bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Endocrine disruption and male reproductive disorders: unanswered questions
Authors: Sharpe Richard M 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Maternal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in human pregnancy is widely considered as an important cause of adverse changes in male reproductive health due to impaired foetal androgen production/action. However, the epidemiological evidence supporting this view is equivocal, except for certain phthalates, notably diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP). Maternal phthalate exposure levels associated with adverse reproductive changes in epidemiological studies are several thousand-fold lower than those needed to suppress foetal androgen production in rats, and direct studies using human foetal testis tissue show no effect of high phthalate exposure on androgen production. This conundrum is unexplained and raises fundamental questions. Human DEHP exposure is predominantly via food with highest exposure associated with consumption of a Western style (unhealthy) diet. This diet is also associated with increased exposure to the most common EDCs, whether persistent (chlorinated or fluorinated chemicals) or non-persistent (phthalates, bisphenols) compounds, which are found at highest levels in fatty and processed foods. Consequently, epidemiological studies associating EDC exposure and male reproductive health disorders are confounded by potential dietary effects, and vice versa. A Western diet/lifestyle in young adulthood is also associated with low sperm counts. Disentangling EDC and dietary effects in epidemiological studies is challenging. In pregnancy, a Western diet, EDC exposure, and maternal living in proximity to industrial sites are all associated with impaired foetal growth/development due to placental dysfunction, which predisposes to congenital male reproductive disorders (cryptorchidism, hypospadias). While the latter are considered to reflect impaired foetal androgen production, effects resulting from foetal growth impairment (FGI) are likely indirect. As FGI has numerous life-long health consequences, and is affected by maternal lifestyle, research into the origins of male reproductive disorders should take more account of this. Additionally, potential effects on foetal growth/foetal testis from the increasing use of medications in pregnancy deserves more research attention.
Descent and Étale-Brauer Obstructions for 0-Cycles
Authors: Balestrieri Francesca , Berg Jennifer 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
For 0-cycles on a variety over a number field, we define an analogue of the classical descent set for rational points. This leads to, among other things, a definition of the étale-Brauer obstruction set for 0-cycles. We show that all these constructions are compatible with Suslin’s singular homology of degree 0. We then transfer some tools and techniques used to study the arithmetic of rational points into the setting of 0-cycles. For example, we extend the strategy developed by Y. Liang, relating the arithmetic of rational points over finite extensions of the base field to that of 0-cycles, to torsors. We give applications of our results to study the arithmetic behaviour of 0-cycles for Enriques surfaces, torsors given by (twisted) Kummer varieties, universal torsors, and torsors under tori.
Treponema pallidum Periplasmic and Membrane Proteins Are Recognized by Circulating and Skin CD4+ T Cells
Authors: Reid Tara B , Godornes Charmie , Campbell Victoria L , Laing Kerry J , Tantalo Lauren C , Gomez Alloysius , Pholsena Thepthara N , Lieberman Nicole A P , Krause Taylor M , Cegielski Victoria I , Culver Lauren A , Nguyen Nhi , Tong Denise Q , Hawley Kelly L , Greninger Alexander L , Giacani Lorenzo , Cameron Caroline E , Dombrowski Julia C , Wald Anna , Koelle David M 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
Histologic and serologic studies suggest the induction of local and systemic Treponema pallidum-specific CD4+ T-cell responses to T. pallidum infection. We hypothesized that T. pallidum-specific CD4+ T cells are detectable in blood and in the skin rash of secondary syphilis and persist in both compartments after treatment.

Methods
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from 67 participants were screened by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) ELISPOT response to T. pallidum sonicate. T. pallidum-reactive T-cell lines from blood and skin were probed for responses to 89 recombinant T. pallidum antigens. Peptide epitopes and HLA class II restriction were defined for selected antigens.

Results
We detected CD4+ T-cell responses to T. pallidum sonicate ex vivo. Using T. pallidum-reactive T-cell lines we observed recognition of 14 discrete proteins, 13 of which localize to bacterial membranes or the periplasmic space. After therapy, T. pallidum-specific T cells persisted for at least 6 months in skin and 10 years in blood.

Conclusions
T. pallidum infection elicits an antigen-specific CD4+ T-cell response in blood and skin. T. pallidum-specific CD4+ T cells persist as memory in both compartments long after curative therapy. The T. pallidum antigenic targets we identified may be high-priority vaccine candidates.
When the World Is an Object: On the Governmental Promise of a Digital Twin Earth
Authors: Rothe Delf 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
A growing body of literature studies how expert practices constitute issues such as climate change, migration, or public health as international objects of expertise. The article contributes to this research agenda by highlighting the role of digital visual technologies and infrastructures in the constitution and governance of these international objects. It develops the concept of visual objects and uses it to trace and explain the emergence of a new technological initiative conducted by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the EU: the vision of a ‘digital twin Earth’ (DTE). The idea behind the DTE is to combine various technologies, including satellite Earth observation, advanced computer models, and AI, to build a digital replica of our planet and thereby govern risks emanating from environmental changes and other global challenges. The article provides a first analysis of the international politics of the DTE. It shows how the visual object of the DTE functions as an attractor of heterogeneous actors and practices involved in the European space policy field thereby temporarily stabilizing this complex assemblage. Finally, it traces how the DTE and its machinic ways of seeing enact the Earth not only as an object of knowledge but also as one of experimentation and intervention.
Pregnancy risk in beef and dairy cows after supplementing semen with transforming growth factor beta-1 at the time of artificial insemination
Authors: Fritsche Katelyn L M , Ahola Jason K , Pinedo Pablo J , Seidel George E , Rhoades Ryan D , Stevenson Jeffrey S , Olson K C , Jaeger John R , Grieger David M , Bromfield John J 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Our objective was to determine if the addition of a concentrated human recombinant transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF) to bovine semen at the time of AI would result in increased risk of pregnancy in beef and dairy cows. Suckled beef cows (n = 1,132) in 11 herds across 2 states and lactating dairy cows (n = 2,208) in one organic-certified herd were enrolled. Beef cows received fixed-time AI (FTAI) following a 7 d CO-Synch + controlled internal drug release estrous synchronization protocol. Dairy cows were inseminated following observation of natural estrus expression. Cows received either no treatment as a control (CON) or 10 ng of TGF in 10 μL added through the cut-end of a thawed straw of semen immediately prior to AI. At the time of FTAI of beef cows, the mean ± SD age was 5.0 ± 2.4 yr, BCS was 5.3 ± 0.7, and days postpartum was 78.2 ± 15.5 d. The overall pregnancy risk (PR) in beef cows was 55.2% to AI and 90.5% season-long. PR in beef cows was not affected (P = 0.27) by the addition of TGF (53.1% vs. 58.1%). Furthermore, there was no difference (P = 0.88) for season-long PR in beef cows that received TGF (91.2% vs. 91.5%). At the time of insemination of dairy cows, the mean ± SD lactation was 3.0 ± 1.3 lactations, BCS was 2.9 ± 0.3, days in milk was 115.6 ± 56.6 d, and cows had received 2.4 ± 1.5 inseminations/cow. The overall pregnancy risk to AI in dairy cows was 23.1%. PR to AI for dairy cows was not affected (P = 0.32) by addition of TGF (22.0% vs. 23.8%). In conclusion, PR to AI was not affected by addition of TGF to thawed semen immediately prior to AI in beef or dairy cows.
A Case of Frostbite on Hands Due to Liquid Nitrogen
Authors: Nakaso Soma , Ono Shimpei , Chung Kevin C , Ogawa Rei 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
This study examines a rare case of frostbite on the hands caused by liquid nitrogen, focusing on the scar maturation process. Frostbite is typically less prone to abnormal scarring compared to burns, and this report contrasts the differences in scar maturation between the two. A 31-year-old male hospital employee sustained first- to second-degree frostbite on his gloved hands from a 20-s exposure to liquid nitrogen while changing a cylinder. Conservative treatment was applied, and the patient was monitored for 9 months. The deeply affected area took 50 days to epithelialize but healed without hypertrophic scarring. A mild extension contracture was noted in the distal interphalangeal joint of the right index finger, but the skin remained supple and soft. Incidents of liquid nitrogen-induced frostbite are uncommon, with only 14 cases reported in PubMed previously. In frostbite, the wound healing involves a slow replacement of damaged connective tissue, which acts as an internal splint, reducing wound contraction. This contrasts with burns, where rapid connective tissue replacement occurs, often leading to significant wound contraction due to the presence of myofibroblasts in granulation tissue. In the presented case, the slow healing process and minimal wound contraction led to mature scarring without abnormalities, underlining a distinctive healing trajectory in frostbite injuries compared to burns.
Shifting responsibilities and security threats by depriving foreign terrorist fighters of their nationality
Authors: Asscher Ida 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
One of the ways in which States of nationality have responded to the potential security threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and their family members who travelled to Syria and Iraq, is by stripping them of their nationality. This practice constitutes a form of ‘buck-passing’, as States shun their responsibilities and export the problem to other States or actors like the Syrian Democratic Forces. When a State strips its nationality, the depriving State is no longer responsible to take back its former national, while another State of nationality is now responsible to admit the FTF or family member and subsequently prosecute, re-integrate, rehabilitate, and monitor her or him if necessary. Furthermore, when the person concerned poses a possible security threat, it is not only a responsibility over the person that is exported to other States but also a risk of terrorism as well as a burden to counter that risk. The practice of nationality deprivation has extensively been scrutinized from a human rights perspective, with a focus on its consequences towards the individual concerned. This article, however, takes a different approach and looks at this practice from the perspective of inter-state relations, focusing on how it affects other involved States or actors. Thus, instead of focusing on international human rights law, this article looks at the inter-state perspective to nationality deprivation and examines public international law’s position towards this practice of buck-passing by examining other rules and obligations.
Current and future invasion risk of tomato red spider mite under climate change
Authors: Yan Wenjie , Du Liyan , Liu Huai , Li Guang-Yun 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Tomato red spider mite Tetranychus evansi Baker and Pritchard (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a phytophagous pest that causes severe damage to Solanaceous plants worldwide, resulting in significant economic losses. In this study, the maximum entropy model was used to predict the potential current (1970–2000) and future (2021–2060) global distribution of the species based on its past occurrence records and high-resolution environmental data. The results showed that the mean values of the area under the curve were all &gt;0.96, indicating that the model performed well. The three bioclimatic variables with the highest contributions were the coldest quarterly mean temperature (bio11), coldest monthly minimum temperature (bio6), and annual precipitation (bio12). A wide range of suitable areas was found across continents except Antarctica, both currently and in the future, with a much larger distribution area in South America, Africa, and Oceania (Australia), dominated by moderately and low suitable areas. A comparison of current and future suitable areas reveals a general trend of north expansion and increasing expansion over time. This study provides information for the prevention and management of this pest mite in the future.
Drought weakens the positive effect of plant diversity on community biomass
Authors: Hou Yanhui , Li Xiaona , Hu Yanxia , Lu Xuwei , Ma Yue , Li Wenmin , Lü Xiran , Li Zimo , Bai Yaxuan , Wang Chao 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Drought can greatly impact the biodiversity of an ecosystem and play a crucial role in regulating its functioning. However, the specific mechanisms by which drought mediate the biodiversity effect (BE) on community biomass in above- and belowground through functional traits remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a common garden experiment in a greenhouse, which included two plant species richness levels and two water addition levels, to analyze the effects of biodiversity on aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB) and total biomass (TB), and to quantify the relationship between BEs and functional traits under drought conditions. Our analysis focused on partitioning BEs into above- and belowground complementarity effect (CE) and selection effect (SE) at the species level, which allowed us to better understand the impacts of biodiversity on community biomass and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that plant species richness stimulated AGB, BGB and TB through CEs. Drought decreased AGB, BGB and TB, simultaneously. In addition, the aboveground CE was positively associated with the variation in plant height. SEs in above- and belowground were negatively correlated with the community mean plant height and root length, respectively. Furthermore, drought weakened the aboveground CE by decreasing variation in plant height, resulting in a reduction in AGB and TB. Our findings demonstrate that the complementarity of species is an important regulator of community biomass in above- and belowground, the dynamics of biomass under environmental stress are associated with the response of sensitive compartments.
Spatial data fusion adjusting for preferential sampling using integrated nested Laplace approximation and stochastic partial differential equation
Authors: Zhong Ruiman , Ribeiro Amaral André Victor , Moraga Paula 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Spatially misaligned data can be fused by using a Bayesian melding model that assumes that underlying all observations there is a spatially continuous Gaussian random field. This model can be employed, for instance, to forecast air pollution levels through the integration of point data from monitoring stations and areal data derived from satellite imagery. However, if the data present preferential sampling, that is, if the observed point locations are not independent of the underlying spatial process, the inference obtained from models that ignore such a dependence structure may not be valid. In this paper, we present a Bayesian spatial model for the fusion of point and areal data that takes into account preferential sampling. Fast Bayesian inference is performed using the integrated nested Laplace approximation and the stochastic partial differential equation approaches. The performance of the model is assessed using simulated data in a range of scenarios and sampling strategies that can appear in real settings. The model is also applied to predict air pollution in the USA.
Sialorrhoea
Authors: Douglas Kirsty , Burman Rachel 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
This case describes the management of sialorrhoea in a man with advanced motor neurone disease. It reviews the pathophysiology of sialorrhoea and the physical and psychosocial impact of this difficult symptom on affected individuals. Non-pharmacological and pharmacological management strategies are reviewed, with a pragmatic stepwise approach to management recommended. It explores a common yet challenging presentation to palliative medicine, highlighting the importance of actively managing sialorrhoea to reduce its physical and psychosocial consequences. This is, arguably, particularly important for those who use NIV since uncontrolled sialorrhoea reduces NIV tolerance, potentially reducing life expectancy and quality of life. Currently, management involves a trial-and-error approach working stepwise through options with the individual patient, and their family, at the centre of all decisions.
Malignant Spinal Cord Compression
Authors: Finlay Mairi , Jackson Oliver , Teo Mark 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC) is a common acute oncological emergency with severe long-term consequences if unrecognized and not treated urgently. Clinicians should have a low threshold to suspect MSCC in patients with malignant back pain with known bone metastases. Besides urgent investigation and treatment (surgical and non-surgical), a holistic approach including pain control and rehabilitation is needed. We present a case describing the management and key considerations for a patient with MSCC as a first presentation of cancer. With an overall one-year survival of 20% following MSCC, prognostication is critical to guide decision-making on the aggressiveness of MSCC treatment (e.g. surgery, higher radiotherapy doses) and potential for rehabilitation.
Features and global impact of invasive fungal infections caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii: A systematic review to inform the World Health Organization fungal priority pathogens list
Authors: McMullan Brendan , Kim Hannah Yejin , Alastruey-Izquierdo Ana , Tacconelli Evelina , Dao Aiken , Oladele Rita , Tanti Daniel , Govender Nelesh P , Shin Jong-Hee , Heim Jutta , Ford Nathan Paul , Huttner Benedikt , Galas Marcelo , Nahrgang Saskia Andrea , Gigante Valeria , Sati Hatim , Alffenaar Jan Willem , Morrissey C Orla , Beardsley Justin 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
This systematic review evaluates the current global impact of invasive infections caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii (principally pneumonia: PJP), and was carried out to inform the World Health Organization Fungal Priority Pathogens List. PubMed and Web of Science were used to find studies reporting mortality, inpatient care, complications/sequelae, antifungal susceptibility/resistance, preventability, annual incidence, global distribution, and emergence in the past 10 years, published from January 2011 to February 2021. Reported mortality is highly variable, depending on the patient population: In studies of persons with HIV, mortality was reported at 5%–30%, while in studies of persons without HIV, mortality ranged from 4% to 76%. Risk factors for disease principally include immunosuppression from HIV, but other types of immunosuppression are increasingly recognised, including solid organ and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, autoimmune and inflammatory disease, and chemotherapy for cancer. Although prophylaxis is available and generally effective, burdensome side effects may lead to discontinuation. After a period of decline associated with improvement in access to HIV treatment, new risk groups of immunosuppressed patients with PJP are increasingly identified, including solid organ transplant patients.
Genome-Wide Allele Frequency Changes Reveal That Dynamic Metapopulations Evolve Differently
Authors: Angst Pascal , Haag Christoph R , Ben-Ami Frida , Fields Peter D , Ebert Dieter 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Two important characteristics of metapopulations are extinction–(re)colonization dynamics and gene flow between subpopulations. These processes can cause strong shifts in genome-wide allele frequencies that are generally not observed in “classical” (large, stable, and panmictic) populations. Subpopulations founded by one or a few individuals, the so-called propagule model, are initially expected to show intermediate allele frequencies at polymorphic sites until natural selection and genetic drift drive allele frequencies toward a mutation–selection–drift equilibrium characterized by a negative exponential-like distribution of the site frequency spectrum. We followed changes in site frequency spectrum distribution in a natural metapopulation of the cyclically parthenogenetic pond-dwelling microcrustacean Daphnia magna using biannual pool-seq samples collected over a 5-yr period from 118 ponds occupied by subpopulations of known age. As expected under the propagule model, site frequency spectra in newly founded subpopulations trended toward intermediate allele frequencies and shifted toward right-skewed distributions as the populations aged. Immigration and subsequent hybrid vigor altered this dynamic. We show that the analysis of site frequency spectrum dynamics is a powerful approach to understand evolution in metapopulations. It allowed us to disentangle evolutionary processes occurring in a natural metapopulation, where many subpopulations evolve in parallel. Thereby, stochastic processes like founder and immigration events lead to a pattern of subpopulation divergence, while genetic drift leads to converging site frequency spectrum distributions in the persisting subpopulations. The observed processes are well explained by the propagule model and highlight that metapopulations evolve differently from classical populations.
Evidence for Admixture and Rapid Evolution During Glacial Climate Change in an Alpine Specialist
Authors: Weng Yi-Ming , Kavanaugh David H , Schoville Sean D 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
The pace of current climate change is expected to be problematic for alpine flora and fauna, as their adaptive capacity may be limited by small population size. Yet, despite substantial genetic drift following post-glacial recolonization of alpine habitats, alpine species are notable for their success surviving in highly heterogeneous environments. Population genomic analyses demonstrating how alpine species have adapted to novel environments with limited genetic diversity remain rare, yet are important in understanding the potential for species to respond to contemporary climate change. In this study, we explored the evolutionary history of alpine ground beetles in the Nebria ingens complex, including the demographic and adaptive changes that followed the last glacier retreat. We first tested alternative models of evolutionary divergence in the species complex. Using millions of genome-wide SNP markers from hundreds of beetles, we found evidence that the N. ingens complex has been formed by past admixture of lineages responding to glacial cycles. Recolonization of alpine sites involved a distributional range shift to higher elevation, which was accompanied by a reduction in suitable habitat and the emergence of complex spatial genetic structure. We tested several possible genetic pathways involved in adaptation to heterogeneous local environments using genome scan and genotype–environment association approaches. From the identified genes, we found enriched functions associated with abiotic stress responses, with strong evidence for adaptation to hypoxia-related pathways. The results demonstrate that despite rapid demographic change, alpine beetles in the N. ingens complex underwent rapid physiological evolution.