bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Life expectancy among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis is less than one-third of life expectancy in the background population in Guinea-Bissau—an observational study
Authors: Bohlbro Anders Solitander , Hønge Bo Langhoff , Engell-Sørensen Thomas , Mendes Antonio Matteus , Sifna Armando , Gomes Victor , Rudolf Frauke , Wejse Christian 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Background
Few studies have assessed life expectancy of patients with tuberculosis (TB) against a comparable background population, particularly in low-income, high-incidence settings. This study aimed to estimate the life expectancy (LE) of patients with TB in the West African country of Guinea-Bissau and compare it with the LE of the background population.

Methods
This study used data from the Bandim TB cohort from 2004–20 as well as census data from the capital of Guinea-Bissau. LE was estimated using a bootstrapped Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for patients with TB and the background population, stratifying by age of entry and various patient subgroups. The analysis was further stratified by diagnosis period and length of schooling (an indicator of socioeconomic status), to assess their influence on LE. A sensitivity analysis was performed assuming death at loss to follow-up.

Results
The analysis included 2278 patients and a background population of 169 760 individuals. Overall median LE among 30-year-old patients with TB was 10.7 years (95% CI: 8.7–12.6), compared with 35.8 (95% CI: 35.1–36.5) in the background population. LE was shorter in HIV-infected patients and those who had unsuccessful treatment outcome; however, even among those who were both uninfected with HIV and experienced successful treatment outcome, LE was 20% shorter than in the background population. Longer schooling appeared to decrease mortality.

Conclusions
TB substantially shortens LE. This effect is present even in patients who are uninfected with HIV and who have successful treatment outcome.
A Worker’s Backpack as an Alternative to PAYG Pension Systems
Authors: Díaz-Saavedra Julián , Marimon Ramon , de Sousa João Brogueira 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Facing an ageing population and historical trends of low employment rates, pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pension systems, currently in place in several European countries, imply very large economic and welfare costs in the coming decades. In an overlapping generations economy with incomplete insurance markets and frictional labour markets, an employment fund, which can be used while unemployed or retired, can enhance production efficiency and social welfare. With an appropriate design, the sustainable Backpack employment fund (BP) can greatly outperform (measured by average social welfare in the economy) existing PAYG systems and also Pareto dominate a full privatization of the pension system, as well as a standard fully funded defined contribution pension system. We show this in a calibrated model of the Spanish economy, by comparing the effect of its ageing transition under these different pension systems and by showing how a front-loaded transition from the PAYG to the BP system can be Pareto improving, while minimizing the cost of the reform.
Comparison of solar activity proxies: eigenvectors versus averaged sunspot numbers
Authors: Zharkova V V , Vasilieva I , Popova E , Shepherd S J 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACTWe explore the links between the averaged sunspot numbers (SSN) and a modulus summary curve (MSC) of two largest eigenvectors of the solar background magnetic field (SBMF) derived from principal component analysis. MSC has rather close correspondence with the whole set of SSN revealing close cycle timings, duration, and maxima times for the cycles 12–24, 6, 7, and −4, −3, while for a few cycles in the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries there are discrepancies in the maximum amplitudes, durations, and times of the maxima. Possible reasons of these discrepancies related to uncertainties in the SSN observations in the 18th–19th centuries, in MSC definition and the different solar activity entities they represent: toroidal (SSN) and poloidal (MSC) magnetic fields, are discussed. Wavelet and Fourier spectral analysis of SSN and MSC series reveal within 95 per cent confidence levels the same prominent period of 10.7 yr, whereas SSN series show a period of 101 yr and MSC of 342 yr close to or above 95 per cent red-noise level. The correlation coefficients between SSN and MSC series vary from 0.25 for the whole SSN data set (from 1700), to 0.56 for the data sets from 1860, to 0.67 for the data sets from 1900 when all SSN restorations agree. These SSN and MSC data sets are confirmed to be closely but not identically related representing the solar activity in different entities of solar dynamo. Use of the summary curve and MSC of eigenvectors of SBMF can provide additional information to SSN for better understanding of solar activity.
A declining major merger fraction with redshift in the local Universe from the largest-yet catalogue of major and minor mergers in SDSS
Authors: Nevin R , Blecha L , Comerford J , Simon J , Terrazas B A , Barrows R S , Vázquez-Mata J A 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACT
It is difficult to accurately identify galaxy mergers and it is an even larger challenge to classify them by their mass ratio or merger stage. In previous work we used a suite of simulated mergers to create a classification technique that uses linear discriminant analysis to identify major and minor mergers. Here, we apply this technique to 1.3 million galaxies from the SDSS DR16 photometric catalogue and present the probability that each galaxy is a major or minor merger, splitting the classifications by merger stages (early, late, post-coalescence). We present publicly available imaging predictor values and all of the above classifications for one of the largest-yet samples of galaxies. We measure the major and minor merger fraction (fmerg) and build a mass-complete sample of galaxies, which we bin as a function of stellar mass and redshift. For the major mergers, we find a positive slope of fmerg with stellar mass and negative slope of fmerg with redshift between stellar masses of 10.5 &lt; M*(log M⊙) &lt; 11.6 and redshifts of 0.03 &lt; z &lt; 0.19. We are able to reproduce an artificial positive slope of the major merger fraction with redshift when we do not bin for mass or craft a complete sample, demonstrating the importance of mass completeness and mass binning. We determine that the positive trend of the major merger fraction with stellar mass is consistent with a hierarchical assembly scenario. The negative trend with redshift requires that an additional assembly mechanism, such as baryonic feedback, dominates in the local Universe.
The ultraviolet habitable zone of exoplanets
Authors: Spinelli R , Borsa F , Ghirlanda G , Ghisellini G , Haardt F 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACT
The dozens of rocky exoplanets discovered in the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ) currently represent the most suitable places to host life as we know it outside the Solar system. However, the presumed presence of liquid water on the CHZ planets does not guarantee suitable environments for the emergence of life. According to experimental studies, the building blocks of life are most likely produced photochemically in presence of a minimum ultraviolet (UV) flux. On the other hand, high UV flux can be life-threatening, leading to atmospheric erosion and damaging biomolecules essential to life. These arguments raise questions about the actual habitability of CHZ planets around stars other than Solar-type ones, with different UV to bolometric luminosity ratios. By combining the ‘principle of mediocrity’ and recent experimental studies, we define UV boundary conditions (UV-habitable zone, UHZ) within which life can possibly emerge and evolve. We investigate whether exoplanets discovered in CHZs do indeed experience such conditions. By analysing Swift-UV/Optical Telescope data, we measure the near ultraviolet (NUV) luminosities of 17 stars harbouring 23 planets in their CHZ. We derive an empirical relation between NUV luminosity and stellar effective temperature. We find that 18 of the CHZ exoplanets actually orbit outside the UHZ, i.e. the NUV luminosity of their M-dwarf hosts is decisively too low to trigger abiogenesis – through cyanosulfidic chemistry – on them. Only stars with effective temperature ≳3900 K illuminate their CHZ planets with enough NUV radiation to trigger abiogenesis. Alternatively, colder stars would require a high-energy flaring activity.
Determining electron column density fluctuations in a dominant scattering region using pulsar scintillation
Authors: Reardon Daniel J , Coles William A 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACT
Density fluctuations in the ionized interstellar medium have a profound effect on radio pulsar observations, through angular scattering, intensity scintillations, and small changes in time delays from dispersion. Here we show that it is possible to recover the variations in dispersive delays that originate from a dominant scattering region using measurements of the dynamic spectrum of intensity scintillations, provided that the pulsar velocity and scattering region location are known. We provide a theoretical framework for the technique, which involves estimating the phase gradient from the dynamic spectra and integrating that gradient to obtain phase variations. It can be used to search for “extreme scattering events” (ESEs) in pulsars for which precision dispersion delay measurements are not otherwise possible, or to separate true dispersion variations from apparent variability caused by frequency-dependent pulse shape changes. We demonstrate that it works in practice by recovering an ESE in PSR J1603−7202, which is known from precision dispersion delay measurements from pulsar timing. For this pulsar, we find that the phase gradients also track the long-term variations in electron column density observed by pulsar timing, indicating that the column density variations and the scattering are dominated by the same thin scattering screen. We identify a sudden increase in the scintillation strength and magnitude of phase gradients over ∼days in 2010, indicating a compact structure. A decrease in the electron density in 2012 was associated with persistent phase gradients and preceded a period of decreased scintillation strength and an absence of scintillation arcs.
Coalescing black hole binaries from globular clusters: mass distributions and comparison to gravitational wave data from GWTC-3
Authors: Antonini Fabio , Gieles Mark , Dosopoulou Fani , Chattopadhyay Debatri 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACTWe use our cluster population model, cBHBd, to explore the mass distribution of merging black hole binaries formed dynamically in globular clusters. We include in our models the effect of mass growth through hierarchical mergers and compare the resulting distributions to those inferred from the third gravitational wave transient catalogue. We find that none of our models can reproduce the peak at m1 ≃ 10 M⊙ in the primary black hole mass distribution that is inferred from the data. This disfavours a scenario where most of the sources are formed in globular clusters. On the other hand, a globular cluster origin can account for the inferred secondary peak at m1 ≃ 35 M⊙, which requires that the most massive clusters form with half-mass densities $\rho _{\rm h,0}\gtrsim 10^4~{\rm M}_{\odot} \, {\rm pc}^{-3}$. Finally, we find that the lack of a high-mass cut-off in the inferred mass distribution can be explained by the repopulation of an initial mass gap through hierarchical mergers. Matching the inferred merger rate above ≃50 M⊙ requires both initial cluster densities $\rho _{\rm h,0}\gtrsim 10^4~{\rm M}_{\odot} \, {\rm pc}^{-3}$, and that black holes form with nearly zero spin. A hierarchical merger scenario makes specific predictions for the appearance and position of multiple peaks in the black hole mass distribution, which can be tested against future data.
New Ga IV, Ga V, Ge IV, and Ge V line widths for white dwarf spectra analysis: quantum mechanical results
Authors: Elabidi H , Sahal-Bréchot S , Dimitrijević M S , Belhadj W , Hamdi R 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACT
We provide in this paper new Stark broadening parameters for the four ions Ga IV, Ga V, Ge IV, and Ge V. The calculations have been performed using our quantum mechanical method. To the best of our knowledge, the only available Stark broadening results are those of the Ge IV ion, where the semiclassical perturbation and the modified semi-empirical methods have been used. For the three other ions, no data have been found. In 2020 and for the first time, about five hundred lines of trans-iron elements including gallium (Ga) and germanium (Ge) have been identified in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of a DAO-type white dwarf BD-22°3467. Other precedent observations showed the existence of Ga IV–V lines in two white dwarfs (G191-B2B and RE 0503-289), and those of Ge IV and Ge V in the UV spectrum of RE 0503-289. Theoretical evaluations and measurements of atomic and Stark broadening data are a pre-requisite for stellar-atmosphere modelling, which is a tool for the determination of the photospheric Ga and Ge abundance in white dwarfs. Since there is no Stark broadening data for the three ions Ga IV, Ga V, and Ge V, our calculations come to fill this gap, and the obtained results can be used for the abundance determination of elements, the calculation of stellar opacity, the interpretation and modelling of stellar spectra, and the estimation of the relative transfer through stellar plasmas. They will be also implemented into the data base of Stark broadening parameters, STARK-B.
Collision of molecular outflows in the L1448–C system
Authors: Toledano-Juárez Iván , de la Fuente Eduardo , Trinidad Miguel A , Tafoya Daniel , Nigoche-Netro Alberto 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACT
We present a study of the central zone of the star-forming region L1448 at 217–230 GHz (∼1.3 mm) using Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations. Our study focuses on the detection of proto-stellar molecular outflows and the interaction with the surrounding medium towards sources L1448–C(N) and L1448–C(S). Both sources exhibit continuum emission, with L1448–C(N) being the brightest one. Based on its spectral index and the associated bipolar outflow, the continuum emission is the most likely to be associated with a circumstellar disk. The 12CO(J = 2→1) and SiO(J = 5→4) emissions associated with L1448–C(N) trace a bipolar outflow and a jet oriented along the northwest-southeast direction. The 12CO(J = 2→1) outflow for L1448–C(N) has a wide-open angle and a V-shape morphology. The SiO jet is highly collimated and has an axial extent comparable with the 12CO(J = 2→1) emission. There is not SiO(J = 5→4) emission towards L1448–C(S), but there is 12CO(J = 2→1) emission. The observations revealed that the red-shifted lobes of the 12CO(J = 2→1) outflows of L1448–C(N) and L1448–C(S) are colliding. As a result of this interaction, the L1448-C(S) lobe seems to be truncated. The collision of the molecular outflows is also hinted by the SiO(J = 5→4) emission, where the velocity dispersion increases significantly in the interaction zone. We also investigated whether it could be possible that this collision triggers the formation of new stars in the L1448–C system.
Feature guided training and rotational standardization for the morphological classification of radio galaxies
Authors: Brand Kevin , Grobler Trienko L , Kleynhans Waldo , Vaccari Mattia , Prescott Matthew , Becker Burger 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACT
State-of-the-art radio observatories produce large amounts of data which can be used to study the properties of radio galaxies. However, with this rapid increase in data volume, it has become unrealistic to manually process all of the incoming data, which in turn led to the development of automated approaches for data processing tasks, such as morphological classification. Deep learning plays a crucial role in this automation process and it has been shown that convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can deliver good performance in the morphological classification of radio galaxies. This paper investigates two adaptations to the application of these CNNs for radio galaxy classification. The first adaptation consists of using principal component analysis (PCA) during pre-processing to align the galaxies’ principal components with the axes of the coordinate system, which will normalize the orientation of the galaxies. This adaptation led to a significant improvement in the classification accuracy of the CNNs and decreased the average time required to train the models. The second adaptation consists of guiding the CNN to look for specific features within the samples in an attempt to utilize domain knowledge to improve the training process. It was found that this adaptation generally leads to a stabler training process and in certain instances reduced overfitting within the network, as well as the number of epochs required for training.
Optical/UV emission in the Tidal Disruption Event ASASSN-14li: implications of disc modelling
Authors: Wen Sixiang , Jonker Peter G , Stone Nicholas C , Van Velzen Sjoert , Zabludoff Ann I 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACT
We predict late-time optical/UV emission from tidal disruption events (TDEs) from our slim accretion disc model (Wen et al. 2020) and explore the impact of the black hole mass M•, black hole spin a•, and accretion disc size. We use these synthetic spectra to successfully fit the multiband Swift observations of ASASSN-14li at &gt;350 d, setting only the host galaxy extinction and outer disc radius as free parameters and employing the M•, a•, disc inclination, and disc accretion rates derived from fitting 10 epochs of ASASSN-14li’s X-ray spectra with the slim disc. To address the nature of the early-time optical/UV emission, we consider two models: shock dissipation and reprocessing. We find that (1) the predicted late-time optical/UV colour (e.g. u − w2) is insensitive to black hole and disc parameters unless the disc spreads quickly; (2) a starburst galaxy extinction model is required to fit the data, consistent with ASASSN-14li’s post-starburst host; (3) surprisingly, the outer disc radius is ≈2 × the tidal radius and ∼constant at late times, showing that viscous spreading is slow or non-existent; (4) the shock model can be self-consistent if M• ≲ 106.75 M⊙, i.e. on the low end of ASASSN-14li’s M• range (106.5–7.1 M⊙; 1σ CL); larger black hole masses require disruption of an unrealistically massive progenitor star; (5) the gas mass needed for reprocessing, whether by a quasi-static or an outflowing layer, can be &lt;0.5 M⊙, consistent with a (plausible) disruption of a solar-mass star.
Interferon-alpha 1 expression indicates the disease activity and response of patients with ankylosing spondylitis to anti-TNF-α treatment
Authors: Li Haibo , Liu Jingjing , Ji Xueping 
Published: April 2023

ABSTRACT

Objectives
This study aimed to investigate whether interferon-alpha 1 (IFNA1) is predictive of Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) progression and treatment response to Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis).

Methods
Data of 50 AS patients receiving TNFi for 24 weeks were retrospectively analysed. AS patients who reached the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society 40 response at the W24 were classified as responders to TNFi treatment; otherwise, they were classified as nonresponders. Human fibroblast–like synoviocytes (HFLS) isolated from AS patients (AS-HFLS) were used for in vitro validation.

Results
When the IFNA1 expression level was used to diagnose AS patients, an area under the curve of 0.895 was yielded (P &lt; .001). Pearson correlation analysis showed negative correlations between IFNA1 expression, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, Bath AS Disease Activity Index scores, AS Disease Activity Score with CRP, and the production of inflammatory cytokines. An increased IFNA1 expression level was found to be associated with a better treatment response to TNFi. IFNA1 overexpression could protect HFLS against inflammatory response in the setting of AS.

Conclusions
Blood IFNA1 deficiency is correlated with inflammatory cytokine production and disease activity and is indicative of unsatisfied response to TNFi treatment in AS patients.
Accurate profiling of full-length Fv in highly homologous antibody libraries using UMI tagged short reads
Authors: Levin Itay , Štrajbl Marek , Fastman Yair , Baran Dror , Twito Shir , Mioduser Jessica , Keren Adi , Fischman Sharon , Zhenin Michael , Nimrod Guy , Levitin Natalie , Mayor May Ben , Gadrich Meital , Ofran Yanay 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Deep parallel sequencing (NGS) is a viable tool for monitoring scFv and Fab library dynamics in many antibody engineering high-throughput screening efforts. Although very useful, the commonly used Illumina NGS platform cannot handle the entire sequence of scFv or Fab in a single read, usually focusing on specific CDRs or resorting to sequencing VH and VL variable domains separately, thus limiting its utility in comprehensive monitoring of selection dynamics. Here we present a simple and robust method for deep sequencing repertoires of full length scFv, Fab and Fv antibody sequences. This process utilizes standard molecular procedures and unique molecular identifiers (UMI) to pair separately sequenced VH and VL. We show that UMI assisted VH-VL matching allows for a comprehensive and highly accurate mapping of full length Fv clonal dynamics in large highly homologous antibody libraries, as well as identification of rare variants. In addition to its utility in synthetic antibody discovery processes, our method can be instrumental in generating large datasets for machine learning (ML) applications, which in the field of antibody engineering has been hampered by conspicuous paucity of large scale full length Fv data.
Crystal structures and identification of novel Cd2+-specific DNA aptamer
Authors: Liu Hehua , Gao Yanqing , Mathivanan Johnsi , Armour-Garb Zev , Shao Zhiwei , Zhang Yixi , Zhao Xin , Shao Qiyuan , Zhang Weizhen , Yang Jie , Cao Chulei , Li Huili , Sheng Jia , Gan Jianhua 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metals. Exposure to Cd can impair the functions of the kidney, respiratory system, reproductive system and skeletal system. Cd2+-binding aptamers have been extensively utilized in the development of Cd2+-detecting devices; however, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. This study reports four Cd2+-bound DNA aptamer structures, representing the only Cd2+-specific aptamer structures available to date. In all the structures, the Cd2+-binding loop (CBL-loop) adopts a compact, double-twisted conformation and the Cd2+ ion is mainly coordinated with the G9, C12 and G16 nucleotides. Moreover, T11 and A15 within the CBL-loop form one regular Watson–Crick pair and stabilize the conformation of G9. The conformation of G16 is stabilized by the G8–C18 pair of the stem. By folding and/or stabilizing the CBL-loop, the other four nucleotides of the CBL-loop also play important roles in Cd2+ binding. Similarly to the native sequence, crystal structures, circular dichroism spectrum and isothermal titration calorimetry analysis confirm that several variants of the aptamer can recognize Cd2+. This study not only reveals the underlying basis for the binding of Cd2+ ions with the aptamer, but also extends the sequence for the construction of novel metal–DNA complex.