bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity to network perturbations in the randomized shortest paths framework: theory and applications in ecological connectivity
Authors: Kivimäki Ilkka , Van Moorter Bram , Saerens Marco
Published: May 2024

The randomized shortest paths (RSP) framework, developed for network analysis, extends traditional proximity and distance measures between two nodes, such as shortest path distance and commute cost distance (related to resistance distance). Consequently, the RSP framework has gained popularity in studies on landscape connectivity within ecology and conservation, where the behavior of animals is neither random nor optimal. In this work, we study how local perturbations in a network affect proximity and distance measures derived from the RSP framework. For this sensitivity analysis, we develop computable expressions for derivatives with respect to weights on the edges or nodes of the network. Interestingly, the sensitivity of expected cost to edge or node features provides a new signed network centrality measure, the negative covariance between edge/node visits and path cost, that can be used for pinpointing strong and weak parts of a network. It is also shown that this quantity can be interpreted as minus the endured expected detour (in terms of cost) when constraining the walk to pass through the node or the edge. Our demonstration of this framework focuses on a migration corridor for wild reindeer (Rangifer rangifer) in Southern Norway. By examining the sensitivity of the expected cost of movement between winter and calving ranges to perturbations in local areas, we have identified priority areas crucial for the conservation of this migration corridor. This innovative approach not only holds great promise for conservation and restoration of migration corridors, but also more generally for connectivity corridors between important areas for biodiversity (e.g. protected areas) and climate adaptation. Furthermore, the derivations and computational methods introduced in this work present fundamental features of the RSP framework. These contributions are expected to be of interest to practitioners applying the framework across various disciplines, ranging from ecology, transport and communication networks to machine learning.
Price transparency at the point of prescribing with real-time prescription benefits
Authors: Fitts Austin , Teare Andrew J , Nelson Scott D
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Real-time prescription benefits (RTPB) shows prescribers patient-, medication-, and pharmacy-specific information on medication pricing, prior authorization requirements, and lower-cost alternatives. RTPB is intended to improve patient satisfaction and prescription fill rates by decreasing out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions. Therefore, we evaluated how RTPB affects prescribing patterns by examining acceptance and subsequent fill rates for RTPB alternative suggestions.

Methods

RTPB was implemented in February 2022 using external vendor interfaces. Prescribing data from March 2022 to March 2023 were analyzed. RTPB displayed alerts for medications requiring prior authorization or when alternative medications would result in cost savings. Patients were included if their prescription received an RTPB response and they had a subsequent encounter with pharmacy fill data. Primary outcomes were alert acceptance rates and prescription fill rates across RTPB alert groups, with a secondary outcome of monthly copay savings for accepted alerts.

Results

RTPB requests received a response for 88% of prescriptions, with price estimates provided for 77.9% of them. Lower-cost alternatives accounted for 67.2% of alerts, while prior authorization requirements represented 15% of alerts. Prescribers selected a lower-cost alternative 32% of the time. For those with an RTPB alert, patients filled prescriptions 68% of the time when an alternative was chosen, compared to 59% of the time when the original prescription was retained (odds ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-1.6; P < 0.001). Patients saved an average of $27.77 per month on copay costs when alternatives were selected.

Conclusion

Implementation of RTPB was found to result in significant improvements in prescription fill rates and decrease patient copay costs, despite low alert acceptance rates.
Enacted appreciation and the meta-normative structure of urgency
Authors: Porter Elliot
Published: May 2024

Some considerations are urgent and others are not. Sometimes we invite criticism if we neglect the urgency of our situation, even if our action seems adequate to respond to it. Despite this significance, the literature does not offer a satisfactory analysis of the normative structure of urgency. I examine three views of urgency, drawn from philosophical and adjacent literature, which fail to explain the distinctive criticism we face when we neglect the urgency of our reasons. Instead I argue that urgent considerations pre-empt our deliberation about less urgent considerations. Urgency, then, is a meta-normative phenomenon, setting standards for how we handle and respond to first-order considerations, requiring that we close deliberation. In the face of urgency, appropriate action is not enough: commitment is called for. This is how we enact appreciation of our practical reasons, independently of our carrying out the action they call for.
Ecological perspectives on female and male reproductive success with competition in two Serapias species
Authors: Borràs Joshua , Cursach Joana , Herrera Cayetano , Perelló-Suau Sebastià , Capó Miquel
Published: May 2024

Background and Aims

The deceptive strategies by which orchids are pollinated and how these are capable of attracting pollinators remain understudied with regard to their implications for plant fitness. Despite their ecological importance, limited investigations have been conducted on sexual deception and shelter mimicry in orchid species, making this a compelling avenue in orchid biology research. To expand the knowledge of these reproductive mechanisms, we studied the pollination of Serapias lingua and S. parviflora in co-occurring and isolated sites in the Balearic Islands (Spain), further accentuated by the presence of a hybrid, indicating shared pollinators.

Methods

We employed bagging and hand pollination experiments to examine the reproductive biology of the two species. Furthermore, we evaluated the influence of phenotypical and ecological factors on reproductive success, including biometric measurements, reproductive performance and neighbourhood diversity (co-flowering and pollinator communities).

Key Results

Reproductive mechanisms between these two orchid species exhibit substantial disparities. Serapias lingua relies primarily on insect-mediated pollination, while S. parviflora demonstrates self-reproduction capacity. Although events of open pollination are rare, hybridization occurs predominantly when S. lingua is the pollen donor. Fruit set in S. parviflora was positively correlated with plant height, while in S. lingua it was negatively associated with flower size. The coexistence of the two species positively affected pollinium removal in S. parviflora, but did not exert an influence on reproductive traits in S. lingua. Overall, biometric parameters were diminished in isolated compared with co-occurring sites. At the community level, the increased diversity of co-flowering species in the vicinity exhibited an inhibitory effect on pollinium removal in S. parviflora.

Conclusions

Under a context of pollinator loss or phenological mismatch between pollinator presence and flowering, the selfing capacity of S. parviflora would guarantee reproduction whereas S. lingua survival would be compromised. Furthers studies are needed to assess the effects of phenotypical and ecological factors on reproductive success of S. lingua in pollinator-decline scenarios.
Reasonableness: a guiding light—A probe into the World Court’s landmark judgment on substantive standards of investment protection and its takeaways for investment treaty tribunals
Authors: Abedian Mir-Hossein , Eftekhar Reza
Published: May 2024

In its recent Judgement on Certain Iranian Assets, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) extensively addressed various international investment law issues that arose from the interpretation and application of an FCN (Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation). This represents a rare instance of the World Court addressing such matters to such a great extent. Chief amongst the Court’s holdings was the test put forward by the ICJ for assessing the ‘reasonableness’ of state measures for the purpose of evaluating their compliance with international standards of investment protection such as ‘fair and equitable treatment’ and ‘non-expropriation’. Acknowledging a trend in investment treaty jurisprudence, the Court went on to introduce more concrete yardsticks for examining the ‘reasonableness’ of state measures. The ICJ’s holdings on this matter could contribute to the enhanced ‘certainty’ and ‘predictability’ in decisions concerning ‘fair and equitable treatment’ standard and ‘non-expropriation’ obligation. The application of the tests of ‘reasonableness’ formulated by the ICJ in the field of investment treaty law could provide states with a greater margin of appreciation when exercising their ‘right to regulate’. In practical terms, as opposed to a stringent ‘proportionality’ analysis, the ICJ’s formulation of ‘reasonableness’ would mean an alleviated burden of proof for states to justify the propriety of their measures towards foreign investors.
Evaluation of laparoscopic peritoneal lavage for perforated diverticulitis: a national registry-based study
Authors: Kollatos Christos , Sköldberg Filip , Graf Wilhelm
Published: May 2024

Background

Laparoscopic lavage (LPL) has been suggested for treatment of non-feculent perforated diverticulitis. In this observational study, the surgical treatment of diverticular disease in Sweden outside prospective trials was investigated.

Methods

This population-based study used the National Patient Register to identify all patients in Sweden with emergency admissions for diverticular disease, as defined by ICD codes from July 2014 to December 2020. Demographics, surgical procedures and outcomes were assessed. In addition, register data since 1997 were retrieved to assess co-morbidities, previous abdominal surgeries, and previous admissions for diverticular disease.

Results

Among 47 294 patients with emergency hospital admission, 2035 underwent LPL (427 patients) or sigmoid resection (SR, 1608 patients) for diverticular disease. The mean follow-up was 30.8 months. Patients selected for LPL were younger, healthier and with less previous abdominal surgery for diverticular disease than those in the SR group (P < 0.01). LPL was associated with shorter postoperative hospital stay (mean 9.4 versus 14.9 days, P < 0.001) and lower 30-day mortality (3.5% versus 8.7%, P < 0.001). Diverticular disease–associated subsequent surgery was more common in the SR group than the LPL group except during the first year (P < 0.001). LPL had a lower mortality rate during the study period (stratified HR 0.70, 95% c.i. 0.53–0.92, P = 0.023).

Conclusion

Laparoscopic lavage constitutes a safe alternative to sigmoid resection for selected patients judged clinically to require surgery.
Genetic polymorphisms, biomarkers and signaling pathways associated with septic shock: from diagnosis to therapeutic targets
Authors: Wu Mingzheng , Mi Bobin , Liu Liu , Ma Haoli , Jiang Cheng , Jiang Shan , Li Yulin , Zhao Yan
Published: May 2024

Septic shock is a severe form of sepsis characterized by high global mortality rates and significant heritability. Clinicians have long been perplexed by the differential expression of genes, which poses challenges for early diagnosis and prompt treatment of septic shock. Genetic polymorphisms play crucial roles in determining susceptibility to, mortality from, and the prognosis of septic shock. Research indicates that pathogenic genes are known to cause septic shock through specific alleles, and protective genes have been shown to confer beneficial effects on affected individuals. Despite the existence of many biomarkers linked to septic shock, their clinical use remains limited. Therefore, further investigation is needed to identify specific biomarkers that can facilitate early prevention, diagnosis and risk stratification. Septic shock is closely associated with multiple signaling pathways, including the toll-like receptor 2/toll-like receptor 4, tumor necrosis factor-α, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B, mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear factor κB, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription, mammalian target of rapamycin, NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 and hypoxia-induced-factor-1 pathways. Understanding the regulation of these signaling pathways may lead to the identification of therapeutic targets for the development of novel drugs to treat sepsis or septic shock. In conclusion, identifying differential gene expression during the development of septic shock allows physicians to stratify patients according to risk at an early stage. Furthermore, auxiliary examinations can assist physicians in identifying therapeutic targets within relevant signaling pathways, facilitating early diagnosis and treatment, reducing mortality and improving the prognosis of septic shock patients. Although there has been significant progress in studying the genetic polymorphisms, specific biomarkers and signaling pathways involved in septic shock, the journey toward their clinical application and widespread implementation still lies ahead.
Local adaptation to climate inferred from intraspecific variation in plant functional traits along a latitudinal gradient
Authors: Tudor Emily P , Lewandrowski Wolfgang , Krauss Siegfried , Veneklaas Erik J
Published: May 2024

Ascertaining the traits important for acclimation and adaptation is a critical first step to predicting the fate of populations and species facing rapid environmental change. One of the primary challenges in trait-based ecology is understanding the patterns and processes underpinning functional trait variation in plants. Studying intraspecific variation of functional traits across latitudinal gradients offers an excellent in situ approach to assess associations with environmental factors, which naturally covary along these spatial scales such as the local climate and soil profiles. Therefore, we examined how climatic and edaphic conditions varied across a ~160-km latitudinal gradient to understand how these conditions were associated with the physiological performance and morphological expression within five spatially distinct populations spanning the latitudinal distribution of a model species (Stylidium hispidum Lindl.). Northern populations had patterns of trait means reflecting water conservation strategies that included reduced gas exchange, rosette size and floral investment compared to the southern populations. Redundancy analysis, together with variance partitioning, showed that climate factors accounted for a significantly greater portion of the weighted variance in plant trait data (22.1%; adjusted R2 = 0.192) than edaphic factors (9.3%; adjusted R2 = 0.08). Disentangling such independent and interactive abiotic drivers of functional trait variation will deliver key insights into the mechanisms underpinning local adaptation and population-level responses to current and future climates.
Effects of acclimation temperature and feed restriction on the metabolic performance of green sturgeon
Authors: Zillig Kenneth W , Hannan Kelly D , Baird Sarah E , Cocherell Dennis E , Poletto Jamilynn B , Fangue Nann A
Published: May 2024

Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) are an anadromous threatened species of sturgeon found along the Pacific coast of North America. The southern distinct population segment only spawns in the Sacramento River and is exposed to water temperatures kept artificially cold for the conservation and management of winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Past research has demonstrated costs of cold-water rearing including reduced growth rates, condition and survivorship of juvenile green sturgeon. Our research investigates how the stressors of water temperature and food limitation influence the metabolic performance of green sturgeon. We reared green sturgeon at two acclimation temperatures (13 and 19°C) and two ration amounts (100% and 40% of optimal feed). We then measured the routine and maximum metabolic rates (RMR and MMR, respectively) of sturgeon acclimated to these rearing conditions across a range of acute temperature exposures (11 to 31°C). Among both temperature acclimation treatments (13 or 19°C), we found that feed restriction reduced RMR across a range of acute temperatures. The influence of feed restriction on RMR and MMR interacted with acclimation temperature. Fish reared at 13°C preserved their MMR and aerobic scope (AS) despite feed restriction, while fish fed reduced rations and acclimated to 19°C showed reduced MMR and AS capacity primarily at temperatures below 16°C. The sympatry of threatened green sturgeon with endangered salmonids produces a conservation conflict, such that cold-water releases for the conservation of at-risk salmonids may constrain the metabolic performance of juvenile green sturgeon. Understanding the impacts of environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, dissolved oxygen) on ecological interactions of green sturgeon will be necessary to determine the influence of salmonid-focused management.
Correcting detection bias in mapping the abundance of marine megafauna using a Mediterranean seabird as an example
Authors: Lambert Charlotte , Cecere Jacopo G , De Pascalis Federico , Grémillet David
Published: May 2024

Distance sampling surveys are extensively used to estimate the abundance of wide-ranging species but are prone to detection biases. This may be particularly acute for strip-transect protocols, which assume perfect detection. We examined this assumption by quantifying the detection probability of a declining seabird (Scopoli’s shearwater, Calonectris diomedea), with particular attention to time of day and observation conditions at sea. We found detection probability was negatively affected by sun glare but positively by cloud cover and considerably dropped during mid-day hours due to circadian changes in behaviour (reduced detectability while resting). This result urges for systematically assessing and correcting detection bias when using strip-transect data to derive abundance information. Here, we did so by building a detection-corrected presence-absence ensemble model and combining it with a compilation of colony sizes and locations. A Monte-Carlo simulation ensured uncertainty propagation within and across data sources. The corrected abundance map showed shearwaters were largely prevalent in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia hosting most of the population both at sea and at colonies (45% of the global population; 79% of breeding pairs). This first accurate map is an essential conservation tool, emphasizing the importance of transnational actions for such species, that know no political boundaries.
Assessing the influence of offshore wind turbine noise on seasonal fish chorusing
Authors: Siddagangaiah Shashidhar , Fang Chen Chi- , Hu Wei-Chun , Akamatsu Tomonari , Pieretti Nadia
Published: May 2024

Offshore wind farms have recently emerged as a renewable energy solution. However, the long-term impacts of wind turbine noise on fish chorusing phenology are largely unknown. We deployed a hydrophone 10 m from a foremost turbine in Taiwan situated at the Miaoli offshore wind farm (Taiwan Strait) for two years to investigate sound levels and assess the potential influence of turbine noise on seasonal fish chorusing patterns during 2017 and 2018. Wind turbine noise (measured in the 20–250 Hz frequency band) was significantly higher in autumn and winter (mean SPL: 138–143 dB re 1 μPa) and was highly correlated with wind speed (r = 0.76, P < 0.001). During both years, fish chorusing exhibited a consistent trend, that is, beginning in spring, peaking in summer, decreasing in autumn, and absent in winter. Our results show the noise from a single turbine during the two-year monitoring period did not influence the seasonal fish chorusing (r = −0.17, P ≈ 1). Since the offshore wind farm installations are growing in magnitude and capacity across the Taiwan Strait, this study for the first time provides baseline operational sound levels and an understanding of the fish seasonal vocalization behavior at the foremost turbine of the first wind farm in Taiwan. The results presented here provide useful insights for policymakers and constitute a reference starting point for advancing knowledge on the possible effects of wind turbines on fish chorusing in the studied area.
Induced Subgraph Density. I. A loglog Step Towards Erd̋s–Hajnal
Authors: Bucić Matija , Nguyen Tung , Scott Alex , Seymour Paul
Published: May 2024

In 1977, Erd̋s and Hajnal made the conjecture that, for every graph $H$, there exists $c>0$ such that every $H$-free graph $G$ has a clique or stable set of size at least $|G|^{c}$, and they proved that this is true with $ |G|^{c}$ replaced by $2^{c\sqrt{\log |G|}}$. Until now, there has been no improvement on this result (for general $H$). We prove a strengthening: that for every graph $H$, there exists $c>0$ such that every $H$-free graph $G$ with $|G|\ge 2$ has a clique or stable set of size at least $$ \begin{align*} &2^{c\sqrt{\log |G|\log\log|G|}}.\end{align*} $$ Indeed, we prove the corresponding strengthening of a theorem of Fox and Sudakov, which in turn was a common strengthening of theorems of Rödl, Nikiforov, and the theorem of Erd̋s and Hajnal mentioned above.
Visceral Leishmaniasis–Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Coinfected Patients Are Highly Infectious to Sandflies in an Endemic Area in India
Authors: Singh Om Prakash , Chaubey Rahul , Kushwaha Anurag Kumar , Fay Michael P , Sacks David , Sundar Shyam
Published: May 2024

In an area endemic with Indian visceral leishmaniasis (VL), we performed direct xenodiagnosis to evaluate the transmission of Leishmania donovani from patients with VL–human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection to the vector sandflies, Phlebotomus argentipes. Fourteen patients with confirmed VL-HIV coinfection, with a median parasitemia of 42 205 parasite genome/mL of blood, were exposed to 732 laboratory-reared pathogen-free female P argentipes sandflies on their lower arms and legs. Microscopy revealed that 16.66% (122/732) of blood-fed flies were xenodiagnosis positive. Notably, 93% (13/14) of the VL-HIV group infected the flies, as confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and/or microscopy, and were 3 times more infectious than those who had VL without HIV.
Detecting directional epistasis and dominance from cross-line analyses in alpine populations of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Le Rouzic Arnaud , Roumet Marie , Widmer Alex , Clo Josselin
Published: May 2024

The contribution of non-additive genetic effects to the genetic architecture of fitness and to the evolutionary potential of populations has been a topic of theoretical and empirical interest for a long time. Yet, the empirical study of these effects in natural populations remains scarce, perhaps because measuring dominance and epistasis relies heavily on experimental line crosses. In this study, we explored the contribution of dominance and epistasis in natural alpine populations of Arabidopsis thaliana for 2 fitness traits, the dry biomass and the estimated number of siliques, measured in a greenhouse. We found that, on average, crosses between inbred lines of A. thaliana led to mid-parent heterosis for dry biomass but outbreeding depression for an estimated number of siliques. While heterosis for dry biomass was due to dominance, we found that outbreeding depression for an estimated number of siliques could be attributed to the breakdown of beneficial epistatic interactions. We simulated and discussed the implication of these results for the adaptive potential of the studied populations, as well as the use of line-cross analyses to detect non-additive genetic effects.
Drift drives the evolution of chromosome number II: The impact of range size on genome evolution in Carnivora
Authors: Jonika Michelle M , Wilhoit Kayla T , Chin Maximos , Arekere Abhimanyu , Blackmon Heath
Published: May 2024

Chromosome number is a fundamental genomic trait that is often the first recorded characteristic of a genome. Across large clades, a common pattern emerges: many or even most lineages exhibit relative stasis, while a handful of lineages or species exhibit striking variation. Despite recent developments in comparative methods, most of this heterogeneity is still poorly understood. It is essential to understand why some lineages have rapid rates of chromosome number evolution, as it can impact a variety of other traits. Previous research suggests that biased female meiotic drive may shape rates of karyotype evolution in some mammals. However, Carnivora exhibits variation that this female meiotic drive model cannot explain. We hypothesize that variation in effective population size may underlie rate variation in Carnivora. To test this hypothesis, we estimated rates of fusions and fissions while accounting for range size, which we use as a proxy for effective population size. We reason fusions and fissions are deleterious or underdominant and that only in lineages with small range sizes will these changes be able to fix due to genetic drift. In this study, we find that the rates of fusions and fissions are elevated in taxa with small range sizes relative to those with large range sizes. Based on these findings, we conclude that 1) naturally occurring structural mutations that change chromosome number are underdominant or mildly deleterious, and 2) when population sizes are small, structural rearrangements may play an important role in speciation and reduction in gene flow among populations.
Incidence and risk factors of PICC-related thrombosis in breast cancer: a meta-analysis
Authors: Meng Fanlun , Fan Shujun , Guo Lingmin , Jia Zhongfeng , Chang Hongjun , Liu Feng
Published: May 2024

Background

The incidence and risk factors of peripherally inserted central catheter-related thrombosis in patients with breast cancer have not been fully elucidated.

Method

Meta-analysis was performed by searching all studies on the incidence of peripherally inserted central catheter-associated thrombosis and risk factors for its formation in breast cancer patients from the establishment of the database to May 2023, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China Knowledge Network, China Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed) and Wanfang databases. Then the incidence of peripherally inserted central catheter-related thrombosis and risk factors for its formation were analyzed in breast cancer patients.

Results

A total of 15 articles were included, involving 8635 patients. The total incidence of peripherally inserted central catheter-related thrombosis in breast cancer patients was 7.0% (95% confidence interval: 4.0–13.0%) and 12.9% (95% confidence interval: 7.0–22.5%) after correction. Thirty-two risk factors were included, and eight risk factors could be combined. Among these risk factors, there were statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in body mass index ≥ 25 (odds ratio = 6.319, 95% confidence interval: 2.733–14.613; P < 0.001), D-dimer >500 ng/ml (odds ratio = 1.436, 95% confidence interval: 1.113–1.854; P = 0.005), increased fibrinogen (odds ratio = 4.733, 95% confidence interval: 1.562–14.346; P = 0.006), elevated platelet count (odds ratio = 4.134, 95% confidence interval: 2.694–6.346; P < 0.001) and catheter malposition (odds ratio = 8.475, 95% confidence interval: 2.761–26.011; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The incidence rate of peripherally inserted central catheter-related thrombosis in breast cancer patients was 7.0% (95% confidence interval: 4.0–13.0%). Body mass index ≥ 25, D-dimer >500 ng/ml, elevated fibrinogen, elevated platelet count and catheter malposition were risk factors for peripherally inserted central catheter-related thrombosis in breast cancer patients.
IRG1/ACOD1 promotes neutrophil reverse migration and alleviates local inflammation
Authors: Ji Jingjing , Zhong Hanhui , Li Yuehua , Billiar Timothy R , Wilson Mark A , Scott Melanie J , Fan Jie
Published: May 2024

Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) infiltration at inflammatory site plays a critical role in inflammation. PMN reverse migration (rM) describes the phenomenon that PMNs migrate away from inflammatory site back into the vasculature, and its role within inflammatory scenarios remains to be fully determined. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying PMN rM and its role in inflammation. First, we demonstrated PMN rM in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung inflammation. By single-cell RNA sequencing, we demonstrated that reverse migrated (rM-ed) PMNs in blood expressed a high level of immune-responsive gene 1 (Irg1), the encoding gene of cis-aconitate decarboxylase (ACOD1). Using a mouse air pouch model, which enabled us to directly track rM-ed PMNs in vivo, we detected higher expression of ACOD1 in the rM-ed PMNs in circulation. Furthermore, mice with Irg1 knockout exhibited decreased PMN rM and higher levels of inflammatory cytokine in inflammatory site. Mechanistically, we found that itaconate, the product of ACOD1 catalyzation, decreased PMN ICAM-1 expression at the inflammation site. Furthermore, inflammatory site showed a high level of shed Cd11a, the ligand of ICAM-1. Neutralization of either ICAM-1 or Cd11a led to increased PMN rM. These findings suggest that the binding of ICAM-1 and shed Cd11a serves as a retaining force to hold PMNs in the site of inflammation, and ACOD1-decreased PMN surface expression of ICAM-1 weakens the retaining force, promoting PMNs to leave the inflammatory site. These results indicate a regulatory role of IRG1 in PMN rM and subsequent contributions to inflammation resolution.
Recent and projected incidence trends and risk of anal cancer among people with HIV in North America
Authors: Deshmukh Ashish A , Lin Yueh-Yun , Damgacioglu Haluk , Shiels Meredith , Coburn Sally B , Lang Raynell , Althoff Keri N , Moore Richard , Silverberg Michael J , Nyitray Alan G , Chhatwal Jagpreet , Sonawane Kalyani , Sigel Keith
Published: May 2024

Background

Anal cancer risk is elevated among people with HIV. Recent anal cancer incidence patterns among people with HIV in the United States and Canada remain unclear. It is unknown how the incidence patterns may evolve.

Methods

Using data from the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design, we investigated absolute anal cancer incidence and incidence trends nationally in the United States and Canada and in different US regions. We further estimated relative risk compared with people without HIV, relative risk among various subgroups, and projected future anal cancer burden among American people with HIV.

Results

Between 2001 and 2016 in the United States, age-standardized anal cancer incidence declined 2.2% per year (95% confidence interval = ‒4.4% to ‒0.1%), particularly in the Western region (‒3.8% per year, 95% confidence interval = ‒6.5% to ‒0.9%). In Canada, incidence remained stable. Considerable geographic variation in risk was observed by US regions (eg, more than 4-fold risk in the Midwest and Southeast compared with the Northeast among men who have sex with men who have HIV). Anal cancer risk increased with a decrease in nadir CD4 cell count and was elevated among those individuals with opportunistic illnesses. Anal cancer burden among American people with HIV is expected to decrease through 2035, but more than 70% of cases will continue to occur in men who have sex with men who have HIV and in people with AIDS.

Conclusion

Geographic variation in anal cancer risk and trends may reflect underlying differences in screening practices and HIV epidemic. Men who have sex with men who have HIV and people with prior AIDS diagnoses will continue to bear the highest anal cancer burden, highlighting the importance of precision prevention.
A Bayesian latent variable model for the optimal identification of disease incidence rates given information constraints
Authors: Kubinec Robert , Carvalho Luiz Max , Barceló Joan , Cheng Cindy , Messerschmidt Luca , Cottrell Matthew Sean
Published: May 2024

We present an original approach for measuring infections as a latent variable and making use of serological and expert surveys to provide ground truth identification during the early pandemic period. Compared to existing approaches, our model relies more on empirical information than strong structural forms, permitting inference with relatively few assumptions of cumulative infections. We also incorporate a range of political, economic, and social covariates to richly parameterize the relationship between epidemic spread and human behaviour. To show the utility of the model, we provide robust estimates of total infections that account for biases in COVID-19 cases and tests counts in the U.S. from March to July of 2020, a period of time when accurate data about the nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was of limited availability. In addition, we can show how sociopolitical factors like the Black Lives Matter protests and support for President Donald Trump are associated with the spread of the virus via changes in fear of the virus and cell phone mobility. A reproducible version of this article is available as an Rmarkdown file at https://github.com/CoronaNetDataScience/covid_model.
A bi-endpoint expectation-maximisation algorithm for re-estimating sample size for the time-to-event endpoint under the blind condition
Authors: Xie Longshen , Lu Hui
Published: May 2024

The expectation-maximisation (EM) algorithm can be used to adjust the sample size for the time-to-event endpoint without unblinding. Nevertheless, censoring or unreliable initial estimates may render inconsistent estimates by the EM algorithm. To address these limitations, we propose a bi-endpoint EM algorithm that incorporates the time-to-event endpoint and another endpoint, which can encompass various endpoint types and is not limited to efficacy indicators, during the EM iterations. Additionally, we suggest 2 approaches for choosing initial estimates. The application conditions are as follows: (i) at least one endpoint’s initial estimate is reliable and (ii) the influence of this endpoint on the posterior distribution of the latent variable exceeds that of another endpoint.
Genetics of phenological development and implications for seed yield in lentil
Authors: Lake Lachlan , Hayes Julie E , Ortega Martinez Raul , Weller Jim L , Javid Muhammad , Butler Jacob B , James Laura E , Gimenez Raul , Dreccer M Fernanda , French Robert , Sadras Victor O
Published: May 2024

Understanding phenology, its genetics and agronomic consequences, is critical for crop adaptation. Here we aim to (i) characterize lentil response to photoperiod with a focus on five loci: the lentil ELF3 orthologue Sn, two loci linked to clusters of lentil FT orthologues, and two loci without candidates in chromosomes 2 and 5 (Experiment 1: 36 lines, short and long days in a phytotron), and (ii) establish the phenology–yield relationship (Experiment 2: 25 lines, 11 field environments). A vintage perspective, where we quantify time trends in phenotype over three decades of breeding, links both experiments. Yield increased linearly from older to newer varieties at 29 kg ha–1 year–1 or 1.5% year–1, correlated negatively with flowering time in both winter- and summer-rainfall regimes, and decoupled from biomass in favourable environments. Time to flowering shortened from older to newer varieties at –0.56% year–1 in the field, and –0.42% year–1 (short days) and –0.99% year–1 (long days) in the phytotron. Early-flowering lines of diverse origin carried multiple early alleles for the five loci, indicating that at least some of these loci affect phenology additively. Current germplasm primarily features the early-flowering haplotype for an FTb cluster region, hence the potential to increase phenological diversity with yield implications.
Impact of a Mentorship Program to Prepare Medical Students for the Military Residency Match
Authors: Boedeker David , Hunkler Kiley , Strohm Samantha , Zamani Michael , Chatfield Lindsay , MacKinnon Rene , Shvartsman Katerina
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Mentorship programs have well-documented benefits to both mentees and mentors. Military medical students face unique challenges in medical school given their service-specific requirements and separate military match process. We therefore aimed to determine whether military medical students’ participation in a mentorship program impacts their confidence in applying to obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) residency.

Materials and Methods

First, a needs assessment survey regarding the use of a mentorship program was sent to medical students, residents, fellows, and attendings. A structured mentorship program was then developed for military medical students applying to OB/GYN residency based on the survey results. Mentors were randomly paired with mentees and asked to appraise curriculum vitaes, review personal statements, and perform mock interviews. Following completion of these activities, participants were sent a post-intervention questionnaire. This project was exempt by our institution’s Institutional Review Board.

Results

Our program had 56 participants, with 29 individuals completing our post-intervention survey (response rate 51.8%). After participating in the program, 92.3% of mentors stated they plan to continue a relationship with their mentee. All the mentee respondents stated they would participate in this program again. Before participating in the program, 16.7% of mentees felt “prepared” or “extremely prepared” for the match, compared to 87.6% post-intervention. Most mentee respondents (75%) reported that this program made them a more competitive applicant. Following the mentorship program, 66.7% of participants successfully matched into OB/GYN residency.

Conclusions

This reproducible, well-received intervention can be implemented to facilitate mentoring connections regardless of geographic location. As the OB/GYN specialty develops its own application process, civilian medical schools should consider adopting similar programs to aid their students in navigating the match process.
Presence of Epstein–Barr virus in cerebrospinal fluid is associated with increased mortality in HIV-negative cryptococcal meningitis
Authors: Lu Yi , Li Shubo , Su Zhihui , Luo Chongliang , Gu Meifeng , Yuan Dasen , Qin Bang-e , Dai Kai , Xia Han , Chen Yong , Peng Fuhua , Jiang Ying
Published: May 2024

Cryptococcus neoformans is the most common cause of fungal meningitis and is associated with a high mortality. The clinical significance of concurrent Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients with cryptococcal meningitis (CM) remains unclear.

A retrospective cohort study was performed by analyzing CSF samples from 79 HIV-negative Chinese Han patients with confirmed CM. We identified CSF viral DNA in these patients by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and compared 10-week survival rates among those with and without EBV DNA in CSF.

Of the 79 CSF samples tested, 44.3% (35/79) had detectable viral DNA in CSF, while 55.7% (44/79) were virus-negative. The most frequent viral pathogen was EBV, which was detected in 22.8% (18/79) patients. The median number of CSF-EBV DNA reads was 4 reads with a range from 1 to 149 reads. The 10-week mortality rates were 22.2% (4/18) in those with positive CSF-EBV and 2.3% (1/44) in those with negative CSF-virus (hazard ratio 8.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.52-81.80; P = 0.014), which remained significant after a multivariate adjustment for the known risk factors of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 8.15, 95% CI 1.14-92.87; P = 0.037).

mNGS can identify viruses that coexist in CSF of HIV-negative patients with CM. EBV DNA is most commonly found together with C. neoformans in CSF and its presence is associated with increased mortality in HIV-negative CM patients.
Detailed mapping of the Galactic disc structure in the solar neighbourhood through LAMOST K dwarfs
Authors: Tang Xi-Can , Tian Hao , Li Jing , Chen Bing-qiu , Chen Yi-Rong , Liu Chao , Qiu Dan
Published: May 2024

The Galactic disc is one of the main components of the Milky Way, which contributes most of the luminosity. Its structure is essential for understanding the formation and evolution of the Milky Way. Using 174 443 K-type dwarf stars observed by both Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope and Gaia Data Release 3, we study the disc density profile in the local volume within 1200 pc. In the azimuthal dimension, we find strong asymmetric signal of the thin disc. The surface density and the scale height of the southern disc significantly change versus the azimuthal angle at the same Galactocentric distance R. Meanwhile, in the vertical dimension, the scale height of the northern disc has quite different trend than that of the southern one. The scale height of the southern disc shows a decreasing trend with ϕ ∼ −2.5°, and change to an increasing one with ϕ ∼ 5.0°. Meanwhile, the scale height of the northern disc has a consistently smaller increase. Finally, we divide the entire sample into three subsamples based on metallicity and all three subsamples show significant non-axisymmetric and north–south asymmetric signals in the Galactic disc. Furthermore, we find that the scale height of the metal-poor ([Fe/H] < −0.4 dex) subsample in the northern disc is greater than that of the metal-rich ([Fe/H] > −0.1 dex) subsample. However, in the southern disc, the scale height exhibits varying relationships across different metallicity slices.
Orbital period change of SW Sex star TT Tri
Authors: Fang Xiaohui , Wang Qishan , Qian Shengbang
Published: May 2024

SW Sex-type stars are the dominate population of cataclysmic variables (CVs) just above the period gap and are vital for understanding of CV evolution. We have monitored TT Tri for nearly 15 yr, and more observations yield a more reliable estimation for its orbital period variation. In this work, we present a detailed analysis about its orbital period variation. TT Tri experiences a rapid period decay with a decay rate of $-5.67\times 10^{-11}\, \mathrm{s/s}$ plus a period oscillation at about 9.6 yr. The oscillation could be caused by the magnetic activities of the low-mass star or/and a circumbinary body, while the rapid period decrease cannot be accounted for by the magnetic braking or even including an intensive disc wind. We find that mass overflow though the L3 point can take the angular momentum away effectively and that this mass overflow could account for the rapid period decay observed in TT Tri. We propose that this kind of angular momentum loss may play a crucial role in CV evolution, and further research is in progress.
The case for hot-mode accretion in Abell 2029
Authors: Prasad Deovrat , Voit G Mark , O’Shea Brian W
Published: May 2024

Radiative cooling and active galactic nucleus heating are thought to form a feedback loop that regulates the evolution of low-redshift cool-core galaxy clusters. Numerical simulations suggest that the formation of multiphase gas in the cluster core imposes a floor on the ratio of cooling time (tcool) to free-fall time (tff) at min(tcool/tff) ≈ 10. Observations of galaxy clusters show evidence for such a floor, and usually the cluster cores with min(tcool/tff) ≲ 30 contain abundant multiphase gas. However, there are important outliers. One of them is Abell 2029 (A2029), a massive galaxy cluster (M200 ≳ 1015 M⊙) with min(tcool/tff) ∼ 20, but little apparent multiphase gas. In this paper, we present high-resolution 3D hydrodynamic adaptive mesh refinement simulations of a cluster similar to A2029 and study how it evolves over a period of 1–2 Gyr. Those simulations suggest that A2029 self-regulates without producing multiphase gas because the mass of its central black hole (${\sim} 5 \times 10^{10} \, \mathrm{ M}_\odot$) is great enough for Bondi accretion of hot ambient gas to produce enough feedback energy to compensate for radiative cooling.
Asymmetric drift in MaNGA: mass and radially dependent stratification rates in galaxy discs
Authors: Bershady Matthew A , Westfall Kyle B , Shetty Shravan , Law David R , Cappellari Michele , Drory Niv , Bundy Kevin , Yan Renbin
Published: May 2024

We measure the age–velocity relationship from the lag between ionized gas and stellar tangential speeds in ∼500 nearby disc galaxies from MaNGA in Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV). Selected galaxies are kinematically axisymmetric. Velocity lags are asymmetric drift, seen in the Milky Way’s (MW) solar neighbourhood and other Local Group galaxies; their amplitude correlates with stellar population age. The trend is qualitatively consistent in rate ($\dot{\sigma }$) with a simple power-law model where σ ∝ tb that explains the dynamical phase-space stratification in the solar neighbourhood. The model is generalized based on disc dynamical times to other radii and other galaxies. We find in-plane radial stratification parameters σ0,r (dispersion of the youngest populations) in the range of 10–40 km s−1  and 0.2 < br < 0.5 for MaNGA galaxies. Overall, brincreases with galaxy mass, decreases with radius for galaxies above 10.4 dex (M⊙) in stellar mass, but is ∼constant with radius at lower mass. The measurement scatter indicates the stratification model is too simple to capture the complexity seen in the data, unsurprising given the many possible astrophysical processes that may lead to stellar population dynamical stratification. None the less, the data show dynamical stratification is broadly present in the galaxy population, with systematic trends in mass and density. The amplitude of the asymmetric drift signal is larger for the MaNGA sample than the MW, and better represented in the mean by what is observed in the discs of M31 and M33. Either typical discs have higher surface-density or, more likely, are dynamically hotter (hence thicker) than the MW.