bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Auditing YouTube’s recommendation system for ideologically congenial, extreme, and problematic recommendations
Authors: Haroon Muhammad , Wojcieszak Magdalena , Chhabra Anshuman , Liu Xin , Mohapatra Prasant , Shafiq Zubair
Published: December 2023

Algorithms of social media platforms are often criticized for recommending ideologically congenial and radical content to their users. Despite these concerns, evidence on such filter bubbles and rabbit holes of radicalization is inconclusive. We conduct an audit of the platform using 100,000 sock puppets that allow us to systematically and at scale isolate the influence of the algorithm in recommendations. We test 1) whether recommended videos are congenial with regard to users’ ideology, especially deeper in the watch trail and whether 2) recommendations deeper in the trail become progressively more extreme and come from problematic channels. We find that YouTube’s algorithm recommends congenial content to its partisan users, although some moderate and cross-cutting exposure is possible and that congenial recommendations increase deeper in the trail for right-leaning users. We do not find meaningful increases in ideological extremity of recommendations deeper in the trail, yet we show that a growing proportion of recommendations comes from channels categorized as problematic (e.g., “IDW,” “Alt-right,” “Conspiracy,” and “QAnon”), with this increase being most pronounced among the very-right users. Although the proportion of these problematic recommendations is low (max of 2.5%), they are still encountered by over 36.1% of users and up to 40% in the case of very-right users.
Alternative splicing events as peripheral biomarkers for motor learning deficit caused by adverse prenatal environments
Authors: Dutta Dipankar J. , Sasaki Junko , Bansal Ankush , Sugai Keiji , Yamashita Satoshi , Li Guojiao , Lazarski Christopher , Wang Li , Sasaki Toru , Yamashita Chiho , Carryl Heather , Suzuki Ryo , Odawara Masato , Imamura Kawasawa Yuka , Rakic Pasko , Torii Masaaki , Hashimoto-Torii Kazue
Published: December 2023

Severity of neurobehavioral deficits in children born from adverse pregnancies, such as maternal alcohol consumption and diabetes, does not always correlate with the adversity’s duration and intensity. Therefore, biological signatures for accurate prediction of the severity of neurobehavioral deficits, and robust tools for reliable identification of such biomarkers, have an urgent clinical need. Here, we demonstrate that significant changes in the alternative splicing (AS) pattern of offspring lymphocyte RNA can function as accurate peripheral biomarkers for motor learning deficits in mouse models of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and offspring of mother with diabetes (OMD). An aptly trained deep-learning model identified 29 AS events common to PAE and OMD as superior predictors of motor learning deficits than AS events specific to PAE or OMD. Shapley-value analysis, a game-theory algorithm, deciphered the trained deep-learning model’s learnt associations between its input, AS events, and output, motor learning performance. Shapley values of the deep-learning model’s input identified the relative contribution of the 29 common AS events to the motor learning deficit. Gene ontology and predictive structure–function analyses, using Alphafold2 algorithm, supported existing evidence on the critical roles of these molecules in early brain development and function. The direction of most AS events was opposite in PAE and OMD, potentially from differential expression of RNA binding proteins in PAE and OMD. Altogether, this study posits that AS of lymphocyte RNA is a rich resource, and deep-learning is an effective tool, for discovery of peripheral biomarkers of neurobehavioral deficits in children of diverse adverse pregnancies.
Mechanisms and functions of intestinal vascular specialization
Authors: Bernier-Latmani Jeremiah , González-Loyola Alejandra , Petrova Tatiana V.
Published: December 2023

The intestinal vasculature has been studied for the last 100 years, and its essential role in absorbing and distributing ingested nutrients is well known. Recently, fascinating new insights into the organization, molecular mechanisms, and functions of intestinal vessels have emerged. These include maintenance of intestinal epithelial cell function, coping with microbiota-induced inflammatory pressure, recruiting gut-specific immune cells, and crosstalk with other organs. Intestinal function is also regulated at the systemic and cellular levels, such that the postprandial hyperemic response can direct up to 30% of systemic blood to gut vessels, while micron-sized endothelial cell fenestrations are necessary for nutrient uptake. In this review, we will highlight past discoveries made about intestinal vasculature in the context of new findings of molecular mechanisms underpinning gut function. Such comprehensive understanding of the system will pave the way to breakthroughs in nutrient uptake optimization, drug delivery efficiency, and treatment of human diseases.
Energy absorption and storage of nanofluidic solid–liquid composite material under high strain rates
Authors: Huang Wei , Feng Haiqi , Yu Lin , Xu Renduo , Liu Jiayi , Wang Yangwei
Published: December 2023

Efficient energy absorption and dissipation are crucial for the development of novel protective materials under intensive dynamic loadings. Nanofluidic solid–liquid composite materials (NLCs) provide a promising pathway to engineer such materials owing to their rapid and reversible energy absorption and storage performance. In this study, we conducted systematic experiments on nanoporous SiO2 based NLCs to gain a better understanding of the dynamic mechanical behavior and the underlying energy absorption and storage mechanisms under compressions with varying strain rates. Our findings indicate that the energy absorption in terms of dissipation and storage under the repeat compressive loadings includes two stages. The initial stage indicates the maximum energy absorption capacity, which is efficiently improved by the adding electrolyte solution and the retreatment. The stable energy absorbing stage represents the reversible energy absorption and storage capacity of the NLCs. Based on the noticeable strain rate effect, a three-stage mechanism is proposed to explain the significant increase of energy absorption capacity with the varying compressive strain rates. The superior reusable energy absorption capacity of NLCs holds great promise for their use as excellent energy-absorbing materials under intensive impulsive loadings.
Improved calculation of the Mie solution and the geometrical optics approximation for large droplets
Authors: Gabyshev Dmitrii N , Ganopolsky Rodion M
Published: December 2023

This article considers energy distribution of light inside a uniformly illuminated transparent water droplet. Two methods are used: the geometrical optics approximation and the Mie solution derived from wave optics. The authors describe in detail calculation algorithms suitable for efficient computer implementation and ways to improve them. In the limit for large droplets, both similarities and differences between the methods are pointed out. Resonant states are discussed, when the usually dark regions of the droplet turn out to be illuminated.
Microscopic mechanism of plasmon-mediated photocatalytic H2 splitting on Ag–Au alloy chain
Authors: Song 宋 Yuhui 玉慧 , Lu 芦 Yirui 一瑞 , Guo 郭 Axin 阿鑫 , Cao 曹 Yifei 逸飞 , Li 李 Jinping 金萍 , Fu 付 Zhengkun 正坤 , Yan 严 Lei 蕾 , Zhang 张 Zhenglong 正龙
Published: December 2023

Alloy nanostructures supporting localized surface plasmon resonances has been widely used as efficient photocatalysts, but the microscopic mechanism of alloy compositions enhancing the catalytic efficiency is still unclear. By using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), we analyze the real-time reaction processes of plasmon-mediated H2 splitting on linear Ag–Au alloy chains when exposed to femtosecond laser pulses. It is found that H2 splitting rate depends on the position and proportion of Au atoms in alloy chains, which indicates that specially designed Ag–Au alloy is more likely to induce the reaction than pure Ag chain. Especially, more electrons directly transfer from the alloy chain to the anti-bonding state of H2, thereby accelerating the H2 splitting reaction. These results establish a theoretical foundation for comprehending the microscopic mechanism of plasmon-induced chemical reaction on the alloy nanostructures.
R&D of glass scintillator for nuclear radiation detection
Authors: Hua Z.H. , Qian S. , Cai H. , Chen D.P. , Du D.J. , Fan R.R. , Han J.F. , Hu P. , Li W.C. , Liu S. , Liu Y. , Ma L.S. , Qin L.S. , Ren J. , Sui Z.X. , Sun X.Y. , Tang G. , Wang Z.L. , Yang D. , Yin S.H. , Zhang M.H. , Zhu Y.
Published: December 2023

In 2021, the Institute of High Energy Physics proposed a design of glass scintillator coupled with SiPM as a new solution for the next generation calorimeter, to explore the application of glass scintillators in high energy physics and nuclear radiation detection. The Large Area Glass Scintillator Collaboration Group was established to research and develop a glass scintillator with high density, high light yields and fast decay time. Through continuous optimization, the glasses have excellent scintillation performance with a light yield of 1000 ph/MeV and a density of 6 g/cm3. Moreover, the neutron response of the glasses was investigated, and different high-energy particles can be distinguished by signal amplitude. In addition, the radiation resistance of different glasses was tested under proton beam. All the glasses appeared opaque and produced a high radioactive background, because Gd element interacts with proton to produce radionuclides with high activity and long half-life.
Sea level rise projections up to 2150 in the northern Mediterranean coasts
Authors: Vecchio A , Anzidei M , Serpelloni E
Published: December 2023

Vertical land movements (VLM) play a crucial role in affecting the sea level rise along the coasts. They need to be estimated and included in the analysis for more accurate Sea Level (SL) projections. Here we focus on the Mediterranean basin characterized by spatially variable rates of VLM that affect the future SL along the coasts. To estimate the VLM rates we used geodetic data from continuous global navigation satellite system stations with time series longer than 4.5 years in the 1996–2023 interval, belonging to Euro-Mediterranean networks and located within 5 km from the coast. Revised SL projections up to the year 2150 are provided at 265 points on a geographical grid and at the locations of 51 tide gauges of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level, by including the estimated VLM in the SL projections released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the AR6 Report. Results show that the IPCC projections underestimate future SL along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea since the effects of tectonics and other local factors were not properly considered. Here we show that revised SL projections at 2100, when compared to the IPCC, show a maximum and minimum differences of 1094 ± 103 mm and −773 ± 106 mm, respectively, with an average value that exceeds by about 80 mm that of the IPCC in the reference Shared Socio-economic Pathways and different global warming levels. Finally, the projections indicate that about 19.000 km2 of the considered Mediterranean coasts will be more exposed to risk of inundation for the next decades, leading to enhanced impacts on the environment, human activities and infrastructures, thus suggesting the need for concrete actions to support vulnerable populations to adapt to the expected SL rise and coastal hazards by the end of this century.
On the capacity of a quantum perceptron for storing biased patterns
Authors: Benatti Fabio , Gramegna Giovanni , Mancini Stefano , Nwemadji Gibbs
Published: December 2023

Although different architectures of quantum perceptrons have been recently put forward, the capabilities of such quantum devices versus their classical counterparts remain debated. Here, we consider random patterns and targets independently distributed with biased probabilities and investigate the storage capacity of a continuous quantum perceptron model that admits a classical limit, thus facilitating the comparison of performances. Such a more general context extends a previous study of the quantum storage capacity where using statistical mechanics techniques in the limit of a large number of inputs, it was proved that no quantum advantages are to be expected concerning the storage properties. This outcome is due to the fuzziness inevitably introduced by the intrinsic stochasticity of quantum devices. We strengthen such an indication by showing that the possibility of indefinitely enhancing the storage capacity for highly correlated patterns, as it occurs in a classical setting, is instead prevented at the quantum level.
Political Biography and the Agency of Audience
Authors: Bjerk Paul
Published: December 2023

Development as Rebellion, the massive biographical study of Julius K. Nyerere, written by three leading Tanzanian scholars and published in 2020 by the august Dar es Salaam imprint Mkuki na Nyota, illustrates how authors and audience are entangled in discursive practice. Jacques Derrida’s postmodern concept of iterability suggests that any message, let alone a nationalist biography, never exists in a stable univocal state, but that its meaning takes form, continually mutating, in an interactive social context between author and audience. It is not merely that the authors address an audience imprinted with the intellectual traditions known as the “Dar es Salaam School” of the University of Dar es Salaam; they engage not just the concerns of that audience, of which they are themselves members, but their priorities and categories of thought. This essay offers a review of Development as Rebellion as evidence for a theoretical argument about how an audience shapes the composition of a piece of writing, and how this helps us address the ongoing debate about the way scholarly authority in African studies tends to reside outside Africa. Addressing this circumstance must begin counterintuitively with questions about the audience of Africanist scholarship rather than its authors.
Endemic Goiter and El Salvador’s Battle Against Cretinismo
Authors: Vrana Heather
Published: December 2023

One concern for Salvadoran and other Latin American public health researchers across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was the purported link between goiter (bocio) and cretinism (cretinismo). Goiter is empirical medical condition that is inseparable from scenes of social and political inequality, neocolonialism, development, and war, however effectively the tools that measured it often obfuscated these factors. This article draws on more than a century of goiter research and representation in popular culture to argue that goiter research was part of broader health discourse that focused on poor and rural women and girls in an attempt to improve the productive and reproductive potential of El Salvador. It discusses how goiter research positioned El Salvador as a site of knowledge production for global health. It also proposes that goiter is best understood as a disability and uses insights from critical disability studies to understand how certain groups of people were constructed as problem populations. Over time, understandings of goiter shifted and new explanations came to the fore, but the lingering association of goiter with inheritable disability proved difficult to shake.
“As [Healthy] Women Should”
Authors: Blumenthal Debra
Published: December 2023

Expanding the discussion highlighting the role of slavery in the production of medical knowledge beyond the much more extensively studied Atlantic world and the nineteenth-century US South, this article explores the exploitation of enslaved women’s bodies as clinical subjects in fifteenth-century Iberia. Menstrual disorders figured prominently among “hidden defects” cited in slave warranty suits filed by disgruntled buyers across the late medieval Mediterranean world. Reflective of their heightened interest in female physiology during this period, university-trained male physicians were the expert witnesses most frequently called on to resolve disputes concerning what an enslaved woman’s lack of menses meant. Through a close analysis of “expert” testimony in seven lawsuits filed before the court of the Justicia Civil in Valencia in the 1440s, the slave market emerges as a site offering unparalleled opportunities for physicians to directly touch and probe female genitalia. Insofar as they could be poked and prodded with relative impunity, the bodies of enslaved women bought and sold in late medieval Mediterranean markets were instrumental to the expansion of learned gynecological knowledge.
Review Article: Gastroenterology and Clostridium difficile Infection: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Kelly Colleen R , Allegretti Jessica R
Published: December 2023

Research and innovation around Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been a multidisciplinary endeavor since discovery of the organism in 1978. The field of gastroenterology has contributed to our understanding of CDI as a disease caused by disruptions in the gut microbiome and led to advances in therapeutic manipulation of gut microbiota, including fecal microbiota transplantation. The high incidence of CDI in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and treatment of the infection in this population have been of particular interest to gastroenterologists. The emergence of standardized, approved live biotherapeutic products for treatment of recurrent CDI is an inflection point in our management of this difficult clinical problem, and real-world performance of these therapies will inform optimal treatment algorithms.
Dual function of fungi-derived cytokines in inflammatory bowel diseases: protection or inflammation
Authors: Sharifinejad Niusha , Mahmoudi Elaheh
Published: December 2023

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory condition involving both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Recently, the role of intestinal fungal flora and their downstream immune pathways has been highlighted in the pathogenesis of IBD. Cytokines as primary immune mediators require a delicate balance for maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Although most cytokines have a predictable role in either amplifying or attenuating inflammation in IBD, a few cytokines have shown a dual function in the inflammatory state of the intestine. Some of these dual-faced cytokines are also involved in mucosal anti-microbial defense pathways, particularly against intestinal fungal residents. Here, we reviewed the role of these cytokines in IBD pathogenesis to achieve a better understanding of the fungal interactions in the development of IBD.
Association between adjuvant chemotherapy and survival in stage I gastric cancer patients after curative resection
Authors: Chen Qiuying , Xiao Hua , Zhang Lu , You Jingjing , Jin Zhe , Zhang Bin
Published: December 2023

Background

The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) on survival outcomes of patients with stage I gastric cancer (GC) after curative resection remains controversial. We aimed to determine whether these patients would benefit from AC.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients with pathologically confirmed stage I GC who underwent curative resection between November 2010 and December 2020. Patients were divided into AC and non-AC groups, then a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to minimize the selection bias. Potential risk factors including age, pN stage, pT stage, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, tumor size, histological type, and carcinoembryonic antigen level were used as matching covariates. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were compared between groups using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

A total of 902 consecutive patients were enrolled and 174 (19.3%) patients were treated with AC. PSM created 123 pairs of patients. Before PSM, patients receiving AC had lower 10-year RFS rates (90% vs 94.6%, P = 0.035) than those who did not receive AC; the two groups had similar 10-year DSS rates (93.8% vs 95.0%, P = 0.240). After PSM, there were no statistical differences in the 10-year RFS (90.9% vs 93.0%, P = 0.507) or DSS rates (93.5% vs 93.6%, P = 0.811) between the two groups. Similar results were found in the stage IA and IB subgroups. Moreover, these findings were not affected by AC cycles.

Conclusions

The addition of AC could not provide survival benefits for patients with stage I GC after surgery and follow-up is thus recommended. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials are required.
A cosmopolitan inversion facilitates seasonal adaptation in overwintering Drosophila
Authors: Nunez Joaquin C B , Lenhart Benedict A , Bangerter Alyssa , Murray Connor S , Mazzeo Giovanni R , Yu Yang , Nystrom Taylor L , Tern Courtney , Erickson Priscilla A , Bergland Alan O
Published: December 2023

Fluctuations in the strength and direction of natural selection through time are a ubiquitous feature of life on Earth. One evolutionary outcome of such fluctuations is adaptive tracking, wherein populations rapidly adapt from standing genetic variation. In certain circumstances, adaptive tracking can lead to the long-term maintenance of functional polymorphism despite allele frequency change due to selection. Although adaptive tracking is likely a common process, we still have a limited understanding of aspects of its genetic architecture and its strength relative to other evolutionary forces such as drift. Drosophila melanogaster living in temperate regions evolve to track seasonal fluctuations and are an excellent system to tackle these gaps in knowledge. By sequencing orchard populations collected across multiple years, we characterized the genomic signal of seasonal demography and identified that the cosmopolitan inversion In(2L)t facilitates seasonal adaptive tracking and shows molecular footprints of selection. A meta-analysis of phenotypic studies shows that seasonal loci within In(2L)t are associated with behavior, life history, physiology, and morphological traits. We identify candidate loci and experimentally link them to phenotype. Our work contributes to our general understanding of fluctuating selection and highlights the evolutionary outcome and dynamics of contemporary selection on inversions.
Incidence and Prevalence of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Meta-analysis of Population-based Studies
Authors: Cooper Jared , Markovinovic Ante , Coward Stephanie , Herauf Michelle , Shaheen Abdel-Aziz , Swain Mark , Panaccione Remo , Ma Christopher , Lu Cathy , Novak Kerri , Kroeker Karen I , Ng Siew C , Kaplan Gilaad G
Published: December 2023

Background

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic liver disease associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies of the incidence and prevalence of primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Methods

Medline and Embase were systematically searched to identify population-based studies of a defined geographic area and reported the incidence or prevalence of primary sclerosing cholangitis in the general population. Meta-analyses, using random-effects, were performed to calculate overall and country-specific incidence (per 100 000 persons/year) and prevalence rates (per 100 000 persons) with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

The 14 studies on incidence and the 12 for prevalence originated from North America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Incidence and prevalence rates of primary sclerosing cholangitis were 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.59-1.29) and 13.53 (95% confidence interval, 10.20-17.94) per 100 000 persons, respectively.

Conclusions

Both the prevalence and incidence of primary sclerosing cholangitis is low in the general population. Future studies on the incidence and prevalence of primary sclerosing cholangitis in the general population should be directed at Asia, Africa, and Latin America to allow for a more robust assessment of the global epidemiology of primary sclerosing cholangitis.
PCNA at the crossroads of human neutrophil activation, metabolism, and survival
Authors: Allen Lee-Ann H
Published: December 2023

The proliferating cell nuclear antigen scaffold differentially binds hexokinase, procaspase-9, and p47phox to regulate neutrophil metabolism, viability and activation state.
Turbulent convection in protoplanetary discs and its role in angular momentum transfer
Authors: Kurbatov E P , Pavlyuchenkov Ya N
Published: December 2023

We present a model for the transport of anisotropic turbulence in an accretion disc. The model uses the Reynolds stress tensor approach in the mean field approximation. To study the role of convection in a protoplanetary disc, we combine the turbulence model with a radiative transfer calculation, and also include convection using the mixing length approximation. We find that the turbulence generated by convection causes the angular momentum of the accretion disc to be directed outwards. We also confirm the conclusions of other authors that turbulent convection is unable to provide the observed disc accretion rates as well as a heat source sufficient for the convection to be self-sustaining. The reasons for the latter are the strong anisotropy of the turbulence together with the low efficiency of the energy transfer from the background velocity shear to the turbulent stress tensor.
A global 3D simulation of magnetospheric accretion – I. Magnetically disrupted discs and surface accretion
Authors: Zhu Zhaohuan , Stone James M , Calvet Nuria
Published: December 2023

We present a 3D ideal MHD simulation of magnetospheric accretion on to a non-rotating star. The accretion process unfolds with intricate 3D structures driven by various mechanisms. First, the disc develops filaments at the magnetospheric truncation radius (RT) due to magnetic interchange instability. These filaments penetrate deep into the magnetosphere, form multiple accretion columns, and eventually impact the star at ∼30o from the poles at nearly the free-fall speed. Over 50 per cent (90 per cent) of accretion occurs on just 5 per cent (20 per cent) of the stellar surface. Secondly, the disc region outside RT develops large-scale magnetically dominated bubbles, again due to magnetic interchange instability. These bubbles orbit at a sub-Keplerian speed, persisting for a few orbits while leading to asymmetric mass ejection. The disc outflow is overall weak because of mostly closed field lines. Thirdly, magnetically supported surface accretion regions appear above the disc, resembling a magnetized disc threaded by net vertical fields, a departure from traditional magnetospheric accretion models. Stellar fields are efficiently transported into the disc region due to above instabilities, contrasting with the ‘X-wind’ model. The accretion rate on to the star remains relatively steady with a 23 per cent standard deviation. The periodogram reveals variability occurring at around 0.2 times the Keplerian frequency at RT, linked to the large-scale magnetic bubbles. The ratio of the spin-up torque to $\dot{M}(GM_*R_T)^{1/2}$ is around 0.8. Finally, after scaling the simulation, we investigate planet migration in the inner protoplanetary disc. The disc driven migration is slow in the MHD turbulent disc beyond RT, while aerodynamic drag plays a significant role in migration within RT.
Seismic and spectroscopic analysis of nine bright red giants observed by Kepler
Authors: Coelho H R , Miglio A , Morel T , Lagarde N , Bossini D , Chaplin W J , Degl’Innocenti S , Dell’Omodarme M , Garcia R A , Handberg R , Hekker S , Huber D , Lund M N , Mathur S , Prada Moroni P G , Mosser B , Serenelli A , Rainer M , do Nascimento J D , Poretti E , Mathias P , Valle G , Dal Tio P , Duarte T
Published: December 2023

Photometric time series gathered by space telescopes such as CoRoT and Kepler allow to detect solar-like oscillations in red giant stars and to measure their global seismic constraints, which can be used to infer global stellar properties (e.g. masses, radii, and evolutionary states). Combining such precise constraints with photospheric abundances provides a means of testing mixing processes that occur inside red-giant stars. In this work, we conduct a detailed spectroscopic and seismic analysis of nine nearby (d < 200 pc) red giant stars observed by Kepler. Both seismic constraints and grid-based modelling approaches are used to determine precise fundamental parameters for those evolved stars. We compare distances and radii derived from Gaia Data Release 3 parallaxes with those inferred by a combination of seismic, spectroscopic, and photometric constraints. We find no deviations within errors bars, however the small sample size and the associated uncertainties are a limiting factor for such comparison. We use the period spacing of mixed modes to distinguish between ascending red-giants and red clump stars. Based on the evolutionary status, we apply corrections to the values of Δν for some stars, resulting in a slight improvement to the agreement between seismic and photometric distances. Finally, we couple constraints on detailed chemical abundances with the inferred masses, radii, and evolutionary states. Our results corroborate previous studies that show that observed abundances of lithium and carbon isotopic ratio are in contrast with predictions from standard models, giving robust evidence for the occurrence of additional mixing during the red-giant phase.
DESI mock challenge: constructing DESI galaxy catalogues based on FastPM simulations
Authors: Variu Andrei , Alam Shadab , Zhao Cheng , Chuang Chia-Hsun , Yu Yu , Forero-Sánchez Daniel , Ding Zhejie , Kneib Jean-Paul , Aguilar Jessica Nicole , Ahlen Steven , Brooks David , Claybaugh Todd , Cole Shaun , Dawson Kyle , de la Macorra Axel , Doel Peter , Forero-Romero Jaime E , Gontcho Satya Gontcho A , Honscheid Klaus , Landriau Martin , Manera Marc , Miquel Ramon , Nie Jundan , Percival Will , Poppett Claire , Rezaie Mehdi , Rossi Graziano , Sanchez Eusebio , Schubnell Michael , Seo Hee-Jong , Tarlé Gregory , Magana Mariana Vargas , Zhou Zhimin
Published: December 2023

Together with larger spectroscopic surveys such as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), the precision of large-scale structure studies and thus the constraints on the cosmological parameters are rapidly improving. Therefore, one must build realistic simulations and robust covariance matrices. We build galaxy catalogues by applying a halo occupation distribution (HOD) model upon the FastPM simulations, such that the resulting galaxy clustering reproduces high-resolution N-body simulations. While the resolution and halo finder are different from the reference simulations, we reproduce the reference galaxy two-point clustering measurements – monopole and quadrupole – to a precision required by the DESI Year 1 emission line galaxy sample down to non-linear scales, i.e. $k\lt 0.5\, h\, \mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$ or $s\gt 10\, \mathrm{Mpc}\, h^{-1}$. Furthermore, we compute covariance matrices based on the resulting FastPM galaxy clustering – monopole and quadrupole. We study for the first time the effect of fitting on Fourier conjugate (e.g. power spectrum) on the covariance matrix of the Fourier counterpart (e.g. correlation function). We estimate the uncertainties of the two parameters of a simple clustering model and observe a maximum variation of 20 per cent for the different covariance matrices. Nevertheless, for most studied scales the scatter is between 2 and 10  per cent. Consequently, using the current pipeline we can precisely reproduce the clustering of N-body simulations and the resulting covariance matrices provide robust uncertainty estimations against HOD fitting scenarios. We expect our methodology will be useful for the coming DESI data analyses and their extension for other studies.
A fundamental plane of black hole accretion at millimetre wavelengths
Authors: Ruffa Ilaria , Davis Timothy A , Elford Jacob S , Bureau Martin , Cappellari Michele , Gensior Jindra , Haggard Daryl , Iguchi Satoru , Lelli Federico , Liang Fu-Heng , Liu Lijie , Sarzi Marc , Williams Thomas G , Zhang Hengyue
Published: December 2023

We report the discovery of the ‘mm fundamental plane of black hole accretion’, which is a tight correlation between the nuclear 1 mm luminosity (Lν, mm), the intrinsic 2–10 keV X-ray luminosity (LX, 2–10) and the supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass (MBH) with an intrinsic scatter (σint) of 0.40 dex. The plane is found for a sample of 48 nearby galaxies, most of which are low-luminosity active galactic nuclei. Combining these sources with a sample of high-luminosity (quasar-like) nearby AGN, we show that the plane still holds. We also find that MBH correlates with Lν, mm at a highly significant level, although such correlation is less tight than the mm fundamental plane (σint = 0.51 dex). Crucially, we show that spectral energy distribution (SED) models for both advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs) and compact jets can explain the existence of these relations, which are not reproduced by the standard torus-thin accretion disc models usually associated to quasar-like AGN. The ADAF models reproduces the observed relations somewhat better than those for compact jets, although neither provides a perfect fit. Our findings thus suggest that radiatively inefficient accretion processes such as those in ADAFs or compact (and thus possibly young) jets may play a key role in both low- and high-luminosity AGN. This mm fundamental plane also offers a new, rapid method to (indirectly) estimate SMBH masses.
The multiwavelength picture of GRB 221009A’s afterglow
Authors: Klinger Marc , Taylor Andrew M , Parsotan Tyler , Beardmore Andrew , Heinz Sebastian , Zhu Sylvia J
Published: December 2023

We present counts-level fits to the multi-instrument (keV–GeV) data of the early afterglow (4 ks, 22 ks) of the brightest gamma-ray burst detected to date, GRB 221009A. The complexity of the data reduction, due to the unprecedented brightness and the location in the Galactic plane, is critically addressed. The energy spectrum is found to be well described by a smoothly broken power law with a break energy at a few keV. Three interpretations (slow/fast cooling or the transition between these) within the framework of forward shock synchrotron emission, from accelerated and subsequently cooled electrons, are found. The physical implications for each of these scenarios are discussed.
Investigating the Telerehabilitation With Aims to Improve Lower Extremity Recovery Poststroke Program: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Park Sarah , Tang Ada , Barclay Ruth , Bayley Mark , Eng Janice J , Mackay-Lyons Marilyn , Pollock Courtney , Pooyania Sepideh , Teasell Robert , Yao Jennifer , Sakakibara Brodie M
Published: December 2023

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a progressive virtual exercise and self-management intervention, the TeleRehabilitation with Aims to Improve Lower extremity recovery poststroke program (TRAIL), in individuals with stroke.

Methods

A single group pre-post study design was used. Thirty-two participants were recruited who were aged 19 years or older, had a stroke within 18 months of the beginning of the study, had hemiparesis of the lower extremity, and were able to tolerate 50 minutes of activity. Participants completed TRAIL, a synchronous exercise and self-management program delivered via videoconferencing. Participants received 8 telerehabilitation sessions over 4 weeks that were 60 to 90 minutes, with a trained physical therapist in a ≤2 to 1 participant-to-therapist ratio. Feasibility indicators in the areas of process (recruitment and retention rates, perceived satisfaction), resources (treatment fidelity and adherence, participant and assessor burden, therapist burden), management (equipment, processing time), and scientific indicators (safety, treatment response, treatment effect) were collected throughout the study using a priori criteria for success. The treatment effect was examined on the Timed “Up & Go” test, the virtual Fugl–Meyer Lower Extremity Assessment, the 30-Second Sit-to-Stand Test, the Functional Reach, the Tandem Stand, the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, the Stroke Impact Scale, and the Goal Attainment Scale.

Results

Forty-seven individuals were screened, of which 32 (78% male; median age of 64.5 years) were included for the study from 5 sites across Canada. Nine feasibility indicators met our study-specific threshold criteria for success: retention rate (0 dropouts), perceived satisfaction, treatment fidelity, adherence, therapist burden, equipment, and safety. In terms of treatment response and effect, improvements were observed in Timed “Up & Go” test (Cohen d = 0.57); Fugl–Meyer Lower Extremity Assessment (d = 0.76); 30-Second Sit-to-Stand Test (d = 0.89); and Goal Attainment Scale (d = 0.95).

Conclusion

The delivery of TRAIL, a lower extremity stroke rehabilitation program using videoconferencing technology, is feasible and appears to have positive influences on mobility, lower extremity impairment, strength, and goal attainment.

Impact

Community-based telerehabilitation programs, such as TRAIL, could extend the continuum of care during the transition back to community postdischarge or during global disruptions, such as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Delivery of synchronous lower extremity rehabilitation via videoconferencing to community-dwelling stroke survivors is feasible.
The Mexican trust: A reliable security mechanism in international finance transactions
Authors: Ibarra Garza Rafael , Quiles Eric
Published: December 2023

In this article, we will show why the Mexican guaranty trust has emerged as a preferred security mechanism in international finance transactions due to its reliability and multifaceted benefits, such as (i) it functions as a bankruptcy remote special purpose vehicle; (ii) it grants legal certainty to the parties of the trust agreement; (iii) the institutionalization of the trustee assures professionalism; (iv) a wide range of assets can be the object of guaranty trust; (v) it has a more efficient enforcement procedure; and (vi) it has tax exceptions available.
Comparative Randomized Study between Pulsed Radiofrequency and Suprascapular Nerve Block for the Treatment of Chronic Shoulder Pain
Authors: Bergamaschi Esthael Cristina Querido Avelar , Sakata Rioko Kimiko , Giraldes Ana Laura Albertoni , Ferraro Leonardo Henrique da Cunha
Published: December 2023

Objectives:

The primary objective of this study was to compare pain intensity after pulsed radiofrequence (RF) or suprascapular nerve block for the treatment of chronic shoulder pain. The secondary objectives were to compare the shoulder range of motion and supplementary analgesic requirement.

Methods:

This randomized, and prospective study included 40 patients, with chronic shoulder pain allocated into two groups. One group underwent pulsed RF, and other group was submitted to block (B) of suprascapular nerve, guided by ultrasound. There were assessed for 12 weeks regarding pain intensity, need for analgesia supplementation, and shoulder range of motion. Side effects were recorded.

Results:

Pain intensity on movement was lower in the RF group after 2, 4, and 8 weeks. At rest, pain intensity was lower in group RF than in group B after 12 weeks. Pain intensity was lower than before the procedure at all times evaluated, in both groups. There was no difference between groups in the range of motion. There was a need for tramadol supplementation in 1 patient in group RF and 2 in group B. Adverse effects observed were: local pain (RF: 1), hematoma (RF: 1; B: 1), and lipothymia (B: 2).

Discussion:

Pulsed RF on the suprascapular nerve promoted an analgesic effect for 12 weeks. Regarding the intensity of pain on movement and at rest, there was a trend towards a better effect with RF than with nerve blockage treatment. In both groups, there was a reduction in pain intensity without serious adverse effects.
Far Lateral Lumbar Decompression Using the Far-Lateral Approach
Authors: Jacob Alina , Mannion Anne F. , Pieringer Alexander , Loibl Markus , Porchet François , Reitmeir Raluca , Kleinstück Frank , Fekete Tamas F. , Jeszenszky Dezsö , Haschtmann Daniel
Published: December 2023

Study Design.

Single centre retrospective study of prospectively collected data.

Objective.

Analyse factors associated with patient reported outcome after far lateral decompression surgery (FLDS) for lumbar nerve root compression using the far-lateral approach.

Summary of Background Data.

To date, no studies have investigated the influence of vertebral level, coronal segmental Cobb angle, and the nature of the compressive tissue (hard/soft) on patient reported outcome following FLDS.

Methods.

Patients who had undergone FLDS between 2005 and 2020 were included. Coronal segmental angle (CSCA) was measured on preoperative, posteroanterior radiographs. Primary outcome measure was the Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI) score at 2 years’ follow-up (2Y-FU). Patients who had undergone microsurgical decompression using a midline approach (MID) served as a comparator group.

Results.

There were 148 FLDS and 463 MID patients. In both groups there was a significant improvement in COMI score from preoperative to 2Y-FU (P<0.0001), with greater improvement in patients treated at higher vertebral levels than in those treated at L5/S1 (P=0.014). Baseline COMI, ASA grade, BMI, and low back pain as the “chief complaint” all had a significant association with the 2-year COMI score. The nature of compressive tissue showed no association with COMI score at 2Y-FU. In the FLDS group, there was a statistically significant correlation between the preoperative CSCA and change in COMI score preoperatively to 2Y-FU (P<0.001). The association was retained in multiple regression analysis controlling for confounders. A one-degree increase in CSCA was associated with a 0.35-point worse COMI score at 2Y-FU (P=0.003).

Conclusion.

Treatment of far lateral nerve root compression showed overall good patient reported outcome, but with less improvement with advanced coronal segmental angulation. Modified approaches and techniques might be preferable for the level L5/S1.
UBXN9 inhibits the RNA exosome function to promote T cell control of liver tumorigenesis
Authors: Zhang Li , Jiao Kun , Liu Yun , Xu Guiqin , Yang Zhaojuan , Xiang Lvzhu , Chen Zehong , Xu Chen , Zuo You , Wu Zhibai , Zheng Ningqian , Zhang Xiaoren , Xia Qiang , Liu Yongzhong
Published: December 2023

Background and Aims:

Liver tumorigenesis encompasses oncogenic activation and self-adaptation of various biological processes in premalignant hepatocytes to circumvent the pressure of cellular stress and host immune control. Ubiquitin regulatory X domain-containing proteins (UBXNs) participate in the regulation of certain signaling pathways. However, whether UBXN proteins function in the development of liver cancer remains unclear.

Approach and Results:

Here, we demonstrated that UBXN9 (Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma Chromosomal Region Candidate Gene 1 Protein/Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma Locus) expression was decreased in autochthonous oncogene-induced mouse liver tumors and ~47.7% of human HCCs, and associated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC. UBXN9 attenuated liver tumorigenesis induced by different oncogenic factors and tumor growth of transplanted liver tumor cells in immuno-competent mice. Mechanistically, UBXN9 significantly inhibited the function of the RNA exosome, resulting in increased expression of RLR-stimulatory RNAs and activation of the retinoic acid-inducible gene-I-IFN-Ι signaling in tumor cells, and hence potentiated T cell recruitment and immune control of tumor growth. Abrogation of the CD8+ T cell response or inhibition of tumor cell retinoic acid-inducible gene-I signaling efficiently counteracted the UBXN9-mediated suppression of liver tumor growth.

Conclusions:

Our results reveal a modality in which UBXN9 promotes the stimulatory RNA-induced retinoic acid-inducible gene-I-interferon signaling that induces anti-tumor T cell response in liver tumorigenesis. Targeted manipulation of the UBXN9-RNA exosome circuit may have the potential to reinstate the immune control of liver tumor growth.
Age-Related Changes in Total Corneal Astigmatism in Eyes With High Myopia
Authors: Hayashi Ken , Uno Koichi , Manabe Shin-ichi , Yoshimura Koichi
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to compare age-related changes in corneal astigmatism in eyes with and without high myopia.

Methods:

Eight-hundred eyes with high myopia (axial length ≥26.0 mm) and 800 eyes without high myopia (200 eyes each from patients in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and ≥70s) underwent videokeratographic examination. The amounts of vertical/horizontal (Rx) and oblique astigmatism (Ry) components, irregular astigmatism, and corneal shape were compared between eyes with and without high myopia and among age categories.

Results:

In both groups, the mean Rx significantly changed to more positive with age (P < 0.001), whereas the Ry did not change significantly. The Rx was significantly more negative in the high myopia group than in the control group in all age categories (P ≤ 0.003), whereas the Ry did not differ significantly. The mean changes in the Rx and Ry during each 2 consecutive decades did not differ significantly between groups. The asymmetry and higher-order irregularity components increased with age (P ≤ 0.001) but did not differ significantly between groups, except for the higher-order irregularity in patients in their 60s (P = 0.018). In the averaged map, the corneal shape changed from with-the-rule to against-the-rule astigmatism with age in both groups, but the changes occurred later in the high myopia group.

Conclusions:

Age-related changes from with-the-rule to against-the-rule astigmatism occurred later in eyes with high myopia compared with eyes without high myopia in middle or older aged patients, but this change in each age decade was comparable between eyes with and without high myopia.
Commercial human frozen plasmas for local, cross-site and long-term comparability of coagulation analysers
Authors: Launois Amélie , Chahabi Sara Zia , Devaux Floriane , Amouroux Isabelle , Flaujac Claire
Published: December 2023

Laboratory compliance implies to correlate instruments for coagulation parameter with a wide range of measure using patient samples or commercialized sets of frozen plasmas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intra, inter-reproducibility and long-term stability of ExpertCor Routine (ECR) plasma sets (Stago) on different parameters. The study was realized in two laboratories on four different instruments. Inter-site and intra-site correlation of ECR sets for PT, aPTT, Fibrinogen, INR, factor V (FV) UFH and LMWH anti-Xa and intra-reproducibility of DDimer (DDI), factor VIII (FVIII:C) and antithrombin (AT) assays were tested. To evaluate ECR long-term stability, samples were tested until 180 after delivery in one laboratory. Intra-site evaluation correlation coefficients is around 1. All predefined criteria to fulfil good comparability between inter-site instruments are met with Passing slopes between 0.9 and 1.1 and intercepts ranging from −0.62 to 2.83%. Long-term stability evaluation does not show any deviation over 180 days for aPTT, fibrinogen, DDI, UFH, LMWH but a drift for FV with STA-NeoPTimal reagent. On contrary, AT and FVIII:C are not stable. PT in second has an excellent stability unlike PT in percentage. Our study validates the use of ECR sets for correlation between instruments and inter-sites agreement, as for parameters claimed on the products than for factor V and FVIII:C. The evaluation of stability confirming the possible extension of use for 180 days after delivery except for FVIII:C and AT. These plasmas sets are an excellent alternative to local plasma patient use to perform instrument comparison.