bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pollinators adjust their behavior to presence of pollinator-transmitted pathogen in plant population
Authors: Koupilová Klára , Štenc Jakub , Janovský Zdeněk
Published: December 2021

Interactions between pollinators and plants can be affected by presence of plant pathogens that substitute their infectious propagules for pollen in flowers and rely on pollinators for transmission to new hosts. However, it is largely unknown how pollinators integrate cues from diseased plants such as altered floral rewards and floral traits, and how their behavior changes afterwards. Understanding pollinator responses to diseased plants is crucial for predicting both pathogen transmission and pollen dispersal in diseased plant populations. In this study, we investigated pollinator responses to contact with plants of Dianthus carthusianorum diseased with anther smut (Microbotryum carthusianorum). We combined three approaches: 1) observation of individual pollinators foraging in experimental arrays of pre-grown potted plants; 2) measurements of floral rewards and floral traits of healthy and diseased plants; and 3) quantification of pollen/spore loads of pollinator functional groups. We found that pollinators showed only weak preferences for visiting healthy over diseased plants, but after landing on plants, they probed fewer flowers on the diseased ones. Since diseased flowers offered lower nectar and no pollen rewards, this behavior is consistent with the prediction of optimal foraging models that pollinators should spend less time exploring less rewarding patches or plants. Furthermore, pollen-foraging solitary bees and hoverflies responded to diseased plants more negatively than nectar-feeding butterflies did. Lastly, based on group-specific behavior and typical pollen/spore loads, we suggest that solitary bees and hoverflies contribute to both pollen and pathogen spore dispersal mainly over short distances, while butterfly visits are most important for long-distance dispersal.
Behavioral flexibility facilitates the use of spatial and temporal refugia during variable winter weather
Authors: Gilbert Neil A , Stenglein Jennifer L , Van Deelen Timothy R , Townsend Philip A , Zuckerberg Benjamin
Published: December 2021

In North America, winters are becoming more variable such that warm and cold extremes are increasingly common. Refugia (in time or space) can reduce the exposure animals experience to extreme temperatures. However, animals must be able to adjust their behavior to capitalize on refugia. Our goal was to identify the behavioral mechanisms that grant access to refugia in time and space, focusing on a northern ungulate (white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus) as a model. We drew upon an extensive camera trap network in Wisconsin, USA, over two winters that experienced both warm and cold extremes. To understand the use of temporal refugia, we modeled deer activity (at daily resolution) during night, dawn, day, and dusk as a function of weather predictors. To understand the use of spatial refugia, we modeled deer activity at camera locations (at daily resolution) as a function of landscape characteristics, weather conditions, and landscape–weather interactions. During anomalously cold temperatures, deer became more diurnal; conversely, on anomalously warm days, deer were more nocturnal. Deer were more active in conifer-dominated landscapes on cold days. Conversely, during warm extremes, deer increased activity in deciduous-dominated landscapes. Finally, deer showed multiple modes of behavioral flexibility (activity in time as well as space) and demonstrated stronger responses to temperature anomalies later in the winter, suggesting that the effects of extreme events are dependent upon their seasonal timing. Behavioral shifts presumably reduce exposure to extremes and may render species more resilient to increasingly variable winter climates.
Design of novel oocyte activation methods: the role of zinc
Authors: Uh Kyungjun , Hay Alayna , Chen Paula , Reese Emily , Lee Kiho
Published: December 2021

Oocyte activation occurs at the time of fertilization and is a series of cellular events initiated by intracellular Ca2+ increases. Consequently, oocytes are alleviated from their arrested state in meiotic metaphase II (MII), allowing for the completion of meiosis. Oocyte activation is also an essential step for somatic cell nuclear transfer and an important tool to overcome clinical infertility. Traditional artificial activation methods aim to mimic the intracellular Ca2+ changes which occur during fertilization. Recent studies emphasize the importance of cytoplasmic Zn2+ on oocyte maturation and the completion of meiosis, thus suggesting artificial oocyte activation approaches that are centered around the concentration of available Zn2+in oocytes. Depletion of intracellular Zn2+ in oocytes with heavy metal chelators leads to successful oocyte activation in the absence of cellular Ca2+ changes, indicating that successful oocyte activation does not always depends on intracellular Ca2+ increases. Current findings lead to new approaches to artificially activate mammalian oocytes by reducing available Zn2+ contents, and the approaches improve the outcome of oocyte activation when combined with existing Ca2+-based oocyte activation methods. Here, we review the important role of Ca2+ and Zn2+ in mammalian oocyte activation and development of novel oocyte activation approaches based on Zn2+ availability.
Structure-based discovery of selective CYP17A1 inhibitors for Castration-resistant prostate cancer treatment
Authors: Omoboyowa Damilola A , Balogun Toheeb A , Saibu Oluwatosin A , Chukwudozie Onyeka S , Alausa Abdullahi , Olubode Samuel O , Aborode Abdullahi T , Batiha Gaber E , Bodun Damilola S , Musa Sekinat O
Published: December 2021

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy found in men and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) is defined by PCa cells that stop responding to hormone therapy. Cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17A1) plays a critical role in the biosynthesis of androgens in humans. Androgen signaling cascade is a principal survival pathway for PCa cells and androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) remains the key treatment for patients marked with locally advanced and metastatic PCa cells. Available synthetic drugs have been reported for toxicity, drug resistance, and decreasing efficacy. Thus, the design of novel selective inhibitors of CYP17A1 lyase would help circumvent associated side effects and improve pharmacological activities. Therefore, we employed structural bioinformatics techniques via molecular docking; molecular mechanics generalized born surface area (MM-GBSA), molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and pharmacokinetic study to identify putative CYP17A1 lyase inhibitors. The results of the computational investigation showed that the Prunus dulcis compounds exhibited higher binding energy than the clinically approved abiraterone acetate. The stability of the ligand with the highest binding affinity (quercetin-3-o-rutinoside) was observed during MD simulation for 10 ns. Quercetin-3-o-rutinoside was observed to be stable within the active site of CYP17A1Lyase throughout the simulation period. The result of the pharmacokinetic study revealed that these compounds are promising therapeutic agents. Collectively, this study proposed that bioactive compounds from P. dulcis may be potential selective inhibitors of CYP17A1Lyase in CRPC treatments.
Tea consumption and the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm
Authors: Kaluza Joanna , Stackelberg Otto , Harris Holly R. , Björck Martin , Wolk Alicja
Published: December 2021

Background

Tea has the potential to lower the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) owing to its high antioxidant capacity. AAA risk factors including smoking, hypertension, and hypercholesterolaemia, may modify this association.

Methods

The study population included 45 047 men in the Cohort of Swedish Men (COSM) and 36 611 women in the Swedish Mammography Cohort (SMC), aged 45–83 years at baseline. The COSM was established in 1997 with all men who lived in two central Swedish counties (Västmanland and Örebro), and the SMC was established in 1987–1990 with women residing in Västmanland county. Tea consumption was assessed by means of food frequency questionnaires in 1997 and 2009.

Results

During 17.5 years of follow-up, 1781 AAA cases (1496 men, 285 women; 1497 non-ruptured, 284 ruptured) were ascertained via Swedish registers. Tea consumption was inversely associated with total AAA incidence in men and women. Women had a 23 (95 per cent c.i. 8 to 36) per cent lower risk of AAA per each cup per day increment, whereas men had a 9 (0 to 17) per cent lower risk (Pinteraction = 0.029). Tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of both non-ruptured (hazard ratio (HR) 0.93, 95 per cent c.i. 0.85 to 1.01) and ruptured (HR 0.84, 0.71 to 0.98) AAA. Smoking status modified the association (Pinteraction < 0.001), whereby tea consumption was associated with lower risk of AAA in ex-smokers (per cup per day, HR 0.89, 0.80 to 0.98) and in never smokers (HR 0.88, 0.77 to 1.00), but not in current smokers (HR 0.95, 0.84 to 1.06). Tea consumption was associated with a lower risk in participants with (HR 0.88, 0.80 to 0.98) and without (HR 0.93, 0.88 to 1.00) hypertension, and in those with (HR 0.82, 0.67 to 1.01) and without (HR 0.92, 0.86 to 0.98) hypercholesterolaemia.

Conclusion

Tea consumption was associated with a reduced risk of AAA. The association was more pronounced for ruptured than non-ruptured AAA, and in patients with hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia than those without. The association was also observed in ex-smokers and never smokers, but not in current smokers.
Fixation of the Moran process on trees
Authors: Hajihashemi Mahdi , Aghababaei Samani Keivan
Published: December 2021

Fixation time of evolutionary processes on graph-structured populations is highly affected by the underlying graph structure. In this article, we study the spreading of a single mutant on trees. We show that the number of leaves (terminal nodes) plays a crucial role in the fixation process. Our results show that the fastest fixation process occurs when approximately $\frac{1}{4}$ of nodes are leaves. Estimated fixation time based on the number of leaves in tree graphs is valid even when the tree is generated by specific mechanisms and has specific topologies and degree distributions.
Lymphatic invasion is a prognostic factor of pathological N0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Toriumi Tetsuro , Yagi Koichi , Ri Motonari , Yajima Shoh , Okumura Yasuhiro , Aikou Susumu , Yamashita Hiroharu , Nomura Sachiyo , Seto Yasuyuki
Published: December 2021

Adjuvant treatment after upfront esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is indicated only for patients with lymph node metastasis in Japan. However, the recurrence rate after curative resection is high even for node-negative patients; thus, understanding the prognostic factors for patients with node-negative ESCC, which still remains unidentified, is important. Here, we aimed to reveal the prognostic factors for the long-term outcomes of patients with node-negative ESCC. Moreover, we compared the long-term outcomes among high-risk node-negative and node-positive patients. This single-institution retrospective study included 103 patients with pT1b-3N0 ESCC who underwent upfront surgery to identify the population at a high risk of recurrence. To compare overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) between high-risk node-negative and node-positive patients, 51 node-positive ESCC patients with pStage IIIA or less who had undergone upfront surgery were also included. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model. OS and RFS were compared using the log-rank test. Only lymphatic invasion (Ly+) was associated with worse 3-year OS (hazard ratio, 8.63; 95% confidence interval, 2.09–35.69; P = 0.0029) and RFS (hazard ratio, 4.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.69–14.02; P = 0.0034). The node-negative and Ly+ patients showed significantly worse OS (P = 0.0242) and RFS (P = 0.0114) than the node-positive patients who underwent chemotherapy. Ly+ is the only independent prognostic factor in patients with node-negative ESCC. Patients with node-negative and Ly+ ESCC may benefit from adjuvant treatment.
Research strategies in treatment of hypertension: value of retrospective real-life data
Authors: Corrao Giovanni , Mancia Giuseppe
Published: December 2021

This review will discuss the limitations of data collected by RCTs in relation to their applicability to daily life clinical management. It will then argue that these limitations are only partially overcome by modifications of RCT design and conduction (e.g. ‘pragmatic trials’) while being substantially attenuated by real-life-derived research, which can fill many gaps left by trial-collected evidence and have thus an important complementary value. The focus will be on the real-life research approach based on the retrospective analysis of the now widely available healthcare utilization databases (formerly known as administrative databases), which will be discussed in detail for their multiple advantages as well as challenges. Emphasis will be given to the potential of these databases to provide low-cost information over long periods on many different healthcare issues, drug therapies in particular, from the general population to clinically important subgroups, including (i) prognostic aspects of treatments implemented at the medical practice level via hospitalization and fatality data and (ii) medical practice-related phenomena such as low treatment adherence and therapeutic inertia (unsatisfactorily evaluated by RCTs). It will also be mentioned that thanks to the current availability of these data in electronic format, results can be obtained quickly, helping timely decisions under emergencies. The potential shortcomings of this approach (confounding by indication, misclassification, and selection bias) will also be discussed along with their possible minimization by suitable analytic means. Finally, examples of the contributions of studies on hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors will be offered based on retrospective healthcare utilization databases that have provided information on real-life cardiovascular treatments unavailable via RCTs.
Ventricular tachycardia characteristics and outcomes with catheter ablation vs. antiarrhythmic therapy: insights from the VANISH trial
Authors: Deyell Marc W , Doucette Steve , Parkash Ratika , Nault Isabelle , Gula Lorne , Gray Christopher , Gardner Martin , Sterns Laurence D , Healey Jeff S , Essebag Vidal , Sapp John L
Published: December 2021

Aims

Catheter ablation is superior to escalated antiarrhythmic drugs among patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and prior myocardial infarction (MI). However, it is uncertain whether clinical VT characteristics, should influence choice of therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether presentation with electrical storm and the clinical VT cycle length predicted response to ablation vs. escalated antiarrhythmic therapy.

Methods and results

All patients enrolled in the Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation vs. Escalated Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy in Ischaemic Heart Disease (VANISH) trial were included. The association between VT cycle length and presentation with electrical storm and the primary outcome of death, subsequent VT storm or appropriate ICD shock was evaluated. Among the study population of 259 patients, escalated antiarrhythmic drug therapy had worse outcomes for those presenting with a VT cycle length >400 ms [<150 b.p.m., 89/259, hazard ratio (HR) 1.7 (1.02–3.13)]. This effect was more pronounced among those taking amiodarone at baseline [HR of 2.22 (1.19–4.16)]. Presentation with VT storm (32/259) did not affect the primary outcome between groups. However, those presenting with VT storm on amiodarone had a trend towards worse outcomes with escalated antiarrhythmic therapy [HR 4.31 (0.55–33.93)].

Conclusion

The VT cycle length can influence response to either ablation or escalated drug therapy in patients with VT and prior MI. Those with slow VT had improved outcomes with ablation. Patients presenting with electrical storm demonstrated similar outcomes to the overall trial population, with a trend to benefit of catheter ablation, particularly in those on amiodarone.
A case report of COVID-19-associated erythema nodosum: a classic presentation with a new trigger
Authors: Parker Eva R , Fitzpatrick Ashli
Published: December 2021

Background

Over the course of the pandemic, cutaneous manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infections have been increasingly characterized, yet only a few cases of erythema nodosum (EN) are reported in the literature and international registries.

Case presentation

In this report, we describe a case of tender, erythematous nodules that appeared acutely on the distal legs in a 48-year-old female with renal transplant following SARSs-CoV-2 infection complicated by prolonged fevers and pneumonia. The patient was diagnosed with a classic presentation of EN arising from a new and emerging trigger—COVID-19 infection. The cutaneous lesions resolved with conservative management.

Conclusions

This report highlights the importance of clinician awareness of the potential association of COVID-19 with a classic clinical presentation of EN and underscores that these cases can be managed with the same therapeutic repertoire as EN due to other aetiologies. Of note, use of systemic agents was not employed in this case, as our patient improved with conservative therapy alone.
Using gene expression to identify the most suitable environmental conditions for growth and metabolism of juvenile deepwater redfish (Sebastes mentella) in the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence
Authors: Martínez-Silva Maria Angelica , Vagner Marie , Senay Caroline , Audet Céline
Published: December 2021

Deepwater redfish Sebastes mentella will be among the most important resource-sustaining commercial bottom-fish fisheries in the years to come in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (EGSL). In 2011, 2012, and 2013, three strong cohorts were recruited to the stock; their abundance in 2018 was 80 times higher than that of the 1993–2012 period. The main goal of this work was to deepen our knowledge of their growth regulation and metabolism in order to identify molecular indicators and determine how they are influenced by natural environmental conditions. Fish weight and water temperature explained 11% of the variation in relative mRNA levels of specific gene targets in liver and muscle among seven sites where deepwater redfish were captured in the EGSL. The relative expression of liver insulin-like growth factor-1 (igf-1) and white muscle A-chain lactate dehydrogenase (ldh-a) correlate positively with weight, whereas heavy chain muscle myosin (myo), heart citrate synthase (cs), and white muscle pyruvate kinase (pk) correlate negatively. The relative expression of heart cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox-1) and white muscle igf-1 receptor isoform a (igf-1ra) correlate negatively with temperature. Deepwater redfish from the estuary were smaller than those caught at other sites. Since the growth potential of deepwater redfish was strongly correlated with temperature (being enhanced by higher temperatures), this study suggests an ecological advantage for this species in a climate-warming context.
Spread of hypervirulent multidrug-resistant ST147 Klebsiella pneumoniae in patients with severe COVID-19: an observational study from Italy, 2020–21
Authors: Falcone Marco , Tiseo Giusy , Arcari Gabriele , Leonildi Alessandro , Giordano Cesira , Tempini Sara , Bibbolino Giulia , Mozzo Roberto , Barnini Simona , Carattoli Alessandra , Menichetti Francesco
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To report an outbreak of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) in COVID-19 patients.

Methods

Prospective, observational study including consecutive COVID-19 patients with hvKp infections admitted to the University Hospital of Pisa (Italy). Clinical data and outcome of patients were collected. All patients were followed-up to 30 days from the diagnosis of infection. Mortality within 30 days of the diagnosis of hvKp infection was reported. The hypermucoviscous phenotype was determined by the ‘string test’. Molecular typing was performed on three strains collected during different periods of the outbreak. The strains underwent whole genome sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq instrument. The complete circular assemblies were also obtained for the chromosome and a large plasmid using the Unicycler tool.

Results

From November 2020 to March 2021, hvKp has been isolated from 36 COVID-19 patients: 29/36 (80.6%) had infections (15 bloodstream infections, 8 ventilator-associated pneumonias and 6 complicated urinary tract infections), while 7/36 (19.4%) had colonization (3 urine, 2 rectal and 2 skin). The isolates belonged to ST147 and their plasmid carried three replicons of the IncFIB (Mar), IncR and IncHI1B types and several resistance genes, including the rmpADC genes encoding enhancers of capsular synthesis. The hvKp isolates displayed an ESBL phenotype, with resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam and ceftolozane/tazobactam and susceptibility only to meropenem and ceftazidime/avibactam. The majority of patients were treated with meropenem alone or in combination with fosfomycin. Thirty-day mortality was 48.3% (14/29).

Conclusions

ST147 ESBL-producing hvKp is associated with high mortality in COVID-19 patients. Strict microbiological surveillance and infection control measures are needed in this population.
Within-Year Effects of Prescribed Fire on Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Floral Resources
Authors: Tai T M , Kaldor A , Urbina D , Gratton C
Published: December 2021

Despite the importance of bumble bees (genus Bombus Latreille) for their services to natural and agricultural environments, we know little about the relationship between grassland management practices and bumble bee conservation. Prescribed fire is a common grassland maintenance tool, including in areas where endangered and threatened bumble bees are present. Thus, knowledge of the effects of prescribed fire on bumble bees is essential for designing management schemes that protect and bolster their populations. Using nonlethal surveys to record bumble bee species richness, abundance, and community composition, we evaluated the effects of spring controlled burns on summer bumble bee gynes and workers across five sites in southern Wisconsin. In addition, we explored the effects of fire on floral resources by measuring floral genus richness, abundance, ground cover, and proportion of transects containing blooming flowers in adjacent burned and unburned parcels. Prescribed fire had no measurable effects on bumble bee gyne or worker community composition, species richness, or abundance. However, consistent with previous studies prescribed fire increased floral genus richness and ground cover. The disconnect between bumble bee and floral responses to fire highlights some opportunities for improving our understanding of fire’s effects on bumble bee diapause, nest site choice, and foraging.
Whole-Body/Head Transplantation: Personal Identity, Experimental Surgery, and Bioethics
Authors: Cherry Mark J , Fan Ruiping
Published: December 2021

This issue of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy brings together an international group of scholars from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and North America, critically to explore whole-body/head transplantation. The proposed procedure raises significant philosophical, ethical, and social/political questions. For example, assuming transplant is successful, who survives the surgery? Does personal identity necessarily follow the head? The contributors to this special thematic issue explore the nature and ground of personal identity, what it would mean to preserve personal identity, given such a significant set of physical changes, as well as the morality of such a procedure. As the authors make clear, careful conceptual philosophical analysis is essential for understanding whether whole-body/head transplantation is a life-saving/life-enhancing technological innovation, or a bioethical morass that should not be attempted. How we come to terms with such conceptual and moral concerns will have a significant impact on the future of medicine and medical technological innovation.
DNA Repair Pathways and Their Association With Lethal Prostate Cancer in African American and European American Men
Authors: Plym Anna , Dióssy Miklós , Szallasi Zoltan , Sartor Oliver , Silberstein Jonathan , Powell Isaac J , Rebbeck Timothy R , Penney Kathryn L , Mucci Lorelei A , Pomerantz Mark M , Kibel Adam S
Published: December 2021

Background

Altered DNA damage response (DDR) has emerged as an important mechanism for the development of aggressive prostate cancer among men of European ancestry but not other ancestry groups. Because common mechanisms for aggressive disease are expected, we explored a large panel of DDR genes and pathways to demonstrate that DDR alterations contribute to development of aggressive prostate cancer in both African American and European American men.

Methods

We performed a case-case study of 764 African American and European American men with lethal or indolent prostate cancer treated at 4 US hospitals. We calculated carrier frequencies of germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic sequence variants within 306 DDR genes, summarized by DDR pathway, and compared lethal cases against indolent cases using 2-sided Fisher’s exact tests. Secondary analysis examined if carrier frequencies differed by ancestry.

Results

Lethal cases were more likely to carry a pathogenic sequence variant in a DDR gene compared with indolent cases (18.5% vs 9.6%, P = 4.30 × 10−4), even after excluding BRCA2 (14.6% vs 9.6%, P = .04). The carrier frequency was similar among lethal cases of African (16.7% including and 15.8% excluding BRCA2) and lethal cases of European (19.3% including and 14.2% excluding BRCA2) ancestry. Three DDR pathways were statistically significantly associated with lethal disease: homologous recombination (P = .003), Fanconi anemia (P = .002), and checkpoint factor (P = .02).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that altered DDR is an important mechanism for aggressive prostate cancer not only in men of European but also of African ancestry. Therefore, interrogation of entire DDR pathways is needed to fully characterize and better define genetic risk of lethal disease.
Molecular characterization of Schistosoma infections in African migrants: identification of a Schistosoma haematobium-bovis hybrid in bladder biopsies
Authors: Marascio Nadia , Loria Maria Teresa , Lamberti Angelo Giuseppe , Pavia Grazia , Adams Neill James , Quirino Angela , Divenuto Francesca , Mazzitelli Maria , Greco Giuseppe , Trecarichi Enrico Maria , Perandin Francesca , Bisoffi Zeno , Webster Bonnie L , Liberto Maria Carla , Torti Carlo , Matera Giovanni
Published: December 2021

Atypical Schistosoma haematobium eggs were found in a bladder biopsy from an African migrant with severe Schistosomiasis.

Amplification of mitochondrial (cox 1) and genomic (ITS2) DNA identified the presence of a S. haematobium-Schistosoma bovis hybrid.

Phylogenetic analysis clustered the hybrid sequence with other sequences from western Africa.
Satisfiability of constrained Horn clauses on algebraic data types: A transformation-based approach
Authors: De Angelis Emanuele , Fioravanti Fabio , Pettorossi Alberto , Proietti Maurizio
Published: December 2021

We address the problem of checking the satisfiability of constrained Horn clauses (CHCs) defined on algebraic data types (ADTs), such as lists and trees. We propose a new technique for transforming CHCs defined on ADTs into CHCs where the arguments of the predicates have only basic types, such as integers and booleans. Thus, our technique avoids, during satisfiability checking, the explicit use of proof rules based on induction over the ADTs. The main extension over previous techniques for ADT removal is a new transformation rule, called differential replacement, which allows us to introduce auxiliary predicates, whose definitions correspond to lemmas that are used when making inductive proofs. We present an algorithm that performs the automatic removal of ADTs by applying the new rule, together with the traditional folding/unfolding rules. We prove that, under suitable hypotheses, the set of the transformed clauses is satisfiable if and only if so is the set of the original clauses. By an experimental evaluation, we show that the use of the new rule significantly improves the effectiveness of ADT removal. We also show that our approach is competitive with respect to tools that extend CHC solvers with the use of inductive rules.
Covid-19-associated fungal osteomyelitis of jaws and sinuses: An experience-driven management protocol
Authors: Suresh Amal , Joshi Abhijit , Desai Anil Kumar , Juturu Uday , Kurian Denis Jacob , Jain Pavithra , Kulkarni R D , Kumar Niranjan
Published: December 2021

Invasive fungal co-infections with COVID-19 are currently being reported at an alarming rate. Our study explores the importance of early identification of the disease, probable etiopathogenesis, clinical and radiological features and a treatment protocol for COVID-19 Associated Fungal Osteomyelitis of Jaws and Sinuses (CAFOJS). A one-year prospective study from June 2020 to May 2021 was conducted among CAFOJS diagnosed patients at a tertiary care center in South India. Demographic details, COVID-19 infection and treatment history, time taken for initiation of symptoms after COVID-19 diagnosis, medical history and clinical features were recorded. All patients were managed with a standard diagnostic and intervention protocol which included pre-operative and post-operative administration of Inj. Amphotericin B 50 mg (liposomal), early aggressive surgical debridement and tab. Posaconazole GR 300 mg OD for 90 days after discharge. Thirty-nine (78%) patients were diagnosed with CAFOJS out of 50 osteomyelitis patients. 35 patients (90%) were diabetic and 21 patients (54%) were known to receive steroids during the COVID-19 treatment. Sole existence of Mucorales spp. was seen in 30 patients (77%), Aspergillus fumigatus in 2 patients (5%), Curvularia spp. in 2 patients (5%). Concomitant existence of Mucorales and Aspergillus fumigatus was reported in two patients (5%) and Candida albicans in three patients (8%). Patients underwent treatment with standard protocol and no recurrence noted. CAFOJS is a clinical entity with aggressive presentation and warrants early diagnosis and treatment.

Lay summary

Invasive fungal infections of head and neck region cause necrosis of bones affected by it, especially maxilla. Early diagnosis and treatment are advocated in such infections due to its aggressive clinical presentation compared to similar infections before COVID-19 pandemic.
Deep phase retrieval for astronomical Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensors
Authors: Guo Youming , Wu Yu , Li Ying , Rao Xuejun , Rao Changhui
Published: December 2021

We present a high-speed deep learning-based phase retrieval approach for Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensors used in astronomical adaptive optics. It reconstructs the Zernike modal coefficients from the image captured by the wavefront sensor with a lightweight convolutional neural network. Compared to the traditional slope-based wavefront reconstruction, the proposed approach uses the image captured by the sensor directly as inputs for more high-order aberrations. Compared to the recently developed iterative phase retrieval methods, the speed is much faster with the computation time less than 1 ms for a 100-aperture configuration, which may satisfy the requirement of an astronomical adaptive optics system. Simulations have been done to demonstrate the advantages of this approach. Experiments on a 241-unit deformable-secondary-mirror AOS have also been done to validate the proposed approach.
BEBOP III. Observations and an independent mass measurement of Kepler-16 (AB) b – the first circumbinary planet detected with radial velocities
Authors: Triaud Amaury H M J , Standing Matthew R , Heidari Neda , Martin David V , Boisse Isabelle , Santerne Alexandre , Correia Alexandre C M , Acuña Lorena , Battley Matthew , Bonfils Xavier , Carmona Andrés , Collier Cameron Andrew , Cortés-Zuleta Pía , Dransfield Georgina , Dalal Shweta , Deleuil Magali , Delfosse Xavier , Faria João , Forveille Thierry , Hara Nathan C , Hébrard Guillaume , Hoyer Sergio , Kiefer Flavien , Kunovac Vedad , Maxted Pierre F L , Martioli Eder , Miller Nicola J , Nelson Richard P , Poveda Mathilde , Rein Hanno , Sairam Lalitha , Udry Stéphane , Willett Emma
Published: December 2021

The radial velocity method is amongst the most robust and most established means of detecting exoplanets. Yet, it has so far failed to detect circumbinary planets despite their relatively high occurrence rates. Here, we report velocimetric measurements of Kepler-16A, obtained with the SOPHIE spectrograph, at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence’s 193cm telescope, collected during the BEBOP survey for circumbinary planets. Our measurements mark the first radial velocity detection of a circumbinary planet, independently determining the mass of Kepler-16 (AB) b to be $0.313 \pm 0.039\, {\rm M}_{\rm Jup}$, a value in agreement with eclipse timing variations. Our observations demonstrate the capability to achieve photon-noise precision and accuracy on single-lined binaries, with our final precision reaching $\rm 1.5~m\, s^{-1}$ on the binary and planetary signals. Our analysis paves the way for more circumbinary planet detections using radial velocities which will increase the relatively small sample of currently known systems to statistically relevant numbers, using a method that also provides weaker detection biases. Our data also contain a long-term radial velocity signal, which we associate with the magnetic cycle of the primary star.
The combined and respective roles of imaging and stellar kinematics in identifying galaxy merger remnants
Authors: Bottrell Connor , Hani Maan H , Teimoorinia Hossen , Patton David R , Ellison Sara L
Published: December 2021

One of the central challenges to establishing the role of mergers in galaxy evolution is the selection of pure and complete merger samples in observations. In particular, while large and reasonably pure interacting galaxy pair samples can be obtained with relative ease via spectroscopic criteria, automated selection of post-coalescence merger remnants is restricted to the physical characteristics of remnants alone. Furthermore, such selection has predominantly focused on imaging data – whereas kinematic data may offer a complimentary basis for identifying merger remnants. Therefore, we examine the theoretical utility of both the morphological and kinematic features of merger remnants in distinguishing galaxy merger remnants from other galaxies. Deep classification models are calibrated and evaluated using idealized synthetic images and line-of-sight stellar velocity maps of a heterogeneous population of galaxies and merger remnants from the TNG100 cosmological hydrodynamical simulation. We show that even idealized stellar kinematic data have limited utility compared to imaging and underperforms by $2.1 \pm 0.5 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in completeness and $4.7 \pm 0.4 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in purity for our fiducial model architecture. Combining imaging and stellar kinematics offers a small boost in completeness (by $1.8 \pm 0.4 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, compared to $92.7 \pm 0.2 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ from imaging alone) but no change in purity ($0.1\pm 0.3 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ improvement compared to $92.7 \pm 0.2 {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, evaluated with equal numbers of merger remnant and non-remnant control galaxies). Classification accuracy of all models is particularly sensitive to physical companions at separations ≲ 40 kpc and to time-since-coalescence. Taken together, our results show that the stellar kinematic data have little to offer in compliment to imaging for merger remnant identification in a heterogeneous galaxy population.
Less wrong: a more realistic initial condition for simulations of turbulent molecular clouds
Authors: Lane Henry B , Grudić Michael Y , Guszejnov Dávid , Offner Stella S R , Faucher-Giguère Claude-André , Rosen Anna L
Published: December 2021

Simulations of isolated giant molecular clouds (GMCs) are an important tool for studying the dynamics of star formation, but their turbulent initial conditions (ICs) are uncertain. Most simulations have either initialized a velocity field with a prescribed power spectrum on a smooth density field (failing to model the full structure of turbulence) or ‘stirred’ turbulence with periodic boundary conditions (which may not model real GMC boundary conditions). We develop and test a new GMC simulation setup (called turbsphere) that combines advantages of both approaches: we continuously stir an isolated cloud to model the energy cascade from larger scales, and use a static potential to confine the gas. The resulting cloud and surrounding envelope achieve a quasi-equilibrium state with the desired hallmarks of supersonic ISM turbulence (e.g. density PDF and a ∼k−2 velocity power spectrum), whose bulk properties can be tuned as desired. We use the final stirred state as initial conditions for star formation simulations with self-gravity, both with and without continued driving and protostellar jet feedback, respectively. We then disentangle the respective effects of the turbulent cascade, simulation geometry, external driving, and gravity/MHD boundary conditions on the resulting star formation. Without external driving, the new setup obtains results similar to previous simple spherical cloud setups, but external driving can suppress star formation considerably in the new setup. Periodic box simulations with the same dimensions and turbulence parameters form stars significantly slower, highlighting the importance of boundary conditions and the presence or absence of a global collapse mode in the results of star formation calculations.
The MAVERIC Survey: The first radio and X-ray limits on the detached black holes in NGC 3201
Authors: Paduano Alessandro , Bahramian Arash , Miller-Jones James C A , Kawka Adela , Göttgens Fabian , Strader Jay , Chomiuk Laura , Kamann Sebastian , Dreizler Stefan , Heinke Craig O , Husser Tim-Oliver , Maccarone Thomas J , Tremou Evangelia , Zhao Yue
Published: December 2021

The Galactic globular cluster (GC) NGC 3201 is the first Galactic GC observed to host dynamically confirmed stellar-mass black holes (BHs), containing two confirmed and one candidate BH. This result indicates that GCs can retain BHs, which has important implications for GC evolution. NGC 3201 has been observed as part of the MAVERIC survey of Galactic GCs. We use these data to confirm that there is no radio or X-ray detection of the three BHs, and present the first radio and X-ray limits on these sources. These limits indicate that any accretion present is at an extremely low rate and may be extremely inefficient. In particular, for the system ACS ID #21859, by assuming the system is tidally locked and any accretion is through the capture of the companion’s winds, we constrain the radiative efficiency of any accretion to ≲ 1.5 × 10−5. We also combine the radio and X-ray source catalogues from the MAVERIC survey with the existing MUSE spectroscopic surveys and the HUGS catalogue of NGC 3201 to provide a catalogue of 42 multiwavelength sources in this cluster. We identify a new red straggler source with X-ray emission, and investigate the multiwavelength properties of the sub-subgiant population in the cluster.
Prospects for differentiating extended coronal geometries in AGNs with the IXPE mission
Authors: Ursini F , Matt G , Bianchi S , Marinucci A , Dovčiak M , Zhang W
Published: December 2021

X-ray polarimetry can potentially constrain the unknown geometrical shape of active galactic nucleous (AGN) coronae. We present simulations of the X-ray polarization signal expected from AGN coronae, assuming three different geometries, namely slab, spherical, and conical. We use the fully relativistic Monte Carlo Comptonization code monk to compute the X-ray polarization degree and angle. We explore different coronal parameters such as shape, size, location, and optical depth. Different coronal geometries give a significantly different X-ray polarization signal. A slab corona yields a high polarization degree, up to 14 per cent depending on the viewing inclination; a spherical corona yields low values, about 1–3 per cent, while a conical corona yields intermediate values. We also find a difference of 90 degrees in polarization angle between the slab corona and the spherical or conical coronae. Upcoming X-ray polarimetry missions like IXPE will allow us to observationally distinguish among different coronal geometries in AGNs for the first time.
Type Ia supernova magnitude step from the local dark matter environment
Authors: Steigerwald Heinrich , Rodrigues Davi , Profumo Stefano , Marra Valerio
Published: December 2021

Residuals in the Hubble diagram at optical wavelengths and host galaxy stellar mass are observed to correlate in type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) (‘magnitude step’). Among possible progenitor channels for the associated explosions, those based on dark matter (DM) have attracted significant attention, including our recent proposal that ‘normal’ SNe Ia from bare detonations in sub-Chandrasekhar white dwarf stars are triggered by the passage of asteroid-mass primordial black holes (PBHs): the magnitude step could then originate from a brightness dependence on stellar properties, on DM properties, or both. Here, we present a method to estimate the local DM density and velocity dispersion of the environment of SN Ia progenitors. We find a luminosity step of $0.52\pm 0.11\,$ mag corresponding to bins of high versus low DM density in a sample of 222 low-redshift events from The Open Supernova Catalog. We investigate whether the magnitude step can be attributed to local DM properties alone, assuming asteroid-mass PBHs. Given the inverse correlation between SN Ia brightness and PBH mass, an intriguing explanation is a spatially inhomogeneous PBH mass function. If so, a strong mass segregation in the DM density-dependent PBH mass scale is needed to explain the magnitude step. While mass segregation is observed in dense clusters, it is unlikely to be realized on galactic scales. Therefore, if DM consists of asteroid-mass PBHs, the magnitude step is more likely to exist, and dominantly to be attributed to local stellar properties.
INTEGRAL/IBIS 17-yr hard X-ray all-sky survey
Authors: Krivonos Roman A , Sazonov Sergey Yu , Kuznetsova Ekaterina A , Lutovinov Alexander A , Mereminskiy Ilya A , Tsygankov Sergey S
Published: December 2021

The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), launched in 2002, continues its successful work in observing the sky at energies E > 20 keV. The legacy of the mission already includes a large number of discovered or previously poorly studied hard X-ray sources. The growing INTEGRAL archive allows one to conduct an all-sky survey including a number of deep extragalactic fields and the deepest ever hard X-ray survey of the Galaxy. Taking advantage of the data gathered over 17 yr with the IBIS coded-mask telescope of INTEGRAL, we conducted survey of hard X-ray sources, providing flux information from 17 to 290 keV. The catalogue includes 929 objects, 890 of which exceed a detection threshold of 4.5σ and the rest are detected at 4.0σ–4.5σ and belong to known catalogued hard X-ray sources. Among the identified sources of known or suspected nature, 376 are associated with the Galaxy and Magellanic clouds, including 145 low-mass and 115 high-mass X-ray binaries, 79 cataclysmic variables, and 37 of other types; and 440 are extragalactic, including 429 active galactic nuclei (AGNs), 2 ultra-luminous sources, 1 supernova (AT2018cow), and 8 galaxy clusters. 113 sources remain unclassified. 46 objects are detected in the hard X-ray band for the first time. The LogN-LogS distribution of 356 non-blazar AGNs is measured down to a flux of 2 × 10−12 erg s−1 cm−2 and can be described by a power law with a slope of 1.44 ± 0.09 and normalization 8 × 10−3 deg−2 at 10−11 erg s−1 cm−2. The LogN-LogS distribution of unclassified sources indicates that the majority of them are of extragalactic origin.
The impact of black hole feedback on the UV luminosity and stellar mass assembly of high-redshift galaxies
Authors: Piana Olmo , Dayal Pratika , Choudhury Tirthankar Roy
Published: December 2021

We employ the Delphi semi-analytical model to study the impact of black hole growth on high-redshift galaxies, both in terms of the observed ultraviolet (UV) luminosity and of the star formation rate. To do this, first, we assess the contribution of active galactic nuclei (AGN) to the total galaxy UV luminosity as a function of stellar mass and redshift. We find that for MUV ≲ −24 mag and z ≈ 5−6, the galaxies for which the black hole UV luminosity outshines the stellar UV emission become the majority, and we estimate their duty cycle. Secondly, we study the evolution of the AGN and stellar luminosity functions (LFs), finding that it is driven both by changes in their characteristic luminosities (i.e. evolution of the intrinsic brightness of galaxies) and in their normalizations (i.e. evolution of the number densities of galaxies), depending on the luminosity range considered. Finally, we follow the mass assembly history for three different halo mass bins, finding that the magnitude of AGN-driven outflows depends on the host halo mass. We show that AGN feedback is most effective when the energy emitted by the accreting black hole is approximately $1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the halo binding energy, and that this condition is met in galaxies in haloes with $M_\mathrm{h} \sim 10^{11.75} \, {\rm \rm M_\odot }$ at z = 4. In such cases, AGN feedback can drive outflows that are up to 100 times more energetic than supernovae-driven outflows, and the star formation rate is a factor of 3 lower than for galaxies of the same mass without black hole activity.
Phylogeography Reveals Association between Swine Trade and the Spread of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus in China and across the World
Authors: He Wan-Ting , Bollen Nena , Xu Yi , Zhao Jin , Dellicour Simon , Yan Ziqing , Gong Wenjie , Zhang Cheng , Zhang Letian , Lu Meng , Lai Alexander , Suchard Marc A , Ji Xiang , Tu Changchun , Lemey Philippe , Baele Guy , Su Shuo
Published: December 2021

The ongoing SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome)-CoV (coronavirus)-2 pandemic has exposed major gaps in our knowledge on the origin, ecology, evolution, and spread of animal coronaviruses. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a member of the genus Alphacoronavirus in the family Coronaviridae that may have originated from bats and leads to significant hazards and widespread epidemics in the swine population. The role of local and global trade of live swine and swine-related products in disseminating PEDV remains unclear, especially in developing countries with complex swine production systems. Here, we undertake an in-depth phylogeographic analysis of PEDV sequence data (including 247 newly sequenced samples) and employ an extension of this inference framework that enables formally testing the contribution of a range of predictor variables to the geographic spread of PEDV. Within China, the provinces of Guangdong and Henan were identified as primary hubs for the spread of PEDV, for which we estimate live swine trade to play a very important role. On a global scale, the United States and China maintain the highest number of PEDV lineages. We estimate that, after an initial introduction out of China, the United States acted as an important source of PEDV introductions into Japan, Korea, China, and Mexico. Live swine trade also explains the dispersal of PEDV on a global scale. Given the increasingly global trade of live swine, our findings have important implications for designing prevention and containment measures to combat a wide range of livestock coronaviruses.