bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Navigating Treatment Pathways in Metastatic Hormone Receptor–Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer: Optimizing Second-Line Endocrine and Targeted Therapies
Authors: Bhardwaj Prarthna V. , Abdou Yara
Published: September 2024

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the
Journal
into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors’ suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in
Journal of Clinical Oncology,
to patients seen in their own clinical practice
.
Treatment Preferences in Patients With Hypothyroidism
Authors: de Lima Beltrão Fabyan Esberard , Carvalhal Giulia , de Almeida Beltrão Daniele Carvalhal , de Lima Beltrão Fabricia Elizabeth , Ribeiro Miriam O , Ettleson Matthew D , Ramos Helton Estrela , Bianco Antonio C
Published: September 2024

Context

Levothyroxine (L-T4) monotherapy is the standard of care for the treatment of hypothyroidism. A minority of L-T4–treated patients remain symptomatic and report better outcomes with combination therapy that contains liothyronine (L-T3) or with desiccated thyroid extract (DTE).

Objective

This work aimed to assess patient preferences in the treatment of hypothyroidism.

Methods

A systematic review, meta-analysis, meta-regression, and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing treatments for adults with hypothyroidism (L-T4 vs L-T4 + L-T3 or DTE). Searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases up to April 10, 2024. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently performed by 4 researchers.

Results

Eleven RCTs (8 cross-over studies) with a total of 1135 patients were considered. Overall, 24% of patients preferred L-T4 vs 52% who preferred L-T4 + L-T3 or DTE; 24% had no preference. The meta-analysis confirmed the preference for combination therapy over L-T4 monotherapy (relative risk [RR]: 2.20; 95% CI, 1.38-3.52; P = .0009). Excluding 4 studies reduced the high heterogeneity (I2 = 81%) without affecting the results (RR: 1.97; 95% CI, 1.52-2.54; P < .00001; I2 = 24%). This preference profile remained when only crossover studies were considered (RR: 2.84; 95% CI, 1.50-5.39; P < .00001). Network meta-analysis confirmed the preference for DTE and L-T3 + L-T4 vs L-T4 alone.

Conclusion

Patients with hypothyroidism prefer combination therapy (L-T3 + L-T4 or DTE) over L-T4 monotherapy. The strength of these findings justifies considering patient preferences in the setting of shared decision-making in the treatment of hypothyroidism.
Two Cases of Improved Bone Mineral Density Following Treatment of Hypophosphatemic Osteomalacia Due to FGF23 Excess
Authors: McHan Lara , Augustine Marilyn
Published: September 2024

Excess fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) causes renal phosphorous wasting and impaired activation of vitamin D leading to osteomalacia. Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare cause of FGF23-mediated hypophosphatemia. We present 2 patients with FGF23-mediated hypophosphatemia who had low bone mineral density (BMD) at diagnosis and remarkable improvements in BMD with treatment. Patient 1 is a 43-year-old man who had years of progressive pain, difficulty ambulating, and multiple fractures. Patient 2 is a 48-year-old nonverbal man with autism and intellectual disability who had months of progressively declining mobility, presumed pain, and multiple fractures. Workup in both cases revealed hypophosphatemia, evidence of renal phosphorous wasting, and elevated FGF23. Patient 1 was diagnosed with TIO when imaging identified a subcutaneous left flank mass and excision resulted in rapid symptom improvement; he experienced a 96% increase in lumbar spine (LS) BMD after surgery. Patient 2 has had multiple scans over several years, but no FGF23-secreting tumor has been identified. He has been maintained on medical treatment with phosphorous and calcitriol with improvement in functioning and 48% increase in LS BMD. Both patients had improvements in BMD with treatment, with more pronounced improvement in the patient with TIO managed surgically.
The Economy of Critical Attention: A Computational Analysis of Roland Barthes’s S/Z
Authors: Thong Carmen
Published: September 2024

This article argues for the importance of analyzing distributions of literary-critical attention to understand the shape of our discipline and how it has evolved. The article sees critical attention as a scarce resource in literary economies, both within a single text and at much larger scales—even across time. Circulations of critical attention are directed by filtering models, a concept borrowed from cognitive psychology that refers to how competing demands for attention are prioritized. The accrual of critical attention implicitly signals the location of value in a literary economy. When this accrual (or lack thereof) is quantified using computational methodologies, we can track where critical attention goes, how much of it, and why. As a proof of this concept, the article offers a quantitative analysis of critical attention in Roland Barthes’s S/Z. This work reveals the hidden logics of Barthes’s distribution of critical attention and demonstrates how such analyses can identify the filtering models that operate in our critical tools and practices.
Shameful Specters: Remembering Spanish Slavery in Àngels Aymar’s La Indiana
Authors: Hydak Laura
Published: September 2024

This article reveals a new figure in the contemporary Spanish imaginary, the indiana, and a new literary mode, the indiana melodrama. It argues that the incarnation of the indiana as a virtuous, melodramatic heroine in Àngels Aymar’s 2007 play La indiana rebukes Spanish participation in transatlantic slavery and counters the historical amnesia that Spanish culture frequently displays toward its colonial past. An early forerunner in Spain’s long-delayed path to recognizing its history of slavery, La indiana forms part of activist efforts in Catalonia, the autonomous community in which the play premiered. Applying theories of memory and melodrama, the article explains how many factors in the play—the actors, their voices, the stage space, the soundscape, and the mixing of the Catalan and Spanish languages—transmit memory across racial, temporal, and spatial boundaries. This effect, “theatrical postmemory,” minimizes the distance between past and present, Cuba and Catalonia, memory and history. The article focuses on Aymar’s transformation of two symbols of Spanish (post)imperial nostalgia, the indiano home and the Catalan habanera, a popular musical genre. La indiana deconstructs the melodramatic convention of a happy ending and the concomitant restoration of innocence.
Eight Decades of Educational Assortative Mating: A Research Note
Authors: Hirschl Noah , Schwartz Christine R. , Boschetti Elia
Published: September 2024

Recent social and economic trends in the United States, including increasing economic inequality, women's growing educational advantage, and the rise of online dating, have ambiguous implications for patterns of educational homogamy. In this research note, we examine changes in educational assortative mating in the United States over the last eight decades (1940 to 2020) using the U.S. decennial censuses and the American Community Survey, extending and expanding earlier work by Schwartz and Mare. We find that the rise in educational homogamy noted by Schwartz and Mare has not continued. Increases in educational homogamy stalled around 1990 and began reversing in the 2000s. We find a growing tendency for marriages to cross educational boundaries, but a college degree remains the strongest dividing line to intermarriage. A key trend explaining this new pattern is women's increasing tendency to marry men with less education than themselves. If not for this trend, homogamy would have continued increasing until the early 2010s. We also show substantial heterogeneity by race, ethnicity, and nativity and among same- versus different-sex couples.
Unfamiliarity and Familiarity in the Bauman Archive
Authors: Palmer Jack
Published: September 2024

Reflecting on the author's role in establishing, cataloging, and interpreting the personal papers of Zygmunt Bauman, this article ponders central questions related to working on and with the archives of public intellectuals. It addresses the role that intellectuals, and Bauman in particular, hold in contemporary “memory wars” and the role that diverse forms and practices of archives play therein. It considers the difficulties posed by and possibilities afforded by the existence of archives, as well as biographical and autobiographical writings, for the interpretation of theoretical work. To this end, the article deploys a number of keywords—estrangement, loss, silence, secrets—that have framed the author's encounter with the Bauman archive.
A Conversation with Emily M. Bender and Ted Chiang
Authors: Bender Emily M. , Chiang Ted , Nissley Tom , Goodlad Lauren M. E. , Keyes Kelsey
Published: September 2024

This conversation is excerpted and edited from a transcript of a live event, “Wishful Thinking and AI: An Evening with Ted Chiang and Dr. Emily M. Bender,” which took place in Seattle, Washington, on November 10, 2023. The conversation was moderated by Tom Nissley and edited for Critical AI by Lauren M. E. Goodlad and Kelsey Keyes. Questions from the audience have been edited for concision.
Restaging the Black Box: How Metaphor Informs Large Language Models
Authors: Judelson Nia , Dryden Maggie
Published: September 2024

Literary theorists have long examined the role between writing and technology, in part due to technology's reliance on metaphor. Metaphor is central to the ways new technologies are marketed to and understood by users; metaphor also determines the sorts of critiques of those technologies scholars might make. This article looks at the particular relationship between metaphor and LLMs. Specifically, it examines the metaphor of the black box, which is often used to metaphorize their opaque inner workings. Exploring the multiple definitions of the black box metaphor reveals how its use in regard to LLMs reproduces the power imbalances inherent in opaque systems. By considering the many meanings of the black box together, we may see how the term maintains false binaries of transparency and opacity. As one example, this article argues that refiguring the (algorithmic) black box as a black box theater repositions LLMs as a reflexively performative space. Literary critique of this interdisciplinary kind deepens the understanding of LLMs and their ethical implications.
LLM Outputs Are Fictions
Authors: Hanlon Aaron R.
Published: September 2024

The development of large language model (LLM) tools presents both benefits and challenges. One issue is the expectation of reliable information from users, particularly students. The tool's use conditions and expectations influence its effectiveness. The concept of fictional truth negotiates relations that hold between the real world and the world of fiction and is therefore useful for understanding LLM outputs that rely on and contain facts even as they also contain false or invented information.
A Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights for Education
Authors: Conrad Kathryn
Published: September 2024

In the wake of the introduction of ChatGPT, educators have been faced with pressure to adapt to the disruptive technology of AI chatbots. But these tools were not developed with educational applications in mind, and they come with many potential risks and harms to students. As educators decide how to address generative systems in their classrooms in the context of an ever-changing technological landscape, this essay offers a starting point for conversations about policy and protections. It begins with the rights articulated by the US Office of Science and Technology Policy and goes on to elaborate rights for educators and students, including institutional support for critical AI literacy professional development; educator collaboration on AI policy and purchase and implementation of generative systems; protection of student privacy and creative control; and consultation, notice, guidance, and appeal structures for students.
Myonuclear position and blood vessel organization during skeletal muscle postnatal development
Authors: Sequeira Catarina , Wackerbarth Lou Martha , Pena Andreia , Sá-Pereira Mafalda , Franco Cláudio A. , Gomes Edgar R.
Published: September 2024

Skeletal muscle development is a complex process involving myoblast fusion to generate multinucleated fibers. Myonuclei first align in the center of the myotubes before migrating to the periphery of the myofiber. Blood vessels (BVs) are important contributors to the correct development of skeletal muscle, and myonuclei are found next to BVs in adult muscle. Here, we show that most myonuclear migration to the periphery occurs between embryonic day 17.5 and postnatal day 1 in mouse. Furthermore, myonuclear accretion after postnatal day 7 does not result in centrally nucleated myofibers as observed in the embryo. Instead, myonuclei remain at the periphery of the myofiber without moving to the center. Finally, we show that hypovascularization of skeletal muscle alters the interaction between myonuclei and BVs, suggesting that BVs may contribute to myonuclear positioning during skeletal muscle postnatal development. Overall, this work provides a comprehensive analysis of skeletal muscle development during the highly dynamic postnatal period, bringing new insights about myonuclear positioning and its interaction with BVs.
bHLH family proteins control the timing and completion of transition from neuroepithelial cells into neural stem cells
Authors: Akiba Chika , Takezawa Aya , Tsai Yuanchang , Hirose Mire , Suzuki Takumi
Published: September 2024

The number of neural stem cells reflects the total number of neurons in the mature brain. As neural stem cells arise from neuroepithelial cells, the neuroepithelial cell population must be expanded to secure a sufficient number of neural stem cells. However, molecular mechanisms that regulate timely differentiation from neuroepithelial to neural stem cells are largely unclear. Here, we show that TCF4/Daughterless is a key factor that determines the timing of the differentiation in Drosophila. The neuroepithelial cells initiated but never completed the differentiation in the absence of TCF4/Daughterless. We also found that TCF4/Daughterless binds to the Notch locus, suggesting that Notch is one of its downstream candidate genes. Consistently, Notch expression was ectopically induced in the absence of TCF4/Daughterless. Furthermore, ectopic activation of Notch signaling phenocopied loss of TCF4/Daughterless. Our findings demonstrate that TCF4/Daughterless directly inactivates Notch signaling pathway, resulting in completion of the differentiation from neuroepithelial cells into neural stem cells with optimal timing. Thus, the present results suggest that TCF4/Daughterless is essential for determining whether to move to the next state or stay in the current state in differentiating neuroepithelial cells.
EnhancerNet: a predictive model of cell identity dynamics through enhancer selection
Authors: Karin Omer
Published: September 2024

Understanding how cell identity is encoded by the genome and acquired during differentiation is a central challenge in cell biology. I have developed a theoretical framework called EnhancerNet, which models the regulation of cell identity through the lens of transcription factor-enhancer interactions. I demonstrate that autoregulation in these interactions imposes a constraint on the model, resulting in simplified dynamics that can be parameterized from observed cell identities. Despite its simplicity, EnhancerNet recapitulates a broad range of experimental observations on cell identity dynamics, including enhancer selection, cell fate induction, hierarchical differentiation through multipotent progenitor states and direct reprogramming by transcription factor overexpression. The model makes specific quantitative predictions, reproducing known reprogramming recipes and the complex haematopoietic differentiation hierarchy without fitting unobserved parameters. EnhancerNet provides insights into how new cell types could evolve and highlights the functional importance of distal regulatory elements with dynamic chromatin in multicellular evolution.
Functioning of unidirectional ventilation in flying hawkmoths evaluated by pressure and oxygen measurements and X-ray video and tomography
Authors: Wasserthal Lutz Thilo , Cloetens Peter
Published: September 2024

Flying sphingids generate unidirectional ventilation with an inflow through the anterior thoracic spiracles and an outflow through the posterior thoracic spiracles. This phenomenon was documented by the CO2 emission and tracheal air pressure in split-chamber experiments in preceding studies. In the present study, we evaluated the function of the air pump mechanism by measuring the tracheal pressure and PO2 in the air sacs and monitoring the wing beat using photocells. Microelectrodes recorded the abdomen flexing muscles and abdominal transverse muscle septum. The crucial structure was the vertical mesophragma, with longitudinal flight muscles attached anteriorly and large fused metathoracic air sacs posteriorly, continuous to the first abdominal segment. Longitudinal flight muscles and abdomen lifting muscles contracted synchronously, producing positive pressure pulses within the mesothoracic air sacs. In the scutellar air sacs, the PO2 with starting full flight was elevated to 18–20 kPa, with a pressure increase of 35–50 Pa. In contrast, in the metathoracic air sacs, the O2 concentration during flight could rise to 10 kPa, then decline to 5±1 kPa. The metathoracic air sacs provided compliance for ventilation by the flight muscles. The initial rise and subsequent decrease of the PO2 in these posterior metathoracic air sacs indicated the unidirectional flow path of the air used. Serial X-ray frames of flying Acherontia atropos visualised the cyclic phragma movement and volume changes in the metathoracic air sacs. The results showed that the contracting dorsolongitudinal flight muscles expanded the metathoracic air sacs, acting as a suction pump.
Big data and experimental biology: the complementary roles of hypothesis-led and blue skies research
Authors: Dow Julian A. T.
Published: September 2024

JEB has broadened its scope to include non-hypothesis-led research. In this Perspective, based on our lab's lived experience, I argue that this is excellent news, because truly novel insights can occur from ‘blue skies’ idea-led experiments. Hypothesis-led and hypothesis-free experimentation are not philosophically antagonistic; rather, the latter can provide a short-cut to an unbiased view of organism function, and is intrinsically hypothesis generating. Insights derived from hypothesis-free research are commonly obtained by the generation and analysis of big datasets – for example, by genetic screens – or from omics-led approaches (notably transcriptomics). Furthermore, meta-analyses of existing datasets can also provide a lower-cost means to formulating new hypotheses, specifically if researchers take advantage of the FAIR principles (findability, accessibility, interoperability and reusability) to access relevant, publicly available datasets. The broadened scope will thus bring new, original work and novel insights to our journal, by expanding the range of fundamental questions that can be asked.
Flight activity and effort of breeding pied flycatchers in the wild, revealed with accelerometers and machine learning
Authors: Yu Hui , Liang Shujie , Muijres Florian T. , te Lindert Jan Severin , de Knegt Henrik J. , Hedenström Anders , Lamers Koosje P. , Henningsson Per
Published: September 2024

Flight behaviours of birds have been extensively studied from different angles such as their kinematics, aerodynamics and, more generally, their migration patterns. Nevertheless, much is still unknown about the daily foraging flight activity and behaviour of breeding birds, and potential differences among males and females. The recent development of miniaturized accelerometers allows us a glimpse into the daily life of a songbird. Here, we tagged 13 male and 13 female pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) with accelerometers and used machine learning approaches to analyse their flight activity and effort during the chick rearing period. We found that during 2 h of foraging, chick-rearing pied flycatchers were flying on average 13.7% of the time. Almost all flights (>99%) were short flights lasting less than 10 s. Flight activity changed throughout the day and was highest in the morning and lowest in the early afternoon. Male pied flycatchers had lower wing loading than females, and in-flight accelerations were inversely correlated with wing loading. Despite this, we found no significant differences in flight duration and intensity between sexes. This suggests that males possess a higher potential flight performance, which they did not fully utilize during foraging flights.
Evaluating the Impact of Post-Esophagectomy Exercise on 2- and 5-Yr Survival: Findings from the PERFECT Trial
Authors: BINYAM DAVID , VAN VULPEN JONNA K. , VAN HILLEGERSBERG RICHARD , RUURDA JELLE P. , NIEUWENHUIJZEN GRARD A. P. , KOUWENHOVEN EWOUT A. , VAN DER WALL ELSKEN , GROENENDIJK RICHARD P. R. , VAN DER PEET DONALD L. , ROSMAN CAMIEL , WIJNHOVEN BAS P. L. , VAN BERGE HENEGOUWEN MARK I. , VAN LAARHOVEN HANNEKE W. M. , SIERSEMA PETER D. , MAY ANNE M. , HIENSCH ANOUK E.
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Despite recent treatment advances, esophageal cancer still has poor survival and a high morbidity. Exploratory evidence suggests that exercise can reduce cancer-related mortality and recurrence rates. Here, we investigated the effects of an exercise intervention in the first year after esophagectomy on survival in participants of the Physical ExeRcise Following Esophageal Cancer Treatment (PERFECT) trial.

Methods

In the PERFECT trial, esophageal cancer patients who had undergone esophagectomy were randomized to a 12-wk exercise program (EX) or the control group (CG). We assessed 2- and 5-yr (progression-free) survival. (Un)adjusted Cox proportional-hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for comparison between the trial arms. Sensitivity analyses, excluding patients with events within the exercise intervention period, were performed.

Results

In total, 120 participants (EX = 61; CG = 59) were included in the PERFECT trial. After 2-yr follow-up, no significant difference in the risk of death or progression between EX and CG was found (adjusted HR = 1.65 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.75–3.63) and 1.38 (95% CI, 0.76–2.50), respectively). After excluding patients with events during the intervention period (EX = 8; CG = 4), 2-yr HRs for death (1.03; 95% CI, 0.41–2.56) and progression (1.26; 95% CI, 0.64–2.48) both decreased and remained insignificant. No significant effects were found on 5-yr mortality (1.03; 95% CI, 0.57–1.84) and progression (1.21; 95% CI, 0.72–2.04) either. Sensitivity analysis resulted in attenuated 5-yr HRs for mortality (0.82; 95% CI, 0.42–1.58) and progression (1.08; 95% CI, 0.61–1.92).

Conclusions

The results indicate no benefit of a 12-wk exercise program in the first year post-esophagectomy on 2- and 5-yr (progression-free) survival in esophageal cancer patients. The absence of beneficial effects may be explained by the relatively short exercise program, which was performed after treatment completion.
“Nothing about us, without us”: A dis/abled depiction of psyche
Authors: Pandey Shruti , Swain Tamishra
Published: September 2024

Background This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the themes of lack, desire, and denial in the realm of disability culture as conceptualized by Dan Goodley. In Disability Studies: An Interdisciplinary Introduction (2011), Goodley re-examines the psychoanalysis of disabled characters, Emphasizing the necessity of a critical approach to psychoanalysis rather than a blind alignment with it. Despite this caution, he investigates potential connections between Lacanian theory and disability studies, acknowledging the current literature on this topic is limited and lacks further development. Nevertheless, the author argues that psychoanalysis is most effective when used to understand the biases and prejudices faced by handicapped individuals in a culture, as well as the unrealistic expectations of extreme rationality and independence in modern society. Method The research juxtaposes the disability portrayals in J.M. Coetzee’s Slow Man, written from an abled author’s perspective, and John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down, written from a disabled author’s perspective. Through meticulous evaluation of these works, the article uncovers how the writers’ individual encounters and viewpoints influence their depiction of disability. Result The analysis uncovers notable disparities in the portrayal of disability in the two works. These disparities are influenced by the authors’ personal experiences and perspectives, highlighting the significant differences in how abled and disabled authors depict disability. Conclusion This approach reveals the significance of having a variety of perspectives in literature, specifically focusing on the influential role of authors with disabilities in establishing disability culture and promoting a nuanced comprehension of disability within society. It promotes a nuanced comprehension of disability within society, underlining the critical role of varied authorial viewpoints in enriching the understanding of disability.
What Drives Demand for Playlists on Spotify?
Authors: Pachali Max J. , Datta Hannes
Published: September 2024

This paper estimates the drivers of playlist followers on Spotify using a panel data set for 30,000+ popular playlists and combines it with data on how prominently these playlists are featured in the Spotify app.
Vitamin B12 deficiency in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura-like cases
Authors: Akpan Inemesit , Akhdar Ghida , Dawson Kaelan , Hathaway Amanda
Published: September 2024

Background: Thrombotic microangiopathies (TMA) are characterized by a triad of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and organ damage which occur in the setting of endothelial damage and platelet activation. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency could lead to a picture that resembles TMA, termed metabolic mediated TMA (MM -TMA). Case Presentation: A 60-year-old female was brought to the hospital after she was found unresponsive. On presentation, she was pale, lethargic, tachycardic, and febrile. Laboratory investigations revealed normocytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated bilirubin. Blood smear revealed schistocytes and tear drop cells. Given the presence of hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, acute renal failure, and altered mental status, a presumptive diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) was made with a PLASMIC score of 7 indicating high risk. She received plasma exchange, caplacizumab, and intravenous methylprednisolone. Given the patient’s low level of vitamin B12, she was initiated on intramuscular cyanocobalamin 1000 µg daily. The encephalopathy resolved and renal function improved. On day 6, ADAMTS13 activity was normal ruling out the diagnosis of TTP. Accordingly, plasmapheresis, steroids, and caplacizumab were discontinued. With continued aggressive B12 replacement, hemolysis resolved indicating severe vitamin B12 deficiency was the likely culprit of this patient’s microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. Conclusion: This case serves to highlight the variable presentation of vitamin B12 deficiency. Severe vitamin B12 deficiency can even mimic TTP. If patients have markers of hemolysis, a low vitamin B12 level, and low reticulocyte count we should consider vitamin B12 deficiency as a likely cause of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia as early detection allows for early initiation of appropriate management.
Diaphragm disease of the terminal ileum: the great imitator
Authors: Karam Karam , Mitri Samia , Azizi Lamia , Fiani Elias
Published: September 2024

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with an array of intestinal injuries: erosions, ulcers, enteropathy, strictures and diaphragm disease. The diagnosis of diaphragm disease is challenging. Diaphragm disease can cause thin, concentric and stenosing strictures, which can induce intermittent or complete bowel obstruction. NSAID-induced lesions are reversible following discontinuation of the offending agent. Treatment of diaphragm disease can be conservative, endoscopic or surgical through stricturoplasty and/or segmental resection. We report a case of a 59-year-old female presenting with intermittent right lower quadrant pain diagnosed with diaphragm disease upon combined ileo-colonoscopy and histopathological analysis. Her diaphragm disease was successfully treated conservatively through drug cessation, avoiding more invasive procedures like endoscopic and surgical interventions.
The Effects of Blanket Bog Erosion on Aquatic Macrophytes in an Irish Soft Water Lake
Authors: van Doorn J. , van Ginneken E.E.G. , Gremmen T.M. , Smits L.J.P.M. , Hahn L.J.J. , Rosique-Conesa I. , Seelen J.J.P. , van Den S.K. , M. Wilborts Berg , Veraart A.J. , Smolders A.J.P.
Published: September 2024

abstract: The Irish Roundstone bog area is characterised by its many oligotrophic soft water lakes surrounded by blanket bogs. These lakes are mainly dominated by isoetid vegetation, adapted to limited nutrient and carbon availability. Peat erosion from surrounding bogs may lead to organic matter accumulation in these lakes, which could increase nutrient availability and pose a threat to isoetid vegetation. Here, we determined whether three distinct vegetation groups (dominated by Lobelia dortmanna, Eriocaulon aquaticum or Juncus bulbosus ) in the Irish soft water lake Kankoge differed in sediment and (pore)water chemistry. Elemental composition of in-lake accumulated organic matter was compared with organic matter from blanket bogs to link peat erosion to differences in vegetation. Our results show that parts of the lake with accumulated organic matter had higher inorganic carbon and ammonium concentrations in the sediment pore water. These sites were mainly dominated by J. bulbosu s, amounting to plant biomass more than 20 times higher than sites with no or low organic matter accumulation and isoetid dominated vegetation. Eriocaulon aquaticum was present at all sites, even those with high sediment organic matter. By comparing elemental composition of sediment organic matter to the surrounding blanket bog, we show that in-lake organic matter accumulation likely resulted from peat erosion.
Segregated in Life and Death: Arnold R. Rich and the Racial Science of Tuberculosis
Authors: Peyton Margo A.
Published: September 2024

summary: Arnold Rich (1893–1968) was an acclaimed pathologist and the first Jewish department chair at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In his landmark text, The Pathogenesis of Tuberculosis , Rich continued to advance the concept of racial susceptibility to tuberculosis a decade after mainstream medicine recognized that environmental factors fueled the disease. While Rich fits into the historical narrative that embedded categories of race facilitated scientific racism, two characteristics unique to Rich help to explain why he persisted. First were the scientific origins of his theories. While racial theorists sought to prove racial difference through science, Rich used racial difference to prove his outlying theories of tuberculosis immunology. Second was his identity as a prewar Jewish person when America’s focus on a racial binary pressured Jewish Americans to assimilate into white culture. Rich’s life and research exemplify how examining scientific racism through an individual complicates and expands our understanding of how race is constructed in the United States.
Disclosing Structures: Scenes of Confession in Pale Fire
Authors: Pyykkö Sonja
Published: September 2024

Abstract: The role that confession plays in Nabokov's fiction remains poorly understood, though the same can be said for confessional fiction in general. Part of the problem lies in the slipperiness of the word "confession" itself, which is why this essay begins by defining confession as a performative speech act through which the speaking or writing subject seeks to form, reform, and transform herself, addressing herself to another who is called to act as a witness to this creative act of self(trans)formation—a process akin to Nabokov's own description of a poet (not a "loony") who "peels off a drab past and replaces it with a brilliant invention" ( Pale Fire 188). Based on this capacious definition, the paper proposes reading Pale Fire , arguably the most elusive of Nabokov's confessional fictions, as the confession of the fictional editor, Charles Kinbote. Examining Kinbote's note to line 550 of the poem, where Kinbote confesses having been "tarrying on the brink of falsification" from the very beginning, I argue that Kinbote's commentary begins to act as his confession, allowing Kinbote to accumulate the kind of moral self-distance that serves as the basis for his reform. This reading is foregrounded by an analysis of two other interpretive strategies that are common in Pale Fire criticism: the "dialectic" reading that seeks to discover the truth of the text and the "paranoid" reading that promises to uncover a secret, a hidden truth. Whereas both of these strategies position the critic as the one who must disclose a truth that is not confessed in the novel, reading Pale Fire as Kinbote's confession in a deconstructive manner, as I propose doing, allows the novel to be endlessly "unfolded," to use Gilles Deleuze's metaphor, bringing to the fore the materiality of the text itself and the interpretive choices it imposes on its readers.
Air vortex detection using the rotational Doppler effect
Authors: Emile Olivier , Rochefort Gwilherm , Le Stradic Kaelig , Emile Janine
Published: September 2024

A vortex generated by an air depression in a tube is investigated optically using the rotational Doppler effect. A superposition of Laguerre Gaussian beams with opposite topological charges probes the turbulence along its axis. The scattered light is frequency shifted depending on the charge and is detected and analyzed with a spectrum analyzer. A complete transversal mapping of the turbulence is performed, showing fluid rotation of the order of a few Hertz. Applications to wake turbulences in aircraft safety are then considered.
Moiré effect in combined planar and curved objects
Authors: Saveljev Vladimir , Heo Gwanghee
Published: September 2024

We consider the moiré effect in combined objects consisting of parts of dissimilar curvature (such as a flat facet combined with a cylinder). The formula for the period in the combined objects with the center of the cylinder on the axis of the camera is obtained. Compared to objects with parts of similar curvature (two planar surfaces or two halves of a cylinder), the moiré patterns in the combined objects are diverse: particularly, the period of the moiré patterns can have up to two maxima across the surface of the cylinder. Experiments with the camera on the coordinate axis confirm the theory. An overall picture of the patterns is given in the parameter space. The results can be applied to nanoparticles and measurements.
Magnetic field measurement with temperature compensation based on a fiber ring microwave photonic filter and Vernier effect
Authors: Lei Run , Gao Ya , Feng Danqi , Wang Tianqi , Chen Guodong , Deng Ming
Published: September 2024

We proposed, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, magnetic field measurement with temperature compensation based on a fiber ring microwave photonic filter (FR-MPF) and a Vernier effect. The sensing head is made up by attaching the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) on the magnetostrictive material. Based on the wavelength division multiplexing, two FR-MPFs with different optical carriers can eliminate the influence of the temperature. The Linear chirped FBG (LCFBG) in the FR can transfer the magnetic field variation to the time delay change as well as the frequency shift. Two FR-MPFs with close free spectral ranges can implement the Vernier effect, which can improve the sensitivity. The experimental results show the sensitivity is 58.3 kHz/Oe and the magnification factor is 214. The proposed sensor has merits of high resolution, high sensitivity and low cross-sensitivity, which has potential applications requiring high precision detections.
Retrieval of lump, breather, interactions, and rogue wave solutions to the fractional complex paraxial wave dynamical model with sensitivity analysis
Authors: T. Alkahtani Badr Saad
Published: September 2024

In this research, the Hirota bilinear method and the modified Sardar sub-equation (MSSE) techniques are used to investigate the generation and detection of soliton structures in the fractional complex paraxial wave dynamical (FPWD) model together with Kerr media. By employing the aforementioned techniques, we derive lump and different exact solitary wave solutions for the selected model, which has not been documented in previous literature. We manifested some novel lump soliton solutions, including the homoclinic breather wave, periodic cross rational wave, the M-shaped interaction with rogue and kink waves, the M-shaped rational solution, the M-shaped rational solution with one and two kink waves, and multi-wave solutions. Furthermore, for intellectual curiosity, we also amalgamated the rich spectrum of soliton solutions such as W-shape, periodic, dark, bright, combo, rational, exponential, mixed trigonometric, and hyperbolic soliton wave solutions inherent in the FPWD equation. We also undertake sensitivity analysis to examine the resilience of the selected model in the face of variations in initial circumstances and parameters, which provides insights into the system’s sensitivity to perturbations. Furthermore, we investigate the ramifications of these findings for a variety of physical systems, including optics, fluid dynamics, and plasma physics. These findings are to gain a better knowledge of nonlinear wave phenomena and fresh insights into the dynamics of complex systems by combining the Hirota bilinear technique and the MSSE method.
Chromatic aberration compensation in a digital camera lens for fringe projection profilometry
Authors: Sicardi-Segade Analía , Rayas Juan A. , Martínez-García Amalia
Published: September 2024

This work presents a simplified method for compensating the chromatic aberration of a digital camera lens using orthogonal fringe patterns displayed on an LCD monitor. The proposed compensation method drastically reduces the complex mathematical calculations to an arithmetic procedure of the simple rule of three. First, the implemented method is simulated, and then the experimental results confirm the simulated model. The mean squared error and standard deviation of the chromatic aberration compensation are calculated. Additionally, an arrangement is presented to avoid systematic errors when calculating the chromatic aberration of the lens to be compensated without additional digital processing.
Comparative evaluation of plasma biomarkers of Schistosoma haematobium infection in endemic populations from Burkina Faso
Authors: Ouedraogo Mireille , Hey Jana Christina , Hilt Stan , Rodriguez Fernandez Veronica , Winter Doris , Razafindrakoto Ravo , Hoekstra Pytsje T. , Kabore Youssouf , Fornili Marco , Baglietto Laura , Nebie Issa , van Dam Govert J. , Corstjens Paul L. A. M. , Fusco Daniela , Modiano David , Bruschi Fabrizio , Mangano Valentina D.
Published: September 2024

Infection with Schistosoma haematobium causes urogenital disease associated with organ disfunction, bleeding, pain, and higher susceptibility to infections and cancer. Timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial for prompt and appropriate treatment as well as surveillance efforts, and the use of plasma biomarkers offers important advantages over parasitological examination of urine, including increased sensitivity and the possibility to use the same specimen for multiple investigations. The present study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of different plasma biomarkers in endemic populations from Burkina Faso, West Africa. Schistosoma spp. Circulating Anodic Antigen (CAA), cell free S. haematobium DNA (cfDNA), class M and G antibodies against S. haematobium Soluble Worm Antigen Preparation (SWAP) and Soluble Egg Antigen (SEA) were measured in 406 plasma samples. Results of each biomarker test were compared to those of CAA, a Composite Reference Standard (CRS) and Latent Class Analysis (LCA). An identical proportion of positive samples (29%) was observed as a result of CAA and cfDNA testing, with a substantial agreement (84%, Cohen k = 0.62) between the results of the two tests, and a comparable agreement with the results of CRS and LCA. A higher positivity was observed, as expected, as a result of specific antibody testing (47%-72%), with IgG showing a higher agreement than IgM with the three references. Also, higher IgG levels were observed in current vs past infection, and ROC analysis identified optimal cutoff values for improved testing accuracy. This study provides compelling evidence that can inform the choice of the most appropriate diagnostic plasma biomarker for urogenital schistosomiasis in endemic areas, depending on the purpose, context, and available resources for testing. Either CAA or cfDNA testing can be used for the diagnosis of patients and for epidemiological investigations, even in absence of urine filtration microscopy, whereas anti-SWAP or anti-SEA IgG can be employed for surveillance and integrated monitoring of control interventions against poverty-associated diseases.
Effects of health education intervention on menstrual hygiene knowledge and practices among the adolescent girls of Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal
Authors: Ghimire Saraswati , Gahatraj Nand Ram , Shrestha Niranjan , Manandhar Smriti , Dhital Shalik Ram
Published: September 2024

Background

Poor menstrual hygiene practices are one of the major public health problems in Nepal. Due to persistent taboos and socio-cultural constraints, adolescent girls are often unaware of scientific facts, knowledge, and practices related to menstrual hygiene. This paper aims to assess the effects of health education intervention on menstrual hygiene knowledge and practices among adolescent girls in Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal.

Materials and methods

A true experimental study was conducted in two government basic schools in Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal. The study population was adolescent girls who had attended the menarche. Firstly, a pretest with the help of a self-administered questionnaire was done to find out the socio-demographic information, knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene. Next, health education sessions were conducted among the intervention group. Finally, after one month of intervention, a post-test was conducted among the intervention and non-intervention group. Data analysis was done through descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

The findings showed significant improvement in the knowledge and practice level of adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene after health education intervention. Participants in the intervention group showed a significant increase in knowledge scores from 10.0% to 67.0%, while the non-intervention group remained unchanged at 7.5%. Good menstrual hygiene practices scores in the intervention group increased significantly from 22.5% to 67.0%, whereas the non-intervention group saw a slight rise from 20.0% to 22.5%. Regarding observed practice scores in menstrual hygiene, significant improvement was observed in the intervention group (45.0% to 100.0%) in contrast to the non-intervention group (25.0% to 27.5%).

Conclusions

This study highlights the crucial role of school health education interventions in promoting menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls. It emphasizes the importance of comprehensive educational programs tailored to early teenage girls, addressing timing, content, and delivery methods alongside ensuring the availability of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities.
The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in Australian children: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Koirala Archana , McRae Jocelynne , Britton Philip N. , Downes Marnie , Prasad Shayal A. , Nicholson Suellen , Winkler Noni E. , O’Sullivan Matthew V. N. , Gondalwala Fatima , Castellano Cecile , Carey Emma , Hendry Alexandra , Crawford Nigel , Wadia Ushma , Richmond Peter , Marshall Helen S. , Clark Julia E. , Francis Joshua R. , Carr Jeremy , Bartlett Adam , McMullan Brendan , Skowno Justin , Hannah Donald , Davidson Andrew , von Ungern-Sternberg Britta S. , Lee-Archer Paul , Burgoyne Laura .L , Waugh Edith B. , Carlin John B. , Naing Zin , Kerly Nicole , McMinn Alissa , Hunter Guillian , Heath Christine , D’Angelo Natascha , Finucane Carolyn , Francis Laura A. , Dougherty Sonia , Rawlinson William , Karapanagiotidis Theo , Cain Natalie , Brizuela Rianne , Blyth Christopher C. , Wood Nicholas , Macartney Kristine
Published: September 2024

Background

Following reduction of public health and social measures concurrent with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron emergence in late 2021 in Australia, COVID-19 case notification rates rose rapidly. As rates of direct viral testing and reporting dropped, true infection rates were most likely to be underestimated.

Objective

To better understand infection rates and immunity in this population, we aimed to estimate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Australians aged 0–19 years.

Methods

We conducted a national cross sectional serosurvey from June 1, 2022, to August 31, 2022, in children aged 0–19 years undergoing an anesthetic procedure at eight tertiary pediatric hospitals. Participant questionnaires were administered, and blood samples tested using the Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 total spike and nucleocapsid antibody assays. Spike and nucleocapsid seroprevalence adjusted for geographic and socioeconomic imbalances in the participant sample compared to the Australian population was estimated using multilevel regression and poststratification within a Bayesian framework.

Results

Blood was collected from 2,046 participants (median age: 6.6 years). The overall adjusted seroprevalence of spike-antibody was 92.1% (95% credible interval (CrI) 91.0–93.3%) and nucleocapsid-antibody was 67.0% (95% CrI 64.6–69.3). In unvaccinated children spike and nucleocapsid antibody seroprevalences were 84.2% (95% CrI 81.9–86.5) and 67.1% (95%CrI 64.0–69.8), respectively. Seroprevalence was similar across geographic remoteness index and socioeconomic quintiles. Nucleocapsid antibody seroprevalence increased with age while the point seroprevalence of the spike antibody seroprevalence decreased in the first year of life and then increased to 97.8 (95% Crl 96.1–99.2) by 12–15 years of age.

Conclusion

Most Australian children and adolescents aged 0–19 years, across all jurisdictions were infected with SARS-CoV-2 by August 2022, suggesting rapid and uniform spread across the population in a very short time period. High seropositivity in unvaccinated children informed COVID-19 vaccine recommendations in Australia.