bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Action of the Euclidean versus projective group on an agent’s internal space in curiosity driven exploration
Authors: Sergeant-Perthuis Grégoire , Ruet Nils , Ognibene Dimitri , Tisserand Yvain , Williford Kenneth , Rudrauf David
Published: January 2025

According to the Projective Consciousness Model (PCM), in human spatial awareness, 3-dimensional projective geometry structures information integration and action planning through perspective taking within an internal representation space. The way different perspectives are related to and transform a world model defines a specific perception and imagination scheme. In mathematics, such a collection of transformations corresponds to a ‘group’, whose ‘actions’ characterize the geometry of a space. Imbuing world models with a group structure may capture different agents’ spatial awareness and affordance schemes. We used group action as a special class of policies for perspective-dependent control. We explored how such a geometric structure impacts agents’ behaviors, comparing how the Euclidean versus projective groups act on epistemic value in active inference, drive curiosity, and exploration. We formally demonstrate and simulate how the groups induce distinct behaviors in a simple search task. The projective group’s nonlinear magnification of information transformed epistemic value according to the choice of frame, generating behaviors of approach toward objects with uncertain locations due to limited sampling. The Euclidean group had no effect on epistemic value: no action was better than the initial idle state. In structuring a priori an agent’s internal representation, we show how geometry can play a key role in information integration and action planning. Our results add further support to the PCM.
Presentation and surgical management approaches of giant presacral and sacral schwannomas: a case report and systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Sarhan Khalid , Serag Ibrahim , Sabry Amin , Elghareeb Hossam , Shahein Mostafa
Published: January 2025

Background

Giant sacral and presacral schwannomas are very rare conditions and their prevalence is estimated to account for only 0.3 to 3.3% of overall schwannomas. Current published literature about these tumors is limited to case reports and small case series. In this paper we systematically reviewed and analyzed the available literature on giant sacral schwannomas focusing on identifying the presenting symptoms, Klimo type, surgical approach, recurrence rate and postoperative complications.

Methods

Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a literature search on electronic databases to obtain the relevant studies until March 2024. We included reports of surgically managed giant sacral schwannomas; either involving tumor of at least 2 adjacent vertebra or had a maximum diameter of 5 cm or more. Presenting symptoms, tumor size, morphology, surgical approach and postoperative complications were reported.

Results

A total of 102 studies with 201 unique patients were included in our analysis (mean age 45.4 ± 9.8, 49.7% females). The most common presenting symptoms were lower extremity radicular pain (19.5%), lower back pain (14.1%), lower extremity numbness or paresthesia (9%), and constipation (7.6%). Most surgeries used an open posterior approach (40.1%) or open anterior approach (33.5%). Postoperative complications occurred in (29.3%) of patients and 10% had local recurrence or progression of their tumor. On linear regression the volume of the tumor could significantly predict the estimated amount of blood loss (P = 0.03). We found that an anterior approach was far more likely to be used in patients with Klimo type III, (P < 0.001). Similarly, posterior approach was mostly used for Klimo type I and type II (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The management approach of giant sacral and presacral schwannomas are mainly tailored according to the tumor size and location. Due to the benign nature and the overall recurrence rate of the tumor, frequent imaging follow-up is required after safe resection with adequate clean margins.
Cardiovascular safety of osteoanabolic agents
Authors: Takeuchi Yasuhiro
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Several osteoanabolic agents have been developed to build new bone more efficiently than anti-resorptive drugs. Among them, romosozumab, an anti-sclerostin antibody, is a potent pharmacological tool to prevent fractures in osteoporosis patients. The efficacy of romosozumab in preventing osteoporotic fractures is robust. However, there remains a concern about increased cardiovascular (CV) adverse events related to romosozumab. Available data have been reviewed to address this concern.

Methods

Published articles on romosozumab of which pivotal randomized controlled trials (RCTs), meta-analyses of RCTs, pharmacovigilance investigations, and retrospective observational clinical studies using real-world data were collected through PubMed and other available tools.

Results

Meta-analyses of RCTs of romosozumab compared to placebo and other anti-osteoporosis drugs have left room for controversy in the CV safety of romosozumab. Investigations of the real-world data also provide no conclusive evidence in this issue.

Conclusion

We need more robust evidence to establish an appropriate and reasonable guide to prescribe romosozumab in our clinical practice.
Biopesticide transplant dips and foliar acaricide applications for control of cyclamen mite (Phytonemus pallidus) in strawberry
Authors: Renkema Justin M.
Published: January 2025

Cyclamen mite (Phytonemus pallidus) causes injury to new growth of strawberry plants and is difficult to control because it is protected by folded leaves and plant crowns. Since cyclamen mite is easily transferred from strawberry nurseries to fruiting fields, dipping transplants in biopesticides may reduce initial populations. However, cyclamen mite numbers at 1 and 3 months-after-planting, and yield and cyclamen mite injury to fruit in the following season did not differ among transplants immersed for 30 s in Captiva® Prime, EcoTrol® EC, Landscape Oil, SuffOil-X® or Kopa Insecticidal Soap or the untreated control. Cyclamen mite is primarily controlled with foliar applications of acaricides, but there are few registered products. In greenhouse experiments, fenazaquin and pyridaben reduced cyclamen mite numbers by more than 90% in new leaves compared to the control, similar to that of the standard abamectin. New leaf injury ratings were reduced from 1 on average (scale of 0–3; 0 = no injury) pre-application to 0.25–0.5 for fenazaquin, pyridaben, and abamectin-treated plants compared to increasing to 2 for control plants 2 weeks after application. Spiromesifen and chlorfenapyr reduced cyclamen mite numbers in folded leaves in one greenhouse experiment. In the field, all acaricides reduced cyclamen mite numbers by 90–99% at 2- and 6-weeks post-application and by 75–90% at 10 months post-application. Abamectin and pyridaben resulted in 0.5–1.0% of strawberries with cyclamen mite damage compared to 3.0% for the control. All acaricides except chlorfenapyr improved strawberry yield and size. Overall, fenazaquin, pyridaben and spiromesifen should help diversify the chemical toolbox for cyclamen mite in field strawberry.
Post-Fire Performance of Binary-Blended Geopolymer Concrete Structural Members
Authors: Kanagaraj Balamurali , Anand N. , Andrushia Diana , Cashell Katherine A.
Published: January 2025

Owing to the ever-increasing climate crisis, it is essential that the construction sector endeavors to reduce its contribution to global carbon emissions. The cement and associated by-products used in the production of concrete are a significant contributor to the carbon footprint in construction, and there should be replaced by suitable and more sustainable materials if and where possible. Such materials, sometimes called ‘green’ materials, include geopolymer concrete (GPC), which can reduce or eliminate the use of cement in concrete mix design. Although significant research focus has been given to GPC in recent years, there is very limited data on the post-fire behaviour. Accordingly, in the current paper, three different types of binary-blended GPC elements were cast and subjected to a standard fire for various durations. These included a mix made up of 100% fly ash (FA), another using FA and ground granulated blast furnace slag (FG) and a third combination comprising FA and metakaolin (FM). The test specimens were examined under a variety of conditions, after cooling. The test results illustrate that GPC beams deform in a similar manner to cement-based concrete beams at ambient temperature and therefore, the deformations can be evaluated through a strain compatibility methodology. However, the same does not apply to GPC beams following exposure to fire conditions as the structural behaviour was shown to degrade with increased temperature exposure. All of the post-fire tests were supplemented with image analysis to measure the influence that elevated temperature has on the concrete quality. The results show that the FG blended mix provides an effective yet more sustainable concrete mix compared to the FA and FM blended mixes.
Reactivity of belite in calcium sulfoaluminate-based cements
Authors: Pérez-Bravo Raquel , Koufany Imane , Cuesta Ana , Bescher Eric P. , Aranda Miguel A. G. , Santacruz Isabel , De la Torre Angeles G.
Published: January 2025

The hydration behavior of belite phase in different cements is not well understood. Belite hydrates very slowly but there are reports with faster hydration kinetics. Here, the hydration behavior of belite phase in a commercial belite calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement has been investigated. The BCSA cement was hydrated with two water-to-cement ratios, 0.50 and 0.65 and at two temperatures, 20 and 40 °C. Studies of calorimetry, NMR, laboratory X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), thermal analysis (TA) of the pastes, and mass balance calculations have been performed. The calorimetric and LXRPD studies showed that with sufficient water for the hydration reactions to take place, i.e., w/c = 0.65, the degree of reaction of belite is 30% at 7 days and above 60% at 35 days, at 40 °C. The 29Si and 27Al MAS-NMR and TA studies confirmed the reactivity of belite under conditions of sufficient water (thermodynamic requirement) and at high temperature (kinetic requirement). This was demonstrated by the presence of stratlingite by 27Al MAS-NMR and TA. Finally, it was found that ~ 12 mass% of the added water remains unbound, but it is unavailable for the progression of hydration reactions in the studied experimental conditions.
Efficient federated unlearning under plausible deniability
Authors: Varshney Ayush K. , Torra Vicenç
Published: January 2025

Privacy regulations like the GDPR in Europe and the CCPA in the US allow users the right to remove their data from machine learning (ML) applications. Machine unlearning addresses this by modifying the ML parameters in order to forget the influence of a specific data point on its weights. Recent literature has highlighted that the contribution from data point(s) can be forged with some other data points in the dataset with probability close to one. This allows a server to falsely claim unlearning without actually modifying the model’s parameters. However, in distributed paradigms such as federated learning (FL), where the server lacks access to the dataset and the number of clients are limited, claiming unlearning in such cases becomes a challenge. An honest server must modify the model parameters in order to unlearn. This paper introduces an efficient way to achieve machine unlearning in FL, i.e., federated unlearning, by employing a privacy model which allows the FL server to plausibly deny the client’s participation in the training up to a certain extent. Specifically, we demonstrate that the server can generate a Proof-of-Deniability, where each aggregated update can be associated with at least x (the plausible deniability parameter) client updates. This enables the server to plausibly deny a client’s participation. However, in the event of frequent unlearning requests, the server is required to adopt an unlearning strategy and, accordingly, update its model parameters. We also perturb the client updates in a cluster in order to avoid inference from an honest but curious server. We show that the global model satisfies

$$(\epsilon , \delta )$$

(
ϵ
,
δ
)

-differential privacy after T number of communication rounds. The proposed methodology has been evaluated on multiple datasets in different privacy settings. The experimental results show that our framework achieves comparable utility while providing a significant reduction in terms of memory (

$$\approx $$

≈

30 times), as well as retraining time (1.6-500769 times). The source code for the paper is available https://github.com/Ayush-Umu/Federated-Unlearning-under-Plausible-Deniability.
Ergostane-type steroids from mushrooms of Pleurotus genus
Authors: Kikuchi Takashi
Published: January 2025

Steroids are physiologically important compounds for animals, plants, and fungi, and they have significantly contributed to drug discovery for many years. Fungi mainly biosynthesize ergostane-type steroids such as ergosterol. However, after the basic skeleton is biosynthesized, chemical transformations can lead to the cleavage or rearrangement of the fundamental skeleton of steroids. The cleaved (seco) and rearranged (abeo) steroids are chemically and pharmacologically intriguing because they often exhibit biological activities. As ergostane-type steroids including the normal, seco, and abeo types have been isolated from the mushrooms of the Pleurotus genus, this review focuses on them as a resource of ergostane-type steroids, providing their distribution, structure determination, and biological activity.

Graphical abstract
A comparative study of family violence among Hindi-speaking and third-generation English-speaking Australian women
Authors: De Silva Heshani S. , McEwan Troy E. , Shepherd Stephane M.
Published: January 2025

High prevalence and incidence rates of family violence (FV) amongst South Asian communities have been reported internationally. Despite the recognition that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities within Australia have additional risk factors associated with experiencing FV, Australia has limited research exploring FV amongst one of its fastest growing CALD populations, South Asians. With the Hindi-speaking community accounting for the single largest group within the South Asian community in Australia, this study aimed to address this gap. The 2016 Personal Safety Survey (PSS) was used to explore the prevalence rate and risk factors associated with FV victimisation for Hindi-speaking Australian women and compare this with third-generation English-speaking Australian women. The findings indicated that Hindi-speaking Australian women reported a lower prevalence rate of FV yet had different risk factors associated with their risk of victimisation. Specifically, Hindi-speaking females had only experience-based risk factors (e.g., child abuse) related to their victimisation of FV, whilst third-generation English-speaking females had both experience and situational-based risk factors (e.g., unemployment). These findings are unlikely to be representative of all Hindi-speaking Australians nor of South Asian Australians more broadly, as the survey design may have been biased towards a particular subset of Hindi-speaking Australians who could speak English fluently. Recommendations on how to address such limitations in future studies are discussed.
A Hybrid Method for Segmentation and Recognition of Butterfly Objects in Camouflage Images
Authors: Bayram Erkan , Nabiyev Vasif V.
Published: January 2025

Detecting camouflaged objects in camouflage images is quite challenging due to their closely matching texture, pattern, and color characteristics with the background. Existing binary segmentation solutions cannot easily deal with the problem of detecting camouflaged objects because they have weak boundaries and background-like patterns. The purpose of camouflaged object detection (COD) is to detect objects that very closely resemble the background. In this study, an original camouflage butterfly dataset called ERVA 1.0 is created, consisting of images of 10 butterfly species downloaded from search engines. Additionally, the raw training data is increased with data augmentation techniques. For COD, this study presents a two-stage solution: segmentation and object recognition. The texture features of all test images on the ERVA 1.0 dataset are extracted utilizing the Gabor filter for segmentation. Then, these extracted features are clustered with the K-means algorithm, and the original image is separated into different regions based on texture features. The local binary pattern algorithm and Euclidean distance calculation are used to determine which of these regions belongs to the butterfly object. Following the application of morphological operations on the identified butterfly object region, pretrained models from deep learning techniques were employed to predict the species of the butterfly. Segmentation success rates are 87.89% with the structural similarity method and 83.64% with the Dice similarity coefficient method. Deep learning pretrained models are used to classify the type of the butterfly object obtained after segmentation. Experiment 1 was conducted with un-augmented training data and Experiment 2 with augmented data by applying data augmentation techniques. The highest success rate for Experiment 1 was 92.29% with the InceptionResNetV2 model, and the highest success rate for Experiment 2 is 94.81% with the DenseNet121 model.
A comparative study on the structural, chemical, morphological and electrochemical properties of α-MnO2, β-MnO2 and δ-MnO2 as cathode materials in aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Authors: Chacko Basil , Wuppulluri Madhuri
Published: January 2025

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are considered to be highly promising electrochemical energy storage device due to their affordability, inherent safety, large zinc resources, and optimal specific capacity. Among various cathode materials, manganese dioxide (MnO2) stands out for its high voltage, environmental benignity, and theoretical specific capacity. This study systematically investigates the phase formation and structural parameters of α-MnO2, β-MnO2, and δ-MnO2 synthesized via hydrothermal method, employing Rietveld refinement. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy confirms Mn-O and O-H bond formation. BET analysis reveals surface areas, and pore size distribution is calculated with BJH method. High-resolution XPS spectra exhibit a spin energy split of ~ 11.9 eV for Mn 2p confirming the presence of MnO2. Electrochemical studies shows an initial discharge capacities of 230.5, 188.74 and 263.30 mAh g− 1 at 0.1 A g− 1 for α-MnO2, β-MnO2 and δ-MnO2. The EIS spectra revealed the capacitive behaviour and electrode reaction kinetics where a RcT value of 484.14, 327.6, 162.5 Ω for α-MnO2, β-MnO2 and δ-MnO2. These study give insights into relation of various properties of MnO2 with electrochemical performance and its viability in grid storage applications.

Graphical Abstract
Efficiency of glass ionomer sealant application in reducing hypersensitivity in MIH-molars in schoolchildren immediately and after 12 weeks
Authors: Karim R. , Baider M. , Splieth C. H. , Schmoeckel J.
Published: January 2025

Aim

This prospective clinical study aimed to clinically investigate the efficiency of (GIC) glass-ionomer cement application (Ionostar Plus + Easy Glaze, VOCO) in reducing hypersensitivity in permanent molars affected by molar incisor hypomineralisation when assessed immediately (15 min) and 12 weeks after its application.

Materials and Methods

Children with at least one hypersensitive MIH-affected permanent molar (MIH-TNI-3 or 4). The pre-treatment status was evaluated and only included if they did not receive a tooth-specific in-office desensitizing treatment within one month. Clinical pain assessments were performed using the schiff score air sensitivity scale (SCASS) and Wong-baker faces Scale (WBFS).

Results

This study involved 25 participants (mean age 8.6 ± 1.85 years) with 43 hypersensitive MIH-molars of which about half were SCASS 3 (n = 24, 55.8%) and SCASS 2 (n = 19, 44.2%). Regarding hypersensitivity, the reported mean SCASS score reduced significantly from 2.56 (± 0.50) at baseline to 1.14 (± 0.96) after 15 min of GIC sealant application and even further to 0.71 (± 0.89) after 12 weeks (P < 0.001, Paired t test). Similarly, reported WBFS scores also significantly reduced from 5.81 (± 2.50; Range = 2–10) at baseline to 2.88 (± 2.31; Range = 0–10) after 15 min and to 2.95 (± 2.17) after 12 weeks, respectively (P < 0.001, Paired t test). The mean reduction in SCASS scores was 1.3 (± 0.6) and 1.4 (± 1.0) for baseline SCASS 2 vs. 3, respectively.

Conclusion

GIC coverage is effective in providing clear instant relief from hypersensitivity in MIH molars in schoolchildren, which improves even further over a period of 12 weeks.
Mape: defending against transferable adversarial attacks using multi-source adversarial perturbations elimination
Authors: Liu Xinlei , Xie Jichao , Hu Tao , Yi Peng , Hu Yuxiang , Huo Shumin , Zhang Zhen
Published: January 2025

Neural networks are vulnerable to meticulously crafted adversarial examples, leading to high-confidence misclassifications in image classification tasks. Due to their consistency with regular input patterns and the absence of reliance on the target model and its output information, transferable adversarial attacks exhibit a notably high stealthiness and detection difficulty, making them a significant focus of defense. In this work, we propose a deep learning defense known as multi-source adversarial perturbations elimination (MAPE) to counter diverse transferable attacks. MAPE comprises the single-source adversarial perturbation elimination (SAPE) mechanism and the pre-trained models probabilistic scheduling algorithm (PPSA). SAPE utilizes a thoughtfully designed channel-attention U-Net as the defense model and employs adversarial examples generated by a pre-trained model (e.g., ResNet) for its training, thereby enabling the elimination of known adversarial perturbations. PPSA introduces model difference quantification and negative momentum to strategically schedule multiple pre-trained models, thereby maximizing the differences among adversarial examples during the defense model’s training and enhancing its robustness in eliminating adversarial perturbations. MAPE effectively eliminates adversarial perturbations in various adversarial examples, providing a robust defense against attacks from different substitute models. In a black-box attack scenario utilizing ResNet-34 as the target model, our approach achieves average defense rates of over 95.1% on CIFAR-10 and over 71.5% on Mini-ImageNet, demonstrating state-of-the-art performance.
Unveiling the migratory patterns of scarlet flycatchers using citizen science databases
Authors: Thibaudier Julian , Lopes Leonardo Esteves , Cunha Filipe C. R.
Published: January 2025

The migratory patterns of many Neotropical bird species remain largely unknown. Numerous logistic challenges prevent such studies, from research costs, often prohibitively expensive to Neotropical research institutions, to equipment weight limitations. Therefore, it is paramount to explore new possibilities in the field of migratory bird research such as the abundant records from citizen science platforms. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal migratory patterns of the scarlet flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus using two citizen science platforms: eBird and WikiAves, which provided 40,837 records of the species. Our findings indicated that scarlet flycatchers arrive at the wintering grounds in central-western Brazil, central-eastern Bolivia, and eastern Peru around May and June. We also found that scarlet flycatchers arrive at breeding grounds in central and eastern Argentina, southern Brazil, and Uruguay between August and October, where it stays in the months thereafter (November, December, January). The year-round records of the species in northern Argentina and southern Paraguay deserve further studies. Understanding migratory patterns is imperative for predicting population dynamics and climate influence on the breeding biology of these species in the face of a rapidly changing world.
Regulating Restraint: Legal Oversight of Seclusion in Canadian Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals
Authors: Perryman Benjamin
Published: January 2025

Prolonged solitary confinement is inconsistent with international minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners and may constitute cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. In a series of recent cases, appellate courts in Canada have curtailed the use of prolonged solitary confinement in prisons on the basis that such detention is “grossly disproportionate” and “cruel and unusual.” But these judgments in the penal context have not resulted in comparable regulation of seclusion in forensic psychiatric hospitals. Seclusion in these contexts is often comparable to solitary confinement in prison and carries with it the same serious risks of lasting harm. This article comparatively reviews the legislative and policy framework that regulates the use of seclusion in different provinces in Canada. The article argues that case law on prolonged solitary confinement in the penal context has application to the forensic psychiatric context and that a failure to more closely regulate the use of seclusion may render this type of mental health legislation and treatment unconstitutional.
Donna Elvira and the Dark Places of the Heart
Authors: BANDY DORIAN
Published: January 2025

Despite the density of scholarly engagement with Mozart’s operas, Donna Elvira’s aria ‘Mi tradì quell’alma ingrata’, composed for the 1788 Viennese production of Don Giovanni, has received little sustained, critical attention. Yet this oversight is unjustified, particularly considering the aria’s many stylistic elements that expand beyond the musical language of the original Prague Don Giovanni, and which therefore show Mozart not only deepening Elvira’s characterization but probing new compositional horizons. This article undertakes a thorough, analytic examination of ‘Mi tradì’, focusing especially on its evocation of Elvira’s subjectivity and self-consciousness, and paying particular attention to formal rhetoric and topical reference, both of which, by suggesting affinities with genres such as variation and the free fantasia, move the aria significantly beyond the expressive world often associated with Mozart’s vocal writing. The article closes with brief speculations on the relationship between ‘Mi tradì’ and the composer’s career aspirations in the late 1780s.
Racial disparities in timing and outcomes for patients undergoing staged single ventricle palliation: a single institution report
Authors: Beshish Asaad G. , Adamson Marissa , Brady Maximilian , Menon Ambika , Qian Joshua , Golloshi Klevi , Cote Olivia , Gathoo Asmita , Zinyandu Tawanda , Nayi Pranay , Ferguson M. Eric , John Mohan , Shaw Fawwaz R. , Deshpande Shriprasad R. , Maher Kevin O.
Published: January 2025

Background:

Racial disparities in healthcare have been well documented in the United States. We hypothesise that there will be a racial variance in different clinical variables in single-ventricle patients through stages of palliation.

Materials and Methods:

Retrospective single-centre study stratified all single-ventricle patients who reached stage 2 palliation by race: Black and White. Other races were excluded. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared, alongside follow-up survival data. Primary outcomes were progression to Fontan and overall survival.

Results:

Among 526 patients, 325 (61.8%) were White, and 201 (38.2%) were Black. Median age at stage 2 palliation was 150 days for White and 165 for Black patients (p = 0.005), with similar weights. Black patients exhibited higher median cardiopulmonary bypass times (87 vs. 74 minutes, p = 0.001) and a greater frequency of genetic syndromes (30.1% vs. 22.1%, p = 0.044). No significant differences were observed in outcomes between groups from stage 2 to stage 3, pre-stage 3 cardiac catheterisation variables, or perioperative outcomes. Multivariable regression analysis identified hypoplastic pulmonary arteries as the risk factor for mortality after stage 2. Survival analysis showed no difference in survival by race; however, occurrence of combined cardiovascular event was significantly higher in Black race.

Conclusions:

Significant racial disparities exist among single-ventricle patients regarding the timing of stage 2 palliation, cardiopulmonary bypass duration, and frequency of genetic syndromes. Black race was a risk factor for sub-optimal long-term outcome, although perioperative mortality was similar. These race-related factors warrant further studies to improve our understanding of the impact of race on outcomes.
Peat Depth and Carbon Storage of the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Canada
Authors: Li Yiyao , Han Daorui , Rogers Cheryl A. , Finkelstein Sarah A. , Hararuk Oleksandra , Waddington James M. , Barreto Carlos , McLaughlin James W. , Snider James , Gonsamo Alemu
Published: January 2025

The Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) are recognized as the second largest peatland complex in the world. Due to variability in peat thickness across a large and heterogeneous landscape, the existing carbon (C) storage estimates for the HBL may contain large uncertainty. Here, we use geospatial variables that are associated with HBL peat formation, age, accumulation, and occurrence to understand the driving factors for peat depth variability and map peat depth and C storage at 30 m spatial resolution. The estimated average peat depth of HBL is 184(±48) cm with 90% of values falling between 89 and 264 cm. Based on the spatially explicit peat depth, the HBL total C storage is estimated to be 30(±6) Pg. Distance to the coastline is the most important indicator of peat depth where the depth increases with distance further away from Hudson Bay coastline, confirming that the time since peat formation is closely related to peat depth.
Permafrost Response in Northern High‐Latitude Regions to 1.5°C Warming and Overshoot Scenarios Achieved via Solar Radiation Modification
Authors: Ji Duoying , Cui Min , Chen Yangxin , Dai Yongjiu
Published: January 2025

The thawing of carbon‐rich northern high‐latitude permafrost might unleash irreversible changes in the Earth's climate system. Previous studies have suggested that solar radiation modification (SRM) can significantly slow the degradation of permafrost, potentially restoring its extent and soil carbon stocks to levels comparable to those under equivalent global warming caused by greenhouse gas increases alone. However, this study identifies that the efficacy of SRM in mitigating permafrost degradation is contingent upon the warming trajectory and the timing of SRM intervention. Employing SRM to keep global warming at a maximum of 1.5°C can substantially reduce permafrost degradation; however, simulations suggest that by 2300, approximately half of the permafrost area reduction and one‐third of the carbon losses expected under the high‐emissions SSP5‐8.5 scenario would still take place. By employing SRM to achieve a return to 1.5°C warming stabilization levels after a temperature overshoot, it is possible to effectively restore the permafrost area. However, the lost permafrost carbon cannot be regained. Additionally, the soil carbon within permafrost regions displays contrasting trends between the phases of overshoot and subsequent stabilization. Our simulations show that achieving the 1.5°C warming target after a 4°C temperature overshoot could necessitate up to 7% increase in SRM application due to permafrost carbon release. Moreover, perturbed parameter ensemble simulations indicate that the key parameter influencing the uncertainty of soil carbon losses in permafrost regions under 1.5°C warming and overshoot scenarios is distinct from that under the SSP5‐8.5 scenario.
Evolution of Basal Force Fluctuations and Seismic Signals of Granular Flows and Their Proxy: Insights From Laboratory Flume Experiments
Authors: Li Wei , Wang Dongpo , Doi Issei , Wang Gonghui , Zhang Zhen , Yan Shuaixing , He Siming
Published: January 2025

The forces exerted by geophysical granular flows on Earth's surface, and the resulting seismic signals, can be used to monitor natural geohazards and understand their dynamic evolution and characteristics. Substantial research has focused on linking basal force fluctuations and seismic signals to granular flow dynamics. However, the mechanisms behind the generation and evolution of seismic signals remain incompletely understood. In this study, we conducted laboratory flume experiments to gain insights into the evolution and characteristics of basal force fluctuations and seismic signals and explored their relationship with the macroscopic properties of granular flows. Our results show that the shear and normal components of basal force fluctuations exhibit different behavior during flow evolution, which are related to variations in flow velocity fluctuations. As the granular flow moves downstream, shear basal force fluctuations decrease due to weakening velocity fluctuations, whereas normal force fluctuations increase. Similar to basal force fluctuations, seismic signals follow a generalized Pareto distribution. Basal force fluctuations and seismic signals are strongly nonlinearly related to the bulk flow properties, indicating that thicker, denser and faster flows generate stronger basal force fluctuations and more intense seismic signals. However, particle size significantly influences this relationship. We demonstrate that the inertial number, characterizing the macroscopic rheological properties of granular flows, can unify basal force fluctuations and seismic signals across different particle sizes, exhibiting a negative correlation on the temporal scale. This implies that the macroscopic rheological behavior of granular flows may provide critical insights into the mechanisms of generation and evolution of seismic signals.
Acoustic frequency comb generation on a composite diamond/silicon microcantilever in ambient air
Authors: Zhao Zhixin , Li Yanyan , Zhang Wangyang , Luo Wenyao , Liu Duo
Published: January 2025

Acoustic frequency combs (AFCs) contain equidistant coherent signals with unconventional possibilities on metrology. Previously, implementation of AFCs on mechanical microresonators with large air damping loss is difficult, which restricted their atmospheric applications. In this work, we explore the potentials of a composite diamond/silicon microcantilever for parametric generation of AFCs in ambient air. We discover that the diamond layer provides a viable route to reduce the linewidth of the primary flexural mode, yielding a 7.1-times increase of the quality factor. We develop a parametric driving scheme that enables generation of AFCs through injection locking and sequential nonlinear dynamic transitions involving subharmonic synchronization (Arnold tongue), and chaotic dynamics. Ultimately, we realize AFCs with a frequency range extending 800 kHz in the air. This work advances the understanding of AFCs and provides a viable route towards their applications in ambient air for high precision metrology.
Human ACE2 transgenic pigs are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and develop COVID-19-like disease
Authors: Chau Long Fung , Lillico Simon , Opriessnig Tanja , Blake Rosemary , Tardy Luc , Lee Chen-Hsuin , Maxwell Scott , Warren Claire , Thornton Elizabeth , Mclaughlin Catherine L. , McLachlan Gerry , Tait-Burkard Christine , Fletcher Sarah , Anderson Stephen , Brown Sharon , Gibbard Louise , Tzelos Thomas , MacMillan-Christensen Dawn , Baillie J. Kenneth , Dorward David A. , Griffiths David J. , Grey Finn
Published: January 2025

Animal models that accurately reflect COVID-19 are vital for understanding mechanisms of disease and advancing development of improved vaccines and therapeutics. Pigs are increasingly recognized as valuable models for human disease due to their genetic, anatomical, physiological, and immunological similarities to humans, and they present a more ethically viable alternative to non-human primates. However, pigs are not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection which limits their utility as a model. To address this, we have developed transgenic pigs expressing human ACE2 that are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Following challenge, clinical signs consistent with COVID-19, including fever, coughing and respiratory distress were observed, with virus replication detected in the nasal turbinates, trachea and lungs up to the study endpoint, seven days post-infection. Notably, examination of tissues revealed immunopathology in the lungs consistent with histological changes observed in fatal human COVID-19 cases. This study establishes human ACE2 transgenic pigs as a large animal model that accurately reflects many aspects of COVID-19 disease.
MethylBERT enables read-level DNA methylation pattern identification and tumour deconvolution using a Transformer-based model
Authors: Jeong Yunhee , Gerhäuser Clarissa , Sauter Guido , Schlomm Thorsten , Rohr Karl , Lutsik Pavlo
Published: January 2025

DNA methylation (DNAm) is a key epigenetic mark that shows profound alterations in cancer. Read-level methylomes enable more in-depth analyses, due to their broad genomic coverage and preservation of rare cell-type signals, compared to summarized data such as 450K/EPIC microarrays. Here, we propose MethylBERT, a Transformer-based model for read-level methylation pattern classification. MethylBERT identifies tumour-derived sequence reads based on their methylation patterns and local genomic sequence, and estimates tumour cell fractions within bulk samples. In our evaluation, MethylBERT outperforms existing deconvolution methods and demonstrates high accuracy regardless of methylation pattern complexity, read length and read coverage. Moreover, we show its applicability to cell-type deconvolution as well as non-invasive early cancer diagnostics using liquid biopsy samples. MethylBERT represents a significant advancement in read-level methylome analysis and enables accurate tumour purity estimation. The broad applicability of MethylBERT will enhance studies on both tumour and non-cancerous bulk methylomes.
Robust quantum spin liquid state in the presence of giant magnetic isotope effect in D3LiIr2O6
Authors: Takayama T. , Gibbs A. S. , Kitagawa K. , Matsumoto Y. , Ishii K. , Kato A. , Takano R. , Bette S. , Dinnebier R. , Takagi H.
Published: January 2025

The deuterium isotope effect on the honeycomb iridate H3LiIr2O6, a quantum spin-orbit-entangled liquid, was examined by synthesizing D3LiIr2O6. The structural refinements indicate the different character of the interlayer OH and OD bonds, which results in a giant isotope effect on the magnetic interactions; the antiferromagnetic Curie-Weiss temperature |θ
CW| of D3LiIr2O6 increases to ~ 170 K from ~ 100 K of H3LiIr2O6. Nevertheless, the quantum liquid state is robust against the deuterium isotope exchange in contrast to the theoretical prediction that the Kitaev spin liquid is stable only for a limited phase space of magnetic interactions. The bond- and site disorders associated with disordered OD(H) bonds, in combination with Kitaev physics, may play a role in realizing the quantum liquid state.
Functionally-informed fine-mapping identifies genetic variants linking increased CHD1L expression and HIV restriction in monocytes
Authors: Tough Riley H. , McLaren Paul J. ,   The International Collaboration for the Genomics of HIV
Published: January 2025

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV) set-point viral load is a strong predictor of disease progression and transmission risk. A recent genome-wide association study in individuals of African ancestries identified a region on chromosome 1 significantly associated with decreased HIV set-point viral load. Knockout of the closest gene, CHD1L, enhanced HIV replication in vitro in myeloid cells. However, it remains unclear if HIV spVL associated variants are associated with CHD1L gene expression changes. Here we apply a heuristic fine-mapping approach to prioritize combinations of variants that explain the majority of set-point viral load variance and identify variants likely driving the association. We assess the combined impact of these variants on CHD1L regulation using publicly available sequencing studies, and test the relationship between CHD1L expression and set-point viral load using imputed CHD1L expression from monocytes. Taken together, this work characterizes genetically regulated CHD1L expression and further expands our knowledge of CHD1L-mediated HIV restriction in monocytes.
Comparison of 1D and 3D volume measurement techniques in NF2-associated vestibular schwannoma monitoring
Authors: Gugel Isabel , Aboutaha Nuran , Pfluegler Bianca , Ernemann Ulrike , Schuhmann Martin Ulrich , Tatagiba Marcos , Grimm Florian
Published: January 2025

To compare 1D (linear) tumor volume calculations and classification systems with 3D-segmented volumetric analysis (SVA), focusing specifically on their effectiveness in the evaluation and management of NF2-associated vestibular schwannomas (VS). VS were clinically followed every 6 months with cranial, thin-sliced (< 3 mm) MRI. We retrospectively reviewed and used T1-weighted post-contrast enhanced (gadolinium) images for both SVA and linear measurements. 3D-SVA was performed manually or combined with semiautomated segmentation by using axial planes. The maximum linear dimensions (MLD) were determined in three dimensions (anteroposterior, transverse, and craniocaudal planes) using axial and coronal planes. The MLD was cubed (MLD3), and orthogonal analysis (OA) was derived to establish comparability with the SVA. The Hannover and Koos classification was used to depict the size ratio in each MRI and tumor. A linear regression model was performed to compare 1D/classification systems to SVA, and the percentage deviation change of MLD3 and OA to SVA was established using a one-way multivariate variance analysis. 2586 SVA and 10344 linear measurements were performed in a cohort of 149 NF2 patients and 292 associated VS. All measurement techniques (MLD3, OA, KOOS, and Hannover) significantly (and strongly, r2 > 0.5) correlated with SVA (p < 0.001). The OA showed an even stronger positive correlation than the MLD3 to SVA. Smaller classified tumors (T1/T2, K1/K2) exhibited a low-moderate positive correlation (r2 = 0.23–0.44) compared to medium-sized (T3, K2/3) and large tumors (T4, K4; r2 = 0.54–0.76). Pre- and postoperative MLD3 and OA statistically significantly predict SVA (p < 0.001), but the postoperative correlation was weaker, particularly for MLD3 to SVA values. All analyses showed a large scatter range. In the percentage deviation analysis of MLD3 and OA from SVA, small tumors (K1/K2, T1/T2) were overestimated. Compared to the SVA, the MLD3 and especially the OA are a time-saving alternative for monitoring the tumor volume of NF2-associated VS. However, the scatter range in small/surgically reduced tumors is enormous. For this reason, they are not recommended for monitoring off-label therapy with Bevacizumab or for treatment decisions depending on a precise assessment of tumor volume and growth. Developing deep learning-based volume determinations in the future is essential to reduce SVA’s time intensity.
Sociodemographic factors associated with dental students knowledge and attitudes regarding disinfection as a control measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19
Authors: Silva-Robles Geanella , Briceño-Vergel Gissela , Aroste-Andía Rosa , Hernández-Huamaní Emily , Ladera-Castañeda Marysela , Castro-Rojas Miriam , Gavilán-Chávez Percy , Cervantes-Ganoza Luis , Cayo-Rojas César
Published: January 2025

Despite maintaining a lower mortality rate and greater control of victims infected by COVID-19, the world’s population and science are still confronted with this coronavirus. Therefore, the aim was to assess the association between sociodemographic factors and the level of knowledge and attitudes of dental students regarding disinfection as a control measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This cross-sectional study evaluated 503 dental students from the capital city and one Peruvian province between February and June 2022. A validated 13-item questionnaire was used. A Poisson regression model with robust variance was used to evaluate the influence of the variables sex, age, year of study, marital status, place of origin, death of a family member due to COVID-19, and history of COVID-19, with the level of knowledge and attitudes of the dental students, considering a significance level of p < 0.05. Of the total participants, 14.3% showed sufficient knowledge, and 89.3% showed positive attitudes regarding disinfection as a control measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, those from the capital city were 52% less likely to have sufficient knowledge regarding disinfection as a control measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19, compared to those from the province (APR = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.31–0.75). Moreover, none of the variables considered in this study were significantly associated with attitudes toward this topic (p > 0.05). A minority of dental students presented sufficient knowledge, while the majority presented positive attitudes regarding disinfection as a control measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. In addition, being from the capital city was a limiting factor for sufficient knowledge. The variables sex, age, year of study, marital status, place of origin, death of a family member due to COVID-19, and history of COVID-19 were not influential factors for positive attitudes on this topic.
Prognostic factors for survival in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma treated with percutaneous transhepatic drainage
Authors: Rohan Tomas , Cechova Barbora , Matkulcik Peter , Straka Matej , Zavadil Jan , Eid Michal , Uher Michal , Dostal Marek , Andrasina Tomas
Published: January 2025

Biliary drainage is then one of the necessary procedures to help patients suffering from icterus to reduce serum bilirubin levels and relieve symptoms. The aim of this study was identifying risk factors for survival in patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) treated with percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and to develop a simple scoring system predicting survival from PTBD insertion. This single-centre retrospective study included 175 consecutive patients undergoing PTBD for extrahepatic CCA (perihilar and distal). Prognostic factors affecting survival of patients with CCA treated with PTBD were analysed. A multivariate analysis showed that mass forming tumor with mass larger than 5 cm and presence of metastasis at the time of PTBD served as a negative prognostic factor (p = 0.002), better survival was associated with lower preprocedural bilirubin and lower CRP (p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis identified two significant risk factors for 3-month mortality: mass-forming tumors and bilirubin levels exceeding 185 µmol/L. A simple scoring system was developed to predict 3-month mortality after PTBD in patients with advanced CCA, demonstrating 86.3% negative predictive value and 43.2% positive predictive value.
Interfacial seed-assisted FAPbI3 crystallization and phase stabilization enhance the performance of all-air-processed perovskite solar cells
Authors: Liu Yuan , Zhou Xingyuan , Wu Yupei , Zhang Hongwei , Cao Kun
Published: January 2025

The use of inorganic nanocrystals as an interfacial seed layer enables the preparation of high-quality air-processed FAPbI3 perovskite films and improves the efficiency and stability of carbon-based FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells.
Radical-cation salts of BEDT-TTF with tris-coordinated racemic dysprosium(iii) and terbium(iii) anions
Authors: Howarth Emily , Lopez Jordan , Ogar Joseph O. , Blundell Toby J. , Akutsu Hiroki , Nakazawa Yasuhiro , Imajo Shusaku , Ihara Yoshihiko , Coles Simon J. , Horton Peter N. , Christensen Jeppe , Martin Lee
Published: January 2025

This paper reports the first BEDT-TTF radical-cation salts with D3 symmetry tris-coordinated racemic lanthanide(iii) anions. It is also the first crystallographic determination of the nine-coordinate tris(chelidonato)terbate and -dysprosate anions.