bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between adverse childhood experiences and pregnancy morbidities: A nationwide online‐based cross‐sectional study
Authors: Maeda Yuto , Tabuchi Takahiro , Fujiwara Takeo
Published: October 2024

Objective

To examine the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and pregnancy morbidities, including preterm birth (PTB), gestational diabetes (GDM), preeclampsia, and small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) among the general population in Japan.

Methods

The data were from the JACSIS study, an online‐based nationwide survey conducted from July to August 2021 in Japan (N = 5444). ACEs included physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, neglect, childhood poverty, bully victimization, domestic violence, parental death, and parental divorce. Pregnancy morbidities, including PTB, GDM, preeclampsia, and SGA were identified through questionnaires. A multivariable logistic regression model was applied.

Results

Of 5444 women, 2778 (51.0%) had no ACEs, and 374 (6.9%) had four or more ACEs. A dose–response association was found between total ACE score and PTB and preeclampsia (p‐value: 0.016 and 0.001). Women with four or more ACE scores showed higher risks of preeclampsia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] [95% confidence interval, CI]: 3.06 [1.57–5.94], p‐value: 0.001). Besides, those with two or three ACEs had higher risks of PTB (aOR [95%CI]: 1.42 [1.01–2.02], p‐value: 0.046, and aOR [95%CI]: 1.61 [1.04–2.50], p‐value: 0.041), and women with one ACE showed a higher risk of GDM (aOR [95%CI]: 1.34 [1.02–1.77], p‐value: 0.035). SGA was not associated with ACEs.

Conclusion

ACEs were associated with an increased risk of PTB, preeclampsia, and GDM, but not SGA among the general population in Japan.
The hidden histories of the Pinochet case
Authors: SUGARMAN DAVID
Published: October 2024

The world's imagination was caught by the 1998 arrest in London of General Augusto Pinochet on charges of egregious human rights crimes and the 16‐month battle to extradite him to Madrid. For the first time, a former head of state had, while travelling abroad, been arrested on such charges, with his claim to immunity being rejected by a national court. The case's notoriety increased when Lord Hoffman, a judge when it first came before the Law Lords, did not publicly disclose his links with Amnesty International, an intervenor in the proceedings. Pinochet's release on health grounds compounded the controversy. This article reveals hidden histories behind the Pinochet case, advancing our understanding of its progression and wider significance. It illuminates the relationship between law and politics, the role of personal views and judicial creativity in the UK's top court, the ways in which law operates in practice, and its promises and limitations.
Embodiment of sexuality by Israeli Sign Language signers and hearing Hebrew speakers
Authors: Stamp Rose , Ben Israel Adi , Eden Klil , Khatib Lilyana , Karpova Vera , Hel Or Hagit
Published: October 2024

Language is a key resource for speakers and signers to index different aspects of their social identities, such as their ethnicities and sexualities. Yet, for users of sign language – who exploit movements of the hands, face, head and torso for linguistic purposes – it is often assumed that any communicative movement of the body is part of a sign language rather than a general feature of the body's potential to communicate social meaning, shared by hearing and deaf individuals. In this study, we test this claim by comparing the movement features produced by gay and straight Israeli Sign Language signers to the gestural movements produced by gay and straight Hebrew speakers. The findings reveal that deaf gay signers and hearing gay gesturers exploit similar movements of the body. By incorporating the notion of embodiment into sign language sociolinguistics, we can better conceptualize the relationship between sign language and social identities.
Soybean Agglutinin Induced Apoptotic Effects by Down‐Regulating ANXA2 Through FAK Pathway in IPEC‐J2 Cells
Authors: E Tianjiao , Xu Chengyu , Fan Xiapu , Liu Jiawei , Zhao Jinpeng , Bao Nan , Zhao Yuan , Farouk Mohammed Hamdy , Ji Yun , Wu Zhenlong , Pan Li , Qin Guixin
Published: October 2024

Soybean agglutinin (SBA) is an anti‐nutritional factor in soybean, possesses toxic effects by binding to intestinal epithelial cells, and finally interferes the digestion and absorption of nutrients in humans and animals. Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is one of the SBA‐specific binding proteins in intestinal epithelial cells and participates in multiple cellular biological processes. However, whether SBA affects apoptosis through ANXA2 and its apoptosis‐related pathway remains unclear. IPEC‐J2 is an ideal model to study human intestinal health. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of ANXA2 on SBA‐induced intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis and the related pathway mechanism using IPEC‐J2 as a cell model. The results showed that SBA induced the apoptosis through FAK signal pathway and decreased the gene and protein expressions of ANXA2 in IPEC‐J2. The expression of ANXA2 protein had a negative correlation with the apoptosis rates, and a positive correlation with the expression of FAK protein and FAK pathway downstream proteins. In conclusion, SBA induced apoptosis of IPEC‐J2 cells by downregulating the expression of ANXA2, which activated the FAK pathway. These findings highlight the toxic mechanism of SBA, which will provide basis for studying the toxicity mechanisms of other food‐derived anti‐nutrients and provide a new perspective for human gastrointestinal health and related cancer treatment.
Transcriptome Analysis of Porphyromonas gingivalis Lipopolysaccharide‐Induced Early Gene Expression in Human Gingival Keratinocytes
Authors: Ostadkarampour Mahyar , Putnins Edward E.
Published: October 2024

Aim

Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (PgLPS) is a significant virulence factor and a driver of early innate immune responses in epithelial cells. The presence of PgLPS in immediate proximity to gingival epithelium induces significant inflammatory responses. In primary human gingival keratinocytes (HGK), we utilized transcriptome analysis to elucidate the change in early gene expression induced by PgLPS.

Methods

HGK cell cultures were treated with PgLPS (4 h), and RNA was extracted and prepared for RNA sequence (RNAseq) analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and potential interactions between these genes were subsequently examined using gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analytic approaches to identify significantly enriched pathways. Expression of genes associated with relevant pathways was evaluated using real‐time quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR).

Results

RNAseq analysis identified 25 DEGs, and GO and KEGG analytic approaches showed related genes expressed in two general pathways. First, pathways broadly related to urokinase and coagulation included the genes PLAU, PLAUR, and SerpinB2. In RT‐qPCR analysis, these genes were induced by PgLPS over time (4–24 h), and these data were consistent with PgLPS induction of cell migration. Second, interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) receptor binding and cytokine‐activity pathways were also enriched. Genes associated with these pathways included IL36G, IL1B, IL1RN, and CXCL14. RT‐qPCR analysis confirmed PgLPS induction of genes associated with the IL‐1family. When expression of IL1B and IL36G genes was examined in relation to their respective antagonists, only IL36G gene expression was increased. CXCL14 gene expression was reduced over time, and this was consistent with RNAseq analysis.

Conclusions

Genes associated with significantly enriched GO and KEGG pathways are relevant to aspects of periodontal disease (PDD) pathogenesis. First, PgLPS induced expression of PLAU, PLAUR, and SerpinB2, and these changes were consistent with an increase in cell migration that was found. Second, both IL36G and IL1B gene expression was significantly induced, but only IL36G in relation to its selective antagonist (IL36RN) was increased. These data support that early upregulation of IL36G may serve as an alarmin that can drive early innate immune inflammatory responses in HGK. Further in vivo testing of these findings is ongoing.
Estimating Prevalence and Number of People With Chronic Hepatitis B: A Multiplier Method Based on Public Health Surveillance Data in UK (2015–2021)
Authors: Simmons Ruth , Harris Ross , Lim Aaron G. , Leeman David , Ramsay Mary E. , Hickman Matthew , Mandal Sema
Published: October 2024

Estimates of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevalence and critically the amount of infection that is undiagnosed or unlinked to care are uncertain—even in countries like UK where vertical transmission and overall prevalence are very low. In the absence of country of birth data, we aim to estimate HBV prevalence through combining public health surveillance data on antenatally screened women by ethnic group and multipliers generated from non‐antenatally screened populations by ethnic group with English population denominators. Of 714,287 women aged 16–49 years with ethnic group data tested as part of antenatal care between 2015 and 2021, 4174 (0.6%) were HBsAg‐positive; 94% in people of ethnic groups other than White British. Of 1,447,467 people tested for HBsAg with ethnic group data from other testing sources (primary and secondary care excluding occupational health and renal services), 27,628 (1.9%) were HBsAg‐positive; 87% in people of ethnic groups other than White British. We estimate that the overall number and prevalence of people with chronic hepatitis B in England is 268,767 (95% CI: 227,896–314,044) and 0.58% (95% CI: 0.50–0.68). Approximately two‐thirds were male, one‐third female, and 68% were aged under 50. We estimate that over 83% of HBV infections are in people of ethnic groups other than White British, with 23% in people from Black ethnic groups, 21% from other White ethnic groups and 19% in Asian ethnic groups. These estimates are the first step towards establishing whether England can meet World Health Organisation targets to eliminate HBV as a public health problem—using methods that can also be used by other countries.
Rethinking the life of court dwarfs in early modern Florence: the case of Pietro Barbino at the Medici court☆
Authors: McBryde Sarah
Published: October 2024

Court dwarfs were a feature of aristocratic entourages across Europe from the Medieval period until the eighteenth century and their presence is recorded in both contemporary artworks and written sources. Traditionally, it has been assumed that these courtly attendants functioned solely as jester‐buffoons who were exploited and humiliated by their patrons, but is this assumption accurate? By recovering the forgotten histories of this significant group of court staff, new perspectives emerge on the lives of court dwarfs and the various roles they undertook, beyond their conventional role as jesters. This article examines the case of Pietro Barbino, a dwarf attendant at the Medici court in sixteenth‐century Florence, who was the subject of a portrait by the court sculptor Valerio Cioli. Information from archival sources about Barbino's life, both inside and outside the court, corresponds with Giorgio Vasari's description of him as ‘a gifted dwarf, well‐lettered, a very gentle spirit and a favourite of our Duke’ (Lives of the Artists, 1568). Barbino's story suggests that, at least in some instances, dwarf attendants were involved with more erudite aspects of courtly entertainment and were able to achieve a measure of personal autonomy within the complex hierarchy of the court system.
Celebrating the research career of Douglas Nelson
Authors: Egger Peter , Francois Joseph , Hoekman Bernard , Lovely Mary
Published: October 2024

This special issue celebrates Prof. Douglas Nelson's body of research. It comprises articles by many of his co‐authors, colleagues and students. They address two broad themes: the interplay between trade and investment flows and employment and equity on the one hand and the interaction between trade‐related policies and patterns of trade and investment on the other.
Personalized Model‐Driven Interventions for Decisions From Experience
Authors: Cranford Edward A. , Lebiere Christian , Gonzalez Cleotilde , Aggarwal Palvi , Somers Sterling , Mitsopoulos Konstantinos , Tambe Milind
Published: October 2024

Cognitive models that represent individuals provide many benefits for understanding the full range of human behavior. One way in which individual differences emerge is through differences in knowledge. In dynamic situations, where decisions are made from experience, models built upon a theory of experiential choice (instance‐based learning theory; IBLT) can provide accurate predictions of individual human learning and adaptivity to changing environments. Here, we demonstrate how an instance‐based learning (IBL) cognitive model, implemented in a cognitive architecture (Adaptive Control of Thought–Rational), can be used to model an individual's decisions in a cybersecurity defense task, accounting for both population average and individual variances. The same IBL model structure with identical architectural parameters generates the full range of human behavior through stochastic memory retrieval processes operating over and contributing to unique experiences. Recurrence quantification analyses allow us to look beyond average behavior between and within individuals to sequential patterns of trial‐to‐trial behavior. We show how model‐tracing and knowledge‐tracing techniques can be used to align the model to an individual in real time to drive adaptive and personalized signaling algorithms for a cybersecurity defense system. We also present a method for introspecting into the cognitive model to gain further insight into the cognitive salience of features factored into individual decisions. The combination of techniques provides a blueprint for personalized modeling of individuals. We discuss the results and implications of this adaptive and personalized method for cybersecurity defense and more generally for intelligent artifacts tailored to individual differences in domains such as human–machine teaming.
UBC18 E2 conjugating enzyme depends on SINAT1 E3 ligase to destabilize the ESCRT component FREE1 in plant iron deficiency responses
Authors: Liu Chuanliang , Zhang Tianrui , Liu Weijie , Xiao Zhidan , Yang Chao , Peng Changlian , Gao Caiji , Shen Wenjin , Li Hongbo
Published: October 2024

E2 ubiquitin‐conjugating enzymes play a crucial role in the ubiquitination process by catalyzing ubiquitin transfer. Although the function of ubiquitin‐protein ligases (E3s) in plants response to diverse abiotic stress by targeting specific substrates has been well studied, the involvement of E2s in environmental responses and their downstream targets are not well understood. In this study, we demonstrated that the E2 ubiquitin‐conjugating enzyme 18 (UBC18) influences the stability of FREE1 to modulate iron deficiency stress. UBC18 affects the ubiquitination of FREE1 and promotes its degradation, and overexpression of UBC18 decreases plants’ sensitivity to iron deficiency by reducing FREE1 level, whereas the ubc18 mutant exhibits sensitivity due to elevated FREE1 accumulation. This study also identified that lysine residues K227, K295, K315, and K540 are required for FREE1 ubiquitination and stability regulation. Mutating these lysine residues in FREE1 resulted in plants’ sensitivity to iron starvation. Taken together, our findings shed light on the mechanism of UBC18 in responding to iron deficiency stress by modulating the abundance of FREE1, and further elucidate the role of ubiquitination sites in FREE1 stability regulation and the plant iron deficiency response.
An Inverse recursive algorithm to retrieve the shape of the inaccessible dielectric objects
Authors: Sefer Ahmet
Published: October 2024

A regularized electromagnetic iterative inverse algorithm is formulated and implemented to reconstruct the shape of 2D dielectric objects using the far-field pattern of the scattered field data. To achieve this, an integral operator that maps the unknown boundary of the object onto the far-field pattern of the scattered field is defined and solved for the unknown boundary. The addressed inverse problem has an ill-posed nature and inherits nonlinearity. To overcome these, the proposed solution is linearized via Newton and regularized by Tikhonov in the sense of least squares. Besides, the dominance of the shadow region in the inverse-imaging process is exceeded by considering the superposition of multi-incoming plane waves, leading to less computational cost and a very fast inversion process. Comprehensive numerical analyses are carried out to ascertain the algorithm's feasibility, revealing that it is very efficient and promising.
Ramos Sucre: un montaje en retaguardia
Authors: Castro Juan Cristóbal
Published: October 2024

En el siguiente trabajo se propone repensar la obra del poeta venezolano José Antonio Ramos Sucre cuya obra puede servir como modelo de un tipo de montaje textual, literario, que se dio a comienzo del siglo XX. Un montaje que se valía del archivo cultural occidental para desarmarlo, desposeerlo. De ahí que se proponga trabajar la noción de anacronismo, tan revivida en estos tiempos por importantes teóricos como Aby Warburg, para inscribir esta propuesta junto a otras apuestas latinoamericanas.
Remote sensing and computer vision for marine aquaculture
Authors: Quaade Sebastian , Vallebueno Andrea , Alcabes Olivia D. N. , Rodolfa Kit T. , Ho Daniel E.
Published: October 2024

Aquaculture, the cultivation of aquatic plants and animals, has grown rapidly since the 1990s, but sparse, self-reported, and aggregated production data limit the effective understanding and monitoring of the industry’s trends and potential risks. Building on a manual survey of aquaculture production from remote sensing imagery, we train a computer vision model to identify marine aquaculture cages from aerial and satellite imagery and generate a spatially explicit dataset of finfish production locations in the French Mediterranean from 2000 to 2021 including 4010 cages (average cage area, 69 square meters). We demonstrate the value of our method as an easily adaptable, cost-effective approach that can improve the speed and reliability of aquaculture surveys and enables downstream analyses relevant to researchers and regulators. We illustrate its use to compute independent estimates of production and develop a flexible framework to quantify uncertainty in these estimates. Overall, our study presents an efficient, scalable, and adaptable method for monitoring aquaculture production from remote sensing imagery.
Pathogens from salmon aquaculture in relation to conservation of wild Pacific salmon in Canada
Authors: Krkosek Martin , Bateman Andrew W. , Bass Arthur L. , Bugg William S. , Connors Brendan M. , Deeg Christoph M. , Di Cicco Emiliano , Godwin Sean , Grimm Jaime , Krichel Leila , Mordecai Gideon , Morton Alexandra , Peacock Stephanie , Shea Dylan , Riddell Brian , Miller Kristina M.
Published: October 2024

The spread of pathogens from farmed salmon is a conservation concern for wild Pacific salmon in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Three pathogens are prevalent in farmed Atlantic salmon in BC, spill over to wild Pacific salmon, and are linked to negative impacts on wild salmon: Piscine orthoreovirus,
Tenacibaculum
spp., and sea lice (
Lepeophtheirus salmonis
). Molecular screening of infectious agents in farmed and wild salmon and environmental DNA highlights a further 4 agents that are likely elevated near salmon farms and 37 that co-occur in wild and farmed salmon. Pathogens likely affect wild salmon indirectly by mediating migration, competition, and predation. Current net-pen aquaculture practices pose these risks to numerous populations of all species of wild salmon in BC, most of which are not covered in Government of Canada science and advisory reports. Climate change, pathogen evolution, and changes to disease management and aquaculture regulations will influence future risks.
Disaggregating animal welfare risks in aquaculture
Authors: Chiang Chiawen , Franks Becca
Published: October 2024

Aquaculture, fueled partly by claims of supporting food security, is experiencing unprecedented growth. Framing aquaculture as a monolith, however, overlooks its extreme taxonomic diversity. This paper assesses the welfare risks associated with that diversity, establishing seven species-level risk factors from involved parental care to long lifespans. Investigating these welfare risks across all aquatic species reported to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed an uneven distribution of risk, with extreme species-level risks in chordates, crustaceans, and cephalopod mollusks. Compared to species with fewer risks, species with extreme welfare risks were found to cost more and contribute the least to global production. This work challenges the notion that prioritizing animal welfare is incompatible with addressing food security and creates the possibility of identifying certain plant and invertebrate species, like seaweeds and bivalves, that minimize welfare concerns while providing affordability and accessibility. Going forward, proactive welfare approaches are needed to inform consumer choice and shape just and sustainable aquaculture policy.
Feeding global aquaculture
Authors: Roberts Spencer , Jacquet Jennifer , Majluf Patricia , Hayek Matthew N.
Published: October 2024

The growth of animal aquaculture requires ever more feed. Yet, fish and crustacean farming is argued to be sustainable because wild fish use is low and has improved over time. Here, accounting for trimmings and by-products from wild fish in aquaculture feed, and using four different sources of industry-reported feed composition data, we find ratios of fish inputs to farmed outputs of 0.36 to 1.15—27 to 307% higher than a previous estimate of 0.28. Furthermore, a metric that incorporates wild fish mortality during capture and excludes unfed systems raises the wild fish mortality–to–farmed fish output ratio to 0.57 to 1.78. We also evaluate terrestrial ingredients in aquaculture feeds. Widely cited estimates of declines in wild fish use from 1997 to 2017 entailed a trade-off of more than fivefold increase in feed crops over the same period. Our assessment challenges the sustainability of fed aquaculture and its role in food security.
Acoustic pipette and biofunctional elastomeric microparticle system for rapid picomolar-level biomolecule detection in whole blood
Authors: Thome Cooper P. , Fowle John P. , McDonnell Parker , Zultak Johanna , Jayaram Kaushik , Neumann Aaron K. , López Gabriel P. , Shields C. Wyatt
Published: October 2024

Most biosensing techniques require complex processing steps that generate prolonged workflows and introduce potential points of error. Here, we report an acoustic pipette to purify and label biomarkers in 70 minutes. A key aspect of this technology is the use of functional negative acoustic contrast particles (fNACPs), which display biorecognition motifs for the specific capture of biomarkers from whole blood. Because of their large size and compressibility, the fNACPs robustly trap along the pressure antinodes of a standing wave and separate from blood components in under 60 seconds with >99% efficiency. fNACPs are subsequently fluorescently labeled in the pipette and are analyzed by both a custom, portable fluorimeter and flow cytometer. We demonstrate the detection of anti-ovalbumin antibodies from blood at picomolar levels (35 to 60 pM) with integrated controls showing minimal nonspecific adsorption. Overall, this system offers a simple and versatile approach for the rapid, sensitive, and specific capture of biomolecules.
Secreted Apoe rewires melanoma cell state vulnerability to ferroptosis
Authors: More Sanket , Bonnereau Julie , Wouters David , Spotbeen Xander , Karras Panagiotis , Rizzollo Francesca , Killian Theo , Venken Tom , Naulaerts Stefan , Vervoort Ellen , Ganne Maarten , Nittner David , Verhoeven Jelle , Bechter Oliver , Bosisio Francesca , Lambrechts Diether , Sifrim Alejandro , Stockwell Brent R. , Swinnen Johannes V. , Marine Jean Christophe , Agostinis Patrizia
Published: October 2024

A major therapeutic barrier in melanoma is the coexistence of diverse cellular states marked by distinct metabolic traits. Transitioning from a proliferative to an invasive melanoma phenotype is coupled with increased ferroptosis vulnerability. However, the regulatory circuits controlling ferroptosis susceptibility across melanoma cell states are unknown. In this work, we identified Apolipoprotein E (
APOE
) as the top lipid-metabolism gene segregating the melanoma MITF
high
/AXL
low
proliferative/ferroptosis-resistant from MITF
low
/AXL
high
invasive/ferroptosis-sensitive state. Mechanistically, ApoE secreted by the MITF
high
/AXL
low
cells protects the invasive phenotype from ferroptosis-inducing agents by reducing the content of peroxidation-prone polyunsaturated fatty acids and boosting GPX4 levels both in vitro and in vivo. Whole-exome sequencing indicates that
APOE
high
expression in patients with melanoma is associated with resistance to ferroptosis, regardless of
APOE
germline status. In aggregate, we found a ferroptosis-resistance mechanism between melanoma cell states relying on secreted ApoE and
APOE
high
expression as a potential biomarker for poor ferroptosis response in melanoma.
An Omni-Mesoscope for multiscale high-throughput quantitative phase imaging of cellular dynamics and high-content molecular characterization
Authors: Ma Hongqiang , Chen Maomao , Xu Jianquan , Yang Yaxin , Zhao Yongxin , Liu Yang
Published: October 2024

The mesoscope has emerged as a powerful imaging tool in biomedical research, yet its high cost and low resolution have limited its broader application. Here, we introduce the Omni-Mesoscope, a high–spatial-temporal and multimodal mesoscopic imaging platform built from cost-efficient off-the-shelf components. This system uniquely merges the capabilities of label-free quantitative phase microscopy to capture live-cell morphodynamics across thousands of cells with highly multiplexed fluorescence imaging for comprehensive molecular characterization. This Omni-Mesoscope offers a mesoscale field of view of ~5 square millimeters with a high spatial resolution down to 700 nanometers, enabling the capture of detailed subcellular features. We demonstrate its capability in delineating molecular characteristics underlying rare morphodynamic cellular phenomena, including cancer cell responses to chemotherapy and the emergence of polyploidy in drug-resistant cells. We also integrate expansion technique to enhance three-dimensional volumetric super-resolution imaging of thicker tissues, opening the avenues for biological exploration at unprecedented scales and resolutions.
Global mantle perturbations following the onset of modern plate tectonics
Authors: Chen Qian , Liu He , Giuliani Andrea , Doucet Luc S. , Johnson Tim E. , Zhang Lipeng , Sun Weidong
Published: October 2024

Plate tectonics drives the compositional diversity of Earth’s convecting mantle through subduction of lithosphere. In this context, the role of evolving global geodynamics and plate (re)organization on the spatial and temporal distribution of compositional heterogeneities in the convecting mantle is poorly understood. Here, using the geochemical compositions of intracontinental basalts formed over the past billion years, we show that intracontinental basalts with subchondritic initial neodymium-144/neodymium-143 values become common only after 300 million years, broadly coeval with the global appearance of kimberlites with geochemically enriched isotopic signatures. These step changes in the sources of intraplate magmatism stem from a rapid increase in the supply of deeply subducted lithosphere during the protracted formation of Pangea following the widespread onset of “modern” (cold and deep) subduction in the late Neoproterozoic. We argue that the delay (~300 million years) in the appearance of enriched intraplate magmas reflects the time required for the sinking and (re)incorporation of slabs into the sources of mantle-derived magmas.
Seasonal slow slip in landslides as a window into the frictional rheology of creeping shear zones
Authors: Finnegan Noah J. , Saffer Demian M.
Published: October 2024

Whether Earth materials exhibit frictional creep or catastrophic failure is a crucial but unresolved problem in predicting landslide and earthquake hazards. Here, we show that field-scale observations of sliding velocity and pore water pressure at two creeping landslides are explained by velocity-strengthening friction, in close agreement with laboratory measurements on similar materials. This suggests that the rate-strengthening friction commonly measured in clay-rich materials may govern episodic slow slip in landslides, in addition to tectonic faults. Further, our results show more generally that transient slow slip can arise in velocity-strengthening materials from modulation of effective normal stress through pore pressure fluctuations. This challenges the idea that episodic slow slip requires a narrow range of transitional frictional properties near the stability threshold, or pore pressure feedbacks operating on initially unstable frictional slip.
Transparency in aquaculture subsidy reporting urgently needed
Authors: Sumaila U. Rashid
Published: October 2024

Aquaculture-producing countries should prioritize transparent reporting of the subsidies they provide to the sector.
High-tech guardians: Robotics at the heart of the Future Circular Collider
Authors: Gamper Hannes , Mueller Andreas , Di Castro Mario
Published: October 2024

A holistic robotic concept for inspection, maintenance, and emergency interventions for the Future Circular Collider is presented.
Melatonin receptor 1A variants as genetic cause of idiopathic osteoporosis
Authors: Bisikirska Brygida , Labella Rossella , Cuesta-Dominguez Alvaro , Luo Na , De Angelis Jessica , Mosialou Ioanna , Lin Chyuan-Sheng , Beck David , Lata Sneh , Shyu Peter Timothy , McMahon Donald J. , Guo Edward , Hagen Jacob , Chung Wendy K. , Shane Elizabeth , Cohen Adi , Kousteni Stavroula
Published: October 2024

Idiopathic osteoporosis (IOP) is a rare form of early-onset osteoporosis diagnosed in patients with no known metabolic or hormonal cause of bone loss and unknown pathogenesis. Patients with IOP commonly report both childhood fractures and family history of osteoporosis, raising the possibility of genetic etiologies of IOP. Whole-exome sequencing analyses of different IOP cohorts identified multiple variants in melatonin receptor 1A (
MTNR1A
) with a potential pathogenic outcome. A rare
MTNR1A
variant (rs374152717) was found in members of an Ashkenazi Jewish family with IOP, and an
MTNR1A
variant (rs28383653) was found in a nonrelated female IOP cohort (4%). Both variants occur at a substantially higher frequency in Ashkenazi Jewish individuals than in the general population. We investigated consequences of the heterozygous (rs374152717) variant [
MTNR1A
c.184+1G>T (
MTNR1A

c.
184+1G>T

)] on bone physiology. A mouse model of the human rs374152717 variant reproduced the low bone mass (BM) phenotype of young-adult patients with IOP. Low BM occurred because of induction of senescence in mutant osteoblasts followed by compromised differentiation and function. In human cells, introduction of rs374152717 led to translation of a nonfunctional protein and subsequent dysregulation of melatonin signaling. These studies provide evidence that
MTNR1A
mutations entail a genetic etiology of IOP and establish the rs374152717 variant as a loss-of-function allele that impairs bone turnover by inducing senescence in osteoblasts. The higher prevalence of the
MTNR1A
variants identified in IOP cohorts versus the general population indicates a greater risk of IOP in those carrying these variants, especially Ashkenazi Jewish individuals bearing the rs374152717 variant.
Rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants by molecular-clamping technology-based RT-qPCR
Authors: Shen Shuo , Fu Andrew Y. , Jamba Maidar , Li Jonathan , Cui Zhen , Pastor Larry , Cataldi Daniel , Sun Qing , Pathakamuri Joseph A. , Kuebler Daniel , Rohall Michael , Krohn Madison , Kissinger Daniel , Neves Jocelyn , Archibeque Isaac , Zhang Aiguo , Lu Chuanyi M. , Sha Michael Y.
Published: October 2024

Given the challenges that SARS-CoV-2 variants have caused in terms of rapid spread and reduced vaccine efficacy, a rapid and cost-effective assay that can detect new and emerging variants is greatly needed worldwide. We have successfully applied the xenonucleic acid-based molecular-clamping technology to develop a multiplex reverse-transcription quantitative real-time PCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 multivariant detection. The assay was used to test 649 nasopharyngeal swab samples that were collected for clinical diagnosis or surveillance. The assay was able to correctly identify all 36 Delta variant samples as it accurately detected the D614G, T478K, and L452R mutations. In addition, the assay was able to correctly identify all 34 Omicron samples by detecting the K417N, T478K, N501Y, and D614G mutations. This technique reliably detects a variety of variants and has an analytical sensitivity of 100 copies/mL. In conclusion, this novel assay can serve as a rapid and cost-effective tool to facilitate large-scale detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

IMPORTANCE

We have developed a multiplex reverse-transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) testing platform for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants using the xenonucleic acid (XNA)-based molecular-clamping technology. The XNA-based RT-qPCR assay can achieve high sensitivity with a limit of detection of about 100 copies/mL for variant detection which is much better than the next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay. Its turnaround time is about 4 hours with lower cost and a lot of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) labs own the instrument and meet skillset requirements. This assay provides a rapid, reliable, and cost-effective testing platform for rapid detection and monitoring of known and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. This testing platform can be adopted by laboratories that perform routine SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing, providing a rapid and cost-effective method in lieu of NGS-based assays, for detecting, differentiating, and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 variants. This assay is easily scalable to any new variant(s) should it emerge.
Exploring the relationship between sedimentary transport systems and basin dynamics: A case study from the Levant Basin (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) before, during, and after the Messinian
Authors: Moneron Jimmy , Gvirtzman Zohar , Karcz Zvi , Shitrit Omri , Sagy Yael , Aharonov Einat
Published: October 2024

Submarine channels serve as routes transporting sediments across hundreds of kilometers from continental margins to the deepest parts of a basin’s seafloor. Consequently, owing to the influential role of gravity in determining the flow direction, these channels typically follow the steepest sloping paths, making paleo-drainage systems essential in reconstructing basin dynamics over geological periods. This research aims to document the interrelationships between tectonic tilting, rapid deposition of salt, and delta sediment propagation on basin morphology and consequently on sedimentary transport orientation. Here, we examine how the interplay between these geological processes influenced the orientation of submarine channels in the Levant Basin, our case study, over ~10 m.y. During the late Miocene, sediments originating from the Levant continental margin were transported to the deep parts of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (i.e., the Herodotus Basin) via a tectonic valley active until the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Later, exceptionally fast burial by salt and subsequent truncation of this evaporitic layer produced a nearly horizontal seafloor that redirected the regional drainage toward the basin’s center, with no connection to the adjacent and much deeper Herodotus Basin. This drainage configuration did not last long since tilting of the basin northward toward the Cyprus subduction zone and northward propagation of the Nile delta have rapidly reshaped basin morphology, resulting in a rotation of major sedimentary routes in the area. From a broad perspective, this research not only exemplifies how rapid salt burial can reset a basin’s drainage system but also has implications for geodynamic and geomorphic processes in evaporite-bearing sedimentary basins within tectonically active areas.
Collapse of an early adolescent girl. Syncope? Simple or sinister?
Authors: Martin Graham , Cavaliere Chiara , Pandya Nikila , Balasubramanian Krishnan
Published: October 2024

An early adolescent girl presented to the emergency department (ED) of her local hospital following a syncopal episode after a warm bath on a background of increasing breathlessness for 1-year duration. On examination, she was fully alert, no pain or injuries from her syncope, she was warm and well perfused, her respiratory rate at rest was normal and she showed no signs of respiratory distress, there were no signs of seizure activity such as incontinence or tongue biting, she had a raised Jugular Venous Pressure (JVP), a loud pansystolic murmur, there was no cyanosis and no oedema. She was referred for a chest radiograph due to her history of breathlessness and for an ECG based on the examination findings of a murmur. Her ECG showed marked right axis deviation with tall T waves in V1 and P waves in lead II. Therefore, she was referred for an outpatient echocardiogram which demonstrated severely dilated right ventricular (RV) with impaired RV function. She was diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension.

Her history included red flag symptoms including worsening breathlessness and syncope. Syncopal episodes are common and mostly benign, that is, vasovagal, but attention to a detailed history including constitutional symptoms and examination is crucial to ensure appropriate investigations and management. While causes are commonly benign in paediatrics, it is important to ensure that there are no features of an underlying cause. This includes ruling out commonly seen paediatric presentations that could present as an unwitnessed syncopal episode and this should include seizures, anaemia, arrhythmias, hypotension, hypoglycaemia and pain. If other causes are not ruled out, it can lead to an incorrect diagnosis as found in this patient when she presented a further three times to ED while waiting for her tertiary appointment.
Endovascular repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm combined with aneurysmectomy and interposition bypass for left common femoral artery aneurysm
Authors: Vijayakumar Vishwaarth , Beeman Brian
Published: October 2024

Femoral artery aneurysms (FAAs) can occur in some patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. There is a lack of natural history studies in the published literature. Guidelines recommend FAA repair when symptomatic or larger than 2.5 cm in diameter to prevent aneurysm-related complications. The presence of intraluminal thrombus may also be a risk factor for these complications as well. We present a case of a male in his 70s who underwent simultaneous endovascular aortic repair and repair of his left FAA with no complications after surgery. We propose that these patients may benefit from combined repair by performing these procedures together.
Access to medicines among asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented migrants across the migratory cycle in Europe: a scoping review
Authors: Aljadeeah Saleh , Payedimarri Anil Babu , Kielmann Karina , Michielsen Joris , Wirtz Veronika J , Ravinetto Raffaella
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Access to essential medicines is a critical element of health systems and an important measure of their performance. Migrants may face barriers in accessing healthcare, including essential medicines, throughout the migration cycle, which includes the stages of departure from home or residence countries, transit through non-European or European countries, reception and settlement in a country in Europe and deportation. We aim to provide an overview of research and grey literature concerning access to essential medicines for asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented migrants in or heading to Europe (European Union, European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK).

Methods

To delineate and conceptualise access to medicines, we considered the definition of the Lancet Commission on Essential Medicines and the Pharmaceutical Management framework. These frameworks were combined to guide several critical steps in our review, including defining the search terms, data extraction, data analyses and reporting. Relevant studies and reports were identified through searches in bibliographic and grey literature databases.

Results

Out of 5760 studies and 66 grey literature reports, 108 met the inclusion criteria, with 72 focusing on medicine access. Overall, medicine use and medicine expenditure were found to be lower in migrant populations compared with the host population in many European countries. Although many studies focused on the use of infectious disease and psychotropic medicines, the most frequently used medicines by migrants were analgesics, hypertension and diabetes medicines. Determinants of medicine access were legal restrictions, language and transit times, which all contributed to interruption of and inequities in access to medicines among this population. This scoping review also indicated significant gaps in the literature regarding the evidence on access to medicine at different stages of the migration cycle, specifically in departure, transit and deportation stages.

Conclusion

Overall, our findings highlighted significant unmet medicine needs among migrants in or on the way to Europe and access disparities attributable to various interconnected barriers. Urgent access is needed to address such inequities, particularly legal barriers, including registration of certain medicines required for treatment. Future research should prioritise investigating medicine access during departure, transit and deportation stages. Policy discussions around migrants’ access to medicines should be centred on framing healthcare as a fundamental right.
Risk of repeat self-harm among individuals presenting to healthcare services: development and validation of a clinical risk assessment model (OxSET)
Authors: Fazel Seena , Vazquez-Montes Maria D L A , Lagerberg Tyra , Molero Yasmina , Walker Jane , Sharpe Michael , Larsson Henrik , Runeson Bo , Lichtenstein Paul , Fanshawe Thomas R
Published: October 2024

Background

A self-harm episode is a major risk factor for repeat self-harm. Existing tools to assess and predict repeat self-harm have major methodological limitations, and few are externally validated.

Objective

To develop and validate a risk assessment model of repeat self-harm up to 6 months after an episode of non-fatal self-harm that resulted in an emergency visit to hospital or specialised care.

Methods

Using Swedish national registers, we identified 53 172 people aged≥10 years who self-harmed during 2008–2012. We allocated 37 523 individuals to development (2820 or 7.5% repeat self-harm incidents within 6 months) and 15 649 to geographic validation (1373 repeat episodes) samples, based on region of residence. In a temporal validation of people who self-harmed during 2018–2019, we identified 25 036 individuals (2886 repeat episodes). We fitted a multivariable accelerated failure time model to predict risk of repeat self-harm.

Findings

In the external validations (n=40 685), rates of repeat self-harm were 8.8%–11.5% over 6 months. The final model retained 17 factors. Calibration and discrimination were similar in both validation samples, with observed-to-expected ratio=1.15 (95% CI=1.09 to 1.21) and c-statistic=0.72 (95% CI=0.70 to 0.73) in the geographical validation. At 6 months and a 10% risk cut-off, sensitivity was 51.5% (95% CI=48.8% to 54.2%) and specificity was 80.7% (95% CI=80.1% to 81.4%) in geographic validation; corresponding values were 56.9% (95% CI=55.1% to 58.7%) and 76.0% (95% CI=75.5% to 76.6%) in temporal validation. Discrimination was slightly worse at the 1-month prediction horizon (c-statistics of 0.66–0.68).

Conclusions

Using mostly routinely collected data, simple risk assessment models and tools can provide acceptable levels of accuracy for repeat of self-harm.

Clinical implications

This risk model (OXford SElf-harm repeat tool) may assist clinical decision-making.
Prevalence and characteristics of headache among medical students in Egypt: a multicentric cross-sectional study
Authors: Mohamed Rashad G , Sarhan Khalid , Kamel Basma , Almetwaly Rahma M , Fouda Eslam E , Meshref Mostafa , Bioumy Sara , Alemam Doaa , Ahmed Hebatalla A
Published: October 2024

Background

Headaches are one of the most common neurological disorders, ranging in severity from mild discomfort to a severe, debilitating condition. Headaches are particularly prevalent among medical students, which can be attributed to various factors such as psychological stressors, extensive studying, long hours of clinical rotations and high-pressure examination. This study aims to ascertain the prevalence of different types of headaches, along with analysing their associated clinical characteristics among medical students in Egypt.

Methods

A multicentric, descriptive questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted across five governmental faculties of medicine in Egypt from November 2022 to March 2023. Using a multistage random sampling method, 600 undergraduate students were selected to participate. Headache was diagnosed based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders.

Results

A total of 493 responses were included in the analysis; the prevalence of headache disorder was 264 (53.5%), with tension-type headaches (TTH) frequent episodic being the highest 89 (33.7%), while TTH chronic and migraine with aura were the least prevalent, accounting for 10 (3.8%) and 31 (11.7%), respectively. Women exhibited a higher overall headache prevalence (69.4%) compared with men (44.4%). A positive family history was found in 120 (45.5%) of students with headache. Lack of sleep and stress were the most frequently reported potential triggers for headaches. Out of 264 medical students, 171 (65%) took analgesics. Only 42 (24.6%) had a medical consultation, while most students 129 (75.4%) took over-the-counter medications.

Conclusion

Notably, headaches were prevalent in 264 (53.5%) of the respondents. TTH frequent and infrequent emerged as the most common headaches among medical students, followed by migraine without aura then migraine with aura. Participants were statistically different according to sex, faculty, academic year and living conditions. Alarmingly, despite the substantial prevalence, only 42 (24.6%) students sought medical consultation.