bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Interplay Between Multisensory Processing and Attention in Working Memory: Behavioral and Neural Indices of Audiovisual Object Storage
Authors: Arslan Ceren , Schneider Daniel , Getzmann Stephan , Wascher Edmund , Klatt Laura‐Isabelle
Published: February 2025

Although real‐life events are multisensory, how audio‐visual objects are stored in working memory is an open question. At a perceptual level, evidence shows that both top‐down and bottom‐up attentional processes can play a role in multisensory interactions. To understand how attention and multisensory processes interact in working memory, we designed an audiovisual delayed match‐to‐sample task in which participants were presented with one or two audiovisual memory items, followed by an audiovisual probe. In different blocks, participants were instructed to either (a) attend to the auditory features, (b) attend to the visual features, or (c) attend to both auditory and visual features. Participants were instructed to indicate whether the task‐relevant features of the probe matched one of the task‐relevant feature(s) or objects in working memory. Behavioral results showed interference from task‐irrelevant features, suggesting bottom‐up integration of audiovisual features and their automatic encoding into working memory, irrespective of task relevance. Yet, event‐related potential analyses revealed no evidence for active maintenance of these task‐irrelevant features, while they clearly taxed greater attentional resources during recall. Notably, alpha oscillatory activity revealed that linking information between auditory and visual modalities required more attentional demands at retrieval. Overall, these results offer critical insights into how and at which processing stage multisensory interactions occur in working memory.
Negative responses of two dry‐adapted amphibians to tree planting density in the Great Green Wall in Senegal
Authors: Licata Fulvio , Thiaw Mamadou , Ndiaye Papa I. , Andreone Franco , Ficetola Gentile F.
Published: February 2025

Dryland restoration is a challenging task due to the intrinsic low resilience and vulnerability to land degradation of these ecosystems. Restoring vegetation communities is often the first step to reinstating ecosystem health; however, resorting to activities such as tree planting is increasingly called into question, as it may lead to abrupt habitat changes, with unpredictable effects on faunal communities. The African Great Green Wall (GGW) is a large‐scale restoration initiative whose ultimate goal is improving the resilience of local communities and ecosystems. GGW interventions in Senegal include a variety of restoration activities, including reforestation. We conducted repeated count surveys of two ground‐dwelling, arid‐adapted amphibians (Tomopterna milletihorsini and Sclerophrys pentoni) across eight reforestation plots located along the GGW in northern Senegal and used N‐mixture models to test the hypothesis that increased woody plant density due to restoration activities has negative effects on their abundances. Our results showed that woody plant density within the reforestation plots was significantly higher than their surroundings and was negatively related to amphibian abundances. Furthermore, the effect size of woody plant density differed between species, with the best model predictions showing a decrease within the reforestation plots of 74 and 29.8% in the abundances of T. milletihorsini and S. pentoni, respectively. Our study shows that woody plant density represents an important niche axis for Sahelian amphibians and that the diverse species‐specific responses to tree planting activities should be taken into account when developing management plans.
Who Suffers the Most From the Cost of Living Crisis?
Authors: Lokshin Michael , Sajaia Zurab , Torre Iván
Published: February 2025

This paper constructs household‐specific Laspeyres indexes for different groups of households to quantify the differences in the distribution of the burden of high inflation among the populations of countries in Europe and Central Asia. The analysis demonstrates that the cost of living crisis of 2022–23 has had a heterogeneous impact on European populations. Poor households appear to suffer the most from rising food and energy prices. Poverty and inequality rates, as well as the profiles of the poor based on household‐specific inflation rates, systematically differ from those based on the standard consumer price index measure of inflation.
Cleavable donor‐assisted CRISPR/Cas9 system significantly improves the efficiency of large DNA insertion in Physcomitrium patens
Authors: Gu Xinyuan , Lang Jintao , Chang Ying , Zhang Min
Published: February 2025

Precise insertion of desired fragments can be achieved by CRISPR/Cas9‐based genome editing. However, a decrease in knock‐in efficiency has been observed with increasing length of exogenous inserts. In this study, we developed an in vivo cleavable (IVC) donor‐assisted CRISPR/Cas9 system to improve efficiency, particularly for larger inserts, in the moss Physcomitrium patens (P. patens). The IVC donor, which contains two Cas9 nuclease recognition sites flanking the homology template, enables the in vivo release of the linear template for homology‐directed repair (HDR) when co‐delivered with the corresponding CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid into protoplasts. In our experimental framework, two distinct sgRNAs and four different DNA inserts were evaluated. Compared with standard circular donors, IVC donors significantly enhanced the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated precise insertion of 5.8, 7.5, and 11.1 kb DNA fragments at the PpPDV2‐4 sgRNA target site, improving integration rates from 29.6 to 67.8%, from 15.0 to 72.0%, and from 12.1 to 65.6%, respectively. At an alternative sgRNA2 target site within the Pp6c18_3160 locus, the IVC donor also demonstrated a higher knock‐in efficiency for a 7.4 kb fragment compared with the standard circular donor. This IVC donor‐assisted CRISPR/Cas9 approach for large fragment knock‐in represents a powerful tool for basic research and synthetic biology efforts in moss species. Moreover, this strategy may be potentially applicable to crops that are amenable to protoplast transformation and regeneration, facilitating the improvement of key traits.
To infinity and beyond: recent progress, bottlenecks, and potential of clonal seeds by apomixis
Authors: Heidemann Bas , Primetis Elias , Zahn Iris E. , Underwood Charles J.
Published: February 2025

Apomixis – clonal seed production in plants – is a rare yet phylogenetically widespread trait that has recurrently evolved in plants to fix hybrid genotypes over generations. Apomixis is absent from major crop species and has been seen as a holy grail of plant breeding due to its potential to propagate hybrid vigor in perpetuity. Here we exhaustively review recent progress, bottlenecks, and potential in the individual components of gametophytic apomixis (avoidance of meiosis, skipping fertilization by parthenogenesis, autonomous endosperm development), and sporophytic apomixis. The Mitosis instead of Meiosis system has now been successfully set up in three species (Arabidopsis, rice, and tomato), yet significant hurdles remain for universal bioengineering of clonal gametes. Parthenogenesis has been engineered in even more species, yet incomplete penetrance still remains an issue; we discuss the choice of parthenogenesis genes (BABY BOOM, PARTHENOGENESIS, WUSCHEL) and also how to drive egg cell‐specific expression. The identification of pathways to engineer autonomous endosperm development would allow fully autonomous seed production, yet here significant challenges remain. The recent achievements in the engineering of synthetic apomixis in rice at high penetrance show great potential and the remaining obstacles toward implementation in this crop are addressed. Overall, the recent practical examples of synthetic apomixis suggest the field is flourishing and implementation in agricultural systems could soon take place.
Hydro-Geochemical Assessment of Groundwater Quality Of Muda River Basin, Kedah Malaysia
Authors: Zakariah Muhammad Noor Amin , Roslan Norsyafina , Sulaiman Norasiah , Aznan Muhammad Amzar , Bilal Al Farishi
Published: February 2025

The continuous development in the urbanisation, industrial, and agricultural sectors, coupled with an increase in the population of a given area, impacts the quality and supply of surface water. Groundwater serve as a viable alternative to mitigate these challenges. However, ensuring the safety and sustainability of groundwater necessitates comprehensive quality monitoring. This study employs statistical techniques and conventional plotting methods to evaluate the groundwater quality, physical properties, and chemical composition derived from 55 monitoring wells across the Muda River Basin Laboratory analyses reveal that the groundwater in the Muda River Basin exhibits alkaline characteristics, with electrical conductivity values ranging from 0 to 1050 µS/cm. The hydrogeochemical profile is primarily influenced by silicate and carbonate weathering processes, driven by the region's consistently humid and hot climatic conditions. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), accounting for 80.4% of the dataset's variance, identifies ion exchange, soil mineralization, silicate weathering, and carbonate dissolution as the dominant processes shaping groundwater chemistry. The study also determines the major ionic composition of groundwater in the following order: HCO₃⁻ > Ca²⁺ > Na⁺ > Cl⁻ > SO₄²⁻ > Mg²⁺ > NO₃⁻ > K⁺. The concentrations of these ions conform to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water quality. The findings demonstrate that integrating multivariate statistical methods, conventional hydrochemical plots, and geochemical modeling is instrumental in elucidating the factors governing groundwater quality.
Picone Identities of a Certain Class of Conformable Half Linear Anisotropic Biharmonic Equations
Authors: Sundaravadivel Priyadharshini , Vadivel Sadhasivam , Kodakkal Kannan Viswanathan , Duraisamy Sambasivam Sankar
Published: February 2025

Main aim of this article, we derive sufficient conditions of new results for Picone identities for a certain class of conformable half-linear anisotropic biharmonic equations. We derive a Strumiancomparison theorem and oscillation results. Furthermore, the oscillation results are different from the most known ones in the sense that they are based on the information for radial solutions. This paper's expand upon and broaden a few of the previously established results for conformable half-linear anisotropic biharmonic equations. If   and then conformable half-linear anisotropic biharmonic equations (4) become the classical biharmonic equation. These novel outcomes add to the body of knowledge already available in the classical example. To illustrate the usefulness of our new results, we give an example.
Numerical Modelling of SEIR on Two-Dose Vaccination Against the Rubella Virus
Authors: Zeb Shah , Mohd Yatim Siti Ainor , Ahmad Awais , Kamran Ayesha , Rafiq Muhammad
Published: February 2025

In this article, we determine non-linear terms under the modulation of dynamic transmission in childhood diseases analyzed to explore the effect of Rubella virus, along with double-dose vaccination strategy which was suggested by WHO. Firstly, basic properties of model were calculated such as positiveness, boundedness, disease free and endemic points. Model stability was proved at the disease-free and endemic equilibrium points. The Reproductive number was calculated using the next generation matrix method. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis is used to ascertain how parameter changes impact the system's dynamic behavior. We used Euler, Rk-4 and NSFD method. The purpose of the numerical simulations is to demonstrate the importance of the theoretical findings using numerical methods and the viability of the numerical schemes. Convergence and consistency analysis of NSFD scheme were proven. Additionally, we proved that NSFD is more reliable than Euler and RK4 through graphical interpretation. Incorporating this method enhanced the model’s accuracy, stability, and predictions for rubella dynamics.
Willingness to Pay for Green Electricity Derived from Rainwater Harvesting at University Community
Authors: Abdullah Siti Nor Fazillah , Kamarudin Mohd Khairul Amri , Tun Ismail Wan Norazilawanie , Yaakub Nadzifah , Abdul Halim Yap Muhammad Firdaus Asyraf , Saudie Ahmad Shakir , Ismail Ismafatin Nabilah
Published: February 2025

The evaluation of public opinion toward different energy sources is crucial for planning future renewable energy development projects. This study provides an assessment of public knowledge, attitudes, and perceived behavioural control with regard to their financial support for rainwater hydroelectricity. Using a cross-sectional approach, this study collected data from 101 UniSZA community using a set of questionnaires. Kruskal–Wallis tests and regression analysis were the statistical tools employed in the analysis. The results showed that no sociodemographic factor was found to be significantly affecting the willingness to pay (WTP). Based on the outcomes of the regression analysis, perceived behavioural control was found to be the most significant factor influencing the WTP for rainwater hydroelectricity. Meanwhile, knowledge and attitudes had no effect on WTP. The results also show that, when it comes to their WTP, 51.5% of participants agreed, while 48.5% of participants disagreed somewhat or strongly disagree. This indicates that, although participants support the use of renewable energy sources, they will hesitate if the cost of using renewable energy is higher than the conventional sources. This study highlights the importance of identify the desire of community towards rainwater hydroelectricity prior to the project is implemented.
Existence of weak solutions and long‐time asymptotics for hydrodynamic model of swarming
Authors: Chaudhuri Nilasis , Choi Young‐Pil , Tse Oliver , Zatorska Ewelina
Published: February 2025

We consider a one‐dimensional hydrodynamic model featuring nonlocal attraction–repulsion interactions and singular velocity alignment. We introduce a two‐velocity reformulation and the corresponding energy‐type inequality, in the spirit of the Bresch–Desjardins estimate. We identify a dependence between the communication weight and interaction kernel and between the pressure and viscosity term allowing for this inequality to be uniform in time. It is then used to study long‐time asymptotics of solutions.
Use of Diagnostic Point of Care Ultrasound and Therapeutic Interventions for Knee Pain in a Female Collegiate Volleyball Player: Level 3: Exploration Clinical Case Series Report
Authors: Ross Omar A. , Bagley Morgan C. , Custer Lisa
Published: February 2025

This is a case of a 19-year-old female Division 1 volleyball athlete with right anterior knee pain assessed using evaluation and diagnostic ultrasound. Anterior knee pain symptomology is commonly found among female jumping athletes. The ultrasound was used to examine the intratendinous changes of the patellar tendon. Hypoechoic changes in the infrapatellar tendon were noted on the right patellar tendon. A 6-week therapeutic intervention was implemented. Postintervention ultrasound assessment showed decreased hypoechoic changes in the right anterior knee. The unique feature of this case is the use of point of care ultrasound in detecting hypoechoic changes within the patellar tendon with therapeutic interventions.
Loser Language: Examining National Basketball Association Players’ Image-Repair Strategies Following a Loss
Authors: Hoffman Robert , Corr Chris , Atwater Christopher , Fanelli Sabrina
Published: February 2025

While the vast majority of image-repair research in sport settings focuses on individual deviancy, recent scholarship has called for the examination of image-repair strategies following competition losses. Utilizing extant theoretical tenets of image repair, this mixed-method study sought to measure and analyze the image-repair strategies used by National Basketball Association (NBA) players following losses during 2022 and 2023 postseason competition. Analysis revealed that NBA players on teams that lost frequently employed strategies of corrective action, deference, bolstering, mortification, and defeasibility. In addition, the individual statistical performances of NBA players had no significant impact on the use of image-repair strategies. The findings of this study suggest that teams and athletes treat losing as a significant crisis, resorting to small sets of mostly accommodating styles of image repair. Implications for both academicians and practitioners are discussed.
Minimal Influence of Formulated Nutritional Interventions on Sleep and Next-Morning Physical Performance, Cognitive Function, and Postural Sway in Adult Males: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study
Authors: Morrison Matthew , Weakley Jonathon , Roach Gregory D. , Sargent Charli , Miller Dean J. , Nyman Lara , Gardiner Carissa , Munteanu Gabriella , Pahnke Matthew D. , Halson Shona L.
Published: February 2025

Athletes often experience poor sleep quality and quantity which may hinder physical performance and cognitive function. Presleep nutritional strategies may be an alternative to pharmacological interventions to improve sleep. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of two different doses of a nutritional intervention (both containing high Glycemic Index carbohydrate, whey, tryptophan, theanine, and 5′AMP) versus placebo on objective and subjective sleep, next-morning physical performance, cognitive function, and postural sway. Seventeen healthy, trained adult males completed three double-blind trials in a randomized, counterbalanced, crossover design. Participants were allocated to conditions using a Latin Square design. A (a) low-dose, (b) high-dose, or (c) placebo drink was provided 90 min before sleep each night. Polysomnography was used to measure objective sleep parameters. Cognitive function, postural sway, and subjective sleep quality were assessed 30 min after waking. Physical performance was assessed using a 10-min maximal effort cycling time trial each morning. All data were analyzed using linear mixed effects models and effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d. This study was registered prospectively as a clinical trial with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (registration number: NCT05032729). No significant main effects or improvements were observed in objective or subjective sleep parameters, physical performance, cognitive function, or postural sway. The low-dose intervention appeared to reduce N3 sleep duration compared with placebo (−13.6 min). The high-dose intervention appeared to increase N1 sleep duration compared with placebo (+7.4 min). However, the magnitude of changes observed were not likely to cause meaningful reductions in sleep quality and quantity.
Menstrual Phase and Postmatch Perceptual Recovery Responses for Naturally Menstruating Football Players
Authors: Brown Georgia A. , Fullagar Hugh H.K. , Duffield Rob
Published: February 2025

Purpose: To explore the influence of menstrual phase on postmatch perceptual responses and the time course of recovery for professional footballers. Methods: Thirteen naturally menstruating footballers tracked their menstrual cycle and reported perceptual responses for up to 4 cycles. Menstrual phases were determined by calendar-based tracking and urinary hormone tests and classified as menstruation, follicular, or luteal. On match days (MDs) and the following 2 days (MD+1 and MD+2), players completed perceptual questionnaires on fatigue, soreness, stress, sleep, and perceived recovery status (PRS). Total high-speed running distance during matches was recorded using GPS devices to represent load. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models. Results: Day × total high-speed running distance affected PRS (P < .001), total wellness (P < .001), fatigue (P = .047), soreness (P < .001), and stress (P = .044). Significant main effects were found for menstrual phase on PRS (P = .038), Day on stress (P = .034), and total high-speed running distance on soreness (P = .045). During the menstruation phase, moderate effect sizes (ES) existed for worse PRS on MD and MD+2 (P = .07–.28, ES > 0.51) and better sleep quality on MD+2 (P = .13, ES = 0.56). No significant differences between menstrual phases existed (P > .05), and all other ESs were trivial to small (ES < 0.50). All perceptual measures, except stress, differed significantly between days (P < .05), with differences based on match load and, to a lesser extent, menstrual phase. Conclusion: PRS may be worse during menstruation, although menstrual phase has limited association with postmatch perceptual responses. Variability in the recovery time course for perceptual measures exists between menstrual phases, but evidence for consistently impaired recovery time course in any phase was not evident.
A 1600-year record of extreme rainfall in northern Arabia
Authors: Purkis Sam J. , Ward Steven N. , Howes Bolton J. , Longenecker Jake M. , Chakraborty Morgan I. , Kalman Akos , Clement Amy C. , Sharifi Arash , Benzoni Francesca , Clarke Christopher , Rodrigue Mattie
Published: February 2025

Intense rain can trigger flashfloods in Arabia. Torrential rains in 2024 sowed widespread chaos in the region. Sediment-loaded plumes discharged by flashfloods deposit onto the seabed. Burrowing animals disrupt these flood layers, erasing the paleorainfall record. Fortuitously, we discovered an anoxic deep-sea brine pool sited close enough to shore to chronicle floods, yet be otherwise undisturbed by animals. Cores retrieved from the pool delivered a 1600-year rainfall record. We merge these core-layer histories with modern rainfall statistics, satellite observations, and simulations to deliver a high-resolution quantitative Late Holocene hydroclimate record for Arabia. We find that the modern era is 2.5 times drier than the last 1.6 thousand years. The Little Ice Age stands out as particularly wet. That period experienced a fivefold increase in rainfall intensity compared to today. Though hyperarid now, the flood layers demonstrate that climate shifts can generate weather conditions unwitnessed in the modern era. Such long-range insight is crucial for framing uncertainties surrounding future hydroclimate forecasts.
Active microtubule-actin cross-talk mediated by a nesprin-2G–kinesin complex
Authors: Sahabandu Natalie , Okada Kyoko , Khan Aisha , Elnatan Daniel , Starr Daniel A. , Ori-McKenney Kassandra M. , Luxton G.W. , McKenney Richard J.
Published: February 2025

Nesprin-2 Giant (N2G) is a large integral membrane protein that physically connects the nucleus to the cytoskeleton, but how N2G performs this activity to maintain nuclear positioning and drive nuclear movement is unclear. This study investigates N2G’s role in nucleocytoskeletal coupling, a process critical for cellular function and development. We uncover multiple roles for N2G, including its activity as an F-actin bundler, an adapter that activates kinesin-1 motors, and a mediator of cytoskeletal cross-talk. Notably, N2G directly links kinesin-1 to F-actin, enabling the transport of actin filaments along microtubule tracks, establishing active cross-talk between the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. These findings provide crucial insights into nuclear movement, advancing our understanding of fundamental cellular processes and their implications in development and disease.
Overcoming the data limitations in landslide susceptibility modeling
Authors: Woodard Jacob B. , Mirus Benjamin B.
Published: February 2025

Data-driven models widely used for assessing landslide susceptibility are severely limited by the landslide and environmental data needed to create them. They rely on inventories of past landslide locations, which are difficult to collect and often nonrepresentative. Furthermore, susceptibility maps are most needed in regions without the means to assemble an inventory. To overcome these challenges, we develop a method for assessing shallow landslide susceptibility based on a probabilistic morphometric analysis of the landscape’s topography, rather than the characteristics of landslides. The model assumes that hillslopes with higher relief and gradient compared to the surrounding landscape are more prone to landslides. We demonstrate the superior performance of this approach over contrasting data-driven models across the northwestern United States. As our morphometric model only requires elevation data, it overcomes the major limitations of data-driven models and facilitates the creation of effective susceptibility models in areas where it was previously unfeasible.
Simultaneous transmission of information and key exchange using the same photonic quantum states
Authors: Pan Dong , Liu Yu-Chen , Niu Penghao , Zhang Haoran , Zhang Feihao , Wang Min , Song Xiao-Tian , Chen Xiuwei , Zheng Chao , Long Gui-Lu
Published: February 2025

Quantum communication realizes information-theoretic security using photonic quantum states, for example, quantum secure direct communication (QSDC), which can achieve secure and reliable communication in a channel with both noise and eavesdroppers. However, QSDC suffers from large losses and short communication distances, thus being impractical for applications. Here, we have proposed a one-way quasi-QSDC protocol with single photons. This protocol enables the simultaneous transmission of information and key exchange using the same single photons and is robust against loss and error because it uses error correction and spectrum expansion techniques. In a proof-of-principle demonstration using weak coherent pulses, the system achieved a real-time secure transmission rate of 2.38 kilobits per second over a 104.8-kilometer standard telecommunication fiber, which set world records in both aspects. This system paved the way for the practical application of QSDC and offers a unique method to detect eavesdropping online, which is crucial in certain circumstances.
Tackling cutaneous herpes simplex virus disease with topical immunomodulators—a call to action
Authors: Duarte Luisa F. , Carbone-Schellman Javier , Bueno Susan M. , Kalergis Alexis M. , Riedel Claudia A. , González Pablo A.
Published: February 2025

Antivirals play important roles in restricting viral diseases. Nevertheless, they act on a relatively limited number of viruses and occasionally display partial effectiveness in some tissues or against escape variants. Although vaccination remains the most cost-effective approach for preventing microbial diseases, developing prophylactic or therapeutic solutions for pathogens, such as herpes simplex viruses (HSVs), that effectively reduce their clinical manifestations in the skin has proven exceptionally challenging despite extensive research. Alternatively, a less explored approach for tackling HSV skin infection involves using topical immunomodulatory molecules to potentiate the host’s innate antiviral immune responses. When applied directly to herpetic skin lesions where viral antigen is present, this strategy has the potential to elicit virus-specific adaptive immunity. Based on currently available data, we foresee substantial potential for this approach in addressing HSV skin infections, along with additional prospects to advance understanding of skin biology and apply relevant new findings to other dermatological conditions. However, due to the limited number of case studies evaluating this method and its safety profile, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women, further research is crucial, especially to assess the effects of immunomodulators in these vulnerable populations. Here, we revisit and discuss the use of immunomodulatory molecules for potentiating the host immune response against HSV skin infection and call for action for increased research and clinical trials regarding the possible benefits of this latter strategy for treating HSV cutaneous disease and recurrences. We also revisit and discuss antivirals and vaccine candidates against HSVs.
Ethanol inhibits the growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by inducing immunogenic cell death
Authors: Hsu Yu-Chen , Wu Meng-Chuan , Weng Meng Tzu , Lee Ying-Te , Chou Huei-Chi , Lee Hsuan-Shu , Wang Li-Fang , Sheu Jin-Chuan , Chen Chien-Hung
Published: February 2025

Background

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) can elicit an adaptive immune response with significant antitumor effects. Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy has been applied as tumor ablation for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it was not clear whether ethanol can elicit ICD. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of ethanol as an ICD inducer.

Methods

HCC cell lines were treated with low-concentration ethanol and ICD markers, such as calreticulin, high-mobility group box 1, and ATP were assayed. The mouse vaccination-rechallenge assay was used to further confirm ethanol as an ICD inducer. Western blot and real-time PCR were used to investigate ICD-related endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and signaling pathways. The genes with differential expression levels between primary and distant tumors were analyzed by nCounter gene expression. Intratumoral injection of ethanol was done to investigate the abscopal effect.

Results

The low-concentration ethanol could induce ICD in HCC cell lines through unfolded protein responses initiated by ER stress and multiple cell-death pathways. Intratumoral injections of low-concentration ethanol had significantly direct and abscopal antitumor effects in mouse models of both subcutaneous and orthotopic HCC. nCounter gene expression analysis in primary and distant tumors revealed the activation of various immune-response pathways, notably those mediated by CD8 T cells and the interferon pathway. Vaccinating mice with low-concentration ethanol-treated HCC cells successfully inhibited metastasis in both intravenous and intrasplenic metastasis models.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that low-concentration ethanol could serve as an inducer of ICD. Low-concentration ethanol could potentially improve therapeutic antitumor immunity by inducing substantial ICD.
Clinical outcomes after stenting treatment in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and intrinsic versus extrinsic venous sinus stenosis
Authors: Tong Xu , Guan Zhongao , Li Xiaoqing , Wang Shuran , Song Shuang , Gan Yawen , Chen Fangguang , He Jie , Tu Ketao , Yu Zhenfei , Mo Dapeng
Published: February 2025

Background

Endovascular stenting is a promising treatment for patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and venous sinus stenosis (VSS). However, data on the impact of stenosis type on clinical outcomes of patients undergoing stenting treatment remain limited. This prospective cohort study aimed to compare post-stenting outcomes in patients with IIH and intrinsic versus extrinsic VSS.

Methods

Patients with IIH and VSS undergoing stenting at a tertiary hospital in China were enrolled consecutively from 2017 to 2023. Based on digital subtraction angiography, high-resolution MRI, and intravascular ultrasound findings, patients were categorized into two groups: intrinsic or extrinsic stenosis. At 6 months post-stenting, clinical outcomes including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, headache, visual impairment, and papilledema were recorded. Multivariable regression models were used to explore the relationship between stenosis type and clinical outcomes.

Results

In total, 92 patients were included, 60 with intrinsic stenosis and 32 with extrinsic stenosis. At 6 months, the intrinsic group had lower CSF pressure (median 180 vs 210 mmH2O, β coefficient −31.8, 95% CI −54.0 to −9.6) and a higher rate of complete symptom resolution (81.7% vs 40.6%, OR 8.88, 95% CI 2.60 to 30.30) than the extrinsic group. Additionally, 36.8% (95% CI 10.5% to 77.2%) of the effect of stenosis type on complete symptom resolution at 6 months was mediated through reduction in CSF pressure.

Conclusion

This single-center study suggested that patients with IIH and intrinsic VSS had lower CSF pressure and better symptom recovery compared with those with extrinsic VSS at 6 months post-stenting. Further validation in other centers and populations is needed.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR.org.cn, ChiCTR-ONN-17010421.
Weakly supervised veracity classification with LLM-predicted credibility signals
Authors: Leite João A. , Razuvayevskaya Olesya , Bontcheva Kalina , Scarton Carolina
Published: February 2025

Credibility signals represent a wide range of heuristics typically used by journalists and fact-checkers to assess the veracity of online content. Automating the extraction of credibility signals presents significant challenges due to the necessity of training high-accuracy, signal-specific extractors, coupled with the lack of sufficiently large annotated datasets. This paper introduces Pastel (Prompted weAk Supervision wiTh crEdibility signaLs), a weakly supervised approach that leverages large language models (LLMs) to extract credibility signals from web content, and subsequently combines them to predict the veracity of content without relying on human supervision. We validate our approach using four article-level misinformation detection datasets, demonstrating that Pastel outperforms zero-shot veracity detection by 38.3% and achieves 86.7% of the performance of the state-of-the-art system trained with human supervision. Moreover, in cross-domain settings where training and testing datasets originate from different domains, Pastel significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art supervised model by 63%. We further study the association between credibility signals and veracity, and perform an ablation study showing the impact of each signal on model performance. Our findings reveal that 12 out of the 19 proposed signals exhibit strong associations with veracity across all datasets, while some signals show domain-specific strengths.
The North Chukchi – Podvodnikov and the Zhokhov – Wrangel Composite Tectono-Sedimentary Elements, East Siberian Arctic
Authors: Drachev Sergey S. , Houseknecht David W.
Published: February 2025

North Chukchi-Podvodnikov (NChP) and Zhokhov-Wrangel (ZhW) composite tectono-sedimentary elements (CTSEs) occupy the northern parts of East Siberian Sea, and Russia and United States Chukchi Sea, and adjacent part of the deep-water Podvodnikov and Toll basins of the Arctic Ocean. The NChP CTSE formed as a rift basin and includes one of the largest depocentres in the Arctic, the North Chukchi Basin. It contains a 23-km-thick succession of presumably Cretaceous and Cenozoic deposits, which may be underlain by either exhumed mantle or by incipient oceanic crust. Long-offset multichannel seismic profiles and seismic refraction data allow for many details of the basin's geology to be imaged.

The ZhW CTSE is located in the front of Late Mesozoic New Siberian-Chukchi Fold-and-Thrust Belt. In Cretaceous and Cenozoic, it was dissected both by late contractional deformation and by succeeding extension probably related to the boundary between Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates.

In this chapter we summarise geology of the North Chukchi – Podvodnikov and Zhokhov – Wrangel CTSEs and propose a stratigraphic model based on seismic data calibrated with the drilled stratigraphy of the US Chukchi Sea. We also briefly speculate on possible hydrocarbon plays and systems based on an analogy with Arctic Alaska.
An Efficient Ground-aerial Transportation System for Pest Control Enabled by AI-based Autonomous Nano-UAVs
Authors: Crupi Luca , Butera Luca , Ferrante Alberto , Giusti Alessandro , Palossi Daniele
Published: February 2025

Efficient crop production requires early detection of pest outbreaks and timely treatments; we consider a solution based on a fleet of multiple autonomous miniaturized unmanned aerial vehicles (nano-UAVs) to visually detect pests and a single slower heavy vehicle that visits the detected outbreaks to deliver treatments. To cope with the extreme limitations aboard nano-UAVs, e.g., low-resolution sensors and sub-100 mW computational power budget, we design, fine-tune, and optimize a tiny image-based convolutional neural network (CNN) for pest detection. Despite the small size of our CNN (i.e., 0.58 GOps/inference), on our dataset, it scores a mean average precision (mAP) of 0.79 in detecting harmful bugs, i.e., 14% lower mAP but 32 × fewer operations than the best-performing CNN in the literature. Our CNN runs in real-time at 6.8 frame/s, requiring 33 mW on a GWT GAP9 System-on-Chip aboard a Crazyflie nano-UAV. Then, to cope with in-field unexpected obstacles, we leverage a global+local path planner based on the A* algorithm. The global path planner determines the best route for the nano-UAV to sweep the entire area, while the local one runs up to 50 HZ aboard our nano-UAV and prevents collision by adjusting the short-distance path. Finally, we demonstrate with in-simulator experiments that once a 25 nano-UAVs fleet has combed a 200 × 200 m vineyard, collected information can be used to plan the best path for the tractor, visiting all and only required hotspots. In this scenario, our efficient transportation system, compared to a traditional single-ground vehicle performing both inspection and treatment, can save up to 20 h working time.
Microbial Ecology to Ocean Carbon Cycling: From Genomes to Numerical Models
Authors: Levine Naomi M. , Alexander Harriet , Bertrand Erin M. , Coles Victoria J. , Dutkiewicz Stephanie , Leles Suzana G. , Zakem Emily J.
Published: February 2025

The oceans contain large reservoirs of inorganic and organic carbon and play a critical role in both global carbon cycling and climate. Most of the biogeochemical transformations in the oceans are driven by marine microbes. Thus, molecular processes occurring at the scale of single cells govern global geochemical dynamics, posing a challenge of scales. Understanding the processes controlling ocean carbon cycling from the cellular to the global scale requires the integration of multiple disciplines including microbiology, ecology, biogeochemistry, and computational fields such as numerical models and bioinformatics. A shared language and foundational knowledge will facilitate these interactions. This review provides the state of knowledge on the role marine microbes play in large-scale ocean carbon cycling through the lens of observational oceanography and biogeochemical models. We conclude by outlining ways in which the field can bridge the gap between -omics datasets and ocean models to understand ocean carbon cycling across scales.

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-Omic approaches are providing increasingly quantitative insight into the biogeochemical functions of marine microbial ecosystems.

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Numerical models provide a tool for studying global carbon cycling by scaling from the microscale to the global scale.

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The integration of -omics and numerical modeling generates new understanding of how microbial metabolisms and community dynamics set nutrient fluxes in the ocean.
How Subduction Margin Processes and Properties Influence the Hikurangi Subduction Zone
Authors: Henrys Stuart , Bassett Dan , Ellis Susan , Wallace Laura , Barnes Philip M. , Eberhart-Phillips Donna , Saffer Demian , Boulton Carolyn
Published: February 2025

The Hikurangi margin has been an important global focus for subduction zone research for the last decade. International Ocean Discovery Program drilling and geophysical investigations have advanced our understanding of megathrust slip behavior. Along and across the margin, detailed imaging reveals that the megathrust structure varies spatially and evolves over time. Heterogeneous properties of the plate boundary zone and overriding plate are impacted by the evolving nature of regional tectonics and inherited overriding plate structure. Along-strike variability in thickness of subducting sediment and northward increasing influence of seamount subduction strongly influence megathrust lithologies, fluid pressure, and permeability structure. Together, these exert strong control on spatial variations in coupling, slow slip, and seismicity distribution. Thicker incoming sediment, combined with a compressional upper plate, influences deeper coupling at southern Hikurangi, where paleoseismic investigations reveal recurring great (M
w > 8.0) earthquakes.

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The Hikurangi Subduction Zone is marked by large-scale changes in the subducting Pacific Plate and the overlying plate, with varied tectonic stress, crustal thickness, and sediment cover.

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The roughness of the lower plate influences the variability in megathrust slip behavior, particularly where seamounts enhance subduction of fluid-rich sediments.

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Variations in sediment composition impact the strength of the subduction interface, with the southern Hikurangi Subduction Zone exhibiting a more uniform megathrust fault.

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Properties of the upper plate influence fluid pressures and contribute to the observed along-strike variations in Hikurangi plate coupling and slip behavior.
Early Detection of Krukenberg Tumors Utilizing ctDNA Testing and CEA Monitoring
Authors: DeRidder Angela M. , Check Corrine M. , Kunk Paul R. , Martin Christina
Published: February 2025

Krukenberg tumors are rare cancers involving metastatic disease in the ovaries but classically originate from gastrointestinal malignancies, and often present diagnostic challenges due to their nonspecific symptoms and advanced stage at detection. Traditional imaging techniques like ultrasound, CT, and MRI are common methods of cancer monitoring but are limited in detecting micrometastatic disease and early‐stage metastases. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing, a noninvasive liquid biopsy method, offers a promising alternative to traditional screening methods, enabling earlier detection and precise molecular profiling of metastatic tumors. We present a case study involving a female patient who initially presented with stage IV colon cancer with oligometastatic disease to a single mesenteric lymph node. Despite neoadjuvant chemotherapy and resection of known disease, postresection ctDNA returned positive. Imaging after metastectomy failed to reveal any sites of ongoing disease, although did show a small, 2.4‐cm hypodensity in the right ovary interpreted by radiology as likely an ovarian follicle. Given her ctDNA positivity, she was started on capecitabine. ctDNA levels improved, but her serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) tumor marker continued to rise, and imaging subsequently revealed increased bilateral ovarian masses. She underwent bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy and total abdominal hysterectomy, with pathology confirming metastatic colon adenocarcinoma, and subsequent normalization of her CEA and ctDNA levels. Our findings underscore ctDNA’s potential to complement imaging, particularly for high‐risk patients, for disease monitoring and to refine therapeutic management when treating Krukenberg tumors.
Predicting Conversion From Unipolar Depression to Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia: A 10‐Year Retrospective Cohort Study on 12,182 Inpatients
Authors: Zhu Ting , Kou Ran , Mu Di , Hu Yao , Yuan Cui , Yuan Minlan , Luo Li , Zhang Wei
Published: February 2025

Background: The initial stages of bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) often exhibit depressive symptoms and syndromes, leading to potential misdiagnosis and treatment for unipolar depression (UD). However, no consensus exists on individualized and time‐varying intervenable conversion predictors for both BD and SCZ.

Methods: This study examined the rate of true conversion from UD to BD and SCZ, considering factors such as sex, family history of mental illness, psychotic features, recurrent depression, and treatment patterns. The objective was to develop predictive models for short‐, medium‐, and long‐term risk stratification for BD/SCZ conversion. Data were extracted from electronic medical records (EMRs) between January 2009 and December 2020 in a large academic medical center‐based health system in China. Participants included 12,182 depressive inpatients without previous or comorbid diagnoses of BD and SCZ. The outcome measure was a subsequent admission record with a diagnostic code reflective of BD or SCZ. Four machine‐learning algorithms using sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, vital signs, symptoms, and treatment features were applied to predict this outcome. Explainable methodologies, specifically SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Break Down, were employed to analyze the contribution of each individual feature.

Results: Among 12,182 individuals, 344 (2.82%) and 64 (0.53%) received a subsequent diagnosis of BD and SCZ, respectively. Higher risk factors for BD progression included being female, having severe depression, being prescribed mood stabilizers, β receptor blockers (e.g., metoprolol tartrate and propranolol hydrochloride), and antipsychotics (e.g., sulpiride and quetiapine). Higher risk factors for SCZ progression included being male, exhibiting psychotic symptoms, being prescribed antipsychotics (e.g., risperidone and sulpiride), antiside effects drugs (e.g., trihexyphenidyl and hemp seed pill), and undergoing psychotherapy. Individuals with a family history of mental illness were particularly susceptible to conversion to BD and SCZ.

Conclusions: The model’s performance on the test dataset declined over time, with area under the curve (AUC) values for predicting BD conversion decreasing from 0.771 in 1 year to 0.749 in 2 years and 0.733 in 7 years, and for SCZ conversion, from 0.866 in 1 year to 0.829 in 3 years and 0.752 in 7 years. A key finding is that individuals with refractory (particularly psychotic) UD had an elevated risk of transitioning to BD and SCZ, with social‐demographic factors, lifestyle behaviors, vital signs, and blood markers becoming significant risk factors over follow‐up. Upon further validation, these models could provide clinicians with dynamic information regarding a patient’s risk of disease conversion.
Glucose Metabolites in Honey Samples From Diverse Botanical and Elevation Ancestries
Authors: Ali Alarjani Wed Mohammed , Al-Mosa Amal , Hussein Alshareef Rahaf Mohammed , Yahia Laheg Amani Aed , Babiker Mohammed , Ghramh Hamed A. , Ahamed Mohammed Mohammed Elimam
Published: February 2025

Honey is a natural sweet substance composed of major and minor constituents. The major honey constituents include sugars and water, while the minor components include organic acids, proteins, short peptides, enzymes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, minerals, vitamins, dicarbonyls, and hydrogen peroxide. It is evident that the constituents of honey affect each other such as the vice versa relation between methylglyoxal and hydrogen peroxide. This study investigated the relations between vitamin C, hydrogen peroxide, and dicarbonyl concentrations in Ziziphus and Acacia honey samples from diverse floral origins and altitudes in Saudi Arabia. Vitamin C and hydrogen peroxide were assessed by redox titrations, and the dicarbonyl molecules were measured using spectrophotometric method. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 21.0). The floral origin and the altitude had significant effects on all the studied parameters except vitamin C. Our findings indicated that when the mean concentration of vitamin C in the Ziziphus honey (576 m) (283.84 ± 116.54 mg/100 g) and the mean concentration of the dicarbonyl molecules (176.4 ± 98.06 mg/kg) were high, the hydrogen peroxide mean concentration was low (3.19 ± 0.18 g/kg). When the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the Ziziphus honey (113 m) was high (6.68 ± 0.23 g/kg), the concentration of vitamin C and the dicarbonyl molecules was low (194.48 ± 16.36 mg/100 g and 55.1 ± 38.09 g/kg, respectively). Thus, the present findings suggested that honey samples rich in dicarbonyl molecule concentration are expected to have a high amount of vitamin C and a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The medicinal and nutritional values of honey depend on its active enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions.