Geometric triangulations and highly twisted links

It is conjectured that every cusped hyperbolic 3-manifold admits a geometric triangulation, i.e. it is decomposed into positive volume ideal hyperbolic tetrahedra. Here, we show that sufficiently highly twisted knots admit a geometric triangulation. In addition, by extending work of Gueritaud and Schleimer, we also give quantified versions of this result for infinite families of examples.Comment: 38 pages, 21 figure

A framework for estimating crime location choice based on awareness space

This paper extends Crime Pattern Theory, proposing a theoretical framework which aims to explain how offenders’ previous routine activity locations influence their future offence locations. The framework draws on studies of individual level crime location choice and location choice in non-criminal contexts, to identify attributes of prior activities associated with the selection of the location for future crime. We group these attributes into two proposed mechanisms: reliability and relevance. Offenders are more likely to commit crime where they have reliable knowledge that is relevant to the particular crime. The perceived reliability of offenders’ knowledge about a potential crime location is affected by the frequency, recency and duration of their prior activities in that location. Relevance reflects knowledge of a potential crime location’s crime opportunities and is affected by the type of behaviour, type of location and timing of prior activities in that location. We apply the framework to generate testable hypotheses to guide future studies of crime location choice and suggest directions for further theoretical and empirical work. Understanding crime location choice using this framework could also help inform policing investigations and crime prevention strategies.</jats:p

A new Geographic Profiling Suspect Mapping And Ranking Technique for crime investigations: GP-SMART

This study developed and tested a new geographic profiling method for automating suspect prioritisation in crime investigations. The Geographic Profiling Suspect Mapping And Ranking Technique (GP-SMART) maps suspects' activity locations available in police records—such as home addresses, family members' home addresses, prior offence locations, locations of non-crime incidents, and other contacts with police—and ranks suspects based on both the proximity and nature of these locations, relative to an input crime. In accuracy tests using solved burglary, robbery and extra-familial sex offence cases in New Zealand (n = 4511), GP-SMART ranked the offender at or near the top of the suspect list at rates greatly exceeding chance. Highlighting the benefit of its novel inclusion and differentiation of many different types of activity location, GP-SMART also outperformed baseline methods—approximating existing algorithms—that ranked suspects using only the proximity of their activity locations, or home addresses, to the input crime

Integrative analysis of neuroblastoma by single-cell RNA sequencing identifies the NECTIN2-TIGIT axis as a target for immunotherapy

Pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma have poor survival rates and urgently need more effective treatment options with less side effects. As novel and improved immunotherapies may fill this need, we dissected the immunoregulatory interactions in neuroblastoma by single-cell RNA-sequencing of 25 tumors (10 pre- and 15 post-chemotherapy, including 5 pairs) to identify strategies for optimizing immunotherapy efficacy. Neuroblastomas were infiltrated by NK, T and B cells, and immunosuppressive myeloid populations. NK cells showed reduced cytotoxicity and T cells had a dysfunctional profile. Interaction analysis revealed a vast immunoregulatory network and identified NECTIN2-TIGIT as a crucial immune checkpoint. Combined blockade of TIGIT and PD-L1 significantly reduced neuroblastoma growth, with complete responses in vivo. Moreover, addition of TIGIT blockade to standard relapse treatment in a chemotherapy-resistant Th-ALKF1174L/MYCN 129/SvJ syngeneic model significantly improved survival. Concluding, our integrative analysis of neuroblastoma’s vast immunoregulatory network provides novel targets and a rationale for immunotherapeutic combination strategies

Angiopoietin 2 Alters Pancreatic Vascularization in Diabetic Conditions

Islet vascularization, by controlling beta-cell mass expansion in response to increased insulin demand, is implicated in the progression to glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. We investigated how hyperglycaemia impairs expansion and differentiation of the growing pancreas. We have grafted xenogenic (avian) embryonic pancreas in severe combined immuno-deficient (SCID) mouse and analyzed endocrine and endothelial development in hyperglycaemic compared to normoglycaemic conditions. 14 dpi chicken pancreases were grafted under the kidney capsule of normoglycaemic or hyperglycaemic, streptozotocin-induced, SCID mice and analyzed two weeks later. Vascularization was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively using either in situ hybridization with both mouse- and chick-specific RNA probes for VEGFR2 or immunohistochemistry with an antibody to nestin, a marker of endothelial cells that is specific for murine cells. To inhibit angiopoietin 2 (Ang2), SCID mice were treated with 4 mg/kg IP L1-10 twice/week. In normoglycaemic condition, chicken-derived endocrine and exocrine cells developed well and intragraft vessels were lined with mouse endothelial cells. When pancreases were grafted in hyperglycaemic mice, growth and differentiation of the graft were altered and we observed endothelial discontinuities, large blood-filled spaces. Vessel density was decreased. These major vascular anomalies were associated with strong over-expression of chick-Ang2. To explore the possibility that Ang2 over-expression could be a key step in vascular disorganization induced by hyperglycaemia, we treated mice with L1-10, an Ang-2 specific inhibitor. Inhibition of Ang2 improved vascularization and beta-cell density. this work highligghted an important role of Ang2 in pancreatic vascular defects induced by hyperglycemia

Relationships between offenders’ crime locations and different prior activity locations as recorded in Police data

Understanding the relationships between individual offenders’ crime locations and their prior activity locations is important to enable individual level predictions to support crime prevention and investigation strategies. This study examined a wider range of crimes and activity locations than included in previous studies, to determine whether offenders are more likely to commit crime near some types of activity locations than others. Using discrete spatial choice models, we identified relationships between proximity to pre-crime activity locations recorded in a police database (e.g., offenders’ homes, family members’ homes, schools, prior crimes, and other police interactions) and the locations of 17,054 residential burglaries, 10,353 non-residential burglaries, 1,977 commercial robberies, 4,315 personal robberies, and 4,421 extra-familial sex offences in New Zealand. Offenders were generally more likely to commit crime closer to their activity locations than farther away, and closer to those visited more frequently (e.g., home versus family homes) or more likely to impart relevant knowledge about crime opportunities (e.g., prior crimes versus prior victim or witness locations). The observed patterns for different activity locations and crime types broadly support a recently proposed extension to crime pattern theory and illustrate the benefits of differentiating activity location and crime types when examining criminal spatial behaviour. The results have implications for offender risk assessment and management, and geographic profiling in police investigations

sj-pdf-1-icj-10.1177_10575677241244464 - Supplemental material for Familiar Locations and Similar Activities: Examining the Contributions of Reliable and Relevant Knowledge in Offenders’ Crime Location Choices

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-icj-10.1177_10575677241244464 for Familiar Locations and Similar Activities: Examining the Contributions of Reliable and Relevant Knowledge in Offenders’ Crime Location Choices by Sophie Curtis-Ham, Wim Bernasco, Oleg N. Medvedev and Devon L. L. Polaschek in International Criminal Justice Review</p

Major bleeding in users of direct oral anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation: A pooled analysis of results from multiple population-based cohort studies

Objective: To establish the risk of major bleeding in direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) users (overall and by class) versus vitamin K antagonist (VKA) users, using health care databases from four European countries and six provinces in Canada. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed according to a similar protocol. First-users of VKAs or DOACs with a diagnosis of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) were included. The main outcome of interest was major bleeding and secondary outcomes included gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and intracranial haemorrhage (ICH). Incidence rates of events per 1000 person years were calculated. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using a Cox proportional hazard regression model. Exposure and confounders were measured and analysed in a time-dependant way. Risk estimates were pooled using a random effect model. Results: 421 523 patients were included. The risk of major bleeding for the group of DOACs compared to VKAs showed a pooled HR of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87–1.02). Rivaroxaban showed a modestly increased risk (HR 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06–1.16). Apixaban and dabigatran showed a decreased risk of respectively HR 0.76 (95% CI: 0.69–0.84) and HR 0.85 (95% CI: 0.75–0.96). Conclusions: This study confirms that the risk of major bleeding of DOACs compared to VKAs is not increased when combining all DOACs. However, we observed a modest higher risk of major bleeding for rivaroxaban, whereas for apixaban and dabigatran lower risks of major bleeding were observed compared to VKAs

Major bleeding in users of direct oral anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation: A pooled analysis of results from multiple population-based cohort studies

Objective: To establish the risk of major bleeding in direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) users (overall and by class) versus vitamin K antagonist (VKA) users, using health care databases from four European countries and six provinces in Canada. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed according to a similar protocol. First-users of VKAs or DOACs with a diagnosis of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) were included. The main outcome of interest was major bleeding and secondary outcomes included gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and intracranial haemorrhage (ICH). Incidence rates of events per 1000 person years were calculated. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using a Cox proportional hazard regression model. Exposure and confounders were measured and analysed in a time-dependant way. Risk estimates were pooled using a random effect model. Results: 421 523 patients were included. The risk of major bleeding for the group of DOACs compared to VKAs showed a pooled HR of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87–1.02). Rivaroxaban showed a modestly increased risk (HR 1.11, 95% CI: 1.06–1.16). Apixaban and dabigatran showed a decreased risk of respectively HR 0.76 (95% CI: 0.69–0.84) and HR 0.85 (95% CI: 0.75–0.96). Conclusions: This study confirms that the risk of major bleeding of DOACs compared to VKAs is not increased when combining all DOACs. However, we observed a modest higher risk of major bleeding for rivaroxaban, whereas for apixaban and dabigatran lower risks of major bleeding were observed compared to VKAs