bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CRISPR screening in human trophoblast stem cells reveals both shared and distinct aspects of human and mouse placental development
Authors: Shimizu Takanori , Oike Akira , Kobayashi Eri H. , Sekiya Asato , Kobayashi Norio , Shibata Shun , Hamada Hirotaka , Saito Masatoshi , Yaegashi Nobuo , Suyama Mikita , Arima Takahiro , Okae Hiroaki
Published: December 2023

The placenta serves as the interface between the mother and fetus, facilitating the exchange of gases and nutrients between their separate blood circulation systems. Trophoblasts in the placenta play a central role in this process. Our current understanding of mammalian trophoblast development relies largely on mouse models. However, given the diversification of mammalian placentas, findings from the mouse placenta cannot be readily extrapolated to other mammalian species, including humans. To fill this knowledge gap, we performed CRISPR knockout screening in human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs). We targeted genes essential for mouse placental development and identified more than 100 genes as critical regulators in both human hTSCs and mouse placentas. Among them, we further characterized in detail two transcription factors, DLX3 and GCM1, and revealed their essential roles in hTSC differentiation. Moreover, a gene function–based comparison between human and mouse trophoblast subtypes suggests that their relationship may differ significantly from previous assumptions based on tissue localization or cellular function. Notably, our data reveal that hTSCs may not be analogous to mouse TSCs or the extraembryonic ectoderm (ExE) in which in vivo TSCs reside. Instead, hTSCs may be analogous to progenitor cells in the mouse ectoplacental cone and chorion. This finding is consistent with the absence of ExE-like structures during human placental development. Our data not only deepen our understanding of human trophoblast development but also facilitate cross-species comparison of mammalian placentas.
Structural and physical features that distinguish tumor-controlling from inactive cancer neoepitopes
Authors: Custodio Jean M. , Ayres Cory M. , Rosales Tatiana J. , Brambley Chad A. , Arbuiso Alyssa G. , Landau Lauren M. , Keller Grant L. J. , Srivastava Pramod K. , Baker Brian M.
Published: December 2023

Neoepitopes arising from amino acid substitutions due to single nucleotide polymorphisms are targets of T cell immune responses to cancer and are of significant interest in the development of cancer vaccines. However, understanding the characteristics of rare protective neoepitopes that truly control tumor growth has been a challenge, due to their scarcity as well as the challenge of verifying true, neoepitope-dependent tumor control in humans. Taking advantage of recent work in mouse models that circumvented these challenges, here, we compared the structural and physical properties of neoepitopes that range from fully protective to immunologically inactive. As neoepitopes are derived from self-peptides that can induce immune tolerance, we studied not only how the various neoepitopes differ from each other but also from their wild-type counterparts. We identified multiple features associated with protection, including features that describe how neoepitopes differ from self as well as features associated with recognition by diverse T cell receptor repertoires. We demonstrate both the promise and limitations of neoepitope structural analysis and predictive modeling and illustrate important aspects that can be incorporated into neoepitope prediction pipelines.
Self-domestication
Authors: Shea James
Published: December 2023

This paper explores the career of Wan Kin-lau (1944–1976), a Hong Kong poet and translator who attended the
University of Iowa’s International Writing Program in 1968. He remained in Iowa City and earned a Master of Fine Arts from the
Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1970. Over half of the poems in Wan’s master’s thesis are self-translations of his poems originally
written in Chinese, although nothing in the thesis indicates that any of the poems are translations. In some cases, Wan
domesticated his self-translations for an American readership, mainly in relation to his critique of the American War in Vietnam.
Contra Venuti’s conceptualization of domestication as enabling “the ethnocentric violence of translation,” Wan’s self-translations
demonstrate that domestication is not simply a matter of subjugation to the dominant culture and can instead serve as an act of
defiance in which domestic audiences confront uncomfortable political realities as their own. Translation was at the center of
Wan’s short life, both in his poetry and other literary projects, and in his translation of complex Chinese cultural and political
issues for American audiences, especially in relation to the Baodiao movement.
The rise and fall and rise of the digraph 〈oa〉 in English
Authors: Stenbrenden Gjertrud F.
Published: December 2023

The present paper examines the history of the digraph 〈oa〉 in English: it is relatively rare in OE and early ME, falls out of use in late ME, and reappears in the late fifteenth century. Different lexemes have been spelt with 〈oa〉 in the different language periods, but in the majority of cases, the vowel so represented is the reflex of early ME /ɔ:/ or OE o in an open syllable; hence, the digraph is clearly phonetically conditioned. The paper also investigates the graphotactic constraints on the orthographic variants 〈oa〉, 〈oCe〉, 〈oe〉.
Capping protein regulators of actin assembly in budding yeast
Authors: Cooper John A.
Published: December 2023

Cellular functions of actin capping protein (CP) regulators are poorly understood. Di Pietro and colleagues (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202306154) shed unprecedented light on this topic using budding yeast. Two proteins with CPI (capping protein interacting) motifs recruit CP to sites of actin assembly, while a third contributes to CP turnover.
Activating two-dimensional semiconductors for photocatalysis: a cross-dimensional strategy
Authors: Botella R , Cao W , Celis J , Fernández-Catalá J , Greco R , Lu L , Pankratova V , Temerov F
Published: December 2023

The emerging two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors substantially extend materials bases for versatile applications such as semiconductor photocatalysis demanding semiconductive matrices and large surface areas. The dimensionality, while endowing 2D semiconductors the unique properties to host photocatalytic functionality of pollutant removal and hydrogen evolution, hurdles the activation paths to form heterogenous photocatalysts where the photochemical processes are normally superior over these on the mono-compositional counterparts. In this perspective, we present a cross-dimensional strategy to employ the nD (n = 0–2) clusters or nanomaterials as activation partners to boost the photocatalytic activities of the 2D semiconductors. The formation principles of heterogenous photocatalysts are illustrated specifically for the 2D matrices, followed by selection criteria of them among the vast 2D database. The computer investigations are illustrated in the density functional theory route and machine learning benefitted from the vast samples in the 2D library. Synthetic realizations and characterizations of the 2D heterogenous systems are introduced with an emphasis on chemical methods and advanced techniques to understand materials and mechanistic studies. The perspective outlooks cross-dimensional activation strategies of the 2D materials for other applications such as CO2 removal, and materials matrices in other dimensions which may inspire incoming research within these fields.
Defect induced ferromagnetism in Mn3Ga
Authors: Malik S V , Dias E T , Babu P D , Priolkar K R
Published: December 2023

Ni-substituted Mn3Ga displays a weak ferromagnetism embedded in an antiferromagnetic (AF) phase. Upon field cooling, the alloy exhibits exchange bias and an open hysteresis loop, signifying kinetic arrest at room temperature. For the first time, a kinetic arrest is seen in a compound due to the first order transition of an embedded defect phase. A systematic study of crystal structure, local structure, and magnetic properties of Mn

3
−
x

Ni
x
Ga (x = 0, 0.25) alloys reveal the origin of ferromagnetism in Mn2.75Ni0.25Ga is due to the segregation of a Heusler-type environment around Ni in the cubic Mn3Ga matrix. Upon temper annealing at 400 ∘C, these local structural defects around the Ni phase separate into a modulated ferromagnetic (FM) Ni-Mn-Ga Heusler phase. A strong interaction between the AF host and the FM defect phase gives rise to exchange bias. The first-order transition of the defect phase seems to be responsible for the observed kinetic arrest in Mn2.75Ni0.25Ga.
Negative stiffness metamaterial with elastic energy dissipation based on conical shell: theoretical solution and experimental study
Authors: Zhang Zhongwen , Yang Yu , Xu Zhao-Dong , Xu Ye-Shou
Published: December 2023

Negative stiffness (NS) metamaterials with the capability of elastic energy dissipation have gained substantial attention for their potential in shock absorption and vibration control. However, their practical application is often limited by their strength and stiffness. This study investigates an NS material that generates the NS phenomenon based on stretching and rotation of conical shells, akin to coned disk springs. This approach enhances the strength and loading capacity of the material compared to metamaterials based on conventional beam or shell structures. To fully understand the behavior of this material, a theoretical framework is presented, followed by a comprehensive validation process involving tests and numerical simulations. The applicability and constraints of the theoretical solution are discussed, and a parametric analysis is undertaken based on the solution. Finally, NS metamaterials based on the proposed mechanism are fabricated and tested, which showcases their strength and elastic energy dissipation capacity.
Degradation of methylene blue through atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma treatment
Authors: Marak Flossie B F Ch , Joychandra Singh W , Mahanta Deepjyoti , Kapil Nibedita , Phanjom Probin , Loushambam Herojit Singh , Mohanty Smruti R , Aomoa Ngangom
Published: December 2023

The degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye through treatment with an atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma is presented in this work. The set-up used in this work has the advantage of being very simple without any gas supply. Plasma was diagnosed using optical emission spectroscopy, and rotational temperature of the hydroxyl radicals was measured. The effects of plasma current, treatment time, polarity and material of the electrodes on degradation of MB dye were studied. Experimental results showed that the degradation of dye increased with plasma current and treatment time. Polarity of the electrodes also have an effect in that the liquid cathode mode has about 14% higher degradation efficiency than liquid anode mode. Interestingly, it was found that anodic dissolution of copper electrode aids in degradation of MB dye by initiating Fenton like reactions involving copper ions, which was absent in the case of stainless steel electrode. After 40 min of treatment, the maximum degradation efficiency and COD removal rate achieved was 77% and 74% respectively, while the degradation yield obtained was 0.32 g.kW–1.h–1.
Deducing neutron star equation of state from telescope spectra with machine-learning-derived likelihoods
Authors: Farrell Delaney , Baldi Pierre , Ott Jordan , Ghosh Aishik , Steiner Andrew W. , Kavitkar Atharva , Lindblom Lee , Whiteson Daniel , Weber Fridolin
Published: December 2023

The interiors of neutron stars reach densities and temperatures beyond the limits of
terrestrial experiments, providing vital laboratories for probing nuclear physics. While the
star's interior is not directly observable, its pressure and density determine the star's
macroscopic structure which affects the spectra observed in telescopes. The relationship between
the observations and the internal state is complex and partially intractable, presenting
difficulties for inference. Previous work has focused on the regression from stellar spectra of
parameters describing the internal state. We demonstrate a calculation of the full likelihood of
the internal state parameters given observations, accomplished by replacing intractable elements
with machine learning models trained on samples of simulated stars. Our machine-learning-derived
likelihood allows us to perform maximum a posteriori estimation of the parameters of
interest, as well as full scans. We demonstrate the technique by inferring stellar mass and radius
from an individual stellar spectrum, as well as equation of state parameters from a set of
spectra. Our results are more precise than pure regression models, reducing the width of the
parameter residuals by 11.8% in the most realistic scenario. The neural networks will be released
as a tool for fast simulation of neutron star properties and observed spectra.
Joint cosmological and gravitational-wave population inference using dark sirens and galaxy catalogues
Authors: Gray Rachel , Beirnaert Freija , Karathanasis Christos , Revenu Benoît , Turski Cezary , Chen Anson , Baker Tessa , Vallejo Sergio , Romano Antonio Enea , Ghosh Tathagata , Ghosh Archisman , Leyde Konstantin , Mastrogiovanni Simone , More Surhud
Published: December 2023

In the absence of numerous gravitational-wave detections with confirmed electromagnetic
counterparts, the “dark siren” method has emerged as a leading technique of gravitational-wave
cosmology. The method allows redshift information of such events to be inferred statistically from
a catalogue of potential host galaxies. Due to selection effects, dark siren analyses necessarily
depend on the mass distribution of compact objects and the evolution of their merger rate with
redshift. Informative priors on these quantities will impact the inferred posterior constraints on
the Hubble constant (H
0). It is thus crucial to vary these unknown distributions during an
H
0 inference. This was not possible in earlier analyses due to the high computational cost,
restricting them to either excluding galaxy catalogue information, or fixing the
gravitational-wave population mass distribution and risking introducing bias to the H
0
measurement. This paper introduces a significantly enhanced version of the Python package
gwcosmo, which allows joint estimation of cosmological and compact binary population
parameters. This thereby ensures the analysis is now robust to a major source of potential
bias. The gravitational-wave events from the Third Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalogue are
reanalysed with the GLADE+ galaxy catalogue, and an updated, more reliable measurement of H
0 = 
69+12
-7 km s-1 Mpc-1 is found (maximum a posteriori probability and 68%
highest density interval). This improved method will enable cosmological analyses with future
gravitational-wave detections to make full use of the information available (both from galaxy
catalogues and the compact binary population itself), leading to promising new independent bounds
on the Hubble constant.
Dynamical behaviors in discrete memristor-coupled small-world neuronal networks
Authors: Lu 鲁 Jieyu 婕妤 , Xie 谢 Xiaohua 小华 , Lu 卢 Yaping 亚平 , Wu 吴 Yalian 亚联 , Li 李 Chunlai 春来 , Ma 马 Minglin 铭磷
Published: December 2023

The brain is a complex network system in which a large number of neurons are widely connected to each other and transmit signals to each other. The memory characteristic of memristors makes them suitable for simulating neuronal synapses with plasticity. In this paper, a memristor is used to simulate a synapse, a discrete small-world neuronal network is constructed based on Rulkov neurons and its dynamical behavior is explored. We explore the influence of system parameters on the dynamical behaviors of the discrete small-world network, and the system shows a variety of firing patterns such as spiking firing and triangular burst firing when the neuronal parameter α is changed. The results of a numerical simulation based on Matlab show that the network topology can affect the synchronous firing behavior of the neuronal network, and the higher the reconnection probability and number of the nearest neurons, the more significant the synchronization state of the neurons. In addition, by increasing the coupling strength of memristor synapses, synchronization performance is promoted. The results of this paper can boost research into complex neuronal networks coupled with memristor synapses and further promote the development of neuroscience.
Metropolis Monte Carlo sampling: convergence, localization transition and optimality
Authors: Chepelianskii Alexei D , Majumdar Satya N , Schawe Hendrik , Trizac Emmanuel
Published: December 2023

Among random sampling methods, Markov chain Monte Carlo (MC) algorithms are foremost. Using a combination of analytical and numerical approaches, we study their convergence properties toward the steady state, within a random walk Metropolis scheme. Analyzing the relaxation properties of some model algorithms sufficiently simple to enable analytic progress, we show that the deviations from the target steady-state distribution can feature a localization transition as a function of the characteristic length of the attempted jumps defining the random walk. While the iteration of the MC algorithm converges to equilibrium for all choices of jump parameters, the localization transition changes drastically the asymptotic shape of the difference between the probability distribution reached after a finite number of steps of the algorithm and the target equilibrium distribution. We argue that the relaxation before and after the localization transition is respectively limited by diffusion and rejection rates.
Integration theory for kinks and sphalerons in one dimension
Authors: Manton N S
Published: December 2023

The static kink, sphaleron and kink chain solutions for a single scalar field φ in one spatial dimension are reconsidered. By integration of the Euler–Lagrange equation, or through the Bogomolny argument, one finds that each of these solutions obeys a first-order field equation, an autonomous ODE that can always be formally integrated. We distinguish the BPS case, where the required integral is along a contour in the φ-plane, from the semi-BPS case, where the integral is along a contour in the Riemann surface double-covering the φ-plane, and is generally more complicated.
Base Rates of Performance and Symptom Validity Test Failures in Active Duty and Veteran Samples Referred for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Evaluation
Authors: Shura Robert D , Armistead-Jehle Patrick
Published: December 2023

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine base rates of response bias in veterans and service members (SM) referred specifically for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) evaluation.

Method

Observational study of various performance validity tests (PVTs) and symptom validity tests (SVTs) in a sample of SMs (n = 94) and veterans (n = 504) referred for clinical evaluation of ADHD.

Results

SVT and PVT failure rates were similar between the samples, but they were lower than previous Veterans Affairs (VA) and SM studies that were not exclusive to ADHD evaluations. Invalid reporting across all SVT scales on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and Personality Assessment Inventory was relatively uncommon, with rates of invalid scores falling at less than 7%. In both samples, free-standing PVTs were failed at about 22%.

Conclusions

Although the base rates of PVT and SVT failures in ADHD-specific evaluations were lower than previously published data on non-ADHD-specific evaluations in veterans and SMs, the current study continues to support the inclusion of these measures.
WSGMB: weight signed graph neural network for microbial biomarker identification
Authors: Pan Shuheng , Jiang Xinyi , Zhang Kai
Published: December 2023

The stability of the gut microenvironment is inextricably linked to human health, with the onset of many diseases accompanied by dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. It has been reported that there are differences in the microbial community composition between patients and healthy individuals, and many microbes are considered potential biomarkers. Accurately identifying these biomarkers can lead to more precise and reliable clinical decision-making. To improve the accuracy of microbial biomarker identification, this study introduces WSGMB, a computational framework that uses the relative abundance of microbial taxa and health status as inputs. This method has two main contributions: (1) viewing the microbial co-occurrence network as a weighted signed graph and applying graph convolutional neural network techniques for graph classification; (2) designing a new architecture to compute the role transitions of each microbial taxon between health and disease networks, thereby identifying disease-related microbial biomarkers. The weighted signed graph neural network enhances the quality of graph embeddings; quantifying the importance of microbes in different co-occurrence networks better identifies those microbes critical to health. Microbes are ranked according to their importance change scores, and when this score exceeds a set threshold, the microbe is considered a biomarker. This framework’s identification performance is validated by comparing the biomarkers identified by WSGMB with actual microbial biomarkers associated with specific diseases from public literature databases. The study tests the proposed computational framework using actual microbial community data from colorectal cancer and Crohn’s disease samples. It compares it with the most advanced microbial biomarker identification methods. The results show that the WSGMB method outperforms similar approaches in the accuracy of microbial biomarker identification.
Activation of HAND2-FGFR signaling pathway by lncRNA HAND2-AS1 in adenomyosis
Authors: Zheng Ya , Wu Shuang , Liu Lingli , Guan Yining , Sun Wenxia , Miao Congxiu , Li Quanxi
Published: December 2023

Heart and neural crest derivatives expressed transcript 2 (HAND2) is a critical mediator of progesterone action in endometrial stromal cells. Silencing of Hand2 expression in mouse uterus leads to an unopposed FGFR-mediated action that causes female mice infertility. To investigate the involvement of HAND2-FGFR signaling in pathogenesis of adenomyosis, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and quantitative real-time PCR were employed to assess gene expression in the normal endometrium, the paired eutopic endometrium and ectopic lesions obtained from women with adenomyosis. DNA methylation in the regions of HAND2 promoter and the first exon was also monitored in these samples. Our results revealed that HAND2 expression were dramatically reduced, but FGF9 expression and FGFR-ERK1/2-mediated MAPK signaling pathway were enhanced in the eutopic endometrium and ectopic lesions of patients with adenomyosis compared to the normal controls. Interestingly, expression of HAND2-AS1, a long noncoding RNA that resides adjacent to HAND2 in genome, was also reduced in adenomyosis. DNA methylation analysis revealed that the bidirectional promoter between HAND2 and HAND2-AS1, and the first exon of HAND2 gene was heavily methylated in the eutopic endometrium and the ectopic lesions of adenomyosis. To investigate the regulation of gene expression by HAND2-AS1, HAND2-AS1 expression was silenced in human endometrial stromal cells. In contrast to the downregulation of HAND2 in response to HAND2-AS1 silencing, FGF9 expression was augmented significantly. Endometrial stromal cells lacking HAND2-AS1 exhibited enhanced proliferation and migration potentials. Collectively, our studies revealed a new molecular mechanism by which HAND2-AS1 is involved in the pathogenesis of adenomyosis via modulating HAND2-FGFR-mediated signaling.
‘I’m his safe space’: Mothers’ Experiences of Physical Violence From Their Neurodivergent Children—Gender, Conflict and the Ethics of Care
Authors: Holt Amanda
Published: December 2023

Drawing on recent criminological scholarship on child to parent violence (CPV), this article applies a feminist ‘ethics of care’ framework to understand how mothers of neurodivergent children understand the violence they experience from them. Examining data from in-depth interviews with 15 mothers who experience CPV, this article explores how mothers construct themselves as a ‘safe space’ through which their child can manage their distress. The tensions and emotional conflicts this produces for mothers, as well as the harms that result, are highlighted. Discussion focusses on the usefulness of understanding family violence from an ‘ethics of care’ framework, and the implications for violence prevention through broader social change.
Bodies in Pain: Early Modern Suicide by Proxy
Authors: Berger Andreas
Published: December 2023

This article examines early modern suicide by proxy in terms of the experience of pain. ‘Suicide by proxy’ refers to committing a capital crime in order to bring about one’s own death by execution. Exploring the history of prolonged pain typically associated with suicide by proxy, the article argues that suicide by proxy is primarily a story about pain. The analysis here follows the story of Sara Stähelin and her attempt to use suicide by proxy as a way to liberate herself from her hurting body and mind, to receive comfort and compassion from her estranged community and—most importantly—to save her soul from eternal damnation. Understanding suicide by proxy as a story of how early modern pain could materialize offers a new and fruitful approach to the study of early modern pain and its mediation between culture and body.
The sectoral trade losses from financial crises
Authors: Atsebi Jean-Marc B , Combes Jean-Louis , Minea Alexandru
Published: December 2023

The “Great Trade Collapse” triggered by the 2008-2009 crisis calls for a careful assessment of the trade losses from financial crises. We adopt a more detailed perspective by looking at the response of different types of trade (i.e. consumption, intermediate, capital goods, and business services) following various types of financial crises (i.e. debt, banking, and currency crises) in 41 emerging markets. Estimations performed in the 1980-2019 period using a combination of impact assessment and local projections to capture a causal dynamic effect running from financial crises to the trade activity show that the collapse of total trade is long-lasting and mainly driven by the fall of intermediate goods and to some extent capital goods, while trade in consumption goods and business services is more resilient to crises. Therefore, financial crises could lead to considerable disruption of global value chains, as observed during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), and easily spill over from one country to another through trade linkages. The examination of heterogeneity reveals that total and sectoral trade is more severely impacted in countries with a lower share of manufacturing exports, less diversified exported products, and trading partners, with lower demand from trading partners and when associated with a deterioration of the domestic and external financial conditions and sudden stops. By contributing to the understanding of the trade effects of financial crises, our analysis provides insightful support for the design and implementation of policies aimed at coping with these effects.
Preweaning piglet survival on commercial farms
Authors: Sanz-Fernández Santos , Díaz-Gaona Cipriano , Casas-Rosal José C , Alòs Nuria , Tusell Llibertat , Quintanilla Raquel , Rodríguez-Estévez Vicente
Published: December 2023

Preweaning piglet mortality (PWM), a trait highly related to litter size, is one of the main concerns associated with productive efficiency and animal welfare in commercial pig farms. The objectives of this work were to study piglet survival at the farm level, to establish a survival rate (SR) as a target indicator to be improved, and to model it based on other reproductive parameters. Analyzed data corresponded to 580 Spanish commercial farms with a total inventory of 809,768 sows. These farms showed a mean SR of 85.70% piglets born alive (BA), which decreased to 81.81% when total piglets born (TB) were considered. The SR was strongly associated with prolificacy (P < 0.01), the parities with the highest prolificacy being those that had the lowest SR. Thus, the highest correlations were for the SR of piglets BA in the third and fourth parities (r = −0.460 and r = −0.452, respectively, P < 0.01), and for the SR of piglets TB in the fourth parity (r = −0.546, P < 0.01), which was the one with the highest prolificacy. The values corresponding to the quartile of farms with the highest SR within the most productive farms were established as targets to be improved, which were ≥88.5% of piglets BA and 83.2% of piglets TB. Nevertheless, the direct associations shown between the piglet’s survival and prolificacy and other productive factors, such as the age of piglets at weaning, the farrowings per sow and year and the farrowing interval, suggest the convenience of modeling the risk of PWM on farms to have its own target of survival index to be improved.
Treatment of Necrotizing Fasciitis With NovoSorb Biodegradable Temporizing Matrix and RECELL Autologous Skin Cell Suspension: A Case Series
Authors: Austin Cindy L , Sodade Oluwafolaranmi E , Harrison Brody , Causa Krisi
Published: December 2023

This case series reviews the management of 2 patients who developed a rare, aggressive soft tissue infection, necrotizing fasciitis treated with a synthetic polyurethane dermal regenerative template, Biodegradable Temporizing Matrix (NovoSorb BTM) in conjunction with an off-label use of RECELL device applying autologous skin cell suspension and a split-thickness skin graft for reconstruction. The clinical relevance describes a non-traditional patient’s course of treatment and clinical outcome using BTM and RECELL for necrotizing fasciitis. The 2 patients survived with acceptable outcomes and timely healing despite a high chance of mortality and likely amputation secondary to the extensive surface area and anatomical location of the infection.
From forests to fields: investigating Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) abundance and diversity in cattle pastures and adjacent woodlands
Authors: Steele Cassandra H , McDermott Emily G
Published: December 2023

Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midges are hematophagous flies that feed on wild and domestic ruminants. They can transmit arboviruses, such as bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), which circulate in the United States. Larvae occupy a range of aquatic and semiaquatic habitats, and disperse short distances from their development sites. In the southeastern United States, there are limited studies on the abundance and diversity of Culicoides in wooded and adjacent livestock pasture habitats. In this study, we characterized Culicoides diversity and abundance within these distinct habitat types. BG-Sentinel and CDC miniature suction traps baited with CO2 or UV-light were placed in wooded and pasture habitats at 2 locations on a university beef farm in Savoy, Arkansas. Traps were set once per week for 9 wk during August–October of 2021 and 2022. Fifteen species were collected during this study, and the 2 most abundant species were Culicoides haematopotus Malloch and Culicoides stellifer Coquillett. There was a significant effect of site and location on C. haematopotus collections, and a significant effect and interaction of site and trap on C. stellifer collections. In the woods, significantly more C. stellifer were collected from CDC–UV traps, while in the pasture significantly more were collected in CDC–CO2 traps. These data suggest that C. stellifer, a putative vector of BTV and EHDV in the southeast, may be traveling into the pasture to host-seek, while C. haematopotus remains primarily in wooded areas. This study reveals community differences between these habitat types and implications for Culicoides control.
Pasa: leveraging population pangenome graph to scaffold prokaryote genome assemblies
Authors: Do Van Hoan , Nguyen Son Hoang , Le Duc Quang , Nguyen Tam Thi , Nguyen Canh Hao , Ho Tho Huu , Vo Nam S , Nguyen Trang , Nguyen Hoang Anh , Cao Minh Duc
Published: December 2023

Whole genome sequencing has increasingly become the essential method for studying the genetic mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and for surveillance of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. The majority of bacterial genomes sequenced to date have been sequenced with Illumina sequencing technology, owing to its high-throughput, excellent sequence accuracy, and low cost. However, because of the short-read nature of the technology, these assemblies are fragmented into large numbers of contigs, hindering the obtaining of full information of the genome. We develop Pasa, a graph-based algorithm that utilizes the pangenome graph and the assembly graph information to improve scaffolding quality. By leveraging the population information of the bacteria species, Pasa is able to utilize the linkage information of the gene families of the species to resolve the contig graph of the assembly. We show that our method outperforms the current state of the arts in terms of accuracy, and at the same time, is computationally efficient to be applied to a large number of existing draft assemblies.
Isolation and detection of DNA–protein crosslinks in mammalian cells
Authors: Torrecilla Ignacio , Ruggiano Annamaria , Kiianitsa Kostantin , Aljarbou Ftoon , Lascaux Pauline , Hoslett Gwendoline , Song Wei , Maizels Nancy , Ramadan Kristijan
Published: December 2023

DNA–protein crosslinks (DPCs) are toxic DNA lesions wherein a protein is covalently attached to DNA. If not rapidly repaired, DPCs create obstacles that disturb DNA replication, transcription and DNA damage repair, ultimately leading to genome instability. The persistence of DPCs is associated with premature ageing, cancer and neurodegeneration. In mammalian cells, the repair of DPCs mainly relies on the proteolytic activities of SPRTN and the 26S proteasome, complemented by other enzymes including TDP1/2 and the MRN complex, and many of the activities involved are essential, restricting genetic approaches. For many years, the study of DPC repair in mammalian cells was hindered by the lack of standardised assays, most notably assays that reliably quantified the proteins or proteolytic fragments covalently bound to DNA. Recent interest in the field has spurred the development of several biochemical methods for DPC analysis. Here, we critically analyse the latest techniques for DPC isolation and the benefits and drawbacks of each. We aim to assist researchers in selecting the most suitable isolation method for their experimental requirements and questions, and to facilitate the comparison of results across different laboratories using different approaches.
Postoperative cerebellar mutism syndrome is an acquired autism-like network disturbance
Authors: Suresh Hrishikesh , Morgan Benjamin R , Mithani Karim , Warsi Nebras M , Yan Han , Germann Jürgen , Boutet Alexandre , Loh Aaron , Gouveia Flavia Venetucci , Young Julia , Quon Jennifer , Morgado Felipe , Lerch Jason , Lozano Andres M , Al-Fatly Bassam , Kühn Andrea A , Laughlin Suzanne , Dewan Michael C , Mabbott Donald , Gorodetsky Carolina , Bartels Ute , Huang Annie , Tabori Uri , Rutka James T , Drake James M , Kulkarni Abhaya V , Dirks Peter , Taylor Michael D , Ramaswamy Vijay , Ibrahim George M
Published: December 2023

Background

Cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS) is a common and debilitating complication of posterior fossa tumor surgery in children. Affected children exhibit communication and social impairments that overlap phenomenologically with subsets of deficits exhibited by children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although both CMS and ASD are thought to involve disrupted cerebro-cerebellar circuitry, they are considered independent conditions due to an incomplete understanding of their shared neural substrates.

Methods

In this study, we analyzed postoperative cerebellar lesions from 90 children undergoing posterior fossa resection of medulloblastoma, 30 of whom developed CMS. Lesion locations were mapped to a standard atlas, and the networks functionally connected to each lesion were computed in normative adult and pediatric datasets. Generalizability to ASD was assessed using an independent cohort of children with ASD and matched controls (n = 427).

Results

Lesions in children who developed CMS involved the vermis and inferomedial cerebellar lobules. They engaged large-scale cerebellothalamocortical circuits with a preponderance for the prefrontal and parietal cortices in the pediatric and adult connectomes, respectively. Moreover, with increasing connectomic age, CMS-associated lesions demonstrated stronger connectivity to the midbrain/red nuclei, thalami and inferior parietal lobules and weaker connectivity to the prefrontal cortex. Importantly, the CMS-associated lesion network was independently reproduced in ASD and correlated with communication and social deficits, but not repetitive behaviors.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that CMS-associated lesions may result in an ASD-like network disturbance that occurs during sensitive windows of brain development. A common network disturbance between CMS and ASD may inform improved treatment strategies for affected children.
A population-based study of Helicobacter pylori: Does asymptomatic infection mean no gastroscopic lesions?
Authors: Cai Ting , Li Ying , Li Xin-meng , Chen Bing , Liang Lun-xi , Yuan Ling-zhi , Hu Hai , Zhang Ming-lin , Deng Ao-jian , Liu Xiao-ming , Wang Fen
Published: December 2023

Objectives

We determined the common clinical characteristics of patients infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and investigated the relationship between H. pylori infection, and clinical symptoms, and gastroscopic manifestations. Our focus was specifically on the clinical manifestations in asymptomatic patients.

Methods

We obtained the physical examination data of patients who underwent the 14C urea breath test between January 2018 and December 2020 at our Hospital. Basic demographic data, questionnaire data on clinical symptoms, and clinical examination data of the patients were also collected, and the correlation analysis was performed.

Results

A total of 2863 participants were included in the study. The overall H. pylori infection rate was 26.30%. The clinical symptoms between H. pylori-positive patients and H. pylori-negative patients did not differ significantly (P > .05). However, H. pylori-positive patients exhibited more severe gastroscopic manifestations (P < .001). The 14C urea breath test disintegrations per minute (DPM) values in H. pylori-positive patients correlated with their serum pepsinogen and gastrin-17 levels. With an increase in the DPM value, more combinations of clinical symptoms appeared in the patients. Among H. pylori-positive patients, DPM levels in asymptomatic patients were lower than those in symptomatic patients (P < .001). However, gastroscopic manifestations did not vary significantly between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients (P > .05).

Conclusion

Patients infected with H. pylori showed no specific gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients with asymptomatic infection showed lower DPM levels, but their gastroscopic manifestations were similar to those of patients with symptomatic infection, and their lesions were more severe than H. pylori-negative people.
Developments in the United Arab Emirates impacting family offices and family wealth structures
Authors: Crivellaro Jacopo
Published: December 2023

This article examines the United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) evolving legislative landscape for family offices and family wealth structures, focusing on the 2022 UAE Family Business Law and the 2023 Dubai International Financial Centre Family Arrangements Regulations and their implications for the management and succession of family businesses, as well as the regulation of family offices in various financial free zones.
The Power of a Simple Question
Authors: Berry Arnold J.
Published: December 2023

The Prevalence of Hepatitis B Markers in Anesthesia Personnel. By Berry AJ, Isaacson IJ, Hunt D, Kane MA. Anesthesiology 1984; 60:6–9

The prevalence of hepatitis B viral markers has increased in some groups of medical workers who are exposed to blood from patients carrying the virus, but this has not been studied critically in physicians and others who administer anesthesia. Physician anesthesiologists (M.D.) and nurse anesthetists and anesthesia assistants (non-M.D.) at four university-affiliated hospitals were evaluated for hepatitis B markers as determined by seropositivity for hepatitis B surface antigen, antibody to the hepatitis B surface antigen, or antibody to the hepatitis B core antigen. In the 86 subjects (38 M.D., 48 non-M.D.) who represented 80.4% of possible participants, the overall prevalence of serologic markers of hepatitis B was 23.3%. The frequency did not differ between M.D. (23.7%) and non-M.D. (22.9%) groups or between men (20.3%) and women (26.9%). Of 81 subjects who had no clinical history of hepatitis, 16 (19.8%) had positive serologic markers. The frequency of seropositivity increased with time since graduation from medical school (M.D.) or nursing school or college (non-M.D.). The prevalence of serologic markers of hepatitis B virus in this study of anesthesia personnel is five to eight times that of the general population but is similar to that of other medical workers who frequently are exposed to blood.
Chondroblastomas in Children and Young Adults: Revision of 55 Cases
Authors: Brunet Laia , Torner Ferran , Suñol Mariona , Martínez Judit , Gracia Isidre , Peiró Ana , Machado Pau
Published: December 2023

Background:

Chondroblastomas are uncommon primary bone tumors localized in long bone epiphyses in children and young adults. The risk of metastasis is rare, but they have a high capacity for local recurrence. Surgical curettage with bone grafting or bone substitute is the preferred treatment.

Methods:

We performed an observational retrospective study of chondroblastomas treated in 2 hospitals in Barcelona from 1988 to 2018. We reviewed the location of the tumor, clinical presentation, imaging, histopathology, initial treatment, and cases of recurrence with a review of their treatment. We assessed the correlation between recurrence and index surgery, anatomic location, and certain histopathologic findings (presence of mitotic figures, necrosis, and positivity for protein S-100).

Results:

The series included 55 patients treated from 1988 to 2018, with ages ranging from 6 to 26, and a mean follow-up of 6.1 years (±3.7). The most common location was the distal femur metaphyseal/epiphyseal region. The most frequent clinical presentation was pain in the affected. Forty-five cases (81.8%) were treated with curettage of the tumor, and 4 cases (7.3%) with a wide resection. Forty-two cases (85.7%) received bone substitutes after curettage or resection. We found 5 cases of recurrence (9.1% recurrence rate); however, we could not find a statistically significant correlation between index surgery and recurrence (P=0.24), anatomic location and recurrence (P=0.49), or recurrence and histopathologic findings (mitotic figures, P=0.49; necrosis, P=0.60; positivity for protein S-100, P=0.52). In all the cases the treatment for the local recurrence was surgical, with a final healing rate of 100%.

Conclusions:

Chondroblastomas should be considered in children and adolescents when presenting with pain and an image suggestive of a tumoral lesion on plain x-ray, most frequently in epiphyses of long bones.

Surgical treatment is preferred, obtaining good results after curettage and bone substitute. Chondroblastomas are tumors with a high capacity for recurrence, therefore an adequate surgical technique and surgeon experience are paramount to achieve good outcomes.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV (case series). Therapeutic studies—investigating results or treatment.
Long-Term (>24 Months) Duration of Symptoms Negatively Impacts Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion for Cervical Radiculopathy
Authors: Liu Eva , Persad Amit R.L. , Baron Nathan , Fourney Daryl R.
Published: December 2023

Study design.

Retrospective cohort study.

Objective.

To investigate the impact of long symptom duration (>24 mo) on patient self-reported outcomes for pain, function, and quality of life following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for cervical radiculopathy.

Summary of Background Data.

ACDF is an effective treatment to relieve the symptoms of cervical radiculopathy. However, there is no consensus on whether prolonged preoperative length of symptoms negatively impacts postoperative outcomes.

Methods.

This study included consecutive patients who underwent ACDF for cervical radiculopathy from May 1, 2012 to Dec 1, 2019 by a single surgeon. Patients were stratified by short (<24 mo) and long (>24 mo) duration of symptoms. Outcomes including visual analog scale (VAS) neck and arm, neck disability index (NDI), EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D), and overall state of health (EQ-VAS) were compared between cohort both for absolute values and percentage of patients achieving minimal clinically important difference.

Results.

A total of 111 consecutive patients were included in our study, including 59 patients in the short symptom duration group and 52 patients in the long symptom duration group. The mean age of the patients was 51.4±9.4 and 41 (36.9%) were female. The baseline VAS neck and arm, NDI, EQ-5D, and EQ-VAS were similar between groups. Patients in both long and short symptom duration groups had clinical improvement following surgery. However, patients with short symptom duration had better VAS Neck and EQ-5D outcomes, and were more likely to meet minimal clinically important difference for NDI, EQ-5D, or any outcome. Multivariate analysis confirmed symptom duration <24 months as an independent predictor for better patient-reported outcomes.

Conclusion.

We appreciated better clinical outcomes in patients with shorter symptom duration who received ACDF for cervical radiculopathy. On the basis of this data, we advocate for prompt treatment of cervical radiculopathy to avoid the potential for long-term impairment.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.