Distinct Populations Research Articles

Adverse childhood experiences and age-trajectories of depressive symptom for middle and older ages

Abstract Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have lifelong impacts on health outcomes. Less is known about their effects on later outcomes (mental health). Moreover, associations of ACEs with age-trajectories of depressive symptoms and how they differ in different countries remain unclear. We investigated associations between ACEs and trajectories of depressive symptoms at mid-to-older ages in two distinct populations. Methods We used longitudinal data from English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA: n = 19602, ≥50y) and China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS: n = 19561, ≥45y). Depressive symptoms were measured by Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale at 10 waves (2002-2022) in ELSA and at 5 waves (2011-2020) in CHARLS. ACEs were retrospectively reported in both studies. We applied group-based trajectory modelling to identify distinct age-trajectories of depressive symptoms and multinomial regression to estimate associations between ACEs and trajectory groups. Results We identified three trajectory groups: in ELSA: high (12.3% in men and 14.7% in women), moderate (46.6% and 47.9%) and low (41.1% and 37.4%), and in CHARLS: high (9.3% and 13.2%), moderate (34.1% and 39.4%) and low (56.6% and 47.4%). Most ACEs were associated with increased risk of having moderate/ high trajectories of depressive symptoms after adjusting for other ACEs, sex, and childhood socioeconomic disadvantages. For example, for physical abuse, the adjusted relative risk ratio (RRRadj) for high and moderate trajectory groups was 2.09(1.99, 2.19) and 1.16(1.12, 1.20) respectively in ELSA. It was 1.34(1.23, 1.44) and 1.22(1.13, 1.32) in CHARLS. For domestic violence, the respective RRRadj was 1.90(1.65, 2.18) and 1.44(1.22, 1.70) in ELSA, and 1.33(1.22, 1.44) and 1.24(1.14, 1.35) in CHARLS. Conclusions ACEs have life-long effects on mental health at mid-to-older ages in both countries, highlighting the need of early intervention to improve mental health in later life. Key messages • Our work considered the distinct patterns of age-trajectories of depressive symptoms for adults at middle and older ages, capturing the changing process of mental health problems in later life. • We also investigated the associations between childhood factors and trajectory of depressive symptoms, which helped to improve mental health for older people under the situation of global ageing.

Young patients in the cardiac intensive care unit: insights from the critical care cardiology trials network registry

Abstract Background Elderly patients treated in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) have engendered much warranted investigation. However, little is known about young patients as another distinct population. Purpose: To describe the demographics, clinical profiles, and outcomes of young CICU patients in order to understand any distinct needs and challenges of this population. Methods: We analyzed consecutive admissions to adult CICUs from 2018 to 2023 in the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN), a multicenter prospective registry of advanced CICUs in North America coordinated by the TIMI Study Group. Patients aged <40 years were classified as "young patients" and compared to patients ≥ 40 years of age. Results: Among 29,035 CICU admissions during the study period, the median age was 67 years (25th, 75th %iles: 56, 70). Admissions 18 to 40 years of age comprised 6.7% (n=1959) of total admissions. The young cohort was more likely to be female (40.0% vs 36.4%, p=0.0015) and non-Caucasian (55.3% vs. 43.0%, p<0.0001). Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were less common among the young, as were prior cardiovascular diagnoses other than congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension. Initial SOFA scores and serum lactate levels were similar in the 2 groups (Table). The most common CICU admission diagnoses in the young were heart failure (HF), arrhythmia, and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (Panel A). Of these, HF was more common in the young (26.4% vs 19.5%, p<0.0001), while arrhythmia (16.8% vs 18.9%, p=0.03) and ACS (10.9% vs 29.4%, p<0.0001) were less common compared to the older group (Panel B). Tamponade, hypertensive emergency, and congenital disease were more common in the young (Panel B). Respiratory insufficiency was the most common indication for admission to CICU in the young (24.6%) followed by cardiogenic shock (22.4%), unstable arrythmia (15.7%), and cardiac arrest (12.7%, Panel C). Critical care resources, other than coronary angiography/PCI, were utilized significantly more often in the young group (Panel D). Overall utilization of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) was modestly higher among the young cohort (13.1% vs. 11.4%, p=0.03, Panel D); however, among those managed with MCS, the % of MCS that was ECMO was higher among the young (29.3% vs 9.9%, p<0.0001). Young admissions had longer CICU stays (2.7 [1.2-5.9] vs 2.3 [1.2-4.9], p<0.0001). CICU mortality (6.5% vs 10.5%, p<0.0001) and hospital mortality (9.5% vs 14.4%, p<0.0001) were significantly lower in the young. Conclusion: Patients under the age of 40 admitted to CICUs presented with similar disease severity to older patients but more often had shock or cardiac arrest, had longer ICU stays, and more use of advanced ICU therapies but with lower in-hospital mortality. This important patient cohort merits continued clinical and research focus.

Three-Dimensional Organotypic Systems for Modelling and Understanding Molecular Regulation of Oral Dentogingival Tissues.

Three-dimensional organotypic models benefit from the ability to mimic physiological cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions and therefore offer superior models for studying pathological or physiological conditions compared to 2D cultures. Organotypic models consisting of keratinocytes supported by fibroblasts embedded in collagen matrices have been utilised for the study of oral conditions. However, the provision of a suitable model for investigating the pathogenesis of periodontitis has been more challenging. Part of the complexity relates to the different regional epithelial specificities and connective tissue phenotypes. Recently, it was confirmed, using 3D organotypic models, that distinct fibroblast populations were implicated in the provision of specific inductive and directive influences on the overlying epithelia. This paper presents the organotypic model of the dentogingival junction (DGJ) constructed to demonstrate the differential fibroblast influences on the maintenance of regionally specific epithelial phenotypes. Therefore, the review aims are (1) to provide the biological basis underlying 3D organotypic cultures and (2) to comprehensively detail the experimental protocol for the construction of the organotypic cultures and the unique setup for the DGJ model. The latter is the first organotypic culture model used for the reconstruction of the DGJ and is recommended as a useful tool for future periodontal research.

Conduction system versus right ventricular pacing for atrioventricular block: a reconstructed individual participant data meta-analysis

Abstract Background Right ventricular pacing (RVP) is typically offered to patients with established or impending atrioventricular block (AVB) in the absence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Direct stimulation of His-Purkinje fibres via conduction system pacing (CSP) is an emerging alternative to RVP to prevent pacing-induced cardiomyopathy. Purpose To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis testing CSP versus RVP in patients with AVB and a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥35%. Methods Observational studies comparing CSP with RVP that reported clinical outcomes were systematically identified. The primary outcome was time-to-first all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalisation (HFH) or upgrade to biventricular pacing. Secondary endpoints included the individual components of the primary endpoint. Individual participant time-to-event data (IPD) was obtained through data-sharing agreements or reconstructed from digitisation of Kaplan-Meier curves where available. Mixed-effects Cox proportional hazards regression that modelled between-study heterogeneity as a random intercept to account for differing baseline hazards between distinct study populations was performed on these data. Conventional pairwise random effects meta-analyses were also performed. This analysis was prospectively registered. Results 12 eligible studies enrolling 4627 patients were included. In reconstructed IPD pooled survival analyses, CSP associated with a 38% reduced hazard of the primary endpoint compared with RVP [hazard ratio 0.62, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.76, p<0.001] (Figure 1). In pairwise meta-analyses, CSP associated with a 46% risk reduction in the primary endpoint [relative risk (RR) 0.54, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.71, p<0.001] (Figure 2A). CSP also associated with reductions in risk of all-cause mortality [RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.80, p<0.001], HFH [RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.55, p<0.001] and upgrade to biventricular pacing [RR 0.19, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.52, p=0.001] compared with RVP (Figure 2B-D). Conclusions In reconstructed IPD pooled survival analyses, CSP associated with reductions in the primary composite endpoint of all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalisation or upgrade to biventricular pacing compared with RVP, independent of ventricular pacing burden. This was mirrored in conventional meta-analyses of the primary composite endpoint, and when individual components of the composite were analysed. It may not be necessary to predict which patients will have an elevated pacing burden when applying this therapy. Until randomised data from the PROTECT-HF trial becomes available, this analysis offers the most precise summary estimate of the comparative effects of CSP versus RVP in patients with an AVB indication for pacing, but no evidence of heart failure.Kaplan-Meier plot comparing CSP vs RVPForest plots for major endpoints

Role of inflammation and macrophages in the formation of the atrial cardiomyopathy associated with obesity

Abstract Introduction The atrial fibrillation (AF), the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice is often associated with an atrial cardiomyopathy (ACM) which is favoured by several clinical conditions including metabolic diseases such as obesity. Recently, the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has emerged as an important component of ACM notably in the context of metabolic diseases. Epicardial progenitor cells (EPC) are the main source of EAT. The replacement of EAT by fibrosis is arrhythmogenic and involved inflammation but not yet characterized. The hypothesis tested here is that macrophages are central players for both the recruitment of EPC and replacement of EAT by fibrosis. Purpose-Aims First to characterize subpopulation of macrophages involves in the progression of ACM. Second, to study how the inflammatory environment regulates EPC differentiation. Method A spatial gene expression was used to analyze human samples (n=4) (Agreement, CODECOH, Declaration or authorization of activities involving the preservation and preparation of human body parts for scientific purposes DC-2020-4183). A well-characterized mouse model of atrial cardiomyopathy associated with obesity induced by high fat diet (HFD) was used to characterize macrophages associated with progression of ACM by using immunolabeling together with single nuclei RNA sequencing approaches. ACM was characterized by using echocardiography and atrial burst pacing to evaluate determine AF vulnerability. Transgenic RGB-MAC mice with macrophages tagged with McApple-Csf1R and ECGFP-CX3CR1 or with a knock-out for CCR2 were used to follow infiltration of myeloid cells in the atrial at the different stages of the ACM. Bi-photon microscopy was used to visualize cell subpopulations in the distinct area of the atrial wall. In some experiments EPC and macrophages were cocultured with transwell. Results Macrophages were detected in subepicardium of human atrial samples in area of fibro-fatty infiltrates. After 2 months of HFD, monocytes were infiltrated atria and macrophages were overexpressed in atria from 1 to 4 months of HFD. Using Bi-photon microscopy it was possible to visualise resident ECGFP-CX3CR1+ macrophages at the contact of EAT whereas McApple-Csfr1r+ macrophages were at the junction with fibrosis (figure 1). Preliminary data generated by single nuclei RNA sequencing showed clusters of different subpopulations of macrophages at different time point of the ACM (figure 2). We will present results on the effects of suppression of the CCR2 subpopulation of macrophages on characteristics of the ACM. Conclusion Distinct populations of macrophages i.e resident and monocyte-derived macrophages, participate to the distinct stages of the ACM caused by obesity in mice.Myeloid cells infiltration in epicardiumCCR2+cells infiltration in EAT-fibrosis

The influence of dark personality and pornography on sexual aggression beliefs.

Violence against women, particularly sexual violence, poses a significant public health concern. Predispositions toward perpetrating such acts often stem from the acceptance of myths that justify or deny these behaviours. This study aimed to explore how dark personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and pornography consumption relate to the acceptance of these myths. Surveying 598 participants, the research employed Latent Profile Analyses (LPA) to identify distinct population profiles, Additionally, regression analyses were employed to further explore the relationships among variables. Three profiles emerged, showcasing varying degrees of acceptance of sexual aggression myths. The most concerning profile, encompassing 9.2% of participants, displayed the highest alignment with these myths, alongside elevated scores in dark personality traits and pornography consumption. Notwithstanding the three profiles showed significant differences in the acceptance of these myths. Interestingly, the regression analysis highlighted that Machiavellianism stood out as the primary predictor for accepting sexual aggression myths, overshadowing the influence of pornography consumption. This emphasizes the role of personality traits in influencing attitudes towards sexual aggression myths. Moreover, implications for tailored prevention strategies, focusing on high-risk profiles, are discussed, highlighting the potential for targeted interventions to address harmful beliefs and behaviours.

Time and cause of death in patients after acute coronary syndrome

Abstract Background Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains a substantial mortality burden despite enormous progress achieved in treatment and prevention in recent decades, yet systematic investigation of detailed causes of death among ACS patients remains limited. Objective This study aimed to describe the association between time and cause of death in patients after ACS using data from a large, multicenter, contemporary cohort. Methods Patients’ data from the China Chest Pain Database between 2015 and 2021 were linked to the China National Death Registration System Database using unique national IDs to obtain accurate vital status. Patients with documented death records were extracted into a merged database, which encompassed all deaths that occurred in the hospital and post-discharge out-of-hospital. Patients were enrolled with a discharge diagnosis of ACS. Cardiovascular (CV) mortality was defined as a death certificate with a CV diagnosis using the ICD-10 classification listed as the primary cause of death. A trend chi-square test was performed to assess the causes of death at different times after ACS. Results Among the 126,704 eligible patients, the mean age at baseline was 74 (66, 81) years old, 39.3% were women. Of these patients, 16,546 (13.1%) died during hospitalisation, 53,980 (42.6%) within the first six months after discharge, 19,664 (15.5%) from 6 to12 months after discharge, and 36,514 (28.8%) beyond 12 months after discharge. The most common cause of CV death was ischemic heart disease (70.1%), followed by ischemic stroke (7.1%) and hemorrhagic stroke (6.8%). The main causes of non-CV death were malignant tumours (37.1%) and respiratory disease (21.5%). For death in-hospital, within the first six months, from 6 to 12 months post-discharge, and beyond 12 months, the proportion of CV causes was 86.3%, 78.3%, 70.7%, and 67.9%, respectively (P<0.001). The proportion of deaths due to haemorrhagic stroke and aortic aneurysm/dissection increased progressively with time to death increasing (P<0.001). Meanwhile, the proportion of non-CV deaths continuously increased, reaching 13.7%, 21.7%, 29.3%, and 32.1%, respectively. Conclusion Despite cardiovascular diseases being the primary cause of death in patients after ACS, the causes of death vary among patients with different times of death, highlighting the importance of categorising patients into distinct population groups according to time after ACS for targeted cause-specific preventive strategies.

Assessing personalized molecular portraits underlying endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition within pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive and rapidly fatal disease with an intricate etiology. Identifying biomarkers for early PAH lesions based on the exploration of subtle biological processes is significant for timely diagnosis and treatment. In the present study, nine distinct cell populations identified based on gene expression profiles revealed high heterogeneity in cell composition ratio, biological function, distribution preference, and communication patterns in PAH. Notably, compared to other cells, endothelial cells (ECs) showed prominent variation in multiple perspectives. Further analysis demonstrated the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in ECs and identified a subgroup exhibiting a contrasting phenotype. Based on these findings, a machine-learning integrated program consisting of nine learners was developed to create a PAH Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition Signature (PETS). This study identified cell populations underlying EndMT and furnished a potential tool that might be valuable for PAH diagnosis and new precise therapies.

Do All Fast Radio Bursts Repeat? Constraints from CHIME/FRB Far Sidelobe FRBs

We report 10 fast radio bursts (FRBs) detected in the far sidelobe region (i.e., ≥5° off-meridian) of the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) from August 28 2018 to August 31 2021. We localize the bursts by fitting their spectra with a model of the CHIME/FRB synthesized beam response. We find that the far sidelobe events have on average ∼500 times greater fluxes than events detected in CHIME’s main lobe. We show that the sidelobe sample is therefore statistically ∼20 times closer than the main lobe sample. We find promising host galaxy candidates (P cc < 1%) for two of the FRBs, 20190112B and 20210310B, at distances of 38 and 16 Mpc, respectively. CHIME/FRB did not observe repetition of similar brightness from the uniform sample of 10 sidelobe FRBs in a total exposure time of 35,580 hr. Under the assumption of Poisson-distributed bursts, we infer that the mean repetition interval above the detection threshold of the far sidelobe events is longer than 11,880 hr, which is at least 2380 times larger than the interval from known CHIME/FRB detected repeating sources, with some caveats, notably that very narrowband events could have been missed. Our results from these far sidelobe events suggest one of two scenarios: either (1) all FRBs repeat and the repetition intervals span a wide range, with high-rate repeaters being a rare sub-population, or (2) non-repeating FRBs are a distinct population different from known repeaters.

Retrieval of Thermally Resolved Water Vapor Distributions in Disks Observed with JWST-MIRI

The mid-infrared water vapor emission spectrum provides a novel way to characterize the delivery of icy pebbles toward the innermost (<5 au) regions of planet-forming disks. Recently, JWST MIRI-MRS showed that compact disks exhibit an excess of low-energy water vapor emission relative to extended multigapped disks, suggesting that icy pebble drift is more efficient in the former. We carry out detailed emission-line modeling to retrieve the excitation conditions of rotational water vapor emission in a sample of four compact and three extended disks within the JWST Disk Infrared Spectral Chemistry Survey. We present two-temperature H2O slab model retrievals and, for the first time, constrain the spatial distribution of water vapor by fitting parametric radial temperature and column density profiles. Such models statistically outperform the two-temperature slab fits. We find a correlation between the observable hot water vapor mass and stellar mass accretion rate, as well as an anticorrelation between cold water vapor mass and submillimeter dust disk radius, confirming previously reported water line flux trends. We find that the mid-IR spectrum traces H2O with temperatures down to 180–300 K, but the coldest 150–170 K gas remains undetected. Furthermore the H2O temperature profiles are generally steeper and cooler than the expected “superheated” dust temperature in passive irradiated disks. The column density profiles are used to estimate icy pebble mass fluxes, which suggest that compact and extended disks may produce markedly distinct inner-disk exoplanet populations if local feeding mechanisms dominate their assembly.

Distinct trajectories of symptomatic response in ulcerative colitis during filgotinib therapy: A post hoc analysis from the SELECTION study.

Filgotinib is an oral, once-daily, Janus kinase 1 preferential inhibitor approved for treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) following the phase 2b/3 SELECTION trial. Identification of patient populations and factors associated with long-term treatment response trajectories may improve UC management. We aimed to identify and describe distinct patient subgroups of response to filgotinib based on partial Mayo Clinic Score (pMCS) trajectories over time. In these post hoc analyses of SELECTION, group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was applied to pMCS to describe groups of distinct, symptom-based patient trajectories using data from patients who responded to filgotinib 200 or 100mg and continued receiving filgotinib up to week 58. Patient demographics, disease characteristics, and week 10 response were compared between the groups. Achievement of a patient-level multi-component endpoint of comprehensive disease control (CDC) was assessed in each group. GBTM identified five distinct patient populations with different response trajectories; 67.5% of patients had beneficial trajectories. The beneficial trajectory groups generally had higher proportions of patients who were recently diagnosed (<1year), were receiving filgotinib 200mg and were biologic-naive versus the relapsing trajectory groups (4%-9% vs. 4%-5%; 43%-65% vs. 36%-46%; 54%-70% vs. 35%-58%, respectively). Furthermore, 55.4% of patients had sustained beneficial trajectories, with low baseline endoscopic subscores (≥43% of patients had a subscore of 2) and strong week 10 FCP responses (≥61% of patients with >50% decrease in FCP from baseline). Sustained beneficial trajectory groups had a higher probability of achieving CDC at week 58 than other groups (31%-32% vs. 0%-7%). Beneficial long-term response trajectories and achievement of CDC with filgotinib were associated with being biologic-naive and having less severe disease at baseline. Early estimation of sustained and CDC may facilitate patient identification and development of personalized management strategies in UC. NCT02914522.

Chert outcrops differentiation by means of low-field NMR relaxometry

Siliceous rocks served as raw materials in the production of stone tools from the Middle Paleolithic onwards. Due to migration, the provenance of archaeological artefacts can differ from their natural outcrop location. The aim of this work was the application of 1D and 2D low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) relaxometry to distinguish cherts by their original source. Herein, bedded cherts and accompanying nodular cherts coming from three different outcrops of Kraków-Częstochowa Upland were investigated. 1D and 2D (T1-T2) experiments of water-saturated and dry rock sample states delivered T1, T2 times and T1/T2 ratios of distinct hydrogen populations – parameters sensitive to pore size, surface properties, and hydrogen bonding length. In-depth analysis of NMR data showed substantial differences in the porosity, pore surface and pore structure properties of investigated chert samples tested in the three different saturation levels (100% water-saturated, dried and differential). Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to reduce the number of correlations obtained and highlight the most important NMR properties specific to the particular outcrop localization."Please check captured corresponding author email if correct.""The email is correct"

Social needs and health outcomes in two rural Veteran populations.

Addressing social needs is a priority for many health systems, including the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Nearly a quarter of Veterans reside in rural areas and experience a high social need burden. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and association with health outcomes of social needs in two distinct rural Veteran populations. We conducted a survey (n=1150) of Veterans at 2 rural VA sites, 1 in the Northeast and 1 in the Southeast (SE), assessing 11 social needs (social disconnection, employment, finance, food, transportation, housing, utilities, internet access, legal needs, activities of daily living [ADL], and discrimination). We ran weighted-logistic regression models to predict the probability of experiencing four outcomes (poor access to care, no-show visits, and self-rated physical and mental health) by individual social need. More than 80% of Veterans at both sites reported ≥1 social need, with social disconnection the most common; Veterans at the SE site reported much higher rates. A total of 9 out of 11 needs were associated with higher probability of poor physical and mental health, particularly financial needs (average marginal effect [AME]: 0.21-0.32, p<0.001) and ADL (AME: 0.27-0.34, p<0.001). We found smaller associations between social needs and poor access to care and no-show visits. High prevalence of social needs in rural Veteran population and significant associations with four health outcomes support the prioritization of addressing social determinants of health for health systems. Differences in the findings between sites support tailoring interventions to specific patient populations.

Exploring new dimensions of immune cell biology in Anopheles gambiae through genetic immunophenotyping.

Mosquito immune cells, or hemocytes, are integral components of the innate immune responses that define vector competence. However, the lack of genetic resources has limited their characterization and our understanding of their functional roles in immune signaling. To overcome these challenges, we engineered transgenic Anopheles gambiae that express fluorescent proteins under the control of candidate hemocyte promoters. Following the characterization of five transgenic constructs through gene expression and microscopy-based approaches, we examine mosquito immune cell populations by leveraging advanced spectral imaging flow cytometry. Our results comprehensively map the composition of mosquito hemocytes, classifying them into twelve distinct populations based on size, granularity, ploidy, phagocytic capacity, and the expression of PPO6, SPARC, and LRIM15 genetic markers. Together, our novel use of morphological properties and genetic markers provides increased resolution into our understanding of mosquito hemocytes, highlighting the complexity and plasticity of these immune cell populations, while providing the foundation for deeper investigations into their roles in immunity and pathogen transmission.

Cold Tolerance in Halodule wrightii Across Latitudinally Distinct Populations in the Western Atlantic Ocean

Cold Tolerance in Halodule wrightii Across Latitudinally Distinct Populations in the Western Atlantic Ocean

Population genomics of a specialized insect, Tetraopes texanus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), across a fragmented grassland system

AbstractSpecialist insects are especially susceptible to loss of genetic diversity in the face of habitat destruction and fragmentation. Implementing effective conservation practices for specialist insects will benefit from knowledge of population structure and genetic diversity. Because insects are hyper-diverse, characterizing the population structure of all species within the insect community is untenable, even if focused within a particular habitat type. Thus, concentrating on a single species specialized to a particular habitat type is needed to infer general trends. Here, we investigate the range-wide population genetics of Tetraopes texanus Horn 1878 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), which provides a useful model of grassland insects due to its’ habitat specificity and unique biology. Tetraopes texanus occurs primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, into Northern Mexico, and possibly into eastern New Mexico but also occurs in Black Belt prairies of Mississippi and Alabama. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (RAD-seq) analysis identified two distinct population clusters of T. texanus corresponding to the Texas and Oklahoma population and the Mississippi and Alabama population. Demographic models indicate ongoing, though incomplete, isolation of the two populations, with estimated dates of divergence in the mid-Pleistocene, coinciding with the end of a glacial period and a shift in glacial interval. These results can inform conservation of grassland adapted insects and offers insight to the biogeography of the Gulf Coastal Plain.

Quantification of phase separation in high moisture soy protein extrudates by NMR and MRI

High-moisture (HM) extrusion is the dominant industrial process to create structured plant-based protein products that can be used for animal-free meat alternatives. Yet, the underlying mechanisms, such as phase separation, that govern structure formation in plant-protein extrudates, are still poorly understood. Current hypotheses require experimental data in order to be verified, but measurement techniques able to quantify phase-separated anisotropic protein extrudates are lacking, or have yet to be validated. In this study, Low-Field Time Domain (LF TD)-NMR and High-Field (HF) MRI techniques have been employed to unravel phase separation in HM extrudates of soy proteins. Results show that swelling with water enhances the 1H NMR/MRI signal-to-noise ratio in the measurements and unveils the presence of lamellar regions, while freeze-thawing enhances phase separation due to freeze concentration. Phase separation could be quantified by the observation of two distinct populations by LF TD-NMR T2 measurements. MRI images of dead-stop ribbon samples from interrupted HM extrusion revealed how the thickness of the aligned lamellar regions increases during passage of the protein melt through the cooling die. We conclude that TD-NMR can quantify phase separation, while spin-echo MRI can spatially resolve the lamellar structure conformation of HM extrudates. Thus, NMR and MRI are powerful techniques for non-invasively characterizing ex situ structure formation during HM extrusion, and for validating hypotheses on shear- and temperature-induced phase separation.

Mitigating local minima in extracting optimal parameters for photovoltaic models: An optimizer leveraging multiple initial populations (OLMIP)

The accurate identification of parameters in photovoltaic models is of paramount importance to accurately predict the electrical behavior of photovoltaic systems and improve their performance. Nowadays, this task poses a multimodal optimization problem, aiming to find the best combination of parameters that fit the model to real data. This article presents a proposal for an Optimizer Leveraging Multiple Initial Populations (OLMIP) that aims to achieve optimal solutions while effectively avoiding undesirable local optima. By utilizing a separate evolution strategy involving four distinct initial populations, followed by the construction of an elite population, the algorithm can explore multiple regions of the search space and escape local minima. Experiments were conducted with four models: the single diode, double diode, triple diode from RTC France cell, and Photowatt-PWP201 module. The mean squared errors obtained are 9.860219E-04, 9.824849E-04, 9.824849E-04, and 2.425075 E−03, respectively. These results indicate that the algorithm achieves superior or comparable accuracy to that of six competitors. Furthermore, the statistical analysis of the results, including the Wilcoxon and Friedman tests, confirms the robustness and effectiveness of the approach used for parameter estimation in photovoltaic systems. These findings open up new prospects for the improvement and optimization of photovoltaic systems.

Nested admixture during and after the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade on the island of São Tomé.

Human admixture history is rarely a simple process in which distinct populations, previously isolated for a long time, come into contact once to form an admixed population. In this study, we aim to reconstruct the complex admixture histories of the population of São Tomé, an island in the Gulf of Guinea that was the site of the first slave-based plantation economy, and experienced successive waves of forced and deliberate migration from Africa. We examined 2.5 million SNPs newly genotyped in 96 São Toméans and found that geography alone cannot explain the observed patterns of genetic differentiation within the island. We defined five genetic groups in São Tomé based on the hypothesis that individuals sharing the most haplotypes are more likely to share similar genetic histories. Using Identical-by-Descent and different local ancestry inference methods, we inferred shared ancestries between 70 African and European populations and each São Toméan genetic group. We identified admixture events between admixed groups that were previously isolated on the island, showing how recently admixed populations can be themselves the sources of other admixture events. This study demonstrates how complex admixture and isolation histories during and after the Transatlantic Slave-Trade shaped extant individual genetic patterns at a local scale in Africa.

Targeting immune-fibroblast cell communication in heart failure.

Inflammation and tissue fibrosis co-exist and are causally linked to organ dysfunction1,2. However, the molecular mechanisms driving immune-fibroblast cell communication in human cardiac disease remain unexplored and there are at present no approved treatments that directly target cardiac fibrosis3,4. Here we performed multiomic single-cell gene expression, epitope mapping and chromatin accessibility profiling in 45 healthy donor, acutely infarcted and chronically failing human hearts. We identified a disease-associated fibroblast trajectory that diverged into distinct populations reminiscent of myofibroblasts and matrifibrocytes, the latter expressing fibroblast activator protein (FAP) and periostin (POSTN). Genetic lineage tracing of FAP+ fibroblasts in vivo showed that they contribute to the POSTN lineage but not the myofibroblast lineage. We assessed the applicability of experimental systems to model cardiac fibroblasts and demonstrated that three different in vivo mouse models of cardiac injury were superior compared with cultured human heart and dermal fibroblasts in recapitulating the human disease phenotype. Ligand-receptor analysis and spatial transcriptomics predicted that interactions between C-C chemokine receptor type 2(CCR2) macrophages and fibroblasts mediated by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) signalling drove the emergence of FAP/POSTN fibroblasts within spatially defined niches. In vivo, we deleted the IL-1 receptor on fibroblasts and the IL-1β ligand in CCR2+ monocytes and macrophages, and inhibited IL-1β signalling using a monoclonal antibody, and showed reduced FAP/POSTN fibroblasts, diminished myocardial fibrosis and improved cardiac function. These findings highlight the broader therapeutic potential of targeting inflammation to treat tissue fibrosis and preserve organ function.