bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attention-related impairment and contributing neuroinflammatory signaling in the prefrontal cortex of perinatal nicotine-exposed mice
Authors: Uygun Sabide Duygu , Kose Tansu Bilge , Bahadır-Varol Aslıhan , Uzay Burak , Eren-Koçak Emine
Published: February 2025

Objective:

Previous studies on the etiology of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) highlight high heritability, structural/functional brain abnormalities, and dopamine/noradrenaline imbalances, emphasizing gene-environment interactions. While maternal smoking during pregnancy and low-grade peripheral inflammation have been implicated, its neurobiological basis remains incompletely understood. Our aim was to elucidate neuroinflammatory signaling contributing to ADHD and investigate behavioural and molecular changes in a mouse model.

Methods:

We examined neuroinflammatory signaling using prenatal nicotine exposed (PNE) mice via immunohistochemistry combined with cortical thickness (CT) measurement in the subregions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Mice were exposed to nicotine via drinking water containing 300 μg/ml nicotine and 2% sucrose until weaning 2 weeks prior to mating to induce ADHD-like symptoms, as opposed to controls receiving drinking water containing 2% sucrose alone. Behavioral tests were conducted to assess ADHD-like behaviors and accompanying anxiety on postnatal week 5. Inflammatory pathways in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), prelimbic cortex (PL) and infralimbic cortex (IL) were examined using Iba-1 and NF-κB immunolabeling, and microglial morphology was analyzed.

Results:

Findings showed increased CT, microglial cell number, activity, and NF-κB activation in the ACC, which correlated with attention-related impairment in PNE mice. Increased Iba-1 levels in the PL and IL, along with elevated NF-κB activation in the IL, were observed in PNE mice, which corresponded with a significant increase in anxiety-like behaviors compared to controls. PNE mice also morphologically exhibited microglia activation in all three subregions.

Conclusion:

Perinatal nicotine exposure contributes to ADHD development through neuroinflammatory signaling, a common end pathway.
When hearts meet minds: complementary effects of perspective-getting and information on refugee inclusion
Authors: Adida Claire L. , Lo Adeline , Platas Melina , Prather Lauren , Williamson Scott
Published: February 2025

In a time of unprecedented displacement, hostility toward refugees is widespread. Two common strategies refugee advocates pursue to counter hostility and promote inclusion are perspective-getting exercises and providing information that corrects misperceptions. In this study, we evaluate whether these strategies are effective across four outcomes commonly used to measure outgroup inclusion: warmth toward refugees, policy preferences, behavior, and beliefs about a common misperception concerning refugees. Using three studies with nearly 15,000 Americans, we find that information and perspective-getting affect different outcomes. We show that combining both interventions produces an additive effect on all outcomes, that neither strategy enhances the other, but that bundling the strategies may prevent backfire effects. Our results underscore the promise and limits of both strategies for promoting inclusion.
ON GALOIS GROUPS OF POWER COMPOSITIONAL NONIC POLYNOMIALS
Authors: AWTREY CHAD , PATANE FRANK , TOONE BRIAN
Published: February 2025

Let

$g(x)=x^3+ax^2+bx+c$

and

$f(x)=g(x^3)$

be irreducible polynomials with rational coefficients, and let

$ {\mathrm{Gal}}(f)$

be the Galois group of

$f(x)$

over

$\mathbb {Q}$

. We show

$ {\mathrm{Gal}}(f)$

is one of 11 possible transitive subgroups of

$S_9$

, defined up to conjugacy; we use

$ {\mathrm{Disc}}(f)$

,

$ {\mathrm{Disc}}(g)$

and two additional low-degree resolvent polynomials to identify

$ {\mathrm{Gal}}(f)$

. We further show how our method can be used for determining one-parameter families for a given group. Also included is a related algorithm that, given a field

$L/\mathbb {Q}$

, determines when L can be defined by an irreducible polynomial of the form

$g(x^3)$

and constructs such a polynomial when it exists.
Dietary glycemic index and insulin index in association with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults
Authors: Sarsangi Peyman , Mohammadi Mohammad , Nadjarzadeh Azadeh , Salehi-Abargouei Amin , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad , Mirzaei Masoud
Published: February 2025

There is a lack of information from Middle Eastern countries regarding diet-disease associations. We examined dietary glycemic and insulinemic potential in relation to risk of incident diabetes among a large group of Iranian adults. The present study was carried out using data from Yazd Health Study (YaHS)-Taghzieh Mardom Yazd (TAMYZ), a prospective cohort study on adults aged 20 to 70 years in Yazd Greater Area, Iran. This study was initiated in 2014-2016 (baseline examination) and data are collected prospectively at one 5-year intervals. Data on demographic characteristics, dietary intakes, and potential confounders were gathered by interview. During the follow-up phase of the study, diabetes incidence was confirmed by laboratory tests and physician diagnoses. This study included a total of 6178 participants in the cross-sectional analysis and 5105 subjects in the prospective phase. Examining the cross-sectional phase, we failed to find any significant association between dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) as well as dietary insulin index (DII) or dietary insulin load (DIL) and prevalence of diabetes. No significant relationship was also seen between DII/DIL and risk of T2DM in the prospective phase; however, in the stratified analysis by BMI status, there was an inverse significant association between DII and risk of T2DM (HR for T3 vs. T1: 0.19; 95%CI: 0.04, 0.92; P=0.03) in non-obese (BMI≥25 kg/m2) and overweight (BMI<25 kg/m2)participants. No significant association was found between dietary GI/ dietary GL/ DII/ or DIL with risk of T2DM. More research, particularly with a longer follow-up duration, is needed to confirm these findings.
Gradual increase in energy intake over 8 weeks with voluntary wheel running limits body weight change in male rats
Authors: Durocher Isabelle , Grant Daniel S. , Bomhof Marc R.
Published: February 2025

The influence of appetite and energy intake on energy compensation in response to chronic exercise remains poorly understood. This study examined the temporal impact of habitual exercise on energy intake and the homeostatic appetite regulators that influence energy compensation. Twelve-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats (n=30) fed an AIN-93M diet were randomised into 1 of 3 groups: 1) sedentary control (SED); 2) voluntary wheel exercise (EX); and 3) sedentary, weight-matched to aerobic exercise (SED-WM) for 8 weeks. Measures of energy intake, body weight, and adiposity were assessed. Appetite-regulating hormones acyl-ghrelin, active GLP-1, leptin, and insulin were measured in response to an oral glucose tolerance test. Rats with running wheels completed an average of 192kms over 8 weeks. While energy intake was initially reduced in EX, energy intake gradually increased with exercise training after week 1 (P<0.05). Body weight was lower in EX relative to SED from weeks 3-5, but did not differ at the end of the study. Fat mass and long-term satiety hormones leptin and insulin were lower in EX (P<0.05). No differences were observed in concentrations of the satiety hormone active GLP-1 or the orexigenic hormone acyl-ghrelin. Short-term homeostatic regulators of appetite do not appear to be altered with exercise training. The reduction in adiposity and associated decrease in tonic satiety hormones leptin and insulin are likely contributors to the coupling of energy expenditure with energy intake over time with voluntary exercise.
Comparative study of fat content, profile and quality of fatty acid in three species of Carangidae of southwestern Mediterranean
Authors: Mohdeb Rima , Boutaoui Nassima , Merabet Loubna , Acila Meriem , Roula Amel , Roula Souad Dina , Kara Mohamed Hichem
Published: February 2025

This work focuses on the study of three pelagic fish species of the same genus, caught from the south-western coasts of the Mediterranean. It concerns lipid content, fatty acid profile and nutritional quality (atherogenic index, thrombogenicity index, ratio between hypocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids and n6-to-n3 ratio) of Trachurus trachurus, Trachurus mediterraneus and Trachurus picturatus. Lipid extraction and esterification were carried out on the flesh of each species, and fatty acid methyl esters were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The obtained results show that lipid content mean values vary between 2.87 and 5.06%, saturated fatty acids contents range from 37.51 to 53.23%, monounsaturated fatty acids content range from 29.24 to 37.65% and polyunsaturated fatty acids content range from 9.11 to 33.24% according to species. Also, the different mean values of indexes describing the nutritional quality vary significantly depending on species. That confirms the good quality of studied species and their importance for human nutrition and health, hence the urgent need to preserve their stocks.
Northward expansion of the Critically Endangered Arabian leopard in Dhofar, Oman
Authors: Al Hikmani Hadi , Al Hikmani Khalid
Published: February 2025

The Critically Endangered Arabian leopard Panthera pardus nimr was believed to be absent from the Nejd region in Dhofar Governorate, Oman. However, a scat confirmed by DNA analysis in 2011 and camera-trap images from 2014 confirmed the presence of the leopard in this region. During 2014–2021, our camera traps documented at least eight individual leopards, demonstrating the species is resident and breeding in the region. This finding extends the Arabian leopard's known range in Oman by c. 40 km northwards. To improve detection probability, we recommend that camera-trap surveys for the leopard in the Arabian Peninsula are of at least 18 weeks duration. We advocate the designation of central and western areas of the Nejd as a National Nature Reserve, to protect critical habitat for the Arabian leopard and for other species in this region.
The Rousseauian roots of neorealism
Authors: Clarkson Joseph
Published: February 2025

Does neorealism contain a conception of human nature? Although neorealists usually claim to sidestep the question of human nature altogether, scholars frequently trace the theory back to the work of Thomas Hobbes, a philosopher who in fact defended a robust account of human motivations. As a result, some scholars have concluded that neorealism contains a Hobbesian view of human nature. Against the conventional wisdom, this article argues that neorealism contains a Rousseauian philosophical anthropology. Whereas Hobbes provides a deeply pessimistic account of human motivations, Rousseau combines optimism about human motivations with pessimism about social structures. Rousseau’s critique of Hobbes profoundly influenced neorealism’s founding father, Kenneth Waltz, a political theorist who later gravitated towards International Relations. After exploring Waltz’s reading of Rousseau and demonstrating Rousseau’s influence on Waltz’s theory, the article investigates what is gained by reading neorealism as Rousseauian. Returning to the Rousseauian roots of neorealism reveals the true character of the tragic heuristic employed in neorealist theory, sheds new light on the role of pity in neorealist foreign policy, and clarifies the logic of the theory itself.
Relative contributions of predictive vs. associative processes to infant looking behavior during language comprehension
Authors: Reuter Tracy E. , Emberson Lauren L.
Published: February 2025

Numerous developmental findings suggest that infants and toddlers engage predictive processing during language comprehension. However, a significant limitation of this research is that associative (bottom-up) and predictive (top-down) explanations are not readily differentiated. Following adult studies that varied predictiveness relative to semantic-relatedness to differentiate associative vs. predictive processes, the present study used eye-tracking to begin to disentangle the contributions of bottom-up and top-down mechanisms to infants’ real-time language processing. Replicating prior results, infants (14-19 months old) use successive semantically-related words across sentences (e.g., eat, yum, mouth) to predict upcoming nouns (e.g., cookie). However, we also provide evidence that using successive semantically-related words to predict is distinct from the bottom-up activation of the word itself. In a second experiment, we investigate the potential effects of repetition on the findings. This work is the first to reveal that infant language comprehension is affected by both associative and predictive processes.
State intervention to bridge the gap: The modernisation of rural Southern Italy (1950–1962)
Authors: Cringoli Gerardo
Published: February 2025

This paper explores the modernisation of rural Southern Italy between 1950 and 1962, focusing on the role of the Cassa per il Mezzogiorno, a public entity created to address the socio-economic divide between the North and South of Italy. The Cassa was central to the restructuring of rural areas, promoting land reclamation, infrastructure development, and the electrification of agricultural regions. The study examines how the ‘agrarian question’ intersected with the broader ‘Southern question’, reflecting persistent economic disparities within Italy. By analysing the early stages (1950–1962) of extraordinary intervention, this article demonstrates that modernisation efforts were aimed not only at reducing regional imbalances but also at addressing structural deficiencies that hindered agricultural productivity. While significant progress was made in modernising rural Southern Italy, this paper argues that the foundational agricultural reforms, although vital, needed to be complemented by broader industrial policies to ensure long-term socio-economic convergence with the more developed North.
Wealth, work, and industriousness, 1670–1860: evidence from rural Swedish probates
Authors: Falk Marcus , Bengtsson Erik , Olsson Mats
Published: February 2025

This article uses a new database of 1,891 probate inventories from rural southern Sweden to investigate the development of rural households’ productive capacity from the late 1600s to the 1860s. Both labourers and farmers improved their material living standards – as measured by the contents of probate inventories – but the labouring households’ ownership of means of production decreased over time. This indicates increasing market involvement and dependency on wage labour. For labourers’ and farmers’ households alike, textile production at home became more important; in the 1860s, half of the labouring households owned spinning wheels and weaving looms, and for farmer households, the shares were even higher. Our study reveals not only the dynamism of the rural pre-industrial Swedish economy but also the unequal nature of this dynamism.
Seeing and Having Seen: On Suffering and Intersubjectivity
Authors: Moore Bryanna
Published: February 2025

Within bioethics, two issues dominate the discourse on suffering: its nature (who can suffer and how) and whether suffering is ever grounds for providing, withholding, or discontinuing interventions. The discussion has focused on the subjective experience of suffering in acute settings or persistent suffering that is the result of terminal, chronic illness. The bioethics literature on suffering, then, is silent about a crucial piece of the moral picture: agents’ intersubjectivity. This paper argues that an account of the intersubjective effects of suffering on caregivers could enrich theories of suffering in two ways: first, by clarifying the scope of suffering beyond the individual at the epicenter, i.e., by providing a fuller account of the effects of suffering (good or bad). Second, by drawing attention to how and why, in clinical contexts, the intersubjective dimensions of suffering are sometimes as important, if not more important, than whether an individual is suffering or not.
The Forum Marsyas on 1st-c. CE lamps
Authors: Le Blanc Robyn
Published: February 2025

A 1st-c. CE lamp from Cyprus, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, features a discus design of a satyr on a base before an enclosure. Formerly identified as a nude silenus, the design on this lamp and others with the same decoration in fact illustrates a motif after the Forum Marsyas statue from the Forum Romanum. The statue is typically understood as a symbol of civic libertas, and copies were erected in provincial fora and depicted on civic coinage in the 2nd and 3rd c. CE. This note argues that the lamps enhance our understanding of the Forum Marsyas in two respects. First, the lamps demonstrate that the motif was in provincial circulation ahead of the sculptural and numismatic trend. Second, it is now clear that the Forum Marsyas was used in private contexts, and potentially with a non-civic meaning, more extensively than previously understood. The lamps are therefore significant for understanding the provincial spread and legibility of this important but still enigmatic motif.
Introduction to the special issue: changing dynamics in Southeast Asia-China relations
Authors: Li Mingjiang
Published: February 2025

The evolving global order and regional dynamics have profoundly impacted China-Southeast Asia relations. As the world grapples with the geopolitical implications of intensified US-China competition, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries find themselves navigating a complex interplay of opportunities and challenges. The US-led Indo-Pacific strategy has significantly reshaped the geopolitical landscape, yet Southeast Asia’s relations with China are marked by interwoven challenges and opportunities. This special issue includes six papers that cover Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, and the Philippines, illustrating how small and medium-sized states navigate an increasingly multipolar world. A central theme across the papers in this special issue is the critical role of domestic factors in shaping each country’s relationship with China.
Party Over Principles: Determinants of Public Opinion on Redistricting Reform
Authors: McLaughlin Peter T.
Published: February 2025

How does the mass public form attitudes on electoral rules and reforms? Existing research on this question reveals a trade-off between principles, such as fairness, and partisan self-interest. I use two survey experiments on state legislative redistricting to explore how voters weigh principles against partisan self-interest when forming opinions on electoral reforms. First, I ask whether the public’s partisan self-interest motivation stems more from individual representation considerations or broader partisan power considerations. I find that both considerations provide a powerful enough incentive to activate partisan self-interest regarding preferences for state legislative district maps. Unexpectedly, the two considerations have quite similar effects on public support for redistricting reforms. Second, I explore the principles versus partisan self-interest trade-off through the lens of loss aversion, a concept developed in behavioral economics. In line with expectations, I find that preventing loss provides a more powerful incentive for Americans to violate democratic principles than achieving partisan gain. In sum, this research sheds light on voters’ decision between principles and partisan self-interest in the formation of opinion on electoral reform.
The dual role of PGAM5 in inflammation
Authors: Qi Yuxin , Rajbanshi Bhavana , Hao Ruihan , Dang Yifan , Xu Churong , Lu Wei , Dai Liming , Zhang Bingjun , Zhang Xiaoling
Published: February 2025

In recent years, the focus on human inflammation in research has increased, with aging-related inflammation widely recognized as a defining characteristic of aging. Inflammation is strongly correlated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 (PGAM5) is a novel modulator of mitochondrial homeostasis in response to mechanical stimulation. Here we review the structure and sublocalization of PGAM5, introduce its importance in programmed cell death and summarize its crucial roles in the development and progression of inflammatory diseases such as pneumonia, hepatitis, neuroinflammation and aging. Notably, PGAM5 has dual effects on controlling inflammation: distinct PGAM5-mediated mitochondrial functions exhibit cellular heterogeneity, leading to its dual functions in inflammation control. We therefore highlight the double-edged sword nature of PGAM5 as a potential critical regulator and innovative therapeutic target in inflammation. Finally, the challenges and future directions of the use of PGAM5, which has dual properties, as a target molecule in the clinic are discussed. This review provides crucial insights to guide the development of intelligent therapeutic strategies targeting PGAM5-specific regulation to treat intractable inflammatory conditions, as well as the potential extension of its broader application to other diseases to achieve more precise and effective treatment outcomes.
Fasting appetite-related gut hormone responses after weight loss induced by calorie restriction, exercise, or both in people with overweight or obesity: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Jin Zhuoxiu , Li Jiajin , Thackray Alice E. , Shen Tonghui , Deighton Kevin , King James A. , Stensel David J.
Published: February 2025

Objectives

Altered appetite-related gut hormone concentrations may reflect a physiological adaptation facilitating weight regain after weight loss. This review investigates hormonal changes after weight loss achieved through calorie restriction (CR), exercise (EX), or both combined (CREX).

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov was conducted to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs reporting in a fasting state either pre- and post-intervention appetite-related hormone concentrations or the changes therein after weight loss. The hormones examined were ghrelin, peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), glucagon-like peptide -1 (GLP-1), and cholecystokinin (CCK), in their total and/or active form. Standardised mean differences (SMD) were extracted as the effect size.

Results

127 studies were identified: 19 RCTs, 108 non-RCTs, 1305 and 4725 participants, respectively. In response to weight loss induced by CR, EX or CREX, the meta-analysis revealed an increase in total ghrelin from both RCTs (SMD: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.07–1.04) and non-RCTs (SMD: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.14–0.35). A decrease in acylated ghrelin was identified for RCTs (SMD: –0.58, 95% CI: –1.09 to –0.06) but an increase was observed for non-RCTs (SMD: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.27). Findings also revealed a decrease in PYY (total PYY: SMD: –0.17, 95%CI: –0.28 to –0.06; PYY3-36: SMD: –0.17, 95%CI: –0.32 to –0.02) and active GLP-1 (SMD: -0.16, 95% CI: –0.28 to –0.05) from non-RCTs. Changes in hormones did not differ among the three interventions when controlling for weight loss. Meta-regression indicated that greater weight loss was associated with a greater increase in total ghrelin.

Conclusions

Weight loss induced by CR, EX, or CREX elicits an increase in total ghrelin, but varied responses in other appetite-related hormones. The extent of weight loss influences changes in appetite-related gut hormone concentrations.
Intratumoral and peritumoral PET/CT-based radiomics for non-invasively and dynamically predicting immunotherapy response in NSCLC
Authors: Lin Xianwen , Liu Zhiwei , Zhou Kun , Li Yuedan , Huang Genjie , Zhang Hao , Shu Tingting , Huang Zhenhua , Wang Yuanyuan , Zeng Wei , Liao Yulin , Bin Jianping , Shi Min , Liao Wangjun , Zhou Wenlan , Huang Na
Published: February 2025

Background

We aimed to develop a machine learning model based on intratumoral and peritumoral 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics to non-invasively and dynamically predict the response to immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

This retrospective study included 296 NSCLC patients, including a training cohort (N = 183), a testing cohort (N = 78), and a TCIA radiogenomic cohort (N = 35). The extreme gradient boosting algorithm was employed to develop the radiomic models.

Results

The COMB-Radscore, which was developed by combining radiomic features from PET, CT, and PET/CT images, had the most satisfactory predictive performance with AUC (ROC) 0.894 and 0.819 in the training and testing cohorts, respectively. Survival analysis has demonstrated that COMB-Radscore is an independent prognostic factor for progression-free survival and overall survival. Moreover, COMB-Radscore demonstrates excellent dynamic predictive performance, with an AUC (ROC) of 0.857, enabling the earlier detection of potential disease progression in patients compared to radiological evaluation solely relying on tumor size. Further radiogenomic analysis showed that the COMB-Radscore was associated with infiltration abundance and functional status of CD8 + T cells.

Conclusions

The radiomic model holds promise as a precise, personalized, and dynamic decision support tool for the treatment of NSCLC patients.
Mcm5 mutation leads to silencing of Stat1-bcl2 which accelerating apoptosis of immature T lymphocytes with DNA damage
Authors: Liu Min , Li Yuanyuan , Deng Zhilin , Zhang Ke , Huang Shuying , Xia Jiamin , Feng Yi , Liang Yundan , Sun Chengfu , Liu Xindong , Li Shurong , Su Bingyin , dong Yong , Huang Sizhou
Published: February 2025

Mutation in genes involved in DNA replication continuously disrupt DNA replication and give rise to genomic instability, a critical driver of oncogenesis. To prevent leukemia, immature T lymphocytes with genomic instability often undergo rapid cell death during development. However, the mechanism by which immature T lymphocytes undergo rapid cell death upon genomic instability has been enigmatic. Here we show that zebrafish mcm5 mutation leads to DNA damage in immature T lymphocytes and the immature T cells sensitively undergo rapid cell death. Detailed analyses demonstrated that the immature T lymphocytes undergo rapid apoptosis via upregulation of tp53 and downregulation of bcl2 transcription in mcm5 mutants. Mechanistically, Mcm5 directly binds to Stat1a and facilitates its phosphorylation to enhance bcl2a expression under the conditions of DNA replication stress. However, in mcm5 mutants, the absence of the Mcm5-Stat1 complex decreases Stat1 phosphorylation and subsequent bcl2a transcription, accelerating apoptosis of immature T lymphocytes with genomic instability. Furthermore, our study shows that the role of Mcm5 in T-cell development is conserved in mice. In conclusion, our work identifies a role of Mcm5 in regulating T cell development via Stat1-Bcl2 cascade besides its role in DNA replication, providing a kind of mechanism by which immature T cells with gene mutation-induced DNA damage are rapidly cleared during T lymphocyte development.
Twelve months at 1.5 °C signals earlier than expected breach of Paris Agreement threshold
Authors: Cannon Alex J.
Published: February 2025

June 2024 was the twelfth month in a row with global mean surface temperatures at least 1.5 °C above pre-industrial conditions, but it is not clear if this implies a failure to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting long-term warming below this threshold. Here we show that in climate model simulations, the long-term Paris Agreement target is usually crossed well before such a string of unusually warm temperatures occurs.
Antiviral defence arsenal across members of the Bacillus cereus group
Authors: July Elise , Gillis Annika
Published: February 2025

Bacteria co-evolve with bacteriophages to overcome each other’s defence arsenal. Bacillus cereus group gathers bacteria of medical and agricultural importance, including foodborne pathogens. So far, few studies have portrayed a complete defence arsenal of microorganisms, and the role of antiviral systems in the Bacillus cereus group has been overlooked. Here, we investigate the repertoire of defence systems in 6354 B. cereus group’s genomic assemblies, using bioinformatics tools DefenseFinder and PADLOC. Our analyses provide an overview of the diversity and abundance of defence systems in this group, with 83,738 systems distributed by 2 to 33 within each assembly. Comparing PADLOC and DefenseFinder predictions showed that the most prevalent strategy is Restriction-Modification, but many abortive infection systems also intervene in the group’s defence, such as Septu, Gabija and Lamassu. Most defences were encoded on both plasmids and the chromosome, though some tend to have a preferential genomic location. We also studied the defence systems associations within the genomic assemblies. Overall, our results establish a baseline picturing the rich and complex antiviral arsenal encoded by B. cereus group’s species and provide clues for studying co-existing strategies displayed by these bacteria to subvert phages and other MGEs invasions.
Dynamic interplay of cNHEJ and MMEJ pathways of DNA double-strand break repair during embryonic development in zebrafish
Authors: Carrara Mathieu , Gaillard Anne-Laure , Brion Alice , Duvernois-Berthet Evelyne , Giovannangeli Carine , Concordet Jean-Paul , Pézeron Guillaume
Published: February 2025

Double strand breaks (DSBs) are the most deleterious DNA lesions as they frequently result in mutations when repaired by canonical non homologous end-joining (cNHEJ) and microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ). Here, we investigated the relative importance of cNHEJ and MMEJ pathways during zebrafish embryonic development. We have analyzed the expression of cNHEJ and MMEJ related genes and found that it was dynamic during development and often become increased in specific tissues. We showed that inactivation of nuclear DNA ligase 3 (nLig3) or DNA polymerase theta (Polθ), two key MMEJ factors, did not affect zebrafish development but sensitized embryos to ionizing radiations and that deficiency of Polθ, but not nLig3, profoundly alters the mutation spectrum induced during repair of Cas9-mediated DSBs. By contrast, inactivation of DNA ligase 4, required for cNHEJ, did not seem to sensitize embryos to ionizing radiations nor to affect repair of Cas9-mediated DSBs but resulted in important larval growth defects. Our study underscores the dynamic and context-dependent roles of cNHEJ and MMEJ pathways during zebrafish development, highlighting their differential requirements across developmental stages and in response to genotoxic stress.
Model sensitivity limits attribution of greenhouse gas emissions to polar bear demographic rates
Authors: Wilson Ryan R. , Andersen Erik M.
Published: February 2025

Greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase and negatively affect sea ice conditions that polar bears rely on. It is therefore important to better understand how specific emissions levels affect polar bear demography. A recent study proposed a framework to address this issue, but sensitivity to decisions rules of the approach may limit its utility. We tested how sensitive the approach is to decisions rules related to sea ice concentration, choice of subpopulation boundaries, and modeling choices for bears in the Chukchi Sea and Southern Beaufort Sea subpopulations. We found that the number of ice-free days, number of fasting days, and when 10% of reproductive females exhibited recruitment failure varied considerably depending on equally-valid decisions rules versus those used in the existing study. Whereas the previous study suggested that both subpopulations surpassed the critical number of ice-free days that negatively affect recruitment, we found this threshold was never reached by the Southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation and only once for the Chukchi Sea subpopulation for the decision rules we considered. Our results suggest that the previously published approach is too sensitive to modeling assumptions and choice of decision rules to accurately evaluate the impacts of GHG emissions on polar bear demographic rates.
Machine learning prediction of breast cancer local recurrence localization, and distant metastasis after local recurrences
Authors: Kovács Kristóf Attila , Kerepesi Csaba , Rapcsák Dalma , Madaras Lilla , Nagy Ákos , Takács Anikó , Dank Magdolna , Szentmártoni Gyöngyvér , Szász Attila Marcell , Kulka Janina , Tőkés Anna Mária
Published: February 2025

Local recurrences (LR) can occur within residual breast tissue, chest wall, skin, or newly formed scar tissue. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can extract a wide range of tumor features from large datasets helping in oncological decision-making. Recently, machine learning (ML) models have been developed to predict breast cancer recurrence or distant metastasis (DM). However, there is still a lack of models that consider the localization of LR as a tumor feature. To address this gap, here, we analysed data from 154 patients including pathological, clinical, and follow-up data (with an average follow-up of 133.16 months) on both primary tumors (PT) and recurrences. By using ML methods we predicted the localization of LR and the occurrence of DM after LR. The performance (ROC AUC) of the best ML models was 0.75, and 0.69 for predicting LR in breast parenchyma, and surgical scar tissue, respectively, and 0.74 for predicting DM after LR. We identified recurrence localization, and the time elapsed between the detection of primary breast carcinoma and the recurrence, and adjuvant chemotherapy as the most important features associated with further DM. We conclude that combining traditional prognostic factors with ML may provide important tools in the risk assessment of patients with breast LR.
Immobilization of palladium(ii) acetate on a polymer-anchored Schiff base as a new heterogeneous catalyst for three-component one-Pot Mizoroki–Heck coupling via an in situ witting reaction
Authors: Gujarati Akash V. , Patel Divyesh K.
Published: February 2025

Heterogenous PS@Pd(OAc)2 catalyst for three-component one-Pot Mizoroki–Heck coupling via an in situ witting reaction.
Introduction to exploring the progress in fundamental, functional material and health aspects of melanins and related materials
Authors: Mostert A. Bernardus , Lee Pooi See , Graeff Carlos F. O.
Published: February 2025

A. Bernard Mostert, Pooi See Lee and Carlos F. O. Graeff introduce the Materials Advances themed issue on exploring the progress in fundamental, functional material and health aspects of melanins and related materials.
Coordination bonds as a tool for tuning photoconductance in nanostructured hybrid materials made of molecular antennas and metal nanoparticles
Authors: Marchenko Nataliia , Martin Deborah , Pham Adeline , Abid Seifallah , Cretal Eva , Ibarra Alfonso , Lagarde Delphine , Tassé Marine , Bonvoisin Jacques , Rapenne Gwénaël , Grisolia Jérémie , Kammerer Claire , Tricard Simon
Published: February 2025

Coordination bonds between molecular entities and the surface of inorganic nanoparticles are an efficient tool to tune both the structural morphology and the photoelectrical properties of nanostructured hybrid materials.
Solvent-free synthesis of 1,2-dihydro-1-arylnaphtho[1,2-e] [1,3] oxazine-3-ones using a magnetic nickel–zinc ferrite nanocatalyst
Authors: Sreekandan Sreelakshmi , Thadathil Anjitha , Mavila Bindu , Vellayan Kannan , Periyat Pradeepan
Published: February 2025

A high quality magnetic nanocatalyst Ni0.5 Zn0.5Fe2O4 (NZF) was synthesized via a sol–gel auto combustion method.
SERS-assisted characterization of cell biomass from biofilm-forming Acinetobacter baumannii strains using chemometric tools
Authors: Yousaf Arslan , Ullah Muhammad Hafeez , Nawaz Haq , Majeed Muhammad Irfan , Rashid Nosheen , Alshammari Abdulrahman , Albekairi Norah A. , Ali Arslan , Hussain Munawar , Salfi Abu Bakar , Aslam Muhammad Aamir , Idrees Kinza , Ditta Allah
Published: February 2025

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is an emerging Gram-negative nosocomial pathogen responsible for infection on a global scale.
Recent advancements in the chemistry of Diels–Alder reaction for total synthesis of natural products: a comprehensive review (2020–2023)
Authors: Rana Anitesh , Mishra Anupam , Awasthi Satish K.
Published: February 2025

This review covers recent advancements in Diels–Alder reaction chemistry for total synthesis of Natural Products (2020–2023) and, where relevant, discusses key structural features and biological activity of bioactive natural products.
Preparation of high-strength ceramsite from coal gangue, fly ash, and steel slag
Authors: Chen Xi , Zhang Chenxi , Tong Yuping , Wang Xiao , Chen Xiao , Yang Yuandong , Liu Jiayin , Chen Qi , Li Ningning
Published: February 2025

High-strength and lightweight aggregate ceramsites were prepared from CG, FA, and steel slag (SS) without any additional chemical additives through high-temperature sintering.
A new quinoline-based fluorescent-colorimetric chemosensor for sensitive and selective “on–off” detection of Pb2+ ions
Authors: Sharma Vanshika , Dutta Srishti , Sahu Devanand , Pandey Abhilash , Kumar Dishen , Das Sanchita , Patra Goutam Kumar
Published: February 2025

A reversible fluorescent-colorimetric novel mono-Schiff base receptor for the detection of Pb2+ in aqueous medium has been developed. When exposed to Pb2+, receptor L exhibits a very good selective fluorescent-colorimetric fast on–off response.
Print evaluation of inks with stealth nanobeacons
Authors: Yamaguchi Akinobu , Yasunaga Toshiya , Namura Kyoko , Suzuki Motofumi , Fukuoka Takao
Published: February 2025

Plasmonic structures using noble metal nano-assemblies are created and printed or stamped with a seal for use as information tags that carry both authenticity and information.
Stable luminescent diphenylamine biphenylmethyl radicals with α-type D0 → D1 transition and antiferromagnetic properties
Authors: Gao Shengxiang , Wu Chunxiao , Zhang Ming , Li Feng
Published: February 2025

Novel BTM luminescent radicals facilitate the luminescence transition from common β-type to rare α-type within a D–A˙ framework, enhancing the potential for developing new luminescent systems in the field of organic materials science.
Preparation and application of the high-performance sodium-ion battery cathode material Na3.6Fe2.6(PO4)1.6P2O7@CNT with dual-carbon coating
Authors: Dai Binghan , Lu Tianming , Teng Jinhan , Huang Junjie , Li Enmin , Zhang Kaibo , Wang Qiang , Yin Dongdong , Liu Sicheng , Lei Luyu , Tang Xin , Li Jing
Published: February 2025

The dual-carbon structure maximizes the material's electronic conductivity, improves electron transmission at high current densities, enhances rate performance, and boosts cycle stability at elevated rates.
1,4-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-derived water-dispersible and antibacterial polyurethane coatings for medical catheters
Authors: Gupta Anchal , Rainu Simran Kaur , Kaur Manleen , Meena Mahipal , Singh Neetu , Jacob Josemon
Published: February 2025

Water-dispersible and bactericidal polyurethane coatings developed for biomedical applications.
The low-frequency flattening of the radio spectrum of giant HII regions in M 101
Authors: Gajović L. , Heesen V. , Brüggen M. , Edler H.W. , Adebahr B. , Pasini T. , de Gasperin F. , Basu A. , Weżgowiec M. , Horellou C. , Bomans D.J. , Dénes H. , Vohl D.
Published: February 2025

In galaxies, the flattening of the spectrum at low radio frequencies below 300 MHz has been the subject of some debate. A turnover at low frequencies could be caused by multiple physical processes, which can yield new insights into the properties of the ionised gas in the interstellar medium. We investigate the existence and nature of the low-frequency turnover in the regions of M,101. We study the nearby galaxy M,101 using the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) at frequencies of 54 and 144,MHz, Apertif at 1370,MHz, and published combined map from the Very Large Array (VLA) and Effelesberg telescope at 4850,MHz. The spectral index between 54 and 144,MHz is inverted at the centres of regions. We find a significant low-frequency flattening at the centres of five out of six regions that we selected for this study. The low frequency flattening in regions of M,101 can be explained with two different free-free absorption models. The flattening is localised in a region smaller than 1.5,kpc and can only be detected with high resolution (better than 45 The detection of low frequency flattening has important consequences for using radio continuum observations below 100,MHz to measure extinction-free star-formation rates.
Intrapartum Glycemic Control with Insulin Infusion versus Rotating Fluids: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Sullivan Maranda , Angras Kajal , Boyd Victoria , Young Amanda J. , Mackeen A. Dhanya , Paglia Michael J.
Published: February 2025

Objective This study aimed to evaluate rotating intravenous (IV) fluids compared with insulin infusion for maternal intrapartum glycemic control of neonatal blood glucose within 2 hours of birth.

Study Design This randomized controlled trial compared the use of rotating IV fluids to continuous insulin infusion for intrapartum glycemic control for patients with type II diabetes mellitus (DM) or medication-controlled gestational diabetes (A2GDM). A sample size of 74 participants was studied to detect a 10-mg/dL difference in neonatal blood glucose within 2 hours of birth between the groups with a standard deviation of 15, 80% power, and α 0.05. Secondary neonatal outcomes included neonatal blood glucose within 24 hours after birth, Apgar < 7 at 5 minutes, and a composite including neonatal hypoglycemia, NICU admission, hyperbilirubinemia, and respiratory distress syndrome. Secondary maternal outcomes included intrapartum hypoglycemia, blood glucose immediately prior to delivery, mode of delivery, and postpartum complications. Both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were performed.

Results A total of 114 patients were randomized, 57 in each arm. For the PP analysis, 51 patients were analyzed in the rotating IV fluids arm and 32 patients in the insulin infusion arm. There was no significant difference in neonatal blood glucose within 2 hours of birth when rotating IV fluids were used (ITT: 54.5 mg/dL [IQR: 42.5, 72.5], PP: 56.0 mg/dL [IQR: 42.0, 76.0]) when compared with an insulin infusion (ITT: 59.0 mg/dL [IQR: 41.0, 69.0], PP: 62.5 mg/dL [IQR: 44.5, 68.5], p = 0.89 [ITT] and p = 0.68 [PP]). No significant differences were noted in secondary outcomes. The median intrapartum maternal blood glucose was 98.5 mg/dL (IQR: 90.5, 105.0) in the rotating fluids arm and 96.3 mg/dL (IQR: 90.0, 108.5) in the insulin infusion arm (p = 0.96), and the rate of neonatal hypoglycemia was 11.8 versus 15.6%, respectively (p = 0.61) in the PP analysis.

Conclusion There was no difference in neonatal blood glucose within 2 hours of birth when rotating IV fluids were used for intrapartum glycemic control compared with a continuous insulin infusion.

Key Points
Does Axial Length Influence the Dose Effect of Horizontal Strabismus Surgery?
Authors: Uecelehan Hatice , Palmowski-Wolfe Anja
Published: February 2025

Background Dose effect (DE) of strabismus surgery is thought to decrease with increasing axial length (AL), and it has been suggested that this effect may be more important in hyperopes over + 2 D. Here, we analyse the influence of AL on the DE of horizontal strabismus surgery in regard to its clinical relevance.

Methods Retrospective chart analysis of patients who had undergone horizontal strabismus surgery between 2020 and 2023. Statistical analysis: descriptive analysis and ANOVA (R 4.1.2).

Results There were 65 patients (34 male and 31 female) included; mean age: 18.0 years (range 5 – 74). Mean AL was 23.50 mm (range: 20.80 – 28.50 mm). At the 3-month follow-up, 83.1% of patients demonstrated binocularity. Mean DE was 2.36 PD/mm at distance and 2.60 in near vision. There was no significant influence of AL on the DE of surgery (p = 0.30). However, DE was significantly higher in esotropia (n = 32) than exotropia (n = 33) in distant and near vision (p = 0.0 000 403) and in both groups, patients with positive binocularity had a significantly greater DE than patients without binocularity (p = 0.0032).

Conclusion Our data showed no significant correlation between AL and the DE of surgery, while the type of strabismus and binocularity had a significant influence on the DE of surgery. However, AL is still important for surgical planning, in particular, to assess the risk of a deviating muscle path or thin sclera in high myopia.
Gram-Scale Total Synthesis of Cordiachrome B
Authors: Zhu Junmei , Zhang Ting , Bi Ruru
Published: February 2025

Cordiachromes A–C are terpenoid benzoquinones that exhibit significant antimalarial, antimycobacterial, antifungal, antileishmanial, and cytotoxic activities. Herein, we report a gram-scale total synthesis of cordiachrome B from inexpensive, commercially available 3-methoxybenzaldehyde in six linear steps. Highlights of the synthesis include a Ti(O-i-Pr)4-promoted photoenolization/Diels–Alder (PEDA) reaction to construct the desired cis configuration at the B–C ring junction, matching that of the natural product; an N,N,N′-trimethylethylenediamine-directed regioselective methylation; a Pd-catalyzed ortho-C–H methoxylation enabled by a monodentate transient directing group to give 3,6-dimethoxy-2-methylbenzaldehyde on a large scale for the PEDA reaction; and a Tebbe olefination to convert the carbonyl group into the methylene group required for the natural product. The concise and scalable synthesis provides a novel strategy for producing these natural products and related congeners for further medicinal-chemistry studies. Cordiachrome B was shown, for the first time, to exhibit a moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and its methicillin-resistant strain.
Late Onset Hepatic Encephalopathy after Living Donor Liver Transplant: Successful Reversal by Plug Embolization of Shunt—A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Bashir Shahnawaz , Praharaj Dibyalochan , Khan Adnan , Gupta Subhash , Gakher Pragati
Published: February 2025

In liver transplant (LT) recipients, development of portosystemic (PS) shunts can lead to hepatic encephalopathy. Here we report the cases of two patients who presented with hepatic encephalopathy 11 and 15 years after LT. Plug-assisted embolization of PS shunt led to significant improvement in their clinical and neurological symptoms, highlighting the importance of monitoring for PS shunts in long-term LT follow-up.
“Turning right”? An experimental study on the political value shift in large language models
Authors: Liu Yifei , Panwang Yuang , Gu Chao
Published: February 2025

Constructing artificial intelligence that aligns with human values is a crucial challenge, with political values playing a distinctive role among various human value systems. In this study, we adapted the Political Compass Test and combined it with rigorous bootstrapping techniques to create a standardized method for testing political values in AI. This approach was applied to multiple versions of ChatGPT, utilizing a dataset of over 3000 tests to ensure robustness. Our findings reveal that while newer versions of ChatGPT consistently maintain values within the libertarian-left quadrant, there is a statistically significant rightward shift in political values over time, a phenomenon we term a ‘value shift’ in large language models. This shift is particularly noteworthy given the widespread use of LLMs and their potential influence on societal values. Importantly, our study controlled for factors such as user interaction and language, and the observed shifts were not directly linked to changes in training datasets. While this research provides valuable insights into the dynamic nature of value alignment in AI, it also underscores limitations, including the challenge of isolating all external variables that may contribute to these shifts. These findings suggest a need for continuous monitoring of AI systems to ensure ethical value alignment, particularly as they increasingly integrate into human decision-making and knowledge systems.