bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cushing's syndrome caused by giant Ewing's sarcoma of the kidney: A case report and review of literature
Authors: Dong Guo-Fan , Hou Ya-Kun , Ma Qi , Ma Shuang-Yu , Wang Yu-Jie , Rexiati Mulati , Wang Wen-Guang
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND

Primary renal Ewing’s sarcoma (ES) is extremely rare, and only two cases causing Cushing’s syndrome (CS) have been reported to date. We report that the case of an 18-year-old patient is diagnosed primary renal ES with typical CS characterized by purple stripes, weight gain, and hypertension.

CASE SUMMARY

CS was first diagnosed by laboratory testing. A huge tumor was revealed in the kidney following an imaging examination. Moreover, brain and bone metastases were observed. After comprehensive treatment, primarily based on surgery, primary renal ES was pathologically diagnosed with a typical EWSR1-FLI1 genetic mutation through genetic testing. Furthermore, the glucocorticoid level returned to normal. By the ninth postoperative month of follow-up, the patient was recovering well. Cushing-related symptoms had improved, and a satisfactory curative effect was achieved.

CONCLUSION

Primary renal ES, a rare adult malignant tumor, can cause CS and a poor prognosis.
Rare extraintestinal manifestations of ulcerative colitis treated with dual biologic therapy: A case report
Authors: Filipiuk Aleksandra , Gonciarz Maciej
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) most often located in the rectum, but may involve the entire colon. Extra intestinal manifestations (EIMs) occur with varying frequency depending on the affected organ. The most common ones are musculoskeletal EIMs, affecting up to 33%-40% of IBD patients. These include, among others, inflammatory back pain, tendinitis, plantar fasciitis and arthritis. Only a few case reports in literature discuss Achilles tendinitis.

CASE SUMMARY

This report describes a patient with UC and Achilles tendinitis in whom after many unsuccessful attempts of treatment with sulfasalazine, mesalazine, glucocorticosteroids, infliximab and tofacitinib, a complete UC remission and resolution of Achilles tendinitis were achieved with the use of dual biologic therapy (DBT)-ustekinumab and adalimumab (ADA).

CONCLUSION

This case mentions rare EIMs of UC and suggests that DBT may be an alternative for patient with ulcerative colitis and EIMs.
The Non-Euclidean Gothic: Weird Expeditions into Higher Dimensions and Hyper-Matter with H.P. Lovecraft
Authors: Camara Anthony
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT: This article explores the significance of higher-dimensional and Non-Euclidean geometries in the weird horror fiction of H.P. Lovecraft, particularly in "The Dreams in the Witch House" (1933) and "From Beyond" (1934). Charting a new direction for studies of geometry in Lovecraft's fiction, this article argues that said tales speculate on the role higher dimensions play in the qualities, capacities, and tendencies of physical matter, all the while emphasizing the need for topological investigations that examine the interrelations of time, space, and matter in Lovecraft's weird cosmos. The first part of the paper reviews the suite of mathematical and scientific discoveries informing Lovecraft's treatment of higher-dimensional and Non-Euclidean geometries in his mythos. Focusing on alien artifacts made of unknown chemical elements from higher dimensions, the second part of the paper underscores how matter is a site of onto-epistemological crisis for Lovecraft, owing to the way that it behaves with both lawful regularity and startling unpredictability. The final part of the paper uses the philosophies of Graham Harman and Reza Negarestani—two contemporary thinkers explicitly influenced by Lovecraft—to bring the weird writer's own brand of speculative, higher-dimensional (hyper-)materialism into relief, in ways that not only expose the fundamental rifts in matter but also those tensions that characterize Lovecraft's intellect itself.
Olaf Stapledon's Thwarted Cosmopolitics in Last and First Men and Star Maker
Authors: Dougherty Stephen
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT: In this essay I argue that Olaf Stapledon's speculative writing in Last and First Men and Star Maker is deeply informed by a thwarted cosmopolitics. The dream visions of science fiction to come in these novels are born of the failure of a cosmopolitan idealism. In his profound devotion to the cause of attempted cosmopolitanism, as we might put it, and in his rich imagining of what happens right before it goes wrong, Stapledon is a very Kantian speculative writer. I flesh out a Kantian philosophical context for Stapledon in this essay, not only because of the quite practical value of considering Stapledon in a Kantian frame, but also because of Kant's uptake in recent years by critics deeply interested in the stealthy presence of a central science-fictional motif in Kant's writing: that of the extraterrestrial.
Speaking Crows and Alien Fish: Nonhuman Cosmopolitanisms in Satyajit Ray's Speculative Fiction
Authors: Patranobish Paromita
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT: I approach Satyajit Ray's sf stories as postcolonial interventions into Western Enlightenment discourses of scientific rationality. I trace the trajectory of these concerns as they are reflected in narratives centered around nonhuman animals, published in various Bengali juvenile magazines between 1961 and 1992. Ray's stories offer a critical site for interrogating, revising, and expanding the possibilities of a Kantian moral philosophy of cosmopolitanism for post-independence contexts of democratic governance, industrialization, and urbanization. Ray's sf enables readers to imagine a posthuman cosmopolitics (to use Isabelle Stengers's concept) as an alternative to colonial cartographies of personhood and the centrifugal impulse of postcolonial nation formation. My article addresses the significant but underexplored role played by Ray's ecological thinking and care for the nonhuman animal in his postcolonial politics. Ray's sf harnesses the possibilities of Bengali speculative fiction, including Kalpavigyan's model of a fluid science to posit a speculative vision of a future-oriented cosmopolitics where the possibility for non-reciprocal and untranslatable proximities becomes a conceptual foundation for thinking about alterity.
Endoscopic OCTA in continuous rotation and retraction scheme using a proximal scanning catheter
Authors: Niu Chen , Guan Zehua , Yu Huanhuan , Li Qiang , Liu Jiali , Wu Wenjuan , Ma Teng , Dai Cuixia
Published: July 2024

Endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) is widely used in the detection of morphological alterations in luminal organs, which provides high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) images of internal tissues. In most cases, lesions are revealed early by microvascular pathological changes in cavity tissues. There is a significant demand for the performance of endoscopic OCT angiography (OCTA) to visualize the superficial capillaries. Proximal catheters have attracted widespread attention due to the advantages of small size and low cost. However, in comparison with the OCT system using distal catheters, low rotation speed and poor stability of the proximal scanning OCT prolonged its absence of endoscopic OCTA in common commercial and lab systems. In this paper, endoscopic OCTA was realized in the proximal scanning endoscopic OCT system by calculating decorrelation between adjacent B-scan images in the continuous rotation and retraction scheme. A precision registration algorithm was proposed to guarantee the quality of the OCTA image. The feasibility of the endoscopic OCTA was validated using a microfluidic phantom. In vivo studies were performed in the rat rectum, visualizing the intricate microvascular architecture, specifically within the submucosal capillaries. To the best of our knowledge, the first implementation of endoscopic OCTA was achieved under a continuous spiral B-scan rotation scheme in a proximally controlled OCT system, facilitating visualization of blood flow within narrow lumen tissues.
On-line correlative imaging of cryo-PALM and soft X-ray tomography for identification of subcellular structures
Authors: Zhang Chao , Guan Yong , Tao Xiayu , Tian Lijiao , Chen Liang , Xiong Ying , Liu Gang , Wu Zhao , Tian Yangchao
Published: July 2024

Correlative imaging of fluorescence microscopy and soft X-ray microscopy plays a crucial role in exploring the relationship between structure and function in cellular biology. However, the current correlative imaging methods are limited either to off-line or low-resolution fluorescence imaging. In this study, we developed an integrated on-line cryogenic photoactivated localization microscopy (cryo-PALM) system at a soft X-ray microscopy station. This design eliminates some critical issues such as sample damage and complex post-correlation arising from transferring samples between different cryostages. Furthermore, we successfully achieved correlative imaging of cryopreserved near-native cells, with a resolution of about 50 nm of cryo-PALM. Therefore, the developed on-line correlation imaging platform provides a powerful tool for investigating the intricate relationship between structure and function in biological and molecular interactions, as well as in other life science disciplines.
Raman parametric four-wave mixing mechanism of the first-order Stokes generated in CO2 and H2
Authors: Sun Jinglu , Cai Xianglong , Xu Ming , Guo Jingwei
Published: July 2024

Without the axial component, an annular spatial profile of the first-order Stokes (S1) was observed during the SRS process in low-energy pumped CO2 gas, which is supposed to be generated by a parametric four-wave mixing process (PFWM), i.e., 2

ω

P

 = 

ω

AS
1 + 

ω

S
1. In order to verify such a mechanism, similar experiments were conducted in H2, and the annular S1 intensity distribution was also noticed. Furthermore, simulations of S1 radial intensity distributions were carried out based on the proposed PFWM phase matching geometry. The PFWM has been verified to be a process that directly annihilates two pump photons and simultaneously produces one AS1 photon and one S1 photon.
Chirality-dependent topological edge states in photonic metacrystal
Authors: Wei Qian , Wu Jiaju , Jiang Jie , Guo Zhiwei , Sun Yong , Li Yunhui , Chen Yuguang , Jiang Haitao , Yang Yaping , Chen Hong
Published: July 2024

Topological edge state, a unique mode for manipulating electromagnetic waves (EMs), has been extensively studied in both fundamental and applied physics. Up to now, the work on topological edge states has focused on manipulating linearly polarized waves. Here, we realize chirality-dependent topological edge states in one-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPCs) to manipulate circularly polarized waves. By introducing the magneto-electric coupling term (chirality), the degeneracy Dirac point (DP) is opened in PCs with symmetric unit cells. The topological properties of the upper and lower bands are different in the cases of left circularly polarized (LCP) and right circularly polarized (RCP) waves by calculating the Zak phase. Moreover, mapping explicitly 1D Maxwell’s equations to the Dirac equation, we demonstrate that the introduction of chirality can lead to different topological properties of bandgaps for RCP and LCP waves. Based on this chirality-dependent topology, we can further realize chirality-dependent topological edge states in photonic heterostructures composed of two kinds of PCs. Finally, we propose a realistic structure for the chirality-dependent topological edge states by placing metallic helixes in host media. Our work provides a method for manipulating topological edge states for circularly polarized waves, which has a broad range of potential applications in designing optical devices including polarizers, filters, and sensors with robustness against disorder.
Broadband stepped-frequency radar waveform generation by Fourier domain mode-locking period-one laser dynamics
Authors: Yu Xiaoyue , Zhang Fangzheng , Li Xinyi , Wang Xing , Wu Gengze , Yu Yuan , Pan Shilong
Published: July 2024

A stepped-frequency (SF) radar waveform generation method based on Fourier domain mode-locking (FDML) period-one laser dynamics is proposed and demonstrated. By fast controlling the optical injection strength of a semiconductor laser through electro-optical modulation, a broadband SF signal is generated. By further introducing an optoelectronic feedback loop with its round trip time delay matched with the temporal period of the SF signal, FDML is enabled through which the frequency stability, accuracy, and in-band signal-to-noise ratio are greatly improved. In the experiment, SF signals with a bandwidth of 6 GHz (12–18 GHz) and a frequency step of 150 MHz are generated. By comparing the qualities of signals generated with and without FDML, advantages of the proposed SF signal generation method are verified. Based on the proposed SF signal generation method, high-resolution inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging is also demonstrated, in which the 2D imaging resolution reaches 2.6 cm × 3.82 cm.
Experimental assessment of the effective-medium approach for disordered monolayers of particles with high scattering losses
Authors: Acevedo-Barrera Anays , Méndez-Fragoso Ricardo , García-Valenzuela Augusto
Published: July 2024

The validity of using an effective-medium approach (EMA) to model the reflectivity of a disordered monolayer of particles that scatter light significantly is tested experimentally. To achieve this, we measured the optical reflectivity versus the angle of incidence in an internal reflection configuration of a disordered monolayer of polymeric particles with negligible optical absorption and a diameter of about half a wavelength (size parameter of 1.2) deposited on a glass-air interface. We found a clear effective-medium film equivalence, even for low particle densities and for angles of incidence well beyond the critical angle, where light penetrates the monolayer less than a particle diameter.
Laser-driven electron emission and expansion for the generation and guidance of giant EMPs
Authors: Xie Jiajie , Wang Zitao , Li Mengting , Deng Zhigang , Teng Jian , Zhang Bo , Tian Chao , Wu Yuchi , Gu Yuqiu , Zhou Weimin , Li Tingshuai
Published: July 2024

High-power laser interacting with matter generates intense electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), which are closely associated with laser and target parameters. In this study, EMPs induced by picosecond (ps) laser coupling with solid targets are recorded at the XG-III laser facility. Gold wire targets produce more intense EMPs with a maximum EMP value of 608 kV/m compared to some planar targets. EMP propagation in the normal direction is highly coincident with the expansion of detected hot electrons, which is verified by the particle-in-cell simulations. This work is expected to pave, to our knowledge, a new avenue for directional guidance of laser-driven EMPs.
A Rapid Method for Obtaining Camera Intrinsic Parameters Based on a Stereo Calibration Target
Authors: Gao Changtai , Jiang Guang , Gao Jingyuan , Li Pengcheng
Published: July 2024

In this study, we propose a rapid method for obtaining camera intrinsic parameters based on a stereo calibration target. First, we selected a texture-rich 3D calibration target and performed sparse reconstruction to establish the correspondence between 3D points resulting from the sparse reconstruction and 2D points in a specific position image, known as the base image. Based on this result, for any camera awaiting calibration, the camera intrinsic parameters and lens distortion coefficients can be determined by capturing only one image. Experimental results show that, compared to Zhang's method, our method not only obtains a greater number of feature points with a more uniform distribution, addressing the issue of sparse corner points at image edges, but also achieves lower reprojection errors and higher calibration accuracy. Furthermore, this method requires only a single image captured from the uncalibrated camera, greatly enhancing the calibration efficiency, and making it suitable for batch calibration of cameras on industrial pipelines.
Snapshot coherent diffraction imaging across ultra-broadband spectra
Authors: Li Boyang , Xiao Zehua , Yuan Hao , Huang Pei , Cao Huabao , Wang Hushan , Zhao Wei , Fu Yuxi
Published: July 2024

Ultrafast imaging simultaneously pursuing high temporal and spatial resolution is a key technique to study the dynamics in the microscopic world. However, the broadband spectra of ultra-short pulses bring a major challenge to traditional coherent diffraction imaging (CDI), as they result in an indistinct diffraction pattern, thereby complicating image reconstruction. To address this, we introduce, to our knowledge, a new ultra-broadband coherent imaging method, and empirically demonstrate its efficacy in facilitating high-resolution and rapid image reconstruction of achromatic objects. The existing full bandwidth limitation for snapshot CDI is enhanced to ∼60% experimentally, restricted solely by our laser bandwidth. Simulations indicate the applicability of our method for CDI operations with a bandwidth as high as ∼140%, potentially supporting ultrafast imaging with temporal resolution into ∼50-attosecond scale. Even deployed with a comb-like harmonic spectrum encompassing multiple octaves, our method remains effective. Furthermore, we establish the capability of our approach in reconstructing a super-broadband spectrum for CDI applications with high fidelity. Given these advancements, we anticipate that our method will contribute significantly to attosecond imaging, thereby advancing cutting-edge applications in material science, quantum physics, and biological research.
Across two continents: The genomic basis of environmental adaptation in house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) from the Americas
Authors: Gutiérrez-Guerrero Yocelyn T. , Phifer-Rixey Megan , Nachman Michael W.
Published: July 2024

Replicated clines across environmental gradients can be strong evidence of adaptation. House mice (Mus musculus domesticus) were introduced to the Americas by European colonizers and are now widely distributed from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska. Multiple aspects of climate, such as temperature, vary predictably across latitude in the Americas. Past studies of North American populations across latitudinal gradients provided evidence of environmental adaptation in traits related to body size, metabolism, and behavior and identified candidate genes using selection scans. Here, we investigate genomic signals of environmental adaptation on a second continent, South America, and ask whether there is evidence of parallel adaptation across multiple latitudinal transects in the Americas. We first identified loci across the genome showing signatures of selection related to climatic variation in mice sampled across a latitudinal transect in South America, accounting for neutral population structure. Consistent with previous results, most candidate SNPs were in putatively regulatory regions. Genes that contained the most extreme outliers relate to traits such as body weight or size, metabolism, immunity, fat, eye function, and the cardiovascular system. We then compared these results with the results of analyses of published data from two transects in North America. While most candidate genes were unique to individual transects, we found significant overlap among candidate genes identified independently in the three transects. These genes are diverse, with functions relating to metabolism, immunity, cardiac function, and circadian rhythm, among others. We also found parallel shifts in allele frequency in candidate genes across latitudinal gradients. Finally, combining data from all three transects, we identified several genes associated with variation in body weight. Overall, our results provide strong evidence of shared responses to selection and identify genes that likely underlie recent environmental adaptation in house mice across North and South America.
Regulators of rDNA array morphology in fission yeast
Authors: Cockrell Alexandria J. , Lange Jeffrey J. , Wood Christopher , Mattingly Mark , McCroskey Scott M. , Bradford William D. , Conkright-Fincham Juliana , Weems Lauren , Guo Monica S. , Gerton Jennifer L.
Published: July 2024

Nucleolar morphology is a well-established indicator of ribosome biogenesis activity that has served as the foundation of many screens investigating ribosome production. Missing from this field of study is a broad-scale investigation of the regulation of ribosomal DNA morphology, despite the essential role of rRNA gene transcription in modulating ribosome output. We hypothesized that the morphology of rDNA arrays reflects ribosome biogenesis activity. We established GapR-GFP, a prokaryotic DNA-binding protein that recognizes transcriptionally-induced overtwisted DNA, as a live visual fluorescent marker for quantitative analysis of rDNA organization in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We found that the morphology—which we refer to as spatial organization—of the rDNA arrays is dynamic throughout the cell cycle, under glucose starvation, RNA pol I inhibition, and TOR activation. Screening the haploid S. pombe Bioneer deletion collection for spatial organization phenotypes revealed large ribosomal protein (RPL) gene deletions that alter rDNA organization. Further work revealed RPL gene deletion mutants with altered rDNA organization also demonstrate resistance to the TOR inhibitor Torin1. A genetic analysis of signaling pathways essential for this resistance phenotype implicated many factors including a conserved MAPK, Pmk1, previously linked to extracellular stress responses. We propose RPL gene deletion triggers altered rDNA morphology due to compensatory changes in ribosome biogenesis via multiple signaling pathways, and we further suggest compensatory responses may contribute to human diseases such as ribosomopathies. Altogether, GapR-GFP is a powerful tool for live visual reporting on rDNA morphology under myriad conditions.
Effect modification of socioeconomic status in the association between contraception methods and couple’s education: A secondary analysis of PDHS 2017–18
Authors: Lakhani Sohail , Meerza Syed Saqlain Ali , Khakwani Shayan , Naqvi Syeda Kanza , Hameed Khan Maryam , Asim Muhammad
Published: July 2024

Globally, the region of South Asia reports the highest number of women (87 million) with unmet needs of contraception. Amongst the lower-middle-income countries of South Asia, Pakistan has performed poorly in enhancing contraceptive prevalence, as evident by the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) of 34%. Factors including restricted access to contraception, a restricted selection of techniques, cultural/religious resistance, gender-based hurdles, and societal factors, such as the couple’s education level, are among the most important causes for this gap in desire and usage. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the association between couple’s education level and their influence on their choice of contraception. In addition, the study also assessed the role of socioeconomic status in modifying the association between couple’s education and contraception choice. Using PDHS 2017–18 data, couple’s education status, preferences of contraceptive use and wealth quintiles were analyzed through multinomial logistic regression after adjusting for other confounding factors. The findings of our study revealed that out of the total sample of 14,368 women, 67.52% (n = 9701) were categorized as non-users, 23.55% (n = 3383) employed modern contraceptive methods, and 8.94% (n = 1284) utilized traditional contraceptive methods. Multivariable analysis showed that educated couples belonging to higher socioeconomic status (SES) had the highest adjusted odds ratio [7.66 (CI: 4.89–11.96)] of using modern contraceptives as opposed to uneducated couples of low socioeconomic statuses. Our analysis also revealed that the odds of using modern contraceptives were higher amongst mothers with five or more children [8.55 (CI:7.09–10.31)] as compared to mothers with less children when adjusted for other covariates. Thus, this study concludes the dynamic interplay between couple’s level of education, contraceptive preference, and socioeconomic status This study contributes valuable insights for the policy makers and stakeholders to understand the intricate relationship between these factors.
Case detection delay in leprosy: Testing tool reliability and measurement consistency in Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Tanzania
Authors: Mamo Ephrem , van Wijk Robin , Schoenmakers Anne , Bobosha Kidist , Legesse Mengistu , Hambridge Thomas , Debelo Kitesa , Daba Fufa , Mwageni Nelly , Marega Abdoulaye , Letta Taye , Eman Ahmed Mohammed , Fumane Banú , Rassolo Helder , Njako Blasdus Franz , E. Mshana Stephen , Richardus Jan Hendrik , Kasang Christa , Mieras Liesbeth
Published: July 2024

Background

Case detection delay (CDD) in leprosy is defined as the period between the onset of the first signs and symptoms and the time of diagnosis. A tool, consisting of a questionnaire and a detailed guide for researchers, which includes photos of typical skin signs and notes on establishing the timing of events, was developed to determine this period of delay in months in recently diagnosed leprosy patients. The aims of the study were to determine the reliability and consistency of this CDD assessment tool.

Methods

This study was conducted in Ethiopia, Mozambique and Tanzania. Two types of consistency were considered: over time (test-retest reliability) and across different researchers (interrater reliability). A CDD questionnaire was administered to 167 leprosy patients who were diagnosed within 6 months prior to their inclusion. One month later, the same or another researcher re-administered the CDD questionnaire to the same patients. Both test-retest and interrater reliability were assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), where a value greater than or equal to 0.7 is considered acceptable.

Results

In this study, 10 participants (6.0%) were under 15 years of age, and 56 (33.5%) were women. In the test-retest assessment, the mean CDD from the first and second interviews was 23.7 months (95% CI 14.4–34.8) and 24.0 months (95% CI 14.8–33.2), respectively. The ICC for test-retest reliability was 0.99 (95% CI 0.994–0.997). For the interrater reliability assessment, the first and second interviews revealed a mean CDD of 24.7 months (95% CI 18.2–31.1) and 24.6 months (95% CI 18.7–30.5), respectively, with an ICC of 0.90 (95% CI 0.85–0.94). A standard error of measurement of 0.46 months was found in the test-retest and 1.03 months in the interrater measurement. Most answers given by participants during the first and second interviews were matching (≥86%). Most non-matching answers were in the 0–2 month delay category (≥46%).

Conclusion

The tool, including a questionnaire to determine the CDD of newly diagnosed leprosy patients, was validated in three African countries. The test-retest and interrater measurements demonstrated that the instrument is reliable and measures consistently. The tool can be used in routine leprosy programmes as well as in research settings.

Trial registration

This trial is registered with The Netherlands Trial Register (NTR), now available via International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP) with registration number NL7294 (NTR7503), as well as with The Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) with registration number PACTR202303742093429.
Concurrent vestibular activation and postural training recalibrate somatosensory, vestibular and gaze stabilization processes
Authors: Appiah-Kubi Kwadwo Osei , Galgon Anne , Tierney Ryan , Lauer Richard , Wright W. Geoffrey
Published: July 2024

Postural instability is a common symptom of vestibular dysfunction that impacts a person’s day-to-day activities. Vestibular rehabilitation is effective in decreasing dizziness, visual symptoms and improving postural control through several mechanisms including sensory reweighting of the vestibular, visual and somatosensory systems. As part of the sensory reweighting mechanisms, vestibular activation exercises with headshaking influence vestibular-ocular reflex (VOR). However, combining challenging vestibular and postural tasks to facilitate more effective rehabilitation outcomes is under-utilized. Understanding how and why this may work is unknown. The aim of the study was to assess sensory reweighting of postural control processing and VOR after concurrent vestibular activation and weight shift training (WST) in healthy young adults. Forty-two participants (18–35years) were randomly assigned into four groups: No training/control (CTL), a novel visual feedback WST coupled with a concurrent, rhythmic active horizontal or vertical headshake activity (HHS and VHS), or the same WST with no headshake (NHS). Training was performed for five days. All groups performed baseline- and post-assessments using the video head impulse test, sensory organization test, force platform rotations and electro-oculography. Significantly decreased horizontal eye movement variability in the HHS group compared to the other groups suggests improved gaze stabilization (p = .024). Significantly decreased horizontal VOR gain (p = .040) and somatosensory downweighting (p = .050) were found in the combined headshake groups (HHS and VHS) compared to the other two groups (NHS and CTL). The training also showed a significantly faster automatic postural response (p = .003) with improved flexibility (p = .010) in the headshake groups. The concurrent training influences oculomotor function and suggests improved gaze stabilization through vestibular recalibration due to adaptation and possibly habituation. The novel protocol could be modified into progressive functional activities that would incorporate gaze stabilization exercises. The findings may have implications for future development of vestibular rehabilitation protocols.
Lateral frontoparietal effective connectivity differentiates and predicts state of consciousness in a cohort of patients with traumatic disorders of consciousness
Authors: Ihalainen Riku , Annen Jitka , Gosseries Olivia , Cardone Paolo , Panda Rajanikant , Martial Charlotte , Thibaut Aurore , Laureys Steven , Chennu Srivas
Published: July 2024

Neuroimaging studies have suggested an important role for the default mode network (DMN) in disorders of consciousness (DoC). However, the extent to which DMN connectivity can discriminate DoC states–unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS)–is less evident. Particularly, it is unclear whether effective DMN connectivity, as measured indirectly with dynamic causal modelling (DCM) of resting EEG can disentangle UWS from healthy controls and from patients considered conscious (MCS+). Crucially, this extends to UWS patients with potentially “covert” awareness (minimally conscious star, MCS*) indexed by voluntary brain activity in conjunction with partially preserved frontoparietal metabolism as measured with positron emission tomography (PET+ diagnosis; in contrast to PET- diagnosis with complete frontoparietal hypometabolism). Here, we address this gap by using DCM of EEG data acquired from patients with traumatic brain injury in 11 UWS (6 PET- and 5 PET+) and in 12 MCS+ (11 PET+ and 1 PET-), alongside with 11 healthy controls. We provide evidence for a key difference in left frontoparietal connectivity when contrasting UWS PET- with MCS+ patients and healthy controls. Next, in a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation, we tested the classification performance of the DCM models demonstrating that connectivity between medial prefrontal and left parietal sources reliably discriminates UWS PET- from MCS+ patients and controls. Finally, we illustrate that these models generalize to an unseen dataset: models trained to discriminate UWS PET- from MCS+ and controls, classify MCS* patients as conscious subjects with high posterior probability (pp > .92). These results identify specific alterations in the DMN after severe brain injury and highlight the clinical utility of EEG-based effective connectivity for identifying patients with potential covert awareness.
Vagal predominance correlates with mood state changes of winter-over expeditioners during prolonged Antarctic residence
Authors: Liu Shiying , Wang Jianan , Chen Shaoling , Chai Jiamin , Wen Jigang , Tian Xuan , Chen Nan , Xu Chengli
Published: July 2024

Objective

Winter-over expeditioners in Antarctica are challenged by various environmental and psycho-social stress factors, which may induce psychophysiological changes. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a crucial role in the adaptation process under stress. However, the relationship between ANS activity and the mood states of expeditioners remains largely unexplored. This study aims to uncover the pattern of ANS adjustment under extreme Antarctic environments and provide new insights into the correlations between ANS activity and mood state changes, which may provide scientific data for medical interventions.

Methods

Fourteen expeditioners at Zhongshan Station participated in this study. The study was conducted during four representative periods: pre-Antarctica, Antarctica-1 (pre-winter), Antarctica-2 (winter), and Antarctica-3 (summer). The heart rate variability (HRV) of the expeditioners was continuously measured for 24 hours to evaluate ANS activity. Plasma levels of catecholamines were tested by ELISA. Mood states were assessed by the Profile of Mood States (POMS) scale.

Results

HRV analysis showed a disturbance of ANS during winter and summer periods. For frequency domain parameters, very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and total power (TP) significantly increased during the second half of the mission. Especially, LF/HF ratio decreased during summer, indicating the predominance of vagal tone. Results of the time domain analysis showed increased heart rate variability during the austral winter and summer. Plasma epinephrine (E) significantly increased during residence in Antarctica. Compared with pre-Antarctica, the vigor, depression, and anger scores of the expeditioners decreased significantly during the austral summer. Notably, the depression score showed a moderate positive correlation with LF/HF, while weak negative correlations with other HRV indicators, including TP, VLF, and LF. Anger score showed a moderate positive correlation with LF/HF and weak negative correlations with the average normal-to-normal (NN) interval, and the root mean square of differences between adjacent RR intervals (RMSSD). Plasma E level weakly correlated with the average NN interval.

Conclusion

Prolonged residence in Antarctica increased the ANS activities and shifted the cardiac autonomic modulation towards vagal predominance. The alteration of HRV correlated with mood states and plasma epinephrine levels.
Association of poverty-income ratio with cardiovascular disease and mortality in cancer survivors in the United States
Authors: Yogeswaran Vidhushei , Kim Youngdeok , Franco R. Lee , Lucas Alexander R. , Sutton Arnethea L. , LaRose Jessica G. , Kenyon Jonathan , D’Agostino Ralph B. , Sheppard Vanessa B. , Reding Kerryn , Hundley W. Gregory , Cheng Richard K.
Published: July 2024

Background

Lower income is associated with high incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. CVD is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. However, there is limited research on the association between income, CVD, and mortality in this population.

Methods

This study utilized nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional survey evaluating the health and nutritional status of the US population. Our study included NHANES participants aged ≥20 years from 2003–2014, who self-reported a history of cancer. We evaluated the association between income level, prevalence of CVD, and all-cause mortality. All-cause mortality data was obtained through public use mortality files. Income level was assessed by poverty-income ratio (PIR) that was calculated by dividing family (or individual) income by poverty guideline. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models through a backward elimination method to evaluate associations between PIR, CVD, and all-cause mortality in cancer survivors.

Results

This cohort included 2,464 cancer survivors with a mean age of 62 (42% male) years. Compared with individuals with a higher PIR tertiles, those in the lowest PIR tertile had a higher rate of pre-existing CVD and post-acquired CVD. In participants with post-acquired CVD, the lowest PIR tertile had over two-fold increased risk mortality (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.27–3.71) when compared to the highest PIR tertile. Additionally, we found that PIR was as strong a predictor of mortality in cancer survivors as CVD. In patients with no CVD, the lowest PIR tertile continued to have almost a two-fold increased risk of mortality (HR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.69–4.35) when compared to a reference of the highest PIR tertile.

Conclusions

In this large national study of cancer survivors, low PIR is associated with a higher prevalence of CVD. Low PIR is also associated with an increased risk of mortality in cancer survivors, showing a comparable impact to that of pre-existing and post-acquired CVD. Urgent public health resources are needed to further study and improve screening and access to care in this high-risk population.
Verification of the effect of data-driven brain motion correction on PET imaging
Authors: Odagiri Hayato , Watabe Hiroshi , Takanami Kentaro , Akimoto Kazuma , Usui Akihito , Kawakami Hirofumi , Katsuki Akie , Uetake Nozomu , Dendo Yutaka , Tanaka Yoshitaka , Kodama Hiroyasu , Takase Kei , Kaneta Tomohiro
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Brain positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans are useful for identifying the cause of dementia by evaluating glucose metabolism in the brain with F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose or Aβ deposition with F-18-florbetaben. However, since imaging time ranges from 10 to 30 minutes, movements during the examination might result in image artifacts, which interfere with diagnosis. To solve this problem, data-driven brain motion correction (DDBMC) techniques are capable of performing motion corrected reconstruction using highly accurate motion estimates with high temporal resolution. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of DDBMC techniques on PET/CT images using a Hoffman phantom, involving continuous rotational and tilting motion, each expanded up to approximately 20 degrees.

Materials and methods

Listmode imaging was performed using a Hoffman phantom that reproduced rotational and tilting motions of the head. Brain motion correction processing was performed on the obtained data. Reconstructed images with and without brain motion correction processing were compared. Visual evaluations by a nuclear medicine specialist and quantitative parameters of images with correction and reference still images were compared.

Results

Normalized Mean Squared Error (NMSE) results demonstrated the effectiveness of DDBMC in compensating for rotational and tilting motions during PET imaging. In Cases 1 and 2 involving rotational motion, NMSE decreased from 0.15–0.2 to approximately 0.01 with DDBMC, indicating a substantial reduction in differences from the reference image across various brain regions. In the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), DDBMC improved it to above 0.96 Contrast assessment revealed notable improvements with DDBMC. In continuous rotational motion, % contrast increased from 42.4% to 73.5%, In tilting motion, % contrast increased from 52.3% to 64.5%, eliminating significant differences from the static reference image. These findings underscore the efficacy of DDBMC in enhancing image contrast and minimizing motion induced variations across different motion scenarios.

Conclusions

DDBMC processing can effectively compensate for continuous rotational and tilting motion of the head during PET, with motion angles of approximately 20 degrees. However, a significant limitation of this study is the exclusive validation of the proposed method using a Hoffman phantom; its applicability to the human brain has not been investigated. Further research involving human subjects is necessary to assess the generalizability and reliability of the presented motion correction technique in real clinical scenarios.
A cell competition system with one gene expression from a single-copy gene in one cell
Authors: Hasegawa Yoshinori , Nakano Megumi , Hosouchi Tsutomu , Watanabe Takashi , Yamaguchi Izumi , Nakayama Manabu , Ohara Osamu
Published: July 2024

Even with advanced plasmid and viral vectors, attaining copy numbers of multiple genes among different transfected cells is challenging. We achieved one gene expression from a single-copy gene in one cell using a transgene competition system, a combination of the Kazusa cDNA clones and our dual recombinase-mediated cassette exchange system. All 48 nuclear receptors were simultaneously expressed in one dish at the same expression level in HEK293 using this system, and the cell proliferation rate was compared. Significant differences were observed between cells transfected with CMV- or EF1 promoter-driven expression of the 48 nuclear receptors after 8 weeks. The EF1-NR1I2 cell line, which exhibited the highest increase from 2 to 8 weeks, showed 1.13-fold higher proliferation than the EF1-DsRed line. On the other hand, the EF1-NR4A1 cell line, which showed the maximum decrease at 8 weeks, showed 0.88-fold lower proliferation than the EF1-DsRed line. The results were confirmed in both our transgene competition system and long-term growth experiments. Our transgene competition system offers a wide-range, simple, and accurate cell competition method.
Incidence and risk factors associated with acquired syphilis in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis users
Authors: Pedrosa Nathália Lima , Pinheiro Patrícia Matias , Filho Fernando Wagner Brito Hortêncio , de Araujo Wildo Navegantes
Published: July 2024

Background

Acquired syphilis continues to affect millions of people around the world. It is crucial to study it in the context of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to achieve the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda since the literature suggests increased risk behaviors for sexually transmitted infections. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and factors associated with acquired syphilis among PrEP users.

Materials and methods

This retrospective cohort included data on PrEP users from all over Brazil from 2018 to 2020, retrieved from the national antiretroviral logistics system. We calculated the proportion of syphilis before PrEP, the incidence during the user’s follow-up, reinfections, and their possible associated factors. We conducted descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analysis, estimating the crude Relative Risk, adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR), and their respective confidence intervals (95%CI).

Results

Most of the 34,000 individuals who started PrEP were male (89.0%), white (53.7%), self-identified as male (85.2%), homosexual, gay, or lesbian (72.2%), and had 12 schooling years or more (67.8%). Of these, 8.3% had syphilis in the six months before starting PrEP, and 4% had it in the first 30 days of using the prophylaxis. We identified a loss-to-follow-up rate of 41.7%, although the loss and the cohort shared similar characteristics. The proportion of missed syphilis tests was high: 33.4% in the 30 days and 38.8% in the follow-up period. In the 19,820 individuals effectively monitored, the incidence of acquired syphilis was 19.1 cases per 100 person-years, and 1.9% of users had reinfection. The rate of missed syphilis tests at the 30-day follow-up was 33.4%, and the total follow-up test period was 38.8%. The multivariate analysis identified female gender (aOR 0.3; 95%CI 0.2–0.5), being white or Black (aOR 0.9; 95%CI 0.7–0.9 and aOR 0.7; 95%CI 0.7–0.99, respectively) as protective factors for syphilis. Being homosexual, gay, lesbian (aOR 2.7; 95%CI 2.0–3.7), or having a history of syphilis in the six months before PrEP (aOR 2.2; 95%CI 1.9–2.5) were risk factors for syphilis during PrEP use. Behaviors related to the risk of syphilis included accepting something in exchange for sex (aOR 1.6; 95%CI 1.3–1.9), irregular condom use (use in less than half of sexual intercourse sessions; aOR 1.7; 95%CI 1.53–2.1) and recreational drug use (poppers; aOR 1.5; 95%CI 1.53–2.1).

Conclusion

Syphilis in the context of PrEP has high rates and is associated with sociodemographic and behavioral factors. We recommend additional studies targeting prevention in this population to curb these figures.
The effect of environmental variations on the production of the principal agricultural products in Colombia
Authors: Cortés-Cataño Carlos Felipe , Foronda-Tobón Yennifer , Paez-Ricardo Jairo Armando , Parra-Herrera Jairo Enrique , Cañon-Ayala Mario Julian
Published: July 2024

The agricultural sector of Colombia supports the national economy and food security due to the rich lands for cultivation. Although Colombia has a vast hydrological basin, climate change can impact agricultural productivity, generating economic and social adverse effects. For this, we evaluated the impact of some environmental variables on the production of the most sold crops using production, climatic, and hydrological data of the 1121 municipalities from 2007 to 2020. We modeled the production of coffee, rice, palm oil, sugarcane, and corn, adopting a Bayesian spatio-temporal model that involved a set of environmental variables: average temperature, minimum temperature, maximum temperature, evapotranspiration, precipitation, runoff, soil moisture, vapor pressure, radiation, and wind speed. We found that increases in the average temperatures can affect coffee (-0.2% per °C), rice (-3.76% per °C), and sugarcane (-0.19% per °C) production, meanwhile, these increases can boost palm oil (+2.55% per °C) and corn (+1.28% per °C) production in Colombia. This statement implies that the agricultural sector needs to substitute land use, promoting the production of palm oil and corn. Although our results did not find a significant effect of hydrological variables in any crop, suggesting that the abundance of water in Colombia might balance the impact of these variables. The increases in vapor pressure impact all the crops negatively (between -11.2% to -0.43% per kPa), except rice, evidencing that dry air conditions affect agricultural production. Colombia must manage the production location of the traditional products and implement agro-industrial technologies to avoid the climate change impact on crops.