bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Working memory processes and the histamine-3 receptor in schizophrenia: a [11C]MK-8278 PET-fMRI study
Authors: Arumuham Atheeshaan , Shatalina Ekaterina , Nour Matthew M. , Veronese Mattia , Onwordi Ellis Chika , Kaar Stephen J. , Jauhar Sameer , Rabiner Eugenii A. , Howes Oliver D.
Published: December 2024

Rationale

Working memory impairment is a prominent feature of schizophrenia which predicts clinical and functional outcomes. Preclinical data suggest histamine-3 receptor (H3R) expression in cortical pyramidal neurons may have a role in working memory, and post-mortem data has found disruptions of H3R expression in schizophrenia.

Objectives

We examined the role of H3R in vivo to elucidate its role on working memory impairment in schizophrenia.

Methods

We used positron emission tomography (PET) with the selective H3R radioligand [11C]MK-8278 to measure H3R availability, and employed a task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess working memory-evoked brain activation and cognitive task performance, in patients with schizophrenia (n = 12) and matched healthy volunteers (n = 12). We assessed the relationship between H3R availability and both task performance and working memory-evoked brain activation in regions of interest (ROIs), including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

Results

Patients with schizophrenia showed a strong positive correlation, after corrections for multiple comparisons, between ACC H3R availability and task performance (rho = 0.73, p = 0.007), which was absent in the control group (rho = 0.03, p = 0.94). Further ROI analysis did not find a significant relationship between H3R availability and working memory-evoked brain activation.

Conclusions

These results provide support for the role of H3R on working memory processes in patients with schizophrenia.
Experimental Assessment of Traction Force and Associated Fetal Brain Deformation in Vacuum-Assisted Delivery
Authors: Pitti Estelle , Herling Lotta , Li Xiaogai , Ajne Gunilla , Larsson Matilda
Published: December 2024

Vacuum-assisted delivery (VAD) uses a vacuum cup on the fetal scalp to apply traction during uterine contractions, assisting complicated vaginal deliveries. Despite its widespread use, VAD presents a higher risk of neonatal morbidity compared to natural vaginal delivery and biomechanical evidence for safe VAD traction forces is still limited. The aim of this study is to develop and assess the feasibility of an experimental VAD testing setup, and investigate the impact of traction forces on fetal brain deformation. A patient-specific fetal head phantom was developed and subjected to experimental VAD in two testing setups: one with manual and one with automatic force application. The skull phantom was 3D printed using multi-material Polyjet technology. The brain phantom was cast in a 3D-printed mold using a composite hydrogel, and sonomicrometry crystals were used to estimate the brain deformation in three brain regions. The experimental VADs on the fetal head phantom allowed for quantifying brain strain with traction forces up to 112 N. Consistent brain crystal movements aligned with the traction force demonstrated the feasibility of the setup. The estimated brain deformations reached up to 4% and correlated significantly with traction force (p < 0.05) in regions close to the suction cup. Despite limitations such as the absence of scalp modeling and a simplified strain computation, this study provides a baseline for numerical studies and supports further research to optimize the safety of VAD procedures and develop VAD training platforms.
Single-person household and local government expenditure: evidence from South Korea
Authors: Jung Hoyong
Published: December 2024

The global rise in single-person households represents a significant demographic shift with profound implications for government policy, where the household serves as a primary unit of analysis. This study examines the implications of this trend on local government expenditure, focusing specifically on Korea, a nation grappling with unprecedented challenges such as low birth rates, an aging population, and a surge in single-person households. From a public financial perspective, we analyze the causal relationship between the increase in single-person households and local government spending through instrumental variable estimation. Our findings indicate that the expansion of single-person households leads to increased local government expenditure, with variations across age groups, urban-rural divides, and expenditure categories. Based on these findings, we discuss policy implications, emphasizing the need for tailored responses to address the evolving dynamics of household structures and their impact on public finances.
High-entropy alloys for nuclear applications
Authors: Chakraborty Poulami , Tewari Raghvendra
Published: December 2024

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) because of their attractive properties, provide a unique opportunity to develop materials suitable for structural applications in the harsh environment (high-temperature and intense irradiation) prevailing in Gen IV nuclear power reactors. HEAs based on refractory elements (RHEAs) can display excellent stability at high temperatures and superior irradiation resistance due to the BCC-based structures obtained in most alloys. In this regard, the design and development of RHEAs based on the ZrNbVTiAl system have been actively pursued at BARC. Detailed characterization of microstructure and mechanical properties of these alloys having equiatomic and non-equiatomic compositions have been carried out. The study revealed the possibility of attaining significantly higher strengths up to 1.25 GPa and excellent fabricability as a result of dynamic recrystallization at high temperatures. In addition, the dissolution of AlZr-type intermetallics was observed after proton irradiation which helped in bringing the system towards a single-phase BCC structure.
About very
Authors: Goncharov Julie
Published: December 2024

There is a peculiar class of degree modifiers, represented by very in English, that can occur in definite descriptions with no apparent gradable property, such as the very man we saw yesterday. These modifiers are commonly assumed to have the same mechanism of modification as regular degree modifiers, like really and extremely. This paper argues that this assumption is fallacious. Modification by very and its kin involves a special mechanism that crucially relies on the availability of a context shift of a particular kind. This special mechanism explains the appearance of very in definite descriptions with no gradable properties and also accounts for a number of additional facts about the distribution of very.
Squares of conjugacy classes and a variant on the Baer–Suzuki Theorem
Authors: Parker Chris , Saunders Jack
Published: December 2024

For p a prime, G a finite group and A a normal subset of elements of order p, we prove that if A2 = {ab ∣ a,b ∈ A} consists of p-elements then Q = 〈A〉 is soluble. Further, if Op(G) = 1, we show that p is odd, F(Q) is a non-trivial p′-group and Q/F(Q) is an elementary abelian p-group. We also provide examples which show this conclusion is best possible.
Generators of groups of Hamiltonian maps
Authors: Berger Pierre , Turaev Dmitry
Published: December 2024

We prove that analytic Hamiltonian dynamics on tori, annuli, or Euclidean space can be approximated by a composition of nonlinear shear maps where each of the shears depends only on the position or only on the momentum.
Insights into the flow characteristics during hydraulic fracturing
Authors: Abdi Rezvan , Krzaczek Marek , Abdi Meisam
Published: December 2024

This paper presents a numerical model to study fracture propagation during water-based hydraulic fracturing. To address the computational challenges associated with the numerical model, the proposed approach employs a set of overlapping spheres arranged in a monolayer to construct a porous specimen containing pre-existing cracks. The fluid-filled cracks represent various stages of initiation and propagation of fluid-driven fracture. The high-pressure fluid flow within the fractures is considered under isothermal conditions. Unlike the conventional focus on rock fracture analysis, the presented approach focuses on flow characteristics during fracture growth. The main objective of the presented study is to provide a detailed description of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) aspects of fracture propagation during hydraulic fracturing to aid in calibration and validation of simplified discrete element method (DEM) models coupled with CFD representing this phenomenon. Experimental validations performed in previous studies support the model's reliability, making it useful in particular for calibration and validation of coupled 2D DEM-CFD models constructed from one layer of spheres. Obtaining experimental data for such cases is practically challenging, and the proposed model addresses the lack of reliable experimental data for hydraulic fracturing. To achieve this, representative specimens are designed, accurate simulations are conducted and precise assessments of the results are performed. Key variables such as density, pressure, velocity, porosity, and permeability were measured to facilitate the validation and calibration of future DEM-CFD studies.
Representing a Catholic school identity in primary school textbooks: a historical account of Hong Kong since 1973
Authors: Tse Thomas Kwan-Choi
Published: December 2024

Religious education is the bearer and mediator of the identity and values of Catholic schools and enables students to learn the faith and thus lay the foundations for evangelization. It has therefore been valued and upheld by the Catholic diocese for many years. This article examines this identity portrayed in three textbooks for Catholic elementary school in Hong Kong and discusses the sacred and social order portrayed therein. While maintaining the Catholic faith as the main axis, the textbooks took into account the fact that most students were non-believers and provided students with an appropriate outlook and attitude towards life based on the teachings of Jesus. The textbooks took the perspective of gratitude for blessings and instructed children to be good children of Heavenly Father, to trust in God wholeheartedly, and to love Jesus Christ and others. Prayers were capitalized in all three versions. The new textbooks introduced students to other religions in a respectful and inclusive way. With an emphasis on exploring issues that students encounter in life and development, topics not previously covered within the teachings of the Catholic Church were included. Efforts were made to incorporate Catholic knowledge and characters or thoughts from traditional Chinese culture to strengthen students’ Chinese identity and enhance the local characteristics of Catholicism. These findings can enrich our understanding of the ways in which the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong maintains a Catholic school identity with local adaptations amidst demographic, social and political changes.
A fundamental question of counting in association rules
Authors: Bodoff David , Goldman Marina Feldus
Published: December 2024

Discovery association rules (D-AR) are widely used for data mining in industry, and have been extensively researched in academia. An elementary step in the calculation of the strength of each proposed rule X→Y is the tabulation of occurrences and co-occurrences of X and Y. Yet, a fundamental question does not appear to have received attention in the literature. The question is, how should one count these occurrences? Nearly all researchers and practitioners use one method, but there is actually an alternative way to count, and the data mining literature has not seriously considered the alternative or justified the prevailing choice. This fundamental question of counting is not a purely theoretical difference; the methods yield different results. In this research, we investigate the implications of the two methods. Results include the following: (1) Both methods can be correct under different probabilistic setups; (2) The two counting methods yield different results, in terms of the ranking of rules by their strengths; (3) The extent to which the methods diverge depends on properties of the data, one of which we identify; (4) Based on analytical and empirical results, we propose a set of guidelines for making a principled choice of counting method in a given study. Our research provides the basis for choosing an appropriate D-AR counting method, and improves our understanding of how this choice affects the meaning, strengths, and limitations of results.
LEAFY1 and 2 are required for floral organ development in soybean
Authors: Wang Lingshuang , Liu Huan , Chen Lei , Su Tong , Li Shichen , Fang Chao , Lu Sijia , Liu Baohui , Yang Hui , Kong Fanjiang
Published: December 2024

The transition from vegetative to reproductive growth is a vital step for the reproductive success of plants. In Arabidopsis thaliana, LEAFY (LFY) plays crucial roles in inflorescence primordium and floral organ development, but little is known about the roles of its homologs in crop plants such as soybean (Glycine max). Here, we investigated the expression patterns and functions of the two LFY genes (LFY1 and LFY2) in soybean. Both genes were predominantly expressed in unopened flowers and the shoot apical meristem, with LFY2 having the higher transcript abundance. In an in situ hybridization assay, LFY genes produced strong signals in the floral meristem. We next generated lfy1 and lfy2 knockout lines. The lfy2 mutants showed obvious changes in floral organ morphology, but the lfy1 mutants showed no obvious changes in floral organ morphology or pod development. The lfy1 lfy2 double mutants displayed more serious defects in floral organ development than lfy2, resulting in complete sterility. Gene expression analysis revealed differences in expression of the A-class APETALA (AP) genes AP1a and AP1b in the double mutant lines. These results suggest that LFY2 plays an important role in floral organ formation in soybean by regulating the expression of homeotic genes. Our findings increase the understanding of floral development, which could be useful for flower designs during hybrid soybean breeding.
Examining public support for comprehensive policy packages to tackle unhealthy food environments
Authors: Wahnschafft Simone , Spiller Achim , Boztuğ Yasemin , von Philipsborn Peter , Lemken Dominic
Published: December 2024

Objective:

This study examines public support – and its drivers – for comprehensive policy packages (i.e. bundles of coherent policy measures introduced together) aimed at improving food environments.

Design:

Participants completed an online survey with a choice-based conjoint experiment, where they evaluated pairs of policy packages comprising up to seven distinct food environment measures. After choosing a preferred package or opting for a single policy, participants designed their ideal policy package. Based on their choices, respondents were categorised as resistant, inclined or supportive towards policy packaging according to their frequency of opting out for single measures and the number of policies they included in their ideal package.

Setting:

The study was conducted in Germany via an online survey.

Participants:

The sample included 1200 eligible German voters, recruited based on age, gender and income quotas.

Results:

Based on both opt-out frequency (44·7 %) and ideal policy packaging (72·8 %) outcomes, most respondents were inclined towards policy packages. The inclusion of fiscal incentives and school-based measures in packages enhanced support, while fiscal disincentives reduced it. Key drivers of support included beliefs about the importance of diet-related issues and the role of government in regulation, while socio-demographic factors, political leaning and personal experience with diet-related disease had minimal impact.

Conclusions:

The results reveal public appetite for policy packages to address unhealthy food environments, contingent on package design and beliefs about the issue’s severity and legitimacy of intervention. Public health advocates should design and promote policy packages aligned with public preferences, especially given anticipated opposition from commercial interests.
Water-seeded rice seedling response to soil–water partitioning of pendimethalin
Authors: Becerra-Alvarez Aaron , Al-Khatib Kassim
Published: December 2024

Weed management in California water-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) is challenging due to herbicide-resistant weeds. Research on additional herbicide options is necessary to control herbicide-resistant weeds. Pendimethalin is a dinitroaniline herbicide commonly used in dry-seeded rice; however, it is not registered in water-seeded rice. This study was conducted to determine the pendimethalin fate in water-seeded rice after application to 1-, 3-, and 5-leaf stage rice. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was utilized to quantify pendimethalin and degradants in the water, soil, and rice seedling tissue at 1, 5, and 14 d after treatment (DAT). More than 50% of recovered pendimethalin was observed in the rice tissue and more than 25% in the soil, with the least amounts observed in the water at all application timings and sampling dates. Three pendimethalin degradants were observed at low concentrations: p36, [1-(1-ethylpropyl)-5,6-dimethyl-7-nitro-1H-benximidazole]; p44, [4-[(1-ethylpropyl) amino]-2-methyl-3,5-ditrobenzoic acid]; and p48 [4,5-dimethyl-3-nitro-N2-(pentan-3-yl) benzene-1,2-diamine]. Degradant p36 was observed in all samples and most abundant in the soil. Degradants p36 and p44 increased in concentration in the water by 14 DAT. Degradants p44 and p48 were at low concentrations or below the lowest level of quantification in water, soil, and tissue samples. The pendimethalin parent molecule remained intact and was not readily metabolized in rice tissue. The crown region and shoots of the rice seedlings demonstrated greater pendimethalin concentrations compared with the roots at all rice stages; however, pendimethalin concentrations remained similar across the three sample timings. Rice root and shoot reduction was 16% and 13%, respectively, after the 1-leaf stage application averaged over sample timings, and 6% and 4%, respectively, after the 5-leaf stage application. The results suggest the rice stage at the application timing is an important factor for pendimethalin tolerance; therefore, encouraging early root development can be beneficial for pendimethalin tolerance in water-seeded rice.
Seismicity and Present‐Day Crustal Deformation in the Southern Puna Plateau
Authors: Mahanti Sankha Subhra , Kiser Eric , Beck Susan , Hughes Amanda
Published: December 2024

The Southern Puna plateau in the central Andes has a complicated tectonic history that includes episodes of distributed shortening and extension, lithospheric delamination, uplift and Quaternary backarc volcanism. In this study, the upper crustal structure and present‐day deformation in this area is investigated using a new regional earthquake catalog derived with a deep‐learning‐based phase picker. Results show abundant strike‐slip seismicity at shallow depths in the eastern Southern Puna plateau that reveals active fault systems in the area and indicates N‐S extension/E‐W compression that changes orientation and relative magnitude from north to south. A broad zone of seismic quiescence in the western plateau may indicate a zone of upper crustal decoupling from large‐scale deformation. The region separating the western and eastern plateau exhibits a complex stress field that can be related to the boundary of east/west oriented middle‐to‐lower crustal flow in the main volcanic arc. Southeast of the plateau in the Sierras Pampeanas, crustal seismicity deepens and is dominated by conjugate reverse faulting structures associated with the direction of plate convergence. Vp and Vs seismic velocity models of the upper crust obtained through local earthquake tomography with the improved seismic catalog show low‐velocity anomalies near intermontane basins, except in the Antofagasta basin where a high‐velocity anomaly possibly represents shallow intrusive component of Quaternary basaltic volcanism. Below the Cerro Galan caldera, an upper crustal 10‐day long earthquake swarm is observed which may indicate local stress perturbations from fluids at the top of the crustal magmatic system that feeds this volcano.
Waterfalls Alter Reach‐Scale Fluvial Erosion Rates: Evidence From Field Data and Process Modeling
Authors: Rothman Sophie D. , Scheingross Joel S. , McCoy Scott W.
Published: December 2024

Waterfalls are often interpreted as transient, upstream‐propagating features that mark changes in external conditions. Thus, waterfalls are commonly used to infer past tectonic and climatic forcing, making understanding the controls on waterfall erosion central to predicting how external perturbations move through landscapes. Surprisingly, there exist few direct field measurements of waterfall erosion, and existing waterfall retreat measurements are rarely paired with measurements of waterfall morphology and frequency, which, theory suggests, modulate retreat rates. This lack of data limits our ability to test existing theory and explore how waterfalls alter reach‐scale bedrock erosion rates. Here, we use cosmogenic 10Be accumulated in bedrock riverbeds to measure erosion rates in fluvial reaches with varying waterfall frequency and morphology. We find that waterfall‐rich reaches erode one to five times faster than the landscape average, and that reach‐averaged erosion rates increase with increasing waterfall frequency. We develop a new, process‐based model combining waterfall and planar‐channel erosion to explore mechanistic controls on the relative erosion rate between waterfall‐rich and waterfall‐free reaches. This model predicts that reach‐averaged erosion rates increase with waterfall frequency at low sediment supply, consistent with our field measurements, but that waterfalls can also slow reach‐averaged erosion rates for high sediment supply, large grain sizes, low water discharge, or large plunge pools. Our work is consistent with previous suggestions that waterfall erosion rates may decrease in low drainage areas and can influence long‐profile morphology.
A predictive language model for SARS-CoV-2 evolution
Authors: Ma Enhao , Guo Xuan , Hu Mingda , Wang Penghua , Wang Xin , Wei Congwen , Cheng Gong
Published: December 2024

Modeling and predicting mutations are critical for COVID-19 and similar pandemic preparedness. However, existing predictive models have yet to integrate the regularity and randomness of viral mutations with minimal data requirements. Here, we develop a non-demanding language model utilizing both regularity and randomness to predict candidate SARS-CoV-2 variants and mutations that might prevail. We constructed the “grammatical frameworks” of the available S1 sequences for dimension reduction and semantic representation to grasp the model’s latent regularity. The mutational profile, defined as the frequency of mutations, was introduced into the model to incorporate randomness. With this model, we successfully identified and validated several variants with significantly enhanced viral infectivity and immune evasion by wet-lab experiments. By inputting the sequence data from three different time points, we detected circulating strains or vital mutations for XBB.1.16, EG.5, JN.1, and BA.2.86 strains before their emergence. In addition, our results also predicted the previously unknown variants that may cause future epidemics. With both the data validation and experiment evidence, our study represents a fast-responding, concise, and promising language model, potentially generalizable to other viral pathogens, to forecast viral evolution and detect crucial hot mutation spots, thus warning the emerging variants that might raise public health concern.
Designing and implementation of a mobile application for teaching population oral health needs assessment for dental students; a non-randomized trial
Authors: Ghasemi Hadi , Habibi Amin , Ahmady Soleiman
Published: December 2024

Objective

This study investigates the effectiveness of a newly developed smartphone-based application for teaching population oral health needs assessment to undergraduate dental students.

Methods

Target population in this study consisted of all students of Shahid Beheshti School of dentistry in the 7th and 8th semesters in the year 2023. The intervention group (7th semester) received teaching about population oral health needs assessment based on the book “Oral health surveys; basic methods”, by means of an application, while the control group (8th semester) received the same content through self-learning activity. A questionnaire inquiring about the students’ general aspects of smartphone usage, attitude towards learning based on mobile devices (m-learning), and level of knowledge about the content of the book was used for data collection.

Results

Most dental students used smartphones extensively and expressed positive attitudes toward mobile learning with no significant statistical difference between intervention and control groups. However, both groups demonstrated limited knowledge gain from the book content, with the mobile application showing no superiority to self-learning education.

Conclusion

The present study did not demonstrate superior effectiveness of a smartphone app compared to traditional teacher-centered instruction, but the students’ significant mobile usage and positive attitude towards m-learning suggest potential for further investigation in dental education.
Landforms and soils of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia
Authors: McArthur W. M. , Bartle G. A. , Evans K. A. , Tyler I. M.
Published: December 2024

Context This paper is one of a series on the natural history of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve on the south coast of Western Australia. Methods Landforms and soils of the Reserve were mapped by W. M. McArthur and G. A. Bartle in the mid- to late 1980s with some verification by K. A. Evans in 2023–2024. Key results A map of the landforms and soils of the Reserve is presented. The complex and variable topography and soils have arisen through a combination of in-situ weathering processes, transportation of dune sands, and lacustrine deposition. Conclusions The topography and soils of the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve are complex and variable. Implications The distribution of the landforms and soils of the Reserve can be explained by the geological and geomorphological framework described in the paper.
A laboratory-scale simulation framework for analysing wildfire hydrologic and water quality effects
Authors: Brucker Carli P. , Livneh Ben , Butler Claire E. , Rosario-Ortiz Fernando L.
Published: December 2024

Background Wildfires can significantly impact water quality and supply. However logistical difficulties and high variability in in situ data collection have limited previous analyses. Aims We simulated wildfire and rainfall effects at varying terrain slopes in a controlled setting to isolate driver-response relationships. Methods Custom-designed laboratory-scale burn and rainfall simulators were applied to 154 soil samples, measuring subsequent runoff and constituent responses. Simulated conditions included low, moderate, and high burn intensities (~100–600°C); 10-, 200-, and 1000-year storm events (~14–51 mm/h); and 10–29° terrain slopes. Key results Simulators can control key drivers, with burn intensities highly correlated (R2 = 0.64) with heat treatment durations. Increasing burn intensity treatments generally saw significant (α = 0.05) increases in responses, with runoff and sedimentation increasing by ~30–70% with each intensity increment. Carbon and nitrogen peaked at moderate intensities (~250°C), however, with concentrations ~200–250% of unburned samples. Conclusions Distinct responses at each burn intensity indicate nuanced changes in soil physical and chemical composition with increased heating, exacerbating driving mechanisms of runoff and sedimentation while reducing carbon and nitrogen through volatilisation. Implications This work furthers our understanding of interactions between complex geographic features and the mosaic of burn intensities which exist in wildfire-affected landscapes.
Case Reports in the Integration of Technology with Cognitive Rehabilitation for Individuals with Memory Concerns and Their Care Partners
Authors: Grewal Karl S , Grewal Eric S , Cammer Allison , McWilliams Lachlan A , Spiteri Raymond J , O’Connell Megan E
Published: December 2024

Objective

Technology can be combined with psychological interventions to support older adults with memory concerns. Using a bi-phasic design, cognitive rehabilitation (CR) was integrated with off-the-shelf technology and delivered to two people with cognitive impairment, and one care partner.

Method

Pre- and post-intervention assessments were completed for all participants. Individuals with memory problems received pre- and post-intervention remote neuropsychological assessment (i.e., Rey auditory verbal learning test; mental alternations test; animal fluency), and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). The care partner completed the HADS, Zarit burden interview, and neuropsychiatric inventory questionnaire. Change metrics incorporated reliable change indices where possible. Goals were tracked using the Canadian occupation performance measure; these data were analyzed through visual inspection. A research journal (used to document intervention process) was analyzed thematically.

Results

Results cautiously suggested our integration was feasible and acceptable across several technologies and varying goals. Across participants, significant changes in goal progress suggested the integration of technology with CR successfully facilitated goal performance and satisfaction. The research journal underscored the importance of a visual component, intervention flexibility, and a strong therapeutic alliance in integrating technology and CR.

Conclusions

CR and technology present a promising avenue for supporting people living with cognitive impairment. Further exploration of technology and CR with a range of etiologies and target goals is warranted.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using FusionNet with improved secretary bird optimization algorithm for optimal MK-SVM based on imaging genetic data
Authors: Wang Luyun , Sheng Jinhua , Zhang Qiao , Song Yan , Zhang Qian , Wang Binbing , Zhang Rong
Published: December 2024

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible central neurodegenerative disease, and early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is beneficial for its prevention and early intervention treatment. In this study, we propose a novel framework, FusionNet-ISBOA-MK-SVM, which integrates a fusion network (FusionNet) and improved secretary bird optimization algorithm to optimize multikernel support vector machine for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. The model leverages multimodality data, including functional magnetic resonance imaging and genetic information (single-nucleotide polymorphisms). Specifically, FusionNet employs U-shaped hierarchical graph convolutional networks and sparse graph attention networks to select feature effectively. Extensive validation using the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset demonstrates the model’s superior interpretability and classification performance. Compared to other state-of-the-art machine learning methods, FusionNet-ISBOA-MK-SVM achieves classification accuracies of 98.6%, 95.7%, 93.0%, 91.8%, 93.1%, and 95.4% for HC vs. AD, EMCI vs. AD, LMCI vs. AD, EMCI vs. AD, HC vs. EMCI, and HC vs. LMCI, respectively. Moreover, the proposed model identifies affected brain regions and pathogenic genes, offering deeper insights into the mechanisms and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. These findings provide valuable scientific evidence to support early diagnosis and preventive strategies for Alzheimer’s disease.
Borderline Sovereignty Disorder: China and the Law and Politics of the China-India Territorial Disputes
Authors: deLisle Jacques
Published: December 2024

International law is usually conducive to stability and peace. In the context of the China-India border and territorial disputes, however, international law exacerbates tensions and increases risks, as the incidents at the border in 2020 illustrate. Factors that explain this pattern include: the impossibility of ‘thick’ exercises of sovereignty in marginal, uninhabitable territory, the ambiguities of the human rights to self-determination of minority peoples and the dilemmas they pose for States’ central governments, China’s distinctive views on the invalidity of ‘unequal treaties,’ the relevance of various history-based claims to sovereignty, and the special place of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in international law. These law-related problems are compounded by political aspects of the border and territorial disputes and China-India relations, including: rising nationalism in both States, concentrations in and near disputed territory of minority populations with cross-border ties, China’s and India’s status as rising or renascent powers, and alignments with third-party States.
Offset attention with seed generation for point cloud completion
Authors: Li Yuke , Wang Yong , Jiang Bin
Published: December 2024

Point cloud data acquired through 3D scanning is frequently subject to fragmentation due to the constraints of the scanner’s field of view and occlusions within the scanned object. The ensuing incompleteness in the data can significantly degrade the accuracy of subsequent computational tasks. Traditional methods for predicting complete point clouds from these fragments often fail to capture the fine-grained local details, leading to inaccurate reconstructions. In this work, we introduce a novel neural network architecture designed for point cloud completion that addresses these limitations.Our network accepts an incomplete point cloud and employs a multi-scale feature extraction module, which integrates an offset attention mechanism alongside a feature aggregation module operating across various scales. This dual approach significantly bolsters the network’s capacity to discern both local and global features inherent in the point cloud data. Furthermore, we incorporate a seed generation module within our missing point cloud generator, harnessing a hierarchical feature pyramid network to forecast the entirety of the point cloud. This innovative strategy allows our network to accurately predict the structure of missing regions.Empirical evaluations conducted on the Shapenet-Part and ModelNet10 datasets substantiate the efficacy of our proposed methodology. Our approach outperforms the state-of-the-art PF-Net algorithm, achieving a remarkable reduction in chamfer distance by 16.15$\%$ and 41.87$\%$ on the respective datasets. Visual inspection of the results underscores the robust generalization capabilities of our algorithm, which is particularly evident in scenarios with limited dataset sizes. It adeptly predicts the contours of the missing regions and synthesizes a more comprehensive point cloud shape.
A near-complete telomere-to-telomere genome assembly for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis GPL JEL423 reveals a larger CBM18 gene family and a smaller M36 metalloprotease gene family than previously recognized
Authors: Helmstetter Nicolas , Harrison Keith , Gregory Jack , Harrison Jamie , Ballou Elizabeth , Farrer Rhys A
Published: December 2024

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is responsible for mass extinctions and extirpations of amphibians, mainly driven by the Global Panzootic Lineage (BdGPL). BdGPL isolate JEL423 is a commonly used reference strain in studies exploring the evolution, epidemiology, and pathogenicity of chytrid pathogens. These studies have been hampered by the fragmented, erroneous, and incomplete B. dendrobatidis JEL423 genome assembly, which includes long stretches of ambiguous positions and poorly resolved telomeric regions. Here, we present and describe a substantially improved, near telomere-to-telomere genome assembly and gene annotation for B. dendrobatidis JEL423. Our new assembly is 24.5 Mb in length, ∼800 kb longer than the previously published assembly for this organism, comprising 18 nuclear scaffolds and 2 mitochondrial scaffolds and including an extra 839 kb of repetitive sequence. We discovered that the patterns of aneuploidy in B. dendrobatidis JEL423 have remained stable over approximately 5 years. We found that our updated assembly encodes fewer than half the number of M36 metalloprotease genes predicted in the previous assembly. In contrast, members of the crinkling and necrosis gene family were found in similar numbers to the previous assembly. We also identified a more extensive carbohydrate binding module 18 gene family than previously observed. We anticipate our findings, and the updated genome assembly will be a useful tool for further investigation of the genome evolution of the pathogenic chytrids.
A modular system to label endogenous presynaptic proteins using split fluorophores in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Kurashina Mizuki , Snow Andrew W , Mizumoto Kota
Published: December 2024

Visualizing the subcellular localization of presynaptic proteins with fluorescent proteins is a powerful tool to dissect the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying synapse formation and patterning in live animals. Here, we utilize split green and red fluorescent proteins to visualize the localization of endogenously expressed presynaptic proteins at a single-neuron resolution in Caenorhabditis elegans. By using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, we generated a collection of C. elegans strains in which endogenously expressed presynaptic proteins (RAB-3/Rab3, SNG-1/Synaptogyrin, CLA-1/Piccolo, SYD-2/Liprin-α, UNC-10/RIM, RIMB-1/RIM-BP, and ELKS-1/ELKS) are tagged with tandem repeats of GFP11 and/or wrmScarlet11. We show that the expression of GFP1-10 and wrmScarlet1-10 under neuron-specific promoters can robustly label presynaptic proteins in different neuron types. We believe that the combination of our knock-in strains and GFP1-10 and wrmScarlet1-10 plasmids is a versatile modular system useful for neuroscientists to examine the localization of endogenous presynaptic proteins in any neuron type in C. elegans.
‘Too Long a Sacrifice?’: Post-Transitional Justice and the Afterlives of Authoritarianism
Authors: Collins Cath , Durdiyeva Selbi
Published: December 2024

In a field that of late appears beset by crises of confidence, this essay reviews three books that send transitional justice scholarship back to basics. The focus in the books on post-authoritarian settings sheds light on the effects of time on transitional justice expectations, actions and futures. The books also offer rear-view mirror vantage points on the assumptions, teleological and otherwise, that informed early praxis in the field. The common object of interest addressed by these volumes – authoritarian regimes and transitional responses to them, over time – is significant in itself. It also reminds us, firstly, that transitional justice dynamics are not reducible to immediate policy menus, and, secondly, that they do not disappear when intellectual fashions change.
Clinical impact of a subtype of urothelial carcinoma in nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Minato Akinori , Yoshii Moena , Watanabe Shuki , Moriya Ryosuke , Kashiwagi Eiji , Fujimoto Naohiro
Published: December 2024

Objective

This study aimed to assess the oncological outcomes of the subtype of urothelial carcinoma (SUC), including divergent differentiation and histologic subtype, in comparison with those of pure urothelial carcinoma (PUC) in nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated patients who were initially treated with transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT) between March 2005 and August 2020 at a single institution. Patients with PUC and SUC were compared in terms of recurrence-free survival (RFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

Results

Out of 853 enrolled patients, 783 (91.8%) and 70 (8.2%) had PUC and SUC, respectively. SUC presence was significantly associated with old age, tumor size (≥3 cm), higher pT1 rate, high grade, concomitant carcinoma in situ, and lymphovascular invasion. RFS rates after TURBT did not significantly differ between the PUC and SUC groups. With a median follow-up period of 66 months (interquartile range, 38–103 months), the rates and median time of progression to muscle invasion were 6.9% and 22.5 months in the PUC group, and 22.9% and 10.0 months in the SUC group. Moreover, the incidence of progression to metastasis was 4.6% and 15.7% in the PUC and SUC groups, respectively. The 5-year PFS rates (64.5% and 81.9%, P < .001) and 5-year OS rates (71.7% and 86.2%, P = .009) were lower in the SUC group than in the PUC group. On multivariate analysis, SUC presence independently predicted progression to muscle invasion and metastasis.

Conclusion

At initial TURBT diagnosis, we must pay more attention to higher progression risk of SUC than that of PUC in nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer.
Fungal hepatic abscess formation postlaparoscopic cholecystectomy
Authors: AlNuaimi Dana , Saeed Ghufran , Abdulghaffar Shareefa , AlKetbi Reem , Aleassa Essa M , Balci Numan Cem
Published: December 2024

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the preferred method for treating acute cholecystitis. Although the incidence of postoperative infections in laparoscopic cholecystectomy is low, serious postoperative surgical site infections are still reported. Hepatic abscesses, particularly fungal, can occur post-cholecystectomy leading to significant mortality and morbidity. We report a case of a 58-year-old female who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and subsequently developed fever, jaundice, and right upper quadrant pain. Laboratory results showed deranged liver function tests with raised inflammatory markers. Radiographic investigations, including CT and MRI, revealed an irregular hilar lesion with periportal changes suggestive of an abscess with portal vein thrombosis. Histopathological examination of the biopsy obtained from the hilar lesion showed a fungal hepatic infection, and particularly conidiobolomycosis. To our best knowledge, this is the first case that reports this fungal infection as a complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patient was managed with a combination of intravenous antibiotics and antifungals, which yielded mild improvement. Unfortunately, the patient decided to leave the hospital against medical advice, limiting the information on the disease course.
VACStent closure of oesophageal defects by covered stent and endoscopic vacuum therapy: initial use and clinical outcomes
Authors: Ylli Kristali , AlQahtani Jowhara , Hraishawi Ihab , Murphy Thomas
Published: December 2024

Endoscopic management of transmural oesophageal defects following esophagectomy or spontaneous perforations, such as Boerhaave’s syndrome, is often complicated by stent migration and luminal occlusion [1]. The Vacuum-Assisted Closure (VAC) stent, which integrates a covered stent with endoscopic vacuum therapy, aims to address these issues by providing functional drainage and promoting wound healing [2]. This case series presents our initial experience with VACStent therapy in four patients treated between February 2023 and April 2024. Two patients had staple line defects post-esophagectomy, and two had Boerhaave’s syndrome. Treatment involved stent placement under general anaesthesia, followed by evaluations and scheduled stent exchanges every 6 days. All patients achieved successful defect closure, with no procedural complications noted. Three patients required one stent application, while one needed two applications. VACStent therapy appears to be a safe and effective treatment for transmural oesophageal defects, potentially establishing a new standard of care.
A Scoping Review of Methodologies Exploring Diet and Health Outcomes in Lactating Women: What Has Been Done and Where to Next?
Authors: Rahmannia Sofa , Arena Gina , Murray Kevin , Sakinah Ana D , Thariqi Yughni A , Diana Aly , Hickling Siobhan
Published: December 2024

Developing dietary guidelines for lactating women presents significant challenges, due to limited evidence being available on their specific nutrient needs and the biological impacts of various dietary dimensions. Current dietary recommendations often rely on data from nonlactating women, leading to potential inaccuracies. The relationship between diet and health outcomes in lactating women remains underexplored, particularly across different dietary dimensions, such as nutrients, food groups, dietary patterns, and other specific dietary variables. The aims of this scoping review were to map the diverse methodologies employed in research into maternal diet during lactation, to identify the current gaps, and to suggest areas for future investigation. The review focused on the dietary variables studied in relation to breastfeeding outcomes, and offers insights into the current state of lactation nutrition research. A comprehensive search was conducted in the CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Embase databases up to December 13, 2022. The included studies encompassed original quantitative research on dietary intake among lactating women and any associated outcomes. Data extracted included study characteristics, dietary variables, and outcome measures, and they were analyzed using descriptive statistics and pivot tables. Of the 1666 relevant studies identified, 231 met the inclusion criteria. Most research was conducted in high-income and upper-middle-income countries. Studies mainly focused on relatively short lactation durations, nutrient-based dietary dimensions, and maternal outcomes, particularly breast milk composition. Maternal metabolic status and child outcomes, such as infant micronutrient status and longitudinal growth, were underexplored. Specific dietary variables included meal frequency and nutrient intake from various food sources. Commonly adjusted covariates were maternal age and socio-economic status, while contraceptive use and sanitation were often overlooked. Many areas of research concerning the diet–health relationship in lactating women remain unexplored. Filling these gaps will gather evidence to inform the development of dietary guidelines for this population.