degrees of consistency and coherence—go beyond merely proclaiming the existence of an established international system of cooperation, commitments and norms. They collectively tell a political story of the rules-based order—including its age, nature, purpose and sources of vulnerability—that rests on declaring some codes of conduct acceptable and appropriate while denouncing others as deviant. We argue that rallying behind a shared vision of international organization demarcates the boundaries of international legitimacy and establishes imperatives to act in defence of particular visions of international organization.
Open-label extension of a randomized trial investigating safety and efficacy of rhPTH(1–84) in hypoparathyroidism
Authors: Khan Aliya A , Abbott Lisa G , Ahmed Intekhab , Ayodele Olulade , Gagnon Claudia , Finkelman Richard D , Mezosi Emese , Rejnmark Lars , Takacs Istvan , Yin Shaoming , Ing Steven W
Published: January 2024

Hypoparathyroidism (HypoPT) is a rare disease, often inadequately controlled by conventional treatment. PARALLAX was a mandatory post-marketing trial assessing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of different dosing regimens of recombinant human parathyroid hormone 1–84 (rhPTH[1–84]) for treating HypoPT. The present study (NCT03364738) was a phase 4, 1-yr open-label extension of PARALLAX. Patients received only 2 doses of rhPTH(1–84) in PARALLAX and were considered treatment-naive at the start of the current study. rhPTH(1–84) was initiated at 50 μg once daily, with doses adjusted based on albumin-corrected serum calcium levels. Albumin-corrected serum calcium (primary outcome measure), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), adverse events, and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) were assessed. The mean age of the 22 patients included was 50.0 yr; 81.8% were women, and 90.9% were White. By the end of treatment (EOT), 95.5% of patients had albumin-corrected serum calcium values in the protocol-defined range of 1.88 mmol/L to the upper limit of normal. Serum phosphorus was within the healthy range, and albumin-corrected serum calcium-phosphorus product was below the upper healthy limit throughout, while mean 24-h urine calcium excretion decreased from baseline to EOT. Mean supplemental doses of calcium and active vitamin D were reduced from baseline to EOT (2402–855 mg/d and 0.8–0.2 μg/d, respectively). Mean serum bone turnover markers, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide, and type I collagen C-telopeptide increased 2–5 fold from baseline to EOT. The HCRU, disease-related symptoms and impact on HRQoL improved numerically between baseline and EOT. Nine patients (40.9%) experienced treatment-related adverse events; no deaths were reported. Treatment with rhPTH(1–84) once daily for 1 yr improved HRQoL, maintained eucalcemia in 95% of patients, normalized serum phosphorus, and decreased urine calcium excretion. The effects observed on urine calcium and the safety profile are consistent with previous findings.

Clinical trial identifier

NCT03364738.
How does an urban landscape influence spatiotemporal ecology of South American coatis (Nasua nasua)?
Authors: Barreto Wanessa Teixeira Gomes , de Macedo Gabriel Carvalho , Santos Filipe Martins , Rucco Andreza Castro , Sano Nayara Yoshie , de Assis William Oliveira , Herrera Heitor Miraglia , Porfírio Grasiela Edith de Oliveira , Oliveira-Santos Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues
Published: January 2024

Increasing urbanization and consequent habitat fragmentation and loss call for studies of the influence of urbanization on native fauna. South American Coati (Procyonidae: Nasua nasua) live in groups and are common in urban areas of South America. Here, we aimed to understand how coatis occupy and select space, and whether they change their circadian activity in an urban environment. We estimated home range sizes, verified any overlap, and evaluated the effects of sex and weight on home range size. We also described coati activity patterns associated with habitat selection. Animals established their home ranges only within the study area, with few exploratory exits to surrounding areas. Furthermore, our home range estimates of 0.66 km2 are lower than previously found in natural habitats. We did not observe an effect of sex or weight on home range size. Coatis predominantly selected forested areas and explored houses only early in the morning. We suggest that this demonstrates the need for forested areas for survival of the species. Regarding activity patterns, coatis were active only during the day, as described for the species in its natural environment. Human barriers—in addition to human refuse that serves as food—could reduce the home range sizes. Our data demonstrate differences in home range size, but not circadian activity or habitat selection when compared to coatis in their natural environment.
Beta diversity patterns in Andean rodents: current and historical factors as drivers of turnover and nestedness
Authors: Novillo Agustina , Lanzone Cecilia , Jayat J Pablo , Teta Pablo , Ojeda Agustina A , Cristobal Luciana , Ojeda Ricardo A
Published: January 2024

The Andes are known to be one of the most species-rich regions on Earth, with their origination promoting formation of new habitats and acting as climatic barriers. This orogenic event was structured latitudinally with 3 major segments having different formation times and with different environmental and historical conditions. The Andean region has been historically important in the evolutionary history of small mammals and is considered the region of Earth with the highest values of rodent species richness and turnover. Therefore, the region provides an excellent opportunity to evaluate mechanisms involved in structuring rodent assemblages and beta diversity patterns. Here, we assessed spatial patterns of rodent beta diversity along the Andes Mountains, with specific goals of examining patterns of turnover and nestedness as 2 recognized processes that drive species composition. We explored the role of spatial, climate, and historical factors on beta diversity patterns using geographic range maps for 432 rodent species to construct a species presence–absence matrix. We used piecewise regressions to identify latitudinal breakpoints in turnover and nestedness, and conducted multiple regressions and variation-partitioning approaches to assess the contribution of each set of postulated drivers in shaping beta diversity patterns. Beta diversity decreases from north to south. The highest turnover was located at the Northern Andes (5°N and 10°S) and western-central Andes (20°S and 35°S). Nestedness was higher below 40°S and in some areas of the western-central Andes between 15° and 20°S. Turnover and nestedness registered breakpoints coincident with the Central and Southern Andes limit. Turnover explained most of the beta diversity for all segments, although within the Southern Andes there was also some contribution of nestedness. In all segments, beta diversity was mainly explained by spatial factors with minor contributions from spatially structured climate (Northern Andes), interaction of all factors (Central Andes), and the interaction between current climate and history (Southern Andes).
Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on cancer survival using an interrupted time series analysis
Authors: Lambert Pascal , Galloway Katie , Feely Allison , Bucher Oliver , Czaykowski Piotr , Hebbard Pamela , Kim Julian O , Pitz Marshall , Singh Harminder , Thiessen Maclean , Decker Kathleen M
Published: January 2024

Background

Few studies have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer survival. Those studies that have included pandemic vs prepandemic comparisons can mask differences during different periods of the pandemic such as COVID-19 waves. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer survival using an interrupted time series analysis and to identify time points during the pandemic when observed survival deviated from expected survival.

Methods

A retrospective population-based cohort study that included individuals diagnosed with cancer between January 2015 and September 2021 from Manitoba, Canada, was performed. Interrupted time series analyses with Royston–Parmar models as well as Kaplan–Meier survival estimates and delta restricted mean survival times at 1 year were used to compare survival rates for those diagnosed before and after the pandemic. Analyses were performed for 11 cancer types.

Results

Survival at 1 year for most cancer types was not statistically different during the pandemic compared with prepandemic except for individuals aged 50-74 years who were diagnosed with lung cancer from April to June 2021 (delta restricted mean survival times = −31.6 days, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −58.3 to −7.2 days).

Conclusions

With the exception of individuals diagnosed with lung cancer, the COVID-19 pandemic did not impact overall 1-year survival in Manitoba. Additional research is needed to examine the impact of the pandemic on long-term cancer survival.
Cultivating a capability for empathy in the Bologna system—the shortcomings of economics and the importance of the civil
Authors: Schuck Dirk , Pecchi Lorenzo
Published: January 2024

A central aim of the original Bologna Declaration in 1999 was to give the opportunity of advancement in education to every European citizen. According to the Declaration, this goal is worth achieving not simply in order to provide better-qualified workers within the European Union, rather, the aim of higher education within the European Union is understood in a holistic sense as a prerequisite for the composition of a well-functioning European civil society. How can such an ambitious goal be achieved? In this article, we propose that the core capability at stake is that of empathy which, for this reason, should be central to programmes of European higher education. Empathy is not regarded as just a property of specific individuals but as an attribute which must be ascribed to specific forms of civil intercourse. Therefore, what is needed in European higher education is the provision of a social environment for students which allows for civil-cultivation, and for processes of self-cultivation. Self-cultivation, as described here, means more than a refinement of manners; rather, it refers to the development of a civil mode for approaching others: a mode that is sensitive and self-aware at the same time, and which can be regarded as arising out of a shared European heritage interconnecting rhetoric and sociability.
A phytochrome/phototropin chimeric photoreceptor promotes growth of fern gametophytes under limited light conditions
Authors: Kimura Izumi , Kanegae Takeshi
Published: January 2024

Many ferns thrive even in low-light niches such as under an angiosperm forest canopy. However, the shade adaptation strategy of ferns is not well understood. Phytochrome 3/neochrome (phy3/neo) is an unconventional photoreceptor, found in the fern Adiantum capillus-veneris, that controls both red and blue light-dependent phototropism and chloroplast photorelocation, which are considered to improve photosynthetic efficiency in ferns. Here we show that phy3/neo localizes not only at the plasma membrane but also in the nucleus. Since both phototropism and chloroplast photorelocation are mediated by membrane-associated phototropin photoreceptors, we speculated that nucleus-localized phy3/neo possesses a previously undescribed biological function. We reveal that phy3/neo directly interacts with Adiantum cryptochrome 3 (cry3) in the nucleus. Plant cryptochromes are blue light receptors that transcriptionally regulate photomorphogenesis; therefore, phy3/neo may function via cry3 to synchronize light-mediated development with phototropism and chloroplast photorelocation to promote fern growth under low-light conditions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that phy3/neo regulates the expression of the Cyclin-like gene AcCyc1 and promotes prothallium expansion growth. These findings provide insight into the shade adaptation strategy of ferns and suggest that phy3/neo plays a substantial role in the survival and growth of ferns during the tiny gametophytic stage under low-light conditions, such as those on the forest floor.
Molecular prognostication in grade 3 meningiomas and p16/MTAP immunohistochemistry for predicting CDKN2A/B status
Authors: Tosefsky Kira , Martin Karina Chornenka , Rebchuk Alexander D , Wang Justin Z , Nassiri Farshad , Lum Amy , Zadeh Gelareh , Makarenko Serge , Yip Stephen
Published: January 2024

Background

The World Health Organization 2021 classification introduces molecular grading criteria for anaplastic meningiomas, including TERT promoter (TERTp) mutations and CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion. Additional adverse prognostic factors include H3K27me3 and BAP1 loss. The aim of this study was to explore whether these molecular alterations stratified clinical outcomes in a single-center cohort of grade 3 meningiomas. Additionally, we examined whether p16 and MTAP immunohistochemistry can predict CDKN2A/B status.

Methods

Clinical and histopathological information was obtained from the electronic medical records of grade 3 meningiomas resected at a tertiary center between 2007 and 2020. Molecular testing for TERTp mutations and CDKN2A/B copy-number status, methylation profiling, and immunohistochemistry for H3K27me3, BAP1, p16, and methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) were performed. Predictors of survival were identified by Cox regression.

Results

Eight of 15 cases demonstrated elevated mitotic index (≥20 mitoses per 10 consecutive high-power fields), 1 tumor exhibited BAP1 loss, 4 harbored TERTp mutations, and 3 demonstrated CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion. Meningiomas with TERTp mutations and/or CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion showed significantly reduced survival compared to anaplastic meningiomas with elevated mitotic index alone. Immunohistochemical loss of p16 and MTAP demonstrated high sensitivity (67% and 100%, respectively) and specificity (100% and 100%, respectively) for predicting CDKN2A/B status.

Conclusions

Molecular alterations of grade 3 meningiomas stratify clinical outcomes more so than histologic features alone. Immunohistochemical loss of p16 and MTAP show promise in predicting CDKN2A/B status.
Disparities in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Clinical Outcomes and Vaccination Coverage Among Migrants With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the PISCIS Cohort: A Population-Based Propensity Score–Matched Analysis
Authors: Nomah Daniel K , Díaz Yesika , Bruguera Andreu , Moreno-Fornés Sergio , Aceiton Jordi , Reyes-Urueña Juliana , Llibre Josep M , Falcó Vicenç , Imaz Arkaitz , Fanjul Francisco Javier , Peraire Joaquim , Deig Elisabet , Domingo Pere , Inciarte Alexy , Casabona Jordi , Miró José M
Published: January 2024

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately affects migrants and ethnic minorities, including those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Comprehensive studies are needed to understand the impact and risk factors.

Methods

Using data from the PISCIS cohort of people with HIV (PWH) in Catalonia, Spain, we investigated COVID-19 outcomes and vaccination coverage. Among 10 640 PWH we compared migrants and non-migrants assessing rates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing, diagnosis, and associated clinical outcomes through propensity score matching and multivariable Cox regression.

Results

The cohort (mean age, 43 years; 83.5% male) included 57.4% (3053) Latin American migrants. Migrants with HIV (MWH) had fewer SARS-CoV-2 tests (67.8% vs 72.1%, P < .0001) but similar COVID-19 diagnoses (29.2% vs 29.4%, P = .847) compared to Spanish natives. Migrants had lower complete vaccination (78.9% vs 85.1%, P < .0001) and booster doses (63.0% vs 65.5%, P = .027). COVID-19 hospitalizations (8.1% vs 5.1%, P < .0001) and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (2.9% vs 1.2%, P < .0001) were higher among migrants, with similar hospitalization duration (5.5 vs 4.0 days, P = .098) and mortality (3 [0.2%] vs 6 [0.4%], P = .510). Age ≥40 years, CD4 counts <200 cells/μL, ≥2 comorbidities, and incomplete/nonreception of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine increased the risk of severe COVID-19 among migrants.

Conclusions

MWH had lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination coverage, although the rates of COVID-19 diagnosis were similar between migrants and non-migrants. Rates of COVID-19–associated hospitalizations and ICU admissions were higher among migrants in comparison with non-migrants, with similar hospitalization duration and mortality. These findings can inform policies to address disparities in future pandemic responses for MWH.
Credit Freezes, Equilibrium Multiplicity, and Optimal Bailouts in Financial Networks
Authors: Jackson Matthew O , Pernoud Agathe
Published: January 2024

We analyze how interdependencies in financial networks can lead to self-fulfilling insolvencies and multiple possible equilibrium outcomes. Multiplicity arises if a certain type of dependency cycle exists in the network. We show that finding the cheapest bailout policy that prevents self-fulfilling insolvencies is computationally hard, but that the optimal policy has intuitive features in some typical network structures. Leveraging indirect benefits ensures systemic solvency at a cost that never exceeds half of the overall shortfall. In core-periphery networks, it is optimal to bail out peripheral banks first as opposed to core banks.
Asian Americans’ Racialized Incorporation into the Political Field
Authors: Liang Chen
Published: January 2024

I use Asian Americans’ political participation to examine how the racialization of Asian Americans manifests in the political field, and how such processes shape Asian Americans’ racialized experiences and identity. Based on interviews with 95 Asian American political candidates and organizers in Houston, Texas, the findings show that, regardless of respondents’ motivation for participating in politics, most of them have encountered racial discrimination based on the “perpetual foreigner” racial trope in the political field and have observed how race dictates the way politics operates in the United States. The racialized experiences in politics lead to these organizers’ awareness of their Asian American racial status and their belief that political participation is a means to assert their political belonging to U.S. society and to transform their marginalized racial status. This facilitates their sense of linked fate with other individuals with Asian heritages in the United States and sustains their political activism. The findings suggest that Asian Americans are going through a process of racialized incorporation in the political field, as they are “sorted” along racial lines when becoming part of the U.S. hierarchical political system.