bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selecting patient-reported outcome measures: “what” and “for whom”
Authors: Liu Jason B , Rothrock Nan E , Edelen Maria O
Published: March 2024

Patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) are becoming more widely implemented across health care for important reasons. However, with thousands of PROMs available and the science of psychometrics becoming more widely applied in health measurement, choosing the right ones to implement can be puzzling. This article provides a framework of the different types of PROMs by organizing them into 4 categories based upon “what” is being measured and “from whom” the questions are asked: (1) condition-specific and domain-specific, (2) condition-specific and global, (3) universal and global, and (4) universal and domain-specific. We delve deeper into each category with clinical examples. This framework can empower health care leaders and policymakers to make more informed decisions when selecting the best PROMs to implement, ensuring PROMs deliver on their potential to promote high quality, patient-centered care.
Comprehension and usefulness of Spanish language health information about depression treatment
Authors: Manzor-Mitrzyk Beatriz , Lopez-Medina Ana I , Farris Karen B
Published: March 2024

US Latine adults who prefer the Spanish language for healthcare encounter communication have high risk of health disparitiesm in part from low organizational health literacy, mental health stigma and discrimination. Organizational health literacy includes the provision of culturally responsive, language concordant health information, which supports good comprehension and usefulness and could mitigate some health disparities. We conducted a pilot study to assess commonly provided patient health information handouts about depression treatment and antidepressant consumer medication information sheets. Thirty Latine adults with a Spanish language preference and a history of depression and antidepressant use participated in one phone interview. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to assess comprehension and usefulness of selected sections extracted verbatim from these documents. Overall, 83% (n = 25) participants reported that all sections were easy to understand, and 97% (n = 29) said that they were useful. Yet, responses to open-ended questions for 53% (n = 16) of participants revealed ‘confusing’ terminology in at least one section, and 10% (n = 3) expressed concerns about or misunderstood an idiomatic phrase as reinforcing mental health stigma. The seriousness of the organizational health literacy-based issues identified in this and previous studies require that government and health service organizations make necessary and timely revisions to address them.
Developmental Patterns Underlying Variation in Form and Function Exhibited by House Gecko Toe Pads
Authors: Griffing Aaron H , Gamble Tony , Behere Ashmika , Higham Timothy E , Keller Greta M , Resener John , Sanger Thomas J
Published: March 2024

Synopsis

Adhesive toe pads have evolved numerous times over lizard evolutionary history, most notably in geckos. Despite significant variation in adult toe pad morphology across independent origins of toe pads, early developmental patterns of toe pad morphogenesis are similar among distantly related species. In these distant phylogenetic comparisons, toe pad variation is achieved during the later stages of development. We aimed to understand how toe pad variation is generated among species sharing a single evolutionary origin of toe pads (house geckos—Hemidactylus). We investigated toe pad functional variation and developmental patterns in three species of Hemidactylus, ranging from highly scansorial (H. platyurus), to less scansorial (H. turcicus), to fully terrestrial (H. imbricatus). We found that H. platyurus generated significantly greater frictional adhesive force and exhibited much larger toe pad area relative to the other two species. Furthermore, differences in the offset of toe pad extension phase during embryonic development results in the variable morphologies seen in adults. Taken together, we demonstrate how morphological variation is generated in a complex structure during development and how that variation relates in important functional outcomes.
Educational inequalities in all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Japan: national census-linked mortality data for 2010–15
Authors: Tanaka Hirokazu , Katanoda Kota , Togawa Kayo , Kobayashi Yasuki
Published: March 2024

Background

Due to the lack of a national mortality inequality monitoring framework, the overall picture in Japan remains unclear. Here, we investigated educational inequalities in mortality and their cause-specific contribution in Japan.

Method

Data were obtained by linking the 2010 Japanese population census and death records between 1 October 2010 and 30 September 2015. We included 7 984 451 Japanese people aged 30–79 years who had a unique ‘matching key’ generated by sex, birth year/month, address (municipality), marital status and age of spouse (9.9% of the total census population). We computed population-weighted all-cause and cause-specific age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) by education level. In addition, we calculated the slope index of inequality (SII), relative index inequality (RII) by education level, and population attributable fraction (PAF) referenced with the highest education (e.g. university graduation).

Results

Individuals with less education had higher all-cause and cause-specific ASMRs than highly educated individuals. All-cause SII (per 100 000 person-years) values were 433 (95% CI: 410–457) for men and 235 (95% CI: 217–252) for women. RII values were 1.48 (95% CI: 1.45–1.51) for men and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.43–1.51) for women. Estimated PAFs, excess premature deaths caused by educational inequalities, were 11.6% for men and 16.3% for women, respectively. Cerebrovascular diseases, ischaemic heart diseases and lung cancer were the major contributors to mortality inequalities for both sexes.

Conclusions

This first census-based comprehensive report on cause-specific educational mortality inequalities suggested that differences in unfavourable health risk factors by educational background might be associated with these inequalities in Japan.
Disentangling the effects of sulfate and other seawater ions on microbial communities and greenhouse gas emissions in a coastal forested wetland
Authors: Bueno de Mesquita Clifton P , Hartman Wyatt H , Ardón Marcelo , Tringe Susannah G
Published: March 2024

Seawater intrusion into freshwater wetlands causes changes in microbial communities and biogeochemistry, but the exact mechanisms driving these changes remain unclear. Here we use a manipulative laboratory microcosm experiment, combined with DNA sequencing and biogeochemical measurements, to tease apart the effects of sulfate from other seawater ions. We examined changes in microbial taxonomy and function as well as emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in response to changes in ion concentrations. Greenhouse gas emissions and microbial richness and composition were altered by artificial seawater regardless of whether sulfate was present, whereas sulfate alone did not alter emissions or communities. Surprisingly, addition of sulfate alone did not lead to increases in the abundance of sulfate reducing bacteria or sulfur cycling genes. Similarly, genes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling responded more strongly to artificial seawater than to sulfate. These results suggest that other ions present in seawater, not sulfate, drive ecological and biogeochemical responses to seawater intrusion and may be drivers of increased methane emissions in soils that received artificial seawater addition. A better understanding of how the different components of salt water alter microbial community composition and function is necessary to forecast the consequences of coastal wetland salinization.
Role of Type VI secretion system in pathogenic remodeling of host gut microbiota during Aeromonas veronii infection
Authors: Jiang Xiaoli , Li Hanzeng , Ma Jiayue , Li Hong , Ma Xiang , Tang Yanqiong , Li Juanjuan , Chi Xue , Deng Yong , Zeng Sheng , Liu Zhu
Published: March 2024

Intestinal microbial disturbance is a direct cause of host disease. The bacterial Type VI secretion system (T6SS) often plays a crucial role in the fitness of pathogenic bacteria by delivering toxic effectors into target cells. However, its impact on the gut microbiota and host pathogenesis is poorly understood. To address this question, we characterized a new T6SS in the pathogenic Aeromonas veronii C4. First, we validated the secretion function of the core machinery of A. veronii C4 T6SS. Second, we found that the pathogenesis and colonization of A. veronii C4 is largely dependent on its T6SS. The effector secretion activity of A. veronii C4 T6SS not only provides an advantage in competition among bacteria in vitro, but also contributes to occupation of an ecological niche in the nutritionally deficient and anaerobic environment of the host intestine. Metagenomic analysis showed that the T6SS directly inhibits or eliminates symbiotic strains from the intestine, resulting in dysregulated gut microbiome homeostasis. In addition, we identified three unknown effectors, Tse1, Tse2, and Tse3, in the T6SS, which contribute to T6SS-mediated bacterial competition and pathogenesis by impairing targeted cell integrity. Our findings highlight that T6SS can remodel the host gut microbiota by intricate interplay between T6SS-mediated bacterial competition and altered host immune responses, which synergistically promote pathogenesis of A. veronii C4. Therefore, this newly characterized T6SS could represent a general interaction mechanism between the host and pathogen, and may offer a potential therapeutic target for controlling bacterial pathogens.
Development and internal validation of a dynamic fall risk prediction and monitoring tool in aged care using routinely collected electronic health data: a landmarking approach
Authors: Wabe Nasir , Meulenbroeks Isabelle , Huang Guogui , Silva Sandun Malpriya , Gray Leonard C , Close Jacqueline C T , Lord Stephen , Westbrook Johanna I
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Falls pose a significant challenge in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Existing falls prediction tools perform poorly and fail to capture evolving risk factors. We aimed to develop and internally validate dynamic fall risk prediction models and create point-based scoring systems for residents with and without dementia.

Materials and methods

A longitudinal cohort study using electronic data from 27 RACFs in Sydney, Australia. The study included 5492 permanent residents, with a 70%-30% split for training and validation. The outcome measure was the incidence of falls. We tracked residents for 60 months, using monthly landmarks with 1-month prediction windows. We employed landmarking dynamic prediction for model development, a time-dependent area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROCC) for model evaluations, and a regression coefficient approach to create point-based scoring systems.

Results

The model identified 15 independent predictors of falls in dementia and 12 in nondementia cohorts. Falls history was the key predictor of subsequent falls in both dementia (HR 4.75, 95% CI, 4.45-5.06) and nondementia cohorts (HR 4.20, 95% CI, 3.87-4.57). The AUROCC across landmarks ranged from 0.67 to 0.87 for dementia and from 0.66 to 0.86 for nondementia cohorts but generally remained between 0.75 and 0.85 in both cohorts. The total point risk score ranged from −2 to 57 for dementia and 0 to 52 for nondementia cohorts.

Discussion

Our novel risk prediction models and scoring systems provide timely person-centered information for continuous monitoring of fall risk in RACFs.

Conclusion

Embedding these tools within electronic health records could facilitate the implementation of targeted proactive interventions to prevent falls.
Black widow optimization for reducing the target uncertainties in localization wireless sensor networks
Authors: Ferrero-Guillén Rubén , Alija-Pérez José-Manuel , Martínez-Gutiérrez Alberto , Álvarez Rubén , Verde Paula , Díez-González Javier
Published: March 2024

Localization Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) represent a research topic with increasing interest due to their numerous applications. However, the viability of these systems is compromised by the attained localization uncertainties once implemented, since the network performance is highly dependent on the sensors location. The Node Location Problem (NLP) aims to obtain the optimal distribution of sensors for a particular environment, a problem already categorized as NP-Hard. Furthermore, localization WSN usually perform a sensor selection for determining which nodes are to be utilized for maximizing the achieved accuracy. This problem, defined as the Sensor Selection Problem (SSP), has also been categorized as NP-Hard. While different metaheuristics have been proposed for attaining a near optimal solution in both problems, no approach has considered the two problems simultaneously, thus resulting in suboptimal solutions since the SSP is biased by the actual node distribution once deployed. In this paper, a combined approach of both problems simultaneously is proposed, thus considering the SSP within the NLP. Furthermore, a novel metaheuristic combining the Black Widow Optimization (BWO) algorithm and the Variable Neighbourhood Descent Chains (VND-Chains) local search, denominated as BWO-VND-Chains, is particularly devised for the first time in the author’s best knowledge for the NLP, resulting in a more efficient and robust optimization technique. Finally, a comparison of different metaheuristic algorithms is proposed over an actual urban scenario, considering different sensor selection criteria in order to attain the best methodology and selection technique. Results show that the newly devised algorithm with the SSP criteria optimization achieves mean localization uncertainties up to 19.66 % lower than traditional methodologies.
Genetic characterization of 2 Ceutorhynchus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) weevils with mitogenomes and insights into the phylogeny and evolution of related weevils
Authors: Li Xinghao , Li Rufan , Rao Fuqiang , An Rong , Li Jianchang , Zhang Zhenlan , Li Yonghong , Liu Deguang
Published: March 2024

The rape stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus asper Roel.) and its close relatives primarily breed on cruciferous plants and cause severe damage to rapeseed production. However, their genetic and molecular information is still scarce. Here, we generated mitogenomes for both C. asper and Ceutorhynchus albosuturalis. The lengths of the 2 mitochondrial genomes are 14,207 bp (C. asper) and 15,373 bp (C. albosuturalis), and both weevils exhibit identical numbers of protein-coding genes with the absence of trnI. A + T contents for both mitogenomes are high (80% and 79.9%, respectively). Haplotype and genetic distance analyses showed that the genetic differentiation of C. asper populations in northwestern China is low. Based on 5 datasets from mitogenomes, phylogenetic analyses with maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods show that both species (C. asper and C. albosuturalis) fall in the CCCMS clade (Curculioninae, Conoderinae, Cossoninae, Molytinae, and Scolytinae) of Curculionidae and belong to clades H and I of the genus Ceutorhynchus, respectively. Larvae of the clade H weevils mainly are borers in petioles or stems of cruciferous plants, while larvae of the clade I weevils mainly inhabit the fruits of the same plants, suggesting that ecological niche specialization can play a critical role in the diversification of Ceutorhynchus species. This study generates baseline molecular and genetic information for future research of Ceutorhynchus-related taxa and provides insights into the phylogeny and evolution of Curculionidae.
Ciprofol alleviates remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia by regulating α2GABAARs, NR2B, and P-CaMKIIα levels in the spinal cord and hippocampus
Authors: Yang Yang , Yang Chao , Shi Yujie , Tang Chengyuan , Wang Hanyu , Tan Mengyuan , Xing Ruyi , Gao Chen , Zhang Min , Xie Yanhu
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Several studies have shown that propofol administration during surgery effectively attenuates remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia (RIH). Ciprofol, a novel intravenous sedative agent analogous to propofol, has not yet been proven efficacious in alleviating RIH. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of ciprofol on RIH and the possible mechanisms involved.

Methods

The RIH model was established by an infusion of remifentanil (1 μg·kg−1·min−1) 60 min in rats with incisional pain. Ciprofol (0.1, 0.25, and 0.4 mg·kg−1·min−1) was simultaneously infused to evaluate its effect on RIH. The antinociception of ciprofol was verified by measured paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) and paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL). γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor α2 subunit (α2GABAAR), N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor NR2B subunit (NR2B), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II α (CaMKIIα), and phosphorylated CaMKIIα (P-CaMKIIα) in the spinal cord and hippocampus of rats were assessed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

Key findings

The results showed that ciprofol dose-dependently increased PWMT and PWTL values in RIH rats. Moreover, ciprofol upregulated α2GABAAR and downregulated NR2B and P-CaMKIIα in the rat spinal cord and hippocampus.

Conclusions

Ciprofol alleviates RIH effectively, and the anti-hyperalgesic mechanisms may involve increasing α2GABAAR levels and decreasing NR2B and P-CaMKIIα levels in the spinal cord and hippocampus.
Estimating the timing of stillbirths in countries worldwide using a Bayesian hierarchical penalized splines regression model
Authors: Chong Michael Y C , Alexander Monica
Published: March 2024

Reducing the global burden of stillbirths is important to improving child and maternal health. Of interest is understanding patterns in the timing of stillbirths—that is, whether they occur before the onset of labour (antepartum) or during labour (intrapartum)—because stillbirths that occur intrapartum are largely preventable. However, data availability on the timing of stillbirths is highly variable across the world, with low- and middle-income countries generally having few reliable observations. In this paper, we develop a Bayesian penalized splines regression framework to estimate the proportion of stillbirths that are intrapartum for all countries worldwide. The model accounts for known relationships with neonatal mortality, pools information across geographic regions, incorporates different errors based on data attributes, and allows for data-driven temporal trends. A weighting procedure is proposed to account for unrepresentative subnational data. Results suggest that the intrapartum proportion is generally decreasing over time, but progress is slower in some regions, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa.
(PM-09) PIONEERING SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES IN NORTHEAST BRAZIL: AN EXPERIENTIAL ACCOUNT
Authors: Santos L A , Braga C M , Contin P R
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Sexual dysfunctions remain inadequately addressed in medical education, despite their prevalence and adverse impact on quality of life. In Brazil, there are scarce university-affiliated healthcare centers that focus on sexual health. These services play a critical role in diagnosing and managing sexual disorders and can be pivotal in the training of healthcare professionals, as well as in the advancement of research and outreach in sexual medicine.

Objective

To describe the experience of establishing two sexual health centers in university-affiliated hospitals in Northeastern Brazil.

Method

This is an experiential report detailing the establishment of two distinct sexual health services.

Results

Both sexual health services started in different general hospitals in 2021, founded by a male and a female psychiatrists, authors of this paper. The initiative was prompted by the lack of dedicated sexual health services and the awareness of substantial patient distress stemming from sexual issues. Activities include patient consultations, case discussions, sexology seminars, and research project development, involving medical students and resident physicians, integrated into the psychiatry residency curriculum Referrals come mainly from other hospital specialties, but external referrals are also accepted. Collaboration with other healthcare professionals occurs through the analysis of clinical cases.

Conclusion

The establishment of sexual health services within university-affiliated hospitals has a positive impact on patient care and contributes to the study of sexual medicine, an area often overlooked in medical education. Improvements are needed in patient recruitment, counter-referral procedures, and the systematic incorporation of medical student rotations. While these services hold promise, they require greater integration with other healthcare services and a closer collaboration with undergraduate medical education.

Financing

No conflict.
NACs strike again: NOR-like1 is responsible for cuticle development in tomato fruit
Authors: Gapper Nigel E
Published: March 2024

This article comments on:

Liu G-S, Huang H, Grierson D, Gao Y, Ji X, Peng Z-Z, Li H-L, Niu X-L, Jia W, He J-L, Xiang L-T, Gao H-Y, Qu G-Q, Zhu H-L, Zhu B-Z, Luo Y-B, Fu D-Q. 2024. NAC transcription factor SlNOR-like1 plays a dual regulatory role in tomato fruit cuticle formation. Journal of Experimental Botany 75, 1903–1918.
Breaking boundaries: a novel role for CUC genes in sex determination in cucurbits
Authors: Pelayo Margaret Anne , Wellmer Frank
Published: March 2024

This article comments on:

Segura M, García A, Gamarra G, Benítez A, Iglesias-Moya J, Martínez C, Jamilena M. 2024. An miR164-resistant mutation in the transcription factor gene CpCUC2B enhances carpel arrest and ectopic boundary specification in Cucurbita pepo flower development. Journal of Experimental Botany 75, 1948–1966.
Combining modeling and experimental approaches for developing rice–oil palm agroforestry systems
Authors: Perez Raphaël P A , Vezy Rémi , Bordon Romain , Laisné Thomas , Roques Sandrine , Rebolledo Maria-Camila , Rouan Lauriane , Fabre Denis , Gibert Olivier , De Raissac Marcel
Published: March 2024

Monoculture systems in South East Asia are facing challenges due to climate change-induced extreme weather conditions, leading to significant annual production losses in rice and oil palm. To ensure the stability of these crops, innovative strategies like resilient agroforestry systems need to be explored. Converting oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) monocultures to rice (Oryza sativa)-based intercropping systems shows promise, but achieving optimal yields requires adjusting palm density and identifying rice varieties adapted to changes in light quantity and diurnal fluctuation. This paper proposes a methodology that combines a model of light interception with indoor experiments to assess the feasibility of rice–oil palm agroforestry systems. Using a functional–structural plant model of oil palm, the planting design was optimized to maximize transmitted light for rice. Simulation results estimated the potential impact on oil palm carbon assimilation and transpiration. In growth chambers, simulated light conditions were replicated with adjustments to intensity and daily fluctuation. Three light treatments independently evaluated the effects of light intensity and fluctuation on different rice accessions. The simulation study revealed intercropping designs that significantly increased light transmission for rice cultivation with minimal decrease in oil palm densities compared with conventional designs. The results estimated a loss in oil palm productivity of less than 10%, attributed to improved carbon assimilation and water use efficiency. Changes in rice plant architecture were primarily influenced by light quantity, while variations in yield components were attributed to light fluctuations. Different rice accessions exhibited diverse responses to light fluctuations, indicating the potential for selecting genotypes suitable for agroforestry systems.
AINTEGUMENTA and redundant AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE6 are required for bract outgrowth in Arabidopsis
Authors: Manuela Darren , Xu Mingli
Published: March 2024

Plants consist of fundamental units of growth called phytomers (leaf or bract, axillary bud, node, and internode), which are repeated and modified throughout shoot development to give plants plasticity for survival and adaptation. One phytomer modification is the suppression or outgrowth of bracts, the leaves subtending the flowers. The floral meristem identity regulator LEAFY (LFY) and the organ boundary genes BLADE-ON-PETIOLE1 (BOP1) and BOP2 have been shown to suppress bract development in Arabidopsis, as mutations in these genes result in bract outgrowth. However, much less is known about the mechanisms that promote bract outgrowth in Arabidopsis mutants such as these. Further understanding of this mechanism may provide a potential tool for modifying leaf development. Here, we showed that the MADS-box genes SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 (SOC1), FRUITFUL (FUL), and AGAMOUS-LIKE24 (AGL24) play more important roles than BOP1/2 and LFY in bract suppression, and that AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) and the partially redundant AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE6 (AIL6) are necessary for bract outgrowth in these mutant backgrounds. We also demonstrated that misexpression of AIL6 alone is sufficient for bract outgrowth. Our data reveal a mechanism for bract suppression and outgrowth and provide insight into phytomer plasticity.
The thiol/disulfide balance is shifted towards oxidation in psoriatic arthritis compared to controls and is associated with higher disease activity
Authors: Kor Ahmet , Akan Selçuk , Oğuz Esra Fırat , Maraş Yüksel , Neşelioğlu Salim , Erten Şükran
Published: March 2024

Objective

This study was designed to compare thiol/disulfide and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels between psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and healthy controls and evaluate the correlation between these molecules and the disease activity scores used in PsA.

Methods

A total of 63 PsA patients and 49 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), modified disease activity score 28 (DAS28), and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) scores were used as disease activity indices for PsA patients. Calculations of native thiol (-SH), disulfide (-SS), and total thiol (-SH+-SS) molecules were made by the automatic spectrophotometric method, and the albumin cobalt binding test was used to measure IMA levels.

Results

In the PsA group, -SS/-SH and -SS/(-SH+-SS) levels were higher and -SH/(-SH+-SS) levels were lower than in controls. In the linear regression analysis, a significant correlation relationship was detected between DAS28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and -SS/(-SH+-SS) (β = 0.795, CI 95%, 0.196-1.395; P = .010), -SH/(-SH+-SS) (β = -0.475, CI 95%, 0.114-0.836; P = .010) and IMA (β = 3.932, CI 95%, 0.859-7.005; P = .013). Additionally, a significant correlation was detected between IMA and BASDAI and BASFI.

Conclusion

In PsA, thiol/disulfide homeostasis has shifted in favor of disulfide as an oxidative indicator. Serum thiol/disulfide levels are correlated with PsA disease activity indices.
Bone marrow reinvestigation leading to the diagnosis of VEXAS syndrome
Authors: Strasser Bernhard , Kranewitter Wolfgang , Hofer Harald , Haushofer Alexander
Published: March 2024

A 46-year-old male patient presented with inflammatory diseases over more than 3 years. The patient suffered from recurrent pleuritis, polychondritis, orbital phlegmon, fever, and skin lesions. A bone marrow puncture added myelodysplastic syndrome to the patient’s history. A focused cytomorphological reinvestigation of the archived bone marrow aspirate smears detected significant vacuolization of erythroid and myeloid precursor cells. Target sequencing revealed the UBA1 (p.Met41Thr) hotspot mutation that established the diagnosis of VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome.
Deployment-related Cigarette Smoking Behaviors and Pulmonary Function Among U.S. Veterans
Authors: Maccarone Jennifer R , Sterns Olivia R , Timmons Andrew , Korpak Anna M , Smith Nicholas L , Nakayama Karen S , Baird Coleen P , Ciminera Paul , Kheradmand Farrah , Fan Vincent S , Hart Jaime E , Koutrakis Petros , Jerrett Michael , Kuschner Ware G , Ioachimescu Octavian C , Montgrain Philippe R , Proctor Susan P , Redlich Carrie A , Wendt Christine H , Blanc Paul D , Garshick Eric , Wan Emily S
Published: March 2024

Introduction

The effects of smoking on lung function among post-9/11 Veterans deployed to environments with high levels of ambient particulate matter are incompletely understood.

Materials and Methods

We analyzed interim data (04/2018-03/2020) from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Studies Program #595, “Service and Health Among Deployed Veterans”. Veterans with ≥1 land-based deployments enrolled at 1 of 6 regional Veterans Affairs sites completed questionnaires and spirometry. Multivariable linear regression models assessed associations between cigarette smoking (cumulative, deployment-related and non-deployment-related) with pulmonary function.

Results

Among 1,836 participants (mean age 40.7 ± 9.6, 88.6% male), 44.8% (n = 822) were ever-smokers (mean age 39.5 ± 9.5; 91.2% male). Among ever-smokers, 86% (n = 710) initiated smoking before deployment, while 11% (n = 90) initiated smoking during deployment(s). Smoking intensity was 50% greater during deployment than other periods (0.75 versus 0.50 packs-per-day; P < .05), and those with multiple deployments (40.4%) were more likely to smoke during deployment relative to those with single deployments (82% versus 74%). Total cumulative pack-years (median [IQR] = 3.8 [1, 10]) was inversely associated with post-bronchodilator FEV1%-predicted (−0.82; [95% CI] = [−1.25, −0.50] %-predicted per 4 pack-years) and FEV1/FVC%-predicted (−0.54; [95% CI] = [−0.78, −0.43] %-predicted per 4 pack-years). Deployment-related pack-years demonstrated similar point estimates of associations with FEV1%-predicted (−0.61; [95% CI] = [−2.28, 1.09]) and FEV1/FVC%-predicted (−1.09; [95% CI] = [−2.52, 0.50]) as non-deployment-related pack-years (−0.83; [95% CI] = [−1.26, −0.50] for FEV1%-predicted; −0.52; [95% CI] = [−0.73, −0.36] for FEV1/FVC%-predicted).

Conclusions

Although cumulative pack-years smoking was modest in this cohort, an inverse association with pulmonary function was detectable. Deployment-related pack-years had a similar association with pulmonary function compared to non-deployment-related pack-years.
A theoretical Fourier-transformation model for the formation of X-ray time lags from black hole accretion discs
Authors: Mahapol Thunyapong , Becker Peter A
Published: March 2024

X-ray emission from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) often displays complex and rapid variability, which may provide a glimpse into the detailed thermal and dynamical structure of the accreting gas near the event horizon of the central black hole. The observed variability can be analysed using Fourier transforms of the light curves in multiple energy channels, which can be used to generate Fourier phase lags, corresponding to lags in the time domain. The X-ray time lags may be either soft lags or hard lags, depending on whether the variability in the hard energy channel precedes that in the soft channel or vice versa. The physical explanation for the observed X-ray time lags from AGNs has been puzzling, and several scenarios have been proposed. In this paper, we explore the hypothesis that the X-ray time lags are produced as a result of the reprocessing of iron L-line and K-line seed photons generated via fluorescence, which is driven by a variable incident radiation field. The seed photons are reprocessed by a combination of thermal and bulk Comptonization and spatial reverberation. We assume that the inner region of the accretion flow can be approximated as a hot, geometrically thick ADAF disc. The outer radius of the ADAF region is equal to the shock formation radius, which is located just outside the centrifugal barrier. The time-dependent radiative transfer in the disc is analysed using a Fourier-transformed, vertically averaged transport equation in cylindrical coordinates. We demonstrate that the new model can successfully reproduce the complex X-ray variability data for the Seyfert 1 galaxies 1H 0707–495 and Ark 564.
MaNGA DynPop – VI. Matter density slopes from dynamical models of 6000 galaxies versus cosmological simulations: the interplay between baryonic and dark matter
Authors: Li Shubo , Li Ran , Zhu Kai , Lu Shengdong , Cappellari Michele , Mao Shude , Wang Chunxiang , Gao Liang
Published: March 2024

We try to understand the trends in the mass density slopes as a function of galaxy properties. We use the results from the best Jeans Anisotropic Modelling (JAM) of the integral-field stellar kinematics for near 6000 galaxies from the MaNGA DynPop project, with stellar masses $10^9\ {\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }}\lesssim M_*\lesssim 10^{12}\ {\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }}$, including both early-type and late-type galaxies. We use the mass-weighted density slopes for the stellar $\overline{\gamma }_*$, dark $\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm DM}}$ and total $\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}$ mass from the MaNGA DynPop project. As previously reported, $\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}$ approaches a constant value of $\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}\approx 2.2$ for high σe galaxies, and flattens for $\lg (\sigma _{\rm e}/{\rm km\ s^{-1}})\lesssim 2.3$ galaxies, reaching $\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}\approx 1.5$ for $\lg (\sigma _{\rm e}/{\rm km\ s^{-1}})\approx 1.8$. We find that total and stellar slopes track each other tightly, with $\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm T}}\approx \overline{\gamma }_*-0.174$ over the full σe range. This confirms the dominance of stellar matter within Re. We also show that there is no perfect conspiracy between baryonic and dark matter, as $\overline{\gamma }_*$ and $\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm DM}}$ do not vary inversely within the σe range. We find that the central galaxies from TNG50 and TNG100 simulations do not reproduce the observed galaxy mass distribution, which we attribute to the overestimated dark matter fraction, possibly due to a constant IMF and excessive adiabatic contraction effects in the simulations. Finally, we present the stacked dark matter density profiles and show that they are slightly steeper than the pure dark matter simulation prediction of $\overline{\gamma }_{_{\rm DM}}\approx 1$, suggesting moderate adiabatic contraction in the central region of galaxies. Our work demonstrates the power of stellar dynamics modelling for probing the interaction between stellar and dark matter and testing galaxy formation theories.
The progenitors of the intra-cluster light and intra-cluster globular clusters in galaxy groups and clusters
Authors: Ahvazi Niusha , Sales Laura V , Doppel Jessica E , Benson Andrew , D’Souza Richard , Rodriguez-Gomez Vicente
Published: March 2024

We use the TNG50 from the IllustrisTNG suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulation, complemented by a catalogue of tagged globular clusters, to investigate the properties and build up of two extended luminous components: the intra-cluster light (ICL) and the intra-cluster globular clusters (ICGCs). We select the 39 most massive groups and clusters in the box, spanning the range of virial masses $5 \times 10^{12} \lt \rm M_{200}/\rm {\rm M}_{\odot } \lt 2 \times 10^{14}$. We find good agreement between predictions from the simulations and current observational estimates of the fraction of mass in the ICL and its radial extension. The stellar mass of the ICL is only $\sim 10~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$–20 per cent of the stellar mass in the central galaxy but encodes useful information on the assembly history of the group or cluster. About half the ICL in all our systems is brought in by galaxies in a narrow stellar mass range, M* = 1010–1011 M⊙. However, the contribution of low-mass galaxies (M* < 1010 M⊙) to the build up of the ICL varies broadly from system to system, $\sim 5~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}-45~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, a feature that might be recovered from the observable properties of the ICL at z = 0. At fixed virial mass, systems where the accretion of dwarf galaxies plays an important role have shallower metallicity profiles, less metal content, and a lower stellar mass in the ICL than systems where the main contributors are more massive galaxies. We show that intra-cluster GCs are also good tracers of this history, representing a valuable alternative when diffuse light is not detectable.
Instabilities in the yellow hypergiant domain
Authors: Glatzel Wolfgang , Kraus Michaela
Published: March 2024

Yellow hypergiants (YHGs) are massive stars that are commonly interpreted to be in a post-red supergiant evolutionary state. These objects can undergo outbursts on time-scales of decades, which are suspected to be due to instabilities in the envelope. To test this conjecture, the stability of envelope models for YHGs with respect to infinitesimal, radial perturbations is investigated. Violent strange mode instabilities with growth rates in the dynamical regime are identified if the luminosity-to-mass ratio exceeds ≈104 in solar units. For the observed parameters of YHGs, we thus predict instability. The strange mode instabilities persist over the entire range of effective temperatures from red to blue supergiants. Due to short thermal time-scales and dominant radiation pressure in the envelopes of YHGs, a non-adiabatic stability analysis is mandatory and an adiabatic analysis being the basis of the common perception is irrelevant. Contrary to the prevailing opinion, the models considered here do not exhibit any adiabatic instability.
Decaying turbulence in molecular clouds: how does it affect filament networks and star formation?
Authors: Dhandha Jiten , Faes Zoe , Smith Rowan J
Published: March 2024

The fragmentation of gas to form stars in molecular clouds is intrinsically linked to the turbulence within them. These internal motions are set at the birth of the cloud and may vary with galactic environment and as the cloud evolves. In this paper, we introduce a new suite of 15 high-resolution 3D molecular cloud simulations using the moving mesh code arepo to investigate the role of different decaying turbulent modes (mixed, compressive, and solenoidal) and virial ratios on the evolution of a $10^4\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ molecular cloud. We find that diffuse regions maintain a strong relic of the initial turbulent mode, whereas the initial gravitational potential dominates dense regions. Solenoidal seeded models thus give rise to a diffuse cloud with filament-like morphology, and an excess of brown dwarf mass fragments. Compressive seeded models have an early onset of star-formation, centrally condensed morphologies and a higher accretion rate, along with overbound clouds. 3D filaments identified using disperse and analysed through a new python toolkit we develop and make publicly available with this work called fiesta, show no clear trend in lengths, masses and densities between initial turbulent modes. Overbound clouds, however, produce more filaments and thus have more mass in filaments. The hubs formed by converging filaments are found to favour star-formation, with surprisingly similar mass distributions independent of the number of filaments connecting the hub.
Radio frequency interference detection using efficient multiscale convolutional attention UNet
Authors: Gu Fei , Hao Longfei , Liang Bo , Feng Song , Wei Shoulin , Dai Wei , Xu Yonghua , Li Zhixuan , Dao Yihang
Published: March 2024

Studying the Universe through radio telescope observation is crucial. However, radio telescopes capture not only signals from the universe but also various interfering signals, known as radio frequency interference (RFI). The presence of RFI can significantly impact data analysis. Ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and scientific integrity of research findings by detecting and mitigating or eliminating RFI in observational data, presents a persistent challenge in radio astronomy. In this study, we proposed a novel deep learning model called EMSCA-UNet for RFI detection. The model employs multiscale convolutional operations to extract RFI features of various scale sizes. Additionally, an attention mechanism is utilized to assign different weights to the extracted RFI feature maps, enabling the model to focus on vital features for RFI detection. We evaluated the performance of the model using real data observed from the 40 m radio telescope at Yunnan Observatory. Furthermore, we compared our results to other models, including U-Net, RFI-Net, and R-Net, using four commonly employed evaluation metrics: precision, recall, F1 score, and IoU. The results demonstrate that our model outperforms the other models on all evaluation metrics, achieving an average improvement of approximately 5 per cent compared to U-Net. Our model not only enhances the accuracy and comprehensiveness of RFI detection but also provides more detailed edge detection while minimizing the loss of useful signals.
A comparison framework for deep learning RFI detection algorithms
Authors: Du Toit Charl D , Grobler Trienko L , Ludick Danie J
Published: March 2024

In the realm of radio astronomy, the detection of radio frequency interference (RFI) stands as a pivotal pursuit. This study performs a novel comparative analysis of deep learning methodologies and introduces a novel transfer learning method, called fine-tuning. We compare various aspects and factors relating to this problem, including supervised fully convolutional network (FCN) architectures used within the literature, loss functions, regularization techniques, and training methodologies, to establish the most effective strategies for RFI detection. Moreover, the relationship between parameters, FLOPS, and inference times are examined. Fine-tuning involves pre-training models with low-quality aoflagger reference outputs, a very popular and accessible RFI flagging software package, and thereafter re-training the models with high-quality reference outputs. We utilize two data sets: real observations from LOFAR and simulated data from HERA. The mean squared error (MSE) loss function emerges as a robust performer if a high recall is desired. In contrast, the binary cross-entropy (BCE) loss function excels in generalization but falls short in classification performance. The Dice loss function emerges as the top performer, maximizing the F1 score and thereby serving as the choice for our further investigations. Notably, we highlight the important role of data quality and model capacity. In particular, we find that low-capacity models exhibit resilience when trained with low-quality flags from aoflagger, showcasing their ability to mitigate overfitting and overflagging tendencies. In contrast, high-capacity models excel when trained with high-quality flags. Fine-tuning proved to be an effective method to unlearn the overflagging tendencies of aoflagger, whilst requiring very little data.
Galaxy triplets alignment in large-scale filaments
Authors: Rong Yu , Shen Jinzhi , Hua Zichen
Published: March 2024

Leveraging the data sets of galaxy triplets and large-scale filaments obtained from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we scrutinize the alignment of the three sides of the triangles formed by galaxy triplets and the normal vectors of the triplet planes within observed large-scale filaments. Our statistical investigation reveals that the longest and median sides of the galaxy triplets exhibit a robust alignment with the spines of their host large-scale filaments, while the shortest sides show no or only weak alignment with the filaments. Additionally, the normal vectors of triplets tend to be perpendicular to the filaments. The alignment signal diminishes rapidly with the increasing distance from the triplet to the filament spine, and is primarily significant for triplets located within distances shorter than 0.2 Mpc$/h$, with a confidence level exceeding $20\sigma$. Moreover, in comparison to compact galaxy triplets, the alignment signal is more conspicuous among the loose triplets. This alignment analysis contributes to the formulation of a framework depicting the clustering and relaxation of galaxies within cosmological large-scale filament regimes, providing deeper insights into the intricate interactions between galaxies and their pivotal role in shaping galaxy groups.
Ancient Genomes From Bronze Age Remains Reveal Deep Diversity and Recent Adaptive Episodes for Human Oral Pathobionts
Authors: Jackson Iseult , Woodman Peter , Dowd Marion , Fibiger Linda , Cassidy Lara M
Published: March 2024

Ancient microbial genomes can illuminate pathobiont evolution across millenia, with teeth providing a rich substrate. However, the characterization of prehistoric oral pathobiont diversity is limited. In Europe, only preagricultural genomes have been subject to phylogenetic analysis, with none compared to more recent archaeological periods. Here, we report well-preserved microbiomes from two 4,000-year-old teeth from an Irish limestone cave. These contained bacteria implicated in periodontitis, as well as Streptococcus mutans, the major cause of caries and rare in the ancient genomic record. Despite deriving from the same individual, these teeth produced divergent Tannerella forsythia genomes, indicating higher levels of strain diversity in prehistoric populations. We find evidence of microbiome dysbiosis, with a disproportionate quantity of S. mutans sequences relative to other oral streptococci. This high abundance allowed for metagenomic assembly, resulting in its first reported ancient genome. Phylogenetic analysis indicates major postmedieval population expansions for both species, highlighting the inordinate impact of recent dietary changes. In T. forsythia, this expansion is associated with the replacement of older lineages, possibly reflecting a genome-wide selective sweep. Accordingly, we see dramatic changes in T. forsythia's virulence repertoire across this period. S. mutans shows a contrasting pattern, with deeply divergent lineages persisting in modern populations. This may be due to its highly recombining nature, allowing for maintenance of diversity through selective episodes. Nonetheless, an explosion in recent coalescences and significantly shorter branch lengths separating bacteriocin-carrying strains indicate major changes in S. mutans demography and function coinciding with sugar popularization during the industrial period.
Parietal theta burst TMS does not modulate bistable perception
Authors: Schauer Georg , Grassi Pablo Rodrigo , Gharabaghi Alireza , Bartels Andreas
Published: March 2024

The role of the parietal cortex in perceptual awareness and in resolving perceptual ambiguity is unsettled. Early influential transcranial magnetic stimulation studies have revealed differences in conscious perception following parietal stimulation, fuelling the notion that parietal cortex causally contributes to resolving perceptual ambiguity. However, central to this conclusion is the reliability of the method employed. Several prior studies have revealed opposing effects, such as shortening, lengthening, or no effect on multistable perceptual transitions following parietal stimulation. Here we addressed the reliability of continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) on parietal cortex on the perception of bistable stimuli. We conducted three cTBS experiments that were matched to prior experiments in terms of stimuli, stimulation protocol, and target site, and used a higher number of participants. None of our cTBS experiments replicated prior cTBS results. The only experiment using individual functional localizers led to weak effects, while the two others led to null results. Individual variability of motor cortex cTBS did not predict parietal cTBS effects. In view of recent reports of highly variable cTBS effects over motor cortex, our results suggest that cTBS is particularly unreliable in modulating bistable perception when applied over parietal cortex.