julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The Levantine Roots of thetophetSanctuary
2023-11-20

Abstract Phoenician and Carthaginian infant cremation sanctuaries ( tophet ), attested throughout the central Mediterranean (north Africa, Sardinia and Sicily, and perhaps Malta), up to this point lack convincing archaeological evidence in the Phoenician motherland and the far western Mediterranean. This study collects and re-examines the evidence of its Levantine origin of historical order, (the chronology of the settlements and the almost contemporary installation of tophet precincts in them), epigraphic (the inscription of Nebi Yunis) and literary (biblical testimonies and some Greek and Latin writers). Taken as a whole, this documentation strongly leads us to exclude an explanation of the tophet as a novelty introduced by the migrants, but an ancient traditional institution that derived in all probability from the city of Tyre.
Increased sinusoidal export of drug glucuronides is a compensative mechanism in liver cirrhosis of mice
2023-11-20

Rationale: Liver cirrhosis is known to affect drug pharmacokinetics, but the functional assessment of the underlying pathophysiological alterations in drug metabolism is difficult. Methods: Cirrhosis in mice was induced by repeated treatment with carbon tetrachloride for 12 months. A cocktail of six drugs was administered, and parent compounds as well as phase I and II metabolites were quantified in blood, bile, and urine in a time-dependent manner. Pharmacokinetics were modeled in relation to the altered expression of metabolizing enzymes. In discrepancy with computational predictions, a strong increase of glucuronides in blood was observed in cirrhotic mice compared to vehicle controls. Results: The deviation between experimental findings and computational simulations observed by analyzing different hypotheses could be explained by increased sinusoidal export and corresponded to increased expression of export carriers ( Abcc3 and Abcc4 ). Formation of phase I metabolites and clearance of the parent compounds were surprisingly robust in cirrhosis, although the phase I enzymes critical for the metabolism of the administered drugs in healthy mice, Cyp1a2 and Cyp2c29 , were downregulated in cirrhotic livers. RNA-sequencing revealed the upregulation of numerous other phase I metabolizing enzymes which may compensate for the lost CYP isoenzymes. Comparison of genome-wide data of cirrhotic mouse and human liver tissue revealed similar features of expression changes, including increased sinusoidal export and reduced uptake carriers. Conclusion: Liver cirrhosis leads to increased blood concentrations of glucuronides because of increased export from hepatocytes into the sinusoidal blood. Although individual metabolic pathways are massively altered in cirrhosis, the overall clearance of the parent compounds was relatively robust due to compensatory mechanisms.
Baseline metastatic growth rate is an independent prognostic marker in patients with advanced BRAF V600 mutated melanoma receiving targeted therapy
2023-11-20

Baseline MGR is an important independent prognostic marker for OS and PFS in melanoma patients treated with TT. Its implementation in clinical routine is easy and could facilitate the prognostic stratification.
Direct dating of human fossils and the ever-changing story of human evolution
2023-11-21

This review is a follow up to Grün et al. (2006): Direct Dating of Human Fossils. Since that time there has been progress on the experimental side of the geochronological analyses, which are detailed for uranium-series isotope and ESR dating. Also, many new human fossils, including several new species (e.g., H. naledi, H. luzonensis, and H. longi) have been discovered, named and dated. Direct dating of human fossils has contributed to some major revisions in our understanding of human evolution. For example, the enigmatic Homo floresiensis has been dated to >60 ka instead of ∼18 ka as was originally published. This put an end to the heated debate about how H. floresiensis could have survived the arrival of H. sapiens on Flores for several tens of thousands of years. From Africa, results are presented for Swartkrans, Thomas Quarry, Broken Hill (Kabwe), the Rising Star sites Djebel Irhoud, Florisbad and Omo Kibish. In western Asia, human fossils from Mislya, Tabun, Qafzeh and Al Wusta were analysed and in Europe from Payre, Moula Guercy, Lezetxiki, Apidima, El Sidron and Atapuerca (Sima de los Huesos and Gran Dolina). From Asia and Oceania we discuss the results from Denisova, Penghu, Harbin, Liujiang, Liang Bua, Mata Menge, Callao, Ngandong, Sambungmacan, Wajak, Niah and Tabon, while from Australia WLH50 is added to WLH3. We describe the dating procedures for each site. All published data were re-evaluated. The systematic analysis of the U-series isotopic data led to new insights, particularly with respect to detailed U-diffusion processes (provenance of the uranium, leaching, secondary overprints etc.), which altered the interpretation of the ages for some of the sites. For example, we can show that the minimum age of H. luzonensis is 134 ± 14 ka, covering the transition of MIS6 to MIS 5 (younger dates were the result of secondary U-overprints), and that Apidima 1 and 2 have significantly different isotopic characteristics, refuting claims of initial contemporaneous burials. We discuss the implications of the results for our present understanding of human evolution.
Correlates of physical activity enjoyment in children and adolescents for a new perspective on the treatment of overweight: A systematic literature review
2023-11-21

Summary The purpose of this systematic literature review was to systematically compile the state of knowledge on correlates of physical activity enjoyment in children and adolescents to influence the perspective of future physical activity promotion approaches especially for children and adolescents affected by overweight or obesity. The electronic database search was executed in the five databases PubMed, PsychINFO, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and BISp‐SURF, from inception to December 6, 2021. A semi‐quantitative method was used for summarizing the resulted correlates. For final analysis, 85 studies comprising 48,144 children and adolescents were included. Fifty‐seven variables could be coded for their relationship with physical activity enjoyment. Of these, 12 psychological variables, for example, the basic psychological needs , task orientation , or self‐efficacy ; six interpersonal variables, for example, peer/group acceptance , parental support , and autonomy support ; and one behavioral variable, the higher self‐reported physical activity , are consistent positively associated to physical activity enjoyment. A scientifically based overview could be extracted for the promotion of physical activity enjoyment in children and adolescents. There is a gap in literature focusing the perception of physical activity enjoyment in the subgroup of children and adolescents affected by overweight or obesity. Therefore, recommendations were made to enable the development of further innovative research approaches in this population.
First VLTI/GRAVITY Observations of HIP 65426 b: Evidence for a Low or Moderate Orbital Eccentricity
2023-11-21

Abstract Giant exoplanets have been directly imaged over orders of magnitude of orbital separations, prompting theoretical and observational investigations of their formation pathways. In this paper, we present new VLTI/GRAVITY astrometric data of HIP 65426 b, a cold, giant exoplanet which is a particular challenge for most formation theories at a projected separation of 92 au from its primary. Leveraging GRAVITY’s astrometric precision, we present an updated eccentricity posterior that disfavors large eccentricities. The eccentricity posterior is still prior dependent, and we extensively interpret and discuss the limits of the posterior constraints presented here. We also perform updated spectral comparisons with self-consistent forward-modeled spectra, finding a best-fit ExoREM model with solar metallicity and C/O = 0.6. An important caveat is that it is difficult to estimate robust errors on these values, which are subject to interpolation errors as well as potentially missing model physics. Taken together, the orbital and atmospheric constraints paint a preliminary picture of formation inconsistent with scattering after disk dispersal. Further work is needed to validate this interpretation. Analysis code used to perform this work is available on GitHub: https://github.com/sblunt/hip65426 .
Dispersionless subradiant photon storage in one-dimensional emitter chains
2023-11-21

Exploiting the collective coupling of emitters to the radiation field, the authors present two pathways for the long-time (subradiant) storage of a single photon in a one-dimensional geometry. They provide evidence of dispersionless photon storage for hundreds of times longer than the single emitter lifetime and discuss its preparation and release.
Pulse profile modelling of thermonuclear burst oscillations – II. Handling variability
2023-11-21

ABSTRACT Pulse profile modelling is a relativistic ray-tracing technique that can be used to infer masses, radii, and geometric parameters of neutron stars. In a previous study, we looked at the performance of this technique when applied to thermonuclear burst oscillations from accreting neutron stars. That study showed that ignoring the variability associated with burst oscillation sources resulted in significant biases in the inferred mass and radius, particularly for the high count rates that are nominally required to obtain meaningful constraints. In this follow-on study, we show that the bias can be mitigated by slicing the bursts into shorter segments where variability can be neglected, and jointly fitting the segments. Using this approach, the systematic uncertainties on the mass and radius are brought within the range of the statistical uncertainty. With about 106 source counts, this yields uncertainties of approximately 10 per cent for both the mass and radius. However, this modelling strategy requires substantial computational resources. We also confirm that the posterior distributions of the mass and radius obtained from multiple bursts of the same source can be merged to produce outcomes comparable to that of a single burst with an equivalent total number of counts.
Recovery of 400 Chemicals with Three Extraction Methods for Low Volumes of Human Plasma Quantified by Instrumental Analysis and In Vitro Bioassays
2023-11-21

Human biomonitoring studies are important for understanding adverse health outcomes caused by exposure to chemicals. Complex mixtures of chemicals detected in blood - the blood exposome - may serve as proxies for systemic exposure. Ideally, several analytical methods are combined with <i>in vitro</i> bioassays to capture chemical mixtures as diverse as possible. How many and which (bio)analyses can be performed is limited by the sample volume and compatibility of extraction and (bio)analytical methods. We compared the extraction efficacy of three extraction methods using pooled human plasma spiked with >400 organic chemicals. Passive equilibrium sampling (PES) with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) followed by solid phase extraction (PES + SPE), SPE alone (SPE), and solvent precipitation (SolvPrec) were compared for chemical recovery in LC-HRMS and GC-HRMS as well as effect recovery in four mammalian cell lines (AhR-CALUX, SH-SY5Y, AREc32, PPARγ-BLA). The mean chemical recoveries were 38% for PES + SPE, 27% for SPE, and 61% for SolvPrec. PES + SPE enhanced the mean chemical recovery compared to SPE, especially for neutral hydrophobic chemicals. PES + SPE and SolvPrec had effect recoveries of 100-200% in all four cell lines, outperforming SPE, which had 30-100% effect recovery. Although SolvPrec has the best chemical recoveries, it does not remove matrix like inorganics or lipids, which might pose problems for some (bio)analytical methods. PES + SPE is the most promising method for sample preparation in human biomonitoring as it combines good recoveries with cleanup, enrichment, and potential for high throughput.
Skeletal Muscle Gene Expression Signatures of Obese High and Low Responders to Endurance Exercise Training
2023-11-21

Abstract Context Exercise training is known to improve glucose tolerance and reverse insulin resistance in people with obesity. However, some individuals fail to improve or even decline in their clinical traits following exercise intervention. Objective This study focused on gene expression and DNA methylation signatures in skeletal muscle of low (LRE) and high responders (RES) to 8 weeks of supervised endurance training. Methods We performed skeletal muscle gene expression and DNA methylation analyses in LRE and RES before and after exercise intervention. Additionally, we applied the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) approach to identify predictive marker genes of exercise outcome. Results We show that the two groups differ markedly already before the intervention. RES were characterized by lower expression of genes involved in DNA replication and repair, and higher expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The LASSO approach identified several novel candidates (eg, ZCWPW2, FOXRED1, STK40) that have not been previously described in the context of obesity and exercise response. Following the intervention, LRE reacted with expression changes of genes related to inflammation and apoptosis, RES with genes related to mitochondrial function. LRE exhibited significantly higher expression of ECM components compared to RES, suggesting improper remodeling and potential negative effects on insulin sensitivity. Between 45% and 70% of differences in gene expression could be linked to differences in DNA methylation. Conclusion Together, our data offer an insight into molecular mechanisms underlying differences in response to exercise and provide potential novel markers for the success of intervention.
European Society of Pediatric Radiology survey of perioperative imaging in pediatric liver transplantation: (1) pre-transplant evaluation
2023-11-21

Abstract Background Liver transplantation is the state-of-the-art curative treatment in end-stage liver disease. Imaging is a key element for successful organ-transplantation to assist surgical planning. So far, only limited data regarding the best radiological approach to prepare children for liver transplantation is available. Objectives In an attempt to harmonize imaging surrounding pediatric liver transplantation, the European Society of Pediatric Radiology (ESPR) Abdominal Taskforce initiated a survey addressing the current status of imaging including the pre-, intra-, and postoperative phase. This paper reports the responses on preoperative imaging. Material and methods An online survey, initiated in 2021, asked European centers performing pediatric liver transplantation 48 questions about their imaging approach. In total, 26 centers were contacted and 22 institutions from 11 countries returned the survey. From 2018 to 2020, the participating centers collectively conducted 1,524 transplantations, with a median of 20 transplantations per center per annum (range, 8–60). Results Most sites (64%) consider ultrasound their preferred modality to define anatomy and to plan surgery in children before liver transplantation, and additional cross-sectional imaging is only used to answer specific questions (computed tomography [CT], 90.9%; magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], 54.5%). One-third of centers (31.8%) rely primarily on CT for pre-transplant evaluation. Imaging protocols differed substantially regarding applied CT scan ranges, number of contrast phases (range 1–4 phases), and applied MRI techniques. Conclusion Diagnostic imaging is generally used in the work-up of children before liver transplantation. Substantial differences were noted regarding choice of modalities and protocols. We have identified starting points for future optimization and harmonization of the imaging approach to multicenter studies.
Introduction to the Special Issue
2023-11-21

Abstract This general introduction serves as a preface to each author’s contribution, outlining certain common standards and methods. These include the range of meanings we use for specific terms and the answers to basic yet often contested interrogatives relating to the precinct (the who, what, when, and where) and the history of polemical debates within the discipline (the why and how). By providing this background context here, oft repeated at the beginning of any study of tophet precincts, each author can instead focus on specific data and on analysis within their specialization.
War fatalities in Russia in 2022-2023 estimated via excess male mortality
2023-11-21

In this research note, we used excess deaths among young males to estimate the number of Russian fatalities in the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2022--23. We based our calculations on the official mortality statistics, split by age and gender. To separate excess deaths due to war from those due to Covid-19, we relied on the ratio of male to female deaths, and extrapolated the 2015--19 trend to get the baseline value for 2022--23. We found noticeable excess male mortality in all age groups between 15 and 49, with 58,500±2,500 excess male deaths in 2022--23 (20,600±1,400 in 2022 and 37,900±1,500 in 2023). These estimates were obtained after excluding all HIV deaths that showed complex dynamics unrelated to the war. Depending on the modelling assumptions, the estimated number of deaths over the two years varied from about 46,600 to about 64,100, with 58,500 corresponding to our preferred model. Our estimate should be treated as a lower bound on the true number of deaths as the data do not include either the Russian military personnel missing in action and not officially declared dead, or the deaths registered in the Ukrainian territories annexed in 2022.
Who should scale back? Experimental evidence on employer support for part-time employment and working hours norms for couples with young children
2023-11-21

This experimental study investigates how hypothetical employer support for part-time work shapes working hours norms for mothers and fathers with young children in Germany. It extends previous studies by focusing on the couple context, for instance by exploring interdependencies with each partner’s earnings potential. The analysis is framed using capability-based explanations combined with a perspective of gender as a social structure. A factorial survey experiment was implemented within the German pairfam panel. OLS and multinomial logistic regressions with cluster-robust standard errors were conducted with 5,565 respondents. Hypothetical employer support similarly increases respondents’ recommendations to reduce working hours for mothers and fathers and supports dual part-time arrangements. In couples who face opposing incentives in terms of promotion prospects and employer support for part-time work, prevailing gender norms seem to reinforce the traditionalizing constraints and attenuate the de-traditionalizing influence. Respondents with more egalitarian gender beliefs respond more strongly to paternal employer support.
Fluorescence lifetime imaging unravels the pathway of glioma cell death upon hypericin-induced photodynamic therapy
2023-11-21

Malignant primary brain tumors are a group of highly aggressive and often infiltrating tumors that lack adequate therapeutic treatments to achieve long time survival. Complete tumor removal is one precondition to reach this goal. A promising approach to optimize resection margins and eliminate remaining infiltrative so-called guerilla cells is photodynamic therapy (PDT) using organic photosensitizers that can pass the disrupted blood-brain-barrier and selectively accumulate in tumor tissue. Hypericin fulfills these conditions and additionally offers outstanding photophysical properties, making it an excellent choice as a photosensitizing molecule for PDT. However, the actual hypericin-induced PDT cell death mechanism is still under debate. In this work, hypericin-induced PDT was investigated by employing the three distinct fluorescent probes hypericin, resorufin and propidium iodide (PI) in fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). This approach enables visualizing the PDT-induced photodamaging and dying of single, living glioma cells, as an in vitro tumor model for glioblastoma. Hypericin PDT and FLIM image acquisition were simultaneously induced by 405 nm laser irradiation and sequences of FLIM images and fluorescence spectra were recorded to analyze the PDT progression. The reproducibly observed cellular changes provide insight into the mechanism of cell death during PDT and suggest that apoptosis is the initial mechanism followed by necrosis after continued irradiation. These new insights into the mechanism of hypericin PDT of single glioma cells may help to adjust irradiation doses and improve the implementation as a therapy for primary brain tumors.
Immune Signature of Patients With Cardiovascular Disease Predicts Increased Risk for a Severe Course of COVID-19
2023-11-21

SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to life-threatening clinical manifestations. Patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are at higher risk for severe courses of COVID-19. However, strategies to predict the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in CVD patients at the time of hospital admission are still missing. Here, we investigated whether this prediction is achievable by prospectively analysing the blood immunophenotype of 94 participants, including 20 uninfected and 37 acutely SARS-CoV-2-infected CVD patients and 37 healthy donors, using a 36-colour spectral flow cytometry panel. Unsupervised data analysis revealed little differences between healthy donors and CVD patients, whereas the distribution of the cell populations changed dramatically in SARS-CoV-2-infected CVD patients. The latter had more mature NK cells, activated monocyte subsets, central memory CD4+ T cells, and plasmablasts but fewer dendritic cells, CD16+ monocytes, innate lymphoid cells, and CD8+ T cell subsets. Moreover, we identified an immune signature characterised by mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, intermediate effector CD8+ T cells, and natural killer T (NKT) cells that is predictive for CVD patients with a severe course of COVID-19. Thus, intensified immunophenotype analyses can help identify patients at risk of severe COVID-19 at hospital admission, improving clinical outcomes through specific treatment.