bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of kidney biopsy in the diagnosis of membranous nephropathy
Authors: Roccatello Dario , Fenoglio Roberta , Sciascia Savino 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT
The discovery of the target antigen M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) with the possibility to detect anti-PLA2R antibodies in serum as well as the identification of several other antigens, overall accounting for almost all cases of membranous nephropathy, paved the way to a revolutionary change in the classification of membranous nephropathy. Serum anti-PLA2R autoantibody titers have been found to be highly specific diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Therefore, a positive test for anti-PLA2R serology in patients who present with nephrotic syndrome, normal kidney function, and no evidence of another process to account for proteinuria is believed to suffice to make a diagnosis of primary membranous nephropathy, thus removing the need for a renal biopsy. While technological advances will likely allow this proposal to prevail in the near future, the reasons why renal biopsy could still remain a critical tool for the management of membranous nephropathy in real life are discussed.
Cellular communication network factor 2 regulates smooth muscle cell transdifferentiation and lipid accumulation in atherosclerosis
Authors: Xu Qian , Sun Jisheng , Holden Claire M , Neto Hildebrando Candido Ferreira , Wang Ti , Zhang Chiyuan , Fu Zuli , Joseph Giji , Shi Ruizheng , Wang Jinhu , Leask Andrew , Taylor W Robert , Lin Zhiyong 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Aims
Accruing evidence illustrates an emerging paradigm of dynamic vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) transdifferentiation during atherosclerosis progression. However, the molecular regulators that govern SMC phenotype diversification remain poorly defined. This study aims to elucidate the functional role and underlying mechanisms of cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2), a matricellular protein, in regulating SMC plasticity in the context of atherosclerosis.

Methods and results
In both human and murine atherosclerosis, an up-regulation of CCN2 is observed in transdifferentiated SMCs. Using an inducible murine SMC CCN2 deletion model, we demonstrate that SMC-specific CCN2 knockout mice are hypersusceptible to atherosclerosis development as evidenced by a profound increase in lipid-rich plaques along the entire aorta. Single-cell RNA sequencing studies reveal that SMC deficiency of CCN2 positively regulates machinery involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress, endocytosis, and lipid accumulation in transdifferentiated macrophage-like SMCs during the progression of atherosclerosis, findings recapitulated in CCN2-deficient human aortic SMCs.

Conclusion
Our studies illuminate an unanticipated protective role of SMC-CCN2 against atherosclerosis. Disruption of vascular wall homeostasis resulting from vascular SMC CCN2 deficiency predisposes mice to atherosclerosis development and progression.
The Circulating Methylome in Childhood-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Noble Alexandra , Adams Alex , Nowak Jan , Cheng Guo , Nayak Komal , Quinn Aisling , Kristiansen Mark , Kalla Rahul , Ventham Nicholas T , Giachero Federica , Jayamanne Chamara , Hansen Richard , Hold Georgina L , El-Omar Emad , Croft Nicholas M , Wilson David , Beattie R Mark , Ashton James J , Zilbauer Matthias , Ennis Sarah , Uhlig Holm H , Satsangi Jack 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
The genetic contribution to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing both Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), accounts for around 20% of disease variance, highlighting the need to characterize environmental and epigenetic influences. Recently, considerable progress has been made in characterizing the adult methylome in epigenome-wide association studies.

Methods
We report detailed analysis of the circulating methylome in 86 patients with childhood-onset CD and UC and 30 controls using the Illumina Infinium Human MethylationEPIC platform.

Results
We derived and validated a 4-probe methylation biomarker (RPS6KA2, VMP1, CFI, and ARHGEF3), with specificity and high diagnostic accuracy for pediatric IBD in UK and North American cohorts (area under the curve: 0.90-0.94). Significant epigenetic age acceleration is present at diagnosis, with the greatest observed in CD patients. Cis-methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTL) analysis identifies genetic determinants underlying epigenetic alterations notably within the HLA 6p22.1-p21.33 region. Passive smoking exposure is associated with the development of UC rather than CD, contrary to previous findings.

Conclusions
These data provide new insights into epigenetic alterations in IBD and illustrate the reproducibility and translational potential of epigenome-wide association studies in complex diseases.
Cardiac radiation exposure and incident cancer: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Picano Eugenio , Vano Eliseo , Gale Robert P , Serruys Patrick 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The use of radiological procedures has enormously advanced cardiology. People with heart disease are exposed to ionizing radiation. Exposure to ionizing radiation increases lifetime cancer risk with a dose-proportional hazard according to the linear no-threshold model adopted for radioprotection purposes. In the USA, the average citizen accumulates a median annual medical radiation exposure of 2.29 millisievert per year per capita as of the radiologic year 2016, corresponding to the dose exposure of 115 chest X-rays. Cardiology studies often involve high exposures per procedure accounting for ∼30–50% of cumulative medical radiation exposures. Malignancy is more incident in the most radiosensitive organs receiving the largest organ dose from cardiac interventions and cardiovascular imaging testing, such as the lung, bone marrow, and female breast. The latency period between radiation exposure and cancer is thought to be at least 2 years for leukaemia and 5 years for all solid cancers, and differences are more likely to emerge in cardiology studies with longer follow-up and inclusion of non-cardiovascular endpoints such as cancer incidence. In cardiological studies, excess cancers are observed 3–12 years following exposure, with longer follow-up times showing greater differences in cancer incidence. The presumed associated excess cancer risk needs greater study. These exposures provide a unique opportunity to expand our knowledge of the relationship between exposure to ionizing radiation and cancer risk. Future trials comparing interventional fluoroscopy vs. optimal medical therapy or open surgery should include a cancer incidence endpoint.
Treatment of oesophageal perforation with through-the-scope clips post-high-power short-duration atrial fibrillation ablation: case report
Authors: Zimmeck Henriette , Deneke Thomas , Halm Ulrich , Zachäus Markus , Nedios Sotirios 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
Atrio-oesophageal fistula following percutaneous catheter ablation is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. This case report highlights the advantages of a less invasive treatment for covered oesophageal perforation.

Case summary
A 66-year-old male patient underwent catheter ablation with high-power short-duration radiofrequency for symptomatic (EHRA III, tachy-cardiomyopathy) persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Post-procedural routine endoscopic examination revealed a thermal oesophageal lesion. Progression of the lesions in early follow-up examinations led to a CT scan that showed a covered perforation. Antibiotic coverage and parenteral nutrition were initiated. The patient was transferred to a multidisciplinary centre for evaluation of invasive treatments. Endoscopically, the lesions were slowly progressing, while retaining their endoluminal borders. Application of five through-the-scope clips resulted in temporary shielding that was replaced with two further clips 3 days later. This allowed for internal oesophageal healing and prevention of mediastinal infections. Due to recurrence of the AF, a repeat ablation with pulsed field was performed. Follow-up endoscopic examination after one year revealed no relevant lesions. Sinus rhythm and slight odynophagia persisted.

Discussion
This case underlines the importance of less invasive treatments for oesophageal lesions after catheter ablation, where endoluminal borders are preserved and approximation of the wound-margins allows for tissue repair. Although, this kind of treatment requires timely and thorough investigations as endoscopy and CT scan to exclude (peri-)cardiac involvement.
Case report: a non-invasive approach to diagnosis and management of pericardial haemangioma
Authors: Adomat Franziska , Steffen Dominik A , Suter-Magpantay Laurene , Linka André , Weber Lucas 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
Pericardial haemangiomas represent a very rare subset of benign cardiac tumour in an unusual location, posing a diagnostic and clinical challenge. Historically, the definitive diagnosis was achieved through surgical resection or at biopsy. In recent years, multi-parametric cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven to offer a non-invasive, biopsy-like approach to tumour characterization.

Case summary
In our case, multimodality imaging was used to characterize a pericardial mass as a haemangioma discovered coincidentally with a brain glioma. Diagnostic certainty was substantially improved through utilization of successive post-contrast bright-blood imaging at cardiac MRI, demonstrating a characteristic enhancement pattern of haemangiomas in direct comparison to the blood pool. Conservative management and mid-term follow-up showed an uneventful clinical course and partial regression of the presumed pericardial haemangioma.

Discussion
In the presence of typical features and application of individually tailored protocols, multimodality imaging can characterize cardiac tumours and guide patient management so that more invasive measures may be avoided. In our case of a suspected pericardial haemangioma, a conservative strategy was adopted with clinically uneventful course over a 2-year period. Whether this strategy can be applied to other patients with this rare tumour remains unclear, but the case report provides important information about the natural history of this entity and tissue characterization by cardiac MRI.
Habitat specificity modulates the bacterial biogeographic patterns in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Delleuze Mélanie , Schwob Guillaume , Orlando Julieta , Gerard Karin , Saucède Thomas , Brickle Paul , Poulin Elie , Cabrol Léa 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Conceptual biogeographic frameworks have proposed that the relative contribution of environmental and geographical factors on microbial distribution depends on several characteristics of the habitat (e.g. environmental heterogeneity, species diversity, and proportion of specialist/generalist taxa), all of them defining the degree of habitat specificity, but few experimental demonstrations exist. Here, we aimed to determine the effect of habitat specificity on bacterial biogeographic patterns and assembly processes in benthic coastal ecosystems of the Southern Ocean (Patagonia, Falkland/Malvinas, Kerguelen, South Georgia, and King George Islands), using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. The gradient of habitat specificity resulted from a ‘natural experimental design’ provided by the Abatus sea urchin model, from the sediment (least specific habitat) to the intestinal tissue (most specific habitat). The phylogenetic composition of the bacterial communities showed a clear differentiation by site, driven by a similar contribution of geographic and environmental distances. However, the strength of this biogeographic pattern decreased with increasing habitat specificity: sediment communities showed stronger geographic and environmental divergence compared to gut tissue. The proportion of stochastic and deterministic processes contributing to bacterial assembly varied according to the geographic scale and the habitat specificity level. For instance, an increased contribution of dispersal limitation was observed in gut tissue habitat. Our results underscore the importance of considering different habitats with contrasting levels of specificity to better understand bacterial biogeography and assembly processes over oceanographic scales.
The superior growth of Kluyveromyces marxianus at very low potassium concentrations is enabled by the high-affinity potassium transporter Hak1
Authors: Papouskova Klara , Akinola Joel , Ruiz-Castilla Francisco J , Morrissey John P , Ramos Jose , Sychrova Hana 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The non-conventional yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus has recently emerged as a promising candidate for many food, environment, and biotechnology applications. This yeast is thermotolerant and has robust growth under many adverse conditions. Here, we show that its ability to grow under potassium-limiting conditions is much better than that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting a very efficient and high-affinity potassium uptake system(s) in this species. The K. marxianus genome contains two genes for putative potassium transporters: KmHAK1 and KmTRK1. To characterize the products of the two genes, we constructed single and double knock-out mutants in K. marxianus and also expressed both genes in an S. cerevisiae mutant, that lacks potassium importers. Our results in K. marxianus and S. cerevisiae revealed that both genes encode efficient high-affinity potassium transporters, contributing to potassium homeostasis and maintaining plasma-membrane potential and cytosolic pH. In K. marxianus, the presence of HAK1 supports growth at low K+ much better than that of TRK1, probably because the substrate affinity of KmHak1 is about 10-fold higher than that of KmTrk1, and its expression is induced ~80-fold upon potassium starvation. KmHak1 is crucial for salt stress survival in both K. marxianus and S. cerevisiae. In co-expression experiments with ScTrk1 and ScTrk2, its robustness contributes to an increased tolerance of S. cerevisiae cells to sodium and lithium salt stress.
Interest, Need, or Reputation? Determinants of Qatar's Foreign Aid
Authors: Aras Bulent , Fazlioglu Burcu , Ansari Majed Al 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The literature on the motivations behind emerging donors’ foreign aid contributions—with the exception of larger countries such as China, India, Brazil and Turkey—lacks original data and empirical analyses. This article addresses this gap by providing a novel, detailed dataset of the foreign aid allocations of one resilient, relatively small emerging donor, Qatar, for the period from 2014 to 2021. The contents of our database, which we dub Qatar Aid Database, encapsulate the features of Qatar's international aid. To illustrate our dataset's efficacy, we investigate whether Qatar's foreign aid operations aim to satisfy donor interests, recipient needs, or something else. Our empirical findings affirm that although Qatar's aid allocation decisions prioritize recipient needs, its aid provision depends more on Qatar's foreign policy interests in the targeted countries.
Retinoblastoma protein activity revealed by CRISPRi study of divergent Rbf1 and Rbf2 paralogs
Authors: Raicu Ana-Maria , Castanheira Patricia , Arnosti David N 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor proteins (Rb) are highly conserved metazoan transcriptional corepressors involved in regulating the expression of thousands of genes. The vertebrate lineage and the Drosophila genus independently experienced an Rb gene duplication event, leading to the expression of several Rb paralogs whose unique and redundant roles in gene regulation remain to be fully explored. Here, we used a novel CRISPRi system in Drosophila to identify the significance of paralogy in the Rb family. We engineered dCas9 fusions to the fly Rbf1 and Rbf2 paralogs and deployed them to gene promoters in vivo, studying them in their native chromatin context. By directly querying the in vivo response of dozens of genes to Rbf1 and Rbf2 targeting, using both transcriptional as well as sensitive developmental readouts, we find that Rb paralogs function as “soft repressors” and have highly context-specific activities. Our comparison of targeting endogenous genes to reporter genes in cell culture identified striking differences in activity, underlining the importance of using CRISPRi effectors in a physiologically relevant context to identify paralog-specific activities. Our study uncovers the complexity of Rb-mediated transcriptional regulation in a living organism, and serves as a stepping stone for future CRISPRi development in Drosophila.
Chromosome-scale genome of the polyphagous pest Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae) provides insights on sex chromosome evolution in Anastrepha
Authors: Congrains Carlos , Sim Sheina B , Paulo Daniel F , Corpuz Renee L , Kauwe Angela N , Simmonds Tyler J , Simpson Sheron A , Scheffler Brian E , Geib Scott M 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, is a polyphagous true fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) considered 1 of the most serious insect pests in Central and North America to various economically relevant fruits. Despite its agricultural relevance, a high-quality genome assembly has not been reported. Here, we described the generation of a chromosome-level genome for the A. ludens using a combination of PacBio high fidelity long-reads and chromatin conformation capture sequencing data. The final assembly consisted of 140 scaffolds (821 Mb, N50 = 131 Mb), containing 99.27% complete conserved orthologs (BUSCO) for Diptera. We identified the sex chromosomes using 3 strategies: (1) visual inspection of Hi-C contact map and coverage analysis using the HiFi reads, (2) synteny with Drosophila melanogaster, and (3) the difference in the average read depth of autosomal vs sex chromosomal scaffolds. The X chromosome was found in 1 major scaffold (100 Mb) and 8 smaller contigs (1.8 Mb), and the Y chromosome was recovered in 1 large scaffold (6.1 Mb) and 35 smaller contigs (4.3 Mb). Sex chromosomes and autosomes showed considerable differences of transposable elements and gene content. Moreover, evolutionary rates of orthologs of A. ludens and Anastrepha obliqua revealed a faster evolution of X-linked, compared with autosome-linked, genes, consistent with the faster-X effect, leading us to new insights on the evolution of sex chromosomes in this diverse group of flies. This genome assembly provides a valuable resource for future evolutionary, genetic, and genomic translational research supporting the management of this important agricultural pest.
Health in the age of asset manager capitalism
Authors: Wood Benjamin , McLean Andrew , Sacks Gary 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
A relatively small number of for-profit asset managers—financial intermediaries that invest capital on behalf of other investors—have emerged in recent decades to become some of the most influential commercial actors in the global political economy. Despite their important role in society, asset managers have received little attention from a public health perspective. In this article, we aimed to propose a conceptual framework of potential pathways and mechanisms through which asset managers may influence health and equity. The framework included asset class-specific pathways related to investments in publicly listed corporate equity, private equity, ‘real assets’ (e.g. housing, hospitals, farmland) and commodities. The framework also included more generalized pathways, focusing on ways in which the large and highly concentrated asset management sector can drive economic inequities, influence policy and political decision-making and shape the global ‘development’ agenda. We argue that measures challenging so-called ‘asset manager capitalism’, such as promoting and protecting the public ownership of companies and assets in essential sectors, are imperative to address the commercial determinants of ill health and inequity.
Counter-Archiving Migration: Tracing the Records of Protests against UNHCR
Authors: Ibreck Rachel , Rees Peter , Tazzioli Martina 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The archives of migration are piecemeal and scattered. This is both an epistemological problem, and a matter of political concern in an international order that forces people to migrate, racializes them, and renders them subject to violence. In response, we explore the potential of counter-archiving migration. First, we explain why archives matter politically, and consider which traces of migration are stored and which are absent or lost. Second, we develop a methodology for counter-archiving migration. Third, we illustrate a process of counter-archiving, taking protests and violent evictions outside the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) offices as an analytical lens. We begin with an “along the grain” reading of official archives; we then turn to ethnography to trace the memories, practices, and material remnants of migrants’ struggles. Our analysis makes the case for counter-archival work in and beyond the field of migration. We argue that this approach serves to disrupt the epistemic violence of classification systems and categories associated with border violence; to chart the contestations and transformations of the global order from below; and to articulate new horizons of justice.
Establishing the Health Governance of Flows: Authority Performances and Expertise at the International Sanitary Conference of 1892
Authors: Aue Luis 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
At the 1892 International Sanitary Conference in Venice, experts established international health politics as governing the flows of people, traffic, and information. This focus has remained ingrained in current health politics and shaped the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper focuses on the micropolitics among these experts to understand the emergence of such governance expertise. In Venice, experts struggled to perform authority as European governments were unwilling to accept authoritative international expert practice. In response, the experts limited the role of international politics to regulating the movements of information, traffic, and people to make their expertise more agreeable. Such compromising governance expertise entailed two acts of silencing. The experts claimed that interventions that limited themselves to governing these flows were still highly effective and also silenced the de facto intrusiveness of their expertise into colonized sites. Combining classical sociology with science and technology studies, this article contributes conceptually by detailing how authority performances affect governance expertise. Contributing to the history of international relations, I show how the notion of international health politics as governing flows—rather than targeting ill health with global sanitary reform—became established in the late nineteenth century.