bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
STAR-FDTD: space-time modulated acousto-optic guidestar in disordered media
Authors: Raju Michael , Jayet Baptiste , Andersson-Engels Stefan 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
We developed a 2D Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for modeling a space-time modulated guidestar targeting wavefront shaping applications in disordered media. Space-time modulation in general (a particular example being the acousto-optic effect) is used here as a guidestar for the transverse confinement of light around the tagged region surrounded by disorder. Together with the guidestar, the iterative optical phase conjugation (IOPC) method is used to overcome the diffusion of light due to multiple scattering. A phase sensitive lock-in detection technique is utilized to estimate the steady-state amplitude and phase of the modulated wavefronts emerging from the guidestar region continuously operating in the Raman-Nath regime. As the IOPC scheme naturally converges to the maximally transmitting eigenchannel profile, one could use the position of the guidestar within the disorder to channelize the maximal transmission through the tagged region. The associated code developed in MATLAB® is provided as an open source (The MIT License) package. The code package is referred by the acronym STAR-FDTD where STAR stands for Space-Time modulated Acousto-optic guidestaR.
Assessing the environmental justice implications of decarbonizing the US electric grid: estimating changes in asthma exacerbation by race and income
Authors: Mehdi Qasim , Vasilakos Petros 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This paper examines how air quality improvements due to the 100% decarbonization of the US power sector in 2040 can reduce asthma exacerbation among children disaggregated by poverty status, race, and geography. Using spatial datasets that differentiate asthma prevalence by income, race, and state, we find that children living in households with income below the poverty line receive a disproportionate share of the benefits. To obtain these results, we employ several different federally administered datasets: American Community Survey, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and Poverty Thresholds as provided by the US Census. We find that Black children and poor children, on average, have higher reductions in exposure to PM2.5. Nationally, close to 235 372 asthma exacerbation cases will be averted in 2040 under the decarbonization policy compared with Business-as-Usual. States with significant gains in asthma cases averted per 100 000 are Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. Furthermore, since the asthma portion of the BRFSS is not conducted in South Carolina, Colorado, Arkansas, and South Dakota, these states were omitted from the analysis. Across all states with significant gains, children living below the poverty line have larger health benefits than children above the poverty line. Households with child poverty have 50% larger reductions in asthma exacerbations than households without childhood poverty. Black children below the poverty line experience 33% higher health gains compared to Black children per 100 000 above the poverty line, 50% higher health gains compared to White children below the poverty line, and 159% higher than White children above the poverty line. We also provide general methodological insights for quantifying the environmental justice impacts of regulatory policies. We demonstrate why using race and poverty status-based prevalence rates is critical for understanding the distribution of health improvements and evaluating whether policies contribute to environmental justice goals.
Breaking the Fourth Wall and (Meta)Fictional Reference
Authors: Semeijn Merel 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
I investigate statements in fiction that ‘break the fourth wall’ (i.e. statements through which a fictional character somehow acknowledges the fictionality of their world) and suggest that they are a mirror image of ‘parafictional statements’—that is, reports on what is true in some fiction. I explore two possible analyses, according to which statements that break the fourth wall are either a type of fictional statement, or are a type of metafictional statement, and propose a synthesis of these two analyses. I discuss how the proposed analysis relates to different interpretative strategies for dealing with inconsistency in fiction and discuss several potential counterexamples to the proposed analysis.
Nonprofit Poetry: Lewis MacAdams and the Art of Environmental Bureaucracy
Authors: Earhart Nick 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Poet Lewis MacAdams is widely regarded as a founder of the movement to restore the Los Angeles River, a 51-mile concrete drainage channel that once served as the region’s primary water source. His nonprofit organization Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) began as a one-off performance art piece in 1985. Scholars in urban planning and geography have addressed FoLAR as a case study for grassroots environmentalism, but little attention has been paid to the interplay between poetry and politics in MacAdams’s work. Given that MacAdams described FoLAR as a “forty-year artwork to bring the Los Angeles River back to life,” it is worth entertaining the quixotic premise that a nonprofit could double as a conceptual artwork or performance poem. If we consider his literary efforts in conversation with his activism, the premise seems less far-fetched. In this essay, I trace MacAdams’s path from the New York School to the poets’ enclave of Bolinas, California, in the 1970s to the concrete banks of the Los Angeles River. I argue that he devised political-poetic strategies to intervene in planning bureaucracies and that FoLAR should be understood as a durational utopian experiment, pursuing transformative possibilities from within dispiriting everyday conditions.
Consuming Consumption
Authors: Marsh Nicky 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This essay reviews four recent works examining the cultural politics of consumption. It explores the methodological and theoretical distinctions and commonalities between three works which share an historical focus. It notes the different emphases suggested by historians, sociologists, and literary critics but emphasises their shared concern with understanding the complex agency of consumption as it is can be found specifically in cultural representations. The essay also notes the persistence of the theoretical divide between these historical studies, which identify consumption as a site of ambivalent possibility and even resistance, and contemporary accounts that regard it as a site of commodification and expropriation of the self.
Soymilk yogurt fermented using Pediococcus pentosaceus TOKAI 759 m improves mice gut microbiota and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine production
Authors: Nakashima Yuki , Onuki Kotone , Hibi Tomoyuki , Ohno Rei-Ichi , Sugawa Hikari , Tominaga Yuki , Yasuda Shin , Kinoshita Hideki 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACT
This study aimed to determine the anti-inflammatory activities and bioactive compounds of soymilk yogurt prepared using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TOKAI 17 or Pediococcus pentosaceus TOKAI 759 m. Mice were divided into five groups: normal diet (ND), soymilk, soymilk yogurt using L. plantarum TOKAI 17 (SY 17) or P. pentosaceus TOKAI 759 m (SY 759 m), and 0.5 × 109 cells of each starter strain (BC 17 or BC759m). In the SY 759 m group, the serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and the cytotoxicity of natural killer cells were attenuated compared to the ND group. In the cecum microbiota, the abundances of butyrate-producing bacteria increased in the SY 759 m and BC 17 groups. Furthermore, SY 759 m metabolites contained high levels of aglycone isoflavone, adenine and showed a significant decrease in CCL-2 and interleukin-6 production in lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage. In conclusion, soymilk yogurt produced using P. pentosaceus TOKAI 759 m modulates the gut microbiota and can potentially prevent pro-inflammatory cytokine production.
Relationship between dominance hierarchy steepness and rank-relatedness of benefits in primates
Authors: Huang Pengzhen , Arlet Malgorzata E , Balasubramaniam Krishna N , Beisner Brianne A , Bliss-Moreau Eliza , Brent Lauren J N , Duboscq Julie , García-Nisa Iván , Kaburu Stefano S K , Kendal Rachel , Konečná Martina , Marty Pascal R , McCowan Brenda , Micheletta Jérôme , Ostner Julia , Schülke Oliver , Schino Gabriele , Majolo Bonaventura 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
In animal social groups, the extent to which individuals consistently win agonistic interactions and their ability to monopolize resources represent 2 core aspects of their competitive regime. However, whether these two aspects are closely correlated within groups has rarely been studied. Here, we tested the hypothesis that hierarchy steepness, which is generally used to represent power differentials between group members, predicts the variation in the distribution of fitness-related benefits (i.e. fecundity, infant survival, mating success, and feeding success) in relation to individual dominance ranks. We tested this hypothesis in primate groups using comparative phylogenetic meta-analytical techniques. Specifically, we reviewed published and unpublished studies to extract data on individual dominance ranks, their access to fitness-related benefits, and hierarchy steepness. We collected and included in our analysis a total of 153 data points, representing 27 species (including 2 chimpanzee sub-species). From these, we used 4 common methods to measure individual dominance ranks and hierarchy steepness, i.e. Dij-based normalized David’s scores, randomized Elo-ratings, and David’s scores and Elo-ratings estimated in Bayesian frameworks. We found that hierarchy steepness had no effect on the strength of the relationship between dominance rank and access to fitness-related benefits. Our results suggest that hierarchy steepness does not reflect between-group variation in the extent to which individual dominance affects the acquisition of fitness-related benefits in primates. Although the ability to win agonistic encounters is essential, we speculate that other behavioral strategies adopted by individuals may play crucial roles in resource acquisition in animal competitive regimes.
Laparoscopic versus open right hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases after portal vein embolization: international multicentre study
Authors: Bozkurt Emre , Sijberden Jasper P , Langella Serena , Cipriani Federica , Collado-Roura Francesc , Morrison-Jones Victoria , Görgec Burak , Zozaya Gabriel , Lanari Jacopo , Aghayan Davit , De Meyere Celine , Fuks David , Zimmiti Giuseppe , Ielpo Benedetto , Efanov Mikhail , Sutcliffe Robert P , Russolillo Nadia , Gomez-Artacho Miquel , Ratti Francesca , D’Hondt Mathieu , Edwin Bjørn , Cillo Umberto , Rotellar Fernando , Besselink Marc G , Primrose John N , Lopez-Ben Santi , Aldrighetti Luca A , Ferrero Alessandro , Abu Hilal Mohammad 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Laparoscopic liver surgery is increasingly used for more challenging procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and oncological safety of laparoscopic right hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases after portal vein embolization.

Methods
This was an international retrospective multicentre study of patients with colorectal liver metastases who underwent open or laparoscopic right and extended right hepatectomy after portal vein embolization between 2004 and 2020. The perioperative and oncological outcomes for patients who underwent laparoscopic and open approaches were compared using propensity score matching.

Results
Of 338 patients, 84 patients underwent a laparoscopic procedure and 254 patients underwent an open procedure. Patients in the laparoscopic group less often underwent extended right hepatectomy (18% versus 34.6% (P = 0.004)), procedures in the setting of a two-stage hepatectomy (42% versus 65% (P &lt; 0.001)), and major concurrent procedures (4% versus 16.1% (P = 0.003)). After propensity score matching, 78 patients remained in each group. The laparoscopic approach was associated with longer operating and Pringle times (330 versus 258.5 min (P &lt; 0.001) and 65 versus 30 min (P = 0.001) respectively) and a shorter length of stay (7 versus 8 days (P = 0.011)). The R0 resection rate was not different (71% for the laparoscopic approach versus 60% for the open approach (P = 0.230)). The median disease-free survival was 12 (95% c.i. 10 to 20) months for the laparoscopic approach versus 20 (95% c.i. 13 to 31) months for the open approach (P = 0.145). The median overall survival was 28 (95% c.i. 22 to 48) months for the laparoscopic approach versus 42 (95% c.i. 35 to 52) months for the open approach (P = 0.614).

Conclusion
The advantages of a laparoscopic over an open approach for (extended) right hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases after portal vein embolization are limited.
Connectivity defines the distinctive anatomy and function of the hand-knob area
Authors: Beyh Ahmad , Howells Henrietta , Giampiccolo Davide , Cancemi Daniele , De Santiago Requejo Francisco , Citro Salvatore , Keeble Hannah , Lavrador José Pedro , Bhangoo Ranjeev , Ashkan Keyoumars , Dell’Acqua Flavio , Catani Marco , Vergani Francesco 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Control of the hand muscles during fine digit movements requires a high level of sensorimotor integration, which relies on a complex network of cortical and subcortical hubs. The components of this network have been extensively studied in human and non-human primates, but discrepancies in the findings obtained from different mapping approaches are difficult to interpret. In this study, we defined the cortical and connectional components of the hand motor network in the same cohort of 20 healthy adults and 3 neurosurgical patients. We used multimodal structural magnetic resonance imaging (including T1-weighted imaging and diffusion tractography), as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging and navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS). The motor map obtained from nTMS compared favourably with the one obtained from functional magnetic resonance imaging, both of which overlapped well within the ‘hand-knob’ region of the precentral gyrus and in an adjacent region of the postcentral gyrus. nTMS stimulation of the precentral and postcentral gyri led to motor-evoked potentials in the hand muscles in all participants, with more responses recorded from precentral stimulations. We also observed that precentral stimulations tended to produce motor-evoked potentials with shorter latencies and higher amplitudes than postcentral stimulations. Tractography showed that the region of maximum overlap between terminations of precentral–postcentral U-shaped association fibres and somatosensory projection tracts colocalizes with the functional motor maps. The relationships between the functional maps, and between them and the tract terminations, were replicated in the patient cohort. Three main conclusions can be drawn from our study. First, the hand-knob region is a reliable anatomical landmark for the functional localization of fine digit movements. Second, its distinctive shape is determined by the convergence of highly myelinated long projection fibres and short U-fibres. Third, the unique role of the hand-knob area is explained by its direct action on the spinal motoneurons and the access to high-order somatosensory information for the online control of fine movements. This network is more developed in the hand region compared to other body parts of the homunculus motor strip, and it may represent an important target for enhancing motor learning during early development.
ADRA2A promotes the classical/progenitor subtype and reduces disease aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Moreno Paloma , Ohara Yuuki , Craig Amanda J , Liu Huaitian , Yang Shouhui , Dorsey Tiffany H , Zhang Lin , Panigrahi Gatikrushna , Cawley Helen , Azizian Azadeh , Gaedcke Jochen , Ghadimi Michael , Hanna Nader , Hussain S Perwez 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) manifests diverse molecular subtypes, including the classical/progenitor and basal-like/squamous subtypes, with the latter known for its aggressiveness. We employed integrative transcriptome and metabolome analyses to identify potential genes contributing to the molecular subtype differentiation and its metabolic features. Our comprehensive analysis revealed that adrenoceptor alpha 2A (ADRA2A) was downregulated in the basal-like/squamous subtype, suggesting its potential role as a candidate suppressor of this subtype. Reduced ADRA2A expression was significantly associated with a high frequency of lymph node metastasis, higher pathological grade, advanced disease stage, and decreased survival among PDAC patients. In vitro experiments demonstrated that ADRA2A transgene expression and ADRA2A agonist inhibited PDAC cell invasion. Additionally, ADRA2A-high condition downregulated the basal-like/squamous gene expression signature, while upregulating the classical/progenitor gene expression signature in our PDAC patient cohort and PDAC cell lines. Metabolome analysis conducted on the PDAC cohort and cell lines revealed that elevated ADRA2A levels were associated with suppressed amino acid and carnitine/acylcarnitine metabolism, which are characteristic metabolic profiles of the classical/progenitor subtype. Collectively, our findings suggest that heightened ADRA2A expression induces transcriptome and metabolome characteristics indicative of classical/progenitor subtype with decreased disease aggressiveness in PDAC patients. These observations introduce ADRA2A as a candidate for diagnostic and therapeutic targeting in PDAC.
Characterizing the use of full- and split-thickness skin grafts among dermatologists: an international survey
Authors: Lim Puo Nen , Salence Brogan Kelly , Hunt William Thomas Nicholas 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
The use of full-thickness and split-thickness skin grafts (FTSG/STSG) among dermatologists has not been well characterized.

Objectives
To characterize the utilization of graft techniques, fixation methods and training needs pertaining to graft use among an international cohort of dermatologists.

Methods
An online questionnaire was developed iteratively, and subsequently distributed between July and August 2022 to dermatologists from the UK, European countries and New Zealand (NZ).

Results
In total, 150 responses were obtained from the UK, Ireland, NZ, Australia, Brazil, USA and eight European countries. Among the respondents, 23.3% (35 of 150) undertook both FTSG and STSG; 46.7% (70 of 150) performed only FTSG; and 30.0% (45 of 150) did not undertake skin grafts in their practice. Of the 67 Mohs surgeons, only 42% (28 of 67) undertook both FTSG and STSG. Overall, common donor sites for FTSG included the preauricular area (86 of 105; 81.9%) and clavicle (75 of 105; 71.4%), while the thigh was the most common donor site for STSG (30 of 35; 86%). Grafts were fixed mostly with sponge tie-over dressings and basting/quilting sutures. For STSG, most were harvested using an electric dermatome (18 of 35; 51%), freehand skin-graft knife (17 of 35; 49%) and flexible razor blade (5 of 35; 14%). Of the total, 48.0% (72 of 150) considered skin grafting an essential skill in dermatology training, and most respondents cited a lack of training opportunity and insufficient surgical cases as significant barriers.

Conclusions
Our survey reveals diverse practices among an international cohort of dermatologists in the use of FTSG/STSG and highlights the need for further training.
Unveiling immunological signatures and predictors of response to immunosuppressive therapy in acquired aplastic anemia
Authors: Gupta Maya , Shanmukhaiah Chandrakala , Vundinti Babu Rao , Jose Amrutha , Tiwari Shashank , Bhowmick Amiya , Madkaikar Manisha 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) often results from immune destruction of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. However, only 60%–70% of patients with AA respond to immunosuppressive therapy (IST). There is a lack of strong predictive markers for response to IST which can help therapy. Our study sought to pinpoint unique immune markers in AA patients and validate established predictors for response to IST. We enrolled 51 severe AA patients and analyzed 57 immunological parameters via flow cytometry. Additionally, we measured paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) clone, telomere length, and thrombopoietin (TPO) levels prior to IST. After a 6-month follow-up, a response was observed. Patients with AA had a distinct immunological signature characterized by absolute lymphopenia, skewed CD4/CD8 ratio with expansion of CD8 T cells with activated and senescent phenotype. Treg counts were reduced, while the proportion of Treg A and B was comparable to controls. Treatment response was correlated with elevated absolute neutrophil count (ANC), absolute reticulocyte count (ARC), and reduced CD57+ CD8+ naive cells and B cell % before therapy. However, predictors like TPO, telomere length, and PNH did not emerge as indicators of treatment response. Identifying predictors for treatment response in AA is challenging due to abnormal hematopoiesis, genetic mutations, and treatment variables.
Prognostic and therapeutic monitoring value of plasma and urinary cytokine profile in primary membranous nephropathy: the STARMEN trial cohort
Authors: Rojas-Rivera Jorge Enrique , Hasegawa Takehiro , Fernandez-Juarez Gema , Praga Manuel , Saruta Yuko , Fernandez-Fernandez Beatriz , Ortiz Alberto ,   the Sysmex R&D Center Europe team and STARMEN working group, Egido Jesús , Praga Manuel , Rodríguez-Moreno Antolina , Rivas Begoña , Cao Mercedes , Gómez-Martino Juan Ramón , Ávila Ana , Bonet José , Quintana Luis , Agraz Irene , Diez-Encarnación Monserrat , Rabasco Cristina , Cabello Virginia , Feng Zhao , Lunding Hanna , Karalis Dimitris , Li Yun 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACT

Background
Primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is usually caused by anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) autoantibodies. There are different therapeutic options according to baseline risk. Novel biomarkers are needed to optimize risk stratification and predict and monitor the response to therapy, as proteinuria responses may be delayed. We hypothesized that plasma or urinary cytokines may provide insights into the course and response to therapy in PMN.

Methods
Overall, 192 data points from 34 participants in the STARMEN trial (NCT01955187), randomized to tacrolimus–rituximab (TAC-RTX) or corticosteroids–cyclophosphamide (GC-CYC), were analysed for plasma and urine cytokines using a highly sensitive chemiluminescence immunoassay providing a high-throughput multiplex analysis.

Results
Baseline (pretreatment) urinary C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) predicted the therapeutic response to TAC-RTX. Cytokine levels evolved over the course of therapy. The levels of nine plasma and six urinary cytokines correlated with analytical parameters of kidney damage and disease activity, such as proteinuria, estimated glomerular filtration rate and circulating anti-PLA2R levels. The correlation with these parameters was most consistent for plasma and urinary growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), plasma tumour necrosis factor α and urinary TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis. Decreasing plasma GDF15 levels were associated with response to GC-CYC. Four clusters of cytokines were associated with different stages of response to therapy in the full cohort, with the less inflammatory cluster associated with remission.

Conclusion
PMN displayed characteristic plasma and urine cytokine patterns that evolved over time as patients responded to therapy. Baseline urinary CXCL13 concentration could be a prognostic marker of response to TAC-RTX.