bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bioprinted optoelectronically active cardiac tissues
Authors: Ershad Faheem , Rao Zhoulyu , Maharajan Sushila , Mesquita Fernanda C. Paccola , Ha Junkyu , Gonzalez Lei , Haideri Tahir , Curty da Costa Ernesto , Moctezuma-Ramirez Angel , Wang Yuqi , Jang Seonmin , Lu Yuntao , Patel Shubham , Wang Xiaoyang , Tao Yifan , Weygant Joshua , Garciamendez-Mijares Carlos Ezio , Orrantia Clark Luis Carlos , Zubair Muhammad , Lian Xiaojun Lance , Elgalad Abdelmotagaly , Yang Jian , Hochman-Mendez Camila , Zhang Yu Shrike , Yu Cunjiang
Published: January 2025

Electrical stimulation of existing three-dimensional bioprinted tissues to alter tissue activities is typically associated with wired delivery, invasive electrode placement, and potential cell damage, minimizing its efficacy in cardiac modulation. Here, we report an optoelectronically active scaffold based on printed gelatin methacryloyl embedded with micro-solar cells, seeded with cardiomyocytes to form light-stimulable tissues. This enables untethered, noninvasive, and damage-free optoelectronic stimulation–induced modulation of cardiac beating behaviors without needing wires or genetic modifications to the tissue solely with light. Pulsed light stimulation of human cardiomyocytes showed that the optoelectronically active scaffold could increase their beating rates (>40%), maintain high cell viability under light stimulation (>96%), and negligibly affect the electrocardiogram morphology. The seeded scaffolds, termed optoelectronically active tissues, were able to successfully accelerate heart beating in vivo in rats. Our work demonstrates a viable wireless, printable, and optically controllable tissue, suggesting a transformative step in future therapy of electrically active tissues/organs.
A bi-kinase module sensitizes and potentiates plant immune signaling
Authors: Köster Philipp , He Gefeng , Liu Changyun , Dong Qiuyan , Hake Katarina , Schmitz-Thom Ina , Heinkow Paulina , Eirich Jürgen , Wallrad Lukas , Hashimoto Kenji , Schültke Stefanie , Finkemeier Iris , Romeis Tina , Kudla Jörg
Published: January 2025

Systemic signaling is an essential hallmark of multicellular life. Pathogen encounter occurs locally but triggers organ-scale and organismic immune responses. In plants, elicitor perception provokes systemically expanding Ca
2+
and H
2
O
2
signals conferring immunity. Here, we identify a Ca
2+
sensing bi-kinase module as becoming super-activated through mutual phosphorylation and as imposing synergistically enhanced NADPH oxidase activation. A combined two-layer bi-kinase/substrate phospho-code allows for sensitized signaling initiation already by near-resting elevations of Ca
2+
concentration. Subsequently, it facilitates further signal wave proliferation with minimal Ca
2+
amplitude requirement, triggering protective defense responses throughout the plant. Our study reveals how plants build and perpetuate trans-cellular immune signal proliferation while avoiding disturbance of ongoing cellular signaling along the path of response dissemination.
Human naïve B cells recognize prepandemic influenza virus hemagglutinins
Authors: Feldman Jared , Ramos Ana Sofia Ferreira , Vu Mya , Maurer Daniel P. , Rosado Victoria C. , Lingwood Daniel , Bajic Goran , Schmidt Aaron G.
Published: January 2025

Understanding the naïve B cell repertoire and its specificity for potential zoonotic threats, such as the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5Nx viruses, may allow prediction of infection- or vaccine-specific responses. However, this naïve repertoire and the possibility to respond to emerging, prepandemic viruses are largely undetermined. Here, we profiled naïve B cell reactivity against a prototypical HPAI H5 hemagglutinin (HA), the major target of antibody responses. We found that the frequency of H5-specific human naïve B cells targeting the HA “head” domain was increased relative to cross-reactive B cells to a circulating seasonal H1N1 strain. We classified the isolated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by the HA epitopes engaged and found that selected mAbs neutralized H5N1 at germline. We determined a cryo–electron microscopic structure of one mAb in complex with H5 HA to define its epitope. Our study defines the naïve human B cell repertoire recognizing a potentially zoonotic HPAI.
Coordinated immune networks in leukemia bone marrow microenvironments distinguish response to cellular therapy
Authors: Maurer Katie , Park Cameron Y. , Mani Shouvik , Borji Mehdi , Raths Florian , Gouin Kenneth H. , Penter Livius , Jin Yinuo , Zhang Jia Yi , Shin Crystal , Brenner James R. , Southard Jackson , Krishna Sachi , Lu Wesley , Lyu Haoxiang , Abbondanza Domenic , Mangum Chanell , Olsen Lars Rønn , Lawson Michael J. , Fabani Martin , Neuberg Donna S. , Bachireddy Pavan , Glezer Eli N. , Farhi Samouil L. , Li Shuqiang , Livak Kenneth J. , Ritz Jerome , Soiffer Robert J. , Wu Catherine J. , Azizi Elham
Published: January 2025

Understanding how intratumoral immune populations coordinate antitumor responses after therapy can guide treatment prioritization. We systematically analyzed an established immunotherapy, donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI), by assessing 348,905 single-cell transcriptomes from 74 longitudinal bone marrow samples of 25 patients with relapsed leukemia; a subset was evaluated by both protein- and transcriptome-based spatial analysis. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML) DLI responders, we identified clonally expanded
ZNF683
+
CD8
+
cytotoxic T lymphocytes with in vitro specificity for patient-matched AML. These cells originated primarily from the DLI product and appeared to coordinate antitumor immune responses through interaction with diverse immune cell types within the marrow microenvironment. Nonresponders lacked this cross-talk and had cytotoxic T lymphocytes with elevated
TIGIT
expression. Our study identifies recipient bone marrow microenvironment differences as a determinant of an effective antileukemia response and opens opportunities to modulate cellular therapy.
In vitro
and
in vivo
activity of 1,2,3,4,6-O-pentagalloyl-glucose against
Candida albicans
Authors: Gao Lu , Wu Hao , Feng Jia , Liu Yu , Wang Ruina , Yan Lan , Lv Quanzhen , Jiang Yuanying
Published: January 2025

Invasive fungal infections have become an increasingly serious threat to global human health, underscoring the urgent need for the development of new antifungal drugs. In this study, we found a natural polyphenolic compound 1,2,3,4,6-O-pentagalloyl-glucose (PGG), which is present in various plants and herbs. PGG showed broad-spectrum antifungal activities, enhancing the efficacy of fluconazole. Furthermore, PGG could protect mice against gastrointestinal and systemic infection with
Candida albicans
. Our mechanistic studies revealed that PGG exerts its antifungal effects partially by binding to the CaEno1 protein to inhibit its activity. As a crucial therapeutic target, Eno1 has been reported to be closely associated with cancer, hypertension, and infectious diseases. Our findings indicated that PGG, a new Eno1 inhibitor, is a potential candidate for further antifungal development.
Resolving spatiotemporal dynamics in bacterial multicellular populations: approaches and challenges
Authors: Espinoza Miranda Suyen Solange , Abbaszade Gorkhmaz , Hess Wolfgang R. , Drescher Knut , Saliba Antoine-Emmanuel , Zaburdaev Vasily , Chai Liraz , Dreisewerd Klaus , Grünberger Alexander , Westendorf Christian , Müller Susann , Mascher Thorsten
Published: January 2025

The development of multicellularity represents a key evolutionary transition that is crucial for the emergence of complex life forms. Although multicellularity has traditionally been studied in eukaryotes, it originates in prokaryotes. Coordinated aggregation of individual cells within the confines of a colony results in emerging, higher-level functions that benefit the population as a whole. During colony differentiation, an almost infinite number of ecological and physiological population-forming forces are at work, creating complex, intricate colony structures with divergent functions. Understanding the assembly and dynamics of such populations requires resolving individual cells or cell groups within such macroscopic structures. Addressing how each cell contributes to the collective action requires pushing the resolution boundaries of key technologies that will be presented in this review. In particular, single-cell techniques provide powerful tools for studying bacterial multicellularity with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. These advancements include novel microscopic techniques, mass spectrometry imaging, flow cytometry, spatial transcriptomics, single-bacteria RNA sequencing, and the integration of spatiotemporal transcriptomics with microscopy, alongside advanced microfluidic cultivation systems. This review encourages exploring the synergistic potential of the new technologies in the study of bacterial multicellularity, with a particular focus on individuals in differentiated bacterial biofilms (colonies). It highlights how resolving population structures at the single-cell level and understanding their respective functions can elucidate the overarching functions of bacterial multicellular populations.
Overexpression of the RNA-binding protein NrdA affects global gene expression and secondary metabolism in
Aspergillus
species
Authors: Kadooka Chihiro , Izumitsu Kosuke , Asai Teigo , Hiramatsu Kentaro , Mori Kazuki , Okutsu Kayu , Yoshizaki Yumiko , Takamine Kazunori , Goto Masatoshi , Tamaki Hisanori , Futagami Taiki
Published: January 2025

RNA-binding protein Nrd1 plays a role in RNA polymerase II transcription termination. In this study, we showed that the orthologous NrdA is important in global mRNA expression and secondary metabolism in
Aspergillus
species. We constructed an
nrdA
conditional expression strain using the Tet-On system in
Aspergillus luchuenesis
mut.
kawachii
. Downregulation of
nrdA
caused a severe growth defect, indicating that NrdA is essential for the proliferation of
A. kawachii
. Parallel RNA-sequencing and RNA immunoprecipitation-sequencing analysis identified potential NrdA-interacting transcripts, corresponding to 32% of the predicted protein-coding genes of
A. kawachii
. Subsequent gene ontology analysis suggested that overexpression of NrdA affects the production of secondary metabolites. To clarify this, we constructed
Aspergillus nidulans
,
Aspergillus fumigatus
, and
Aspergillus oryzae
strains overexpressing NrdA in the early developmental stage. Overexpression of NrdA reduced the production of sterigmatocystin and penicillin in
A. nidulans
, as well as that of helvolic acid and pyripyropene A in
A. fumigatus
. Moreover, it increased the production of kojic acid and reduced the production of penicillin in
A. oryzae
. These effects were accompanied by almost consistent changes in the mRNA levels of relevant genes. Collectively, these results suggest that NrdA is the essential RNA-binding protein, which plays a significant role in global gene expression and secondary metabolism in
Aspergillus
species.

IMPORTANCE

Nrd1, a component of the Nrd1–Nab3–Sen1 complex, is an essential RNA-binding protein involved in transcriptional termination in yeast. However, its role in filamentous fungi has not been studied. In this study, we characterized an orthologous NrdA in the
Aspergillus
species, identified potential NrdA-interacting mRNA, and investigated the effect of overexpression of NrdA on mRNA expression in
Aspergillus luchuensis
mut.
kawachii
. The results indicated that NrdA controls global gene expression involved in versatile metabolic pathways, including the secondary metabolic process, at least in the early developmental stage. We demonstrated that NrdA overexpression significantly affected the production of secondary metabolites in
Aspergillus nidulans
,
Aspergillus oryzae
, and
Aspergillus fumigatus
. Our findings are of importance to the fungal research community because the secondary metabolism is an industrially and clinically important aspect for the
Aspergillus
species.
Gender affirming hormone therapy for individuals with gender dysphoria aged <26 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Miroshnychenko Anna , Ibrahim Sara , Roldan Yetiani , Kulatunga-Moruzi Chan , Montante Steven , Couban Rachel , Guyatt Gordon , Brignardello-Petersen Romina
Published: January 2025

Objective

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed and summarised the certainty of the evidence about the effects of gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) in individuals with gender dysphoria (GD).

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Social Sciences Abstracts, LGBTQ+ Source and Sociological Abstracts from inception to September 2023. We included studies comparing GAHT with no GAHT in individuals aged <26 years with GD. Outcomes of interest included psychological and physical effects. Pairs of reviewers independently screened articles, abstracted data and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies. We performed meta-analyses and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) approach.

Results

We included 24 studies. Comparative observational studies (n=9) provided mostly very low certainty evidence regarding GD, global function and depression. One comparative observational study reported that the odds of depression may be lower (OR 0.73 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.88), n (number of studies)=1, low certainty) in individuals who received GAHT compared with those who did not. Before–after studies (n=13) provided very low certainty evidence about GD, global function, depression and bone mineral density. Case series studies (n=2) provided high certainty evidence that the proportion of individuals with cardiovascular events 7–109 months after receiving GAHT was 0.04 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.05, n=1, high certainty).

Conclusion

There is considerable uncertainty about the effects of GAHT and we cannot exclude the possibility of benefit or harm. Methodologically rigorous prospective studies are needed to produce higher certainty evidence.

Trial registration number

PROSPERO CRD42023452171.
Oncocytoma: a rare neoplasm of the caruncle
Authors: Clabeaux Carson , Bates Tyson S , Chen Allison Y , Casey Mary C , Yakopson Vladimir S
Published: January 2025

Oncocytoma is a rare benign neoplasm of the glandular tissue, most commonly found in the caruncle of the eye. These lesions have an excellent prognosis and have not been reported to recur after resection from the caruncle. Given the wide range of differentials and potential for malignancy, excision and histopathological examination are recommended to establish the diagnosis and guide proper treatment.
Association of arterial stiffness and eye disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Beros Angela L , Sluyter John D , Scragg Robert
Published: January 2025

Background

This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses the association of arterial stiffness with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and retinopathy (diabetic and hypertensive).

Methods

Medline and Embase were systematically searched for observational studies of arterial stiffness and eye disease. Cohort studies were included if they estimated arterial stiffness using any measures based on the arterial waveform, with cross-sectional and case-control studies limited to measures of pulse wave velocity. We assessed the certainty of evidence using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation.

Results

The systematic review of 61 studies (six for AMD, ten for glaucoma, six for RVO and 39 for retinopathy) showed that arterial stiffness overall was higher in people with eye disease than people without eye disease. Forty-four cross-sectional and case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. Arterial stiffness estimated by way of pulse wave velocity was associated with AMD (mean difference: 0.92 m/s, 95% CI 0.37 to 1.46; 2 studies; n=381; low certainty evidence), glaucoma (mean difference: 0.97 m/s, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.64; 7 studies; n=3418; low certainty evidence), RVO (mean difference: 2.79 m/s, 95% CI 2.02 to 3.55; 5 studies; n=414; very low certainty evidence) and retinopathy (1.48 m/s, 95% CI 0.1.16 to 1.81; 22 studies; n=10 074; low certainty evidence). The 19 cohort studies identified (five for AMD, three for glaucoma, one for RVO and 10 for retinopathy) indicated overall that increased arterial stiffness was associated with the future development of eye disease.

Conclusions

Higher arterial stiffness is associated with AMD, glaucoma, RVO and retinopathy

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42019129563.
Economics of cropping sequences diversified with specialty crops in the semi-arid Canadian prairies
Authors: Khakbazan Mohammad , St. Luce Mervin , Biswas Dilip , Bandara Manjula , Geddes Charles M. , Liu Kui , Lokuruge Prabhath , McConkey Brian
Published: January 2025

The agronomic and environmental benefits of diversified cropping systems have been well documented in the Canadian prairies. However, little is known about the profitability of diversified rotations with oilseeds, cereals, legumes, and specialty crops. This study consisted of two 5-year (2018–2022) experiments carried out at four sites in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Net return (NR) was defined as total revenue minus total costs. Results showed diversified sequences with Oriental mustard, red lentil, yellow field pea, and yellow mustard had higher NR than continuous wheat and wheat with chemical fallow sequences. Moreover, sequences diversified with quinoa, yellow mustard, field pea, and wheat showed high NR across all sites. Wheat after chemical fallow in the wheat with chemical fallow sequence (wheat–wheat–chemical fallow–wheat–wheat) had high NR; however, this did not compensate for the loss of NR in the chemical fallow phase, resulting in the lowest NR. The inclusion of industrial, oriental, and yellow mustard in sequences with wheat and field pea decreased nitrogen cost by 30% compared to a continuous wheat sequence, concluding that such sequences not only improved NRs but also showed a significant reduction in nitrogen requirement costs.
Fermionic entanglement in the presence of background electric and magnetic fields
Authors: Kaushal Shagun
Published: January 2025

In this study, we investigate the fermionic Schwinger effect in the presence of a constant magnetic field within

$$(1+3)$$

(
1
+
3
)

-dimensional Minkowski spacetime, considering both constant and pulsed electric fields. We analyze the correlations between Schwinger pairs for the vacuum and maximally entangled states of two fermionic fields. The correlations are quantified using entanglement entropy and Bell’s inequality violation for the vacuum state, while Bell’s inequality violation and mutual information are used for the maximally entangled state. One can observe the variation of the entanglement produced for fermionic modes with respect to different parameters. Additionally, we discuss the key differences from the behaviour of scalar fields in this context. This study offers deeper insights into quantum field theory and the dynamics of entanglement in the fermionic Schwinger effect.
Spinning waveforms of scalar radiation in quadratic modified gravity
Authors: Falkowski Adam , Marinellis Panagiotis
Published: January 2025

We study scalar–tensor gravitational theories using on-shell amplitude methods. We focus on theories with gravity coupled to a massless scalar via the Gauss–Bonnet and Chern–Simons terms. In this framework, we calculate the waveforms for classical scalar radiation emitted in scattering of macroscopic objects, including spin effects. To this end, we use the Kosower–Maybee–O’Connell formalism, with the 5-particle amplitude for scalar emission in matter scattering calculated at tree level using the unitarity-factorization bootstrap techniques. We also discuss in detail the dependence of that amplitude on the contact terms of the intermediate 4-particle scalar-graviton-matter amplitude. Finally, we discuss the conditions for resolvability of classical scalar radiation.
Quasi-topological fractons: a 3D dipolar gauge theory
Authors: Bertolini Erica , Blasi Alberto , Maggiore Nicola
Published: January 2025

We consider the theory of a generic rank-2 tensor field in three spacetime dimensions, which involves a symmetric tensor field transforming under infinitesimal diffeomorphisms, and a vector field, whose gauge transformation depends on a local vector parameter. The gauge fixing shows a non-trivial structure, and some non-intuitive possibilities are listed. Despite the fact that the theory is not topological, the energy-momentum tensor vanishes on-shell, which justifies the “quasi-topological” appellation we give to this theory. We show that the theory has three degrees of freedom. Moreover, we find an interesting physical interpretation, which consists in a generalized planar electromagnetism and in the emergence of two vector charges with restricted mobility. These are typical fractonic behaviours which can be related to the so-called traceless scalar and vector charge theories.
Correlation and autocorrelation of data on complex networks
Authors: Arthur Rudy
Published: January 2025

Networks where each node has one or more associated numerical values are common in applications. This work studies how summary statistics used for the analysis of spatial data can be applied to non-spatial networks for the purposes of exploratory data analysis. We focus primarily on Moran-type statistics and discuss measures of global autocorrelation, local autocorrelation and global correlation. We introduce null models based on fixing edges and permuting the data or fixing the data and permuting the edges. We demonstrate the use of these statistics on real and synthetic node-valued networks.
A nonlocal equation describing tumor growth
Authors: Granero-Belinchón Rafael , Magliocca Martina
Published: January 2025

Cancer is a very complex phenomenon that involves many different scales and situations. In this paper, we consider a free boundary problem describing the evolution of a tumor colony and we derive a new asymptotic model for tumor growth. We focus on the case of a single phase tumor colony taking into account chemotactic effects in an early stage where there is no necrotic inner region. Thus, our model is valid for the case of multilayer avascular tumors with very little access to both nutrients and inhibitors or the case where the amount of nutrients and inhibitors is very similar to the amount consumed by the multilayer tumor cells. Our model takes the form of a single nonlocal and nonlinear partial differential equation for the interface of the multilayer tumor colony. Our model is able to capture chemotactic and cohesion effects and also the effect of nutrients, inhibitors and vasculation of the tumor colony. Besides deriving the model, we also prove a well-posedness result.
On-Site Load Test and Numerical Analysis of Existing Cantilever-Erection Prestressed Concrete Bridge With Central Hinge for Structural Safety Assessment: Case Study of Minquan Bridge
Authors: Sung Yu-chi , Lee Po-Hsin , Chao Kuo-Hung , Wu Ming-Yuan , Su Chin-Kuo , Sung Guan-Yu , Chiu Chung-Min , Liu Chia-Ming
Published: January 2025

This study focuses on evaluating the long-term service performance of a cantilever-erected prestressed concrete bridge, using a balanced cantilever bridge in Taiwan that has been in operation for 36[Formula: see text]years as a case study. Static and dynamic loading tests were performed to assess the bridge’s characteristics, including girder stiffness, natural frequencies, and mode shapes. The results of on-site vehicle loading tests were compared with analysis findings to validate the reliability of the numerical models. Additionally, a numerical analysis was conducted to simulate the bridge’s long-term deflection, considering seven different creep and shrinkage effects, and the results were compared with on-site measurement data. Among the models tested, Model B4TW, which incorporated local adjustments to concrete performance, aligns well with the observed long-term trends. Finally, based on the results of the bridge safety assessment, a recommendation for bridge reconstruction was proposed, which was eventually approved by the bridge’s owner and served as the basis for the new bridge design concept. This analysis and verification process facilitates accurate predictions of structural performance, enablingsafety assessments based on reliable data. This comprehensive approach enables engineers to predict bridge deflection, tendon prestress loss, and overall structural performance throughout the bridge’s remaining service life.
Random Vibration Analysis of Train–Bridge System Based on Parallel Adaptive Enhanced-Surrogate Model
Authors: Yang Fei , Zhang Xun , Han Yan , Yang Lei , Wang Lidong
Published: January 2025

In order to enhance the efficiency of stochastic vibration analysis for train–bridge coupling systems, this paper proposes a novel approach based on the parallel adaptive enhanced (PAE)-surrogate model. First, an initial surrogate model is established to predict the extreme values of dynamic responses in the train–bridge coupling system using a small number of training samples. Second, a multipoint adaptive sampling method is employed to determine a set of new samples that provide more information. The theoretical extreme values of the dynamic responses corresponding to the new samples are calculated using parallel computing technology. Third, the surrogate model is optimized by incorporating the set of new samples and their corresponding theoretical extreme values. Finally, new samples are continuously added, and the surrogate model is enhanced until the number of training samples reaches the preset requirement. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, two examples are examined, encompassing analytical functions and the analysis of the wheel load reduction rate (WLRR) for trains on the bridge. The results show that the proposed PAE-surrogate model can select samples containing valuable information, significantly improving the prediction accuracy of the surrogate model without increasing the number of training samples. Additionally, the proposed method can fully exploit computational resources, thereby decreasing the number of iterations needed and increasing training efficiency. By considering a four-car CHR2 train passing through a three-span simply supported girder bridge as an example, the proposed method achieves 2.62[Formula: see text]times higher training efficiency compared to the nonparallel method.
Closed-Form Solution to Vibration and Stability of Non-Prismatic and Axially Functionally Graded Beams
Authors: Zhao Xingwei , Jiang Wenhao , Ma Jiaqi , Zhao Ying
Published: January 2025

The closed-form solution for the free vibration and buckling of non-prismatic and axially functionally graded beams is derived in this paper. Classical beam-column theory is applied to thin and slender beams. The governing differential equations, which contain variable coefficients, are solved exactly by introducing appropriate auxiliary functions. The method facilitates the derivation of closed-form solutions to exact mode shapes for free vibration and buckling, addressing a gap in existing methods for analyzing non-prismatic and axially functionally graded beams under various boundary conditions. The exact mode shapes for free vibration are identified as either hyperbolic trigonometric or hyperbolic functions, depending on the natural frequency. For buckling, the mode shapes are characterized by regularized confluent hypergeometric functions.

The closed-form formulations enable efficient calculation of natural frequencies and critical buckling loads as eigenvalue problems, offering a straightforward method for identifying optimal design values. This approach eliminates the need for extensive series expansions common in many analytical methods and avoids the large number of elements required by finite element methods. To illustrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the method, several examples with various boundary conditions are provided.
Optimality and duality for exponentially roughly B-invex multi-objective optimization problems
Authors: Emam Tarek
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we define a new class of functions, called exponentially roughly B-invex functions and discuss their properties. Optimality criteria for optimization problems involving these functions are obtained. Efficient solutions of exponentially roughly B-invex multi-objective problem are characterized by weighting approach. Also, sufficient and necessary conditions for a feasible solution to be an efficient solution for the considered multi-objective problem are derived. Finally, the Mond–Weir-type dual problem is considered under the exponentially roughly B-invexity assumption and its results are generalized for the considered optimization problems.
Recent study on rings of density continuous functions
Authors: Dey Amrita , Bag Sagarmoy , Biswas Pronay , Singha Achintya
Published: January 2025

One of the central themes in the research of function rings over topological spaces is build new rings, build new spaces. In this paper, we continue the work of Knox on the ring of density continuous functions, denoted by [Formula: see text]. We infer that [Formula: see text] is self-injective ([Formula: see text]-self-injective) if the family of zero-sets, denoted by [Formula: see text] is closed under arbitrary (countable) intersections. We provide a counterexample of the converse statement on self-injectivity, and in that process, we answer a question raised in [H. Azadi, M. Henriksen and E. Momtahan, Some properties of algebra of real valued measurable functions, Acta Math. Hunger 124(1–2) (2009) 15–23]. We have established a condition on [Formula: see text] for which [Formula: see text] is Artinian and Noetherian. Unlike [Formula: see text], the zero-divisor graph of [Formula: see text] is seen to be neither triangulated nor hyper-triangulated. We prove that space [Formula: see text] is density compact if and only if it is density pseudocompact and density real compact.
Shear behaviour of CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy bicrystals with symmetric tilt grain boundaries: A molecular dynamics study
Authors: Zhang Mengfei , Zhang Xiang , Zou Zhichun , Yang Fan
Published: January 2025

Equiatomic CoCrNi is a kind of medium-entropy alloy with excellent mechanical properties and wide application potentials in aerospace, nuclear energy, biomedical engineering, etc. In this paper, we investigate the effect of grain boundaries in CoCrNi under the shear loads through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on 21 specially designed CoCrNi bicrystal specimens with symmetric tilt grain boundaries. The MD models of CoCrNi bicrystals were constructed and simulated using the open-source software LAMMPS. Shear loads parallel to the grain boundary plane were applied to the models after they reach equilibrium. Post-processing is conducted utilising the Common Neighbour Analysis (CNA) algorithm and Dislocation Extraction Algorithm (DXA). The stress–strain curves and microstructural evolution processes were analysed. According to the stress–strain curve and microstructural evolution characteristics, four types of deformation modes were identified, each corresponding to a specific range of misorientation angles. This study provides unique insights into the plastic deformation mechanisms of medium-entropy alloys.
The Drunken Plagiarists
Authors: Neville-Neil George V.
Published: January 2025

Before trying to use these tools, you need to understand what they do, at least on the surface, since even their creators freely admit they do not understand how they work deep down in the bowels of all the statistics and text that have been scraped from the current Internet. The trick of an LLM is to use a little randomness and a lot of text to Gauss the next word in a sentence. Seems kind of trivial, really, and certainly not a measure of intelligence that anyone who understands the term might use. But it's a clever trick and does have some applications.
MVideoRec: Micro Video Recommendations through Modality Decomposition and Contrastive Learning
Authors: Yu Li , Hu Jianyong , Du Qihan , Niu Xi
Published: January 2025

Personalized micro video recommendation aims to recommend the micro videos tailored to user preference based on the user’s interaction history with the micro videos, which has drawn increasing attention from both the academic and industrial communities. Existing solutions primarily concentrate on video-level interactions between users and micro videos to model their preferences, and cannot distinguish the finer-grained users’ interactions with various modalities. Ignoring modality-level interactions prevents the full understanding of the user’s true and subtle preferences on micro videos. To this end, in this article, we propose a Contrastive Multimodal Interaction Graph Learning (
MVideoRec
) model to automatically and explicitly learn the modality-level interaction between users and micro videos for recommendations. Specifically, we designed a graph structure learning module with a sparsification strategy to infer modality-level interaction graph, which will be dynamically and iteratively updated based on the node representations obtained from the node representation learning module. Furthermore, to address the lack of ground truth labels, we propose to generate teacher view from video-level interaction graph and student view from modality-level interaction graph, as well as construct intra-modality and inter-modality contrastive pairwise instances to provide self-supervised signals. Extensive experiments on three real-world micro video datasets validate the effectiveness of MVideoRec.
Cost-aware Best Arm Identification in Stochastic Bandits
Authors: Qin Zhida , Xue Wenhao , Zheng Lu , Gan Xiaoying , Wu Hongqiu , Jin Haiming , Fu Luoyi
Published: January 2025

The best arm identification problem in multi-armed bandit model has been widely applied into many practical applications, such as spectrum sensing, online advertising, and cloud computing. Although lots of works have been devoted into this area, most of them do not consider the cost of pulling actions, i.e., a player has to pay some cost when she pulls an arm. Motivated by this, we study a ratio-based best arm identification problem, where each arm is associated with a random reward as well as a random cost. For any

\(\delta\in(0,1)\)

, with probability at least

\(1-\delta\)

, the player aims to find the arm with the largest ratio of expected reward to expected cost using as few samplings as possible. Specifically, we consider two settings: 1) the precise setting, i.e., identifying the precise optimal one; 2) the PAC (Probably Approximate Correct) setting, which identifies the

\(\epsilon\)

-optimal one. For the precise setting, we design the elimination-type algorithms and provide a fundamental lower bound which asymptotically matches the upper bound, while in the PAC setting, an UCB-type algorithm which amed

\(\epsilon\)

-RCB algorithm is proposed. We show that for all algorithms, the sample complexities, i.e., the pulling times for all arms, grow logarithmically as

\(\frac{1}{\delta}\)

increases. Moreover, compared to existing works, the running of our algorithms is independent of the arm-related parameters, which is more practical. Finally, we validate our theoretical results through numerical experiments.
Sex-specific activation of platelet purinergic signaling is key in local cytokine release and phagocytosis in the peritoneal cavity in intra-abdominal sepsis
Authors: Entsie Philomena , Amoafo Emmanuel Boadi , Kang Ying , Gustad Thomas , Dorsam Glenn P. , Frey Mark R. , Liverani Elisabetta
Published: January 2025

Intra-abdominal sepsis is a challenging complication postabdominal surgery caused by perforations of the gastrointestinal tract where microbes invade the peritoneal cavity. This leads to local cytokine release and immune cell dysfunction. Our data identify platelets as key players in mediating inflammation in intra-abdominal sepsis. We have shown that blocking purinergic signaling in the peritoneal cavity reduced cytokine release and cell-cell interactions differently in males and females, hence a sex-specific strategy to improve intra-abdominal sepsis.
Quantitative interpretation and modeling of continuous nonprotein respiratory quotients
Authors: Gan Zhuohui , Klein Christian J. M. I. , Keijer Jaap , van Schothorst Evert M.
Published: January 2025

With the here proposed mathematical model, we provide a new tool to convert continuous RER data into more accurate estimations of %Gox and %Lox. It circumvents the use of nonprotein respiratory quotient tables and thereby aids and simplifies by automating the conversions. The model can further be implemented into software commonly used for indirect calorimetry measurements and thereby provides %Gox and %Lox data in real-time during a running experiment.
Prenatal lipopolysaccharide stimulation modulates gastrointestinal immunity and oxidative status in weaned pigs
Authors: Mitchell Ty M. , Burdick Sanchez Nicole C. , Carroll Jeff A. , Broadway Paul R. , Legako Jerrad F. , Bowen Brooke M. , Petry Amy L.
Published: January 2025

These studies represent novel investigations into the influence of prenatal immune stimulation (PIS) in swine on the gastrointestinal immune response and oxidative status of offspring following subsequent immune challenge. Notable alterations were observed in gut protein biomarkers, particularly the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-6, and IL-1β in PIS-exposed pigs, but has variable effects on oxidative status. Altered intestinal immune development may contribute to an increased risk for inflammatory disease associated with prenatal immune stimulation.
Hypertrophic heart failure promotes gut dysbiosis and gut leakage in interleukin 10-deficient mice
Authors: Ranjan Prabhat , Goswami Sumanta Kumar , Dutta Roshan Kumar , Colin Karen , Pal Harish Chandra , Zhang Qinkun , Lal Hind , Prasad Ram , Verma Suresh Kumar
Published: January 2025

IL-10, crucial for systemic inflammation regulation and gut mucosal homeostasis, was investigated using IL-10 knockout (KO) mice. Exacerbated gut inflammation was observed post-transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in IL-10-depleted mice, whereas wild-type (WT) mice showed reduced IL-10 gene expression in colon and ileum. TAC induced gut dysbiosis and leakage in IL-10 KO mice, suggesting a link between enhanced inflammatory signaling in heart failure and multi-organ damage via gut dysbiosis and leakage.
Preparation of High‐Temperature‐Resistant Polybenzoxazole Paper by a Two‐Step Method
Authors: Zhou Wanli , He Xinye , Yang Kuan , Wang Heng , Chen Yizi , Wang Song , Xue Qinglan
Published: January 2025

Polybenzoxazole (PBO) paper, made of PBO chopped fibers and PBO fibrids, is used in many cutting‐edge fields because of its excellent properties. The rigid molecular structure makes PBO only dissolved in strong acids such as fuming sulfuric acid and polyphosphoric acid at a very high temperature. Due to the harsh preparation conditions, it is not easy to industrialize PBO fibrids. Herein, a two‐step method was used to prepare the PBO paper. Firstly, polyhydroxyamide (PHA) was synthesized in an organic solvent and used to prepare fibrids, and the PHA paper was then prepared using PHA fibrids with a traditional wet papermaking process, and the obtained PHA paper was further converted into PBO paper by thermal cyclization. The results show that the PHA fibrids have a high length–diameter ratio, film shape, and abundant hair structure, and the tensile index of the PHA base paper is as high as 123.3 N·m/g. After thermal cyclization, the structure and morphology of the paper have little change, and the mechanical properties of the paper have a certain loss. However, it is still much higher than that of PBO paper prepared directly from PBO fibrids and has excellent thermal stability, so it is suitable for preparing high‐temperature‐resistant paper‐based composites.
How Does Virtual Reality Exposure Treatment Change the Brain Function of Acrophobia Patients? A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Guo Meilin , Chen Yongjun , Xie Ya , Zhang Yumin , Xu Aoran , Zhang Guojia , Kong Jingya , Zhong Yuan , Wang Chun
Published: January 2025

Background: Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), an innovative form of exposure therapy (ET), has been demonstrated to be effective in treating acrophobia. However, its neural mechanisms of action and how it differs from traditional imaginal exposure therapy (IET) remain unclear. This study utilized resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the effects of VRET on brain activity in acrophobic patients and to explore the potential mechanisms underlying its therapeutic action.

Method: Fifty patients with acrophobia were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (25 patients) or a control group (25 patients) based on different treatments. The experimental group received VRET, while the control group received conventional IET. A mixed‐design repeated‐measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the whole brain to identify brain regions affected by the intervention. Both groups of patients underwent treatment twice a week for 3 weeks. fMRI scans were performed for all patients at baseline and after treatment to facilitate a comparison of clinical effects at the end of the treatment period. The degree centrality (DC) values of the blood oxygenation level dependent signals across the entire brain were analyzed. A mixed‐design repeated‐measures ANOVA was conducted on the pre‐ and post‐intervention data to identify brain regions affected by the intervention. The degree of symptom improvement was assessed using self‐report measures, including the Acrophobia Questionnaire (AQ), the Attitude Toward Heights Questionnaire, the Behavior Avoidance Test, and the 7‐item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. These assessments were correlated with pre‐ and post‐intervention differences in brain activity. Additionally, a functional connectivity (FC) analysis was conducted to identify any atypical connectivity patterns following the ET.

Results: There was a significant positive correlation between the change in scores on the AQ and the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) (r = 0.442, p = 0.045). After VRET, DC values in the right calcarine, MTG, cuneus, and precuneus were decreased (p < 0.005), while DC values in the postcentral gyrus decreased after IET (p < 0.05). Additionally, reduced FC between the right MTG and both the right medial superior frontal gyrus and the left MTG was observed in acrophobia patients following VRET. In the IET group, reduced FC between the left MTG and the left superior temporal gyrus was found (p < 0.005).

Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that VRET may improve abnormal brain activity in acrophobia by modulating the activity of the default mode network and the primary visual cortex.
Experimental Study of PEMFC Stack Performance Degradation Considering the Shutdown and Rest Processes
Authors: Zhao Yan , Luo Maji , Yang Junwei , Chen Ben , Sui Pang-Chieh , Zhou Wei
Published: January 2025

The improvement of durability is one of the most critical factors for expanding the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Many experimental studies of continuous operation cycles have been carried out to gain an understanding of fuel cell durability, ignoring the shutdown and rest process. This paper performed durability tests over 1000 h in total, including the shutdown and rest processes, to investigate the impact of voltage recovery on cell degradation in real applications. Each durability test was operated only 8–10 h per day, and then the stack entered a shutdown and rest process. The results show that the voltage recovery after the shutdown and rest processes makes the fuel cells maintain the performance in the long term. The performance can be higher than the previous stage, which differs from the constant performance degradation observed in continuous tests. This paper specifically investigates the influence of operating conditions on durability, the characteristics of voltage degradation, and the underlying reasons for those phenomena during dynamic cycles that include shutdown and rest processes. The decrease in voltage uniformity is analyzed. The results indicate that imprecise control of the operating conditions could lead to a reduction in the fuel cell durability. During the processes of voltage degradation and recovery, marked improvements in performance are observed. Following the initial rapid decline in performance, the fuel cell degradation exhibited a strong correlation with the variations in voltage uniformity. Notably, the excessive degradation observed in a certain cell was the primary factor contributing to the reduction in voltage uniformity rather than the overall cell’s nonuniform voltage. The shutdown and rest processes are crucial components of the dynamic cycles, and the mechanism of voltage recovery after the shutdown and rest processes should be focused on to improve the fuel cell life.
The Impact of Silymarin on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Vajdi Mahdi , Adeli Shaghayegh , Karimi Arash , Asghariazar Vahid , Moini Jazani Arezoo , Nasimidoost Azgomi Ramin
Published: January 2025

Numerous studies have investigated into the antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties of silymarin, as well as its ability to reduce reactive oxygen species and inflammation biomarkers. The effect of silymarin on inflammation and oxidative stress was investigated using the keywords “milk thistle” OR “Silybum marianum” OR “Silybum” OR “silymarin” OR “Silibinin” AND “MDA” OR “Malondialdehyde” OR “TAC” OR “total antioxidant capacity” OR “IL‐10” OR “Interleukin‐10” OR “IL‐6” OR “Interleukin‐6” OR “TNF‐α” OR “tumor necrosis factor alpha” on the Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library, up until March 2023. Data were combined using a random‐effects model, and the weighted/standardized mean differences (WMDs/SMDs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as the overall effect size. Our meta‐analysis indicated that silymarin supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in levels of C‐reactive protein (CRP) (WMD: −3.39 mg/L, 95% CI: −5.99, −0.79, p = 0.01) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (SMD: −1.69, 95% CI: −2.62, −0.76, p < 0.001). Furthermore, silymarin significantly increases IL‐10 (WMD: 2.03 pg/mL; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.01, p < 0.001), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (SMD: 3.39, 95% CI: 1.42, 5.37, p = 0.001), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (SMD: 1.94; 95% CI, 0.89 to 2.99; p < 0.001) level. However, silymarin supplementation did not have significant effects on TAC (SMD: 2.91; 95% CI: −0.30, 6.11, p = 0.076) and IL‐6 (WMD: −0.70 pg/mL; 95% CI: −1.42, 0.02, p < 0.056) level. Silymarin supplementation may significantly improve oxidative stress and inflammation in adults by decreasing CRP and MDA and increasing IL‐10, SOD, and GPx. However, additional studies with longer study periods are required to ascertain the long‐term effects of silymarin on oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.