bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polarimetry and photometry of gamma-ray bursts afterglows with RINGO3
Authors: Shrestha M , Steele I A , Kobayashi S , Smith R J , Guidorzi C , Jordana-Mitjans N , Jermak H , Arnold D , Mundell C G , Gomboc A
Published: August 2022

We present photometric and polarimetric measurements of gamma-ray burst (GRB) optical afterglows observed by the RINGO3 imaging polarimeter over its ∼7 yr lifetime mounted on the Liverpool Telescope. During this time, RINGO3 responded to 67 GRB alerts. Of these, 28 had optical afterglows and a further ten were sufficiently bright for photometric and polarimetric analysis (R ⪅ 17). We present high quality multicolour light curves of ten sources: GRB 130606A, GRB 130610A, GRB 130612A, GRB 140430A, GRB 141220A, GRB 151215A, GRB 180325A, GRB 180618A, GRB 190114C, and GRB 191016A and polarimetry for seven of these (excluding GRB 130606A, GRB 130610A, and GRB 130612A, which were observed before the polarimetry mode was fully commissioned). Eight of these ten GRBs are classical long GRBs, one sits at the short-long duration interface with a T90 ∼ 4 s and one is a classical short, hard burst with extended emission. We detect polarization for GRB 190114C and GRB 191016A. While detailed analyses of several of these GRBs have been published previously, here we present a uniform re-reduction and analysis of the whole sample and investigation of the population in a broad context relative to the current literature. We use survival analysis to fully include the polarization upper limits in comparison with other GRB properties, such as temporal decay rate, isotropic energy, and redshift. We find no clear correlation between polarization properties and wider sample properties and conclude that larger samples of early time polarimetry of GRB afterglows are required to fully understand GRB magnetic fields.
A search for optical laser emission from Alpha Centauri AB
Authors: Marcy G W
Published: August 2022

A search for laser light from the directions of Alpha Centauri A and B was performed by examining 15 362 optical, high-resolution spectra obtained between 2004 and 2018. None of the spectra exhibit laser emission lines. The threshold was 10 per cent of the continuum intensity of the spectra of both stars at all wavelengths between 3850 and 6900 Å. This search would have revealed optical laser light from the directions of Alpha Cen B if the laser had a power of at least 1.4–5.4 MW (depending on wavelength) and was positioned within the 1 arcsec field of view (projecting to 1.3 au), for a benchmark 10-m laser launcher. For Alpha Cen A, the laser power must be three times greater for detection. Lasers of smaller aperture would also have been detected but would require more power. Considering all optical surveys, a growing desert is emerging in the search for extraterrestrial technology.
Extreme mass ratio inspirals triggered by massive black hole binaries: from relativistic dynamics to cosmological rates
Authors: Mazzolari Giovanni , Bonetti Matteo , Sesana Alberto , Colombo Riccardo M , Dotti Massimo , Lodato Giuseppe , Izquierdo-Villalba David
Published: August 2022

Extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs) are compact binary systems characterized by a mass ratio q = m/M in the range 10−9–10−4 and represent primary gravitational wave (GW) sources for the forthcoming Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). While their standard formation channel involves relaxation processes deflecting compact objects on very low angular momentum orbits around the central massive black hole, a number of alternative formation channels has been proposed, including binary tidal break-up, migration in accretion discs and secular and chaotic dynamics around a massive black hole binary (MBHB). In this work, we take an extensive closer look at this latter scenario, investigating how EMRIs can be triggered by MBHBs, formed in the aftermath of galaxy mergers. By employing a suite of relativistic three-body simulations, we evaluate the efficiency of EMRI formation for different parameters of the MBHB, assessing the importance of both secular and chaotic dynamics. By modelling the distribution of compact objects in galaxy nuclei, we estimate the resulting EMRI formation rate, finding that EMRI are produced in a sharp burst, with peak rates that are 10–100 times higher than the standard two-body relaxation channel, lasting for 106–108 yr. By coupling our results with an estimate of the cosmic MBHB merger rate, we finally forecast that LISA could observe ${\cal O}(10)$ EMRIs per year formed by this channel.
Dynamics of dusty vortices – II. Stability of 2D dust-laden vortices
Authors: Lovascio Francesco , Paardekooper Sijme-Jan , McNally Colin
Published: August 2022

Vortices have long been speculated to play a role in planet formation, via the collection of dust in the pressure maxima that arise at the cores of vortices in protoplanetary discs (PPDs). The question remains, however: as dust collects in the core of a vortex, when does that vortex remain stable and able to collect further dust, and when and why does it break up? We study this question by running high-resolution 2D simulations of dust-laden vortices. By using the terminal velocity approximation in a local shearing box, it was possible to efficiently run simulations of back-reacting dust in a gas at high resolution. Our results show how the stability of 2D dust-laden vortices in PPDs depends on their size relative to the disc scale height, as well as the dust coupling. We find small vortices with semiminor axis much smaller than the scale height to be stable for the duration of the simulations (t > 2000 orbits). Larger vortices, with semiminor axis smaller than but of the order of scale height, exhibit a drag instability after undergoing a long period of contraction where the core becomes progressively more dust rich. The lifetime of these vortices depends on the dust size, with larger dust grains causing the instability to occur sooner. For the size ranges tested in this paper, micrometre- to millimetre-sized grains, vortices survived for several hundreds of orbits. The result implies that the stability of vortices formed by vertical shear instability and zombie vortex instability, or the breakup of larger vortices through hydrodynamic instabilities, is affected by the presence of dust in the disc. The lifetimes observed in this paper, while shortened by the presence of dust for larger vortices, were still long enough to lead to considerable dust enrichment in the vortex cores.
Accelerating astronomical and cosmological inference with preconditioned Monte Carlo
Authors: Karamanis Minas , Beutler Florian , Peacock John A , Nabergoj David , Seljak Uroš
Published: August 2022

We introduce preconditioned Monte Carlo (PMC), a novel Monte Carlo method for Bayesian inference that facilitates efficient sampling of probability distributions with non-trivial geometry. PMC utilizes a Normalizing Flow (NF) in order to decorrelate the parameters of the distribution and then proceeds by sampling from the preconditioned target distribution using an adaptive Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) scheme. The results produced by PMC include samples from the posterior distribution and an estimate of the model evidence that can be used for parameter inference and model comparison, respectively. The aforementioned framework has been thoroughly tested in a variety of challenging target distributions achieving state-of-the-art sampling performance. In the cases of primordial feature analysis and gravitational wave inference, PMC is approximately 50 and 25 times faster, respectively, than nested sampling (NS). We found that in higher dimensional applications, the acceleration is even greater. Finally, PMC is directly parallelisable, manifesting linear scaling up to thousands of CPUs.
Dissociation of dark matter and gas in cosmic large-scale structure
Authors: McDonald William , Obreschkow Danail , Garratt-Smithson Lilian
Published: August 2022

The partial spatial separation of cold dark matter (DM) and gas is a ubiquitous feature in the formation of cosmic large-scale structure. This separation, termed dissociation, is prominent in galaxy clusters that formed through collisions of massive progenitors, such as the famous ‘Bullet’ cluster. A direct comparison of the incidence of such dissociated structures with theoretical predictions is challenged by the rarity of strongly dissociated systems and the difficulty to quantify dissociation. This paper introduces a well-defined dimension-less dissociation index S ∈ [ − 1, 1] that encodes the quadrupole difference between DM and gas in a custom region. Using a simulation of cosmic large-scale structure with cold DM and ideal non-radiating gas, in ΛCDM cosmology, we find that 90 per cent of the haloes are positively dissociated (S > 0), meaning their DM is more elongated than their gas. The spatial density of highly dissociated massive structures appears consistent with observations. Through idealized N-body + SPH simulations of colliding gaseous DM haloes, we further explore the details of how ram-pressure causes dissociation in binary collisions. A suite of 300 such simulations reveals a scale-free relation between the orbital parameters of binary collisions and the resulting dissociation. Building on this relation, we conclude that the frequency of dissociated structures in non-radiative cosmological simulations is nearly fully accounted for by the major (mass ratio >1:10) binary collisions predicted by such simulations. In principle, our results allow us to constrain the orbital parameters that produced specific observed dissociated clusters.
RELICS: small lensed z ≥ 5.5 galaxies selected as potential Lyman continuum leakers
Authors: Neufeld Chloe , Strait Victoria , Bradač Maruša , Lemaux Brian C , Coe Dan , Yang Lilan , Treu Tommaso , Zitrin Adi , Nonino Mario , Bradley Larry , Sharon Keren
Published: August 2022

We present size measurements of 78 high-redshift (z ≥ 5.5) galaxy candidates from the Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey (RELICS). These distant galaxies are well resolved due to the gravitational lensing power of foreground galaxy clusters, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope. We compute sizes using the forward-modelling code lenstruction and account for magnification using public lens models. The resulting size–magnitude measurements confirm the existence of many small galaxies with effective radii Reff < 200 pc in the early Universe, in agreement with previous studies. In addition, we highlight compact and highly star-forming sources with star formation rate surface densities $\Sigma _\text{SFR}\gt 10\, \mathrm{M}_\odot \, \text{yr}^{-1}\, \text{kpc}^{-2}$ as possible Lyman continuum leaking candidates that could be major contributors to the process of reionization. Future spectroscopic follow-up of these compact galaxies (e.g. with the James Webb Space Telescope) will further clarify their role in reionization and the physics of early star formation.
Bubble-driven gas uplift in galaxy clusters and its velocity features
Authors: Zhang Congyao , Zhuravleva Irina , Gendron-Marsolais Marie-Lou , Churazov Eugene , Schekochihin Alexander A , Forman William R
Published: August 2022

Buoyant bubbles of relativistic plasma are essential for active galactic nucleus feedback in galaxy clusters, stirring and heating the intracluster medium (ICM). Observations suggest that these rising bubbles maintain their integrity and sharp edges much longer than predicted by hydrodynamic simulations. In this study, we assume that bubbles can be modelled as rigid bodies and demonstrate that intact bubbles and their long-term interactions with the ambient ICM play an important role in shaping gas kinematics, forming thin gaseous structures (e.g. H α filaments), and generating internal waves in cluster cores. We find that well-developed eddies are formed in the wake of a buoyantly rising bubble, and it is these eddies, rather than the Darwin drift, that are responsible for most of the gas mass uplift. The eddies gradually elongate along the bubble’s direction of motion due to the strong density stratification of the atmosphere and eventually detach from the bubble, quickly evolving into a high-speed jet-like stream propagating towards the cluster center in our model. This picture naturally explains the presence of long straight and horseshoe-shaped H α filaments in the Perseus cluster, inward and outward motions of the gas, and the X-ray-weighted gas velocity distributions near the northwestern bubble observed by Hitomi. Our model reproduces the observed H α velocity structure function of filaments, providing a simple interpretation for its steep scaling and normalization: laminar gas flows and large eddies within filaments driven by the intact bubbles, rather than spatially homogeneous small-scale turbulence, are sufficient to produce a structure function consistent with observations.
The ALMaQUEST Survey X: what powers merger induced star formation?
Authors: Thorp Mallory D , Ellison Sara L , Pan Hsi-An , Lin Lihwai , Patton David R , Bluck Asa F L , Walters Dan , Scudder Jillian M
Published: August 2022

Galaxy mergers are known to trigger both extended and central star formation. However, what remains to be understood is whether this triggered star formation is facilitated by enhanced star formation efficiencies (SFEs), or an abundance of molecular gas fuel. This work presents spatially resolved measurements of CO emission collected with the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) for 20 merging galaxies (either pairs or post-mergers) selected from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. Eleven additional merging galaxies are selected from the ALMA MaNGA QUEnching and STar formation (ALMaQUEST) survey, resulting in a set of 31 mergers at various stages of interaction and covering a broad range of star formation rates (SFRs). We investigate galaxy-to-galaxy variations in the resolved Kennicutt–Schmidt relation, (rKS: $\Sigma _{\textrm {H}_2}$ versus ΣSFR), the resolved molecular gas main sequence (rMGMS: Σ⋆ versus $\Sigma _{\textrm {H}_2}$), and the resolved star-forming main sequence (rSFMS: Σ⋆ versus ΣSFR). We quantify offsets from these resolved relations to determine if SFR, molecular gas fraction, or/and SFE is/are enhanced in different regions of an individual galaxy. By comparing offsets in all three parameters, we can discern whether gas fraction or SFE powers an enhanced ΣSFR. We find that merger-induced star formation can be driven by a variety of mechanisms, both within a galaxy and between different mergers, regardless of interaction stage.
Emission from hadronic and leptonic processes in galactic jet-driven bubbles
Authors: Owen Ellis R , Yang H-Y Karen
Published: August 2022

We investigate the multiwavelength emission from hadronic and leptonic cosmic rays (CRs) in bubbles around galaxies, analogous to the Fermi bubbles of the Milky Way. The bubbles are modelled using 3D magnetohydrodynamical simulations, and are driven by a 0.3 Myr intense explosive outburst from the nucleus of Milky Way-like galaxies. We compute their non-thermal emission properties at different stages throughout their evolution, up to 7 Myr, by post-processing the simulations. We compare the spectral and spatial signatures of bubbles with hadronic, leptonic, and hybrid hadro-leptonic CR compositions. These each show broadly similar emission spectra, comprised of radio synchrotron, inverse Compton, and non-thermal bremsstrahlung components. However, hadronic and hybrid bubbles were found to be brighter than leptonic bubbles in X-rays, and marginally less bright at radio frequencies, and in γ-rays between ∼0.1 and a few 10s of GeV, with a large part of their emission being driven by secondary electrons formed in hadronic interactions. Hadronic systems were also found to be slightly brighter in high-energy γ-rays than their leptonic counterparts, owing to the π0 decay emission that dominates their emission between energies of 100s of GeV and a few TeV.
Increasing numbers and improved overall survival of patients on kidney replacement therapy over the last decade in Europe: an ERA Registry study
Authors: Huijben Jilske A , Kramer Anneke , Kerschbaum Julia , de Meester Johan , Collart Frederic , Arévalo Olga Lucía Rodríguez , Helve Jaakko , Lassalle Mathilde , Palsson Runolfur , ten Dam Marc , Casula Anna , Methven Shona , Ortiz Alberto , Ferraro Pietro Manuel , Segelmark Mårten , Mingo Pablo Ucio , Arici Mustafa , Reisæter Anna Varberg , Stendahl Maria , Stel Vianda S , Jager Kitty J
Published: August 2022

Background

The aim of this study was to describe the trends in the incidence, prevalence and survival of patients on kidney replacement therapy (KRT) for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) across Europe from 2008 to 2017.

Methods

Data from renal registries in 9 countries and 16 regions that provided individual patient data to the ERA Registry from 2008 to 2017 were included. These registries cover 34% of the general population in Europe. Crude and standardized incidence and prevalence per million population (pmp) were determined. Trends over time were studied using Joinpoint regression. Survival probabilities were estimated using Kaplan–Meier analysis and hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox regression analysis.

Results

The standardized incidence of KRT was stable [annual percentage change (APC): −1.48 (−3.15; 0.21)] from 2008 (146.0 pmp) to 2011 (141.6 pmp), followed by a slight increase [APC: 1.01 (0.43; 1.60)] to 148.0 pmp in 2017, although trends in incidence varied across countries. This increase was primarily due to a rise in the incidence of KRT in men older than 65 years. Moreover, as a cause of kidney failure, diabetes mellitus is increasing. The standardized prevalence increased from 2008 (990.0 pmp) to 2017 (1166.8 pmp) [APC: 1.82 (1.75; 1.89)]. Patient survival on KRT improved in the time period 2011–13 compared with 2008–[adjusted HR: 0.94 (0.93; 0.95)].

Conclusion

This study showed an overall increase in the incidence and prevalence of KRT for ESKD as well as an increase in the KRT patient survival over the last decade in Europe.
Docetaxel targets aggressive methylation profiles and serves as a radiosensitizer in high-risk meningiomas
Authors: Youngblood Mark W , Tran Anh N , Wang Wenxia , An Shejuan , Scholtens Denise , Zhang Lyndsee , O’Shea Kaitlyn , Pokorny Jenny L , Magill Stephen T , Sachdev Sean , Lukas Rimas V , Ahmed Atique , Unruh Dusten , Walshon Jordain , McCortney Kathleen , Wang Yufen , Baran Aneta , Sahm Felix , Aldape Kenneth , Chandler James P , David James C , Heimberger Amy B , Horbinski Craig
Published: August 2022

Background

Meningioma is the most common primary intracranial tumor in adults. A subset of these tumors recur and invade the brain, even after surgery and radiation, resulting in significant disability. There is currently no standard-of-care chemotherapy for meningiomas. As genomic DNA methylation profiling can prognostically stratify these lesions, we sought to determine whether any existing chemotherapies might be effective against meningiomas with high-risk methylation profiles.

Methods

A previously published dataset of meningioma methylation profiles was used to screen for clinically significant CpG methylation events and associated cellular pathways. Based on these results, patient-derived meningioma cell lines were used to test candidate drugs in vitro and in vivo, including efficacy in conjunction with radiotherapy.

Results

We identified 981 genes for which methylation of mapped CpG sites was related to progression-free survival in meningiomas. Associated molecular pathways were cross-referenced with FDA-approved cancer drugs, which nominated Docetaxel as a promising candidate for further preclinical analyses. Docetaxel arrested growth in 17 meningioma cell sources, representing all tumor grades, with a clinically favorable IC50 values ranging from 0.3 nM to 10.7 mM. The inhibitory effects of this medication scaled with tumor doubling time, with maximal benefit in fast-growing lesions. The combination of Docetaxel and radiation therapy increased markers of apoptosis and double-stranded DNA breaks, and extended the survival of mice engrafted with meningioma cells relative to either modality alone.

Conclusions

Global patterns of DNA methylation may be informative for the selection of chemotherapies against meningiomas, and existing drugs may enhance radiation sensitivity in high-risk cases.
Emerging hemostatic materials for non-compressible hemorrhage control
Authors: Dong Ruonan , Zhang Hualei , Guo Baolin
Published: August 2022

Non-compressible hemorrhage control is a big challenge in both civilian life and the battlefield, causing a majority of deaths among all traumatic injury mortalities. Unexpected non-compressible bleeding not only happens in pre-hospital situations but also leads to a high risk of death during surgical processes throughout in-hospital treatment. Hemostatic materials for pre-hospital treatment or surgical procedures for non-compressible hemorrhage control have drawn more and more attention in recent years and several commercialized products have been developed. However, these products have all shown non-negligible limitations and researchers are focusing on developing more effective hemostatic materials for non-compressible hemorrhage control. Different hemostatic strategies (physical, chemical and biological) have been proposed and different forms (sponges/foams, sealants/adhesives, microparticles/powders and platelet mimics) of hemostatic materials have been developed based on these strategies. A summary of the requirements, state-of-the-art studies and commercial products of non-compressible hemorrhage-control materials is provided in this review with particular attention on the advantages and limitations of their emerging forms, to give a clear understanding of the progress that has been made in this area and the promising directions for future generations.
Characteristics and Patterns of Cigarette Smoking and Vaping By Past-Year Smokers Who Reported Using Electronic Nicotine Delivery System to Help Quit Smoking in the Past Year: Findings From the 2018–2019 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey
Authors: Chang Joanne T , Mayer Margaret , Jackson Rebecca A , Rostron Brian L , Coleman Blair , Lee Terrence , Ambrose Bridget K , Chang Cindy M
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Cigarette smoking has declined, while electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use has increased in the United States. Understanding the role of ENDS in adult smoking quit attempts and cessation is important for estimating their population health impact.

Aims and Methods

We used data from 2018 to 2019 tobacco use supplement to the current population survey to examine demographic characteristics and ENDS use patterns among adult ENDS users who reported quitting smoking in the past year by trying to switch to ENDS (“switchers”) and smokers who did or did not make a quit attempt in the past year. χ2 tests of proportions and t-tests were used to compare characteristics between groups.

Results

In 2018–2019, about three-quarters of switchers reported daily use of ENDS compared to only one-third of dual users with a recent quit attempt by trying to switch to ENDS. Compared to dual users who made a quit attempt by trying to switch to ENDS, switchers were more likely to use menthol/mint-flavored ENDS exclusively (5.6% vs. 13.1%; p = .004) but less likely to use tobacco-flavored ENDS exclusively (21.2% vs. 13.7%; p = .01).

Conclusions

ENDS users who quit smoking in the past year and reported trying to quit by switching to ENDS were more likely to use menthol/mint flavors exclusively and use ENDS daily compared to dual users who made a quit attempt by trying to switch to ENDS. Longer-term prospective data may better clarify the role of ENDS in smoking quit attempts and cessation.

Implications

This study provides information on patterns of ENDS use in former smokers and current smokers who tried to quit smoking by switching to ENDS in a national sample of U.S. adults. These results can inform policy actions concerning ENDS products.
Comparison of the Risk of Recurrent Clostridioides Difficile Infections Among Patients in 2018 Versus 2013
Authors: Guh Alice Y , Yi Sarah H , Baggs James , Winston Lisa , Parker Erin , Johnston Helen , Basiliere Elizabeth , Olson Danyel , Fridkin Scott K , Mehta Nirja , Wilson Lucy , Perlmutter Rebecca , Holzbauer Stacy M , D’Heilly Paige , Phipps Erin C , Flores Kristina G , Dumyati Ghinwa K , Hatwar Trupti , Pierce Rebecca , Ocampo Valerie L S , Wilson Christopher D , Watkins Jasmine J , Korhonen Lauren , Paulick Ashley , Adamczyk Michelle , Gerding Dale N , Reddy Sujan C
Published: August 2022

Among persons with an initial Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) across 10 US sites in 2018 compared with 2013, 18.3% versus 21.1% had ≥1 recurrent CDI (rCDI) within 180 days. We observed a 16% lower adjusted risk of rCDI in 2018 versus 2013 (P < .0001).
Genome editing around the globe: An update on policies and perceptions
Authors: Sprink Thorben , Wilhelm Ralf , Hartung Frank
Published: August 2022

A decade ago, the CRISPR/Cas system has been adapted for genome editing. Since then, hundreds of organisms have been altered using genome editing and discussions were raised on the regulatory status of genome edited organisms esp. crops. To date, many countries have made decisions on the regulatory status of products of genome editing, by exempting some kinds of edits from the classical GMO regulation. However, the guidance differs between countries even in the same region. Several countries are still debating the issue or are in the progress of updating guidance and regulatory systems to cover products of genome editing. The current global situation of different regulatory systems is putting a harmonized framework on genome-edited crops in the far future. In this update, we summarize the current developments in the field of regulation concerning edited crops and present a short insight into perception of genome editing in the society.
Building mass support for global pandemic recovery efforts in the United States
Authors: Nair Gautam , Peyton Kyle
Published: August 2022

Containing the COVID-19 pandemic will confer global benefits that greatly exceed the costs but effective solutions require the redistribution of vaccines, technology, and other scarce resources from high-income to low-income countries. The United States has played a central role in coordinating responses to previous global health challenges, and its policy choices in the current pandemic will have a far-reaching impact on the rest of the world. Yet little is known about domestic support for international recovery efforts. We use a series of conjoint and persuasive messaging experiments, fielded on two national surveys of the US adult population (N = 5,965), to study mass support for international redistribution. We find clear evidence that the general population strongly supports allocating vaccines to own-country recipients before others. But despite this “vaccine nationalism,” Americans are also willing to support the US government playing a major role in global pandemic recovery efforts, provided policymakers forge international agreements that ensure moderate domestic costs, burden-sharing with other countries, and priority for certain types of resources, such as domestically manufactured vaccines and patent buyouts. Finally, we test five different persuasive messaging strategies and find that emphasizing the relatively low costs and large economic benefits of global vaccination is the most promising means of increasing domestic support for international redistribution. Overall, our results demonstrate that policymakers can secure broad public support for costly international cooperation by crafting responses aligned with the economic interests of the United States.
Second hit impels oncogenesis of retinoblastoma in patient-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal organoids: direct evidence for Knudson's theory
Authors: Li Yan-Ping , Wang Ya-Ting , Wang Wen , Zhang Xiao , Shen Ren-Juan , Jin Kangxin , Jin Li-Wen , Jin Zi-Bing
Published: August 2022

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a type of malignant tumor due to abnormal retinogenesis with biallelic mutations of the RB1 gene. Its pathogenesis has been proposed as a “two-mutation hypothesis” by Knudson since 1971; however, there remain some debates on disease onset sufficiency of the biallelic RB1 mutations. To obtain straightforward evidence for this hypothesis, we investigated whether two-hit mutations of the RB1 gene drive tumorigenesis in patient-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived human retinal organoids (hROs) and whether single allelic mutation hiPSC-derived hROs exhibit molecular and cellular defects. We generated hiPSCs with a heterozygous germline mutation (RB1m1/wt) from a Rb patient. A second-allele RB1 gene mutation was knocked in to produce compound heterozygous mutations (RB1m1/m2) in the hiPSCs. These two hiPSC lines were independently developed into hROs through a stepwise differentiation. The hiPSC-RB1m1/m2 derived organoids demonstrated tumorigenesis in dishes, consistent with Rb profiles in spatiotemporal transcriptomes, in which developmentally photoreceptor fate-determining markers, CRX and OTX2, were highly expressed in hiPSC-RB1m1/m2 derived hROs. Additionally, ARR3+ maturing cone precursors were co-labeled with proliferative markers Ki67 or PCNA, in agreement with the consensus that human Rb is originated from maturing cone precursors. Finally, we demonstrated that retinal cells of hROs with monoallelic RB1 mutation were abnormal in molecular aspects due to its haploinsufficiency. In conclusion, this study provides straightforward supporting evidence in a way of reverse genetics for “two-hit hypothesis” in the Rb tumorigenesis and opens new avenues for development of early intervention and treatment of Rb.
Curiosity and mesolimbic functional connectivity drive information seeking in real life
Authors: Eschmann Kathrin C J , Pereira Duarte F M M , Valji Ashvanti , Dehmelt Vera , Gruber Matthias J
Published: August 2022

Curiosity reflects an individual’s intrinsic motivation to seek information in order to close information gaps. In laboratory-based experiments, both curiosity and information seeking have been associated with enhanced neural dynamics in the mesolimbic dopaminergic circuit. However, it is unclear whether curiosity and dopaminergic dynamics drive information seeking in real life. We investigated (i) whether curiosity predicts different characteristics of real-life information seeking and (ii) whether functional connectivity within the mesolimbic dopaminergic circuit is associated with information seeking outside the laboratory. Up to 15 months before the COVID-19 pandemic, curiosity and anxiety questionnaires and a 10-minute resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging session were conducted. In a follow-up survey early during the COVID-19 pandemic, participants repeated the questionnaires and completed an additional questionnaire about their COVID-19-related information seeking. Individual differences in curiosity but not anxiety were positively associated with the frequency of information-seeking behaviour. Additionally, the frequency of information seeking was predicted by individual differences in resting-state functional connectivity between the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens. The present translational study paves the way for future studies on the role of curiosity in real-life information seeking by showing that both curiosity and the mesolimbic dopaminergic functional network support real-life information-seeking behaviour.
Do English trusts need to pass the any given postulant or complete list tests, or do they not?
Authors: Ng Francis
Published: August 2022

This article critiques the ‘any given postulant’ test (widely considered to be the sole test for certainty of objects of discretionary trusts) and the ‘complete list’ test (widely considered to be the sole test for certainty of objects for fixed trusts). It argues that no binding authority requires trusts to pass these tests and that they are not logical requirements for the validity of trusts. Instead, it is suggested that, while passing these tests should be sufficient to validate a trust, a trust will also be valid if there is sufficient practical certainty for the trust to be executed in accordance with the settlor/testator’s intentions.
Randomised comparison between superior trunk and costoclavicular blocks for arthroscopic shoulder surgery
Authors: Jo Yumin , Oh Chahyun , Lee Woo-Yong , Chung Hyung-Jin , Park Juyeon , Kim Yoon-Hee , Ko Youngkwon , Chung Woosuk , Hong Boohwi
Published: August 2022

BACKGROUND

Superior trunk block (STB) provides noninferior analgesia to the interscalene block and reduces the risk of hemidiaphragmatic paralysis (HDP). Recently, supraclavicular spreading has also been shown to occur during costoclavicular block (CCB), presenting as an alternative analgesic technique for shoulder surgery.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in postoperative pain scores and HDP incidence between STB and CCB.

DESIGN

Prospective randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

Chungnam National University Hospital in Daejeon from January to July 2021.

PATIENTS

Seventy patients, aged 20 to 70 years with ASA Physical Status classifications I to III and scheduled for elective arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were recruited.

INTERVENTION

Ultrasound-guided STB or CCB was performed with 20 ml 0.5% ropivacaine.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was the pain score (numeric rating scale, NRS) at 1 h postsurgery. A 1.4 (NRS) noninferiority margin was set a priori. The incidence of HDP, postoperative change of pulmonary function and postoperative opioid use were included as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

The pain score was higher in the CCB group compared with the STB group at 1 h postoperatively (median difference, 2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1 to 3; noninferiority was not demonstrated). Two patients in the CCB group received a rescue interscalene block due to severe postoperative pain. The incidence of complete HDP was lower in the CCB group (risk difference, −26%; 95% CI, −6 to −45%; P < 0.001). The median reduction in forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s were also significantly lower in the CCB group.

CONCLUSION

Although the incidence of HDP was lower, CCB did not show noninferiority in immediate postoperative analgesia compared with STB in arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinical Trial Registry of Korea (KCT0005822, principal investigator: Boohwi Hong) on 25 January 2021 (https://cris.nih.go.kr).
Critical care management of meningitis and encephalitis: an update
Authors: Thy Michael , Gaudemer Augustin , Vellieux Geoffroy , Sonneville Romain
Published: August 2022

Purpose of review

Meningitis and encephalitis represent severe neurological syndromes associated with encephalopathy, seizures, focal deficits, and neurological sequelae in survivors. We update on the critical care management of adult patients with severe meningitis and encephalitis.

Recent findings

Large multicenter studies conducted in the adult population improved current knowledge on the epidemiology and outcomes of patients with severe meningitis and encephalitis. An early multimodal diagnostic workup (including CSF analysis, brain MRI, EEG, and serum studies) is mandatory for diagnosis and prognostication in those patients.

New diagnostic methods, including multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing techniques, allow for a faster differential diagnosis of infectious causes that may require specific antimicrobial therapy. Autoimmune causes of encephalitis, which may require urgent immunotherapy, are also increasingly recognized in the ICU setting. Although observational data suggest that early combined immunotherapy is associated with better neurological outcomes in patients with autoimmune encephalitis, randomized clinical trials have yet to be performed.

Our review highlights the importance of an early multimodal approach for diagnosing severe meningitis and encephalitis. Randomized clinical trials are needed to identify pharmacological interventions that may improve patients’ outcomes.
Nutrition and behavior change: a review of recent literature
Authors: Frates Beth , Smith Alexis
Published: August 2022

Purpose of review

The current article will highlight recent trends and novel approaches to behavior change strategies in nutrition. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals play key roles in counseling patients on lifestyle change, which is critical for patients with chronic conditions. Nutrition science continues to advance, and new approaches to behavior change are needed for successful implementation at the individual and population level.

Recent findings

The solutions to obstacles around healthful eating patterns are varied, population-dependent, and require a multipronged approach. One area of focus is the language around behavior change, ensuring it is clear and emphasizes its multifactorial nature. For young adults, the careful use of video games and social media may be essential. For older adults, altering food consistency and ensuring proper nutrient intake are crucial factors. Vulnerable populations remain susceptible to malnutrition and need special attention. Despite significant advances in managing and treating diseases, there are still gaps in nutrition counseling and behavior change efforts.

Every age and stage of life needs a focus on healthful foods, and nutrition counseling at each stage has its unique nuances. Careful attention to the language of change and the phrasing used in counseling is vital for educating, connecting with, and empowering patients to change. Changing healthcare operations and provider behavior around nutrition counseling is a part of the solution to the worldwide problem of unhealthy eating patterns and practices.
Computed Tomography
Authors: Ibad Hamza Ahmed , de Cesar Netto Cesar , Shakoor Delaram , Sisniega Alejandro , Liu Stephen Z. , Siewerdsen Jeffrey H. , Carrino John A. , Zbijewski Wojciech , Demehri Shadpour
Published: August 2022

Although musculoskeletal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a dominant role in characterizing abnormalities, novel computed tomography (CT) techniques have found an emerging niche in several scenarios such as trauma, gout, and the characterization of pathologic biomechanical states during motion and weight-bearing. Recent developments and advancements in the field of musculoskeletal CT include 4-dimensional, cone-beam (CB), and dual-energy (DE) CT. Four-dimensional CT has the potential to quantify biomechanical derangements of peripheral joints in different joint positions to diagnose and characterize patellofemoral instability, scapholunate ligamentous injuries, and syndesmotic injuries. Cone-beam CT provides an opportunity to image peripheral joints during weight-bearing, augmenting the diagnosis and characterization of disease processes. Emerging CBCT technologies improved spatial resolution for osseous microstructures in the quantitative analysis of osteoarthritis-related subchondral bone changes, trauma, and fracture healing. Dual-energy CT–based material decomposition visualizes and quantifies monosodium urate crystals in gout, bone marrow edema in traumatic and nontraumatic fractures, and neoplastic disease. Recently, DE techniques have been applied to CBCT, contributing to increased image quality in contrast-enhanced arthrography, bone densitometry, and bone marrow imaging. This review describes 4-dimensional CT, CBCT, and DECT advances, current logistical limitations, and prospects for each technique.
Developmental plasticity in multimodal signals: light environment produces novel signalling phenotypes in a butterfly
Authors: Zambre Amod Mohan , Burns Linnea , Suresh Jayanti , Hegeman Adrian D. , Snell-Rood Emilie C.
Published: August 2022

Developmental plasticity can alter the expression of sexual signals in novel environments and is therefore thought to play an important role in promoting divergence. Sexual signals, however, are often multimodal and mate choice multivariate. Hence, to understand how developmental plasticity can facilitate divergence, we must assess plasticity across signal components and its cumulative impact on signalling. Here, we examine how developmental plasticity influences different components of cabbage white butterfly
Pieris rapae
multimodal signals, its effects on their signalling phenotypes and its implications for divergence. To do this, we reared
P. rapae
caterpillars under two different light environments (low-light and high-light) to simulate conditions experienced by
P. rapae
colonizing a novel light habitat. We then examined plasticity in both visual (wing coloration) and olfactory (pheromone abundance) components of male sexual signals. We found light environments influenced expression of both visual and olfactory components and resulted in a trade-off between signal modalities. The ‘low-light’ phenotype had duller wing colours but higher abundance of the pheromone, indole, whereas the ‘high-light’ phenotype had comparatively brighter wings but lower abundance of indole. These results show that by simultaneously altering expression of different signal components, developmental plasticity can produce multiple signalling phenotypes, which may catalyse divergence.
Energetic constraints on body-size niches in a resource-limited marine environment
Authors: Bryant S. River D. , McClain Craig R.
Published: August 2022

Body size of life on the Earth spans many orders of magnitude, and with it scales the energetic requirements of organisms. Thus, changes in environmental energy should impact community body-size distributions in predictable ways by reshaping ecological and niche dynamics. We examine how carbon, oxygen and temperature, three energetic drivers, impact community size-based assembly in deep-sea bivalves. We demonstrate that body-size distributions are influenced by multiple energetic constraints. Relaxation in these constraints leads to an expansion of body-size niche space through the addition of novel large size classes, increasing the standard deviation and mean of the body-size distribution. With continued Anthropogenic increases in temperature and reductions in carbon availability and oxygen in most ocean basins, our results point to possible radical shifts in invertebrate body size with the potential to impact ecosystem function.
Skin bacterial microbiome diversity predicts lower activity levels in female, but not male, guppies,Poecilia reticulata
Authors: Kramp Rachael D. , Kohl Kevin D. , Stephenson Jessica F.
Published: August 2022

While the link between the gut microbiome and host behaviour is well established, how the microbiomes of other organs correlate with behaviour remains unclear. Additionally, behaviour–microbiome correlations are likely sex-specific because of sex differences in behaviour and physiology, but this is rarely tested. Here, we tested whether the skin microbiome of the Trinidadian guppy,Poecilia reticulata, predicts fish activity level and shoaling tendency in a sex-specific manner. High-throughput sequencing revealed that the bacterial community richness on the skin (Faith's phylogenetic diversity) was correlated with both behaviours differently between males and females. Females with richer skin-associated bacterial communities spent less time actively swimming. Activity level was significantly correlated with community membership (unweighted UniFrac), with the relative abundances of 16 bacterial taxa significantly negatively correlated with activity level. We found no association between skin microbiome and behaviours among male fish. This sex-specific relationship between the skin microbiome and host behaviour may indicate sex-specific physiological interactions with the skin microbiome. More broadly, sex specificity in host–microbiome interactions could give insight into the forces shaping the microbiome and its role in the evolutionary ecology of the host.
Maritime crossroads: the knowledge pursuits of María de Betancourt (Tenerife, 1758–1824) and Joana de Vigo (Menorca, 1779–1855)
Authors: Bolufer Mónica , Serrano Elena
Published: August 2022

This article explores the biographies of two gentlewomen, María de Betancourt (1758–1824) and Joana de Vigo (1779–1855), who lived respectively in Tenerife and Menorca, two crucial nodes in the scientific, commercial and military global networks of the late eighteenth century. Some of their scientific and literary contributions are mapped, paying particular attention to how they became active in contemporaneous learned networks. It is argued that the peculiar, intellectually rich microcosms of the islands shaped these women's lives in ways that enabled them to enter learned circles, either real or imaginary, and from a very modest site to contribute to the global circulation of ideas, goods and peoples.
Revisiting the origin of interleukin 1 in anamniotes and sub-functionalization of interleukin 1 in amniotes
Authors: Hasel de Carvalho Eva , Bartok Eva , Stölting Helen , Bajoghli Baubak , Leptin Maria
Published: August 2022

The cytokine interleukin 1 (IL-1) is an evolutionary innovation of vertebrates. Fish and amphibian have one
IL1
gene, while mammals have two copies of
IL1
,
IL1A
and
IL1B
, with distinct expression patterns and differences in their proteolytic activation. Our current understanding of the evolutionary history of IL-1 is mainly based on phylogenetic analysis, but this approach provides no information on potentially different functions of IL-1 homologues, and it remains unclear which biological activities identified for IL-1α and IL-1β in mammals are present in lower vertebrates. Here, we use
in vitro
and
in vivo
experimental models to examine the expression patterns and cleavage of IL-1 proteins from various species. We found that IL-1 in the teleost medaka shares the transcriptional patterns of mammalian IL-1α, and its processing also resembles that of mammalian IL-1α, which is sensitive to cysteine protease inhibitors specific for the calpain and cathepsin families. By contrast, IL-1 proteins in reptiles also include biological properties of IL-1β. Therefore, we propose that the duplication of the ancestral
IL1
gene led to the segregation of expression patterns and protein processing that characterizes the two extant forms of IL-1 in mammals.
Bacterial degrons in synthetic circuits
Authors: Jadhav Prajakta , Chen Yanyan , Butzin Nicholas , Buceta Javier , Urchueguía Arantxa
Published: August 2022

Bacterial proteases are a promising post-translational regulation strategy in synthetic circuits because they recognize specific amino acid degradation tags (degrons) that can be fine-tuned to modulate the degradation levels of tagged proteins. For this reason, recent efforts have been made in the search for new degrons. Here we review the up-to-date applications of degradation tags for circuit engineering in bacteria. In particular, we pay special attention to the effects of degradation bottlenecks in synthetic oscillators and introduce mathematical approaches to study queueing that enable the quantitative modelling of proteolytic queues.