A hot-Jupiter progenitor on a super-eccentric retrograde orbit.

Giant exoplanets orbiting close to their host stars are unlikely to have formed in their present configurations1. These 'hot Jupiter' planets are instead thought to have migrated inward from beyond the ice line and several viable migration channels have been proposed, including eccentricity excitation through angular-momentum exchange with a third body followed by tidally driven orbital circularization2,3. The discovery of the extremely eccentric (e = 0.93) giant exoplanet HD 80606 b (ref. 4) provided observational evidence that hot Jupiters may have formed through this high-eccentricity tidal-migration pathway5. However, no similar hot-Jupiter progenitors have been found and simulations predict that one factor affecting the efficacy of this mechanism is exoplanet mass, as low-mass planets are more likely to be tidally disrupted during periastron passage6-8. Here we present spectroscopic and photometric observations of TIC 241249530 b, a high-mass, transiting warm Jupiter with an extreme orbital eccentricity of e = 0.94. The orbit of TIC 241249530 b is consistent with a history of eccentricity oscillations and a future tidal circularization trajectory. Our analysis of the mass and eccentricity distributions of the transiting-warm-Jupiter population further reveals a correlation between high mass and high eccentricity.

Publisher Correction: A planet within the debris disk around the pre-main-sequence star AU Microscopii.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

A remnant planetary core in the hot-Neptune desert.

The interiors of giant planets remain poorly understood. Even for the planets in the Solar System, difficulties in observation lead to large uncertainties in the properties of planetary cores. Exoplanets that have undergone rare evolutionary processes provide a route to understanding planetary interiors. Planets found in and near the typically barren hot-Neptune 'desert'1,2 (a region in mass-radius space that contains few planets) have proved to be particularly valuable in this regard. These planets include HD149026b3, which is thought to have an unusually massive core, and recent discoveries such as LTT9779b4 and NGTS-4b5, on which photoevaporation has removed a substantial part of their outer atmospheres. Here we report observations of the planet TOI-849b, which has a radius smaller than Neptune's but an anomalously large mass of [Formula: see text] Earth masses and a density of [Formula: see text] grams per cubic centimetre, similar to Earth's. Interior-structure models suggest that any gaseous envelope of pure hydrogen and helium consists of no more than [Formula: see text] per cent of the total planetary mass. The planet could have been a gas giant before undergoing extreme mass loss via thermal self-disruption or giant planet collisions, or it could have avoided substantial gas accretion, perhaps through gap opening or late formation6. Although photoevaporation rates cannot account for the mass loss required to reduce a Jupiter-like gas giant, they can remove a small (a few Earth masses) hydrogen and helium envelope on timescales of several billion years, implying that any remaining atmosphere on TOI-849b is likely to be enriched by water or other volatiles from the planetary interior. We conclude that TOI-849b is the remnant core of a giant planet.

A planet within the debris disk around the pre-main-sequence star AU Microscopii.

AU Microscopii (AU Mic) is the second closest pre-main-sequence star, at a distance of 9.79 parsecs and with an age of 22 million years1. AU Mic possesses a relatively rare2 and spatially resolved3 edge-on debris disk extending from about 35 to 210 astronomical units from the star4, and with clumps exhibiting non-Keplerian motion5-7. Detection of newly formed planets around such a star is challenged by the presence of spots, plage, flares and other manifestations of magnetic 'activity' on the star8,9. Here we report observations of a planet transiting AU Mic. The transiting planet, AU Mic b, has an orbital period of 8.46 days, an orbital distance of 0.07 astronomical units, a radius of 0.4 Jupiter radii, and a mass of less than 0.18 Jupiter masses at 3σ confidence. Our observations of a planet co-existing with a debris disk offer the opportunity to test the predictions of current models of planet formation and evolution.

Proliferating inverted follicular keratosis of genital skin: Case series of a challenging variant.

BACKGROUND: Inverted follicular keratosis (IFK) is a benign cutaneous epithelial tumor typically presenting as a small papule on the head and neck. We have encountered deep endophytic tumors on genital skin with some characteristics of IFK but also atypical features, raising concern for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: Four such tumors were identified in our database. Histopathologic analysis and ancillary studies were performed. RESULTS: All patients were young women who presented with a solitary 0.5-1.0 cm lesion on the vulva, perineum, or inner buttock. Each showed a squamous proliferation arising from the epidermis, with endophytic growth that was deep and bulbous but not infiltrative. The tumor lobules contained eosinophilic keratinocytes, forming numerous squamous eddies. Small irregular spaces and dyskeratotic cells were frequently found. Nuclear pleomorphism was minimal to absent. All demonstrated wild-type p53 expression and lack of p16 block positivity. In situ hybridizations for human papillomavirus were negative. None of the three cases with follow-up data showed evidence of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of infiltrative growth or significant pleomorphism, the presence of numerous squamous eddies, the reassuring immunoprofile, and the lack of evidence of recurrence support a variant of IFK and speak against SCC. We propose the term "proliferating IFK" to highlight the florid squamous proliferation. Recognition of this unusual variant would avoid overdiagnosis of SCC.

Diagnosing Cutaneous Melanocytic Tumors in the Molecular Era: Updates and Review of Literature.

Over the past decade, molecular and genomic discoveries have experienced unprecedented growth, fundamentally reshaping our comprehension of melanocytic tumors. This review comprises three main sections. The first part gives an overview of the current genomic landscape of cutaneous melanocytic tumors. The second part provides an update on the associated molecular tests and immunohistochemical stains that are helpful for diagnostic purposes. The third section briefly outlines the diverse molecular pathways now utilized for the classification of cutaneous melanomas. The primary goal of this review is to provide a succinct overview of the molecular pathways involved in melanocytic tumors and demonstrate their practical integration into the realm of diagnostic aids. As the molecular and genomic knowledge base continues to expand, this review hopes to serve as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals, offering insight into the evolving molecular landscape of cutaneous melanocytic tumors and its implications for patient care.

The Role of Genetic Mutations in Mitochondrial-Driven Cancer Growth in Selected Tumors: Breast and Gynecological Malignancies.

There is an increasing understanding of the molecular and cytogenetic background of various tumors that helps us better conceptualize the pathogenesis of specific diseases. Additionally, in many cases, these molecular and cytogenetic alterations have diagnostic, prognostic, and/or therapeutic applications that are heavily used in clinical practice. Given that there is always room for improvement in cancer treatments and in cancer patient management, it is important to discover new therapeutic targets for affected individuals. In this review, we discuss mitochondrial changes in breast and gynecological (endometrial and ovarian) cancers. In addition, we review how the frequently altered genes in these diseases (BRCA1/2, HER2, PTEN, PIK3CA, CTNNB1, RAS, CTNNB1, FGFR, TP53, ARID1A, and TERT) affect the mitochondria, highlighting the possible associated individual therapeutic targets. With this approach, drugs targeting mitochondrial glucose or fatty acid metabolism, reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial biogenesis, mtDNA transcription, mitophagy, or cell death pathways could provide further tailored treatment.

TESS DISCOVERY OF A TRANSITING SUPER-EARTH IN THE π MENSAE SYSTEM.

We report the detection of a transiting planet around π Men (HD 39091), using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The solar-type host star is unusually bright (V = 5.7) and was already known to host a Jovian planet on a highly eccentric, 5.7-year orbit. The newly discovered planet has a size of 2.04 ± 0.05 R ⊕ and an orbital period of 6.27 days. Radial-velocity data from the HARPS and AAT/UCLES archives also displays a 6.27-day periodicity, confirming the existence of the planet and leading to a mass determination of 4.82±0.85 M ⊕. The star's proximity and brightness will facilitate further investigations, such as atmospheric spectroscopy, asteroseismology, the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, astrometry, and direct imaging.