bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Weight of Reasons
Authors: Tucker Chris
Published: January 2025

The book develops, defends, and applies a “Dual Scale” model of weighing reasons to resolve various issues in ethics. It tells you everything you ever wanted to know about weighing reasons and probably a lot of stuff you didn’t want to know too. It addresses, among other things, what the general issue of weighing reasons is; what it is to weigh reasons correctly; whether reasons have more than one weight value (e.g., justifying, requiring, and/or commending weight); whether weight values are context sensitive; how to tell what the weights of reasons are; how reasons for are related to reasons against; and how the weights of reasons aggregate. After addressing such issues, it explains a number of puzzling phenomena in ethics, such as the All or Nothing Problem, the normative significance of small improvements, and the intransitivity of the makes-it-permissible-to-act-against relation.
Introduction
Authors: Steen Bård Nikolas Vik
Published: January 2025

This introduction explains how this book analyses the US-China rivalry and what its key findings are. The introduction argues that while it is too simplistic to frame the US-China rivalry as a “new cold war,” comparing the new superpower rivalry with the Cold War is still a useful analytical approach because it mirrors how most people think and make decisions about the world around them. This approach also allows us to recognize the unique features of today’s superpower dynamics—allowing us to make better decisions about how to deal with them. The introduction then goes on to highlight the books overarching themes and summarizing the findings in each of its sixteen chapters.
China
Authors: Ross Robert S
Published: January 2025

Just as US and Soviet Cold War policies reflected their twentieth-century competition over the balance of power in Europe, the trend in US and Chinese security policies in the twenty-first century will reflect US-China competition over the East Asian balance of power. Nonetheless, the US-China competition will not be Cold War II. East Asia is very different than Europe. As a maritime theater, it has its own geopolitical conditions, with distinct implications for the character of the US-China competition, including US defense policy and the regional balance of power that will determine the likelihood that China will emerge as the world’s next global naval power. The distinct geopolitical characteristics of the East Asian balance of power will determine the dynamics of US-China relations and East Asian security, as well as the character of great power politics beyond East Asia.
The Geography of Rimland and Heartland
Authors: Bekkevold Jo Inge
Published: January 2025

This chapter outlines how the geography of US-China rivalry differs from the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, and why it matters. It shows that with rimland China replacing heartland Soviet Union as the main rival of the United States, another geopolitical logic emerges. During the Cold War, the United States implemented a containment strategy toward the Soviet Union, which consisted of three main elements: perimeter defence in the Eurasian rimlands, playing the “China card” against the Soviet Union, and economic containment. The different geopolitical logic of US-China rivalry makes this Cold War blueprint unsuitable to balance China. China’s rimland position forces the United States to implement a naval-based strongpoint strategy in the Indo-Pacific theatre, it strengthens the Sino-Russian partnership, and it enhances China’s global resource acquisition strategy.
Will Europe Balance China?
Authors: Walt Stephen M
Published: January 2025

Despite growing concerns about China’s rising power, Europe is unlikely to make a direct contribution to balance it in Asia. States are most likely to balance when powerful states are located nearby and when they possess significant power projection capabilities and highly revisionist intentions. European states will do little to balance China because it is too far away to pose a direct threat to their security. Europe also lacks the military capacity to affect the balance of power in Asia, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will focus future rearmament efforts closer to home. To preserve transatlantic harmony and protect shared values, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s European members should gradually take over primary responsibility for their own defence as the United States shifts its main military effort to Asia.
Scientific Knowledge from Making and the Mechanical Mind
Authors: Adams Marcus P
Published: January 2025

Chapter 3—the second part of the account of Hobbes’s epistemology—argues that Hobbes distinguishes cognitio (knowledge from sense that can develop into prudence) from scientia (scientific knowledge) by proposing a distinct source for the latter, a unique role for language for it, and a different explanation for the human behavior that brings it about. The distinct source is making, whether a construction in geometry or civil philosophy, language’s distinct role is to mark conceptual discoveries made in construction (non-linguistic inferences from the construction of one particular to all of a kind) with private marks, form necessary universal propositions that serve as definitions, and then use those to form syllogisms, and the different explanation for the behavior that brings about scientific knowledge is that there must be a combination of curiosity, leisure, and proper methodology. The chapter argues that Hobbes’s epistemology of scientia is grounded upon two epistemic principles. The maker’s knowledge principle holds that only the maker of something knows its causes (the source), and the perspectival principle holds that explananda are determined by human interests and aims, and an explanadum determines which explanans is relevant. There is no theoretically-privileged “level,” as it were, from which one should draw causes. A knower’s interests and aims determine what is to be explained—whether how to make peace or a geometric figure—and that end determines what serves as a foundation for construction. The maker’s knowledge view takes Hobbes to be a materialist but denies any attempt at seeing him as a materialist reductionist.
scHiClassifier: a deep learning framework for cell type prediction by fusing multiple feature sets from single-cell Hi-C data
Authors: Zhou Xiangfei , Wu Hao
Published: January 2025

Single-cell high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) technology enables capturing chromosomal spatial structure information at the cellular level. However, to effectively investigate changes in chromosomal structure across different cell types, there is a requisite for methods that can identify cell types utilizing single-cell Hi-C data. Current frameworks for cell type prediction based on single-cell Hi-C data are limited, often struggling with features interpretability and biological significance, and lacking convincing and robust classification performance validation. In this study, we propose four new feature sets based on the contact matrix with clear interpretability and biological significance. Furthermore, we develop a novel deep learning framework named scHiClassifier based on multi-head self-attention encoder, 1D convolution and feature fusion, which integrates information from these four feature sets to predict cell types accurately. Through comprehensive comparison experiments with benchmark frameworks on six datasets, we demonstrate the superior classification performance and the universality of the scHiClassifier framework. We further assess the robustness of scHiClassifier through data perturbation experiments and data dropout experiments. Moreover, we demonstrate that using all feature sets in the scHiClassifier framework yields optimal performance, supported by comparisons of different feature set combinations. The effectiveness and the superiority of the multiple feature set extraction are proven by comparison with four unsupervised dimensionality reduction methods. Additionally, we analyze the importance of different feature sets and chromosomes using the “SHapley Additive exPlanations” method. Furthermore, the accuracy and reliability of the scHiClassifier framework in cell classification for single-cell Hi-C data are supported through enrichment analysis. The source code of scHiClassifier is freely available at https://github.com/HaoWuLab-Bioinformatics/scHiClassifier.
Skeletal muscle adiposity, coronary microvascular dysfunction, and adverse cardiovascular outcomes
Authors: Souza Ana Carolina do A H , Troschel Amelie S , Marquardt Jan P , Hadžić Ibrahim , Foldyna Borek , Moura Filipe A , Hainer Jon , Divakaran Sanjay , Blankstein Ron , Dorbala Sharmila , Di Carli Marcelo F , Aerts Hugo J W L , Lu Michael T , Fintelmann Florian J , Taqueti Viviany R
Published: January 2025

Background and Aims

Skeletal muscle (SM) fat infiltration, or intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), reflects muscle quality and is associated with inflammation, a key determinant in cardiometabolic disease. Coronary flow reserve (CFR), a marker of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), is independently associated with body mass index (BMI), inflammation and risk of heart failure, myocardial infarction, and death. The relationship between SM quality, CMD, and cardiovascular outcomes is not known.

Methods

Consecutive patients (n = 669) undergoing evaluation for coronary artery disease with cardiac stress positron emission tomography demonstrating normal perfusion and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction were followed over a median of 6 years for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including death and hospitalization for myocardial infarction or heart failure. Coronary flow reserve was calculated as stress/rest myocardial blood flow. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), SM, and IMAT areas (cm2) were obtained from simultaneous positron emission tomography attenuation correction computed tomography using semi-automated segmentation at the 12th thoracic vertebra level.

Results

Median age was 63 years, 70% were female, and 46% were nonwhite. Nearly half of patients were obese (46%, BMI 30–61 kg/m2), and BMI correlated highly with SAT and IMAT (r = .84 and r = .71, respectively, P < .001) and moderately with SM (r = .52, P < .001). Decreased SM and increased IMAT, but not BMI or SAT, remained independently associated with decreased CFR (adjusted P = .03 and P = .04, respectively). In adjusted analyses, both lower CFR and higher IMAT were associated with increased MACE [hazard ratio 1.78 (95% confidence interval 1.23–2.58) per −1 U CFR and 1.53 (1.30–1.80) per +10 cm2 IMAT, adjusted P = .002 and P < .0001, respectively], while higher SM and SAT were protective [hazard ratio .89 (.81–.97) per +10 cm2 SM and .94 (.91–.98) per +10 cm2 SAT, adjusted P = .01 and .003, respectively]. Every 1% increase in fatty muscle fraction [IMAT/(SM + IMAT)] conferred an independent 2% increased odds of CMD [CFR <2, odds ratio 1.02 (1.01–1.04), adjusted P = .04] and a 7% increased risk of MACE [hazard ratio 1.07 (1.04–1.09), adjusted P < .001]. There was a significant interaction between CFR and IMAT, not BMI, such that patients with both CMD and fatty muscle demonstrated highest MACE risk (adjusted P = .02).

Conclusions

Increased intermuscular fat is associated with CMD and adverse cardiovascular outcomes independently of BMI and conventional risk factors. The presence of CMD and SM fat infiltration identified a novel at-risk cardiometabolic phenotype.
Extracellular vesicle-mediated VEGF-A mRNA delivery rescues ischaemic injury with low immunogenicity
Authors: You Yi , Tian Yu , Guo Rui , Shi Junfeng , Kwak Kwang Joo , Tong Yuhao , Estania Andreanne Poppy , Hsu Wei-Hsiang , Liu Yutong , Hu Shijun , Cao Jianhong , Yang Liqun , Bai Rui , Huang Pufeng , Lee Ly James , Jiang Wen , Kim Betty Y S , Ma Shuhong , Liu Xujie , Shen Zhenya , Lan Feng , Phuong Nguyen Patricia Kim , Lee Andrew S
Published: January 2025

Background and Aims

Lackluster results from recently completed gene therapy clinical trials of VEGF-A delivered by viral vectors have heightened the need to develop alternative delivery strategies. This study aims to demonstrate the pre-clinical efficacy and safety of extracellular vesicles (EVs) loaded with VEGF-A mRNA for the treatment of ischaemic vascular disease.

Methods

After encapsulation of full-length VEGF-A mRNA into fibroblast-derived EVs via cellular nanoporation (CNP), collected VEGF-A EVs were delivered into mouse models of ischaemic injury. Target tissue delivery was verified by in situ analysis of protein and gene expression. Functional rescue was confirmed by in vivo imaging and histology. The safety of single and serial delivery was demonstrated using immune-based assays.

Results

VEGF-A EVs were generated with high mRNA content using a CNP methodology. VEGF-A EV administration demonstrated expression of exogenous VEGF-A mRNA by in situ RNA hybridization and elevated protein expression by western blot, microscopy, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mice treated with human VEGF-A EVs after femoral or coronary artery ligation exhibited heightened neovascularization in ischaemic tissues with increased arterial perfusion and improvement in left ventricular function, respectively. Serial delivery of VEGF-EVs in injured skin showed improved wound healing with repeat administration. Importantly, as compared with adeno-associated viral and lipid nanoparticle VEGF-A gene therapy modalities, murine VEGF-A EV delivery did not trigger innate or adaptive immune responses at the injection site or systemically.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that VEGF-A EV therapy offers efficient, dose-dependent VEGF-A protein formation with low immunogenicity, resulting in new vessel formation in murine models of ischaemic vascular disease.
A novel signal processing approach enabled by machine learning for the detection and identification of chemical warfare agent simulants using a GC-QEPAS system
Authors: Liberatore Nicola , Felizzato Giorgio , Mengali Sandro , Viola Roberto , Romolo Francesco Saverio
Published: January 2025

The detection and identification of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) present challenges in emergency response scenarios and for safety and security applications. This study presents the development and validation of an innovative analytical method using a gas chromatography and quartz-enhanced photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy (GC-QEPAS) sensor for the detection of stimulants for six CWAs. Following the guidelines of the European Network of Forensic Science Institute (ENFSI) and the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/808, the analytical method was validated. The validation results demonstrated the robustness and reliability of both the GC and QEPAS modules. Moreover, with regard to the toxicological threshold levels, this study highlights the efficacy of a prototype of a portable device for real security and safety applications. Furthermore, a machine learning (ML) approach was developed to automate the detection and identification of CWAs’ stimulants. The workflow involved two interconnected stages: detection based on chromatographic retention times, and identification using IR spectra through the one-class support vector machines classifier. The classifier was activated only after obtaining a positive detection based on retention times (RTs). The results highlight the ML model’s effectiveness in CWA detection and identification, combining RT analysis and IR spectrum classification, achieving 97% accuracy at a 95.5% confidence interval and 99% accuracy at a 99.7% confidence interval; this result demonstrates the model’s utility for real-world security and safety applications for CWAs.
A female sterilization method for use in field-based behavioral studies of the invasive Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis)
Authors: Chandler Jennifer L , Trotter Robert Talbot
Published: January 2025

Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky), a wood borer (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) native to China, has been unintentionally and repeatedly introduced to North American and European landscapes as a stow-away in the wood packing material commonly used in international trade. Asian longhorned beetle causes extensive damage and mortality in multiple deciduous tree species and in response, countries in both North America and Europe have adopted policies of eradication. Models that integrate patterns of Asian longhorned beetle dispersal with records of infested trees are critical in optimizing survey and eradication efforts and tracking eradication progress. While these tools continue to be developed, they have been limited by the availability of experimental dispersal data. Existing data is restricted to observations made in the beetle’s native range in China or based on inference of dispersal in invaded landscapes. Direct observation of beetle dispersal behavior in invaded landscapes could provide critical behavioral information, but the experimental release of gravid females has been incompatible with eradication program efforts. To fill this knowledge gap, there is a need to identify field-portable methods of effectively sterilizing mated females that do not alter ovipositional behavior. Here, we present a protocol for cauterizing a beetle’s ovipositor to prevent successful oviposition. Results of lab trials demonstrate the efficacy of ovipositor cauterization in inhibiting successful oviposition without altering the egg-laying behavior of gravid Asian longhorned beetle females. This method enables research to inform models of beetle dispersal and infestation risk without adding to actual or perceived risk of exacerbating infestations in an eradication program.
Characterization of Chitinase 3-like protein 1 spatiotemporal distribution in human post-traumatic brain contusions and other neuropathological scenarios
Authors: Carabias Cristina Sánchez , Alves Victoria Cunha , Hernández Laín Aurelio , Lagares Alfonso
Published: January 2025

Chitinase 3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is emerging as a promising biomarker for assessing intracranial lesion burden and predicting prognosis in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Following experimental TBI, Chi3l1 transcripts were detected in reactive astrocytes located within the pericontusional cortex. However, the cellular sources of CHI3L1 in response to hemorrhagic contusions in human brain remain unidentified. Hence, we examined a comprehensive collection of histologically defined acute and subacute human cerebral contusions with various surgical intervals using immunohistochemistry, validated through double immunofluorescence for markers such as GFAP, NeuN, MBP, and Iba-1, along with Fluoro-Jade C histofluorescence staining. CHI3L1 was found at meningeal interfaces, showing significant thickening of subpial glial plate. Paradoxically, CHI3L1-positive astrocytes were identified in neuroanatomical locations distant from hemorrhagic foci, where numerous eosinophilic ischemic neurons also exhibited CHI3L1 immunoreactivity. CHI3L1 immunostaining extended into white matter tracts and highlighted various phagocytic or activated microglia forms after delayed surgical decompressions. Given these findings, we advise against using CHI3L1 as a reactive astrogliosis marker due to its expression in multiple cell types, including astrocytes, neurons, oligodendrocytes, ependymocytes, leptomeningeal cells, microglia, and blood vessels. This non-selective response underscores the potential for CHI3L1 elevation patterns in biofluids to reflect the overall lesion burden extent.
Unraveling the metabolic heterogeneity and commonality in senescent cells using systems modeling
Authors: Li Gong-Hua , Li Yu-Hong , Yu Qin , Zhou Qing-Qing , Zhang Run-Feng , Weng Chong-Jun , Ge Ming-Xia , Kong Qing-Peng
Published: January 2025

Cellular senescence is a key contributor to aging and aging-related diseases, but its metabolic profiles are not well understood. Here, we performed a systematic analysis of the metabolic features of four types of cellular senescence (replication, irradiation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and oncogene) in 12 cell lines using genome-wide metabolic modeling and meta-analysis. We discovered that replicative and ROS-induced senescence share a common metabolic signature, marked by decreased lipid metabolism and downregulated mevalonate pathway, while irradiation and oncogene-induced senescence exhibit more heterogeneity and divergence. Our genome-wide knockout simulations showed that enhancing the mevalonate pathway, by administrating mevalonate for instance, could reverse the metabolic alterations associated with senescence and human tissue aging, suggesting a potential anti-aging or lifespan-extending effect. Indeed, the experiment in Caenorhabditis elegans showed that administrating mevalonate significantly increased the lifespan. Our study provides a new insight into the metabolic landscape of cell senescence and identifies potential targets for anti-aging interventions.
Semitopology: a topological approach to decentralized collaborative action
Authors: Gabbay Murdoch J
Published: January 2025

We introduce semitopology, a generalization of point-set topology that removes the restriction that intersections of open sets need necessarily be open. The intuition is that points represent participants in a decentralized system, and open sets represent collections of participants that collectively have the authority to collaborate to update their local state; we call this an actionable coalition. Examples of actionable coalition include: majority stakes in proof-of-stake blockchains; communicating peers in peer-to-peer networks; and even pedestrians working together to not bump into one another in the street. Where actionable coalitions exist, they have in common that collaborations are local (updating the states of the participants in the coalition, but not immediately those of the whole system); collaborations are voluntary (up to and including breaking rules); participants may be heterogeneous in their computing power or in their goals (not all pedestrians want to go to the same place); participants can choose with whom to collaborate; and they are not assumed subject to permission or synchronization by a central authority. We develop a topology-flavoured mathematics that goes some way to explaining how and why these complex decentralized systems can exhibit order, and gives us new ways to understand existing practical implementations. Semitopology is also interesting in and of itself, having a rich and interesting theory that quickly deviates from standard accounts on topological spaces. It soon becomes clear that the most interesting semitopologies are rather ill-behaved from the usual viewpoint, as they are never Hausdorff. A notion of ‘transitive open sets’ (topens) becomes central to the story, as topens define subsets of participants who should decide the same value in a distributed system that tries to achieve consensus, and points are called ‘regular’ when they have a topen neighbourhood. The theory is then further developed by introducing intertwined points, closures, closed sets and two interesting characterizations of regularity.
Decreased lymph node estrogen levels cause nonremitting progressive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis disease
Authors: Anwar Shehata , Lin Po-Ching Patrick , Pacheco Lazaro , Imai Kazuhiro , Tan Zhengzhong , Song Ziyuan , Wakamatsu Yuki , Minamiya Yoshihiro , Cheng Jianjun , Ko CheMyong , Inoue Makoto
Published: January 2025

Estrogen, a steroid hormone synthesized by both gonadal and nongonadal tissues, plays a pivotal role in modulating immune responses, including reducing relapse rates in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). This study explored the expression of aromatase, the enzyme responsible for estrogen synthesis, in lymph nodes (LNs) and its potential role in the pathogenesis of MS using a mouse model. We utilized Cyp19-RFP mice where cells that express or have previously expressed the Cyp19 gene (encoding aromatase) are marked by red fluorescent protein (RFP). RFP was detected in the high endothelial venules of all morphologically identifiable LNs, indicating aromatase activity within these tissues. We discovered that LNs actively synthesize 17β-estradiol, but this activity declines with age. Targeted delivery of an aromatase inhibitor specifically to LNs induced an interferon-β-resistant experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) phenotype. This phenotype was accompanied by significant gray matter atrophy in the spinal cord. These findings underscore LNs as crucial sites of de novo 17β-estradiol production, potentially contributing to nonremitting EAE phenotypes. The observed decline in 17β-estradiol likely exacerbates MS pathogenesis in aging mice. Importantly, aromatase expression in human cervical LNs suggests that these sites may similarly contribute to estrogen synthesis in humans, potentially opening new avenues for understanding and treating MS.
Epistemic akrasia and treacherous propositions
Authors: Luzon Bar
Published: January 2025

I argue that one ought not be epistemically akratic. Although this position may look self-evident, it is hard to pin down exactly what's wrong with the akratic subject. Indeed, some philosophers argue that epistemic akrasia is permissible. The standard anti-akratic response focuses on the weird downstream implications of this state for action and assertion. This approach, however, is unsatisfactory, since it fails to explain the epistemic impermissibility of epistemic akrasia. Here, I argue that epistemic akrasia is impermissible on a purely epistemic basis. Doing so brings out the connection between positive epistemic statuses and truth: it is that connection that explains the fundamental impermissibility of epistemic akrasia.
An Insight Into Gastro Esophagal Reflux Disease And It Management To Alternative Medicine And Lifestyle Changes
Authors: Pradhan Sushilta , Sarkar Dr Bapi Ray
Published: January 2025

Objective

This paper's primary goal is to draw attention to the persistent issues GERD sufferers experience and the ways that contemporary medicine and technology are addressing the condition's treatment. This paper's primary goal is to present some traditional medicine, primarily Chinese medicine, and its treatments for this illness.

Methods

A literature survey was done using different search databases like SpringerLink, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science. Keywords ‘Gastroesophageal reflux disease’, and ‘Traditional Chinese medicine’ were used.

Key findings

The prevalence of GERD varies among populations and geographical places. It is more common in Western countries where obesity and nutrition are important lifestyle factors. However, obesity is becoming more commonplace worldwide due to changes in lifestyle, nutrition, and obesity rates.

Conclusion

This review discusses the use of Chinese medicine and lifestyle changes for treating GERD, despite the initial treatment of PPIs. Nonetheless, up to 50% of the patients say their reflux symptoms are still present. Traditional herbal decoctions, such as modified Xiaochaihu decoction, Sini Zuojin decoction, and Hewei Jiangni decoction, have been found to reduce and even eliminate GERD symptoms. However, there is limited research and evidence-based therapeutic trials.
An unusually severe case of shiitake mushroom dermatitis with features of drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms
Authors: Ng Tristen Tze Wei , Wood Benjamin Andrew , Le Patricia
Published: January 2025

Shiitake mushroom dermatitis is a well-documented phenomenon in the literature seen after consuming raw or undercooked shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes). However, systemic features resembling a drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) are rare. We report a case of severe shiitake mushroom dermatitis with atypical systemic features resembling DRESS. A 51-year-old man presented with acute unilateral periorbital oedema and flagellate erythema with no obvious drug precipitants and was initially managed as allergic contact dermatitis in the emergency department. Further inquiry revealed a history of raw shiitake mushroom ingestion 48 h before the onset of symptoms, which led to a working diagnosis of shiitake mushroom dermatitis. Skin biopsies showed mixed spongiotic and interface inflammatory reactions with a perivascular lymphocytic infiltrate and marked eosinophilia supportive of shiitake mushroom dermatitis. Rheumatological causes of flagellate erythema and periorbital oedema were excluded from clinical and laboratory findings. The patient initially presented with apyrexia and mild eosinophilia but then developed pyrexia, hypereosinophilia, neutrophilia and transaminitis. He subsequently developed bilateral periorbital oedema with his flagellate erythema, both of which were resolved with topical and oral corticosteroids. However, there was a new widespread morbilliform eruption with dorsal oedema of his hands. A diagnosis of DRESS-like shiitake mushroom dermatitis was considered. The patient required a long course of oral prednisolone to achieve clinical and biochemical resolution of his symptoms. Our case underscores the importance of prompt recognition and management of shiitake dermatitis, especially when it presents with DRESS-like features.
The Faces of God’s Country: Christian Nationalism in the United States and the Implicit Association of Asian Faces with Foreignness
Authors: Seto Christopher H
Published: January 2025

Understanding the recent surge of discrimination and violence against Asian Americans requires careful inquiry into the beliefs underlying perceived Asian “foreignness” in the United States (USA). This study draws on over 88,000 geographically linked implicit association test (IAT) results to investigate the links between Christian nationalism and the implicit perception of Asian faces as foreign. Christian nationalism is strongly associated with heightened implicit perceptions of Asian foreignness among non-Asian IAT participants (including other minoritized ethno-racial groups), adjusting for relevant covariates. Karlson–Holm–Breen analysis suggests that the link between Christian nationalism and the implicit perception of Asian faces as foreign is partially mediated by believing that “true” Americans were born in the USA and speak English, highlighting some of the ways through which Christian nationalism is tied to racialized conceptions of American identity and belonging. Implications for the scholarship of Christian nationalism and racism are discussed.
The role of amylin, a gut–brain axis hormone, in metabolic and neurological disorders
Authors: Muhammad Tahir , Pastore Stephen F. , Good Katrina , Yu Wai Haung , Vincent John B.
Published: January 2025

Amylin, also known as islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), is a pancreatic β‐cell peptide hormone involved in satiation and control food intake. It is also produced in smaller quantities by neurons, the gastrointestinal tract, and spinal ganglia. Numerous studies have revealed that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive deficits exhibit IAPP deposits in the pancreas, brain, and blood vessels. IAPP has also been shown to exert neuroprotective effects against Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitive impairments. The objective of this review paper is to provide recent information about the pathophysiological roles of IAPP in metabolic and in neurological disorders, and its potential as a druggable target. We have reviewed preclinical and clinical human and animal research studies of IAPP. We discuss the IAPP structure, its receptors, and its physiological functions in metabolism, satiation, adiposity, obesity, and in the brain. Then we discuss its role in metabolic and neurological disorders like diabetes, obesity, bone disorder, neurodegeneration, cerebrovascular disorders, depression, alcohol use disorder, epilepsy, and in ovarian cysts. Overall, this review provides information on the progress of research into the roles of IAPP and its receptor in food intake, energy homeostasis, glucose regulation, satiation, and its role in metabolic and neurological disorders making it a potential target for therapeutic approaches. This review also suggests that the utilization of rodents overexpressing human IAPP in neurodegeneration models may unearth some significant therapeutic potentials for neurological disorders.
Sleep-Associated Traits and Hearing Difficulties in Noise: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Liu Chunyan , Wu Xiaonan , Li Jin , Song Shan , Guan Jing , Wang Qiuju
Published: January 2025

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to investigate the causal relationships between sleep-associated traits and hearing difficulties in noise (HDinN) by Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Design:

Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with chronotype, insomnia, sleep duration, daytime dozing or sleeping, and ease of getting up in the morning were extracted from European population genome-wide association study pooled data for bidirectional MR analysis. The MR-Egger regression, the inverse variance weighted technique, and the weighted median method were used for data analysis. The study was then expanded to include South Asian, East Asian, African, and Greater Middle Eastern populations.

Results:

MR analysis indicated that in European populations, ease of getting up in the morning is a protective factor for HDinN (odds ratio [OR] = 0.932, p = 4.22 × 10−5, p
FDR = 5.62 × 10−4), while shorter sleep duration was a risk factor (undersleepers: OR = 1.164, p = 0.002, p
FDR = 0.014). In addition, there was an indicative causal association between daytime dozing and HDinN (OR = 1.089, p = 0.046, p
FDR = 0.123). The conclusions were consistent in African populations (ease of getting up: OR = 0.696, p = 0.012, p
FDR = 0.041, sleep duration: OR = 0.677, p = 0.032 p
FDR = 0.091, daytime dozing: OR = 1.164, p = 0.002, p
FDR = 0.014). In the reverse direction, there was a significant causal association between HDinN and both chronotype (OR = 1.413, p = 0.011, p
FDR = 0.042) and ease of getting up in the morning (OR = 0.668, p = 1.75 × 10−5, p
FDR = 3.49 × 10−4) in European populations, with similar conclusions respectively reached in East Asian (OR = 1.085, p = 0.010, p
FDR = 0.045) and African populations (OR = 0.936, p = 0.002, p
FDR = 0.012). Furthermore, although not observed in European populations, exploratory studies in non-European populations suggested a potential association between insomnia and HDinN (East Asian: OR = 1.920, p = 0.011, p
FDR = 0.043, African: OR = 2.080, p = 0.004, p
FDR = 0.019, South Asian: OR = 1.981, p = 1.59 × 10−4, P
FDR = 0.002, Greater Middle Eastern: OR = 2.394, p = 0.002, p
FDR = 0.012), and vice versa (Greater Middle Eastern: OR = 1.056, p = 0.014, p
FDR = 0.044).

Conclusions:

This study identified a potential bidirectional causal relationship between sleep-associated traits and HDinN. However, the underlying mechanisms of the causal relationships reported here have yet to be elucidated.
From Sheep to Sling: Pediatric Injuries Due to Rodeo Mutton Bustin’
Authors: Schultz Rebecca J. , Amaral Jason Z. , Taylor Tristen N. , Diejomaoh Rioke M. , De Las Casas Valeria C. , Wall Jon C. , Rosenfeld Scott B.
Published: January 2025

Background:

Mutton Bustin’ was developed as a safer alternative to rough stock rodeo events such as bull riding to allow kids to participate in the rodeo. Children hold on to the bareback of a running sheep until they fall, competing to see who can ride the longest. While reports of injuries due to other rodeo events are well described in the literature, there are no reports of Mutton Bustin’-associated injuries. We present a case series describing the injury patterns in Mutton Busters who presented to our institution.

Methods:

Pediatric patients presenting to a single tertiary pediatric hospital system from April 2011 to April 2023 with injuries related to participation in Mutton Bustin’ were identified for retrospective review. Review of the medical record was performed to identify patients and collect demographic information (sex, age at injury, race, BMI), injury characteristics, mechanism of injury, and treatment patterns.

Results:

We identified 20 patients (mean age 5.5±1.2 y, 55% female) presenting to our institution with Mutton Bustin’ injuries. The most common injury pattern was upper extremity fracture occurring in 18/20 (90%) cases. Three (15%) of patients required surgical intervention. No patients had complications related to their injuries.

Conclusions:

Our series demonstrates upper extremity fractures to be the most common injuries obtained while Mutton Bustin’ outlines patient education strategies to prevent future rodeo-related injuries.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV—prognostic case series
Validation of the Hanvon FY730 upper-arm blood pressure monitor according to the AAMI/ESH/ISO universal standard (ISO 81060-2:2018)
Authors: Chen Hao
Published: January 2025

This study evaluates the measurement accuracy of the Hanvon FY730 upper-arm blood pressure (BP) monitor, which uses the Korotkoff sound method, in compliance with the AAMI/ESH/ISO universal standard (ISO 81060-2:2018). A clinical trial involving 86 eligible adults was conducted, and data were analyzed based on standardized protocols. The mean differences between the device and reference measurements for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were −0.37 mmHg (SD: 2.25 mmHg) and −0.17 mmHg (SD: 2.02 mmHg), respectively. Standard deviations for SBP (≤6.93 mmHg) and DBP (≤6.95 mmHg) met the required thresholds. A total of 258 effective paired measurements demonstrated that the Hanvon FY730 provides highly consistent results compared with reference methods, with all deviations falling within acceptable limits. The study also confirmed the device’s reliability across a wide range of arm circumferences (22–36 cm) and BP levels (SBP: 90–188 mmHg, DBP: 53–107 mmHg). These findings confirm that the Hanvon FY730 complies with ISO 81060-2:2018 standards, demonstrating its suitability for accurate BP monitoring in clinical, personal, and home settings.
Prediction of EGFR mutation status and its subtypes in non-small cell lung cancer based on 18F-FDG PET/CT radiological features
Authors: Fan Yishuo , Liu Yuang , Ouyang Xiaohui , Su Jiagui , Zhou Xiaohong , Jia Qichen , Chen Wenjing , Chen Wen , Liu Xiaofei
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Prediction of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status and subtypes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) radiomics features.

Patients and Methods

Retrospective analysis of 201 NSCLC patients with 18F-FDG PET/CT and EGFR genetic testing was carried out. Radiomics features and clinical factors were used to construct a combined model for identifying EGFR mutation status. Mutation/wild-type models were trained in a training cohort (n = 129) and validated in an internal validation cohort (n = 41) vs an external validation cohort (n = 50). A second model predicting the 19/21 mutation locus was also built and evaluated in a subset of EGFR mutations (training cohort, n = 55; validation cohort, n = 14). The predictive performance and net clinical benefit of the models were assessed by analysis of the area under curve (AUC) of the subjects, nomogram, calibration curve and decision curve.

Results

The AUC of the combined model distinguishing EGFR mutation status was 0.864 in the training cohort and 0.806 and 0.791 in the internal vs external test sets respectively, and the AUC of the 19/21 mutation site model was 0.971 and 0.867 in the training cohort and internal validation cohort respectively. The calibration curves of the individual models showed better model predictions (Brier score <0.25). Decision curve analysis showed that the models had clinical application.

Conclusion

The combined model based on 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics features combined and clinical features can predict EGFR mutation status and subtypes in NSCLC patients, and guiding targeted therapy, and facilitate precision medicine development.
Network topology and metabolic alterations in early- and mid-stage Parkinson’s disease: insights from fluorodeoxyglucose PET imaging
Authors: Li Min , Liu Jianpeng , Lv Rongbin , Liu Fangfei , Wang Guangbin , Wang Jiyuan , Cheng Juan , Jia Mingsheng , Wang Na , Liu Shuyong
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with distinct metabolic alterations in the brain, which are detectable via 18F-FDG PET. This study aims to delineate glucose metabolism patterns and network topology changes across early- and mid-stage PD patients.

Methods

A total of 80 PD patients (Hoehn–Yahr stages 1–3) were retrospectively analyzed, including 40 early-stage and 40 mid-stage cases, along with 40 age-matched healthy controls. All participants underwent 18F-FDG PET imaging. The brain metabolic activity was quantified, and network topology was assessed using graph theory metrics. Statistical comparisons between PD stages and control groups were performed to identify significant differences in metabolic patterns and network alterations.

Results

Early-stage PD patients exhibited hypermetabolism in regions such as the pons and thalamus, with significant differences in metabolic activity compared with controls. Mid-stage PD patients showed more extensive hypermetabolism in the pons, right cerebellum, and putamen, alongside hypometabolism in the cuneus and calcarine regions. Hub node connectivity analysis revealed decreased connectivity in temporal and occipital lobes for both stages, while the limbic and frontal lobes showed enhanced connectivity. Compared with early-stage PD, mid-stage PD had reduced connectivity in the limbic system but increased in the frontal and occipital lobes.

Conclusions

18F-FDG PET imaging reveals progressive metabolic disruptions and network changes in PD, offering potential biomarkers for disease staging and therapeutic targeting, while also aiding in the understanding of disease progression and guiding therapeutic interventions.
Postencephalitic Proper- and Common-name Anomia, Alexia With Agraphia, and Mild Semantic Deficit due to Left Anterior Temporal Lobe Lesion
Authors: Sakurai Yasuhisa , Ishizaka Yuko
Published: January 2025

Here we report the case of an individual who developed proper- and common-name anomia with no category specificity, alexia with agraphia for kanji (Japanese morphograms), and mild verbal and semantic memory impairment after unilateral herpes simplex encephalitis. Although their common-name anomia, alexia with agraphia, and semantic memory impairment resolved within 2 years, this individual continued to experience proper-name anomia and verbal memory impairment. Encephalitic damage was limited to the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL), amygdala, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus, sparing the mid-fusiform and posterior inferior temporal gyri. Although ATL lesions are not typically associated with semantic memory impairment, we suggest that damage to the left ATL can result in both proper- and common-name anomia, as was evident in the current case. In these cases, proper-name anomia may be more severe and persistent than common-name anomia, which may be mild and significantly improved within several years. In cases of semantic memory deficits, persistent common-name anomia, and severe alexia with agraphia, there is typically more extensive involvement of the temporal lobe than seen in the current case, including the mid-fusiform and posterior inferior temporal gyri.
Friend or Foe? Safety and Efficacy of Hepatitis B Viremic Solid Organ Allograft into Seronegative Recipients
Authors: Pratt Catherine G , Noriega Nicolas , Delman Aaron M , Moore Allison N , Bari Khurram , Luckett Keith , Kaiser Tiffany E , Quillin Ralph C , Cuffy Madison C , Shah Shimul A
Published: January 2025

Background:

Long-term outcomes of HBV nucleic acid test (NAT)-positive (+) allograft use in seronegative liver transplant (LT) and kidney transplant (KT) recipients remains unknown despite being incorporated into practice by select centers. This study compares long-term outcomes between HBV NAT+ and NAT-negative (–) allografts in seronegative recipients.

Study Design:

All recipients of an HBV core antibody-positive (HBcAb+) LT or KT were prospectively evaluated at a single transplant center from 6/2015-3/2023 and compared by NAT status. Study endpoints were post-transplant viremia, patient, and graft survival.

Results:

144 HBcAb+ LT and 220 HBcAb+ KT were performed including 57 (39.6%) NAT+ LT’s and 123 (55.9%) NAT+ KT’s with a median follow-up of 36 months. 14.8% of NAT+ and 3.5% of NAT– LTs experienced post-transplant viremia (p=0.004). At the time of last follow-up, 100% of NAT+ and 98.9% of NAT– LT recipients had undetectable HBV DNA (p=0.31). 4.1% of NAT+ and 6.2% of NAT– KTs experienced post-transplant viremia (p=0.12). At the time of last follow-up, 100% of NAT+ and 96.9% of NAT– KT recipients had undetectable HBV DNA (p=0.85). LT and KT patient and graft survival were not different between groups (p>0.05).

Conclusion:

With close surveillance, HBV seronegative recipients transplanted with NAT+ allografts can develop viremia which can be cleared with antiviral therapy. This is the first and largest single-center study reporting longer-term experience with HBV NAT+ allografts in seronegative recipients demonstrating the safe expansion of the donor pool.
Leveraging ancestral recombination graphs for quantitative genetic analysis of rice yield in indica and japonica subspecies
Authors: Rebollo Ines , Tolhurst Daniel , Obšteter Jana , Rosas Juan E. , Gorjanc Gregor
Published: January 2025

Rice (Oryza sativaL.) has two main subspecies,indicaandjaponica, which coexist in many regions but are often treated separately during breeding. Combining both subspecies in quantitative genetic analyses could enhance genetic improvement, however, this requires appropriately modelling their genetic history. The ancestral recombination graph (ARG) is an effective population genetics tool that comprehensively and succinctly represents a species' genetic history. This study evaluated the use of an ARG, encoded as a tree sequence, to improve quantitative genetic analyses ofindicaandjaponicarice. Using data from Uruguays National Rice Breeding Program, we inferred ancestral alleles, constructed and dated an ARG, and examined its application in genomic prediction and genome-wide association studies. We compared the predictive ability of a branch-based relationship matrix (BRM) built from an ARG against conventional relationship matrices from pedigree and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site data. We then estimated BRM's SNP site effects to identify potential sites of interest and better understand how these map onto the tree sequence branches. The results showed that the ARG captured key biological signals, encoded genomic data more efficiently than conventional formats, and resulted in the highest predictive ability when combining both subspecies. Although the ARG-based approach did not substantially outperform conventional approaches for between-species prediction, this approach holds promise for plant breeding with larger datasets and could enhance genome-wide association studies by elucidating haplotype ancestry and the evolution of their value. Overall, our results demonstrated the potential of ARGs for the quantitative genetic analysis of diverse populations.