bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homogenization of a reaction-diffusion problem with large nonlinear drift and Robin boundary data
Authors: Raveendran Vishnu , de Bonis Ida , Cirillo Emilio , Muntean Adrian
Published: February 2024

We study the periodic homogenization of a reaction-diffusion problem with large nonlinear drift and Robin boundary condition posed in an unbounded perforated domain. The nonlinear problem is associated with the hydrodynamic limit of a totally asymmetric simple exclusion process (TASEP) governing a population of interacting particles crossing a domain with obstacle. We are interested in deriving rigorously the upscaled model equations and the corresponding effective coefficients for the case when the microscopic dynamics are linked to a particular choice of characteristic length and time scales that lead to an exploding nonlinear drift. The main mathematical difficulty lies in proving the two-scale compactness and strong convergence results needed for the passage to the homogenization limit. To cope with the situation, we use the concept of two-scale compactness with drift, which is similar to the more classical two-scale compactness result but it is defined now in moving coordinates. We provide as well a strong convergence result for the corrector function, starting this way the search for the order of the convergence rate of the homogenization process for our target nonlinear drift problem.
Deciphering principles of nucleosome interactions and impact of cancer-associated mutations from comprehensive interaction network analysis
Authors: Xu Wang , Zhang Houfang , Guo Wenhan , Jiang Lijun , Zhao Yunjie , Peng Yunhui
Published: February 2024

Nucleosomes represent hubs in chromatin organization and gene regulation and interact with a plethora of chromatin factors through different modes. In addition, alterations in histone proteins such as cancer mutations and post-translational modifications have profound effects on histone/nucleosome interactions. To elucidate the principles of histone interactions and the effects of those alterations, we developed histone interactomes for comprehensive mapping of histone–histone interactions (HHIs), histone–DNA interactions (HDIs), histone–partner interactions (HPIs) and DNA–partner interactions (DPIs) of 37 organisms, which contains a total of 3808 HPIs from 2544 binding proteins and 339 HHIs, 100 HDIs and 142 DPIs across 110 histone variants. With the developed networks, we explored histone interactions at different levels of granularities (protein-, domain- and residue-level) and performed systematic analysis on histone interactions at a large scale. Our analyses have characterized the preferred binding hotspots on both nucleosomal/linker DNA and histone octamer and unraveled diverse binding modes between nucleosome and different classes of binding partners. Last, to understand the impact of histone cancer-associated mutations on histone/nucleosome interactions, we complied one comprehensive cancer mutation dataset including 7940 cancer-associated histone mutations and further mapped those mutations onto 419,125 histone interactions at the residue level. Our quantitative analyses point to histone cancer-associated mutations' strongly disruptive effects on HHIs, HDIs and HPIs. We have further predicted 57 recurrent histone cancer mutations that have large effects on histone/nucleosome interactions and may have driver status in oncogenesis.
Establishment and comparison of human term placenta–derived trophoblast cells
Authors: Vidal Manuel S , Radnaa Enkhtuya , Vora Natasha , Khanipov Kamil , Antich Cristina , Ferrer Marc , Urrabaz-Garza Rheanna , Jacob Jeena E , Menon Ramkumar
Published: February 2024

Research on the biology of fetal–maternal barriers has been limited by access to physiologically relevant cells, including trophoblast cells. In this study, we describe the development of a human term placenta–derived cytotrophoblast immortalized cell line (hPTCCTB) derived from the basal plate. Human-term placenta–derived cytotrophoblast immortalized cell line cells are comparable to their primary cells of origin in terms of morphology, marker expression, and functional responses. We demonstrate that these can transform into syncytiotrophoblast and extravillous trophoblasts. We also compared the hPTCCTB cells to immortalized chorionic trophoblasts (hFM-CTC), trophoblasts of the chorionic plate, and BeWo cells, choriocarcinoma cell lines of conventional use. Human-term placenta–derived cytotrophoblast immortalized cell line and hFM-CTCs displayed more similarity to each other than to BeWos, but these differ in syncytialization ability. Overall, this study (1) demonstrates that the immortalized hPTCCTB generated are cells of higher physiological relevance and (2) provides a look into the distinction between the spatially distinct placental and fetal barrier trophoblasts cells, hPTCCTB and hFM-CTC, respectively.
Wire- and radiofrequency identification tag-guided localization of impalpable breast lesions: iBRA-NET localization study
Authors: Harvey James , Morgan Jenna , Lowes Simon , Milligan Robert , Barrett Emma , Carmichael Amtul , Elgammal Suzanne , Masudi Tahir , Holcombe Chris , Masannat Yazan , Potter Shelley , Dave Rajiv V ,   iBRA-Net Localization Study Collaborative, Al Numani H , Kastora S , Simpson L , Lynch R , Kleidi E , Wignarajah P , Johnson L , Ledwidge S , Faheem M , Elusoji F , Khanbhai M , Quinn E , Bains S , Zammit C , Rathinaezhil R , Frame R , Saha S , Lawday S , Fowler C , Tomlins A , Rozwadowski S , Massey E , Court F , Hembrecht S , Davis C , Lowery A , Jain U , Kothari A , Lane R , Asha A , Tuffaha H , Lakatosova K , Shenton K , Constantinou C , Farrant J , Gaber A , James R , Ainsworth R , Doyle B , Y. Choo S , Merker L , Smith O , Valencia A , Mullan M , Salvador R , Marshall D , Ames V , Tanhueco A , Cooper L , Youssef M , G. Roy P , Petralia G , Exarchos G , Remoundos D , Adwani A , MacLean G , Singh S , Ives C , Boult H , Hubbard T , Donigiewicz U , Shetty G , Lefemine V , Hill A , Wyld L , Carmichael A , Monib S , Thomson S , Green M , Malik M
Published: February 2024

A national cohort ideal stage 2a/2b study comparing the safety and effectiveness of Wire- and RFID -guided localisation for impalpable breast lesions.
Probabilistic k-swap method for uniform graph generation beyond the configuration model
Authors: Tabourier Lionel , Karadayi Julien
Published: February 2024

Generating graphs with realistic structural characteristics is an important challenge for complex networks analysis, as these graphs are the null models that allow to describe and understand the properties of real-world networks. However, the field lacks systematic means to generate samples of graphs with predefined structural properties, because it is difficult to devise a method that is both flexible and guarantees to get a uniform sample, that is where any graph of the target set has the same probability to be represented in the sample. In practice, it limits the experimental investigation to a handful of models, including the well-known Erdős–Rényi graphs or the configuration model. The aim of this paper is to provide such a method: we design and implement a Monte Carlo Markov Chain process which is both flexible and satisfies the uniformity condition. Its assumptions are that: (1) the graphs are simple, (2) their degree sequence is fixed and (3) the user has at least one graph of the set available. Within these limitations, we prove that it is possible to generate a uniform sample of any set of such graphs. We provide an implementation in python and extensive experiments to show that this method is practically operational in several relevant cases. We use it with five specific set of constraints and verify that the samples obtained are consistent with existing methods when such a method is available. In those cases, we report that state-of-the-art methods are usually faster, as our method favours versatility at the cost of a lower efficiency. Also, the implementation provided has been designed so that users may adapt it to relevant constraints for their own field of work.
Evaluation of a novel cuffless photoplethysmography-based wristband for measuring blood pressure according to the regulatory standards
Authors: van Vliet Mariska , Monnink Stefan H J , Kuiper Mathijs J , Constandse Jan C , Hoftijzer Dieke , Ronner Eelko
Published: February 2024

Aims

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a key risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. However, obtaining reliable and reproducible BP remains a challenge. This study, therefore, aimed to evaluate a novel cuffless wristband, based on photoplethysmography (PPG), for continuous BP monitoring.

Methods and results

Predictions by a PPG-guided algorithm were compared to arterial BP measurements (in the sub-clavian artery), obtained during cardiac catheterization. Eligible patients were included and screened based on AAMI/European Society of Hypertension (ESH)/ISO Universal Standard requirements. The machine learning-based BP algorithm required three cuff-based initialization measurements in combination with ∼100 features (signal-derived and patient demographic-based). Ninety-seven patients and 420 samples were included. Mean age, weight, and height were 67.1 years (SD 11.1), 83.4 kg (SD 16.1), and 174 cm (SD 10), respectively. Systolic BP was ≤100 mmHg in 48 samples (11%) and ≥160 mmHg in 106 samples (25%). Diastolic BP was ≤70 mmHg in 222 samples (53%) and ≥85 mmHg in 99 samples (24%). The algorithm showed mean errors of ±3.7 mmHg (SD 4.4 mmHg) and ±2.5 mmHg (SD 3.7 mmHg) for systolic and diastolic BP, respectively. Similar results were observed across all genders and skin colours (Fitzpatrick I-VI).

Conclusion

This study provides initial evidence for the accuracy of a PPG-based BP algorithm in combination with a cuffless wristband across a range of BP distributions. This research complies with the AAMI/ESH/ISO Universal Standard, however, further research is required to evaluate the algorithms performance in light of the remaining European Society of Hypertension recommendations.

Clinical trial registration

www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05566886.
Electrocardiogram-based prediction of conduction disturbances after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with convolutional neural network
Authors: Jia Yuheng , Li Yiming , Luosang Gaden , Wang Jianyong , Peng Gang , Pu Xingzhou , Jiang Weili , Li Wenjian , Zhao Zhengang , Peng Yong , Feng Yuan , Wei Jiafu , Xu Yuanning , Liu Xingbin , Yi Zhang , Chen Mao
Published: February 2024

Aims

Permanent pacemaker implantation and left bundle branch block are common complications after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and are associated with impaired prognosis. This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model for predicting conduction disturbances after TAVR using pre-procedural 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) images.

Methods and results

We collected pre-procedural 12-lead ECGs of patients who underwent TAVR at West China Hospital between March 2016 and March 2022. A hold-out testing set comprising 20% of the sample was randomly selected. We developed an AI model using a convolutional neural network, trained it using five-fold cross-validation and tested it on the hold-out testing cohort. We also developed and validated an enhanced model that included additional clinical features. After applying exclusion criteria, we included 1354 ECGs of 718 patients in the study. The AI model predicted conduction disturbances in the hold-out testing cohort with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.764, accuracy of 0.743, F1 score of 0.752, sensitivity of 0.876, and specificity of 0.624, based solely on pre-procedural ECG images. The performance was better than the Emory score (AUC = 0.704), as well as the logistic (AUC = 0.574) and XGBoost (AUC = 0.520) models built with previously identified high-risk ECG patterns. After adding clinical features, there was an increase in the overall performance with an AUC of 0.779, accuracy of 0.774, F1 score of 0.776, sensitivity of 0.794, and specificity of 0.752.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence–enhanced ECGs may offer better predictive value than traditionally defined high-risk ECG patterns.
The Lutheran Experience in the Ottoman Middle East: Stephan Gerlach (1546–1612) and the History of Lutheran Accommodation
Authors: Calis Richard
Published: February 2024

This article examines what it meant to be Lutheran in the early modern Middle East. Its point of departure is a letter in which Stephan Gerlach, a sixteenth-century Lutheran chaplain to the imperial ambassador in Istanbul, asked his superiors about the type of behaviour that befitted him as a Lutheran. Was he allowed to wear a Turkish turban to see mosques and learn about Islam? Was it permissible for him in exceptional circumstances to accept communion under both kinds from a Roman Catholic monk? Was he allowed to postpone the Sunday sermon to attend Greek Orthodox ceremonies? Reconstructing how sixteenth-century Lutherans who had business in the early modern Middle East tried to resolve such issues not only affords new insights into the Lutheran experience in the Ottoman Empire; it also raises a set of fundamental questions about late sixteenth-century Lutheranism itself. Did Lutherans in this period develop forms of religious accommodation similar to those of early modern Catholics? Did travel in the Eastern Mediterranean demand a more flexible and more fluid form of Lutheranism? Could one even adhere to Lutheranism’s core principles so far away from the place where the movement had first taken root? Through an examination of various Lutheran treatises and travelogues, I show that sixteenth-century Lutheranism did not develop an official policy of accommodation. Instead, Lutheran responses to questions about accommodation, (dis)simulation and conformity were often makeshift and idiosyncratic, because Lutheranism formulated little to no official guidance on the movement as a lived religion.
KDM1A genotyping and expression in 146 sporadic somatotroph pituitary adenomas
Authors: Chasseloup Fanny , Regazzo Daniela , Tosca Lucie , Proust Alexis , Kuhn Emmanuelle , Hage Mirella , Jublanc Christel , Mokhtari Karima , Dalle Nogare Mattia , Avallone Serena , Ceccato Filippo , Tachdjian Gerard , Salenave Sylvie , Young Jacques , Gaillard Stephan , Parker Fabrice , Boch Anne-Laure , Chanson Philippe , Bouligand Jerome , Occhi Gianluca , Kamenický Peter
Published: February 2024

Importance

A paradoxical increase of growth hormone (GH) following oral glucose load has been described in ∼30% of patients with acromegaly and has been related to the ectopic expression of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor (GIPR) in somatotropinomas. Recently, we identified germline pathogenic variants and somatic loss of heterozygosity of lysine demethylase 1A (KDM1A) in patients with GIP-dependent primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia with Cushing's syndrome. The ectopic expression of GIPR in both adrenal and pituitary lesions suggests a common molecular mechanism.

Objective

We aimed to analyze KDM1A gene sequence and KDM1A and GIPR expressions in somatotroph pituitary adenomas.

Settings

We conducted a cohort study at university hospitals in France and in Italy. We collected pituitary adenoma specimens from acromegalic patients who had undergone pituitary surgery. We performed targeted exome sequencing (gene panel analysis) and array-comparative genomic hybridization on somatic DNA derived from adenomas and performed droplet digital PCR on adenoma samples to quantify KDM1A and GIPR expressions.

Results

One hundred and forty-six patients with sporadic acromegaly were studied; 72.6% presented unsuppressed classical GH response, whereas 27.4% displayed a paradoxical rise in GH after oral glucose load. We did not identify any pathogenic variant in the KDM1A gene in the adenomas of these patients. However, we identified a recurrent 1p deletion encompassing the KDM1A locus in 29 adenomas and observed a higher prevalence of paradoxical GH rise (P = .0166), lower KDM1A expression (4.47 ± 2.49 vs 8.56 ± 5.62, P < .0001), and higher GIPR expression (1.09 ± 0.92 vs 0.43 ± 0.51, P = .0012) in adenomas from patients with KDM1A haploinsufficiency compared with those with 2 KDM1A copies.

Conclusions and relevance

Unlike in GIP-dependent primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia, KDM1A genetic variations are not the cause of GIPR expression in somatotroph pituitary adenomas. Recurrent KDM1A haploinsufficiency, more frequently observed in GIPR-expressing adenomas, could be responsible for decreased KDM1A function resulting in transcriptional derepression on the GIPR locus.
Cytogenetic Analysis of the Fish Genus Carassius Indicates Divergence, Fission, and Segmental Duplication as Drivers of Tandem Repeat and Microchromosome Evolution
Authors: Fornaini Nicola R , Černohorská Halina , do Vale Martins Lívia , Knytl Martin
Published: February 2024

Fishes of the genus Carassius are useful experimental vertebrate models for the study of evolutionary biology and cytogenetics. Carassius demonstrates diverse biological characteristics, such as variation in ploidy levels and chromosome numbers, and presence of microchromosomes. Those Carassius polyploids with ≥150 chromosomes have microchromosomes, but the origin of microchromosomes, especially in European populations, is unknown. We used cytogenetics to study evolution of tandem repeats (U1 and U2 small nuclear DNAs and H3 histone) and microchromosomes in Carassius from the Czech Republic. We tested the hypotheses whether the number of tandem repeats was affected by polyploidization or divergence between species and what mechanism drives evolution of microchromosomes. Tandem repeats were found in tetraploid and hexaploid Carassius gibelio, and tetraploid Carassius auratus and Carassius carassius in conserved numbers, with the exception of U1 small nuclear DNA in C. auratus. This conservation indicates reduction and/or loss in the number of copies per locus in hexaploids and may have occurred by divergence rather than polyploidization. To study the evolution of microchromosomes, we used the whole microchromosome painting probe from hexaploid C. gibelio and hybridized it to tetraploid and hexaploid C. gibelio, and tetraploid C. auratus and C. carassius. Our results revealed variation in the number of microchromosomes in hexaploids and indicated that the evolution of the Carassius karyotype is governed by macrochromosome fissions followed by segmental duplication in pericentromeric areas. These are potential mechanisms responsible for the presence of microchromosomes in Carassius hexaploids. Differential efficacy of one or both of these mechanisms in different tetraploids could ensure variability in chromosome number in polyploids in general.
Deep attributes: innovative LSTM-based seismic attributes
Authors: Roncoroni G , Forte E , Pipan M
Published: February 2024

Seismic attributes are derived measures from seismic data that help characterize subsurface geological features and enhance the interpretation of subsurface structures: we propose to exploit the hidden layers of Long–Short Time Memory neural network predictions as possible new reflection seismic attributes. The idea is based on the inference process of a neural network, which in its hidden layers stores information related to different features embedded in the input data and which usually are not considered. Neural network applications typically ignore such intermediate steps because the main interest lies in the final output, which is considered as the exclusive exploitable feature of the process. On the contrary, here we analyse the possibility to exploit the intermediate prediction steps, hereafter referred as ‘deep attributes’ because they are produced by a deep learning algorithm, to highlight features and emphasize characteristics embedded in the data but neither recognizable by traditional interpretation, nor evident with classical attributes or multi-attribute approaches. Nowadays, classical signal attributes are numerous and used for different purposes; we here propose an original strategy to calculate attributes previously never exploited, which are potentially complementary or a good alternative to the classical ones.

We tested the proposed procedure on synthetic and field 2-D and 3-D reflection seismic data sets to test and demonstrate the stability, affordability and versatility of the entire approach. Furthermore, we evaluated the performance of deep attributes on a 4-D seismic data set to assess the applicability and effectiveness for time-monitoring purposes and comparing them with the sweetness attribute.
Has the fall of Roe changed contraceptive access and use? New research from four US states offers critical insights
Authors: Kavanaugh Megan L , Friedrich-Karnik Amy
Published: February 2024

The overturning of Roe v. Wade in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's HealthOrganization decision has had vast impacts on abortion access across the United States, but less is known about the wider impacts on people's contraceptive access. We draw on cross-sectional survey data representative of reproductive-aged women in Arizona, Iowa, New Jersey, and Wisconsin at two time points—one prior to and one following the Dobbs decision. We examined changes between these two time points in key sexual and reproductive health metrics and, at the post-Dobbs time point, differences in these metrics across age, sexual and gender minority status, nativity, and income status. Between these two time points, we found statistically significant evidence that sexual activity declined, barriers to accessing contraception increased, reports of receiving high-quality contraceptive care decreased, and condom use increased. As continued fallouts of the Dobbs decision on access to abortion occur, this research makes clear that access to broader contraceptive care is worsening. Policies that promote meaningful access to all forms of sexual and reproductive health care must be advanced to support all individuals' right to reproductive autonomy while mitigating inequity and inequality.
Historical Violence and Public Attitudes towards Justice: Evidence from the United States
Authors: Scott Jamil S , Solomon Daniel , Zvobgo Kelebogile
Published: February 2024

This article brings transitional justice scholarship to bear on the case of racial violence in the United States. We investigate how knowledge of racial terror lynchings shapes Black Americans’ support for symbolic and material transitional justice measures. We administer a survey with an embedded experiment to Black residents in Maryland, a US transitional justice pioneer. We provide select respondents with information about historical lynching violence and find that they are more likely to support symbolic transitional justice (e.g., apologies and memorial markers) than individuals presented with information on contemporary police killings. Regarding material transitional justice (e.g., monetary reparations and community projects), we find no significant differences between groups. Linked fate excepted, we do not find that key aspects of Black identity and the Black American experience (i.e., historical knowledge, police contact, church involvement and Black nationalist beliefs) moderate transitional justice attitudes. Our work indicates the promise and limits of information campaigns to mobilize support for transitional justice.
Performance output regulation of coupled heat equations with recycle
Authors: Yu Xiu-Fang , Wang Jun-Min , Wu Xiao-Hui
Published: February 2024

In this article, we study the output regulation of two coupled heat equations with recycle, where the disturbances are distributed in all channels, the control is implemented at the left boundary $x=0$ and the point temperature at $x=2$ is the only noncollocated measurement. The output control is divided into two parts: one is to stabilize the unstable heat system by the noncollocated static feedback, and the other is to achieve output regulation by solving the regulator equation and estimating the disturbances, where an observer is constructed to estimate the state of heat system and exosystem synchronously. The closed-loop system is proved to be well-posed and uniformly bounded using the Riesz basis approach, and the integral output tracks successfully the reference signal exponentially. The numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate the proposed controller is effective and the tracking error converges to zero.
Evaluation of multiple displacement amplification for metagenomic analysis of low biomass samples
Authors: Ospino Melody Cabrera , Engel Katja , Ruiz-Navas Santiago , Binns W Jeffrey , Doxey Andrew C , Neufeld Josh D
Published: February 2024

Combining multiple displacement amplification (MDA) with metagenomics enables the analysis of samples with extremely low DNA concentrations, making them suitable for high-throughput sequencing. Although amplification bias and nonspecific amplification have been reported from MDA-amplified samples, the impact of MDA on metagenomic datasets is not well understood. We compared three MDA methods (i.e. bulk MDA, emulsion MDA, and primase MDA) for metagenomic analysis of two DNA template concentrations (approx. 1 and 100 pg) derived from a microbial community standard “mock community” and two low biomass environmental samples (i.e. borehole fluid and groundwater). We assessed the impact of MDA on metagenome-based community composition, assembly quality, functional profiles, and binning. We found amplification bias against high GC content genomes but relatively low nonspecific amplification such as chimeras, artifacts, or contamination for all MDA methods. We observed MDA-associated representational bias for microbial community profiles, especially for low-input DNA and with the primase MDA method. Nevertheless, similar taxa were represented in MDA-amplified libraries to those of unamplified samples. The MDA libraries were highly fragmented, but similar functional profiles to the unamplified libraries were obtained for bulk MDA and emulsion MDA at higher DNA input and across these MDA libraries for the groundwater sample. Medium to low-quality bins were possible for the high input bulk MDA metagenomes for the most simple microbial communities, borehole fluid, and mock community. Although MDA-based amplification should be avoided, it can still reveal meaningful taxonomic and functional information from samples with extremely low DNA concentration where direct metagenomics is otherwise impossible.
Effect of Foreign Direct Investments on Industrialisation: The Case of China in Africa
Authors: Chen Ding , Isah Aliyu Buhari , Gummi Umar Muhammad
Published: February 2024

China's engagement in Africa's economic domain has sparked disagreement among researchers and the mainstream media on whether the engagement benefits Africa as a host. There are also ongoing concerns that the new China-Africa relationship is only benefiting China at the expense of Africa. In this paper, we examine the effect of China's FDI on industrialisation in Africa based on the instrumental variables Generalized Methods of Moment (IV-GMM) model, using a sample of 36 African countries and data spanning from 2003 to 2020. We find that China's FDI slightly promotes industrialisation in Africa. In isolation, the effect of China's FDI on industrialisation is larger in high-recipient countries of China's FDI than in low-recipient countries due to disparity in the absorptive capacities of the countries. However, we find that countries' characteristics such as domestic investment, financial development, infrastructure, human capital and institutional qualities, among others, play a significant role in promoting industrialisation in Africa. Therefore, we propose some important policy implications in line with the empirical findings.
Cat-scratch disease masquerading as post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder
Authors: Ng Hung Shin Paul Brian , Tan Samuel X , Griffin Anthony , Tan Ailin , Kanagarajah Vijay
Published: February 2024

Lymphadenopathy in an immunosuppressed patient raises the quintessential diagnostic dilemma: infection or malignancy? We present the case of a transplant recipient on anti-rejection prophylaxis admitted with acute fever, malaise and a swollen right axillary node. The patient had pancytopenia and tested positive for Epstein–Barr virus; nodal core biopsy demonstrated atypical plasma cell infiltration, immediately raising suspicion for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. However, excisional biopsy and Bartonella henselae serology clarified a final diagnosis of cat-scratch disease—a potentially fatal zoonosis requiring a disparate treatment regimen. Here, we explore this patient’s investigations, hospital course and recovery, with an emphasis on recognizing and differentiating these diagnostic mimics in post-transplant practice.
Think TB! A rare case of influenza and rapid progressive neurotuberculosis coinfection
Authors: Schroeder Jakob , Schlesinger Andreas , Burghaus Lothar , Pape Pantea , Balke Maryam
Published: February 2024

An Indian migrant presented with increasing neurological symptoms after an acute influenza B infection. We diagnosed progressive neurotuberculosis—a rare and difficult case of tuberculosis and influenza co-infection. It highlights the importance of broad-based diagnostics in people from low- and middle-income countries, taking into account unusual manifestations of tuberculosis.
What makes a father: differentiation of unmarried and divorced fathers in the context of custody under the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Koivula Tapio
Published: February 2024

While marriage has traditionally served as the connective tissue between fathers, mothers, and their children before the law, the increasing commonality of cohabitation-based relationships without marriage has led to many children being born outside of the marriage union. This has complicated the legal understanding of fatherhood in particular, which has traditionally relied on the contractual nature and stability of the marital union to be legally defined and understood. States are often ill-equipped to handle parental separation and child custody in the case of civil unions, and unmarried fathers tend to have fewer venues of legal protection compared to divorced fathers in that regard.

The purpose of this article is to identify the legal challenges surrounding unmarried fathers and parental rights in the context of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. It examines the elements of what constitutes legal fatherhood, identifies the main human rights issues surrounding unmarried fathers, and assesses the reasons for legal differentiation between divorced and unmarried fathers. Importantly, conclusions are drawn as to whether and why these differences are justified from a legal perspective. This article contributes to the need for more research in the area of father–child relationships and aims to provide guidance for policy and law-making with regard to unmarried parents in the context of children’s rights.
MUSE-ALMA Haloes X: the stellar masses of gas-rich absorbing galaxies
Authors: Augustin Ramona , Péroux Céline , Karki Arjun , Kulkarni Varsha , Weng Simon , Hamanowicz A , Hayes M , Howk J C , Kacprzak G G , Klitsch A , Zwaan M A , Fox A , Biggs A , Fresco A Y , Kassin S , Kuntschner H
Published: February 2024

The physical processes by which gas is accreted onto galaxies, transformed into stars, and then expelled from galaxies are of paramount importance to galaxy evolution studies. Observationally constraining each of these baryonic components in the same system, however, is challenging. Furthermore, simulations indicate that the stellar mass of galaxies is a key factor influencing CGM properties. Indeed, absorption lines detected against background quasars offer the most compelling way to study the cold gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM). The MUSE-ALMA Haloes survey is composed of quasar fields covered with VLT/MUSE observations, comprising 32 H i absorbers at 0.2 < z < 1.4 and 79 associated galaxies, with available or upcoming molecular gas measurements from ALMA. We use a dedicated 40-orbit HST UVIS and IR WFC3 broad-band imaging campaign to characterize the stellar content of these galaxies. By fitting their spectral energy distribution, we establish they probe a wide range of stellar masses: 8.1 < log (M*/M⊙) < 12.4. Given their star formation rates, most of these objects lie on the main sequence of galaxies. We also confirm a previously reported anticorrelation between the stellar masses and CGM hydrogen column density N (H i), indicating an evolutionary trend where higher mass galaxies are less likely to host large amounts of H i gas in their immediate vicinity up to 120 kpc. Together with other studies from the MUSE-ALMA Haloes survey, these data provide stellar masses of absorber hosts, a key component of galaxy formation and evolution, and observational constraints on the relation between galaxies and their surrounding medium.
The SAMI Galaxy Survey: using tidal streams and shells to trace the dynamical evolution of massive galaxies
Authors: Rutherford Tomas H , van de Sande Jesse , Croom Scott M , Valenzuela Lucas M , Remus Rhea-Silvia , D’Eugenio Francesco , Vaughan Sam P , Zovaro Henry R M , Casura Sarah , Barsanti Stefania , Bland-Hawthorn Joss , Brough Sarah , Bryant Julia J , Goodwin Michael , Lorente Nuria , Oh Sree , Ristea Andrei
Published: February 2024

Slow rotator galaxies are distinct amongst galaxy populations, with simulations suggesting that a mix of minor and major mergers are responsible for their formation. A promising path to resolve outstanding questions on the type of merger responsible, is by investigating deep imaging of massive galaxies for signs of potential merger remnants. We utilize deep imaging from the Subaru-Hyper Suprime Cam Wide data to search for tidal features in massive [log10(M*/M⊙) > 10] early-type galaxies (ETGs) in the SAMI Galaxy Survey. We perform a visual check for tidal features on images where the galaxy has been subtracted using a Multi-Gauss Expansion (MGE) model. We find that 31$^{+2}_{-2}$ per cent of our sample show tidal features. When comparing galaxies with and without features, we find that the distributions in stellar mass, light-weighted mean stellar population age, and H${\alpha}$ equivalent width are significantly different, whereas spin ($\lambda _{R_{\rm {e}}}$), ellipticity, and bulge-to-total ratio have similar distributions. When splitting our sample in age, we find that galaxies below the median age (10.8 Gyr) show a correlation between the presence of shells and lower $\lambda _{R_{\rm {e}}}$, as expected from simulations. We also find these younger galaxies which are classified as having ‘strong’ shells have lower $\lambda _{R_{\rm {e}}}$. However, simulations suggest that merger features become undetectable within ∼2–4 Gyr post-merger. This implies that the relationship between tidal features and merger history disappears for galaxies with older stellar ages, i.e. those that are more likely to have merged long ago.
Galaxy stellar and total mass estimation using machine learning
Authors: Chu Jiani , Tang Hongming , Xu Dandan , Lu Shengdong , Long Richard
Published: February 2024

Conventional galaxy mass estimation methods suffer from model assumptions and degeneracies. Machine learning (ML), which reduces the reliance on such assumptions, can be used to determine how well present-day observations can yield predictions for the distributions of stellar and dark matter. In this work, we use a general sample of galaxies from the TNG100 simulation to investigate the ability of multibranch convolutional neural network (CNN) based ML methods to predict the central (i.e. within 1−2 effective radii) stellar and total masses, and the stellar mass-to-light ratio (M*/L). These models take galaxy images and spatially resolved mean velocity and velocity dispersion maps as inputs. Such CNN-based models can, in general, break the degeneracy between baryonic and dark matter in the sense that the model can make reliable predictions on the individual contributions of each component. For example, with r-band images and two galaxy kinematic maps as inputs, our model predicting M*/L has a prediction uncertainty of 0.04 dex. Moreover, to investigate which (global) features significantly contribute to the correct predictions of the properties above, we utilize a gradient-boosting machine. We find that galaxy luminosity dominates the prediction of all masses in the central regions, with stellar velocity dispersion coming next. We also investigate the main contributing features when predicting stellar and dark matter mass fractions (f*, fDM) and the dark matter mass MDM, and discuss the underlying astrophysics.
Rendez-vous with massive interstellar objects, as triggers of destabilization
Authors: Mikryukov Denis V , Shevchenko Ivan I
Published: February 2024

We study how close passages of interstellar objects of planetary and substellar masses may affect the immediate and long-term dynamics of the Solar system. We consider two nominal approach orbits, namely the orbits of actual interstellar objects 1I/’Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, assuming them to be typical or representative for interstellar swarms of matter. Thus, the nominal orbits of the interloper in our models cross the inner part of the Solar system. Series of massive numerical experiments are performed, in which the interloper’s mass is varied with a small step over a broad range. We find that, even if a Jovian-mass interloper does not experience close encounters with the Solar system planets (and this holds for our nominal orbits), our planetary system can be destabilized on time-scales as short as several million years. In what concerns substellar-mass interlopers (free-floating brown dwarfs), an immediate (on a time-scale of ∼10–100 yr) consequence of such a massive interstellar object (MISO) flyby is a sharp increase in the orbital eccentricities and inclinations of the outer planets. On an intermediate time-scale (∼103 to 105 yr after the MISO flyby), Uranus or Neptune can be ejected from the system, as a result of their mutual close encounters and encounters with Saturn. On a secular time-scale (∼106 to 107 yr after the MISO flyby), the perturbation wave formed by secular planetary interactions propagates from the outer Solar system to its inner zone.
Unveiling the next generation of MRI contrast agents: current insights and perspectives on ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI
Authors: Si Guangxiang , Du Yue , Tang Peng , Ma Gao , Jia Zhaochen , Zhou Xiaoyue , Mu Dan , Shen Yan , Lu Yi , Mao Yu , Chen Chuan , Li Yan , Gu Ning
Published: February 2024

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) is a pivotal tool for global disease diagnosis and management. Since its clinical availability in 2009, the off-label use of ferumoxytol for ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI (FE-MRI) has significantly reshaped CE-MRI practices. Unlike MRI that is enhanced by gadolinium-based contrast agents, FE-MRI offers advantages such as reduced contrast agent dosage, extended imaging windows, no nephrotoxicity, higher MRI time efficiency and the capability for molecular imaging. As a leading superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agent, ferumoxytol is heralded as the next generation of contrast agents. This review delineates the pivotal clinical applications and inherent technical superiority of FE-MRI, providing an avant-garde medical-engineering interdisciplinary lens, thus bridging the gap between clinical demands and engineering innovations. Concurrently, we spotlight the emerging imaging themes and new technical breakthroughs. Lastly, we share our own insights on the potential trajectory of FE-MRI, shedding light on its future within the medical imaging realm.
Nightshift work and irregular menstrual cycle: 8-year follow-up cohort study
Authors: Kim K , Lee M Y , Chang Y , Ryu S
Published: February 2024

Background

Irregular menstruation is a major health problem among women, although its association with nightshift work remains controversial.

Aims

To study the association between nightshift work and irregular menstrual cycle among female workers and investigate any differences according to sleep quality, working hours or obesity.

Methods

This study included female workers who underwent health examinations from 2012 to 2019. Nightshift work, working hours, sleep quality and menstrual cycles were assessed using self-administered questionnaires. Irregular menstrual cycle was defined as self-reported irregular or ≥36 days. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by multivariable logistic regression; adjusted hazard ratios (95% CIs) for incident irregular menstrual cycle were calculated by Cox proportional hazard models with time-dependent analysis.

Results

The study participants were 87 147 in the cross-sectional study and 41 516 in the longitudinal study. After adjusting for all covariates in the cross-sectional analyses, the odds ratio for prevalent irregular menstrual cycle among female nightshift workers versus the reference was 1.26 (95% CI 1.2–1.33). In the cohort study, the adjusted hazard ratio for incident irregular menstrual cycle among nightshift workers was 1.95 (95% CI 1.61–2.35) in the period after 6 years. No significant differences were observed among subgroups stratified by sleep quality, working hours or obesity.

Conclusions

Nightshift work is associated with an increased risk of both prevalent and incident irregular menstrual cycle in female workers without significant interactions by sleep quality, working hours or obesity.
Exploring the Landscape of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Adverse Events Through Big Data Mining of Pan-Cancer Clinical Trials
Authors: Fadlullah Muhammad Zaki Hidayatullah , Lin Ching-Nung , Coleman Samuel , Young Arabella , Naqash Abdul Rafeh , Hu-Lieskovan Siwen , Tan Aik Choon
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly improved the survival of patients with cancer and provided long-term durable benefit. However, ICI-treated patients develop a range of toxicities known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which could compromise clinical benefits from these treatments. As the incidence and spectrum of irAEs differs across cancer types and ICI agents, it is imperative to characterize the incidence and spectrum of irAEs in a pan-cancer cohort to aid clinical management.

Design

We queried >400 000 trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov and retrieved a comprehensive pan-cancer database of 71 087 ICI-treated participants from 19 cancer types and 7 ICI agents. We performed data harmonization and cleaning of these trial results into 293 harmonized adverse event categories using Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities.

Results

We developed irAExplorer (https://irae.tanlab.org), an interactive database that focuses on adverse events in patients administered with ICIs from big data mining. irAExplorer encompasses 71 087 distinct clinical trial participants from 343 clinical trials across 19 cancer types with well-annotated ICI treatment regimens and harmonized adverse event categories. We demonstrated a few of the irAE analyses through irAExplorer and highlighted some associations between treatment- or cancer-specific irAEs.

Conclusion

The irAExplorer is a user-friendly resource that offers exploration, validation, and discovery of treatment- or cancer-specific irAEs across pan-cancer cohorts. We envision that irAExplorer can serve as a valuable resource to cross-validate users’ internal datasets to increase the robustness of their findings.
Transcription factor WOX11 modulates tolerance to cyst nematodes via adventitious lateral root formation
Authors: Willig Jaap-Jan , Guarneri Nina , van Loon Thomas , Wahyuni Sri , Astudillo-Estévez Ivan E , Xu Lin , Willemsen Viola , Goverse Aska , Sterken Mark G , Lozano-Torres José L , Bakker Jaap , Smant Geert
Published: February 2024

The transcription factor WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 11 (WOX11) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) initiates the formation of adventitious lateral roots upon mechanical injury in primary roots. Root-invading nematodes also induce de novo root organogenesis leading to excessive root branching, but it is not known if this symptom of disease involves mediation by WOX11 and if it benefits the plant. Here, we show with targeted transcriptional repression and reporter gene analyses in Arabidopsis that the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii activates WOX11-mediated adventitious lateral rooting from primary roots close to infection sites. The activation of WOX11 in nematode-infected roots occurs downstream of jasmonic acid-dependent damage signaling via ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR109, linking adventitious lateral root formation to nematode damage to host tissues. By measuring different root system components, we found that WOX11-mediated formation of adventitious lateral roots compensates for nematode-induced inhibition of primary root growth. Our observations further demonstrate that WOX11-mediated rooting reduces the impact of nematode infections on aboveground plant development and growth. Altogether, we conclude that the transcriptional regulation by WOX11 modulates root system plasticity under biotic stress, which is one of the key mechanisms underlying the tolerance of Arabidopsis to cyst nematode infections.
Dual plastid targeting of protoporphyrinogen oxidase 2 in Amaranthaceae promotes herbicide tolerance
Authors: Wittmann Daniel T , Peter Franziska E , Strätker Sarah Melissa , Ortega-Rodés Patricia , Grimm Bernhard , Hedtke Boris
Published: February 2024

Plant tetrapyrrole biosynthesis (TPB) takes place in plastids and provides the chlorophyll and heme required for photosynthesis and many redox processes throughout plant development. TPB is strictly regulated, since accumulation of several intermediates causes photodynamic damage and cell death. Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) catalyzes the last common step before TPB diverges into chlorophyll and heme branches. Land plants possess two PPO isoforms. PPO1 is encoded as a precursor protein with a transit peptide, but in most dicotyledonous plants PPO2 does not possess a cleavable N-terminal extension. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) PPO1 and PPO2 localize in chloroplast thylakoids and envelope membranes, respectively. Interestingly, PPO2 proteins in Amaranthaceae contain an N-terminal extension that mediates their import into chloroplasts. Here, we present multiple lines of evidence for dual targeting of PPO2 to thylakoid and envelope membranes in this clade and demonstrate that PPO2 is not found in mitochondria. Transcript analyses revealed that dual targeting in chloroplasts involves the use of two transcription start sites and initiation of translation at different AUG codons. Among eudicots, the parallel accumulation of PPO1 and PPO2 in thylakoid membranes is specific for the Amaranthaceae and underlies PPO2-based herbicide resistance in Amaranthus species.
Effect of PCDH19 missense mutations on cell-to-cell proximity and neuronal development under heterotypic conditions
Authors: Motosugi Nami , Sugiyama Akiko , Otomo Asako , Sakata Yuka , Araki Takuma , Hadano Shinji , Kumasaka Natsuhiko , Fukuda Atsushi
Published: February 2024

The mutation of the X-linked protocadherin (PCDH) 19 gene in heterozygous females causes epilepsy. However, because of the erosion of X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in female human pluripotent stem cells, precise disease modeling often leads to failure. In this study, using a mathematical approach and induced pluripotent stem cells retaining XCI derived from patients with PCDH19 missense mutations, we found that heterotypic conditions, which are composed of wild-type and missense PCDH19, led to significant cell-to-cell proximity and impaired neuronal differentiation, accompanied by the aberrant accumulation of doublecortin, a microtubule-associated protein. Our findings suggest that ease of adhesion between cells expressing either wild-type or missense PCDH19 might lead to aberrant cell aggregation in early embryonic phases, causing poor neuronal development.