bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of Antiviral Drug Candidates Against Monkeypox DNA Polymerase and Profilin-like Protein A42R Utilizing anIn-SilicoApproach
Authors: Amjid Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Maroof , Pastore Stephen F. , Vincent John B. , Muhammad Tahir
Published: August 2024

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is emerging as a major concern in the field of infectious diseases. Current treatments are limited, highlighting the need for new therapeutic options. The use of computational methods, such as molecular docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, is a valuable approach in identifying potential compounds that can target specific proteins of the virus, like the DNA polymerase and profilin-like protein A42R in this case, with the aim of controlling the disease. Our study focused on screening various libraries of compounds for predicted binding to MPXV DPol and A42R proteins, with the top-performing molecules identified based on their docking scores. Among these, Dorsilurin K and Mangostin in complex with DPol, whereas [2-oxo-2-[3-(3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-azepin-7-ylsulfamoyl)anilino]ethyl] 3,5-dimethylbenzoate and N-[4-[2-[4-(4-methylphenyl)sulfonylpiperazin-1-yl]-2-oxoethoxy]phenyl]furan-2-carboxamide in complex with A42R stand out with notably high docking scores, suggesting they may have a good affinity for binding to the DPol and A42R proteins of MPXV respectively. MD simulations confirmed the stability of these ligand-protein complexes followed by evaluation of the ADMET and oral bioavailability analysis. However, it is important that computational methods can suggest promising candidates,in vitroand eventuallyin vivostudies are essential to validate these therapeutic candidates. Further studies on these compounds will provide insights into their efficacy, safety, and potential side effects. In conclusion, this study offers promising avenues for developing potential treatments for Monkeypox. If the identified compounds prove effective in further studies, it could be a significant breakthrough in managing this zoonotic disease.
High-Performance Classification of Breast Cancer Histopathological Images Using Fine-Tuned Vision Transformers on the BreakHis Dataset
Authors: Gella Venkat
Published: August 2024

Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent and deadly cancers worldwide, making accurate diagnosis critical for effective treatment. Histopathological image classification is a key task in medical diagnostics for cancer detection. This paper presents state-of-the-art performance in histopathological image classification of breast cancer using a novel approach with the Vision Transformer (ViT) model fine-tuned using the BreakHis dataset. The BreakHis dataset, comprising of 7,909 breast cancer histopathological images across various magnification levels, serves as a crucial benchmark for evaluating machine learning models in this domain. While previous works have explored the use of ViTs for this task, our approach fine-tunes a ViT pre-trained on ImageNet using the Ranger optimizer, achieving unprecedented performance. The experimental results show that our fine-tuned ViT model achieves an accuracy of 99.99%, precision of 99.98%, recall of 99.99%, F1 score of 99.99%, specificity of 100.00%, false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.00%, false negative rate (FNR) of 0.02%, false positive rate (FPR) of 0.00%, Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 99.97%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.96%. This model and approach represents the highest accuracy ever achieved for BreakHis binary classification in machine learning using any model, underscoring the potential of Vision Transformers to substantially enhance diagnostic accuracy in histopathological image analysis and improve clinical outcomes. Transfer learning was also performed on the BACH and a histopathological image dataset for breast invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC).
Emergence of antibiotic-specificMycobacterium tuberculosisphenotypes during prolonged treatment of mice
Authors: Wynn Elizabeth A , Dide-Agossou Christian , Al Mubarak Reem , Rossmassler Karen , Ektnitphong Victoria , Bauman Allison A , Massoudi Lisa M , Voskuil Martin I , Robertson Gregory T , Moore Camille M , Walter Nicholas D
Published: August 2024

A major challenge in tuberculosis (TB) therapeutics is that antibiotic exposure leads to changes in the physiologic state ofM. tuberculosis(Mtb) which may enable the pathogen to withstand treatment. While antibiotic-treatedMtbhave been evaluated in short-termin vitroexperiments, it is unclear if and how long-termin vivotreatment with diverse antibiotics with varying treatment-shortening activity (sterilizing activity) affectMtbphysiologic states differently. Here, we used SEARCH-TB, a pathogen-targeted RNA-sequencing platform, to characterize theMtbtranscriptome in the BALB/c high-dose aerosol infection mouse model following 4-week treatment with three sterilizing and three non-sterilizing antibiotics. Certain transcriptional changes were concordant among most antibiotics, including decreased expression of genes associated with protein synthesis and metabolism, and the induction of certain genes associated with stress responses. However, the magnitude of this concordant response differed between antibiotics. Sterilizing antibiotics rifampin, pyrazinamide, and bedaquiline generated a more quiescentMtbstate than did non-sterilizing antibiotics isoniazid, ethambutol, and streptomycin, as indicated by decreased expression of genes associated with translation, transcription, secretion of immunogenic proteins, metabolism, and cell wall synthesis. Additionally, we identified distinguishing transcriptional effects specific to each antibiotic, indicating that different mechanisms of action induce distinct patterns of cellular injury. In addition to elucidatingMtbphysiologic changes associated with antibiotic stress, this study demonstrates the value of SEARCH-TB as a highly granular pharmacodynamic assay that reveals antibiotic effects that are not apparent based on culture alone.
Large scale comparative wheat phosphoproteome profiling pinpoints temperature-associated molecular signatures
Authors: Fonseca de Lima Cássio Flávio , Zhu Tingting , Van den Broeck Lisa , Van De Cotte Brigitte , Locke Anna M. , Sozzani Rosangela , De Smet Ive
Published: August 2024

Elevated temperatures resulting from climate change adversely affect natural and crop ecosystems, necessitating the development of heat-tolerant crops. We established a framework to precisely identify wheat protein-phosphorylated sites associated with varying temperature sensitivities. We identified specific kinases primarily associated with a specific temperature, but our results also suggest a striking overlap between cold and heat signaling. We furthermore demonstrated that the phosphorylation state of a specific set of proteins creates a unique signature for heat stress tolerance. These findings can potentially aid in the identification of targets for breeding or genome editing to enhance sub/supra optimal temperature tolerance.
Resolving interface structure and local internal mechanics of mitotic chromosomes
Authors: Ridolfi Andrea , Witt Hannes , Harju Janni , Clement Tinka V. M. , Peterman Erwin E. J. G. , Broedersz Chase P. , Wuite Gijs J. L.
Published: August 2024

The interface of chromosomes enables them to interact with the cell environment and is crucial for their mechanical stability during mitosis. Here, we use Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to probe the interface and local micromechanics of the highly condensed and complex chromatin network of native human mitotic chromosomes. Our AFM images provide detailed snapshots of chromatin loops and Sister-Chromatids Intertwines. A scaling analysis of these images reveals that the chromatin surface has fractal nature. AFM-based Force Spectroscopy and microrheology further show that chromosomes can resist severe deformations, elastically recovering their initial shape following two characteristic timescales. Localized indentations over the chromatids reveal that the spatially varying micromechanics of the chromatin network is largely governed by chromatin density. Together, our AFM investigation provides new insights into the structure and local mechanics of mitotic chromosomes, offering a toolbox for further characterization of complex biological structures, such as chromosomes, down to the nanoscale.
haCCA: Multi-module Integrating of spatial transcriptomes and metabolomes
Authors: Shen Xiao-Tian , Xu Jing , Zhang Chen , Zhang Xiao-Yun , Chen Zhou-Qing , Jiang Hu-Liang , Yang Lu-Yu
Published: August 2024

Spatial techniques such as spatial transcriptomes and MALDI-MSI, offering insights into both transcripts and metabolite of tissue sections. However, integrating them with high accuracy is challenge due to no shared spots or features. We present haCCA, a workflow designed to integrate spatial transcriptomes and metabolomes data using high-correlated feature pairs and modified spatial morphological alignment. This approach ensures high-resolution and accurate spot-to-spot data integration across neighbor tissue section. We applied haCCA to both publicly available 10X Visium and MALDI-MSI datasets from mouse brain tissue and a custom spatial transcriptome and MALDI-MSI dataset from an intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) model, exploring the metabolic alteration of NETs(neutrophil extracellular traps) on ICC, and finding a potential mechanism that NETs upregulated Scd1 to activate fatty acid metabolism. Providing new insights into the dynamic crosstalk between genes and metabolites that regulates the tumor biological behavior and drives the response to treatment. We developed and published an easy-to-use Python package to facilitate its use.
In utero human intestine contains maternally derived bacterial metabolites
Authors: Wang Wenjia , Gu Weihong , Schweitzer Ron , Koren Omry , Khatib Soliman , Tseng George , Konnikova Liza
Published: August 2024

Understanding when host-microbiome interactions are first established is crucial for comprehending normal development and identifying disease prevention strategies. Furthermore, bacterially derived metabolites play critical roles in shaping the intestinal immune system. Recent studies have demonstrated that memory T cells infiltrate human intestinal tissue early in the second trimester, suggesting that intestinal immune education begins in utero. Our previous study reported a unique fetal intestinal metabolomic profile with an abundance of several bacterially derived metabolites and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligands implicated in mucosal immune regulation. To follow up on this work, in the current study, we demonstrate that a number of microbial byproducts present in fetal intestines in utero are maternally derived and vertically transmitted to the fetus. Notably, these bacterially derived metabolites, particularly short chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids, are likely biologically active and functional in regulating the fetal immune system and preparing the gastrointestinal tract for postnatal microbial encounters, as the transcripts for their various receptors and carrier proteins are present in second trimester intestinal tissue through single-cell transcriptomic data.
The Role of Sex in Atherosclerotic Inflammation and Lipid-Handling Dysfunction
Authors: Liu Phydena Z , Zhang Lauren N , Matz Alyssa J
Published: August 2024

Residual risk of cardiovascular events remains despite treatments that effectively lower cholesterol levels and hypertension, suggesting that there must be more variables to consider in atherosclerosis treatment. Several studies have suggested sex1,2,3and inflammation4,5as important variables. However, a cross-cohort analysis of sex and risk factors like inflammation and lipid-handling dysfunction is needed to strengthen their connection to atherosclerosis. By using blood transcriptomic profiles of 391 male and female participants, this study revealed that inflammation and lipid-handling dysfunction have sex-specific roles in atherosclerosis. Transcriptomics of 391 human blood samples with varying degrees of atherosclerosis were used to identify sex-specific changes in immune response and lipid-handling in circulating blood cells. Preliminary analyses of both FPKM and normalized counts datasets showed that inflammatory pathway activation and enrichment increased as atherosclerotic disease severity increased across all sexes. Analysis of sex-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using IPA’s Canonical Pathways showed that severely impacted females had more enriched inflammatory pathways than severely impacted males. Further cross-cohort analysis of sex-specific inflammation and lipid-handling dysfunction was performed using AtheroSpectrum, a single-sample macrophage annotation tool. AtheroSpectrum confirmed that inflammation was more critical to female atherogenesis and revealed that lipid-handling dysfunction was more critical to male atherogenesis. Our study underscored the importance of inflammation and sex as variables to consider in atherosclerosis treatment, suggesting that treatment should target inflammation and consider sex. Our findings may be used for generating a model to predict atherosclerosis risk based on key DEGs, pathways, sex, and other clinical parameters when available.
Statins attenuate Wnt/β-catenin signaling by targeting SATB family proteins in colorectal cancer
Authors: Tripathi Sneha , Gupta Ekta , Naik Rutika , Khare Satyajeet , Mir Rafeeq , Desai Saarthi , Humane Swati , Yadav Subhash , Bal Munita , Saklani Avanish , Patil Prachi , Kamat Siddhesh , Galande Sanjeev
Published: August 2024

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, highlighting the need for improved treatments and advanced molecular research. A recent therapeutic approach focuses on repurposing drugs to target dysregulated pathways involved in tumorigenesis. Among these, statins, commonly known for lowering cholesterol, have attracted attention for their potential anti-cancer properties. Here, we provide direct evidence for the same by assessing the impact of statin treatment on lipid, transcript, and protein levels. Our findings reveal that statins specifically target key components of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, a major factor in adenoma formation, including the SATB (Special AT-rich Binding protein) family proteins. While SATB1 is recognized as a regulator of tumorigenesis, particularly under Wnt signaling, SATB2 appears to exert an opposing role. We demonstrate that statin treatment reciprocally alters the expression pattern of these proteins. Furthermore, a human clinical trial evaluating statins as an anti-cancer therapy supports the hypothesis that differential expression of SATB proteins is crucial in tumorigenic outcomes. In conclusion, this modulation by statin treatment suggests promising new therapeutic avenues through drug repurposing.
Neurons as biosensors for discriminating neurological disorders in a brain-on-chip platform: Application to Alzheimer’s Disease using patient CSF
Authors: Miny Louise , Rontard Jessica , Allouche Ahmad , Violle Nicolas , Dubuisson Louise , Batut Aurélie , Ponomarenko Alexandre , Talbi Rania , Gautier Hélène , Maisonneuve Benoît , Roux Serge , Larramendy Florian , Honegger Thibault , Quadrio Isabelle
Published: August 2024

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of aggregated amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) leading to progressive neuronal loss and dysfunction. Current AD’s diagnosis involves biomarkers assays in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as Aβ to validate the diagnosis. However, these methods are time-consuming, expensive, and can result in inaccurate diagnoses by not accounting for differential diagnose. To overcome these challenges, researchers are exploring new technologies for detecting AD biomarkers in biological fluids, though progress is hindered by an incomplete understanding of AD mechanisms and CSF composition. In this study, we used a standardized microfluidic platform to investigate the effects of synthetic Aβ peptides and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from AD and healthy patients on neuronal functional activity. First, human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were characterized. Then, to modulate the functional activity of neurons, tetrodotoxin (TTX), a specific sodium channel blocker, was used as a control for inhibiting neuronal activity. Subsequently, glutamatergic neurons were chronically exposed to AβO and patients’ CSF. MEA recordings were performed before and after the treatments to assess changes in network activity. Our results demonstrated that extracting key electrophysiological metrics allows for discrimination between healthy and AD CSF samples. This system could offer the potential for differential diagnosis and development of personalized therapeutic strategies.
Assembly and performance of a cholera RDT prototype that detects bothVibrio choleraeand associated bacteriophage as a proxy for pathogen detection
Authors: Sayeed Md. Abu , Nabil Imrul Kayes , Bhattacharjee Piyash , Hossain Md. Shawkat , Akter Noor Jahan , Akter Romana , Kelley Karen L , Karim Mahbubul , Begum Yasmin Ara , Bhuiyan Taufiqur Rahman , Qadri Firdausi , Khan Ashraful Islam , Nelson Eric J
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Cholera rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are vulnerable to virulent bacteriophage predation. We hypothesized that an enhanced cholera RDT that detects the common virulent bacteriophage ICP1 might serve as a proxy for pathogen detection. We previously developed a monoclonal antibody (mAb) to the ICP1 major capsid protein. Our objective herein was to design and assemble a first-of-its-kind RDT that detects both a bacterial pathogen (Vibrio cholerae) and associated virulent bacteriophage (ICP1).

Method

Candidate mAbs were expanded to increase design options and evaluated by immunological assays (ELISA; western blot). A subset of mAbs were selected for gold conjugation and printing on the RDT. The limit of detection (LOD) of prototype RDTs were determined in diarrheal stools with the addition of ICP1.

Results

Three mAb candidates were developed and evaluated for the capsid decoration protein (ORF123) and tail fiber protein (ORF93), and the prior mAb for the major capsid protein (ORF122). A single mAb sandwich RDT prototype for ORF122 was able to detect ICP1; RDTs with mAbs to ORF123 and ORF93 failed to detect ICP1 in single or dual sandwich configurations. Biologically meaningful LODs for ICP1 were achieved only after boiling the stool with ICP1; analysis by electron microscopy suggested increased epitope availability after boiling.

Conclusion

In this study, we demonstrate a proof of concept for a functional RDT that can detect both the primary pathogen and a common virulent bacteriophage as a proxy for pathogen detection. Further optimization is required before scaled production and implementation.
Role of monocytes in endothelial glycocalyx shedding during Puumala orthohantavirus infection
Authors: Cabrera Luz E. , Polanco Isaac , Tietäväinen Johanna , Mäkelä Satu , Vapalahti Olli , Vaheri Antti , Mustonen Jukka , Strandin Tomas
Published: August 2024

Vascular leakage characterizes Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV)-caused hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Disruption in the endothelial glycocalyx layer, which protects blood vessels from increased vascular leakage into tissues, may contribute to disease severity during acute PUUV-HFRS. Recent evidence suggests that increased heparanase (HPSE) activity could play a role in glycocalyx degradation. Additionally, dynamic changes in monocyte populations, especially a decrease in endothelium “patrolling” CD14+CD16+nonclassical monocytes (NCMs) are observed in acute PUUV-HFRS. To investigate HPSE expression levels in different monocyte subsets and their relationship to the numbers of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) as marker of glycocalyx degradation during PUUV-HFRS, we analyzed patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected at acute and recovery stages of the disease by flow cytometry. CECs were significantly increased in acute PUUV-HFRS patients, and gradually decreased towards the postacute and recovery phases. Moreover, we identified significant correlations between CECs, the frequencies of different monocyte subsets and their HPSE expression, and clinical parameters. The decrease in HPSE expressing NCMs correlated with plasma HPSE levels, indicating a potential role for monocytes in modulating endothelial glycocalyx shedding. Furthermore, co-culture experiments suggested PUUV-infected endothelial cells (ECs) as regulators of monocyte HPSE expression. The study enhances understanding of EC and monocyte dynamics during PUUV-HFRS, providing insights into immune responses and potential vascular complications. Subtle variations in monocyte subsets emphasize their possible variable roles in disease progression and changes throughout the disease course. Overall, the study contributes to unraveling the complex interactions between viral infections, immune responses, and vascular dynamics, guiding future investigations and interventions in PUUV-HFRS-associated vascular complications and glycocalyx shedding in the kidneys.
Expert-Level Detection of Referable Glaucoma from Fundus Photographs in a Safety Net Population: The AI and Teleophthalmology in Los Angeles Initiative
Authors: Nguyen Van , Iyengar Sreenidhi , Rasheed Haroon , Apolo Galo , Li Zhiwei , Kumar Aniket , Nguyen Hong , Bohner Austin , Dhodapkar Rahul , Do Jiun , Duong Andrew , Gluckstein Jeffrey , Hong Kendra , Humayun Lucas , James Alanna , Lee Junhui , Nguyen Kent , Wong Brandon , Ambite Jose-Luis , Kesselman Carl , Daskivich Lauren , Pazzani Michael , Xu Benjamin Y.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

To develop and test a deep learning (DL) algorithm for detecting referable glaucoma in the Los Angeles County (LAC) Department of Health Services (DHS) teleretinal screening program.

Methods

Fundus photographs and patient-level labels of referable glaucoma (defined as cup-to-disc ratio [CDR] ≥ 0.6) provided by 21 trained optometrist graders were obtained from the LAC DHS teleretinal screening program. A DL algorithm based on the VGG-19 architecture was trained using patient-level labels generalized to images from both eyes. Area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated to assess algorithm performance using an independent test set that was also graded by 13 clinicians with one to 15 years of experience. Algorithm performance was tested using reference labels provided by either LAC DHS optometrists or an expert panel of 3 glaucoma specialists.

Results

12,098 images from 5,616 patients (2,086 referable glaucoma, 3,530 non-glaucoma) were used to train the DL algorithm. In this dataset, mean age was 56.8 ± 10.5 years with 54.8% females and 68.2% Latinos, 8.9% Blacks, 2.7% Caucasians, and 6.0% Asians. 1,000 images from 500 patients (250 referable glaucoma, 250 non-glaucoma) with similar demographics (p ≥ 0.57) were used to test the DL algorithm. Algorithm performance matched or exceeded that of all independent clinician graders in detecting patient-level referable glaucoma based on LAC DHS optometrist (AUC = 0.92) or expert panel (AUC = 0.93) reference labels. Clinician grader sensitivity (range: 0.33-0.99) and specificity (range: 0.68-0.98) ranged widely and did not correlate with years of experience (p ≥ 0.49). Algorithm performance (AUC = 0.93) also matched or exceeded the sensitivity (range: 0.78-1.00) and specificity (range: 0.32-0.87) of 6 LAC DHS optometrists in the subsets of the test dataset they graded based on expert panel reference labels.

Conclusions

A DL algorithm for detecting referable glaucoma developed using patient-level data provided by trained LAC DHS optometrists approximates or exceeds performance by ophthalmologists and optometrists, who exhibit variable sensitivity and specificity unrelated to experience level. Implementation of this algorithm in screening workflows could help reallocate eye care resources and provide more reproducible and timely glaucoma care.
SMeta, a binning tool using single-cell sequences to aid in reconstructing species from metagenome accurately
Authors: Zhang Yuhao , Cheng Mingyue , Ning Kang
Published: August 2024

Because of the large volume and complex structure of metagenomic data, traditional binning methods are often hard to classify microbial metagenomes effectively. To deal with these challenges, introducing longer and more accurate single-cell sequencing data is a possible solution. Inspired by the existing MetaBAT2 tool, this study develops a new vector-based binning algorithm, SMeta, which uses both metagenomic and single-cell sequencing data. SMeta is specifically designed for eukaryotic microbial metagenomes, with the long reads characteristic of single-cell data. By introducing the segment tree data structure, the algorithm aligns long single-cell sequences with short metagenomic sequences quickly. This approach allows for the use of reference genomes from genomic databases to replace single-cell data, which makes more precise identification and reconstruction possible for small genome fragments, which are typically overlooked by traditional methods. Also, it might provide a higher purity sequence set for subsequent assemblies.
Intrinsically Disordered Regions Define Unique Protein Interaction Networks in CHD Family Remodelers
Authors: Tabar Mehdi Sharifi , Parsania Chirag , Giardina Caroline , Feng Yue , Wong Alex CH , Metierre Cynthia , Nagarajah Rajini , Dhungel Bijay P , Rasko John EJ , Bailey Charles G
Published: August 2024

Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding (CHD1-9) enzymes reposition nucleosomal DNA for transcription, recombination, and replication. They possess highly conserved ATPase domains flanked by poorly characterised N- and C-termini, which are enriched with intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) and short aggregation-prone regions (APRs). The roles of IDRs and APRs in CHD function has remained elusive. Here, by integrating proteomics and AlphaFold Multimer analysis, we defined the protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks within the N- and C-termini of all CHDs. We generated a comprehensive map of CHD1-9-specific binding proteins, revealing dozens of novel interactions with transcription regulators. We identified APR regions that contribute to PPI formation and demonstrated that a highly conserved APR within the C-terminus of CHD4 is critical for its interaction with the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD), as well as the CHD, ADNP, and HP1 (ChAHP) complexes. Further analysis unravels a regulatory role for the CHD4 APR in gene transcription during erythrocyte formation. Our results emphasize that the N- and C-termini of CHD chromatin remodelers establish PPI networks that drive unique transcriptional programs.
Developing consensus on priorities for preconception care in the general practice setting in the UK: study protocol
Authors: Schoenaker Danielle , Lovegrove Elizabeth , Santer Miriam , Matvienko-Sikar Karen , Carr Helen , Alwan Nisreen A , Kubelabo Laura , Davies Nathan , Godfrey Keith M
Published: August 2024

Background

Preconception medical, behavioural and socioeconomic risk factors are common among people of reproductive age and can impact pregnancy and offspring outcomes. In line with clinical guidance, primary care practitioners are encouraged to support patients to manage and optimise their health prior to pregnancy. Due to barriers, including lack of time and resources, this support is not currently part of routine practice.

Aim

As a first step towards the co-development of practical and realistic best practice guidance, this study aims to achieve consensus on a list of priority risk factors that can be used in general practice to guide opportunistic preconception care for patients of reproductive age.

Methods

This study protocol was developed with a Public Advisory Group of people of reproductive age, researchers and primary care practitioners. The consensus study will consist of three steps: 1) identifying an initial long-list of candidate risk factors and defining principles for scoring the importance of each risk factor, through a literature review, workshops with people of reproductive age, and interviews with primary care practitioners; 2) stakeholder participant prioritisation of each candidate risk factor for its importance for preconception care through a three-round eDelphi survey; and 3) agreeing on the final priority list through consensus meetings with a selected group of stakeholders. Participants living in the UK will be recruited across two stakeholder groups: people of reproductive age (through the Public Advisory Group and charities) and primary care professionals (through professional organisations).

Ethical approval

This study has been approved by the University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee (ERGO 83699 and 92950).

Dissemination

All study findings will be shared through stakeholder participants, peer-reviewed publication, lay summary, meetings and conference presentations, and relevant professional and community organisations. Ongoing research will inform implementation of the priority list in clinical practice.
Polarization textures in crystal supercells with topological bands
Authors: Jankowski Wojciech J. , Bennett Daniel , Agarwal Aneesh , Chaudhary Gaurav , Slager Robert-Jan
Published: August 2024

Two-dimensional materials are a highly tunable platform for studying the momentum space topology of the electronic wavefunctions and real space topology in terms of skyrmions, merons, and vortices of an order parameter. Such textures for electronic polarization can exist in moiré heterostructures. A quantum-mechanical definition of local polarization textures in insulating supercells was recently proposed. Here, we propose a definition for local polarization that is also valid for systems with topologically nontrivial bands. We introduce semilocal hybrid polarizations, which are valid even when the Wannier functions in a system cannot be made exponentially localized in all dimensions. We use this definition to explicitly show that nontrivial real-space polarization textures can exist in topologically nontrivial systems with nonzero Chern number under (1) an external superlattice potential, and (2) under a stacking-induced moiré potential. In the latter, we find that while the magnitude of the local polarization decreases discontinuously across a topological phase transition from trivial to topologically nontrivial, the polarization does not completely vanish. Our findings suggest that band topology and real-space polar topology may coexist in real materials.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Quark core-gluon model for heavy hybrid baryons
Authors: Cimino Lorenzo , Willemyns Cintia T. , Semay Claude
Published: August 2024

Besides the ordinary hadrons, quantum chromodynamics (QCD) allows the existence of states in which excitations of the gluonic field can play the role of valence particles, either alone in a glueball, or coupled to quarks in a hybrid. So, hybrid baryons, made of three quarks and a gluon, can exist. Till now, there is no experimental evidence for such exotic hadrons but experimental efforts are being made to search for them at CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer. In this work, a hybrid baryon is considered as a two-body system composed of a color octet three-quark core and a gluon, interacting via a QCD-inspired interaction. A semirelativistic potential model is built in which the dominant interaction is a potential simulating the flux tube confinement, and the Casimir scaling is assumed to link interactions between triplet and octet color sources. This picture is similar to the quark-diquark description for baryons. It is chosen in order to take properly into account the helicity of the gluon. Only cccg and bbbg states are considered because the strong mass asymmetry between the quark core and the gluon is expected to favor the formation of the core. As the results for heavy hybrid baryons seem relevant, we consider this paper as a proof of concept which can be extended for the study of light hybrid baryons.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Center vortex geometry at finite temperature
Authors: Mickley Jackson A. , Kamleh Waseem , Leinweber Derek B.
Published: August 2024

The geometry of center vortices is studied in SU(3) gauge theory at finite temperature to capture the key structural changes that occur through the deconfinement phase transition. Visualizations of the vortex structure in temporal and spatial slices of the lattice reveal a preference for the vortex sheet to align with the temporal dimension above the critical temperature. This is quantified through a correlation measure. A collection of vortex statistics, including vortex and branching point densities, and vortex path lengths between branching points, are analyzed to highlight internal shifts in vortex behavior arising from the loss of confinement. We find the zero-temperature inclination of branching points to cluster at short distances vanishes at high temperatures, embodying a rearrangement of branching points within the vortex structure. These findings establish the many aspects of center vortex geometry that characterize the phase transition in pure gauge theory.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Relativistic Roche problem for stars in precessing orbits around a spinning black hole
Authors: Stockinger Matteo , Shibata Masaru
Published: August 2024

Tidal disruptions of stars on the equatorial plane orbiting Kerr black holes have been widely studied. However, thus far, there have been fewer studies of stars in inclined precessing orbits around a Kerr black hole. In this paper, we use the tensor virial equations to show the presence of possible resonances in these systems for typical physical parameters of black hole–neutron star binaries in close orbits or of a white dwarf/an ordinary star orbiting a supermassive black hole. This suggests the presence of a new instability before the tidal disruption limit is encountered in such systems.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
An efficient finite element computation using subparametric transformation up to cubic-order for curved triangular elements
Authors: Sasikala J. , Shylaja G. , Kesavulu Naidu V. , Venkatesh B. , Mallikarjunaiah S.M.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

A finite element computational methodology on a curved boundary using an efficient subparametric point transformation is presented. The proposed collocation method uses one-side curved and two-side straight triangular elements to derive exact subparametric shape functions.

Design/methodology/approach

Our proposed method builds upon the domain discretization into linear, quadratic and cubic-order elements using subparametric spaces and such a discretization greatly reduces the computational complexity. A unique subparametric transformation for each triangle is derived from the unique parabolic arcs via a one-of-a-kind relationship between the nodal points.

Findings

The novel transformation derived in this paper is shown to increase the accuracy of the finite element approximation of the boundary value problem (BVP). Our overall strategy is shown to perform well for the BVP considered in this work. The accuracy of the finite element approximate solution increases with higher-order parabolic arcs.

Originality/value

The proposed collocation method uses one-side curved and two-side straight triangular elements to derive exact subparametric shape functions.
Fluidity of social identities: implications for applying intersectionality
Authors: Dharani Babar
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Intersectionality addresses complex avenues of oppression that emanate at the intersections of one’s identities. However, the intersectional framework assumes static identities, which are increasingly being acknowledged for their fluidity. This research explored the extent of the fluidity of social identities to draw implications for the application of the framework in research.

Design/methodology/approach

27 participants from a post-graduate elective course on diversity and inclusion identified their significant social identities, and submitted a write-up using hermeneutic phenomenology in which the participants shared their lived experiences of the fluidity of their social identities in different spaces they occupy or find themselves in.

Findings

Fluidity-triggering stimuli in different environments and their associations with identity-related motives were uncovered using thematic analysis. Stimuli operating at micro-, meso- and macro-levels rationally explained identity fluidity. However, in addition to types, intensity and frequency of stimuli, psychological factors, such as identity status, were decisive in determining the degree of generalization of stimuli across individuals and spaces that significantly influenced identity fluidity.

Originality/value

This research explored the extent of the fluidity of social identities to draw implications for the application of the intersectional framework in research. The findings contribute to future research by identifying limitations of the intersectional framework based on the fluidity of social identities arising from environmental stimuli that operate at micro-, meso- and macro-levels, and the extent of psychological generalization of these stimuli across spaces.
Looking back for future directions: a literature review analysis of investors’ demand for IPOs
Authors: Mehmood Waqas , Mohd-Rashid Rasidah , Abdul-Rahim Ruzita , Aman-Ullah Attia
Published: August 2024

Purpose

A critical factor to the success of IPOs is investor demand, which can be observed from the IPO subscription pattern. Therefore, the objective of this study is to review the studies on the demand of IPOs, including empirical and theoretical literature, due to the substantial growth of IPOs over the last two decades.

Design/methodology/approach

This study extracted secondary data regarding IPO demand published from 1988 to 2022 from the Scopus database. We conducted a meta-literature review for qualitative and quantitative methods on the resulting 284 articles using citation analysis (Harzing’s Publish or Perish and VOS viewer software) and content analysis.

Findings

The findings revealed significant elements of the literature, including countries, institutions, journals, authors, articles and topics. Based on the IPO literature review and analyses, this paper developed future research questions to facilitate an extension of the research. Additionally, this paper developed a dual perspective of the present state of IPO research. First, it asserts that the demand for IPOs is not limited to certain countries, jurisdictions or vintages. Second, there are very few studies on demand for IPOs available despite IPOs’ economic worth.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to present an empirical evaluation of demand for IPOs using inclusive mapping.
The prince of insiders: a multiple pathway approach to understanding IP theft insider attacks
Authors: Whitty Monica Therese , Ruddy Christopher , Keatley David , Butavicius Marcus , Grobler Marthie
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Intellectual property (IP) theft is an increasing threat that can lead to large financial losses and reputational harm. These attacks are typically noticed only after the IP is stolen, which is usually too late. This paper aims to investigate the psychological profile and the socio-technical events that statistically predict the likelihood of an IP threat.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyses 86 IP theft cases found in court documents. Two novel analyses are conducted. The research uses LLMs to analyse the personality of these insiders, which is followed by an investigation of the pathways to the attack using behaviour sequence analysis (BSA).

Findings

These IP theft insiders scored significantly higher on measures of Machiavellianism compared to the normal population. Socio-technical variables, including IP theft via photographs, travelling overseas, approaching multiple organisations and delivering presentations, were identified. Contrary to previous assumptions that there is a single pathway to an attack, the authors found that multiple, complex pathways lead to an attack (sometimes multiple attacks). This work, therefore, provides a new framework for considering critical pathways to insider attacks.

Practical implications

These findings reveal that IP theft insiders may come across as charming, star employees rather than the stereotype of disgruntled employees. Moreover, organisations’ policies may need to consider that IP theft occurs via non-linear and multiple pathways. This means that sequences of events need to be considered in detecting these attacks instead of anomalies outright. The authors also argue that there may be a case for “continuous evaluation” to detect insider activity.

Originality/value

This paper offers a new framework for understanding and studying insider threats. Instead of a single critical pathway, this work demonstrates the need to consider multiple interconnected pathways. It elucidates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and provides opportunities to reconsider current practices in detection and prevention.
The influence of digital disclosure language adoption on decrease financial information asymmetry and increase its quality
Authors: Al-Okaily Manaf
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to determine the antecedent factors of digital financial disclosure language adoption and its impact on decreasing financial information asymmetry and increasing its quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The data was obtained from 116 financial managers, who are working and responsible for preparing and filing financial statements reports in listed Jordanian firms in the Amman Stock Exchange. The partial least squares structural equation modeling approach is used for data analysis.

Findings

The empirical results revealed that the adoption of digital financial reporting is positively influenced by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Besides, the outcomes also confirm that the adoption of digital financial reporting positively influences accounting information quality, and hence hypotheses H1, H2 and H3 were accepted.

Originality/value

This study varies from previous studies because it is considered among the first empirical studies that determine the antecedent factors of digital financial reporting adoption and its impact on improving accounting information quality and sustainability in an empirical setting from a developing country perspective such as Jordan.
A ranking framework for the selection of IoT cloud platforms using hybrid multi-attribute decision-making method
Authors: Raheja Supriya , Garg Rakesh , Garg Ritvik
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The Internet of Things (IoT) cloud platforms provide end-to-end solutions that integrate various capabilities such as application development, device and connectivity management, data storage, data analysis and data visualization. The high use of these platforms results in their huge availability provided by different capabilities. Therefore, choosing the optimal IoT cloud platform to develop IoT applications successfully has become crucial. The key purpose of the present study is to implement a hybrid multi-attribute decision-making approach (MADM) to evaluate and select IoT cloud platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

The optimal selection of the IoT cloud platforms seems to be dependent on multiple attributes. Hence, the optimal selection of IoT cloud platforms problem is modeled as a MADM problem, and a hybrid approach named neutrosophic fuzzy set-Euclidean taxicab distance-based approach (NFS-ETDBA) is implemented to solve the same. NFS-ETDBA works on the calculation of assessment score for each alternative, i.e. IoT cloud platforms, by combining two different measures: Euclidean and taxicab distance.

Findings

A case study to illustrate the working of the proposed NFS-ETDBA for optimal selection of IoT cloud platforms is given. The results obtained on the basis of calculated assessment scores depict that “Azure IoT suite” is the most preferable IoT cloud platform, whereas “Salesman IoT cloud” is the least preferable.

Originality/value

The proposed NFS-ETDBA methodology for the IoT cloud platform selection is implemented for the first time in this field. ETDBA is highly capable of handling the large number of alternatives and the selection attributes involved in any decision-making process. Further, the use of fuzzy set theory (FST) makes it very easy to handle the impreciseness that may occur during the data collection through a questionnaire from a group of experts.
Toward gender equality in operations and supply chain management: a systematic review, research themes and future directions
Authors: Akbari Mohammadreza , Ruel Salomée , Nguyen Hieu Thi Minh , Reaiche Carmen , Boyle Stephen
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This systematic review of the current gender inequality issues in operations and supply chain management (OSCM) seeks to illuminate the multifaceted aspects of this issue and their various implications for the field.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing systematic literature review and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Literature Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodologies, this research delves into an analysis of 238 journal articles spanning a 47-year period. The objective is to discern existing voids and put forth actionable suggestions that align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal Number 5 (SDG5) in the context of men and women, which pertains to realizing gender equality and empowering girls and women.

Findings

The results show a significant increase in published articles over the period. However, only five literature review articles were found that specifically address gender inequality in OSCM. The five common themes impacting gender inequality in this field are gender issues, mindset, transportation disparities, human resources and gender roles in OSCM, alongside sustainability, mobility and government policy intersections. The paper emphasizes the need for further research on these themes. It also suggests implications for educators, researchers, companies, OSCM departments and policymakers to achieve SDG5.

Originality/value

This study offers valuable insights by comprehensively reviewing and systematically analyzing the prevailing gender inequality issues within OSCM. It accentuates the significance of gender equality in OSCM, augmenting the burgeoning discourse and catalyzing concerted endeavors for gender equality.