bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Zero to Infinity
Authors: Mak Bill M.
Published: November 2024

Both China and India have an ancient mathematical tradition. From the extant records, the encounter of the two traditions took place in Inner Asia, Southeast Asia and in various cosmopolitan centres along the Silk Roads during the first millennium CE. The encounter was documented almost exclusively from the Chinese side, along with fragmentary evidence from Central Asia and the Sino-Indian peripheries, and almost none from India. In this paper, my focus will be the Chinese reception of Indian zero and large numbers, and to evaluate critically the impact they had, or did not have, on the Chinese mathematical tradition, and what the factors for exchange are.
Travelling Formulas
Authors: Bradley Sean T.
Published: November 2024

Plant, animal, and mineral products travelled thousands of miles from Central and South Asia, the Mediterranean, and even Africa to become part of the Chinese pharmacopeia. These products were often used as drugs that were commonly bundled in formulas. While individual drugs were gradually incorporated as part of Chinese medicine, the formula preparations which regularly carried them remain relics of history. By first examining identification and linguistic information, and then looking closely at several formulas containing chebulic myrobalan (Terminalia chebula Retz.) from both Indic and Chinese sources, we can understand better how this drug and its corresponding medical information made its way from South Asia to East Asia, thereby becoming part of the Chinese medical system.
‘Converting’ Knowledge, Culture and Themselves
Authors: Isahaya Yoichi
Published: November 2024

In this paper, I propose a new model of how the Mongol empire connected the various systems used by the subject peoples under their control. I contrast this to modern empires, which used a system of direct standardisation, so that one calendar, one currency, one system of measures, one way of doing history, often even one language (at least for most public purposes) and so on, was imposed on the entire empire. In the Mongol Empire, while a single system was not imposed, new methods of ‘conversion’ – or perhaps we could say ‘conversion formulae’ – appeared, by which disparate cultural practices of the conquered peoples were maintained, but rendered easily ‘convertible’ to each other, using tables and cognate methods. I discus this ‘conversion’ empire – as opposed to the modern ‘integration’ empire – in the fields of the calendar, language, money and historiography.
Technology and Progress in Islamicate Political Thought
Authors: Hemmat Kaveh L.
Published: November 2024

This study compares how technology is theorised in an early sixteenth-century description of China, ʿAlī Akbar Khaṭāyī’s Khaṭāy-nāmeh (‘Book of China’), and two major works of late medieval Islamic political theory, Ibn Khaldūn’s (d. 1406) Muqaddimah and Jalāl al-Dīn Davānī’s (d. 1502) Akhlāq-i Jalālī (‘Jalālian Ethics’). Concepts of artifice and distinctions between the natural and artificial, as well as the social division of labour, are critical to all three authors’ views of political authority and statecraft. Khaṭāyī and Ibn Khaldūn express diametrically opposed views within a common theoretical framework concerning the effects of artificial law and technical training on social relations, a difference in attitude likely due in part to the great importance Khaṭāyī attributed to Chinese firearms.
Pattern-Making and Textile Technologies across Asia
Authors: Bier Carol
Published: November 2024

To consider textiles along the trade routes that traverse Asia is to consider materials, technologies, images and ideas: fibres and filaments, dyestuffs, and the technologies of felt-making, weaving, embroidery, carpet-weaving and block-printing. Pattern-making is affected by all of these factors. And the trajectories of designs, repeated to form patterns, bring us to confront changes in meaning over time and space, relating textiles to the history of ideas. Within the breadth of this vast complexity of cultural exchange on multiple levels, this paper offers a brief exploration of two vexing problems. The first concerns origins and cultural diffusion of a warp-resist patterning technique (ikat). The second concerns the origin, development and transmission of drawloom weaving, resulting in the production of compound textiles with repeat patterns from selvedge to selvedge. These overarching questions relate aspects of pattern-making integral to two textile technologies with a view towards stimulating future research.
Some Memory Devices of Early Chinese Textile Technologies and Artisans’ Transmission of Knowledge
Authors: Sheng Angela Y.
Published: November 2024

Patterned silks served as signifiers for rituals and status in early China. They were patterned using different techniques, for example, some sha-silks from Mawangdui dated to 168 CE were repeatedly stamped with motifs while other silks were woven with monochrome or polychrome motifs. The technical knowledge for producing such silks was embodied as internal memory in the artisans who predominantly worked in state- run workshops until the mid-first century BCE. Artisans also invented external memory devices to facilitate their work. Some devices – bronze stamps and pattern-shafts on looms – have been unearthed from Guangzhou and Laoguanshan dated to 122 and 118 BCE respectively. Most techniques did not circulate widely, and over time, some disappeared and were then replaced by others. Lacking artisans’ own accounts, this article examines these external memory devices in the workshop context to suggest the hypothesis that the transmission of the embodied knowledge depended on the mobility and freedom of the artisans.
The Rhyacophila fasciata Species Complex (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) in Turkey with description of a new species, Rhyacophila anatolica Ekingen & Valladolid, sp. nov., based on morphological, genetic, and ecological evidence
Authors: VALLADOLID MARIA , EKINGEN PINAR , ARAUZO MERCEDES , DORDA BEATRIZ A. , REY ISABEL
Published: November 2024

The morphology of the larva, pupa, male, and female of Rhyacophila anatolica Ekingen & Valladolid, sp. nov., from Turkey is described. We also present molecular mtCOI data, and compare sequences of R. anatolica with corresponding data from R. fasciata Hagen 1859, as well as with other species in the “R. fasciata Species Complex”: R. septentrionis McLachlan 1865, R. denticulata McLachlan 1879, R. sociata Navás 1916, R. kykladica Malicky & Sipahiler 1993, R. delici Kučinić & Valladolid 2020, R. viteceki Valladolid & Kučinić 2020, R. macedonica Karaouzas, Valladolid & Ibrahimi 2022, and R. loeffleri Valladolid & Waringer 2023. Our study revealed morphological differences between R. fasciata and R. anatolica, as well as genetic differences among the other taxa of the “R. fasciata Species Complex,” supporting the recognition of R. anatolica as a new species.
A new genus and species of Paranthrenini from Angola (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae)
Authors: BARTSCH DANIEL , SÁFIÁN SZABOLCS
Published: November 2024

A new genus and species, Afranthrene cinerea gen. & sp. nov., from Angola is described and depicted. The new genus belongs to the Adixoa Hampson, [1893] genera group and is related to the African genera Fortikona Bartsch & Sáfián, 2023, Rubukona Fischer, 2007 and Thyranthrene Hampson, 1919. The female, early instars and host plant of the new species are unknown.
A second species of Protistolophus Short from Peru (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Hydrophilinae)
Authors: VORST OSCAR
Published: November 2024

A second species of the enigmatic hydrophilid genus Protistolophus Short, 2010 is described from the Cordillera Escalera in northwest Peru (Departamento de San Martín). Most specimens were collected in association with brooklets in primary forest at ca. 1300 m a.s.l.
Some of the characters originally used to define the genus Protistolophus appear no longer valid after discovery of the new species. Most noteworthy is probably the absence of an apical emargination of the fifth visible ventrite, while present in P. spangleri Short, 2010, the only other know species of the genus.
A new species of Apatenia Pascoe (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) from central Madagascar, with a key to species, additions to the distribution of rare species of the genus, and general notes about threats to anthribid diversity
Authors: TRÝZNA MILOŠ , RAKOTONIRINA JEAN CLAUDE
Published: November 2024

A new species Apatenia kuntei Trýzna & Rakotonirina sp. nov. (Anthribidae: Anthribinae: Platyrhinini) from the Ambohitantely Special Reserve in central Madagascar is described. Male and female genitalia are studied and illustrated. A key to all Malagasy Apatenia species is provided. Colour photographs, notes on the distribution and ecological notes on another four rare Malagasy Apatenia species are added. The decrease of the anthribid diversity due to fires and the spreading of expansive plants in the Ambohitantely Special Reserve is discussed.
A survey of the Sumatran Sparassidae (Araneae). 1. Two new Thelcticopis species
Authors: FOMICHEV ALEXANDER A. , OMELKO MIKHAIL M.
Published: November 2024

Two new species of Thelcticopis Karsch, 1884 are described from Sumatra Island, Indonesia, based on males: T. lizae sp. nov. and T. ketambe sp. nov. Detailed descriptions, digital photographs and a distributional map are provided. The distribution of Sumatran Thelcticopis is briefly discussed.
Two new species of the sponge associated axiid shrimp genus Eiconaxius Bate, 1888 (Decapoda: Axiidea) from seamounts in the Nishi-Shichito Ridge, Japan
Authors: KOMAI TOMOYUKI , TSUCHIDA SHINJI , FUJIWARA YOSHIHIRO
Published: November 2024

Two new species of the axiid shrimp genus Eiconaxius Bate, 1888, are described from seamounts in the Nishi-Shichito Ridge, northwestern Pacific off Japan, during recent cruises of R/V Kaimei of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, exploring the marine protected area (MPA). Eiconaxius latirostrum sp. nov. is described on the basis of three specimens from Shoho Seamount at depths of 402–456 m; and E. kaimei sp. nov. is described on the basis of a single ovigerous female from An’ei Seamount at a depth of 888 m. The status of the two new taxa was assessed by phylogenetic analyses employing two mitochondrial markers (16S rRNA and COI genes) and morphological comparison. Specimens of the two new species lived in colonies of unidentified farreid sponges. This study contributes to documenting the benthic invertebrate fauna of the Japanese MPA as a baseline data for conservation.
Review of the Slender Geckos (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Hemiphyllodactylus) of the Cardamom Mountains of southwestern Cambodia, with descriptions of two new species and one country record
Authors: NEANG THY , SAMORN VIREAK , HUN SEIHA , HENSON ADAM , STUART BRYAN L.
Published: November 2024

The gekkonid lizard genus Hemiphyllodactylus contains small, secretive species that are often overlooked in their habitats. Recent molecular and morphological analyses have resulted in the descriptions of numerous new species of Hemiphyllodactylus in mainland Southeast Asia and southern China, many of which were historically hidden within the geographically widespread taxon H. yunnanensis (Boulenger, 1903). Little is known on species diversity and distributions of Hemiphyllodactylus in Cambodia, and all previous reports from the country have been limited to provisional identifications owing to collections containing only a single female or juvenile specimen. We report on new collections of Hemiphyllodactylus specimens from opposite ends of the Cardamom Mountain range in southwestern Cambodia. Morphological and molecular data support the hypothesis that these collections contain three distinct species, two of which are described as new species and one of which is assigned to the geographically widespread H. typus Bleeker, 1860 as a new country record for Cambodia. Hemiphyllodactylus bokor sp. nov. from Preah Monivong Bokor National Park in Kampot Province and Hemiphyllodactylus samkos sp. nov. from Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary in Pursat Province are related to species from adjacent areas in southern Vietnam, southern Laos, and southeastern Thailand, as well as a clade from India, but are readily differentiated in mitochondrial DNA and in having unique combinations of mensural and meristic morphological characters. Additional species diversity of Hemiphyllodactylus likely exists in Cambodia.
Description of fundatrix and sexual morphs of the Asian apricot aphid, Myzus mumecola (Matsumura, 1917) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: TOMIĆ MIHAJLO , JOVIČIĆ IVANA , PETROVIĆ-OBRADOVIĆ OLIVERA
Published: November 2024

Fundatrix and sexual morphs of the Asian apricot aphid, Myzus (Myzus) mumecola (Matsumura, 1917) are described from Serbia with original, clarified slide mounts, and illustrations. The morphological identification of sexual morphs was corroborated through COI barcode sequence analysis. The subgeneric position of this species is discussed and the transfer to subgenus Nectarosiphon is proposed.
A new species of the genus Scincella (Squamata: Scincidae) from Mount Fansipan, Hoang Lien Son Range, northwestern Vietnam
Authors: OKABE SHINYA , MOTOKAWA MASAHARU , KOIZUMI YUKI , NGUYEN TRUONG QUANG , NGUYEN TAO THIEN , BUI HAI TUAN
Published: November 2024

We describe a new species of the genus Scincella Mittleman, 1950 from northwestern Vietnam, based on a new collection of ground skinks from Mount Fansipan of the Hoang Lien Son Range in Lao Cai Province. Scincella fansipanensis sp. nov. is distinguished from other Scincella species in the Indochina region and southern China by body size (SVL), separation of prefrontals, number of midbody scale rows, paravertebral scale rows, nuchals and subdigital lamellae on toe IV, separation of toe from finger when limbs are adpressed along the body, and dorsal color pattern. The new species is further distinguished from its congeners by uncorrected genetic distances of 14.60–21.41% (COI gene). The new species is currently known only from high elevation areas of Mt. Fansipan in Vietnam.
Description of Trichophoromyia macrisae, a new phlebotomine sand fly species (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru
Authors: MÉNDEZ-CARDONA SERGIO , CABRERA-QUINTERO OLGA L.
Published: November 2024

Phlebotomine sand flies are a highly diverse group of insects capable of transmitting Leishmania parasites. Therefore, the identification of vector species is important to understand local leishmaniasis dynamics. Among the Neotropical sand fly species, the genus Trichophoromyia is predominantly found in the Amazon. A new species of this genus, Trichophoromyia macrisae sp. nov., is described. Specimens were collected using Katchy light traps in forested areas of Manu Biological Station, located within the Manu Biosphere Reserve, in southern Peru. Morphological description was based on 10 male specimens. The disposition of setae in the gonocoxite and the shape of the paramere allows Th. macrisae sp. nov. to be distinguished from other species of genus that have aedeagal ducts > 4 times the length of the sperm pump. The description of Th. macrisae sp. nov. brings the number of species of Trichophoromyia in the Americas to 47 and in Peru to 15.
Medicaid coverage continuity is associated with lymphoma stage among children and adolescents/young adults
Authors: Zhang Xinyue Elyse , Castellino Sharon M. , Yabroff K. Robin , Stock Wendy , Cornwell Patricia , Bai Shasha , Mertens Ann C. , Lipscomb Joseph , Ji Xu
Published: November 2024

Lymphoma is the third leading cause of cancer among children and adolescents/young adults (AYAs) in the United States, with later-stage diagnoses often being linked to worse outcomes. Continuous health insurance coverage is crucial for facilitating early cancer detection and diagnosis. Among Medicaid-insured children and AYAs diagnosed with lymphoma, this study examines whether the timing of Medicaid enrollment and coverage continuity are associated with stage at diagnosis. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicaid data, we identified children and AYAs (aged 0-39 years) newly diagnosed with lymphoma between 2007 and 2013 in 12 states that were linked to the administrative Medicaid data. Medicaid enrollment patterns were categorized into continuous Medicaid (preceding and through diagnosis), newly gained Medicaid (at or shortly after diagnosis), and other Medicaid enrollment patterns. Late-stage disease was defined as Ann Arbor stage IV (vs stage I-III). Multiple logistic regressions were estimated, with marginal effects (MEs) reported. Of 3524 patients identified, 37.8% had continuous Medicaid, followed by newly gained Medicaid (35.2%) and other Medicaid enrollment patterns (27.0%). Compared with patients continuously enrolled in Medicaid, those with newly gained Medicaid and with other Medicaid enrollment patterns were 54% (ME, 13.9 percentage points [ppt]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.5-19.2; P < .001) and 18% (ME, 4.6 ppt; 95% CI, 2.2-7.0; P < .001) more likely to present with stage IV lymphoma, respectively. Overall, having continuous Medicaid coverage before diagnosis was associated with a lower likelihood of late-stage lymphoma at diagnosis; however, only 3 in 8 Medicaid-insured children and AYAs with lymphoma were continuously enrolled in Medicaid before their diagnosis.
The COVID-19 pandemic and firms’ E-learning use: implications for inequality in training opportunities
Authors: Müller Christoph
Published: November 2024

This paper investigates whether the adoption of E-learning by firms contributed to offset the decrease in firm-sponsored training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a novel firm level survey linked with administrative data on the universe of workers within those firms, I study the role of E-learning in firms’ training activities during the crisis. I find that the COVID-19 pandemic substantially decreased firm-sponsored training by up to 11 percentage points. However, firms’ ability to use E-learning nullifies this negative effect. Furthermore, the differential capabilities of firms to apply E-learning might exacerbate already prevalent inequalities in training opportunities.
Genetically modified E. Coli secreting melanin (E.melanin) activates the astrocytic PSAP-GPR37L1 pathway and mitigates the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Kong Weixian , Liu Yu , Ai Pu , Bi Yong , Wei Chaoguang , Guo Xiaoyang , Cai Zhenyu , Gao Ge , Hu Peng , Zheng Jialin , Liu Jianhui , Huo Minfeng , Guan Yuting , Wu Qihui
Published: November 2024

The characteristic neuropathology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) involves the abnormal accumulation of phosphorylated α-synuclein (αSyn), as well as a significant decrease in neuromelanin (NM) levels within dopamine neurons (DaNs). Unlike αSyn aggregates, the relationship between NM levels and PD pathogenesis is not well understood. In this study, we engineered an E. coli MG1655 strain to produce exosomes containing melanin (E.melanin), and investigated its potential neuroprotective effects on DaNs in the context of PD. By employing a combination of cell cultures, biochemical studies, single nuclear RNA sequencing (snRNA seq), and various in vivo validations, we found that administration of E.melanin effectively alleviated DaNs loss and improved motor behavior impairments observed in both pharmacological and transgenic PD mouse models. Mechanistically, snRNA seq data suggested that E.melanin activated the PSAP-GPR37L1 signaling pathway specifically within astrocytes, leading to a reduction in astrocytic engulfment of synapses. Notably, activation of the GPR37L1 receptor using Tx14(A) peptide successfully rescued motor defects as well as protected against DaNs degeneration in mice with PD. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying melanin’s protective effects on DaNs in PD while offering potential strategies for manipulating and treating its pathophysiological progression.
Shedding of membrane complement inhibitors CD59 and CD46 into the circulation is associated with poor prognosis in acute coronary syndrome patients: a cohort study
Authors: Zhong Baojun , King Ben , Waziri Homa , Yndigegn Troels , Engelbertsen Daniel , Björkbacka Harry , Nilsson Jan , Goncalves Isabel , Blom Anna M. , Schiopu Alexandru
Published: November 2024

Introduction

The role of the complement inhibitory proteins CD46 and CD59 in the immune response to an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is unknown. We investigated the relationships between the shedding of CD46 and CD59 into the circulation, reflected by plasma levels of soluble CD46 and CD59, and the risk for post-ACS complications.

Methods

We measured plasma sCD46 and sCD59 in a cohort of 546 ACS patients within 24 h after hospital admission, and after 6-weeks in a subgroup of 114 patients. Study outcomes were incident heart failure (HF), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality during a median follow-up period of up to 3.3 years. Echocardiography at 1-year was performed in the follow-up subgroup.

Results

Elevated sCD46 and sCD59 were correlated with increased levels of inflammatory mediators and metalloproteinases in plasma, and were associated with increased risk for MACE in Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors and revascularization [HR 95% CI 1.24 (1.02–1.52), p = 0.034 for sCD46 and 1.18 (1.00–1.38), p = 0.049 for sCD59]. Elevated sCD59 was also associated with higher incidence of HF [HR 95% CI 1.41 (1.15–1.74), p = 0.001], and with lower left ventricular ejection fraction at 1-year post-ACS (Spearman r = − 0.234, p = 0.020). We found no associations between plasma levels of the proteins at 6 weeks and outcomes.

Conclusions

Shedding of the complement regulators CD46 and CD59 in plasma in the acute phase of ACS is associated with a negative prognosis. Plasma sCD46 and sCD59 could reflect the degree of local immune activation and serve as prognostic biomarkers in ACS patients.
SYMPATHIQUE: image-based tracking of symptoms and monitoring of pathogenesis to decompose quantitative disease resistance in the field
Authors: Anderegg Jonas , Zenkl Radek , Kirchgessner Norbert , Hund Andreas , Walter Achim , McDonald Bruce A.
Published: November 2024

Background

Quantitative disease resistance (QR) is a complex, dynamic trait that is most reliably quantified in field-grown crops. Traditional disease assessments offer limited potential to disentangle the contributions of different components to overall QR at critical crop developmental stages. Yet, a better functional understanding of QR could greatly support a more targeted, knowledge-based selection for QR and improve predictions of seasonal epidemics. Image-based approaches together with advanced image processing methodologies recently emerged as valuable tools to standardize relevant disease assessments, increase measurement throughput, and describe diseases along multiple dimensions.

Results

We present a simple, affordable, and easy-to-operate imaging set-up and imaging procedure for in-field acquisition of wheat leaf image sequences. The development of Septoria tritici blotch and leaf rusts was monitored over time via robust methods for symptom detection and segmentation, spatial alignment of images, symptom tracking, and leaf- and symptom characterization. The average accuracy of the spatial alignment of images in a time series was approximately 5 pixels (~ 0.15 mm). Leaf-level symptom counts as well as individual symptom property measurements revealed stable patterns over time that were generally in excellent agreement with visual impressions. This provided strong evidence for the robustness of the methodology to variability typically inherent in field data. Contrasting patterns in the number of lesions resulting from separate infection events and lesion expansion dynamics were observed across wheat genotypes. The number of separate infection events and average lesion size contributed to different degrees to overall disease intensity, possibly indicating distinct and complementary mechanisms of QR.

Conclusions

The proposed methodology enables rapid, non-destructive, and reproducible measurement of several key epidemiological parameters under field conditions. Such data can support decomposition and functional understanding of QR as well as the parameterization, fine-tuning, and validation of epidemiological models. Details of pathogenesis can translate into specific symptom phenotypes resolvable using time series of high-resolution RGB images, which may improve biological understanding of plant-pathogen interactions as well as interactions in disease complexes.
The 5-year outcomes of a health-empowerment program on low-income children’s behaviors and quality of life
Authors: Lu Fangcao , Wong Carlos King Ho , Tse Emily Tsui Yee , Ng Amy Pui Pui , Li Lanlan , Bedford Laura , Fong Daniel Yee Tak , Ip Patrick , Lam Cindy Lo Kuen
Published: November 2024

Background

This study aims to evaluate the 5-year impact of a Health Empowerment Program (HEP) on mitigating problematic conducts and enhancing the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among children living in poverty.

Methods

A prospective cohort study (N = 239, Intervention group: n = 124, Comparison group: n = 115) was established with participants recruited between July 2013 and March 2016 and followed until November 2021. During the 5-year study period, children and their parents from the intervention group were invited to join a multi-dimensional HEP. At baseline and follow-up, both intervention and comparison groups were assessed using the Chinese Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Chinese Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form 28 (CHQ-PF28). Multiple linear regressions were conducted to identify changes in outcome variables as the effect of the HEP.

Results

Upon completion of the 5-year follow-up, children in the intervention group showed a larger decline in conduct problems (B = − 0.66, p <.001), hyperactivity inattention (B = − 0.67, p =.005), and total difficulties score (B = − 1.89, p =.002) of SDQ, a greater increase in prosocial behavior of SDQ (B = 0.53, p =.040), and more substantial enhancement in CHQ-PF28’s psychosocial summary score (B = 2.75, p =.017) compared to the comparison group.

Conclusions

HEP is effective in mitigating behavioral problems and improving psychosocial HRQOL of children of low-income families, as evident by this 5-year cohort study.

Trial Registration: This study received approval (UW 12–517) from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Hong Kong/Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster.
Association between changes in adherence to the 24-hour movement guidelines with depression and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents: a prospective population-based study
Authors: Wu Herui , Lin Yi-fan , Yang Liwen , Lai Wenjian , Li Yanzhi , Xu Ye , Wang Wanxin , Yang Lei , Lu Ciyong , Yan Bin
Published: November 2024

Background

The 24-hour movement guidelines (24-HMG) include screen time (ST), sleep duration, and physical activity. Previous studies have explored the associations of adherence to the 24-HMG with depression and anxiety symptoms among adolescents, ignoring changes in behaviors. This study aimed to examine whether changes in adherence to the 24-HMG were associated with depression and anxiety symptoms among adolescents.

Methods

We recruited adolescents from Shenzhen, China in 2021 and followed them up 1 year later. Changes in adherence to the individual 24-HMG were categorized into four groups: persistent non-adherence, adherence to non-adherence, non-adherence to adherence, and persistent adherence. Changes in the numbers of adherence to the overall 24-HMG were obtained by subtracting the number of guidelines adhered to in wave 2 from that in wave 1.

Results

We included 12,570 participants aged 9–18 years with 52.2% boys. Compared with persistent non-adherence for the ST/sleep duration guideline, non-adherence to adherence and persistent adherence were associated with lower depression and anxiety symptoms, but adherence to non-adherence was not. Changes in adherence to the physical activity guideline were not related to outcomes. The β coefficients (95% CIs) for each point increase in changes in the numbers of adherence to guidelines were − 0.58 (− 0.69, − 0.47) and − 0.43 (− 0.53, − 0.33) for depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The association of persistently adhering to sleep guideline with anxiety symptoms and the associations of changes in the numbers of adherence to the 24-HMG had sex differences.

Conclusions

Maintaining and strengthening healthy movement behaviors to meet more guidelines of the 24-HMG, especially sleep and ST, may be beneficial for preventing depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents.
Prehospital ultrasound constitutes a potential distraction from the observation of critically ill patients: a prospective simulation study
Authors: van der Geest Yael , Marengo Luca , Albrecht Roland , Buehler Philipp K. , Wendel-Garcia Pedro D. , Hofmaenner Daniel A. , Pietsch Urs
Published: November 2024

Background

Prehospital point-of-care ultrasound allows an unstable patient to be rapidly and accurately assessed. However, we are concerned that an excessive focus on the ultrasound device, in an already demanding emergency medical service environment, may distract from patient care, potentially leading to reduced situational awareness and the neglect of other crucial instruments, such as the patient monitor. Thus, in this study, we examined the influence of prehospital ultrasound on situational awareness, by studying the degree to which physicians were distracted from the patient monitor.

Methods

We observed HEMS physicians in a simulated setting and analysed their gaze behaviour using an eye tracker placed on three areas of interests: the ultrasound device, the patient and the patient monitor. In the course of the experiment, the simulated patient desaturated, which was presented on the patient monitor. The primary outcome was the fraction of gaze distribution across the three areas of interest, while secondary outcomes were different gaze metrics (dwell time, revisits, average duration of visual intake and entry time) on the patient monitor. We then compared the participants who noticed the patient’s deterioration with those who did not.

Results

In 75% of cases, the severely decreased oxygen saturation went unnoticed during the test. Moreover, the gaze distribution of the two groups differed, with the group that recognised the deterioration focusing longer on the patient monitor (7.8% (95% CI 5–10.7) vs 0.1% (95% CI 0–0.3), p: 0.124).

Conclusions

The task of performing an ultrasound examination appears to overwhelm some participants and distract them from other aspects of the scenario. Efforts to mitigate distractions and optimise the use of prehospital ultrasound, such as education, a focus on human factors aspects and standardisation, are crucial for maximising the potential benefits of prehospital ultrasound.
DNA methylation classifier to diagnose pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma metastases from different anatomical sites
Authors: Calina Teodor G. , Perez Eilís , Grafenhorst Elena , Benhamida Jamal , Schallenberg Simon , Popescu Adrian , Koch Ines , Janik Tobias , Chen BaoQing , Ihlow Jana , Roessler Stephanie , Goeppert Benjamin , Sinn Bruno , Bahra Marcus , Calin George A. , Taube Eliane T. , Pelzer Uwe , Neumann Christopher C. M. , Horst David , Knutsen Erik , Capper David , Dragomir Mihnea P.
Published: November 2024

Background

We have recently constructed a DNA methylation classifier that can discriminate between pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PAAD) liver metastasis and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) with high accuracy (PAAD-iCCA-Classifier). PAAD is one of the leading causes of cancer of unknown primary and diagnosis is based on exclusion of other malignancies. Therefore, our focus was to investigate whether the PAAD-iCCA-Classifier can be used to diagnose PAAD metastases from other sites.

Methods

For this scope, the anomaly detection filter of the initial classifier was expanded by 8 additional mimicker carcinomas, amounting to a total of 10 carcinomas in the negative class. We validated the updated version of the classifier on a validation set, which consisted of a biological cohort (n = 3579) and a technical one (n = 15). We then assessed the performance of the classifier on a test set, which included a positive control cohort of 16 PAAD metastases from various sites and a cohort of 124 negative control samples consisting of 96 breast cancer metastases from 18 anatomical sites and 28 carcinoma metastases to the brain.

Results

The updated PAAD-iCCA-Classifier achieved 98.21% accuracy on the biological validation samples, and on the technical validation ones it reached 100%. The classifier also correctly identified 15/16 (93.75%) metastases of the positive control as PAAD, and on the negative control, it correctly classified 122/124 samples (98.39%) for a 97.85% overall accuracy on the test set. We used this DNA methylation dataset to explore the organotropism of PAAD metastases and observed that PAAD liver metastases are distinct from PAAD peritoneal carcinomatosis and primary PAAD, and are characterized by specific copy number alterations and hypomethylation of enhancers involved in epithelial-mesenchymal-transition.

Conclusions

The updated PAAD-iCCA-Classifier (available at https://classifier.tgc-research.de/) can accurately classify PAAD samples from various metastatic sites and it can serve as a diagnostic aid.
Open sternal fracture with bilateral dislocation of the sternoclavicular joints after a high-speed bicycle accident: a case report
Authors: Prangenberg Christian , Zellner Alberto Alfieri , Roos Jonas , Zalepugas Donatas , Ossendorff Robert , Ben Amar Soufian , Cucchi Davide , Scheidt Sebastian
Published: November 2024

Background

Only a few cases of bilateral traumatic sternoclavicular dislocations have been reported in the literature. This injury is considered one of the rarest injuries of the human musculoskeletal system. Therefore, we present the first documented case of a cyclist with a third-degree open thoracic trauma (Gustilo–Anderson 3a) associated with a dislocated manubrium sterni fracture in the upper thoracic aperture, bilateral anterior dislocations of the sternoclavicular joints, rib fractures, and pleural ruptures.

Case presentation

The patient, a 27-year-old Caucasian male, incurred this injury while participating in a professional cycling race at Nürburgring, Germany and received immediate interdisciplinary surgical treatment and has encountered no complications. We conducted a 1-year follow-up and present the clinical findings of this follow up. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive review of the existing literature on this injury.

Conclusions

Immediate interdisciplinary intervention, including surgical repair and meticulous postoperative care, facilitated successful patient recovery. This underscores the critical role of comprehensive trauma management in complex polytrauma cases. In conclusion, this case report highlights the rarity and complexity of a traumatic injury involving bilateral sternoclavicular dislocation, with this case being the first case reported with concomitant open thorax trauma. Our patient benefited greatly from immediate air-bound transportation to an interdisciplinary care provider, which houses both thoracic and trauma surgery departments.
Knockdown of hepatic mitochondrial calcium uniporter mitigates MASH and fibrosis in mice
Authors: Li Shuyu , Chen Fangyuan , Liu Min , Zhang Yajun , Xu Jingjing , Li Xi , Shang Zhiyin , Huang Shaoping , Song Shu , Tu Chuantao
Published: November 2024

Background

Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) plays pleiotropic roles in cellular physiology and pathology that contributes to a variety of diseases, but the role and potential mechanism of MCU in the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) remain poorly understood.

Methods and results

Here, hepatic knockdown of MCU in C57BL/6J mice was achieved by tail vein injection of AAV8-mediated the CRISPR/Cas9. Mice were fed a Choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined high-fat diet (CDAHFD) for 8 weeks to induce MASH and fibrosis. We find that expression of MCU enhanced in MASH livers of humans and mice. MCU knockdown robustly limits lipid droplet accumulation, steatosis, inflammation, and hepatocyte apoptotic death during MASH development both in vivo in mice and in vitro in cellular models. MCU-deficient mice strikingly mitigate MASH-related fibrosis. Moreover, the protective effects of MCU knockdown against MASH progression are accompanied by a reduced level of mitochondrial calcium, limiting hepatic oxidative stress, and attenuating mitochondrial dysfunction. Mechanically, RNA sequencing analysis and protein immunoblotting indicate that knockdown MCU inhibited the Hippo/YAP pathway activation and restored the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity during MASH development both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

MCU is up-regulated in MASH livers in humans and mice; and hepatic MCU knockdown protects against diet-induced MASH and fibrosis in mice. Thus, targeting MCU may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for MASH and fibrosis.

Graphical Abstract
Angiopoietin-2 as a prognostic biomarker in septic adult patients: a systemic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhuo Mengke , Fu Sifeng , Chi Yawen , Li Xinghua , Li Sirui , Ma Xiaochun , Li Xu
Published: November 2024

Background

The impairment of endothelial function represents a key pathophysiological mechanism in the development of sepsis. This research aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), an endothelial biomarker, in predicting mortality in sepsis patients.

Methods

Chinese and English studies were systematically retrieved in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, WanFang, CNKI, CQVIP, and CBM databases up to July 16, 2023. We conducted a study selection established upon predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and used the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) to assess its quality. We extracted available data from the included studies for data analysis.

Results

The final inclusion comprised 33 studies with 4703 participants. According to the NOS, one study was of medium quality, while the rest were of high quality. In comparison to survivors, the levels of Ang-2 in non-survivors were markedly elevated [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 1.08, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.68–1.49, P < 0.001], and the same results were also observed in the subgroup that met sepsis 3.0 diagnosis criteria (SMD = 0.63, 95% CI 0.11–1.14, P = 0.017). The results comparing Ang-2 levels between non-survivors and survivors were independent of duration of follow-up, sample sources, type of study, and region. Ang-2 was a risk factor for mortality [odds ratios (OR) = 1.16, 95% CI 1.09–1.23, P < 0.001]. Ang-2 was demonstrated to be able to predict mortality in septic adult patients [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.76, 95% CI 0.70–0.82, P < 0.001].

Conclusions

Ang-2 level was positively correlated with risk of death in sepsis patients. Ang-2 might be a useful and valuable biomarker for predicting mortality in septic adult patients.
Enhancing Quality Control in the Mix Design of High-Strength Concrete Using a Capacity-Based Approach
Authors: Basu Dhiman , Mushtaq Sheikh Mayesser , Sharma Shivani , Tripathi Sandesh
Published: November 2024

The mix design of concrete is an important aspect that affects its strength and durability. This paper aims to revisit the existing mix design method given in IS 10262:2019 through a capacity-based approach. The approach involves identifying the possible failure modes in concrete and eliminating the undesirable ones leading to significant reduction in dispersion. This is accomplished by utilizing coarse aggregates that meet a specific minimum strength requirement or threshold (e.g., ~ 77 MPa for M95 grade of concrete), which is determined through a priori estimating the cohesion and friction angle of the concrete. The methodology to estimate the cohesion and friction angle from a single unconfined compression test is proposed based on the Mohr–Coulomb theory and using the orientation of failure plane of fractured specimen as a supplemental information from the same experiment. This paper also offers a simple and approximate test procedure to estimate the aggregate's compressive strength (~ 106 MPa in this mix design) reasonably which is essential for the capacity-based mix design. An experimental programme is also carried out to design the concrete mix using the proposed capacity-based approach. The results indicate that M95 concrete is achieved with a low standard deviation and coefficient of variation (~ 3%), falling in class of excellent quality control as per ACI 214R-11. This quality control is crucial in seismic structural design as variations in concrete strength is likely to negate the underlying principle of strong column–weak beam philosophy resulting in the triggering of undesirable shear modes of failure.
Thermoregulation and survival during sepsis: insights from the cecal ligation and puncture experimental model
Authors: Costa Luis H. A. , Trajano Isis P. , Passaglia Patricia , Branco Luiz G. S.
Published: November 2024

Background

Sepsis remains a major global health concern due to its high prevalence and mortality. Changes in body temperature (Tb), such as hypothermia or fever, are diagnostic indicators and play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. This study aims to characterize the thermoregulatory mechanisms during sepsis using the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model and explore how sepsis severity and ambient temperature (Ta) influence Tb regulation and mortality. Rats were subjected to mild or severe sepsis by CLP while housed at thermoneutral (28 °C) or subthermoneutral (22 °C) Ta, and their Tb was monitored for 12 h. Blood and hypothalamus were collected for cytokines and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) analysis.

Results

At 28 °C, febrile response magnitude correlated with sepsis severity and inflammatory response, with tail vasoconstriction as the primary heat retention mechanism. At 22 °C, Tb was maintained during mild sepsis but dropped during severe sepsis, linked to reduced UCP1 expression in brown adipose tissue and less effective vasoconstriction. Despite differences in thermoregulatory responses, both Ta conditions induced a persistent inflammatory response and increased hypothalamic PGE2 production. Notably, mortality in severe sepsis was significantly higher at 28 °C (80%) compared to 22 °C (0%).

Conclusions

Our findings reveal that ambient temperature and the inflammatory burden critically influence thermoregulation and survival during early sepsis. These results emphasize the importance of considering environmental factors in preclinical sepsis studies. Although rodents in experimental settings are often adapted to cold environments, these conditions may not fully translate to human sepsis, where cold adaptation is rare. Thus, researchers should carefully consider these variables when designing experiments and interpreting translational implications.

Graphical Abstract
Orbital timescale CaCO3 burial and dissolution changes off the Chilean margin in the subantarctic Pacific over the past 140 kyr
Authors: Kasuya Takuto , Okazaki Yusuke , Iwasaki Shinya , Nagashima Kana , Kimoto Katsunori , Lamy Frank , Hagemann Julia R. , Lembke-Jene Lester , Arz Helge W. , Murayama Masafumi , Lange Carina B. , Harada Naomi
Published: November 2024

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolution at the Southern Ocean seafloor has hypothetically contributed to lowering the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration by increasing ocean alkalinity during glacial periods. We present new CaCO3 burial and dissolution records from two sediment cores obtained off the Chilean margin in the subantarctic SE Pacific and covering the past 140 kyr since Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6. These records include CaCO3 contents and mass accumulation rates, and microfossil-based analysis results, including fragmentation ratios, sieve-based weights (SBWs), and ultrastructural observations of planktic foraminiferal tests. Our bulk CaCO3-based analyses and Globorotalia inflata SBWs revealed three major CaCO3 dissolution events during colder stages of MIS 5d and 5b and at the MIS 5/4 boundary that are traceable events in the eastern South Pacific along the Chilean margin and in the Drake Passage. Furthermore, CaCO3 burial exhibited pronounced glacial/interglacial fluctuations, with almost no burial during glacials (MIS 6, 4, 3, and 2) and recovery during interglacials (MIS 5e and 1) and early glacials (MIS 5d–a). This pattern agrees with previous observations over a wide area of the Southern Ocean, except in the deep Cape Basin > 4600 m in the South Atlantic Ocean. Considering that our sites were located upstream of the Drake Passage, the Circumpolar Deep Water, which was influenced by carbon-rich Pacific Deep Water, likely propagated from the subantarctic eastern Pacific to the South Atlantic at least at depths of ~ 3000 to ~ 4000 m and decreased CaCO3 burial during glacials. These findings supported the importance of carbonate compensation in the Southern Ocean for the carbon cycle on the glacial/interglacial timescale.
Impact of salmon farming in the antibiotic resistance and structure of marine bacterial communities from surface seawater of a northern Patagonian area of Chile
Authors: Ortiz-Severín Javiera , Hodar Christian , Stuardo Camila , Aguado-Norese Constanza , Maza Felipe , González Mauricio , Cambiazo Verónica
Published: November 2024

Background

Aquaculture and salmon farming can cause environmental problems due to the pollution of the surrounding waters with nutrients, solid wastes and chemicals, such as antibiotics, which are used for disease control in the aquaculture facilities. Increasing antibiotic resistance in human-impacted environments, such as coastal waters with aquaculture activity, is linked to the widespread use of antibiotics, even at sub-lethal concentrations. In Chile, the world's second largest producer of salmon, aquaculture is considered the primary source of antibiotics residues in the coastal waters of northern Patagonia. Here, we evaluated whether the structure and diversity of marine bacterial community, the richness of antibiotic resistance bacteria and the frequency of antibiotic resistance genes increase in communities from the surface seawater of an area with salmon farming activities, in comparison with communities from an area without major anthropogenic disturbance.

Results

The taxonomic structure of bacterial community was significantly different between areas with and without aquaculture production. Growth of the culturable fraction under controlled laboratory conditions showed that, in comparison with the undisturbed area, the bacterial community from salmon farms displayed a higher frequency of colonies resistant to the antibiotics used by the salmon industry. A higher adaptation to antibiotics was revealed by a greater proportion of multi-resistant bacteria isolated from the surface seawater of the salmon farming area. Furthermore, metagenomics data revealed a significant higher abundance of antibiotic resistant genes conferring resistance to 11 antibiotic families in the community from salmon farms, indicating that the proportion of bacteria carrying the resistance determinants was overall higher in salmon farms than in the undisturbed site.

Conclusions

Our results revealed an association between bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance from surface seawater of a coastal area of Chile. Although the total bacterial community may appear comparable between sites, the cultivation technique allowed to expose a higher prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the salmon farming area. Moreover, we demonstrated that metagenomics (culture-independent) and phenotypic (culture-dependent) methods are complementary to evaluate the bacterial communities’ risk for antibiotic resistance, and that a human—influenced environment (such as salmon farms) can potentiate bacteria to adapt to environmental stresses, such as antibiotics.