bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human brain dynamics are shaped by rare long-range connections over and above cortical geometry
Authors: Vohryzek Jakub , Sanz-Perl Yonatan , Kringelbach Morten L. , Deco Gustavo
Published: January 2025

A fundamental topological principle is that the container always shapes the content. In neuroscience, this translates into how the brain anatomy shapes brain dynamics. From neuroanatomy, the topology of the mammalian brain can be approximated by local connectivity, accurately described by an exponential distance rule (EDR). The compact, folded geometry of the cortex is shaped by this local connectivity, and the geometric harmonic modes can reconstruct much of the functional dynamics. However, this ignores the fundamental role of the rare long-range (LR) cortical connections, crucial for improving information processing in the mammalian brain, but not captured by local cortical folding and geometry. Here, we show the superiority of harmonic modes combining rare LR connectivity with EDR (EDR+LR) in capturing functional dynamics (specifically LR functional connectivity and task-evoked brain activity) compared to geometry and EDR representations. Importantly, the orchestration of dynamics is carried out by a more efficient manifold made up of a low number of fundamental EDR+LR modes. Our results show the importance of rare LR connectivity for capturing the complexity of functional brain activity through a low-dimensional manifold shaped by fundamental EDR+LR modes.
A kinetic description of the goods exchange market allowing transfer of agents
Authors: Sun Rongmei , Wang Daixin
Published: January 2025

In order to avoid the worsening of wealth inequality, it is necessary to explore the influence factors of wealth distribution and discuss the measures to reduce wealth inequality. We investigate the wealth distribution in goods exchange market by using the kinetic theory of rarefied gas. The trading objects are two kinds of commodities (commodities A and B), and the trading subjects are agents of two groups (dealers and speculators). We deduce the interaction rules according to the principle of utility maximization and consider the transfer of agents in the Boltzmann equation. The steady solution of Fokker-Planck equation for a special case is obtained, and the effects of trading strategy and transfer frequency on steady distribution are analyzed in numerical experiments. The conclusions illustrate that the transfer of agents is conducive to reducing the inequality of wealth distribution.
Research on the Influence of Surface Contamination on the Electric Field Distribution of Insulators
Authors: Li Xingcai , Liu Yingge , Wang Juan
Published: January 2025

Atmospheric particle adsorption on insulator surfaces, coupled with humid environments, significantly affects contamination flashover, necessitating a clear understanding of the electric field distribution on insulator surfaces with adsorbed particles. This is crucial for accurately assessing insulator safety and informing critical decision -making. Although previous research has demonstrated that particle arrangement significantly influences the electric field distribution around transmission lines, an in-depth analysis of its effects on insulator surfaces remains lacking. To address this gap, this study establishes a composite insulator model to examine how three types of spherical contamination layers affect the electric field distribution on insulator surfaces under varying environmental conditions. The results reveal that in dry environments, the electric field strength at the apex of single-particle contamination layers increases with the particle size and relative permittivity. For the double-particle contamination layers, the electric field intensity on the insulator surface decreases as the particle spacing increases, and larger particles are more likely to attract smaller charged particles. For triple-particle contamination layers arranged in a triangular pattern, the maximum surface field strength is nearly double that of the chain-arranged particles. Furthermore, within the chain-arranged triple-particle contamination layers, a large-small-large size arrangement has a more pronounced impact on the surface electric field than a small-large-small size arrangement. In humid environments, the surface electric field strength of insulators decreases with increasing contamination levels. These findings are of significant theoretical and practical importance for ensuring the safe operation of power systems.
Coherence-protected operations in a hybrid superconducting circuit-magnon system
Authors: Zhu Le-Tian , Zhu Xing-Yu , Yue Zhu-Cheng , Tu Tao , Li Chuan-Feng
Published: January 2025

Hybrid systems consisting of superconducting circuits and magnon systems are a promising platform for quantum technology. However, realizing high-fidelity magnon state preparation and manipulation remains an outstanding challenge due to the complexity of interactions and noise sources in hybrid systems. Here, we propose a coherence-preserving magnon state manipulation scheme. By engineering a superconducting-magnon coupling pulse and combining it with dynamical decoupling pulses, we design a composite pulse sequence. We demonstrate the manipulation and preparation of non-classical states of magnons with a fidelity of up to 98% under realistic conditions. These designs significantly improve the fidelity of manipulation and robustness to noise in hybrid systems compared to existing schemes. These results pave the way for practical applications of quantum magnonics platforms.
Channel competition in the dissociation of ammonia clusters (n ≤ 5) induced by femtosecond laser fields
Authors: Yang Tao , Zhang Xinyu , Li Xing , Li Wankai , Wei Menghao , Zhang Dongdong , He Lanhai , Ding Dajun
Published: January 2025

We investigated the ionization and dissociation processes of ammonia clusters ranging from dimer to pentamer induced by 800 nm femtosecond laser fields. Time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectra of the ammonia clusters were recorded over a range of laser intensities from 2.1 × 1012 to 5.6 × 1012 W/cm2. The protonated ion signals dominate the spectra, which is consistent with the stability of the geometric structures. The ionization and dissociation channels of ammonia clusters are discussed. The competition and switching among observed dissociation channels are revealed by analyzing the variations in the relative ionic yields of specific protonated and unprotonated clusters under different laser intensities. These results indicate that the ionization of the neutral multiple-ammonia units, produced through the dissociation of cluster ions, may start to contribute, as well as the additional processes to consume protonated ions and/or produce unprotonated ions induced by the femtosecond laser fields when the laser intensity is above ~4 × 1012 W/cm2. These findings provide deeper insights into the ionization and dissociation dynamics in multi-photon ionization experiments involving ammonia clusters.
Experimental investigation of process parameters of cold metal transfer welding in vertical direction deposition of stainless-steel using response surface methodology
Authors: Prasad Rajendra , Yuvaraj N , Bajpai Tapas
Published: January 2025

Weld quality is primarily determined by the mechanical characteristics of the heat-affected zone and the weld metal. The particular welding technique and related process parameters directly affect these attributes. Some of the most important parameters that affect the shape of the bead are the welding speed, current, flow rate of the shielding gas, contact tip-work distance, and type of shielding gas used. The influence of various process parameters on the welding of stainless steel 304 plates utilising vertical cold metal transfer welding technique with a stainless-steel 308 L wire of 1.2 mm diameter was investigated in this research. Using the Central Composite Design method of Response Surface Methodology, a number of experiments were done to gather information. The mathematical models were created based on the recorded data. Using response surface technology, an attempt has also been made to maximise the bead width, height, and microhardness. Bead width, bead height, and microhardness had maximum values of 7.35 mm, 2.30 mm, and 217.68 HV0.5, according to the study’s findings. The best input parameters after investigation are 247.33 A current, 56 cm min−1 travel speed, and 20.6 l/min shielding gas flow rate.
Establishing Convergent Validity of the FACE-Q Aesthetics Module Scales
Authors: Gallo Lucas , Kim Patrick , Churchill Isabella , Rae Charlene , Voineskos Sophocles H , Thoma Achilles , Pusic Andrea L , Cano Stefan J , Klassen Anne F
Published: January 2025

Background

FACE-Q Aesthetics scales can be used to assess patient-important outcomes following both surgical and nonsurgical facial cosmetic interventions. Convergent validity is the degree to which the scores of one measurement relate to another measuring a similar construct.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to establish the convergent validity of 11 FACE-Q Aesthetics appearance scales vs the MERZ Aesthetics (Raleigh, NC) scales.

Methods

Data were collected from an online international sample of participants aged ≥20 years, who had presented to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon within the previous 12 months for a minimally invasive facial aesthetic treatment. Participants provided demographic and clinical data and completed 11 FACE-Q Aesthetics scales and 12 MERZ Aesthetics scales. Hypotheses regarding the strength of correlations between these scales were generated a priori. Adequate convergent validity was based on the percentage of correct hypotheses (>75%) and/or correlation ≥0.50 with an instrument measuring a similar construct.

Results

In total, 1259 participants were included in this survey. The mean [standard deviation] age of the participants was 42.6 [11.9] years old, and most were female (72.5%), Caucasian (76.9%), and living in the United States (49.9%) or the United Kingdom (42.9%). FACE-Q Lines Overall, Lower Face and Jawline, Appraisal of Lines—Forehead/Between Eyebrows/Crow's Feet/Lips/Nasolabial Folds/Marionette, and Lips scales demonstrated adequate convergent validity with patient-reported MERZ Aesthetics scales. The FACE-Q Face Overall and Cheeks scales did not show adequate convergent validity.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence of convergent validity for FACE-Q Aesthetics appearance scales. Establishing the validity of these scales remains an iterative process and further studies comparing the FACE-Q to other related measurement tools are required to strengthen this evidence.

Level of Evidence: 4 (Diagnostic)
BACT: nonparametric Bayesian cell typing for single-cell spatial transcriptomics data
Authors: Yan Yinqiao , Luo Xiangyu
Published: January 2025

The spatial transcriptomics is a rapidly evolving biological technology that simultaneously measures the gene expression profiles and the spatial locations of spots. With progressive advances, current spatial transcriptomic techniques can achieve the cellular or even the subcellular resolution, making it possible to explore the fine-grained spatial pattern of cell types within one tissue section. However, most existing cell spatial clustering methods require a correct specification of the cell type number, which is hard to determine in the practical exploratory data analysis. To address this issue, we present a nonparametric Bayesian model BACT to perform BAyesian Cell Typing by utilizing gene expression information and spatial coordinates of cells. BACT incorporates a nonparametric Potts prior to induce neighboring cells’ spatial dependency, and, more importantly, it can automatically learn the cell type number directly from the data without prespecification. Evaluations on three single-cell spatial transcriptomic datasets demonstrate the better performance of BACT than competing spatial cell typing methods. The R package and the user manual of BACT are publicly available at https://github.com/yinqiaoyan/BACT.
‘Pregnancy and birth are uncertain anyway’: Practitioner perspectives on problems encountered by migrant ethnic minority women
Authors: O’Callaghan Niav , Garrett Paul Michael
Published: January 2025

While it is generally accepted that the support provided to women during the perinatal phase is of vital significance, many fail to receive such support. Migrant ethnic minority women are particularly affected by the shortcomings in service provision despite, in many instances, their already having experienced issues connected to displacement, stigma, racism, and associated social inequalities. With a specific focus on the Republic of Ireland, this article examines perinatal mental health in relation to this group of women and aims to explore underpinning factors of structurally generated discriminatory treatment. In this context, we draw on practitioner accounts from a small, exploratory empirical study.
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles: a promising candidate for wound healing applications
Authors: Nosrati Hamed , Heydari Morteza
Published: January 2025

Effective wound management and treatment are crucial in clinical practice, yet existing strategies often fall short in fully addressing the complexities of skin wound healing. Recent advancements in tissue engineering have introduced innovative approaches, particularly through the use of nanobiomaterials, to enhance the healing process. In this context, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have garnered attention due to their excellent biological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, these nanoparticles can be modified to enhance their therapeutic benefits. Scaffolds and dressings containing TiO2 NPs have demonstrated promising outcomes in accelerating wound healing and enhancing tissue regeneration. This review paper covers the wound healing process, the biological properties of TiO2 NPs that make them suitable for promoting wound healing, methods for synthesizing TiO2 NPs, the use of scaffolds and dressings containing TiO2 NPs in wound healing, the application of modified TiO2 NPs in wound healing, and the potential toxicity of TiO2 NPs.
Aiming for precision: personalized medicine through sepsis subtyping
Authors: Kolodyazhna Aryna , Wiersinga W Joost , van der Poll Tom
Published: January 2025

According to the latest definition, sepsis is characterized by life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection. However, this definition fails to grasp the heterogeneous nature and the underlying dynamic pathophysiology of the syndrome. In response to this heterogeneity, efforts have been made to stratify sepsis patients into subtypes, either based on their clinical presentation or pathophysiological characteristics. Subtyping introduces the possibility of the implementation of personalized medicine, whereby each patient receives treatment tailored to their individual disease manifestation. This review explores the currently known subtypes, categorized by subphenotypes and endotypes, as well as the treatments that have been researched thus far in the context of sepsis subtypes and personalized medicine.
Parasitic public memory: #ReclaimTheRainbow and the symbology of conservative victimhood
Authors: Studebaker M Aubrey , Whiteside Amy
Published: January 2025

Drawing from Larson and McHendry’s (2019) concept of “parasitic publics,” this article examines how proponents of dominant culture reify their power by constructing memory narratives that co-opt rhetorics of victimhood and recast marginalized populations as their oppressors, a phenomenon we term “parasitic public memory.” Through analyzing the #ReclaimTheRainbow movement in which Christian conservatives position themselves as victims of queer communities’ symbolic appropriation of the rainbow, we identify three rhetorical functions of parasitic public memory narratives: the establishment of authority that declares the existence of a threat to the dominant social imaginary, militant calls to action that frame the dominant group’s oppression of actual marginalized groups as righteous resistance, and the advancement of co-constitutive ideologies that reify the dominant social imaginary.
TBFL: blockchain-enabled trusted byzantine-robust federated learning framework for photovoltaic power generation forecasting
Authors: Zhang Yan , Wang Liangliang , Luo Yiyuan , Zhang Kai , Long Yu , Chen Kefei
Published: January 2025

Precise forecasting of photovoltaic (PV) power generation upholds flexibility and reliability within the power grid. Due to the data security dilemma of previous forecasting methods, federated learning (FL) has been widely studied for its ability to train models without sharing training data. However, the incorrect behavior from untrusted devices and servers in traditional FL frameworks can undermine the integrity of the global model, precipitating inaccurate power generation forecasting. Therefore, we propose a blockchain-enabled trusted Byzantine-robust FL framework, called TBFL, designed for decentralized and privacy-preserving PV power generation forecasting. Specifically, this framework features a trusted supervision mechanism, which can effectively eliminate malicious gradients to achieve a high-quality model. In addition, a multilevel differential privacy scheme is designed to strike a balance between privacy protection and model accuracy. Finally, a model clipping algorithm based on neuronal similarity is implemented to optimize both the duration and consumption associated with local device training. Comprehensive experimental outcomes demonstrate that the framework TBFL can successfully improve robustness, and achieve similar efficiency as FedAvg while maintaining a high forecasting accuracy.
Telemedicine in cancer care: lessons from COVID-19 and solutions for Europe
Authors: Gottlob Anita , Schmitt Tugce , Frydensberg Morten Sønderskov , Rosińska Magdalena , Leclercq Victoria , Habimana Katharina
Published: January 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged healthcare delivery, especially cancer care. Telemedicine emerged as an important tool to reduce disease transmission risks, maintain continuity of care, and improve accessibility. This study explores temporary measures during the pandemic as well as challenges and facilitators for integrating telemedicine into the European healthcare landscape in five case countries, focusing on cancer care. Expert interviews were conducted in five EU countries with diverse health systems: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, and Poland. A thematic analysis was performed. Themes were further explored related to regulatory changes during COVID-19 as well as barriers and facilitators to telemedicine implementation. COVID-19 accelerated telemedicine uptake and processes (i.e. regulations, reimbursement) in all case countries. Acceptance of telemedicine increased among healthcare professionals and patients. Post-pandemic telemedicine use and acceptance declined to pre-pandemic levels in some countries and was attributed to several factors including preferences for in-person visits. Overall, persistent barriers were identified by all country experts including lack of standardized policies, data privacy concerns, technological infrastructure issues, and digital literacy gaps. Telemedicine was validated by all country experts as an important tool to enhance cancer care access and efficiency and to help maintaining continuity of cancer care during crises. Our findings highlight some overlapping barriers and suggest solutions to overcome these barriers across the selected countries. Recommendations for policymakers are listed, emphasizing the importance of telemedicine services in improving healthcare access, efficiency, and resilience. Future research should incorporate diverse population studies, patient perspectives, cost-effectiveness, and policy impacts.
Subtilosin A production is influenced by surfactin levels in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Dinesen Caja , Vertot Manca , Jarmusch Scott A , Lozano-Andrade Carlos N , Andersen Aaron J C , Kovács Ákos T
Published: January 2025

Although not essential for their growth, the production of secondary metabolites increases the fitness of the producing microorganisms in their natural habitat by enhancing establishment, competition, and nutrient acquisition. The Gram-positive soil-dwelling bacterium, Bacillus subtilis, produces a variety of secondary metabolites. Here, we investigated the regulatory relationship between the non-ribosomal peptide surfactin and the sactipeptide bacteriocin subtilosin A. We discovered that B. subtilis mutants lacking surfactin production exhibited higher production of subtilosin A compared to their parental wild-type strain. Additionally, spatial visualization of B. subtilis production of metabolites demonstrated that surfactin secreted by a wild-type colony could suppress subtilosin A production in an adjacent mutant colony lacking surfactin production. Reporter assays were performed using mutants in specific transcriptional regulators, which confirmed the role of ResD as an activator of the subtilosin A encoding biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC), while the removal of Rok and AbrB repressors increased the expression of the BGC, which was further enhanced by additional deletion of surfactin, suggesting that a so-far-unidentified regulator might mediate the influence of surfactin on production of subtilosin A. Our study reveals a regulatory influence of one secondary metabolite on another, highlighting that the function of secondary metabolites could be more complex than its influence on other organisms and interactions among secondary metabolites could also contribute to their ecological significance.
Evolutionary and Functional Analysis of Monoamine Oxidase F: A Novel Member of the Monoamine Oxidase Gene Family
Authors: Merello Oyarzún Gianluca , Olivares-Costa Montserrat , Basile Lorenzo , Pástor Tammy P , Mendoza-Soto Pablo , Padilla-Santiago Luis , Mardones Gonzalo A , Binda Claudia , Opazo Juan C
Published: January 2025

The monoamine oxidase (MAO) gene family encodes for enzymes that perform the oxidative deamination of monoamines, a process required to degrade norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and other amines. While mammalian MAO enzymes, MAO A and MAO B, have been extensively studied, the molecular properties of the other family members are only partly uncovered. This study aims to explore the evolution of MAOs, emphasizing understanding of the MAO gene repertoire among vertebrates. Our analyses show that the duplication that gave rise to MAO A and MAO B occurred in the ancestor of tetrapods, between 408 and 352 million years ago. Nontetrapod jawed vertebrates possess the ancestral preduplicative condition of MAO A/B. Our results also identified a new family member, MAO F, in nontetrapod jawed vertebrates. Thus, most jawed vertebrates possess a repertoire of two MAO genes, MAO A and MAO B in tetrapods and MAO A/B and MAO F in nontetrapod jawed vertebrates, representing different MAO gene lineages. Jawless vertebrates possess the ancestral condition of a single copy gene, MAO A/B/F. Enzymatic assays conducted on the MAO recombinant enzymes of the Indo-Pacific tarpon show that both proteins, MAO A/B and MAO F, have enzymatic and molecular properties more similar to human MAO A, with the former featuring a strikingly higher activity rate when compared with all other MAO enzymes. Our analyses underscore the importance of scanning the tree of life for new gene lineages to understand phenotypic diversity and gain detailed insights into their function.
VaWRKY65 contributes to cold tolerance through dual regulation of soluble sugar accumulation and reactive oxygen species scavenging in Vitis amurensis
Authors: Meng Lin , Zhou Huimin , Tan Lisha , Li Qingyun , Hou Yujun , Li Wenjuan , Kafle Subash , Liang Ju , Aryal Rishi , Liang Zhenchang , Xin Haiping
Published: January 2025

Although the significance of some plant WRKYs in response to cold stress have been identified, the molecular mechanisms of most WRKYs remain unclear in grapevine. In this study, we demonstrate that cold-induced expression of VaBAM3 in Vitis amurensis executes a beneficial role in enhancing resistance by the regulating starch decomposition. VaWRKY65 was identified as an upstream transcriptional activator of VaBAM3 through yeast one-hybrid library screening and validated to directly interacts with the W-box region inside the VaBAM3 promoter. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants and grapevine roots overexpression VaWRKY65 exhibited improved cold tolerance along with higher BAM activity and soluble sugar levels, whereas opposite changes were observed in VaWRKY65 knockdown lines created by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in grapevine plants and in the knockout wrky65 mutants generated by CRISPR/Cas9 technology in grapevine roots. The transcriptome data show that overexpression of VaWRKY65 led to significant alteration of a diverse set of stress-related genes at the transcriptional level. One of the genes, Peroxidase 36 (VaPOD36) was further verified as a direct target of VaWRKY65. Consistently, VaWRKY65-overexpressing plants had higher VaPOD36 transcript levels and POD activity but a reduced ROS level, while silencing VaWRKY65 results in contrary changes. Collectively, these results reveal that VaWRKY65 enhanced cold tolerance through modulating soluble sugars produced from starch breakdown and ROS scavenging.
Impact of 5-Aminosalicylic Acid on Ustekinumab in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Retrospective Medical Claims Analysis
Authors: Nishida Yu , Hosomi Shuhei , Fujimoto Koji , Kobayashi Yumie , Nakata Rieko , Maruyama Hirotsugu , Ominami Masaki , Nadatani Yuji , Fukunaga Shusei , Otani Koji , Tanaka Fumio , Fujiwara Yasuhiro
Published: January 2025

Background

The efficacy of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) in combination with advanced therapies (ADTs), particularly ustekinumab (UST), for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unclear.

Methods

This retrospective cohort analysis used data from the Medical Data Vision database, including patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) who had initiated UST therapy. Cumulative UST continuation rates and factors associated with UST failure were analyzed, and post hoc subgroup analyses based on prior ADT use were conducted.

Results

A total of 1971 patients with CD and 1284 patients with UC were included. Overall, the concomitant use of 5-ASA did not significantly affect UST failure in either CD or UC. Post hoc subgroup analysis suggested a protective effect of 5-ASA in ADT-naïve patients with CD or UC who had been previously exposed to ADT.

Conclusions

5-ASA did not provide a significant overall benefit when used in combination with UST for CD or UC. However, post hoc subgroup analyses indicated a potential role for 5-ASA in specific subgroups. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings and explore personalized treatment strategies.
Payment Matters: Understanding Payer Perspectives on Laboratory Stewardship
Authors: Astion Michael L , Baird Geoffrey S
Published: January 2025

Background

The US healthcare system is complex and includes a number of entities and systems that provide services to patients and to pay for them. While improving health and well-being are accepted goals of healthcare, the 3 stakeholder groups relevant to healthcare—patients, providers, and payers—often have different perspectives on how care should be utilized, performed, and paid for. These differing perspectives are discussed as they relate to clinical laboratory testing.

Content

Patients expect that the laboratory tests performed on them are necessary and covered by their insurance. Providers expect that they will be able to carry out what they believe to be the standard of care for their patients, and they furthermore expect that the systems in place from laboratories and payers will support their efforts without exposing their patients or their practice to financial toxicity. Payers, finally, desire to meet the needs of their customers, who are both patients as well as employers, by providing access to necessary healthcare services at a fair cost. Aligning these desires and perspectives is challenging in a fragmented healthcare system, and in the face of substantial opportunities for secondary gain from disreputable practices such as fraud, waste, and abuse.

Within the constraints of a US healthcare system based on competition and susceptible to misalignment, opportunities nonetheless exist for all relevant stakeholders in the laboratory testing space (patients, providers, and payers) to align and agree on practices that provide reasonably priced, fairly distributed, and medically necessary healthcare.
A long noncoding RNA with enhancer-like function in pig zygotic genome activation
Authors: Wei Renyue , Yue Yanbin , Wu Yinhuan , Zhang Chenyuan , Jin Junxue , Liu Zhonghua , Wang Jiaqiang
Published: January 2025

The zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is crucial for the development of pre-implantation embryos. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play significant roles in many biological processes, but the study on their role in the early embryonic development of pigs is limited. In this study, we identify lncFKBPL as an enhancer-type lncRNA essential for pig embryo development. LncFKBPL is expressed from the 4-cell stage to the morula stage in pig embryos, and interference with lncFKBPL leads to a developmental arrest at the 8-cell stage. Mechanistic investigations uncover that lncFKBPL is able to bind to MED8, thereby mediating enhancer activity and regulating FKBPL expression. Additionally, FKBPL interacts with the molecular chaperone protein HSP90AA1, stabilizing CDK9 and boosting its protein-level expression. Elevated CDK9 levels enhance Pol II phosphorylation, facilitating ZGA. Our findings illuminate the role of lncFKBPL as an enhancer lncRNA in pig ZGA regulation and early embryo development, providing a foundation for further exploration in this area.
Building absolute breast cancer risk prediction models for women treated with chest radiation for Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Roberti Sander , van Leeuwen Flora E , Hauptmann Michael , Pfeiffer Ruth M
Published: January 2025

We built models to predict absolute breast cancer (BC) risk in women treated with radiotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). We first estimated relative risks (RRs) for risk factors, including radiation dose to 10 breast segments to accommodate heterogeneity of treatment effects, using a case-control sample nested in an HL survivor cohort. To estimate RRs of case-control matching factors we developed novel weighting approaches. We then combined RRs with age-specific BC incidence and competing mortality rates from the HL survivor cohort and a population-based registry, accommodating differences between them. We compared the performance of models using segment-specific doses with using mean dose only.
Failing Asylum-Seekers: Limited Judicial Review of Refugee Status Determination Decisions in Brazil
Authors: Ferolla Vallandro do Valle Mariana
Published: January 2025

This article seeks to show how Brazilian courts’ unwillingness to perform judicial review over the merits of administrative refugee status determination (RSD) decisions is both founded on unfounded premises and incompatible with Brazil’s obligations under international law. To that effect, the article promotes an analysis of the case law issued by Brazilian appellate courts on this issue until April 2024. These courts have overwhelmingly held that RSD decisions are political acts over which the executive branch of government holds absolute discretion and are thus excluded from judicial review. Nevertheless, this reasoning is based on misconceptions about the normative refugee protection framework and is inconsistent with the declaratory nature of refugee status. Lack of a review of the merits of RSD decisions also goes against the right to judicial protection under Article 25 of the American Convention on Human Rights, ultimately voiding the right to asylum in its Article 22(7) for many asylum-seekers. This article finds that Brazilian courts’ erroneous conclusions about the nature of RSD decisions compromise effective refugee protection in the country, essentially subsuming this protection into a policy choice.
Explaining political turnarounds on minimum wages: the Italian case in a comparative perspective
Authors: Meardi Guglielmo , Seghezzi Francesco
Published: January 2025

While the majority of OECD countries have a national minimum wage, a minority relies on collective bargaining as a functionally equivalent alternative model. Some countries have recently changed model or started discussing it. We ask when and why advanced capitalist democracies make such change, testing functionalist, power resource and institutional explanations. The article looks at the cases of UK and Germany (which introduced a national minimum wage) and Italy (which have started discussing it), against the background of Sweden, which, like other countries, refuse to do so. In doing so, we identify some conditions and contributing factors that allow to better understand how institutional legacies affect shifts in regulatory approaches to wage setting, and draw some implications for labour market policies, especially in the particularly open Italian case.
Serial evaluation of local changes in snakebite envenomation using infrared thermal imaging
Authors: Sabitha Paramasivam , Ramadoss Ramu , Bammigatti Chanaveerappa , Kadhiravan Tamilarasu
Published: January 2025

Background

There is a lack of objective tools to assess the local changes following snakebite envenomation. We aimed to describe the progression of local changes in envenomed patients using serial infrared thermal imaging.

Methods

In a prospective sample of patients with snakebite envenomation, clinical assessment and infrared imaging of local changes were done at enrolment and 6 h and 24 h later, followed by once daily until hospital discharge or day 7, whichever was earlier. Infrared images were interpreted by an investigator masked to clinical findings.

Results

We studied 39 patients with snakebite envenomation. Their mean age was 44.6±12.7 y and 25 (64%) were men. The median time to stability of local changes was 24.6 h (interquartile range [IQR] 17.0–30.1) on clinical examination and 28.0 h (IQR 13.7–55.2) on infrared imaging. At 24 h there was simple agreement between the two methods on whether the local changes were progressing or not in 31 of 39 patients (80%; Cohen's κ=0.59, p<0.001). The maximum proximal extent of local changes assessed using the two methods had a good correlation (Spearman's ρ=0.713, p<0.001). However, the extent of thermal changes on infrared images often exceeded the upper limit of swelling detected clinically.

Conclusions

Infrared imaging could be used to objectively document the local changes caused by snakebite envenomation.
Profile of snakebite cases admitted to the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital in northern Vietnam from 2008 to 2020
Authors: Le Thuan Q , Le Linh T H , Nguyen Hoang H , Ha Hung T , Nguyen Nguyen T , Nguyen Truong Q , Ziegler Thomas , Do Tung T , Nguyen Tao T
Published: January 2025

Background

Vietnam harbours a high species richness of venomous snakes with >60 recognised species but snakebite pathology and treatment are still understudied, particularly in northern Vietnam.

Methods

A retrospective study from 2008 to 2020 was conducted, focusing on snakebite cases at the Poison Control Center of Bach Mai Hospital, a major centre in northern Vietnam for treating envenoming incidents.

Results

A total of 5805 snakebite cases were reported over 12 y. The demography of patients was predominantly male snakebite victims (70%), middle-aged (30–59 y) and mostly from rural districts. Cobra (Naja spp.) attacks were the main culprit, accounting for 39% of cases, and most snakebites occurred in the rainy season. The majority of patients were from Hanoi, but the percentage of cases from other provinces increased over the years up to 75% in 2020. The highest number of snakebites were recorded from communes with snake farms.

Conclusions

Male gender, rainy season, rural residency and snake farming were identified as major risk factors for contracting snakebites. Multicentre hospital studies, cross-sectional community surveys and a central snakebite database are needed to better understand and deal with snakebites in Vietnam.
Metagenomic Sequencing of Tomato Plants with Wilt Symptoms Allows for Strain-Level Pathogen Identification and Genome-Based Characterization
Authors: Abdelrazek Sahar , Rodriguez Salamanca Lina , Vinatzer Boris A.
Published: January 2025

Diseases that affect the vascular system or the pith are of great economic impact since they can rapidly destroy the affected plants, leading to complete loss in production. Fast and precise identification is thus important to inform containment and management, but many identification methods are slow because they are culture-dependent and they do not reach strain resolution. Here we used culture-independent long-read metagenomic sequencing of DNA extracted directly from stems of two tomato samples that displayed wilt symptoms. We obtained enough sequencing reads to assemble high quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Ralstonia solanacearum from one sample and of Pseudomonas corrugata from the other. The genome sequences allowed us to identify both pathogens to strain level using the genomerxiv platform, perform phylogenetic analyses, predict virulence genes, and infer antibiotic and copper resistance. In the case of R. solanacearum, it was straightforward to exclude the pathogen from being the Select Agent Race 3 biovar 2. Using the Branchwater tool, it was also possible to determine the world-wide distribution of both pathogen strains based on public metagenomic sequences. The entire analysis could have been completed within two days starting with sample acquisition. Steps necessary towards establishing metagenomic sequencing as a more routine approach in plant diseases clinics are discussed.
Listings of Buprenorphine Offering by Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facilities and Waivered Clinician From July 2019 to May 2021
Authors: Ali Mir M. , Taylor Erin A. , Stein Bradley D. , Mizushima Yuji , Agniel Denis , Cantor Jonathan
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study explores trends in buprenorphine availability at substance use disorder treatment facilities (SUDTFs) and by waivered clinicians during the pandemic. We also examined whether there were differences in access based on a county's metropolitan status and annual fatal drug poisoning rate.

Methods

Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration' Behavioral Health Treatment Locator between July 2019 and May 2021 were used to calculate trends in SUDTFs offering buprenorphine and the number of waivered clinicians per 10,000 population. We calculated unadjusted trends over time, stratified by whether a county was above or below the annual median age-adjusted fatal drug overdose rate in that year and the county's metropolitan status.

Results

Results showed an increase in SUDTFs and waivered clinicians offering buprenorphine before the pandemic, but the rate leveled off during the pandemic. On average, the increase in facilities was about 8 percentage points per year, and the increase in waivered clinicians was 0.29 per year. The percentage of SUDTFs offering buprenorphine peaked at 47%, and the number of waivered clinicians leveled off at 1.61 per 10,000 population.

There were more SUDTFs and clinicians offering buprenorphine in metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan counties. There were also more SUDTFs and clinicians offering buprenorphine in counties above versus below median poisoning rates.

Conclusions

This study provides insights into how buprenorphine availability changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and before the removal of the X-waiver in 2023. More outreach will be needed to encourage the offering of buprenorphine by SUDTFs and office-based clinicians.
Reducing Cerebrospinal Fluid Sampling Frequency and Costs in Patients With Ventriculostomy for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Authors: Lin Victor , Levitt Michael R. , Zunt Joseph , Lele Abhijit V.
Published: January 2025

Background:

We implemented a quality improvement project to transition from routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling to indication-based sampling in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients with an external ventricular drain (EVD).

Methods:

Forty-seven patients were assessed across 2 epochs: routine (n=22) and indication-based (n=25) CSF sampling. The primary outcome was the number of CSF samples, and secondary outcomes included cost reductions and ventriculostomy-associated infections.

Results:

Patient characteristics were similar in the routine and indication-based sampling groups, as was the mean (SD) EVD duration (13.86 [5.28] days vs. 12.44 [4.78] days, respectively; P=0.936). One hundred eight CSF samples were collected during the quality improvement project; 81 in the routine sampling period and 27 in the indication-based sampling period. The median (interquartile range) CSF sampling rate reduced from 4 (3 to 4) per patient during routine sampling to 1 (0 to 2) during indication-based sampling (odds ratio: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.08-0.46; P<0.001), representing a 73% reduction in the number of samples after the transition to indication-based sampling. Each CSF sample cost $723, resulting in total sampling costs in the routine and indication-based sampling periods of $58,571 and $19,524, respectively. Therefore, the mean cost per patient was significantly higher in the routine sampling period than in the indication-based period ($2772 [$615] vs. $889 [$165], respectively; P=0.007). There were no ventriculostomy-associated infections in either period.

Conclusion:

Transitioning from routine to indication-based CSF sampling in aSAH patients with an EVD reduced sampling frequency and associated costs without increasing infection rates.
Enhancing Recovery in Severe Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) Patients With Cobb Angle ≥90 Degrees Undergoing Single-staged Posterior Spinal Fusion (PSF)
Authors: Chandirasegaran Saturveithan , Chan Chris Yin Wei , Chiu Chee Kidd , Mohamad Siti Mariam , Hasan Mohd Shahnaz , Kwan Mun Keong
Published: January 2025

Study design:

Retrospective study.

Objective:

To assess the feasibility and outcome of rapid recovery protocol (RRP) in severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients with Cobb angle ≥90 degrees underwent single-staged posterior spinal fusion (PSF).

Summary of background data:

Corrective surgeries in severe AIS patients entail a higher risk of prolonged operation, excessive bleeding, extended hospital stay, and higher complication rates compared with non-severe AIS patients. Implementation of RRP among severe AIS patients has not been reported.

Methods:

Thirty-seven severe AIS patients who underwent single-staged PSF surgery from 2019 to 2022 were recruited. The RRP consisted of a preoperative regime and counselling, intraoperative strategies to reduce operation duration and blood loss and an accelerated postoperative rehabilitation pathway. Outcome measures were operative time, blood loss, postoperative pain scores, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine usage, length of hospital stay, and recovery milestones. Descriptive statistics were reported in mean (SD) for numerical data, whereas categorical data were presented in n (%).

Results:

The mean operation duration was 173.5±39.4 minutes, and the mean blood loss was 1064.6±473.3 mL. The average postoperative hospital stay was 3.2±0.6 days. Twelve hours post-operation pain score was 4.0±2.0 and reduced to 3.9±1.6 at 48 hours. 78.4% of patients discontinued their PCA at 48 hours. First liquid intake was at 6.3±8.5 hours, whereas solid food consumption was initiated at 23.4±14.2 hours. The urinary catheter was removed at 17.8±7.6 hours. Patients started ambulation at 24±12.7 hours, first passed flatus at 37.7±20.4 hours and had their first bowel movement at 122.1±41.7 hours. Three complications (8.1%) were reported, which included superficial surgical site infection, proximal wound stitch abscess and superficial thermal injury due to forced air-warming blanket.

Conclusion:

The implementation of the RRP after PSF in severe AIS patients was feasible and resulted in a short postoperative hospital stay of 3.2 days without increasing the risk of major complications, readmissions, and reoperations.
Cryptosporidiosis as an opportunistic infection in colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Muftuoglu Can , Yoldas Tayfun , Bozbiyik Osman , Bagci Ozlem Ulusan , Alizadeh Hamid , Mert Ufuk , Caner Ayse
Published: January 2025

Cryptosporidium spp. is an opportunistic protozoan parasite that primarily affects immunocompromised individuals, including those with colorectal cancer (CRC). This study investigates the prevalence and clinical significance of Cryptosporidium spp. in CRC patients, including both the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. A total of 108 CRC patients and 102 healthy controls were enrolled, and stool, sputum, and saliva samples were analyzed using both microscopy and qPCR methods. Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 13% of CRC patients’ stool samples, compared to 2% in the control group, demonstrating a statistically significant difference (P = 0.0013). In contrast, there was no significant difference in Cryptosporidium spp. positivity between CRC patients and controls in sputum or saliva samples. Strikingly, one CRC patient had Cryptosporidium spp. in both sputum and saliva samples in addition to stool, suggesting potential secondary pulmonary involvement. The findings highlight the importance of screening for Cryptosporidium spp. in CRC patients, particularly those with respiratory symptoms, advanced-stage disease, or left-sided tumors, to ensure timely diagnosis and management of this opportunistic infection. Further research is needed to clarify the pathogen’s role in colorectal carcinogenesis and the implications for patient outcomes.
Unique Presentation of Pediatric Orbital Varix
Authors: Mitcham Madalyn G. , Stevens Julia L. , Conklin Cate E. , Timoney Peter J.
Published: January 2025

A 2-year-old girl initially presented with an enlarging and fluctuating mass resembling a bruise several months after orbital trauma. CT imaging showed soft tissue contusion and possible hematoma, without cystic characteristics. Surgical excision was conducted and immunohistochemistry staining revealed CD34+ endothelium. The clinical and histopathologic findings were consistent with an orbital varix. To date, there are no published cases of posttraumatic extraconal orbital varix formation in the pediatric population.