bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of the Low Back Pain Questionnaire for Nurses (LBP-NS) in Indonesia: A structural equation modeling approach
Authors: Wirakhmi Ikit Netra , Kusuma Ikhwan Yuda , Haniyah Siti , Nurkholis Fiqih
Published: January 2025

Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent global health issue, recognized as a leading cause of disability worldwide. This study aimed to address the lack of culturally and contextually relevant tools for assessing low back pain (LBP) among nurses in Indonesia, given their pivotal role in the country’s healthcare system and high occupational risk of LBP. Using purposive sampling, this study included 305 nurses from 34 provinces in Indonesia to ensure diverse and representative data. A 50-item LBP-NS questionnaire was developed, encompassing Pain Intensity (PI), Walking (WK), Sitting (SI), Standing (ST), and Sleeping (SL) domains. Psychometric validation was conducted using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). The LBP-NS demonstrated robust psychometric properties, including good model fit (CFI = 0.929, RMSEA = 0.067) and strong reliability (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.677-0.887). LBP-NS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing low back pain risk among nurses and holds significant potential for use in clinical practice and occupational health programs to address and mitigate LBP risks.
A systematic review of lightweight transformer models for medical image segmentation
Authors: Mangkunegara Iis Setiawan , Setyawati Martyarini Budi , Purwono  , Aboobaider Burhanuddin bin Mohd
Published: January 2025

Finding, assessing, and synthesizing studies on lightweight transformer models for medical picture segmentation is the goal of this SLR. Accuracy and efficiency in medical image processing and analysis are becoming more and more crucial as the amount of medical data increases. It has been demonstrated that lightweight transformer models have a lot of promise for producing precise and quick outcomes while using fewer computer resources. Several lightweight transformer models for medical picture segmentation have been examined in this paper. The findings demonstrate that, in comparison to traditional techniques, these models offer notable gains in medical image segmentation accuracy and efficiency. The need for improved generalization and testing on a wider range of datasets are among the difficulties noted. To overcome these obstacles and broaden the use of lightweight transformer models in diverse medical settings, more investigation is required. As a result, this review offers significant insights for future research and helpful advice for researchers and practitioners in creating and deploying lightweight transformer models for medical image segmentation.
Perianesthesia management in laparotomy for patients with ileus obstruction leukocytosis using general anesthesia: A case report
Authors: Suandika Made , Handayani Rahmaya Nova , Ningrum Ema Wahyu , Dani Dwi Darmawan , Maharani Cindy , Sulaeman Ahmad
Published: January 2025

Obstructive ileus is a serious condition that requires immediate and appropriate management to prevent dangerous complications. This case study examines the management of perianesthesia in a patient with obstructive ileus and leukocytosis using general anesthesia. This research method used a descriptive observational design with a case study technique in a 22-year-old female patient who underwent laparotomy. Data were collected from the patient’s medical record, physical examination, laboratory results, and intensive monitoring of vital signs during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases. Results showed that a comprehensive approach, which included fluid therapy, antibiotic selection, appropriate anesthesia induction, and careful postoperative monitoring, successfully stabilized the patient’s hemodynamics and decreased the risk of perioperative complications. Postoperative monitoring in the intensive care unit supports a better recovery process with maintained hemodynamic stability and vital signs. In conclusion, comprehensive perianesthesia management in this case provided a positive recovery prognosis. This study emphasizes the importance of collaboration between the surgical team and anesthesia team in managing obstructive ileus cases with leukocytosis and demonstrates the benefits of similar protocols for high-risk patients. In addition, further research is needed to develop more advanced anesthetic techniques in gastrointestinal conditions.
Measurement of wettability and surface roughness for metrology and quality control in microfluidics
Authors: Daugbjerg Thomas Schrøder , Crouzier Loïc , Delvallée Alexandra , Ogheard Florestan , Pecnik Christina , Romieu Kevin , Saraiva Fernanda , Batista Elsa
Published: January 2025

Microfluidics is a rapidly growing technology with applications in biochemistry and life sciences. To support the ongoing growth there is a need for common metrology, quality control, and standardisation. Here measurements of wettability and surface roughness can contribute, and these quantities affect flow characteristics of devices, bonding processes in manufacturing, and special microfluidic mechanisms such as droplet formation and spreading of fluids on surfaces. To quantify wettability, an optical laboratory setup was used to measure liquid drop contact angles of three liquids on a microfluidic surface. To further quantify wettability, the Owens, Wendt, Rabel, and Kaelble model was applied to contact angle measurements to determine the total surface free energy. To quantify surface roughness, atomic force microscopy and stylus profilometry measured area roughness parameter and profile roughness parameter for four samples of microfluidic surfaces. The wettability methods successfully demonstrated measurements of contact angles, and these methods were applied to determine a value for the total surface free energy. AFM and stylus profilometry successfully determined surface roughness parameters, and the determined values agreed with the expected for the material. In conclusion, the demonstrated methods can contribute to metrology, quality control and standardisation in microfluidics.
L’ère des STAPS : les qualités de la formation des enseignants d’EPS en France (1975-2023)
Authors: Renaud Jean-Nicolas
Published: January 2025

Des IUFM aux INSPE, les tribulations dernières des institutions de formation des enseignants ont forcément généré des effets à l’échelle de l’EPS et de la construction de sa corporation. Par une histoire du temps présent, nous allons ouvrir plusieurs pistes pour analyser les forces qui participent à la trajectoire actuelle de la discipline. Si la diversification des mentions de Licence et de Master affecte le système en amont, les évolutions sociales et les politiques éducatives transforment le métier en aval de la construction de l’enseignant. De la lente émergence des STAPS à l’instauration de la compétence comme mètre-étalon du futur professionnel, le déplacement des facteurs de la « qualité », amène à identifier les enjeux qui saisissent les professeurs d’EPS tout au long de leur carrière, de leurs balbutiements à leur incontournable aggiornamento personnel pendant le métier. Pour autant, à travers quelques exemples, nous verrons, derrière un panorama déjà complexe, comment certains héritages scientifiques s’inscrivent sur un temps long qui dépassent l’influence hic et nunc de personnages locaux (Fuchs & Renaud, 2020).
The relationship between GABA content and desiccation tolerance at five developmental stages of wheat (Triticum durum) seeds
Authors: Samarah Nezar H. , AL-Quraan Nisreen A. , Shawah’en Roa’a I.
Published: January 2025

Drying wheat (Triticum durum) seeds within their spikes may improve the seed desiccation tolerance. This study aimed to understand the effect of drying wheat seeds within their spikes on their desiccation tolerance in association with GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) content, malondialdehyde (MDA), the expression of three dehydrin genes (dhn, wcor, dreb) during seed development. Seeds of wheat variety ‘Hourani-Nawawi’ were harvested at five developmental stages: (1) milk (ML); (2) soft dough (SD); (3) hard dough (HD); (4) physiological maturity (PM); and (5) harvest maturity (HM) and dried either attached to or detached from their spikes. Drying the seeds attached to their spikes improved desiccation tolerance, speed of germination, and seedling length at ML stage. Before drying (freshly harvested), the seeds harvested at ML and HM had higher GABA than those at SD, HD, and PM. The attached-dried seeds had higher GABA content from ML to PM than at HM, and higher glutamate content at ML, SD, and HD than at the PM stage. Detached-dried seeds had the highest alanine at ML and PM. Attached-dried seeds had lower MDA than detached-dried seeds. Expression of dhn was highest in freshly-harvested and attached-dried seeds at SD. Highest expression of wcor in the attached-dried seeds was detected at SD and HM. Drying the seeds within their spikes increased the expression of dreb gene compared with the freshly-harvested seeds, except at the HD stage. In conclusion, drying the seeds within their spikes enhanced seed germination in association with higher GABA, lower MDA, and higher gene expression.
Species-specific spatial and temporal variability in anuran call detection: implications for deploying autonomous recording units
Authors: Hall Andrew , Walcott Amelia , Borrell Ali , Nimmo Dale G. , Wassens Skye
Published: January 2025

Context Ecosystem assessment using acoustic monitoring technologies can be an efficient method for determining species community composition and breeding activity, but many factors affect the quality of acoustics-data and subsequent level of confidence in derived inferences. Aims We aimed to assess variability in detection probabilities of five frog species using autonomous recording units (ARUs) deployed across a single 1 km2 wetland, comprising a lagoon and surrounding area, and subsequently determine the required number of ARUs with 95% confidence in derived presence–absence data. Methods Ten ARUs were deployed in two rings around the lagoon’s centroid close to the water’s edge. Occupancy models were used to derive detection probabilities of species calling in the lagoon from data describing the temporal pattern of calling at each site, which were derived using call recognition software. Key results Only two of the five target species were detected by all 10 ARUs. All target species’ non-zero ARU detection probabilities varied by a factor of 14, and the coefficients of variation in individual ARU detection probability for each species varied by a factor of seven. Simulations revealed seven or eight ARUs are required to achieve 95% confidence in confirming presence of either of the two species with the highest observed detection probabilities, given they are present and calling. Even with ten deployed ARUs, the probability of successful detection of the other three species known to be calling on any day was less than 40%. Conclusions Effective detection was not achieved for all targeted species by several ARUs during a period when hydrology and season suited recruitment activity. Despite all ARUs being deployed at locations favourable for detecting targeted species, stochastic factors drove spatial variability in detection resulting in markedly different data for each ARU and each species. Implications Data describing species presence derived from automated recording units may not be representative due to spatiotemporal variability in detection that varies by species. To improve ARU deployment strategies, a priori knowledge of typical detection probabilities and species spatial variability can be used to determine the required number of call recorders for a set level of confidence.
Consistent expansion of the Langevin propagator with application to entropy production
Authors: Sorkin Benjamin , Ariel Gil , Markovich Tomer
Published: January 2025

Stochastic thermodynamics is a developing theory for systems out of thermal equilibrium. It allows us to formulate a wealth of nontrivial connections between thermodynamic quantities (such as heat dissipation, excess work, and entropy production) and the statistics of trajectories in generic nonequilibrium stochastic processes. A key quantity for the derivation of these relations is the propagator — the probability to observe a transition from one point in phase space to another after a given time. Here, applying stochastic Taylor expansions, we devise a formal short-time expansion procedure for the propagator of overdamped Langevin dynamics. The three leading orders are obtained explicitly. This technique resolves the shortcomings of the common mathematical machinery used for proving stochastic-thermodynamic relations. In particular, we identify that functionals of the propagator such as the entropy production, which we refer to as ‘first derivatives of the trajectory’, require a previously-unrecognized high-order expansion of the propagator. The method presented here can be extended to arbitrarily higher orders needed to accurately compute any other functional of the propagator. We discuss applications to higher-order simulations of overdamped Langevin dynamics.
Non-uniform oxide aperture design of 2-D VCSEL array
Authors: Luo Yicheng , Jin Dongyue , Liu Jianing , Guan Baolu , Zhou Dingfu , Song Haizhi , Dai Qian
Published: January 2025

With the aid of a electro-opto-thermal model of a two-dimensional (2-D) verticalcavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array, the thermal characteristics of a 4×4 VCSEL array is simulated. It is shown that there is a higher temperature in the central region of the device, which limits the optical output performance. In order to enhance the optical output power, a novel VCSEL array with non-uniform oxidation aperture is designed. As a result, the peak junction temperature is decreased, and the non-uniformity of junction temperature and bias current density among array cells are improved obviously. Furthermore, experimental results demonstrate that the optical output power of the novel VCSEL array is increased from 33.5mW to 38.6mW with an improvement of 15.22% and a superior far-field light spot, when compared with the uniform device. The non-uniform oxidation aperture design sheds light on a effective method to enhances the thermal behaviour and optical performance of VCSEL arrays.
Automatic segmentation of MRI images for brain radiotherapy planning using deep ensemble learning
Authors: Yoganathan SA , Torfeh Tarraf , Paloor Satheesh , Hammoud Rabih , Al-Hammadi Noora , Zhang Rui
Published: January 2025

Background
and Purpose
: This study aimed to develop and evaluate an efficient method to automatically segment T1- and T2-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. We specifically compared the segmentation performance of individual convolutional neural network (CNN) models against an ensemble approach to advance the accuracy of MRI-guided radiotherapy (RT) planning. Materials and Methods. The evaluation was conducted on a private clinical dataset and a publicly available dataset (HaN-Seg). Anonymized MRI data from 55 brain cancer patients, including T1-weighted, T1-weighted with contrast, and T2-weighted images, were used in the clinical dataset. We employed an EDL strategy that integrated five independently trained 2D neural networks, each tailored for precise segmentation of tumors and organs at risk (OARs) in the MRI scans. Class probabilities were obtained by averaging the final layer activations (Softmax outputs) from the five networks using a weighted-average method, which were then converted into discrete labels. Segmentation performance was evaluated using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Hausdorff distance at 95% (HD95). The EDL model was also tested on the HaN-Seg public dataset for comparison. Results. The EDL model demonstrated superior segmentation performance on both the clinical and public datasets. For the clinical dataset, the ensemble approach achieved an average DSC of 0.7 ± 0.2 and HD95 of 4.5 ± 2.5 mm across all segmentations, significantly outperforming individual networks which yielded DSC values ≤0.6 and HD95 values ≥14 mm. Similar improvements were observed in the HaN-Seg public dataset. Conclusions. Our study shows that the EDL model consistently outperforms individual CNN networks in both clinical and public datasets, demonstrating the potential of ensemble learning to enhance segmentation accuracy. These findings underscore the value of the EDL approach for clinical applications, particularly in MRI-guided RT planning.
Turning International Law against Indigenous Peoples
Authors: Becker Lorca Arnulf , Álvez Marín Amaya
Published: January 2025

This chapter examines how international law shaped the fortunes of the Indigenous peoples of Latin America. Arnulf Becker and Amaya Álvez argue that international law was part and parcel of the project of completing the colonization or elimination of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas after Independence. International law doctrines such as uti posseditis, celebrated by Alejandro Álvarez as a Latin American innovation, allowed the early republics to claim sovereignty over Indigenous land that they did not yet possess or govern in any real sense, but over which they aimed to gain dominion. Becker and Álvez highlight critical moments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in which international law was used to strip Indigenous peoples of land and autonomy and exclude them from the international order.
Latin American and Caribbean Contributions to Human Rights Law
Authors: Jensen Steven L B , Sikkink Kathryn
Published: January 2025

This chapter explores the role of the Latin American and Caribbean states as early protagonists of the international protection of human rights. It focuses on their contributions in two “defining” periods for international human rights law: the 1940s and the 1960s. It illustrates their contributions as a constitutive part of a global history of human rights because their influence was so far-reaching. In the decades following the periods discussed in this chapter, Latin American and Caribbean countries would have complicated and conflictual engagements with the international and regional human rights system. By contrast, the two decades in focus show the region’s formative influences on international human rights and provide a valid precursor to a larger story about Latin America and the Caribbean.
Contributions of Latin America to International Law
Authors: Grossman Guiloff Claudio
Published: January 2025

In this chapter, Claudio Grossman, one of the group of lawyers who helped shape litigation before the inter-American system into what it is today, provides an in-depth analysis of the evolution of the law of reparations in the region from the Calvo doctrine in the late 1800s to the advancement of the concept of integral reparations by the Inter-American Commission and Court. He also extends the analysis to other institutions in dialogue with the Inter-American human rights system, showing its impact outside the region. The chapter closes with concern for how the rise in populist politics may impact this doctrine in the near future.
Community of Practice and the Ius Constitutionale Commune en América Latina
Authors: Céspedes-Báez Lina M , Prieto-Rios Enrique , Mazariegos-Rodas Mónica
Published: January 2025

This chapter discusses a key area of Latin American doctrinal development regarding human rights: whether human rights sit at the international or constitutional level or, increasingly, at both levels. In recent years, a group of scholars has argued that the practice of human rights and constitutional rights in the region has given rise to an ius contitutionale in Latin America (ICCAL), or “a transformative constitutional project” that “seeks to achieve and promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law and analyze how the region has embraced and implemented these constitutional normative values.” Lina M. Céspedes-Báez, Enrique Prieto-Rios, and Mónica Mazariegos-Rodas take on the many critics of the ICCAL theory, showing how the “communities of practice” in Latin America have strategically appropriated and mobilized transformative constitutionalism’s narratives and ways of interpreting the law to grant agency and guarantee the human rights of subalterns in the region.
Maritime Delimitation in Latin America
Authors: Teresa Infante Caffi María
Published: January 2025

In this chapter, professor Maria Teresa Infante reviews the practice of maritime delimitation among Latin American states since the mid-twentieth century, when maritime law underwent dramatic changes. Judge Infante walks the reader through a tour of the different fora and diverse sources of law that states have turned to for maritime delimitation, as well as an exploration of the different factors, including geographical and geostrategic elements (or legal geography), that shape decision-making in this realm. She highlights several regional features, including reliance on the International Court of Justice and bilateral treaty-making. Professor Infante argues that delimitation practice has been by the contingencies of each case, such that there is no distinctive Latin American practice in this realm.
Transfeminine Joking on Argentina’s Bailando por un sueño
Authors: Tobin Jeffrey
Published: January 2025

As Argentines debated marriage equality and gender identity in the 2010s, two travesti (transfeminine) comedians achieved fame as contestants on Argentina’s version of Strictly Come Dancing. Florencia de la V started her career as the butt of jokes about her transfemininity, but she was able to use her earnestness as a dancer to separate her embodiment of femininity from her verbal comedy. Florencia also starred in a revue that made fun of why homophobic, straight-identified men are attracted to travestis. Lizy Tagliani used campy dancing to suspend judgment regarding her transfemininity. Also, by deploying her travesti body to impersonate famous ciswomen, Lizy called attention to the artificiality of cisgenderism. In her own way, each travesti used dancing to advance trans rights in Argentina. A coda considers whether a “new inclusivity” in Argentina has the perverse effect of discriminating against ciswomen despite the artists’ good intentions.
Connecting the dots: Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms and serrated polyps in the appendix
Authors: Mahadik Juhi Devendra , Assarzadegan Naziheh
Published: January 2025

Objective

This study aimed to examine the relationship between low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMNs) and serrated polyps (SPs) of the appendix, both characterized by KRAS mutations and overlapping morphologic features.

Methods

We analyzed 27 cases of LAMN and 24 cases of SP from archival records, reviewed pathology, and performed molecular analysis on select cases. Four cases initially diagnosed as LAMN were excluded for not meeting diagnostic criteria, and 1 SP case was reclassified as LAMN.

Results

Microscopic evaluation revealed serrated architecture in 8 (29.6%) of 27 LAMNs: 4 hyperplastic polyp-like, 2 sessile serrated lesion-like (SSL), and 1 traditional serrated adenoma-like (TSA). One case exhibited both SSL- and TSA-like areas. Among SPs, 3 (12.5%) of 24 cases showed morphologic overlap with LAMN due to cytoplasmic mucin, flattened mucosa, and conventional adenoma-like features; all were grossly visible. KRAS was the most common mutation in LAMNs with serrated architecture (4/4, 100%), 1 classic LAMN, and 1 SP with dysplasia and associated signet-ring cell carcinoma.

Conclusions

Serrated polyps and LAMNs likely represent a biological continuum, sharing key features such as KRAS mutations and morphologic overlap. Our findings underscore the need for careful molecular and histopathologic evaluation in diagnosing these neoplasms.
AntiBinder: utilizing bidirectional attention and hybrid encoding for precise antibody–antigen interaction prediction
Authors: Zhang Kaiwen , Tao Yuhao , Wang Fei
Published: January 2025

Antibodies play a key role in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Accurately predicting antibody–antigen binding is essential for developing effective treatments. Traditional protein–protein interaction prediction methods often fall short because they do not account for the unique structural and dynamic properties of antibodies and antigens. In this study, we present AntiBinder, a novel predictive model specifically designed to address these challenges. AntiBinder integrates the unique structural and sequence characteristics of antibodies and antigens into its framework and employs a bidirectional cross-attention mechanism to automatically learn the intrinsic mechanisms of antigen–antibody binding, eliminating the need for manual feature engineering. Our comprehensive experiments, which include predicting interactions between known antigens and new antibodies, predicting the binding of previously unseen antigens, and predicting cross-species antigen–antibody interactions, demonstrate that AntiBinder outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods. Notably, AntiBinder excels in predicting interactions with unseen antigens and maintains a reasonable level of predictive capability in challenging cross-species prediction tasks. AntiBinder’s ability to model complex antigen–antibody interactions highlights its potential applications in biomedical research and therapeutic development, including the design of vaccines and antibody therapies for rapidly emerging infectious diseases.
Land use influences the faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of multiple species across trophic levels
Authors: Chiu-Werner Antje , Fanson Kerry V , Cameron Elissa , Jones Menna
Published: January 2025

Human landscape modification is amongst the greatest drivers of biodiversity loss. Measuring faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) in wildlife is of great value to measure the impact of human activities on local biodiversity because FGM offer a non-invasive way of measuring an animal’s response to changes in its environment in the form of adrenocortical activity. Here, we measure the concentration of FGM in three native Australian mammal species belonging to different trophic levels: the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) and the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), both carnivores, and an omnivore that is primarily an arboreal folivore, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), and compare the FGM concentrations across three major land uses: agricultural, plantation and National Parks. We find that land use influences the FGM concentration in all three species and that general patterns emerge in FGM concentrations across multiple species and trophic levels in relation to land use. Specifically, plantation landscapes are associated with the lowest median and range of variation of FGM concentration in all species with several plausible explanations depending on the species. Our results suggest that measuring FGM in multiple species can offer a time- and cost-efficient snapshot of how different animals experience the same environment, potentially simplifying FGM interpretation. This study is the first to apply a community approach to understand how multiple species of different trophic levels respond collectively, and separately, to different land use types.
Runoff and accumulation of microplastics derived from polymer-coated fertilizer in Japanese paddy fields
Authors: Katsumi Naoya , Kusube Takasei
Published: January 2025

Polymer-coated fertilizers, widely used in rice cultivation in Japan, contribute to reactive nitrogen management and agricultural productivity but are a source of microplastics in the environment. Here, we investigated microplastics derived from polymer-coated fertilizer (microcapsule) runoff in Japanese paddy fields at 38 sites to quantitatively assess the behavior of microcapsules in paddy fields and to estimate the total amount of runoff and accumulation in Japan. We also examined the factors causing variations in the amount of runoff among paddy fields. Between 61% and 100% of microcapsule runoff during the irrigation period occurred between puddling and rice transplanting, with concentrations ranging from 2–482 mg/m2 in paddy fields. Water management practices and wind direction and speed explained the difference in runoff between plots. The total amount of microcapsules discharged from Japanese paddy fields during the irrigation season was estimated to be between 17 and 6,291 t (median 1,157 t) from the loads obtained in this study. According to fertilizer statistics and our results, total microcapsule accumulation on agricultural land in Japan was estimated to be 75,623 t. These results suggest that paddy fields in Japan will remain a long-term source of marine microplastics.
DNA metabarcoding captures temporal and vertical dynamics of mesozooplankton communities
Authors: Novotny Andreas , Rodrigues Caterina , Jacquemot Loïc , Clemente-Carvalho Rute B G , Piercey Rebecca S , Morien Evan , Galbraith Moira , Kellogg Colleen T E , Lemay Matthew A , Hunt Brian P V
Published: January 2025

In this study, we evaluated how well DNA metabarcoding of environmental samples captures changes in marine mesozooplankton community composition to optimize the use of sequencing data for studying seasonal dynamics. Although DNA metabarcoding is increasingly used to monitor the distribution of marine communities, there is a lack of standardized methods, and it remains uncertain to what extent the DNA data reflects patterns of community dynamics observed by other methods. Zooplankton net samples were collected every second week throughout 2017 in the northern Salish Sea, British Columbia. We compared metabarcoding of two genetic markers (18S targeting eukaryotes and cytochrome oxidase I targeting invertebrates) with microscopic assessments of the zooplankton collected. We also evaluated how data transformation using relative abundance, presence/absence, and the eDNA-index, affects the linearity between the morphological and genetic methods. Despite low taxonomic agreement between DNA metabarcoding and microscopy, we found most biomass dominating genera to be well represented. Using the eDNA-index, we found a generally good congruence between the seasonal cycles observed with microscopy and DNA, and that discrete water samples analyzed with DNA metabarcoding can provide information on the vertical distributions of mesozooplankton genera. We conclude by presenting guidelines for future studies that aim to use DNA to study marine zooplankton community dynamics.
Global convergence of SGD on two layer neural nets
Authors: Gopalani Pulkit , Mukherjee Anirbit
Published: January 2025

In this note, we consider appropriately regularized $\ell _{2}-$empirical risk of depth $2$ nets with any number of gates and show bounds on how the empirical loss evolves for Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) iterates on it—for arbitrary data and if the activation is adequately smooth and bounded like sigmoid and tanh. This, in turn, leads to a proof of global convergence of SGD for a special class of initializations. We also prove an exponentially fast convergence rate for continuous time SGD that also applies to smooth unbounded activations like SoftPlus. Our key idea is to show the existence of Frobenius norm regularized loss functions on constant-sized neural nets that are ‘Villani functions’ and thus be able to build on recent progress with analyzing SGD on such objectives. Most critically, the amount of regularization required for our analysis is independent of the size of the net.
Gut-resident Tregs (GTregs) play a pivotal role in maintaining bone health under post-menopausal osteoporotic conditions
Authors: Bhardwaj Asha , Sapra Leena , Madan Divya , Ahuja Vineet , Sharma Hanuman Prasad , Velpandian Thirumurthy , Mishra Pradyumna K , Srivastava Rupesh K
Published: January 2025

Osteoporosis is a skeletal condition characterized by the deterioration of bone tissue. The immune system plays a crucial role in maintaining bone homeostasis and combating the development of osteoporosis. Immunoporosis is the term used to describe the recent convergence of research on the immune system's role in osteoporosis. The gut harbors the largest component of the immune system and there is growing evidence that intestinal immunity plays a vital role in regulating bone health. Gut-resident regulatory T cells (GTregs) are essential in inhibiting immune responses and preventing various inflammatory manifestations. Our findings show that GTregs are pivotal in the pathophysiology of post-menopausal osteoporosis (PMO). We investigated the potential of GTregs in regulating the development of bone cells in vitro. We observed that GTregs significantly enhance osteoblastogenesis with concomitant inhibition of osteoclastogenesis in a cell-ratio-dependent manner. We further report that the deficiency of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in osteoporotic conditions substantially disrupts the composition of GTregs, leading to a loss of peripherally derived Tregs (pTregs) and an expansion of thymus-derived Tregs (tTregs). Moreover, the administration of probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus (UBLR-58) and Bifidobacterium longum (UBBL-64) modulated the GTregs compartment in an SCFA-dependent manner to mitigate inflammatory bone loss in PMO. Notably, SCFAs-primed GTregs were found to be significantly more effective in inhibiting osteoclastogenesis compared to unprimed GTregs. Altogether our results, for the first time, highlight the crucial role of GTregs in the pathophysiology of PMO, with potential clinical implications.
A spatially resolved spectral analysis of giant radio galaxies with MeerKAT
Authors: Charlton K K L , Delhaize J , Thorat K , Heywood I , Jarvis M J , Hardcastle M J , An F , Delvecchio I , Hale C L , Whittam I H , Brüggen M , Marchetti L , Morabito L , Randriamanakoto Z , White S V , Taylor A R
Published: January 2025

In this study we report the spatially resolved, wideband spectral properties of three giant radio galaxies (GRGs) in the COSMOS field: MGTC J095959.63+024608.6, MGTC J100016.84+015133.0, and MGTC J100022.85+031520.4. One of these galaxies, MGTC J100022.85+031520.4, is reported here for the first time, with a projected linear size of 1.29 Mpc at a redshift of 0.1034. Unlike the other two, it is associated with a brightest cluster galaxy (BCG), making it one of the few GRGs known to inhabit cluster environments. We examine the spectral age distributions of the three GRGs using new MeerKAT UHF-band (544–1088 MHz) observations, and L-band (900–1670 MHz) data from the MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) survey. We test two models of spectral ageing, the Jaffe–Perola and Tribble models, using the Broadband Radio Astronomy Tools (brats) software, and find that they agree well with each other. We estimate the Tribble spectral age for MGTC J095959.63+024608.6 as 68 Myr, for MGTC J100016.84+015133.0 as 47 Myr, and for MGTC J100022.85+031520.4 as 67 Myr. We find significant disagreements between these spectral age estimates and the estimates of the dynamical ages of these GRGs, modelled in cluster and group environments. Our results highlight the need for additional processes that are not accounted for in either the dynamic age or the spectral age estimations.
The epigenetic landscape shapes smoking-induced mutagenesis by modulating DNA damage susceptibility and repair efficiency
Authors: Heilbrun Elisheva E , Tseitline Dana , Wasserman Hana , Kirshenbaum Ayala , Cohen Yuval , Gordan Raluca , Adar Sheera
Published: January 2025

Lung cancer sequencing efforts have uncovered mutational signatures that are attributed to exposure to the cigarette smoke carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene. Benzo[a]pyrene metabolizes in cells to benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) and reacts with guanine nucleotides to form bulky BPDE adducts. These DNA adducts block transcription and replication, compromising cell function and survival, and are repaired in human cells by the nucleotide excision repair pathway. Here, we applied high-resolution genomic assays to measure BPDE-induced damage formation and mutagenesis in human cells. We integrated the new damage and mutagenesis data with previous repair, DNA methylation, RNA expression, DNA replication, and chromatin component measurements in the same cell lines, along with lung cancer mutagenesis data. BPDE damage formation is significantly enhanced by DNA methylation and in accessible chromatin regions, including transcribed and early-replicating regions. Binding of transcription factors is associated primarily with reduced, but also enhanced damage formation, depending on the factor. While DNA methylation does not appear to influence repair efficiency, this repair was significantly elevated in accessible chromatin regions, which accumulated fewer mutations. Thus, when damage and repair drive mutagenesis in opposing directions, the final mutational patterns appear to be dictated by the efficiency of repair rather than the frequency of underlying damages.
Evidence for peroxisomal redundancy among the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase isoforms of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Linnenbrügger Loreen , Doering Lennart Nico , Tägtmeyer Louisa-Marlen , Fischer Kerstin , von Schaewen Antje
Published: January 2025

The oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) plays an important role in the generation of reducing power in all eukaryotes. In plant cells, the OPPP operates in several cellular compartments, but as full cycle only in the plastid stroma where it is essential. As suggested by our recent results, OPPP reactions are also mandatory inside peroxisomes, at least during fertilization. For the first enzyme of the OPPP, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), we previously showed that one Arabidopsis isoform (G6PD1) can be directed to peroxisomes under specific circumstances. Since g6pd1 knock-out plants are viable, we aimed at elucidating potential redundancy regarding peroxisomal targeting among the other G6PD isoforms. Localization studies of so far cytosolic annotated G6PD5 and G6PD6 (both ending -PTL>) using different reporter fusions of full-length versus the last 50 amino acids revealed that GFP-C-short versions are efficiently imported into peroxisomes. Modification of the final tripeptide to a canonical peroxisomal targeting signal type 1 (PTS1) also resulted in peroxisomal localization of the full-length versions and revealed that G6PD5/6 import may occur as homo- or heterodimer. Interestingly, the new noncanonical PTS1 motif is highly conserved among the cytosolic G6PD isoforms of the Angiosperms, whereas members of the Poaceae (rice and maize) possess two variants, one ending with an additional amino acid (-PTLA>) and the other one extended by a stronger PTS1 motif. From both evolutionary and physiological perspectives, we postulate that G6PD import as homo- and heterodimer restricted the acquisition of more efficient peroxisomal targeting motifs to leave some G6PDH activity in the cytosol.
Distinct genetic risk loci between biopsy-proven renal and non-renal lupus: a 10-year longitudinal cohort
Authors: CW Chan Shirley , Lei Yao , YH Yap Desmond , PW Lee Pamela , Lai Wai Ming , KY Ying Shirley , MH Leung Alexander , Mok Chi Chiu , Lee Ka Lai , Lau Chak Sing , Yang Wanling , Li Philip H
Published: January 2025

Objective

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous disease which manifests as different subphenotypes. Distinct subphenotypes, such as lupus nephritis (LN), have been associated with increased genetic risk, but prior studies have been limited by cross-sectional and imprecisely subphenotyped cohorts. This study investigated the genetic basis for LN using a longitudinal cohort of distinctly subphenotyped patients.

Methods

SLE patients with biopsy-proven LN or never developed LN (NLN) were recruited from 8 tertiary referral centres. All patients had longitudinal clinical data for at least 10-years, or died during the study period. NLN patients had no renal involvement for at least 10-years. Subjects were genotyped and polygenic risk scores (PRS) were calculated using 230 SLE-associated SNPs. Genome-wide association analyses were also conducted for LN-vs-control, NLN-vs-control, and LN-vs-NLN comparisons, along with heterogeneity tests to assess differences in effect size.

Results

Among 1462 patients, 824 (56%) and 638 (43%) had LN and NLN, respectively. PRS was significantly higher in the LN cohort. Genome-wide significant variants were identified in HLA, TNFAIP3, BLK, and STAT4 loci specifically for LN patients, while STAT4 also remained significant for NLN patients. Direct LN-vs-NLN associations showed no statistically significant variants but heterogeneity tests revealed other genetic loci, including ELF1, OX40, DUSP22, and TPCN2.

Conclusion

Different subphenotypes of SLE are predisposed by distinct genetic risk loci, which can only be identified in clearly subphenotyped cohorts with sufficient longitudinal data. We identified unique genetic risk loci enriched among patients with biopsy-proven LN, and postulate that individual subphenotypes may have varying genetic predisposition.
A rare paediatric case with overlapping clinical features of epidermodysplasia verruciformis and pyoderma gangrenosum with hepatosplenomegaly
Authors: Azhar Saud , Khan Palwasha , Faizullah Fahad
Published: January 2025

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis that typically manifests as painful ulcers, usually on the lower limbs, and is usually secondary to other conditions, for example inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EDV) is an inherited or acquired primary immunodeficiency disorder linked to human papillomavirus susceptibility and an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma. Occurrence of these conditions together has not been reported before. A 10-year-old boy presented with an extraordinary combination of clinical features consistent with PG and EDV. This unique presentation showcased recurrent nonhealing painful ulcers on the legs and body along with cribriform scarring for the last 8 years, which worsened over the last 1 year. Punch biopsy corroborated the diagnosis of PG. There were no signs and symptoms of other systemic diseases. Hypo- and hyperpigmented papules were spread all over the body with pityriasis versicolor-like macules on the forehead, neck and dorsa of the hands along with a positive family history in his younger brother, confirming the diagnosis of inherited EDV. The patient also had hepatosplenomegaly, for which paediatric workup was suggested. Treatment involved infection control, corticosteroid therapy and wound care, which led to a rapid healing response in the ulcers. This exceptional case sparks the suspicion of a novel syndrome due to its combination of EDV and PG, enhancing existing knowledge of the disease presentation.
Global epidemiological trends in the incidence and mortality for melanoma
Authors: Cirillo Nicola
Published: January 2025

There is concern that increased surveillance is leading to the overdiagnosis of indolent melanomas that are not destined to be lethal. As overdiagnosis can only be appreciated at a population level, we analysed current and historical population trends of melanoma incidence and mortality worldwide. Epidemiological trends from GLOBOCAN data show signatures typical of overdiagnosis, with the magnitude of increased diagnoses far outpacing mortality for melanoma in most countries.
Reassessment of the Saicini phylogeny and evolution of hairy attachment structures on tarsi (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae)
Authors: Castro-Huertas Valentina , Melo María Cecilia
Published: January 2025

Saicini comprise 24 genera and 147 species worldwide. Here, we include additional taxa and characters to the morphological dataset of Castro-Huertas and Melo (2023) into a new one composed of 181 characters, which was analysed cladistically with 63 terminals, comprising 18 genera (75% of the generic diversity), 49 species of Saicini, and 12 outgroups. Saicini was recovered as monophyletic, with Carayonia orientalis (Visayanocorini) as its sister-species. Our hypotheses recovered two main clades within Saicini that we recognized as two new subtribes: Saicina subtrib. nov. and Tagalina subtrib. nov.; and the new tribe, Saiciretini trib. nov. of uncertain affinities within Emesinae. Additionally, the morphology and evolution of the scopula is explored. The scopula is a hairy attachment structure on the third tarsomere composed of a set of spatulate setae present on all legs of Saicini and on the meso- and metalegs of a few species of the tribes Emesini and Leistarchini (Emesinae). Scopula presence on all legs had been recovered as synapomorphy of the tribe Saicini. The reconstruction of the ancestral state of the hairy setae shows an emergence of this structure on the ventral region of the third tarsal segment of the protarsus in Saicini and its ancestor without scopula. The arrangement of the scopula is consistent with the recovered clades.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Leg Length Discrepancy in Children With Idiopathic Clubfoot Treated With Ponseti Method
Authors: Schaibley Claire , Torres-izquierdo Beltran , Siddabattula Rohit , Hosseinzadeh Pooya
Published: January 2025

Introduction:

Clubfoot is at times associated with other lower extremity abnormalities, such as leg length discrepancy (LLD). Initial studies in patients treated with extensive soft tissue release (STR) have estimated that LLD is prevalent in 9% to 11% of children with idiopathic clubfoot. However, Ponseti-style serial casting has since replaced STR as the preferred clubfoot treatment method. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of LLD, risk factors for LLD, and the required treatment in children with clubfoot deformity after Ponseti casting.

Methods:

A retrospective review of medical records from children ages 0 to 18 treated for clubfoot at a single institution from 2002 to 2023 was conducted. Included patients were initially treated with Ponseti casting and had minimum follow-up until age 3. Patients with nonidiopathic clubfoot or who had LLD noted on physical examination but did not have available radiographs were excluded. LLD was defined as a minimum discrepancy of 0.5 cm on bilateral lower extremity radiographs.

Results:

Two hundred seventy-eight patients (434 feet) met criteria; 73% (203) were male. Forty of the 49 patients with available radiographs had LLD. The prevalence of LLD was 14.4%, with an average discrepancy of 1.1±0.8 cm. The prevalence was significantly higher in patients with unilateral than bilateral cases, 27% (33) versus 4.5% (7), P=<0.001. LLD was present in 21.5% (32) of patients with recurrence and 6.2% (8) of patients without recurrence, P=<0.001. Twenty percent (8) of patients with LLD had an epiphysiodesis at an average age of 11.5±1.4 years.

Conclusion:

This study reported a prevalence of LLD in 14.4% of children with idiopathic clubfoot treated with Ponseti casting. LLD prevalence was higher in children with unilateral and recurrent clubfoot. Up to 20% of children with LLD may require an epiphysiodesis. We recommend that care providers regularly screen children with clubfoot for LLD, particularly those with unilateral and recurrent deformities, and consider obtaining bilateral lower extremity radiographs in patients with clinical LLD.

Level of Evidence:

Level III. Therapeutic studies—investigating the results of treatment.