bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neural, Anti-Inflammatory, and Clinical Effects of Transauricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review
Authors: Parente Joao , Carolyna Gianlorenco Anna , Rebello-Sanchez Ingrid , Kim Minkyung , Mario Prati Jose , Kyung Kim Chi , Choi Hyuk , Song Jae-Jun , Fregni Felipe
Published: October 2023

Background

The discovery of effective treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) may help target different brain pathways. Invasive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an effective neuromodulation technique for the treatment of MDD; however, the effectiveness of the noninvasive technique, transauricular VNS (taVNS), remains unknown. Moreover, a mechanistic understanding of the neural effects behind its biological and therapeutic effects is lacking. This review aimed to evaluate the clinical evidence and the neural and anti-inflammatory effects of taVNS in MDD.

Methods

Two searches were conducted using a systematic search strategy reviewed the clinical efficacy and neural connectivity of taVNS in MDD in humans and evaluated the changes in inflammatory markers after taVNS in humans or animal models of depression. A risk of bias assessment was performed in all human studies.

Results

Only 5 studies evaluated the effects of taVNS in patients with depression. Although the studies demonstrated the efficacy of taVNS in treating depression, they used heterogeneous methodologies and limited data, thus preventing the conduct of pooled quantitative analyses. Pooled analysis could not be performed for studies that investigated the modulation of connectivity between brain areas; of the 6 publications, 5 were based on the same experiment. The animal studies that analyzed the presence of inflammatory markers showed a reduction in the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines or receptor expression.

Conclusions

Data on the clinical efficacy of taVNS in the treatment of MDD are limited. Although these studies showed positive results, no conclusions can be drawn regarding this topic considering the heterogeneity of these studies, as in the case of functional connectivity studies. Based on animal studies, the application of taVNS causes a decrease in the level of inflammatory factors in different parts of the brain, which also regulate the immune system. Therefore, further studies are needed to understand the effects of taVNS in patients with MDD.
Racial and Ethnic Identity and Vulnerability to Upper Respiratory Viral Infections Among US Children
Authors: Bhavnani Darlene , Wilkinson Matthew , Chambliss Sarah E , Croce Emily A , Rathouz Paul J , Matsui Elizabeth C
Published: October 2023

Background

It is unclear whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in the risk of upper respiratory viral infection acquisition and/or lower respiratory manifestations.

Methods

We studied all children and children with asthma aged 6 to 17 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2012) to evaluate (1) the association between race/ethnicity and upper respiratory infection (URI) and (2) whether race/ethnicity is a risk factor for URI-associated pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or decreased lung function.

Results

Children who identified as Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.38; 95% CI, 1.10–1.75) and Mexican American (aOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.16–1.94) were more likely to report a URI than those who identified as White. Among those with asthma, Black children were more than twice as likely to report a URI than White children (aOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.31–3.95). Associations between URI and pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation or lung function did not differ by race/ethnicity.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that there may be racial and ethnic disparities in acquiring a URI but not in the severity of infection. Given that upper respiratory viral infection is tightly linked to asthma exacerbations in children, differences in the risk of infection among children with asthma may contribute to disparities in asthma exacerbations.
Amphetamine Positivity Prior to Burn Surgery Does not Adversely Affect Intraoperative Outcomes
Authors: Rizk Nada , Crawford David , Karanas Yvonne , Barnes Christopher , Pham Tam N , Sheckter Clifford C
Published: October 2023

The treatment of burn patients using amphetamines is challenging due hemodynamic liabilty and altered physiology. Wide variation exists in the operative timing for this patient population. We hypothesize that burn excision in patients admitted with amphetamine positivity is safe regardless of timing. Data from two verified burn centers between 2017 and 2022 with differing practice patterns in operative timing for amphetamine-positive patients. Center A obtains toxicology only on admission and proceeds with surgery based on hemodynamic status and operative urgency, whereas Center B sends daily toxicology until a negative test results. The primary outcome was the use of vasoactive agents during the index operation, modeled using logistic regression adjusting for burn severity and hospital days to index operation. Secondary outcomes included death and inpatient complications. A total of 270 patients were included, and there were no significant differences in demographics or burn characteristics between centers. Center A screened once and Center B obtained a median of four screens prior to the surgery. The adjusted OR of requiring vasoactive support intraoperatively was not associated with negative toxicology result (P = .821). Having a body surface area burned >20% conferred a significantly higher risk of vasoactive support (adj. OR 13.42 [3.90–46.23], P < .001). Mortality, number of operations, stroke, and hospital length of stay were similar between cohorts. Comparison between two verified burn centers indicates that waiting until a negative amphetamine toxicology result does not impact intraoperative management or subsequent burn outcomes. Serial toxicology tests are unnecessary to guide operative timing of burn patients with amphetamine use.
Utilizing bee foraging behavior in mutational salp swarm for feature selection: a study on return-intentions of overseas Chinese after COVID-19
Authors: Xing Jie , Zhao Qinqin , Chen Huiling , Zhang Yili , Zhou Feng , Zhao Hanli
Published: October 2023

We present a bee foraging behavior-driven mutational salp swarm algorithm (BMSSA) based on an improved bee foraging strategy and an unscented mutation strategy. The improved bee foraging strategy is leveraged in the follower location update phase to break the fixed range search of salp swarm algorithm, while the unscented mutation strategy on the optimal solution is employed to enhance the quality of the optimal solution. Extensive experimental results on public CEC 2014 benchmark functions validate that the proposed BMSSA performs better than nine well-known metaheuristic methods and seven state-of-the-art algorithms. The binary BMSSA (bBMSSA) algorithm is further proposed for feature selection by using BMSSA as the selection strategy and support vector machine as the classifier. Experimental comparisons on 12 UCI datasets demonstrate the superiority of bBMSSA. Finally, we collected a dataset on the return-intentions of overseas Chinese after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) through an anonymous online questionnaire and performed a case study by setting up a bBMSSA-based feature selection optimization model. The outcomes manifest that the bBMSSA-based feature selection model exhibits a conspicuous prowess, attaining an accuracy exceeding 93%. The case study shows that the development prospects, the family and job in the place of residence, seeking opportunities in China, and the possible time to return to China are the critical factors influencing the willingness to return to China after COVID-19.
Value of GPR, APPRI and FIB-4 in the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Zhang Lizhen , Li Siyu , Zhang Desheng , Yin Chun , Wang Zhongge , Chen Ruirui , Cheng Ning , Bai Yana
Published: October 2023

Objective

There is an urgent need for novel biomarkers that are inexpensive, effective and easily accessible to complement the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between serum gamma-glutamate-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index, fibrosis index based on four factors and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, and to determine the optimal cut-offs for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods

Based on a prospective cohort study, 44 215 participants who were cancer-free at baseline (2011–13) were included in the study. Cox proportional hazard models and receiver operating characteristics curves were used to analyze the diagnostic value and optimal cut-off value of gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis index based on four factors in predicting hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Results

Gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis index based on four factors can be used as early independent predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma risk. The risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in the fourth quantile of gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio and alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index was 4.04 times (hazard ratio = 4.04, 95% confidence interval: 2.09, 7.80) and 2.59 times (hazard ratio = 2.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.45, 4.61), respectively, compared with the first quantile. With fibrosis index based on four factors first quantile as a reference, fibrosis index based on four factors fourth quantile had the highest risk (hazard ratio = 18.58, 95% confidence interval: 7.55, 45.72). Receiver operating characteristic results showed that fibrosis index based on four factors had a stronger ability to predict the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (area under curve = 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.80, 0.81), and similar results were shown for gender stratification. In the total population, the optimal cut-off values of gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis index based on four factors were 0.208, 0.629 and 1.942, respectively.

Conclusions

Gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis index based on four factors were independent predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma risk. Amongst them, fibrosis index based on four factors shows a stronger predictive ability for hepatocellular carcinoma risk, and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio and alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index can be used as complementary indicators.
A quantitative model for spatio-temporal dynamics of root gravitropism
Authors: Porat Amir , Rivière Mathieu , Meroz Yasmine
Published: October 2023

Plant organs adapt their morphology according to environmental signals through growth-driven processes called tropisms. While much effort has been directed towards the development of mathematical models describing the tropic dynamics of aerial organs, these cannot provide a good description of roots due to intrinsic physiological differences. Here we present a mathematical model informed by gravitropic experiments on Arabidopsis thaliana roots, assuming a subapical growth profile and apical sensing. The model quantitatively recovers the full spatio-temporal dynamics observed in experiments. An analytical solution of the model enables us to evaluate the gravitropic and proprioceptive sensitivities of roots, while also allowing us to corroborate the requirement for proprioception in describing root dynamics. Lastly, we find that the dynamics are analogous to a damped harmonic oscillator, providing intuition regarding the source of the observed oscillatory behavior and the importance of proprioception for efficient gravitropic control. In all, the model provides not only a quantitative description of root tropic dynamics, but also a mathematical framework for the future investigation of roots in complex media.
The spin measurement of MAXI J1348-630 using the Insight-HXMT data
Authors: Song Yujia , Jia Nan , Yang Jun , Feng Ye , Gou Lijun , Lu Tianhua
Published: October 2023

We report the results of fitting Insight-HXMT data to the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1348-430, which was discovered on January 26th, 2019, We also inferred the ionization state and iron abundancewith the Gas Slit Camera on-board MAXI. Several observations at the beginning of the first burst were selected, with a total of 10 spectra. From the residuals of fits using disc plus power-law models, X-ray reflection signatures were clearly visible in some of these observations. We use the state-of-the-art $\tt {relxill}$ series reflection model to fit six spectra with distinct reflection signatures and a joint fit to these spectra. In particular, we focus on the results for the black hole spin values. Assuming Rin = RISCO, the spin parameter is constrained to be $0.82^{+0.04}_{-0.03}$ with 90 per cent confidence level (statistical only).
Optical variability in quasars: scalings with black hole mass and Eddington ratio depend on the observed time-scales
Authors: Arévalo P , Lira P , Sánchez-Sáez P , Patel P , López-Navas E , Churazov E , Hernández-García L
Published: October 2023

Quasars emission is highly variable, and this variability gives us clues to understand the accretion process onto supermassive black holes. We can expect variability properties to correlate with the main physical properties of the accreting black hole, i.e. its mass and accretion rate. It has been established that the relative amplitude of variability anticorrelates with the accretion rate. The dependence of the variance on black hole mass has remained elusive, and contradicting results, including positive, negative, or no correlation, have been reported. In this work, we show that the key to these contradictions lies in the times-cales of variability studied (e.g. the length of the light curves available). By isolating the variance on different time-scales in well-defined mass and accretion rate bins we show that there is indeed a negative correlation between black hole mass and variance and that this anticorrelation is stronger for shorter time-scale fluctuations. The behaviour can be explained in terms of a universal variability power spectrum for all quasars, resembling a broken power law where the variance is constant at low temporal frequencies and then drops continuously for frequencies higher than a characteristic (break) frequency fb, where fb correlates with the black hole mass. Furthermore, to explain all the variance results presented here, not only the normalization of this power spectrum must anticorrelate with the accretion rate, but also the shape of the power spectra at short time-scales must depend on this parameter as well.
Hypernova signatures of the first stars in dwarf galaxies in the local group
Authors: Lee Teayong , Jeon Myoungwon , Bromm Volker
Published: October 2023

Observing the first generation of stars, Population III (Pop III), is still a challenge even with the JWST due to their faintness. Instead, searching for fossil records of Pop III stars in nearby dwarf galaxies provides an alternative method for studying their physical properties. It is intriguing that a star recently discovered in the Sculptor dwarf galaxy, named AS0039, is considered to show the unique signature of a Pop III star. The detailed abundance patterns of AS0039 are well matched with those predicted by nucleosynthesis models for Pop III exploding as an energetic hypernova (HN), confirming its potential to provide insight into the properties of the first stars. This study aims to explore the environmental conditions required for the formation of such a unique star using cosmological hydrodynamic zoom-in simulations on dwarf galaxies with a mass of $M_{\rm vir}\approx 10^8{\ \mathrm{ M}_\odot }$ at z = 0 while varying the fraction of Pop III stars that undergo HNe. Our simulations identify rapid gas inflow ($\dot{M}_{\rm gas}\sim 0.08{\ \mathrm{ M}_\odot }$ $\rm yr^{-1}$) as a possible factor in facilitating the formation of stars similar to AS0039. Alternatively, the delayed formation of subsequent Population II (Pop II) stars in the gas-enriched environment may lead to low-metallicity stars like AS0039. Additionally, using the a-sloth code, we investigate the probability of finding remnants of Pop II stars with HN signatures in nearby dwarf satellite galaxies. We suggest that the most likely dwarf galaxies to contain HN signatures are massive satellites with a probability of 40 per cent in the range of $M_{\rm peak}\approx 10^{10}\ \mathrm{ to} \ 10^{11}{\ \mathrm{ M}_\odot }$ and $M_{\ast }\approx 10^7 \ \mathrm{ to} \ 10^8{\ \mathrm{ M}_\odot }$, considering observational limitations.
Evolutionary Insights from a Large-Scale Survey of Population-Genomic Variation
Authors: Ye Zhiqiang , Wei Wen , Pfrender Michael E , Lynch Michael
Published: October 2023

The field of genomics has ushered in new methods for studying molecular-genetic variation in natural populations. However, most population-genomic studies still rely on small sample sizes (typically, <100 individuals) from single time points, leaving considerable uncertainties with respect to the behavior of relatively young (and rare) alleles and, owing to the large sampling variance of measures of variation, to the specific gene targets of unusually strong selection. Genomic sequences of ∼1,700 haplotypes distributed over a 10-year period from a natural population of the microcrustacean Daphnia pulex reveal evolutionary-genomic features at a refined scale, including previously hidden information on the behavior of rare alleles predicted by recent theory. Background selection, resulting from the recurrent introduction of deleterious alleles, appears to strongly influence the dynamics of neutral alleles, inducing indirect negative selection on rare variants and positive selection on common variants. Temporally fluctuating selection increases the persistence of nonsynonymous alleles with intermediate frequencies, while reducing standing levels of variation at linked silent sites. Combined with the results from an equally large metapopulation survey of the study species, classes of genes that are under strong positive selection can now be confidently identified in this key model organism. Most notable among rapidly evolving Daphnia genes are those associated with ribosomes, mitochondrial functions, sensory systems, and lifespan determination.
Association between matrix metalloprotease-3 levels and radiographic progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A post hoc analysis from a Japanese Phase 3 clinical trial of peficitinib (RAJ4)
Authors: Takeuchi Tsutomu , Tanaka Yoshiya , Morita Yoshiaki , Kato Daisuke , Kaneko Yuichiro , Terada Wataru
Published: October 2023

Objectives

The current study assesses the utility of matrix metalloprotease-3 (MMP-3) as a biomarker for joint damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving peficitinib.

Methods

Rheumatoid arthritis patients with inadequate response to methotrexate were randomised to peficitinib 100 mg, peficitinib 150 mg, or placebo, combined with methotrexate, for 52 weeks; patients receiving placebo switched to peficitinib 100/150 mg at Week (W)12/28. This post hoc analysis investigated association between MMP-3 above/below upper limit of normal (ULN) at W12/28 and radiographic progression [modified total Sharp score (mTSS), joint space narrowing score, or erosion score >0.5] at W52 or swollen joint count 66 at W28, stratified by baseline glucocorticoid use and renal function.

Results

MMP-3 levels decreased in both peficitinib-treated groups but more slowly in patients with baseline glucocorticoids and those with radiographic progression at W52. There was no clear correlation between MMP-3 change from baseline (CFB) at W12, CFB in mTSS, joint space narrowing score, or erosion score at W52, or CFB in swollen joint count 66 at W28. More patients with MMP-3 ≤ULN versus >ULN at W12 had radiographic non-progression at W52. MMP-3 normalisation at W12 was significantly associated with mTSS non-progression at W52.

Conclusions

Normalisation of MMP-3 at W12 may be a predictor for subsequent non-progression of joint damage at W52.
Total knee arthroplasty for neuropathic arthropathy in a patient with leprosy
Authors: Kii Sakumo , Sonohata Motoki , Mawatari Masaaki
Published: October 2023

Patients with leprosy are known to tend to develop neuropathic arthropathy, known as Charcot joint. There are no case reports of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with leprosy with polyarticular neuropathic arthropathy, and the results are unknown. In this study, we report a case of TKA in a patient with leprosy with polyarticular neuropathic arthropathy and discuss its outcomes and indications. Right TKA using the NexGen Legacy Constrained Condylar Knee implant was performed in a 62-year-old man with neuropathic arthropathy in multiple joints with clinical symptoms, particularly in the right knee. Seven years post-operation, the American Knee Society Score-knee and -function, which represent knee function and activities of daily living on a scale of 100 points, were significantly improved compared with preoperative values, from 30 to 99 points and 0 to 60 points, respectively. Indications for arthroplasty for neuropathic arthropathy should be carefully considered in each individual case. In this case, the patient had neuropathic arthropathy in multiple joints; however, TKA was performed because recovery of function in the right knee was expected to significantly improve the patient’s activities of daily living, and a good mid-term clinical outcome was achieved. Therefore, indications for arthroplasty should be considered in patients with systemic neuropathic arthropathy such as leprosy, and with accurate assessment and appropriate implant selection, good long-term outcomes may be expected.
RNA sequestration driven by amyloid formation: the alpha synuclein case
Authors: Rupert Jakob , Monti Michele , Zacco Elsa , Tartaglia Gian Gaetano
Published: October 2023

Nucleic acids can act as potent modulators of protein aggregation, and RNA has the ability to either hinder or facilitate protein assembly, depending on the molecular context. In this study, we utilized a computational approach to characterize the physico-chemical properties of regions involved in amyloid aggregation. In various experimental datasets, we observed that while the core is hydrophobic and highly ordered, external regions, which are more disordered, display a distinct tendency to interact with nucleic acids. To validate our predictions, we performed aggregation assays with alpha-synuclein (aS140), a non-nucleic acid-binding amyloidogenic protein, and a mutant truncated at the acidic C-terminus (aS103), which is predicted to have a higher tendency to interact with RNA. For both aS140 and aS103, we observed an acceleration of aggregation upon RNA addition, with a significantly stronger effect for aS103. Due to favorable electrostatics, we noted an enhanced nucleic acid sequestration ability for the aggregated aS103, allowing it to entrap a larger amount of RNA compared to the aggregated wild-type counterpart. Overall, our research suggests that RNA sequestration might be a common phenomenon linked to protein aggregation, constituting a gain-of-function mechanism that warrants further investigation.
ASD2023: towards the integrating landscapes of allosteric knowledgebase
Authors: He Jixiao , Liu Xinyi , Zhu Chunhao , Zha Jinyin , Li Qian , Zhao Mingzhu , Wei Jiacheng , Li Mingyu , Wu Chengwei , Wang Junyuan , Jiao Yonglai , Ning Shaobo , Zhou Jiamin , Hong Yue , Liu Yonghui , He Hongxi , Zhang Mingyang , Chen Feiying , Li Yanxiu , He Xinheng , Wu Jing , Lu Shaoyong , Song Kun , Lu Xuefeng , Zhang Jian
Published: October 2023

Allosteric regulation, induced by perturbations at an allosteric site topographically distinct from the orthosteric site, is one of the most direct and efficient ways to fine-tune macromolecular function. The Allosteric Database (ASD; accessible online at http://mdl.shsmu.edu.cn/ASD) has been systematically developed since 2009 to provide comprehensive information on allosteric regulation. In recent years, allostery has seen sustained growth and wide-ranging applications in life sciences, from basic research to new therapeutics development, while also elucidating emerging obstacles across allosteric research stages. To overcome these challenges and maintain high-quality data center services, novel features were curated in the ASD2023 update: (i) 66 589 potential allosteric sites, covering > 80% of the human proteome and constituting the human allosteric pocketome; (ii) 748 allosteric protein–protein interaction (PPI) modulators with clear mechanisms, aiding protein machine studies and PPI-targeted drug discovery; (iii) ‘Allosteric Hit-to-Lead,’ a pioneering dataset providing panoramic views from 87 well-defined allosteric hits to 6565 leads and (iv) 456 dualsteric modulators for exploring the simultaneous regulation of allosteric and orthosteric sites. Meanwhile, ASD2023 maintains a significant growth of foundational allosteric data. Based on these efforts, the allosteric knowledgebase is progressively evolving towards an integrated landscape, facilitating advancements in allosteric target identification, mechanistic exploration and drug discovery.
FusionPDB: a knowledgebase of human fusion proteins
Authors: Kumar Himansu , Tang Lin-Ya , Yang Chengyuan , Kim Pora
Published: October 2023

Tumorigenic functions due to the formation of fusion genes have been targeted for cancer therapeutics (i.e. kinase inhibitors). However, many fusion proteins involved in various cellular processes have not been studied for targeted therapeutics. This is because the lack of complete fusion protein sequences and their whole 3D structures has made it challenging to develop new therapeutic strategies. To fill these critical gaps, we developed a computational pipeline and a resource of human fusion proteins named FusionPDB, available at https://compbio.uth.edu/FusionPDB. FusionPDB is organized into four levels: 43K fusion protein sequences (14.7K in-frame fusion genes, Level 1), over 2300 + 1267 fusion protein 3D structures (from 2300 recurrent and 266 manually curated in-frame fusion genes, Level 2), pLDDT score analysis for the 1267 fusion proteins from 266 manually curated fusion genes (Level 3), and virtual screening outcomes for 68 selected fusion proteins from 266 manually curated fusion genes (Level 4). FusionPDB is the only resource providing whole 3D structures of fusion proteins and comprehensive knowledge of human fusion proteins. It will be regularly updated until it covers all human fusion proteins in the future.
Systematic characterization of antibody–drug conjugate targets in central nervous system tumors
Authors: Coy Shannon , Lee Jong Suk , Chan Sabrina J , Woo Terri , Jones Jacquelyn , Alexandrescu Sanda , Wen Patrick Y , Sorger Peter K , Ligon Keith L , Santagata Sandro
Published: October 2023

Background

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) enhance the specificity of cytotoxic drugs by directing them to cells expressing target antigens. Multiple ADCs are FDA-approved for solid and hematologic malignancies, including those expressing HER2, TROP2, and NECTIN4. Recently, an ADC targeting HER2 (Trastuzumab-Deruxtecan) increased survival and reduced growth of brain metastases in treatment-refractory metastatic breast cancer, even in tumors with low HER2 expression. Thus, low-level expression of ADC targets may be sufficient for treatment responsiveness. However, ADC target expression is poorly characterized in many central nervous system (CNS) tumors.

Methods

We analyzed publicly available RNA-sequencing and proteomic data from the children’s brain tumor network (N = 188 tumors) and gene-expression-omnibus RNA-expression datasets (N = 356) to evaluate expression of 14 potential ADC targets that are FDA-approved or under investigation in solid cancers. We also used immunohistochemistry to measure the levels of HER2, HER3, NECTIN4, TROP2, CLDN6, CLDN18.2, and CD276/B7-H3 protein in glioblastoma, oligodendroglioma, meningioma, ependymoma, pilocytic astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT), adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP), papillary craniopharyngioma (PCP), and primary CNS lymphoma (N = 575).

Results

Pan-CNS analysis showed subtype-specific expression of ADC target proteins. Most tumors expressed HER3, B7-H3, and NECTIN4. Ependymomas strongly expressed HER2, while meningiomas showed weak-moderate HER2 expression. ACP and PCP strongly expressed B7-H3, with TROP2 expression in whorled ACP epithelium. AT/RT strongly expressed CLDN6. Glioblastoma showed little subtype-specific marker expression, suggesting a need for further target development.

Conclusions

CNS tumors exhibit subtype-specific expression of ADC targets including several FDA-approved for other indications. Clinical trials of ADCs in CNS tumors may therefore be warranted.
Mental Health Allyship
Authors: Burrowes Vanessa , Zhou Anli Yue , Schultz Pedersen Cecilie D , Campbell Lydia Boyd
Published: October 2023

There is increasing focus by corporations to support mental health in the workplace. This editorial will present an example of a corporation’s internally developed Mental Health Ally course which helped employees understand their role in advocating and promoting a positive culture of workplace mental health. The positive participant feedback received highlights the importance of having this type of global offering, but also serves as a call to action for further research to evaluate the longer-term benefits.
The Origin of Asymmetric Information: Revisiting the Rationale for Regulation
Authors: Downing Gareth
Published: October 2023

Akerlof’s seminal model on asymmetric information forms the basis for a broad range of regulatory interventions aimed at addressing the adverse effects of unequal information between transacting parties. While a groundbreaking model of the effects of information asymmetries in markets, Akerlof’s model does not examine why information asymmetries emerge. This article argues that an examination of the underlying drivers and origins of information asymmetries revitalises the policy rationale for regulatory intervention.
Horațiu Rădulescu and the Intangible Dimensions of Plasmatic Music
Authors: Marinescu Liviu
Published: October 2023

As early as his student years at the Bucharest Conservatory, Horațiu Rădulescu developed an interest in transcending established musical syntaxes by moving beyond the use of heterophony, favored by the Romanian post-war avant-garde. Yet, the temporal dimension of his music remains inextricably bonded with the ancient traditions and rituals of the Carpathian Mountains, where musicians and artists still preserve a mystical relationship with nature. In these lands, the flow of time seems to have no discrete entities. Sound plasma can be achieved when the relationship between cause and effect is obscured, and all musical elements are in a constant state of flux. While his poetic manifesto on the future of plasmatic music, published by Edition Modern in 1975, did little to clarify his theories, his works from the same decade had a strong impact on the evolution of avant-garde music throughout Western Europe. This chapter focuses on investigating the origins and spectral dimensions of plasmatic music, through a thorough examination of interviews with his classmates from the Bucharest Conservatory, articles written by Bob Gilmore, Horia Șurianu, and Livia Teodorescu, and an overview of Rădulescu’s music written since his defection to Western Europe in 1969. By unearthing the roots of plasmatic music and examining its later development, this chapter will provide the Western reader a more refined context for Rădulescu’s music, ultimately revealing the unique facets of Romanian spectralism.
Introduction
Authors: Hui Yu , Stock Jonathan P. J.
Published: October 2023

This chapter introduces the diverse field of Chinese musical culture and the present situation of research in that area. It is noted that China is a multiethnic nation and also has a significant diaspora: as such, the concept of Chinese music is at once capacious and multiple, open to dispute, and globally distributed. This volume shows how contemporary scholars are navigating this space and its associated issues. The Introduction explains the book’s division into three parts: “New Directions in History and Theory,” “Music Genres and Practices in Evolving Contexts,” and “Cross-Cutting Issues in Contemporary Settings.” It then introduces each of three major realms in Chinese music scholarship: the treatises of Chinese historical literature in philosophy, history, literature, acoustics, and music theory; the modern music scholarship in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and in Chinese communities in other Asian regions; and the growing number of publications by Western scholars written in non-Chinese languages.
Trends in the Globalization of Pipa Music
Authors: Wu Ben
Published: October 2023

After reviewing the general status of pipa 琵琶 music in China, this chapter examines new trends of pipa music in recent decades. Specifically, a number of well-known pipa players from mainland China moved and settled abroad since the 1980s, and they have introduced pipa music through their performances and teaching to many people across the world. Due to environmental changes, diverse forms of performance have been generated, such as ensembles combining pipa with instruments from non-Chinese cultures. Meanwhile, new compositions have been created, most of which present hybridized musical styles stemming from multicultural diversity. Pipa players making music with players of instruments from other cultures undertake more improvisation, as compared to pipa players in China nowadays. This chapter summarizes these new trends, noting the characteristics of the path of globalization relevant to pipa music, and it discusses the history, reasons, and significance of the globalization of pipa music.
The Emergence of Taiwanese New Xiqu
Authors: Hsiao-Mei Hsieh
Published: October 2023

This chapter discusses the idea of Taiwanese new xiqu, or xiqu musical, using as an example the development of Chichiao Musical Theater. The company’s productions are usually bilingual, with some actors speaking in Mandarin and others in Taiwanese, and its music is often a fusion of soft rock, sometimes bossa nova, and two genres of traditional opera, Henan bangzi 河南梆子 and gezaixi 歌仔戲. Chichiao’s musical achievements are indebted to the free style of an earlier genre known as opela 胡撇仔. Thus, the first part of the chapter examines the development of opela, and the second part studies the musical experiments of Chichiao to explain why the company was able to break down the boundaries of traditional operatic genres and create a new type of performance genre: Taiwanese new xiqu, or xiqu musical.
Re-Imagining China’s Women Pianists
Authors: Tan Shzr Ee
Published: October 2023

This chapter examines the projection, performance styles, and reception of the Chinese women pianists Yuja Wang 王羽佳 and Zhu Xiao-Mei 朱曉玫 in politicized as well as (re)gendered terms amid emerging understandings of Chinese soft power in shifting global scenes and in the context of ongoing tropes of Chinese masculinities on the piano via the superstars Lang Lang 郎朗 and Li Yundi 李雲迪, both men. This chapter looks at how Wang and Zhu shun gendered notions of the traditional shunü (virtuous Confucian lady) while challenging stereotypes of Asian pianists as emotionless, robotic performers. This text argues that Wang presents herself as both sexualized and desexualized in how she channels the trope of the skimpily clad wunderkind, whereas Zhu has opted for the agendered unorthodox through cultivating a sage expression in her musical and performative bearing. Both artists have sidestepped obvious gender identities in external representations that provide more than a visual veneer for their expressivity and that are closely integrated into their respective wider, intersectional, musically embodied performance dynamics.
The Making of a Music Community as a Manifestation of Nationalism
Authors: Hui Yu
Published: October 2023

The guqin 古琴 seven-stringed zither is one of very few instruments of Han Chinese origin that reflects the unique music aesthetics and philosophies of the literati class of traditional society. Yet it was once used as a vehicle by traditionalist practitioners to express nationalist sentiment and defy the rapid progression of Westernization in early-twentieth-century China. The creation of a community around the Jinyu Qinshe今虞琴社 (Guqin Society of Today’s Yushan 虞山 School) in 1930s China was a significant phenomenon reflecting the nationalist ideology of such a group of traditional guqin players. Led by the legendary guqin practitioner, scholar, and social activist Zha Fuxi 查阜西, the Jinyu Qinshe’s activities demonstrated how guqin music was used in expressing nationalist sentiments through the making of a music community at a historical time of national crisis.
Polish Musical Theatre since the 1960s
Authors: Zając-Kiedysz Aleksandra
Published: October 2023

This chapter discusses Polish musical theatre after World War II. In the six years following 1952 nine musical theatres were founded. The Gdynia Musical Theatre became the most remarkable native institution of its type, and its achievements are the focus of this chapter. From the start its directors tried to create a more varied and ambitious repertoire than had been known in Poland. Danuta Baduszkowa, the Theatre’s founder and executive director, had a vision of a popular musical theatre that used contemporary scores and opened the first Polish school for performers of musicals. Eastern bloc countries didn’t have access to Western musicals, so she decided to open a theatre for native composers. Her successors in Gdynia also had daring conceptions of musical theatre, and their work contributed to the great popularity musical theatre enjoys in Poland today. The country’s many excellent theatre companies and premières of new shows constitute what might be called a ‘musical epidemic’.
‘Who Tells Your Story’
Authors: Thuraisingam Robbins Hannah
Published: October 2023

This think-piece reflects many of the current conversations on race-conscious casting in stage and screen musicals in 2022. Drawing on the author’s lived experience as a ‘mixed-race’ fan and researcher of musicals, they consider how we position the questions we ask about diversity and inclusive casting through racist precedents. They argue that conversations about historical authenticity and inclusion are framed in the assumption that performers who are racialised cannot inhabit British or American roles in historically informed performance. Meanwhile, the monopoly of storytelling that privileges white fantasies has fundamentally shaped sector and audience expectations of commercial musical theatre. Our dialogues about race-conscious casting assume whiteness as the default identity and do not seek to address the absence of our stories and histories in the United Kingdom and the United States. Meanwhile, the underlying influences of racist entertainment in musical theatre history allow creators to mine cultures they don’t belong to for stories—without consequence. Minoritised creatives and performers are forced to accept representations of self and of our cultures through the lens of the other in the name of progressive storytelling.
Supporting a Motivated Creative Practice via Collaboration, Dialogue, and Making
Authors: Reading Christina , Moriarty Jess
Published: October 2023

In previous work we identified a process of walking and talking and creative practice as strategy for creative recovery after cancer. The impact of our illnesses on our well-being was significant, we were changed, and we developed a method to support our creative lives that also helped us map a way through our recovery that was dynamic and offered mutual support. By extending our personal stories of struggle with mental and physical health, family, work, and how we have managed to prevail and also sustain our creativity. In this article, we explore the potential of this process for developing connection and supporting the well-being of women from underrepresented groups who have been underserved by health care during the pandemic. The chapter is split narrative with perspectives from both authors and insights into our own experiences using text and image.
An Exploration of the Aesthetic Moment in the Clinical Encounter Using Free Musical Improvisation as a Model
Authors: West Andrew
Published: October 2023

Free musical improvisation requires close attention in the here-and-now to the intrinsic qualities of experience, independent of socially accepted and utilitarian values. The author considers this as an example of aesthetic attitude. In the fleeting moment and the relative absence of rules, musicians take responsibility for their irrevocable, communicative, and relational acts. This makes it an apt model for aspects of clinical practice not covered by protocol. This chapter combines long experience of clinical work and music-making with an exploration of published and unpublished views expressed by academics, musicians, philosophers, and clinicians. The roles of improvisation, aesthetic attitude, and intersubjectivity are reflected on as processes likely to contribute to powerful moments that occur in clinical settings and provide impetus for developmental and therapeutic change. The chapter employs an eclectic and improvisational approach and concludes with suggestions for consideration in the training and practice of clinicians.
International Tax Law and Economic Analysis of Law
Authors: Haslehner Werner
Published: October 2023

This chapter reflects on the relationship between international taxation and the economic analysis of law. The economic analysis of law is generally concerned with questions of an optimal allocation of resources through the legal system, also referred to as economic efficiency. But economic analysis of law in general has often not concerned itself with international tax questions. If the primary concern for international tax policy is to decide how to coordinate tax claims by different countries, economic analysis is ill-equipped to provide helpful guidance, since the question is, in essence, distributional. Despite this lack of clear outcomes, the application of an economic perspective to the problems of international taxation remains undoubtedly valuable for a proper understanding of the issues at stake. Against this background, the chapter addresses four core questions of international tax law that lend themselves to the application of this perspective: the definition of double taxation and its impact; the (lack of) economic foundations for the allocation of (source) taxing rights among states; the use of relief mechanisms and the meaning of ‘neutralities’ in international tax law; the problem of international tax competition.
Comparative Tax Law
Authors: Barassi Marco
Published: October 2023

This chapter discusses comparative tax law. The basic purpose of comparative law (including that of comparative tax law) is knowledge of foreign and national law: comparative law looks at different rules and institutions to establish to what extent they are similar or different. A curious and well-known result of comparative law is that it may lead to a better understanding of the law of one’s own country and its evolution by comparison with other legal systems. The boundaries of comparative tax law, however, are not easily defined. Comparative tax law may be applied to income tax, VAT, inheritance tax, and other taxes or compulsory contributions with regard to the specific rules, institutions, and structures of a certain tax. The chapter discusses the methods of comparative tax law, looking at how to compare and encompass the identification of sources of law, the study of foreign law, and real comparison. The chapter also considers tax models.
Qualification Conflicts and Tax Treaties
Authors: Bizioli Gianluigi
Published: October 2023

This chapter examines qualification conflicts and tax treaties. Qualification conflicts in tax treaty law raise two different issues. The first involves defining the boundaries of the topic and, in particular, the differences and the overlapping of the contiguous terms and activities of interpretation, classification, and characterization. This issue is common to every legal order and the conflicts are always due to a varying interpretation by two jurisdictions. The second, differently, involves the consequences of these conflicts on international taxation, in particular double taxation or double non-taxation of the same income in the hands of the same taxpayer by two (or more) different jurisdictions. The chapter presents a literature review of the issue, with particular emphasis on the OECD and the UN documents, on the commentaries, and on monographs on the topic. It looks at the critical analysis of the causes as well as the solutions provided, their coherence with the principles of international taxation, and ability to pursue the objectives.
From the ‘1920s Compromise’ to the ‘2020s Compromise’
Authors: Bernales Soriano Roberto
Published: October 2023

This chapter presents an overview of the establishment of the so-called 1920s compromise, its evolution, consolidation into an international tax system, its subsequent crisis, and its revision and partial replacement by the new 2020s compromise. It begins by describing the circumstances and historical precedents of the 1920s compromise and its corollary of the 1930s, the arm’s-length principle (ALP). The chapter then details how both were embedded and incorporated into an international tax system which entered into a long crisis from the 1990s. The 2008 financial crisis marked the need for a serious review of the whole system and the urgent need for a new compromise. The chapter highlights the milestones of the process to achieve a new compromise, its content, the last issues to resolve in order to achieve the final agreement, and the subsequent developments to implement the agreement. After a critical assessment, it compares the 1920s compromise with the new 2020s compromise and offers final conclusions.
Beneficial Ownership and Tax Treaties
Authors: Gosch Dietmar , Altenburg Nadia
Published: October 2023

This chapter addresses the principle of beneficial ownership and tax treaties. The principle of beneficial ownership has to be placed in context with the introduction of modern income tax systems, the subsequent occurrence of double taxation, as well as efforts to ensure that the consequently introduced double taxation treaties are correctly applied and grant benefits only to the actual economically entitled taxpayer. The scope of the beneficial ownership principle therefore extended the idea of preventing non-entitled parties from obtaining treaty protection. The term ‘beneficial owner’ was introduced for the first time into articles 10(2), 11(2), and 12(1) of the final version of the 1977 OECD Model, as well as into the respective passages of the Commentary on the OECD Model Convention. However, the introduction of the term into the 1977 OECD Model cannot be understood as a remarkable change when it comes to treaty application and interpretation. The explicit introduction of the beneficial ownership principle can be marked as the starting point of the discussion of whether the term is to be understood in a narrow ‘legal’ sense or based on a broad understanding, building on economic principles.