bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using natural language processing to identify the status of homelessness and housing instability among serious illness patients from clinical notes in an integrated healthcare system
Authors: Xie Fagen , Wang Susan , Viveros Lori , Rich Allegra , Nguyen Huong Q , Padilla Ariadna , Lyons Lindsey , Nau Claudia L
Published: September 2023

Background

Efficiently identifying the social risks of patients with serious illnesses (SIs) is the critical first step in providing patient-centered and value-driven care for this medically vulnerable population.

Objective

To apply and further hone an existing natural language process (NLP) algorithm that identifies patients who are homeless/at risk of homeless to a SI population.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with SI between 2019 and 2020 were identified using an adapted list of diagnosis codes from the Center for Advance Palliative Care from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California electronic health record. Clinical notes associated with medical encounters within 6 months before and after the diagnosis date were processed by a previously developed NLP algorithm to identify patients who were homeless/at risk of homelessness. To improve the generalizability to the SI population, the algorithm was refined by multiple iterations of chart review and adjudication. The updated algorithm was then applied to the SI population.

Results

Among 206 993 patients with a SI diagnosis, 1737 (0.84%) were identified as homeless/at risk of homelessness. These patients were more likely to be male (51.1%), age among 45-64 years (44.7%), and have one or more emergency visit (65.8%) within a year of their diagnosis date. Validation of the updated algorithm yielded a sensitivity of 100.0% and a positive predictive value of 93.8%.

Conclusions

The improved NLP algorithm effectively identified patients with SI who were homeless/at risk of homelessness and can be used to target interventions for this vulnerable group.
Validation of PVT VIABLE® for Detection of Legionella in Potable and Non-Potable Water: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 082303
Authors: Wickenberg Leah , Gabrie Katherine , McCarthy Patrick , Cain Melissa
Published: September 2023

Background

Phigenics Validation Test (PVT) VIABLE® (Viability Identification Assay by Legionella Enrichment) is a method to detect viable Legionella bacteria in building water systems.

Objective

To evaluate PVT VIABLE against the ISO 11731:2017 Water Quality—Enumeration of Legionella reference method for the detection of viable Legionella species in potable and non-potable water.

Methods

PVT VIABLE was tested for inclusivity (n = 50 strains of Legionella) and exclusivity (n = 30 non-target strains), robustness, and stability. A multi-laboratory instrument variation study was performed to evaluate the PCR data. The matrix study was performed on potable and non-potable water samples inoculated with Legionella pneumophila at a low (n = 20) and high fractional level (n = 5). Samples were analyzed using the PVT VIABLE and confirmed using ISO 11731:2017.

Results

Statistical analysis showed no difference between PVT VIABLE and ISO 11731:2017 for 100 mL test portions of potable and non-potable water. PVT VIABLE demonstrated high levels of specificity and sensitivity in the inclusivity and exclusivity study. Results of the robustness and stability studies demonstrated the method was sufficiently robust to handle small method changes and met the method claims of stability.

Conclusion

PVT VIABLE allows the end user to obtain presumptive results for viable Legionella spp. contamination of potable and non-potable water in 2–3 days.

Highlights

PVT VIABLE provides viable Legionella results in 2–3 days versus 10–14 days for traditional spread plating. This novel diagnostic tool also differentiates between Legionella pneumophila sg1, Legionella pneumophila sg2–15, and Legionella spp. without the need for additional confirmation steps as outlined in ISO 11731:2017.
Optical Breast Imaging: A Review of Physical Principles, Technologies, and Clinical Applications
Authors: Poplack Steven P , Park Eun-Yeong , Ferrara Katherine W
Published: September 2023

Optical imaging involves the propagation of light through tissue. Current optical breast imaging technologies, including diffuse optical spectroscopy, diffuse optical tomography, and photoacoustic imaging, capitalize on the selective absorption of light in the near-infrared spectrum by deoxygenated and oxygenated hemoglobin. They provide information on the morphological and functional characteristics of different tissues based on their varied interactions with light, including physiologic information on lesion vascular content and anatomic information on tissue vascularity. Fluorescent contrast agents, such as indocyanine green, are used to visualize specific tissues, molecules, or proteins depending on how and where the agent accumulates. In this review, we describe the physical principles, spectrum of technologies, and clinical applications of the most common optical systems currently being used or developed for breast imaging. Most notably, US co-registered photoacoustic imaging and US-guided diffuse optical tomography have demonstrated efficacy in differentiating benign from malignant breast masses, thereby improving the specificity of diagnostic imaging. Diffuse optical tomography and diffuse optical spectroscopy have shown promise in assessing treatment response to preoperative systemic therapy, and photoacoustic imaging and diffuse optical tomography may help predict tumor phenotype. Lastly, fluorescent imaging using indocyanine green dye performs comparably to radioisotope mapping of sentinel lymph nodes and appears to improve the outcomes of autologous tissue flap breast reconstruction.
It Looks Like “Theirs”: When and Why Human Presence in the Photo Lowers Viewers’ Liking and Preference for an Experience Venue
Authors: Lu Zoe Y , Jung Suyeon , Peck Joann
Published: September 2023

Consumers and marketers often post photos of experiential consumption online. While prior research has studied how human presence in social media images impacts viewers’ responses, the findings are mixed. The present research advances the current understanding by incorporating viewers’ need for self-identity into their response model. Six studies, including an analysis of field data (14,725 Instagram photos by a top travel influencer) and five controlled experiments, find that the presence (vs. absence) of another human in the photo of an identity-relevant experience (e.g., a vacation, a wedding) can lower viewers' liking and preference for the venue (i.e., the vacation destination, the wedding venue) in the photo. This effect is mediated by viewers' feelings of others' ownership of the venue and moderated by the relevance of the experience to the viewer’s self-identity as well as the distinctiveness of the human in the photo. This research is the first to investigate the impact of human presence in shared photos through the lens of psychological ownership and the identity-signaling function of ownership. The findings offer practical insights into when marketers should avoid human presence in advertisements and how to mitigate the negative impact of human presence in online photos.
Post-Colonial Consumer Respect and the Framing of Neocolonial Consumption in Advertising
Authors: Varman Rohit , Belk Russell W , Sreekumar Hari
Published: September 2023

This study of the production, representation, and reception of post-colonial advertising in India reveals a politics of consumer respectability. The post-colonial politics of consumer respectability is located at the intersection of center–periphery relations, class divisions, and colorism in a way that it frames neocolonial consumption. Advertisers depict middle-class consumer respectability by asserting Indian nationalism and by degrading the West as a symbol of colonialism. Such depictions are class- and color-based and show under-class and dark-skinned consumers in subordinate positions. Furthering such neocolonial frames of consumption, Indian advertising advances the middle-class desire for Eurocentric modernity by reinforcing the colonial trope of India as temporally lagging behind the West. Finally, middle-class consumer respectability involves a neocolonial whitening of self with epidermalized shaping of inter-corporeality and agency. In uncovering the theoretical implications of advertising as a site of avenging degradation, desiring modernity, and whitening of self, this study contributes by offering insights into how the politics of post-colonial consumer respectability furthers neocolonial frames of consumption.
Velocity model calibration for surface microseismic monitoring based on a 3D gently inclined layered equivalent model
Authors: Wang Chunlu , Wei Yanfei , Sun Feng , Zhou Xiaohua , Jiang Haiyu , Chen Zubin
Published: September 2023

Shale gas has become a major source of natural gas production and has received worldwide attention. Hydraulic fracturing is widely performed to stimulate oil and gas wells with considerable success. Given high-precision microseismic (MS) event locations, we can predict the development trend and region of fracturing and evaluate the stimulation effect, thereby providing technical guidance for subsequent exploitation. An accurate velocity model is essential for MS event positioning. However, simple velocity models, such as the uniform or vertical transverse isotropy (VTI) velocity model, are generally applied to calibrate the velocity model. Despite calibration, the VTI model may still face challenges in obtaining accurate MS event locations. Based on the structural characteristics of shale, we propose a novel local velocity model calibration algorithm for surface MS monitoring. To calibrate the velocity model, the actual strata interfaces are replaced with 3D gently inclined planes. We use very fast simulated annealing to concurrently tune the velocity, depth, and angle parameters of the model. Through the assessment of both the stacked amplitude at the position of the perforation shot and the relocation error of the perforation shot, we determine the ideal velocity model. To evaluate the effectiveness of our approach, we conduct experiments on both a synthetic model and a field dataset, and statistically analyze the location error. The results show that the proposed method obviously reduces the perforation shot relocation error and is well-suited for calibrating velocity models that are close to slightly inhomogeneous layered media.
The reference genome assembly of the bright cobblestone lichen, Acarospora socialis
Authors: Adams Julia N , Escalona Merly , Marimuthu Mohan P A , Fairbairn Colin W , Beraut Eric , Seligmann William , Nguyen Oanh , Chumchim Noravit , Stajich Jason E
Published: September 2023

Acarospora socialis, the bright cobblestone lichen, is commonly found in southwestern North America. This charismatic yellow lichen is a species of key ecological significance as it is often a pioneer species in new environments. Despite their ecological importance virtually no research has been conducted on the genomics of A. socialis. To address this, we used long-read sequencing to generate the first high-quality draft genome of A. socialis. Lichen thallus tissue was collected from Pinkham Canyon in Joshua Tree National Park, California and deposited in the UC Riverside herbarium under accession #295874. The de novo assembly of the mycobiont partner of the lichen was generated from Pacific Biosciences HiFi long reads and Dovetail Omni-C chromatin capture data. After removing algal and bacterial contigs, the fungal genome was approximately 31.2 Mb consisting of 38 scaffolds with contig and scaffold N50 of 2.4 Mb. The BUSCO completeness score of the assembled genome was 97.5% using the Ascomycota gene set. Information on the genome of A. socialis is important for California conservation purposes given that this lichen is threatened in some places locally by wildfires due to climate change. This reference genome will be used for understanding the genetic diversity, population genomics, and comparative genomics of A. socialis species. Genomic resources for this species will support population and landscape genomics investigations, exploring the use of A. socialis as a bioindicator species for climate change, and in studies of adaptation by comparing populations that occur across aridity gradients in California.
Town Planning, Housing, and the Politics of Sanitation and Public Health in the Gold Coast (Colonial Ghana), c. 1880 – 1950
Authors: Amoako-Gyampah Akwasi Kwarteng
Published: September 2023

Colonial officials remarked disparagingly about the nature of houses and what they presented as congested layouts in Gold Coast communities. Subsequently, drawing on nineteenth-century epidemiological theory that connected diseases and poor health to defective housing and congested settlements, the colonial administration introduced measures to redesign and reorder Gold Coast communities. This article examines the connection between colonial town planning and housing measures and the politics of sanitation and public health in the Gold Coast. It argues that the colonial state’s imposition of imported British town planning measures, building techniques, and housing styles in the Gold Coast and their aspiration to compel Gold Coast people to build and pattern their communities along so-called sanitary lines could not be fully realised. Thus, the extent to which colonial town planning and the accompanying transformations in African building styles improved sanitation and consequently, public health, is difficult to determine. Nonetheless, this study reveals that the local population’s holistic approaches to spatial designing and planning of their communities and their building styles were somewhat altered by the colonial imposition of eurocentric town planning policies and building styles.
D-2-hydroxyglutarate regulates human brain vascular endothelial cell proliferation and barrier function
Authors: Cao Chun , Zhang Lingjun , Sorensen Mia D , Reifenberger Guido , Kristensen Bjarne W , McIntyre Thomas M , Lin Feng
Published: September 2023

Gain-of-function mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes result in excessive production of (D)-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG) which intrinsically modifies tumor cell epigenetics and impacts surrounding noncancerous cells through nonepigenetic pathways. However, whether D-2HG has a paracrine effect on endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment needs further clarification. We quantified microvessel density by immunohistochemistry using tissue sections from 60 high-grade astrocytic gliomas with or without IDH mutation. Microvessel density was found to be reduced in tumors carrying an IDH mutation. Ex vivo experiments showed that D-2HG inhibited endothelial cell migration, wound healing, and tube formation by suppressing cell proliferation but not viability, possibly through reduced activation of the mTOR/STAT3 pathway. Further, D-2HG reduced fluorescent dextran permeability and decreased paracellular T-cell transendothelial migration by augmenting expression of junctional proteins thereby collectively increasing endothelial barrier function. These results indicate that D-2HG may influence the tumor vascular microenvironment by reducing the intratumoral vasculature density and by inhibiting the transport of metabolites and extravasation of circulating cells into the astrocytoma microenvironment. These observations provide a rationale for combining IDH inhibition with antitumor immunological/angiogenic approaches and suggest a molecular basis for resistance to antiangiogenic drugs in patients whose tumors express a mutant IDH allele.
Economic Sanctions and the Escalation of Terrorism
Authors: Bapat Navin A , Cilizoglu Menevis
Published: September 2023

A common belief is that sanctions will deprive targets of the resources they need to engage in offensive behaviors. This suggests that sanctions on active and passive supporters of terrorism should reduce violence. This study examines the argument that sanctions can weaken state support for terrorism and reduce terrorist violence. We argue that while sanctions may deprive active or passive supporters of resources, these market imperfections may create commitment problems by weakening these states’ ability to maintain the balance of power with their rivals. As a result, state supporters and their terrorists may escalate violence to solidify gains against their rivals. We test this hypothesis quantitatively using the Threat and Imposition of Economic Sanctions and the Global Terrorism datasets, and qualitatively using an examination of Pakistani support for the Haqqani Network.
Support and Conflict Among Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: A Focus on Friends
Authors: Helgeson Vicki S , Horner Fiona S , Reis Harry T , Niezink Nynke M D , Libman Ingrid
Published: September 2023

Objective

The goal of the study was to examine the relations of general and diabetes-specific friend support and conflict to psychological and diabetes health among youth with type 1 diabetes. We examined gender as a moderator of these relations, and friend responsiveness and information-sharing as potential mediators.

Methods

Youth with type 1 diabetes (n = 167; M age 15.83 [SD = 0.78]; 50% female) were interviewed once in the Fall and once in the following Spring of the school year. Using multiple regression analysis, general friend support, general friend conflict, diabetes-specific support, and diabetes-specific conflict were investigated as simultaneous predictors of psychological and diabetes outcomes cross-sectionally and longitudinally over four months.

Results

Cross-sectionally friend conflict, including both general and diabetes-specific, was more predictive of outcomes than friend support. In cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, gender was a significant moderator, such that several relations of general friend conflict to outcomes were significant for females but not nonfemales. Friend support revealed mixed relations to outcomes across cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Although we found links of friend relationship variables to mediators (perceived responsiveness; information sharing), we found little evidence of mediation.

Conclusions

These findings show stronger evidence that conflictual friend relationships than supportive friend relationships are linked to health. Findings suggest that problematic friend relationships may have a stronger impact on the health of females than nonfemales. These results underscore the need to better understand the conditions under which friend support is helpful versus harmful and the reasons underlying these links.
Defying boundaries: The problem of demarcation in Norwegian refugee services
Authors: Vannebo Berit Irene
Published: September 2023

This article discusses how professionals’ efforts to reach policy goals engender boundary work. Analyses of interviews with service professionals in three welfare services in Norway which collaborate to implement the Introduction Program for refugees show how conflicting logics in services pose dilemmas for service professionals, and that political ideals of collaborative governance and integrated services are hard to put into practice. Service professionals resolve these dilemmas by engaging in various forms of boundary work, and the scope for boundary work is conditioned by the different service logics they operate under. Welfare service professionals collaborate to reach three policy goals—qualification of refugees, empowerment of users, and providing equity in services. The analysis shows that conflicting service logics result in boundary work practices that make coordination of, and collaboration between, services difficult, as services do not agree on how to interpret, and share responsibility for enacting, policy goals. The outcome of boundary work practices is a reshuffling of responsibilities—and a redelegation of tasks—which in principle should be shared, onto specific services. Different interpretations of policy goals instigate boundary work among welfare service professionals, which not only involves struggles over jurisdictional boundaries, but also negotiations over whom owns a policy problem, and over how to define and represent the problem. The findings from this study encourage researchers to further explore how policy goals are used as boundary objects in professionals’ negotiations over jurisdictional boundaries, in order to further understand what triggers and shapes boundary work among professionals.
GRASP: a goodness-of-fit test for classification learning
Authors: Javanmard Adel , Mehrabi Mohammad
Published: September 2023

Performance of classifiers is often measured in terms of average accuracy on test data. Despite being a standard measure, average accuracy fails in characterising the fit of the model to the underlying conditional law of labels given the features vector (Y∣X), e.g. due to model misspecification, over fitting, and high-dimensionality. In this paper, we consider the fundamental problem of assessing the goodness-of-fit for a general binary classifier. Our framework does not make any parametric assumption on the conditional law Y∣X and treats that as a black-box oracle model which can be accessed only through queries. We formulate the goodness-of-fit assessment problem as a tolerance hypothesis testing of the form H0:E[Df(Bern(η(X))‖Bern(η^(X)))]≤τ where Df represents an f-divergence function, and η(x), η^(x), respectively, denote the true and an estimate likelihood for a feature vector x admitting a positive label. We propose a novel test, called Goodness-of-fit with Randomisation and Scoring Procedure (GRASP) for testing H0, which works in finite sample settings, no matter the features (distribution-free). We also propose model-X GRASP designed for model-X settings where the joint distribution of the features vector is known. Model-X GRASP uses this distributional information to achieve better power. We evaluate the performance of our tests through extensive numerical experiments.
Spectroscopic observations of selected planetary nebulae from the HASH data base
Authors: Temiz Utkan , Aksaker Nazım , Akyuz Aysun
Published: September 2023

We conducted research on the classification and physical properties of 10 objects from the HASH [Hong Kong/Australian Astronomical Observatory/Strasbourg Observatory H-alpha Planetary Nebula (PN)] data base with small angular sizes (<8 arcsec) in the Northern hemisphere. The sample consisted of six Likely PNe, two new candidates, one emission-line star, and one object of unknown nature. Among them, we observed four objects for the first time using the medium-resolution TUG Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera spectrograph located on the RTT150 cm of the TÜBİTAK National Observatory. To investigate the classification of the observed objects, we utilized the emission line ratios of [O iii]/Hγ, [O iii]/Hβ, [N ii]/Hα, and [S ii]/Hα, and diagnostic diagrams such as the Sabbadin–Minello–Bianchini and Baldwin–Phillips–Terlevich diagrams. When considering a broader range of diagnostic criteria compared to those provided in the literature, our analyses resulted in the reclassification of four objects from Likely PNe to True PNe and the retention of the previous classification for the remaining six objects. In addition, we obtained various physical conditions such as electron temperatures, electron densities, logarithmic extinction coefficients, and excitation classes for the 10 objects under study. Our analysis revealed that the ionic abundances of the majority of these objects were in agreement with Galactic PNe. Our spectral observations have led to the updating of 10 PNe in the HASH data base.
Star formation in CALIFA survey perturbed galaxies – III. Stellar and ionized-gas kinematic distributions
Authors: Morales-Vargas A , Torres-Papaqui J P , Rosales-Ortega F F , Chow-Martínez M , Ortega-Minakata R A , Robleto-Orús A C ,   (the CALIFA Survey Collaboration)
Published: September 2023

We obtain the kinematic distributions of stars (synthetic model line absorption) and ionized gas (H α line emission) for star-forming regions residing in Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey tidally perturbed (perturbed) and non-tidally perturbed (control) galaxies. We set the uncertainties of the velocity dispersion by measuring the statistical variability of the data sets themselves. Using these adopted uncertainties and considering the sensitivity of the grating device, we establish thresholds of reliability that allow us to select reliable velocity dispersions. From this selection, we pair the star-forming spaxels between control and perturbed galaxies at the closest shifts in velocity (de-redshifting). We compare their respective distributions of velocity dispersion. In perturbed galaxies, median velocity dispersions for the stellar and gaseous components are minimally higher and equal, respectively, than those in control galaxies. The spread in velocity dispersion and the velocity shift–velocity dispersion space agree with this result. Unlike the well-known trend in strongly interacting systems, the stellar and ionized-gas motions are not disturbed by the influence of close companions. For the gaseous component, this result is due to the poor statistical variability of its data, a consequence of the tightness in velocity dispersion derived from high spectral line intensities. This analysis concludes the series, which previously showed star-forming regions in galaxies with close companions undergoing more prominent gas inflows, resulting in differences in their star formation and consequent metal content.
Radio multifrequency observations of Abell 781 with the WSRT
Authors: Hugo B , Bernardi G , Smirnov O M , Dallacasa D , Venturi T , Murgia M , Pizzo R F
Published: September 2023

The Main galaxy cluster in the Abell 781 system is undergoing a significant merger and accretion process with peripheral emission to the north and south-eastern flanks of the merging structure. Here we present a full polarimetric study of this field, using radio interferometric data taken at 21 and 92 cm with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT), to a sensitivity better than any 21 cm (L band) observation to date. We detect evidence of extended low-level emission of 1.9 mJy associated with the Main cluster at 21 cm, although this detection necessitates further follow-up by modern instruments due to the limited resolution of the WSRT. Our polarimetric study indicates that, most likely, the peripheral emission associated with this cluster is not a radio relic.
Evidence for a luminosity–decay correlation in GRB GeV light curves
Authors: Hinds K R , Oates S R , Nicholl M , Patel J , Omodei N , Gompertz B , Racusin J L , Ryan G
Published: September 2023

Correlations between intrinsic properties of gamma-ray burst (GRB) light curves provide clues to the nature of the central engine, the jet, and a possible means to standardize GRBs for cosmological use. Here, we report on the discovery of a correlation between the intrinsic early-time luminosity, LG,10 s, measured at rest frame 10 s, and the average decay rate measured from rest frame 10 s onward, $\alpha _{\mathrm{G,avg\gt 10\, s}}$, in a sample of 13 Fermi Large Area Telescope long GRB light curves. We note that our selection criteria, in particular the requirement for a redshift to construct luminosity light curves, naturally limits our sample to energetic GRBs. A Spearman’s rank correlation gives a coefficient of –0.74, corresponding to a confidence level of 99.6 per cent, indicating that brighter afterglows decay faster than less luminous ones. Assuming a linear relation with log(LG,10s), we find $\alpha _{\mathrm{G,avg\gt 10\, s}}$$= -0.31_{-0.09}^{+0.12}\log ($LG,10s$) + 14.43_{-5.97}^{+4.55}$. The slope of −0.31 is consistent at 1σ with previously identified correlations in the optical/ultraviolet and X-ray light curves. We speculate that differences in the rate at which energy is released by the central engine or differences in observer viewing angle may be responsible for the correlation.
The influence of Mach number and overpressure on the structure of supersonic gas jets
Authors: Smith Michael D , Richards Carl
Published: September 2023

The Mach number is the primary parameter in determining the intrinsic driving properties, and effect on the environment of a supersonic jet. In the most basic form, a jet is released when a wall of a large high-pressure gas reservoir is punctured. The resulting high-pressure jet contains a configuration of shocks that continue to disturb the environment after the initial bow shock has passed. Here, we perform numerical simulations to determine the properties attributable to pure adiabatic hydrodynamic effects, taking a uniform stream out of a circular nozzle. We take a range of Mach numbers that, along with the jet overpressure, determine the flow pattern and shock locations. We distinguish conditions that generate Mach shock discs rather than a diamond pattern of oblique regular reflections. Potential observational diagnostics explored include the disc size, the distance from the nozzle, and oscillations in shock positions. Rapid oscillations occur in the divergent–convergent pattern through a feedback/hysteresis effect promoted by the ambient medium. The underlying flow patterns are independent of relative jet density, but heavy jets display both lower amplitude and lower frequency oscillations. We also study the energy transferred into the environment. Overpressured jets may contribute to noise and sound wave generation through screeching. However, these oscillations in the near-field are not sufficiently significant to regulate star and galaxy formation. We expect that upcoming high dynamic range and resolution observations will increasingly detect the shock patterns as jet gas transits from protostellar and galactic cores.
Light elements Na and Al in 58 bulge spheroid stars from APOGEE
Authors: Barbuy B , Friaça A C S , Ernandes H , Moura T , Masseron T , Cunha K , Smith V V , Souto D , Pérez-Villegas A , Souza S O , Chiappini C , Queiroz A B A , Fernández-Trincado J G , da Silva P , Santiago B X , Anders F , Schiavon R P , Valentini M , Minniti D , Geisler D , Placco V M , Zoccali M , Schultheis M , Nitschelm C , Beers T C , Razera R
Published: September 2023

We identified a sample of 58 candidate stars with metallicity [Fe/H] ≲ −0.8 that likely belong to the old bulge spheroid stellar population, and analyse their Na and Al abundances from Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) spectra. In a previous work, we inspected APOGEE-Stellar Parameter and Chemical Abundance Pipeline abundances of C, N, O, Mg, Al, Ca, Si, and Ce in this sample. Regarding Na lines, one of them appears very strong in about 20 per cent of the sample stars, but it is not confirmed by other Na lines, and can be explained by sky lines, which affect the reduced spectra of stars in a certain radial velocity range. The Na abundances for 15 more reliable cases were taken into account. Al lines in the H band instead appear to be very reliable. Na and Al exhibit a spread in abundances, whereas no spread in N abundances is found, and we found no correlation between them, indicating that these stars could not be identified as second-generation stars that originated in globular clusters. We carry out the study of the behaviour of Na and Al in our sample of bulge stars and literature data by comparing them with chemodynamical evolution model suitable for the Galactic bulge. The Na abundances show a large spread, and the chemodynamical models follow the main data, whereas for aluminum instead, the models reproduce very satisfactorily the nearly secondary-element behaviour of aluminum in the metallicity range below [Fe/H] ≲ −1.0. For the lower-metallicity end ([Fe/H < −2.5), hypernovae are assumed to be the main contributor to yields.
Accurate systemic redshifts and outflow speeds for extremely red quasars (ERQs)
Authors: Gillette Jarred , Hamann Fred , Lau Marie Wingyee , Perrotta Serena
Published: September 2023

Extremely Red Quasars (ERQs) are thought to represent a brief episode of young quasar and galactic evolution characterized by rapid outflows and obscured growth due to dusty environments. We use new redshift measurements from CO and narrow Ly α emission-lines to better constrain outflow velocities from previous line measurements. We present sample of 82 ERQs, and the analysis confirms that ERQs have a higher incidence of large C iv blueshifts, accompanied by large Rest Equivalent Width (REW) and narrower line Full Width at Half-Maximum (FWHM) than blue quasars. We find that strong blueshifts (>2000 km s−1) are present in 12/54 (22.2 per cent) of ERQs with the most robust redshift indicators. At least 4 out of 15 ERQs in the sample also have blueshifts in their H β and low-ionization ultraviolet lines ranging from −500 to −1500 km s−1. ERQs with strong C iv blueshifts are substantially offset in C iv REW and FWHM from typical blue quasars in the same velocity range. ERQs have average values of REW = 124 Å and FWHM = 5274 km s−1, while blue quasars have REW = 24 Å and FWHM = 6973 km s−1. The extreme nature of the outflows in ERQs might explain some of their other spectral properties, such as the large C iv REWs and peculiar wingless profiles owing to more extended broad-line regions participating in outflows. The physical reasons for the extreme outflow properties of ERQs are unclear; however, larger Eddington ratios and/or softer ionizing spectra incident on the outflow gas cannot be ruled out.
Chemical abundances of the young inner-disc open cluster NGC 6705 observed by APOGEE: sodium-rich and not α-enhanced
Authors: Loaiza-Tacuri V , Cunha K , Souto D , Smith V V , Guerço R , Chiappini C , Sales-Silva J V , Horta D , Prieto C Allende , Beaton R , Bizyaev D , Daflon S , Frinchaboy P , Hasselquist S , Hayes C R , Holtzman J A , Jönsson H , Majewski S R , Mészáros S , Nidever D L , Pinsonneault M , Zasowski G
Published: September 2023

Previous results in the literature have found the young inner-disc open cluster NGC 6705 to be mildly α-enhanced. We examined this possibility via an independent chemical abundance analysis for 11 red-giant members of NGC 6705. The analysis is based on near-infrared APOGEE spectra and relies on LTE calculations using spherical model atmospheres and radiative transfer. We find a mean cluster metallicity of $\rm [Fe/H] = +0.13 \pm 0.04$, indicating that NGC 6705 is metal-rich, as may be expected for a young inner-disc cluster. The mean α-element abundance relative to iron is $\rm \langle [\alpha /Fe]\rangle =-0.03 \pm 0.05$, which is not at odds with expectations from general Galactic abundance trends. NGC 6705 also provides important probes for studying stellar mixing, given its turn-off mass of M ∼ 3.3 M⊙. Its red giants have low 12C abundances ([12C/Fe] = −0.16) and enhanced 14N abundances ([14N/Fe] = +0.51), which are key signatures of the first dredge-up on the red giant branch. An additional signature of dredge-up was found in the Na abundances, which are enhanced by [Na/Fe] = +0.29, with a very small non-LTE correction. The 16O and Al abundances are found to be near-solar. All of the derived mixing-sensitive abundances are in agreement with stellar models of approximately 3.3 M⊙ evolving along the red giant branch and onto the red clump. As found in young open clusters with similar metallicities, NGC 6705 exhibits a mild excess in the s-process element cerium with $\rm [Ce/Fe] = +0.13\pm 0.07$.
A kinetic study of black hole activation by local plasma injection into the inner magnetosphere
Authors: Niv Idan , Bromberg Omer , Levinson Amir , Cerutti Benoit , Crinquand Benjamin
Published: September 2023

An issue of considerable interest in the theory of jet formation by the Blandford–Znajek mechanism, is how plasma is being supplied to the magnetosphere to maintain force-free conditions. Injection of electron–positron pairs via annihilation of MeV photons, emitted from a hot accretion flow, has been shown to be a viable possibility, but requires high enough accretion rates. At low accretion rates, and in the absence of any other form of plasma supply, the magnetosphere becomes charge-starved, forming intermittent spark gaps that can induce intense pair-cascades via interactions with disc radiation, enabling outflow formation. It is often speculated that enough plasma can penetrate the inner magnetosphere from the accretion flow through some rearrangement of magnetic field lines preventing the formation of spark-gaps. To address this question, we conducted a suite of 2D axisymmetric general-relativistic particle-in-cell simulations, in which plasma is injected into specified regions at a predescribed rate. We find that when pair-production is switched off, nearly complete screening is achieved when plasma is injected at the entire region inside the outer light cylinder at a high enough rate. Injection outside this region results in either, the formation of large vacuum-gaps, or coherent, large-amplitude oscillations of the magnetosphere, depending on the injection rate. Within our allowed dynamical range, we see no evidence for the system to reach a steady-state at high injection rates. Switching on pair-production results in nearly complete screening of the entire magnetosphere in all cases, with a small fraction of the Blandford–Znajek power dissipated as TeV gamma-rays.
The role of groups in galaxy evolution: compelling evidence of pre-processing out to the turnaround radius of clusters
Authors: Lopes Paulo A A , Ribeiro André L B , Brambila Douglas
Published: September 2023

We present clear and direct evidence of the pre-processing effect of group galaxies falling into clusters in the local Universe (z ≲ 0.1). We start with a sample of 238 clusters, from which we select 153 with N200 ≥ 20. We considered 1641 groups within the turnaround radius (∼5 × R200) of these 153 clusters. There are 6654 individual cluster galaxies and 4133 group galaxies within this radius. We considered two control samples of galaxies, in isolated groups and in the field. The former comprises 2601 galaxies within 1606 isolated groups, and the latter has 4273 field objects. The fraction of star-forming galaxies in infalling groups has a distinct clustercentric behaviour in comparison to the remaining cluster galaxies. Even at 5 × R200 the group galaxies already show a reduced fraction of star-forming objects. At this radius, the results for the individual cluster galaxies are actually compatible with the field. That is strong evidence that the group environment is effective to quench the star formation prior to the cluster arrival. The group star-forming fraction remains roughly constant inwards, decreasing significantly only within the cluster R200 radius. We have also found that the pre-processing effect depends on the group mass (indicated by the number of members). The effect is larger for more massive groups. However, it is significant even for pairs and triplets. Finally, we find evidence that the time-scale required for morphological transformation is larger than the one for quenching.
Dynamic elementomics of single-cell ICP–MS-derived signals in normal and calcium pump PMCA4-deficient mouse epididymal sperm during capacitation
Authors: Zhang Bao Li , Zhang Ze Peng , Shi Su Meng , Shi Hui Juan , DeLeon Patricia A , Shum Winnie
Published: September 2023

Currently, clinical analysis of male infertility mainly relies on parameters of semen and sperm cells. However, the high diagnostic failure rates indicate that the current assessment methods are not sufficient and a new approach to evaluating sperm function still needs to be developed. Here we explored the feasibility of single-cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (sc-ICP–MS)-derived profiles to determine the elemental characteristics in viable capacitated sperm under normal and deficient conditions. To validate the measurements, we used male sterile Pmca4-knockout (KO) mice with impaired calcium clearance, known to be dysregulated due to loss of calcium efflux capacity during sperm capacitation. Consistently, we observed significantly increased calcium intensities in Pmca4-KO sperm upon capacitation stimulation compared with control sperm from the caudaepididymides of wild-type control (WT) mice. More importantly, we explored that the characteristic signatures of calcium intensities in individual spikes derived from sc-ICP–MS was consistent with the dynamics of relative calcium levels in single sperm reported in the literature. Prominent alterations were also observed in the dynamic signatures of sc-ICP–MS-derived profiles of essential elements, particularly the redox-labile elements including copper, iron, manganese, selenium, and zinc in Pmca4-KO sperm compared to WT controls. Therefore, our study demonstrates that elementomics of sc-ICP–MS-derived signals can reveal ionic dysregulation in plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase isoform 4 protein deficient sperm, and that sc-ICP–MS assay can be applied for functional analysis of viable sperm in functional activities, such as capacitation stimulation. We propose that cell elementomics can be used as an alternative approach to assessing sperm quality and male fertility at the single-cell level.
Learning from the unknown: exploring the range of bacterial functionality
Authors: Mahlich Yannick , Zhu Chengsheng , Chung Henri , Velaga Pavan K , De Paolis Kaluza M Clara , Radivojac Predrag , Friedberg Iddo , Bromberg Yana
Published: September 2023

Determining the repertoire of a microbe's molecular functions is a central question in microbial biology. Modern techniques achieve this goal by comparing microbial genetic material against reference databases of functionally annotated genes/proteins or known taxonomic markers such as 16S rRNA. Here, we describe a novel approach to exploring bacterial functional repertoires without reference databases. Our Fusion scheme establishes functional relationships between bacteria and assigns organisms to Fusion-taxa that differ from otherwise defined taxonomic clades. Three key findings of our work stand out. First, bacterial functional comparisons outperform marker genes in assigning taxonomic clades. Fusion profiles are also better for this task than other functional annotation schemes. Second, Fusion-taxa are robust to addition of novel organisms and are, arguably, able to capture the environment-driven bacterial diversity. Finally, our alignment-free nucleic acid-based Siamese Neural Network model, created using Fusion functions, enables finding shared functionality of very distant, possibly structurally different, microbial homologs. Our work can thus help annotate functional repertoires of bacterial organisms and further guide our understanding of microbial communities.
Withdrawal of bevacizumab is associated with rebound growth of vestibular schwannomas in neurofibromatosis type 2-related schwannomatosis patients
Authors: Webb M J , Neth Bryan J , Webb Lauren M , Van Gompel Jamie J , Link Michael J , Neff Brian A , Carlson Matthew L , Driscoll Colin L , Dornhoffer Jim , Ruff Michael W , Anderson Kelsey A , Kizilbash Sani H , Campian Jian L , Uhm Joon H , Lane Jack I , Benson John C , Blezek Daniel J , Mehta Parv M , Bathla Girish , Sener Ugur T
Published: September 2023

Background

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-related schwannomatosis is an autosomal dominant tumor-predisposition syndrome characterized by bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS). In patients with VS associated with NF2, vascular endothelial growth factor A inhibitor, bevacizumab, is a systemic treatment option. The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate NF2 patient responses to bevacizumab on VS growth and symptom progression.

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of patients seen at the Mayo Clinic Rochester Multidisciplinary NF2 Clinic.

Results

Out of 76 patients with NF2 evaluated between 2020 and 2022, we identified 19 that received treatment with bevacizumab. Thirteen of these patients discontinued bevacizumab after median treatment duration of 12.2 months. The remaining 6 patients are currently receiving bevacizumab treatment for a median duration of 9.4 months as of March, 2023. Fifteen patients had evaluable brain MRI data, which demonstrated partial responses in 5 patients, stable disease in 8, and progression in 2. Within 6 months of bevacizumab discontinuation, 5 patients had rebound growth of their VS greater than 20% from their previous tumor volume, while 3 did not. Three patients with rebound growth went on to have surgery or irradiation for VS management.

Conclusions

Our single-institution experience confirms prior studies that bevacizumab can control progression of VS and symptoms associated with VS growth. However, we note that there is the potential for rapid VS growth following bevacizumab discontinuation, for which we propose heightened surveillance imaging and symptom monitoring for at least 6 months upon stopping anti-VEGF therapy.
NUTMEG: A randomized phase II study of nivolumab and temozolomide versus temozolomide alone in newly diagnosed older patients with glioblastoma
Authors: Sim Hao-Wen , Wachsmuth Luke , Barnes Elizabeth H , Yip Sonia , Koh Eng-Siew , Hall Merryn , Jennens Ross , Ashley David M , Verhaak Roel G , Heimberger Amy B , Rosenthal Mark A , Hovey Elizabeth J , Ellingson Benjamin M , Tognela Annette , Gan Hui K , Wheeler Helen , Back Michael , McDonald Kerrie L , Long Anne , Cuff Katharine , Begbie Stephen , Gedye Craig , Mislang Anna , Le Hien , Johnson Margaret O , Kong Benjamin Y , Simes John R , Lwin Zarnie , Khasraw Mustafa
Published: September 2023

Background

There is an immunologic rationale to evaluate immunotherapy in the older glioblastoma population, who have been underrepresented in prior trials. The NUTMEG study evaluated the combination of nivolumab and temozolomide in patients with glioblastoma aged 65 years and older.

Methods

NUTMEG was a multicenter 2:1 randomized phase II trial for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma aged 65 years and older. The experimental arm consisted of hypofractionated chemoradiation with temozolomide, then adjuvant nivolumab and temozolomide. The standard arm consisted of hypofractionated chemoradiation with temozolomide, then adjuvant temozolomide. The primary objective was to improve overall survival (OS) in the experimental arm.

Results

A total of 103 participants were randomized, with 69 in the experimental arm and 34 in the standard arm. The median (range) age was 73 (65–88) years. After 37 months of follow-up, the median OS was 11.6 months (95% CI, 9.7–13.4) in the experimental arm and 11.8 months (95% CI, 8.3–14.8) in the standard arm. For the experimental arm relative to the standard arm, the OS hazard ratio was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.54–1.33). In the experimental arm, there were three grade 3 immune-related adverse events which resolved, with no unexpected serious adverse events.

Conclusions

Due to insufficient evidence of benefit with nivolumab, the decision was made not to transition to a phase III trial. No new safety signals were identified with nivolumab. This complements the existing series of immunotherapy trials. Research is needed to identify biomarkers and new strategies including combinations.
Mass extinctions, their causes and consequences: an interview with Douglas H. Erwin and Shuzhong Shen
Authors: Xie Shucheng
Published: September 2023

‘Mass extinctions’ have been a hot topic for several decades. What triggers a mass extinction? How does a mass extinction impact the evolution of life? How does our ecosystem recover after a mass extinction? These questions attracted the interest of both scientists and the public alike. NSR spoke to two renowned researchers in the field of mass extinctions: Prof. Douglas H. Erwin from the National Museum of Natural History of the USA, and Prof. Shuzhong Shen from Nanjing University, China. Prof. Erwin has been interested in the end-Permian mass extinction since graduate school. He has worked on a variety of problems, from Permian gastropod systematics to the origin of animals. Currently his work focuses on the nature of evolutionary novelty and innovation. Prof. Shen's research career is centered upon the end-Permian mass extinction, Permian stratigraphy and global correlations, with taxonomic expertise on brachiopods and conodonts. The International Commission on Stratigraphy recognizes his outstanding singular contribution to stratigraphy and awarded him the ICS Stratigraphy Medal in 2019.