bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Face Reconstruction-Based Generalized Deepfake Detection Model with Residual Outlook Attention
Authors: Shi Zenan , Liu Wenyu , Chen Haipeng
Published: August 2024

With the continuous development of deep counterfeiting technology, the information security in our daily life is under serious threat. While existing face forgery detection methods exhibit impressive accuracy when applied to datasets such as FaceForensics++ and Celeb- DF, they falter significantly when confronted with out-of-domain scenarios. This causes specialization of learned representations to known forgery patterns presented in the training set, rendering it difficult to detect forgeries with unknown patterns. To address this challenge, we propose a novel end-to-endFaceReconstruction-basedGeneralizedDeepfakeDetection model with Residual Outlook Attention, namedFRG2D, which emphasizes the robust visual representations of genuine faces and discerns the subtle differences between authentic and manipulated facial images. Our methodology entails reconstructing authentic face images using an encoder-decoder architecture based on U-net, facilitating a deeper understanding of disparities between genuine and manipulated facial images. Furthermore, we integrate the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) and channel attention block (CAB) to selectively focus the network’s attention on salient features within real face images. Furthermore, we employ Residual Outlook Attention (ROA) to guide the network’s focus towards precise features within manipulated facial images. Simultaneously, the computed reconstruction differences obtained through Residual Outlook Attention serves as the ultimate representation fed into the classifier for face forgery detection. Both the reconstruction and classification learning processes are optimized end-to-end. Through extensive experimentation, our model demonstrated a substantial improvement in deepfake detection across unknown domains, while maintaining a high accuracy within the known domain.
Smart Contract Powered Framework for the Next Generation Industry 4.0 Business Model
Authors: Stefanescu Denis , Montalvillo Leticia , Urbieta Aitor , Galán-García Patxi , Unzilla Galan Juan Jose
Published: August 2024

Blockchain stands as a crucial technology capable of enhancing transparency, security, and efficiency within various sectors. Particularly in Industry 4.0, blockchains can be employed to monitor the movement of goods and materials across the supply chain, ensuring data integrity, transparency, immutability, accountability, and industrial process interoperability. Industry 4.0 companies must interact with various external players, which often requires collaborations and partnerships to access new technologies, shared data and analytics, and required resources for their processes. However, current business process management in the industry is mostly centralized, untraceable, unreliable and lacks automation. Smart contracts hold the potential to tackle these concerns by offering a remarkable level of automation, transparency, and security while also aiding in regulatory compliance. However, the adoption of smart contracts in Industry 4.0 is still limited due to various obstacles. The challenges facing the deployment of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in Industry 4.0 are multifaceted, encompassing issues such as interoperability across different blockchain systems, scalability and performance constraints, limitations on ensuring data privacy, difficulties in accessing external data sources, and the significant transaction costs often associated with executing smart contracts. To tackle these obstacles comprehensively, we advocate for the development of an interoperable consortium blockchain framework tailored to meet the versatile business processes required by Industry 4.0 enterprises or groups. This proposed architecture, distinct from any specific internal system, incorporates private channels and ensures secure access to external data, thus addressing broader interoperability concerns beyond just smart contracts. Our goal is to establish a comprehensive DLT framework that assures data integrity and traceability throughout its lifecycle, from creation and processing to its final utilization for business insights. The effectiveness of our approach is demonstrated through its application in a real-world industrial scenario, undertaken in partnership with Fagor Automation, a global leader in the industrial sector.
GelBox: open-source software to improve rigor and reproducibility when analyzing gels and immunoblots
Authors: Gulbulak Utku , Wellette-Hunsucker Austin G. , Kampourakis Thomas , Campbell Kenneth S.
Published: August 2024

GelBox is open-source software that was developed to enhance rigor, reproducibility, and transparency when analyzing gels and immunoblots. It combines image adjustments (cropping, rotation, brightness, and contrast), background correction, and band-fitting in a single application. Users can also associate each lane in an image with metadata (for example, sample type).
Activation of IP3R in atrial cardiomyocytes leads to generation of cytosolic cAMP
Authors: Akerman Emily C , Read Matthew J. , Bose Samuel J , Koschinski Andreas , Capel Rebecca A. , Chao Ying-Chi , Folkmanaite Milda , Ayagama Thamali , Broadbent Steven D. , Ahamed Rufaida , Simon Jillian N. , Terrar Derek A. , Zaccolo Manuela , Burton Rebecca-Ann A.B.
Published: August 2024

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. Excessive stimulation of the IP3 signalling pathway has been linked to AF through abnormal calcium handling. However, little is known about the mechanisms involved in this process. We expressed the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) based cytosolic cAMP sensor EPAC-SH187 in neonatal rat atrial myocytes (NRAMs) and neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). In NRAMs, addition of the α-1 agonist phenylephrine (PE, 3 µM) resulted in a FRET change 21.20 ± 7.43 % and addition of membrane permeant IP3 derivative, 2,3,6-tri-O-Butyryl-myo-IP3(1,4,5)-hexakis(acetoxymethyl)ester (IP3-AM, 20 μM) resulted in a peak of 20.31 ± 6.74 %. These FRET changes imply an increase in cAMP. Prior application of IP3 receptor (IP3R) inhibitors 2-Aminoethyl diphenylborinate (2-APB, 2.5μM) or Xestospongin-C (0.3 μM) significantly inhibited the change in FRET in NRAMs in response to PE. Xestospongin-C (0.3 μM) significantly inhibited the change in FRET in NRAMs in response to IP3-AM. The FRET change in response to PE in NRVMs were not inhibited by 2-APB or Xestospongin-C. Finally, the localisation of cAMP signals was tested by expressing the FRET-based cAMP sensor, AKAP79-CUTie, which targets the intracellular surface of the plasmalemma. We found in NRAMs that PE led to FRET change corresponding to an increase in cAMP that was inhibited by 2-APB and Xestospongin C. These data support further investigation of the pro-arrhythmic nature and components of IP3 induced cAMP signalling to identify potential pharmacological targets.
Novel Unsupervised Machine Learning Method for Identifying Falling from Height Hazards in Building Information Models through Path Simulation Sampling
Authors: Yan Yu , Zhang Shen , Wang Xingyu , Li Xuechun
Published: August 2024

Falling from height (FFH) is a significant safety concern in the construction industry. It requires construction safety managers to identify and prevent FFH from occurring as early as possible. However, due to insufficient expertise and the shortage of relevant personnel, it is often challenging to accurately and promptly identify FFH risks, especially those more dangerous ones. To address this issue, we proposed a new identification method for FFH risk points by incorporating BIM, path simulation, and machine learning techniques. Our approach, based on the likelihood exposure consequence criterion, efficiently identified and prioritized hazardous FFH risk points. Unlike prior studies, we emphasized the spatial distribution of workers by incorporating site layout and construction schedule considerations. The algorithm generated a safe routing plan, which was validated in experiments, emphasizing its effectiveness in early detection and mitigation of FFH risks. This research provided a comprehensive approach to FFH risk management that integrates building information modeling, path simulation, and machine learning to comprehensively address FFH risks in construction and generate safe route plans for effective safety management. The proposed method significantly contributes to the early detection and elimination of potential FFH risks in construction projects.
Investigating the Influence of Raw and Treated Coconut Fibre Obtained from Agricultural Residue on the Strength and Durability Characteristics of High‐Strength Concrete
Authors: Mboungou Londe Gervany Hurlich , Mwero John Nyiro , Kanali Christopher , Abuodha Sylvester Ochieng
Published: August 2024

The use of coconut fibre (CF) from agricultural waste offers a sustainable solution to environmental challenges by reusing residues from the coconut industry. This approach respects the principles of sustainability and environmental preservation by minimising waste and encouraging the use of renewable resources in construction. A study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of untreated (UT) and treated CFs as reinforcement in high‐strength concrete (HSC), targeting an average strength of 60 MPa. The study evaluated the mechanical and durability characteristics of HSC reinforced with raw and processed coconut fibres (CFR‐HSC). The CFs underwent physical treatment by boiling and chemical treatment using a 1% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. Different fibre contents were examined, and analyses including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) were carried out on untreated and treated fibres. The results showed that additional fibre content reduced the workability of the concrete, its fresh density, and its air void content, but that the treated fibres had better workability than the UT fibres. While compressive strength was not significantly improved with CFR‐HSC compared to the HSC control mix after 28 days of curing, tensile and flexural strengths were improved with fibre content. Notably, the NaOH‐treated (NT) CF showed the greatest increase in tensile strength, while the boiling‐treated (BT) CF showed the greatest improvement in flexural strength. An increase in fibre content resulted in a reduction in crack width, and CFR‐HSC showed an increase in water absorption but better resistance to sulfuric acid, with NT CF producing the most promising results.
An Alternatively Spliced Gain-of-Function NT5C2 Isoform Contributes to Chemoresistance in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Torres-Diz Manuel , Reglero Clara , Falkenstein Catherine D. , Castro Annette , Hayer Katharina E. , Radens Caleb M. , Quesnel-Vallières Mathieu , Ang Zhiwei , Sehgal Priyanka , Li Marilyn M. , Barash Yoseph , Tasian Sarah K. , Ferrando Adolfo , Thomas-Tikhonenko Andrei
Published: August 2024

Relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a major cause of pediatric cancer–related deaths. Relapse-specific mutations do not account for all chemotherapy failures in B-ALL patients, suggesting additional mechanisms of resistance. By mining RNA sequencing datasets of paired diagnostic/relapse pediatric B-ALL samples, we discovered pervasive alternative splicing (AS) patterns linked to relapse and affecting drivers of resistance to glucocorticoids, antifolates, and thiopurines. Most splicing variations represented cassette exon skipping, “poison” exon inclusion, and intron retention, phenocopying well-documented loss-of-function mutations. In contrast, relapse-associated AS of NT5C2 mRNA yielded an isoform with the functionally uncharacterized in-frame exon 6a. Incorporation of the 8-amino acid sequence SQVAVQKR into this enzyme created a putative phosphorylation site and resulted in elevated nucleosidase activity, which is a known consequence of gain-of-function mutations in NT5C2 and a common determinant of 6-mercaptopurine resistance. Consistent with this finding, NT5C2ex6a and the R238W hotspot variant conferred comparable levels of resistance to 6-mercaptopurine in B-ALL cells both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, both NT5C2ex6a and the R238W variant induced collateral sensitivity to the inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase inhibitor mizoribine. These results ascribe to splicing perturbations an important role in chemotherapy resistance in relapsed B-ALL and suggest that inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase inhibitors, including the commonly used immunosuppressive agent mycophenolate mofetil, could be a valuable therapeutic option for treating thiopurine-resistant leukemias.

Significance: Alternative splicing is a potent mechanism of acquired drug resistance in relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemias that has diagnostic and therapeutic implications for patients who lack mutations in known chemoresistance genes.
Supplementary Figure S7 from Neem Leaf Glycoprotein Disrupts Exhausted CD8+ T-Cell–Mediated Cancer Stem Cell Aggression
Authors: Chakravarti Mohona , Bera Saurav , Dhar Sukanya , Sarkar Anirban , Choudhury Pritha Roy , Ganguly Nilanjan , Das Juhina , Sultana Jasmine , Guha Aishwarya , Biswas Souradeep , Das Tapasi , Hajra Subhadip , Banerjee Saptak , Baral Rathindranath , Bose Anamika
Published: August 2024

The file contains Supplementary Figure S7
Supplementary Table 3 from Pediatric Chordoma: A Tale of Two Genomes
Authors: O’Halloran Katrina , Hakimjavadi Hesamedin , Bootwalla Moiz , Ostrow Dejerianne , Kerawala Rhea , Cotter Jennifer A. , Yellapantula Venkata , Kaneva Kristiyana , Wadhwani Nitin R. , Treece Amy , Foreman Nicholas K. , Alexandrescu Sanda , Velazquez Vega Jose , Biegel Jaclyn A. , Gai Xiaowu
Published: August 2024

ARID1B as the top gene of interest in the pediatric chordoma cohort with significantly high dn/ds ratio.
Supplementary Data from Pediatric Chordoma: A Tale of Two Genomes
Authors: O’Halloran Katrina , Hakimjavadi Hesamedin , Bootwalla Moiz , Ostrow Dejerianne , Kerawala Rhea , Cotter Jennifer A. , Yellapantula Venkata , Kaneva Kristiyana , Wadhwani Nitin R. , Treece Amy , Foreman Nicholas K. , Alexandrescu Sanda , Velazquez Vega Jose , Biegel Jaclyn A. , Gai Xiaowu
Published: August 2024

Rare nucleic variants of adult chordomas in COSMIC Cancer Census Genes, extracted from the original study, and lifted over from GRCh37 build to GRCh38 build.
Supplementary Figure 1 from NSCLC Extracellular Vesicles Containing miR-374a-5p Promote Leptomeningeal Metastasis by Influencing Blood‒Brain Barrier Permeability
Authors: Jin Jie , Cui Yumeng , Niu Huicong , Lin Yanli , Wu Xiaojie , Qi Xuejiao , Bai Kaixuan , Zhang Yu , Wang Youliang , Bu Hui
Published: August 2024

KEGG enrichment analysis and GO functional annotation of the miRNA target genes.
Table S1 from Novel WRN Helicase Inhibitors Selectively Target Microsatellite-Unstable Cancer Cells
Authors: Picco Gabriele , Rao Yanhua , Al Saedi Angham , Lee Yang , Vieira Sara F. , Bhosle Shriram , May Kieron , Herranz-Ors Carmen , Walker Samantha J. , Shenje Raynold , Dincer Cansu , Gibson Freddy , Banerjee Ruby , Hewitson Zoe , Werner Thilo , Cottom Joshua E. , Peng Yang , Deng Nanhua , Zhang Youyou , Nartey Eldridge N. , Nickels Leng , Landis Philip , Conticelli Daniela , McCarten Katrina , Bush Jacob , Sharma Mamta , Lightfoot Howard , House David , Milford Emma , Grant Emma K. , Glogowski Michal P. , Wagner Craig D. , Bantscheff Marcus , Rutkowska-Klute Anna , Zappacosta Francesca , Pettinger Jonathan , Barthorpe Syd , Eberl H. Christian , Jones Brian T. , Schneck Jessica L. , Murphy Dennis J. , Voest Emile E. , Taygerly Joshua P. , DeMartino Michael P. , Coelho Matthew A. , Houseley Jonathan , Sharma Geeta , Schwartz Benjamin , Garnett Mathew J.
Published: August 2024

This file contains details of the BE sgRNA library
Supplementary Table 11 from Activating Point Mutations in the MET Kinase Domain Represent a Unique Molecular Subset of Lung Cancer and Other Malignancies Targetable with MET Inhibitors
Authors: Pecci Federica , Nakazawa Seshiru , Ricciuti Biagio , Harada Guilherme , Lee Jessica K. , Alessi Joao V. , Barrichello Adriana , Vaz Victor R. , Lamberti Giuseppe , Di Federico Alessandro , Gandhi Malini M. , Gazgalis Dimitris , Feng William W. , Jiang Jie , Baldacci Simon , Locquet Marie-Anaïs , Gottlieb Felix H. , Chen Monica F. , Lee Elinton , Haradon Danielle , Smokovich Anna , Voligny Emma , Nguyen Tom , Goel Vikas K. , Zimmerman Zachary , Atwal Sumandeep , Wang Xinan , Bahcall Magda , Heist Rebecca S. , Iqbal Sumaiya , Gandhi Nishant , Elliott Andrew , Vanderwalde Ari M. , Ma Patrick C. , Halmos Balazs , Liu Stephen V. , Che Jianwei , Schrock Alexa B. , Drilon Alexander , Jänne Pasi A. , Awad Mark M.
Published: August 2024

Detailed genomic characteristics for each case of NSCLC with oncogenic / likely oncogenic MET tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutations in cohort #1.
Table S6 from ZNF397 Deficiency Triggers TET2-Driven Lineage Plasticity and AR-Targeted Therapy Resistance in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Xu Yaru , Yang Yuqiu , Wang Zhaoning , Sjöström Martin , Jiang Yuyin , Tang Yitao , Cheng Siyuan , Deng Su , Wang Choushi , Gonzalez Julisa , Johnson Nickolas A. , Li Xiang , Li Xiaoling , Metang Lauren A. , Mukherji Atreyi , Xu Quanhui , Tirado Carla R. , Wainwright Garrett , Yu Xinzhe , Barnes Spencer , Hofstad Mia , Chen Yu , Zhu Hong , Hanker Ariella B. , Raj Ganesh V. , Zhu Guanghui , He Housheng H. , Wang Zhao , Arteaga Carlos L. , Liang Han , Feng Felix Y. , Wang Yunguan , Wang Tao , Mu Ping
Published: August 2024

Table S6. Key Resources
Supplementary Figure 5 from Activating Point Mutations in the MET Kinase Domain Represent a Unique Molecular Subset of Lung Cancer and Other Malignancies Targetable with MET Inhibitors
Authors: Pecci Federica , Nakazawa Seshiru , Ricciuti Biagio , Harada Guilherme , Lee Jessica K. , Alessi Joao V. , Barrichello Adriana , Vaz Victor R. , Lamberti Giuseppe , Di Federico Alessandro , Gandhi Malini M. , Gazgalis Dimitris , Feng William W. , Jiang Jie , Baldacci Simon , Locquet Marie-Anaïs , Gottlieb Felix H. , Chen Monica F. , Lee Elinton , Haradon Danielle , Smokovich Anna , Voligny Emma , Nguyen Tom , Goel Vikas K. , Zimmerman Zachary , Atwal Sumandeep , Wang Xinan , Bahcall Magda , Heist Rebecca S. , Iqbal Sumaiya , Gandhi Nishant , Elliott Andrew , Vanderwalde Ari M. , Ma Patrick C. , Halmos Balazs , Liu Stephen V. , Che Jianwei , Schrock Alexa B. , Drilon Alexander , Jänne Pasi A. , Awad Mark M.
Published: August 2024

Prevalence of MET TKD mutation in various cancer types according to OncoKB status in each dataset in cohort #1.
Supplementary Figure 4 from Activating Point Mutations in the MET Kinase Domain Represent a Unique Molecular Subset of Lung Cancer and Other Malignancies Targetable with MET Inhibitors
Authors: Pecci Federica , Nakazawa Seshiru , Ricciuti Biagio , Harada Guilherme , Lee Jessica K. , Alessi Joao V. , Barrichello Adriana , Vaz Victor R. , Lamberti Giuseppe , Di Federico Alessandro , Gandhi Malini M. , Gazgalis Dimitris , Feng William W. , Jiang Jie , Baldacci Simon , Locquet Marie-Anaïs , Gottlieb Felix H. , Chen Monica F. , Lee Elinton , Haradon Danielle , Smokovich Anna , Voligny Emma , Nguyen Tom , Goel Vikas K. , Zimmerman Zachary , Atwal Sumandeep , Wang Xinan , Bahcall Magda , Heist Rebecca S. , Iqbal Sumaiya , Gandhi Nishant , Elliott Andrew , Vanderwalde Ari M. , Ma Patrick C. , Halmos Balazs , Liu Stephen V. , Che Jianwei , Schrock Alexa B. , Drilon Alexander , Jänne Pasi A. , Awad Mark M.
Published: August 2024

Type and frequency of MET TKD mutations across cancer types in cohort #1. (A) Frequency of MET TKD mutations in various cancer types in cohort #1 according to OncoKB status; the numbers above each bar indicate the number of cases with MET TKD mutations (regardless OncoKB annotations) out of the total of cases of each cancer type. (B) Detailed oncogenic / likely oncogenic MET TKD mutations according to cancer type in cohort #1.
Supplementary Tutorial from St. Jude Survivorship Portal: Sharing and Analyzing Large Clinical and Genomic Datasets from Pediatric Cancer Survivors
Authors: Matt Gavriel Y. , Sioson Edgar , Shelton Kyla , Wang Jian , Lu Congyu , Zaldivar Peraza Airen , Gangwani Karishma , Paul Robin , Reilly Colleen , Acić Aleksandar , Liu Qi , Sandor Stephanie R. , McLeod Clay , Patel Jaimin , Wang Fan , Im Cindy , Wang Zhaoming , Sapkota Yadav , Wilson Carmen L. , Bhakta Nickhill , Ness Kirsten K. , Armstrong Gregory T. , Hudson Melissa M. , Robison Leslie L. , Zhang Jinghui , Yasui Yutaka , Zhou Xin
Published: August 2024

Tutorial for using the portal
Supplementary Figure S3 from St. Jude Survivorship Portal: Sharing and Analyzing Large Clinical and Genomic Datasets from Pediatric Cancer Survivors
Authors: Matt Gavriel Y. , Sioson Edgar , Shelton Kyla , Wang Jian , Lu Congyu , Zaldivar Peraza Airen , Gangwani Karishma , Paul Robin , Reilly Colleen , Acić Aleksandar , Liu Qi , Sandor Stephanie R. , McLeod Clay , Patel Jaimin , Wang Fan , Im Cindy , Wang Zhaoming , Sapkota Yadav , Wilson Carmen L. , Bhakta Nickhill , Ness Kirsten K. , Armstrong Gregory T. , Hudson Melissa M. , Robison Leslie L. , Zhang Jinghui , Yasui Yutaka , Zhou Xin
Published: August 2024

Association between ARID5B variants and ALL in African and European ancestries
The Interplay between Extracellular Matrix Remodeling and Cancer Therapeutics
Authors: Prakash Jai , Shaked Yuval
Published: August 2024

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an abundant noncellular component of most solid tumors known to support tumor progression and metastasis. The interplay between the ECM and cancer therapeutics opens up new avenues in understanding cancer biology. While the ECM is known to protect the tumor from anticancer agents by serving as a biomechanical barrier, emerging studies show that various cancer therapies induce ECM remodeling, resulting in therapy resistance and tumor progression. This review discusses critical issues in this field including how the ECM influences treatment outcome, how cancer therapies affect ECM remodeling, and the challenges associated with targeting the ECM.

Significance: The intricate relationship between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cancer therapeutics reveals novel insights into tumor biology and its effective treatment. While the ECM may protect tumors from anti-cancer agents, recent research highlights the paradoxical role of therapy-induced ECM remodeling in promoting treatment resistance and tumor progression. This review explores the key aspects of the interplay between ECM and cancer therapeutics.
Lung Cancer Adoptive Cell Therapy: Inspiring TIL ACT Comes Center Stage
Authors: Lotze Michael T. , Maeurer Markus , Quezada Sergio A. , Coukos George
Published: August 2024

Schoenfeld and colleagues report, in this issue, a measurable objective response rate in 6/28 (21.4%) of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer treated with lifileucel, a cell therapy product based on autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Extending solid evidence in advanced melanoma that led to FDA approval of lifileucel, this new evidence bodes well for treating patients with other common tumor histologies, justifying important efforts by a large number of academic and biotechnology companies engaged in improving the TIL process.

See related article by Schoenfeld et al., p. 1389 (1).
Iron: The Secret Ingredient Breaking PARPi Resistance
Authors: Alborzinia Hamed , Friedmann Angeli José Pedro
Published: August 2024

PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are used as a first-line treatment option for cancers with BRCA1/2 mutations, yet a significant number of patients show a limited response to these agents. In the present study, Lei and colleagues demonstrate that PARPi promote increased ferroptosis sensitivity and this can be exploited therapeutically to improve the response to PARPi, marking an important therapeutic concept to exploit ferroptosis-based strategies in clinical settings.

See related article by Lei et al., p. 1476 (2).
Multimodal Imaging in Retinal Vasculitis
Authors: Perez Yanny , Neri Piergiorgio , Pichi Francesco
Published: August 2024

Background: Retinal vasculitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the retinal blood vessels. Summary: It can manifest as an idiopathic disorder or be secondary to various infectious or non-infectious diseases, mimicking syndromes, isolated ocular disorders, or drug-induced reactions. Recognizing its distinctive features is crucial for early diagnosis and accurate treatment. This review aimed to demonstrate the variety of tools available to detect disease activity, assess complications, measure the extent of retinal damage, and guide therapy effectively. Key Message: This review article highlights the use of multimodal imaging in the comprehensive evaluation of retinal vasculitis.
Early Onset of Type 1 Diabetes in Kuwait: Distinct Clinical, Metabolic, and Immunological Characteristics
Authors: Al-Abdulrazzaq Dalia , Qabazard Mariam , Al-Jasser Fahad , Al-Anizi Ayed , Al-Basari Iman , Mandani Fawziya , Al-Kandari Hessa
Published: August 2024

Objective: Exploring early-onset diabetes in terms of describing characteristics at time of diagnosis might aid in a better understanding of etiology and may have implications on management and prevention. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of early-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Kuwait as well as describe their baseline clinical, biochemical, and immunological characteristics. Methods: Medical records of children newly diagnosed with T1D and registered in the Childhood-Onset Diabetes electronic Registry (CODeR) in Kuwait between 2017 and 2022 were reviewed. Early-onset T1D was defined as diagnosis at age younger than 6 years. Results: 2,051 children were registered with new-onset T1D between 2017 and 2022, of which 657 (32.0%) were diagnosed at early onset. There has been a trend of slight increase in the percentage of early-onset T1D after 2020 (15.2%) with a prevalence of 18.4% and 20.2% in 2021 and 2022, respectively (p = 0.056). Age at onset was inversely related to admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.95, p < 0.0001) and was directly related to positive celiac autoimmunity (p = 0.022), higher hemoglobin A1C (p < 0.0001), and C-peptide levels (p < 0.0001). However, age at onset of T1D was inversely related to the higher vitamin D levels (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: These findings reinforce the need for increased attention to be given to study the development of T1D in children of younger age. This in turn will support special management and prevention measures targeted toward this vulnerable age group.
Impactos da Lei nº 14.133/2021 nas contratações das empresas estatais: enfoque nas estatais do Estado de Santa Catarina
Authors: Rosses José Pedro Oliveira
Published: August 2024

Este artigo busca identificar os impactos da Lei nº 14.133/2021 nas licitações e contratações das empresas estatais, com enfoque nas estatais catarinenses. O trabalho, com abordagem qualitativa e objetivo exploratório, foi elaborado por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. Os resultados indicam que as estatais devem aplicar o regime jurídico licitatório e contratual específico da Lei nº 13.303/2016 (Lei das Estatais). Porém, a Lei nº 14.133/2021 aplica-se aos crimes em licitações e contratos das empresas estatais, bem como impactará nos critérios de desempate e no pregão das estatais e, no Estado de Santa Catarina, nas contratações realizadas por meio do sistema de registro de preços, para as estatais que aplicam o Decreto estadual nº 2.617/2009, bem como nas suas contratações de bens de categoria de luxo. Conclui-se que caberá às estatais catarinenses atualizarem seus regulamentos internos de licitações e contratos, considerando que a maioria deles utilizou o mesmo modelo de referência, para que os pontos de aplicação da Lei nº 14.133/2021 fiquem claros proporcionando contratações com segurança jurídica. Além disso, elas devem ter cautela ao incorporar disposições da Lei nº 14.133/2021, sob pena de prejudicar a sua atividade empresarial.
Aspects to be considered in the elaboration of prevention programs and orientation of posture problems
Authors: Braccialli Lígia Maria Presumido , Vilarta Roberto
Published: August 2024

Nos dias atuais, problemas posturais têm sido considerados um sério problema de saúde pública, pois atingem uma alta incidência na população economicamente ativa, incapacitando-a temporária ou definitivamente para atividades profissionais. Considerando as alterações posturais na infância como um dos fatores que predispõem a condições degenerativas da coluna no adulto, manifestada geralmente por um quadro álgico, torna-se necessário estabelecer mecanismos de intervenção como meio profilático. Sendo assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo estabelecer a fundamentação teórica sobre os principais fatores que interferem na postura corporal da criança e do adolescente, e fornecer orientações sobre educação postural. Procurou-se com base na literatura existente realizar uma reflexão sobre as bases biológicas, ergonômicas e pedagógicas para a elaboração de programas de prevenção de problemas posturais
Intramyocardial Sprouting Tip Cells Specify Coronary Arterialization
Authors: Cano Elena , Schwarzkopf Jennifer , Kanda Masatoshi , Lindberg Eric L. , Hollfinger Irene , Pogontke Cristina , Braeuning Caroline , Fischer Cornelius , Hübner Norbert , Gerhardt Holger
Published: August 2024

BACKGROUND:

The elaborate patterning of coronary arteries critically supports the high metabolic activity of the beating heart. How coronary endothelial cells coordinate hierarchical vascular remodeling and achieve arteriovenous specification remains largely unknown. Understanding the molecular and cellular cues that pattern coronary arteries is crucial to develop innovative therapeutic strategies that restore functional perfusion within the ischemic heart.

METHODS:

Single-cell transcriptomics and histological validation were used to delineate heterogeneous transcriptional states of the developing and mature coronary endothelium with a focus on sprouting endothelium and arterial cell specification. Genetic lineage tracing and high-resolution 3-dimensional imaging were used to characterize the origin and mechanisms of coronary angiogenic sprouting, as well as to fate-map selective endothelial lineages. Integration of single-cell transcriptomic data from ischemic adult mouse hearts and human embryonic data served to assess the conservation of transcriptional states across development, disease, and species.

RESULTS:

We discover that coronary arteries originate from cells that have previously transitioned through a specific tip cell phenotype. We identify nonoverlapping intramyocardial and subepicardial tip cell populations with differential gene expression profiles and regulatory pathways.
Esm1
-lineage tracing confirmed that intramyocardial tip cells selectively contribute to coronary arteries and endocardial tunnels, but not veins. Notably, prearterial cells are detected from development stages to adulthood, increasingly in response to ischemic injury, and in human embryos, suggesting that tip cell-to-artery specification is a conserved mechanism.

CONCLUSIONS:

A tip cell-to-artery specification mechanism drives arterialization of the intramyocardial plexus and endocardial tunnels throughout life and is reactivated upon ischemic injury. Differential sprouting programs govern the formation and specification of the venous and arterial coronary plexus.
Humans Learn Language from Situated Communicative Interactions. What about Machines?
Authors: Beuls Katrien , Van Eecke Paul
Published: August 2024

Humans acquire their native languages by taking part in communicative interactions with their caregivers. These interactions are meaningful, intentional, and situated in their everyday environment. The situated and communicative nature of the interactions is essential to the language acquisition process, as language learners depend on clues provided by the communicative environment to make sense of the utterances they perceive. As such, the linguistic knowledge they build up is rooted in linguistic forms, their meaning, and their communicative function. When it comes to machines, the situated, communicative, and interactional aspects of language learning are often passed over. This applies in particular to today’s large language models (LLMs), where the input is predominantly text-based, and where the distribution of character groups or words serves as a basis for modeling the meaning of linguistic expressions. In this article, we argue that this design choice lies at the root of a number of important limitations, in particular regarding the data hungriness of the models, their limited ability to perform human-like logical and pragmatic reasoning, and their susceptibility to biases. At the same time, we make a case for an alternative approach that models how artificial agents can acquire linguistic structures by participating in situated communicative interactions. Through a selection of experiments, we show how the linguistic knowledge that is captured in the resulting models is of a fundamentally different nature than the knowledge captured by LLMs and argue that this change of perspective provides a promising path towards more human-like language processing in machines.
Reliability of task-based fMRI in the dorsal horn of the human spinal cord
Authors: Dabbagh Alice , Horn Ulrike , Kaptan Merve , Mildner Toralf , Müller Roland , Lepsien Jöran , Weiskopf Nikolaus , Brooks Jonathan C.W. , Finsterbusch Jürgen , Eippert Falk
Published: August 2024

The application of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to the human spinal cord is still a relatively small field of research and faces many challenges. Here we aimed to probe the limitations of task-based spinal fMRI at 3T by investigating the reliability of spinal cord blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses to repeated nociceptive stimulation across 2 consecutive days in 40 healthy volunteers. We assessed the test–retest reliability of subjective ratings, autonomic responses, and spinal cord BOLD responses to short heat-pain stimuli (1 s duration) using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). At the group level, we observed robust autonomic responses as well as spatially specific spinal cord BOLD responses at the expected location, but no spatial overlap in BOLD response patterns across days. While autonomic indicators of pain processing showed good-to-excellent reliability, both β-estimates and z-scores of task-related BOLD responses showed poor reliability across days in the target region (gray matter of the ipsilateral dorsal horn). When taking into account the sensitivity of gradient-echo echo planar imaging (GE-EPI) to draining vein signals by including the venous plexus in the analysis, we observed BOLD responses with fair reliability across days. Taken together, these results demonstrate that heat-pain stimuli as short as 1 s are able to evoke a robust and spatially specific BOLD response, which is, however, strongly variable within participants across time, resulting in low reliability in the dorsal horn gray matter. Further improvements in data acquisition and analysis techniques are thus necessary before event-related spinal cord fMRI as used here can be reliably employed in longitudinal designs or clinical settings.
Cybercrime Investigation and Prosecution in Nigeria: Bridging the Gaps
Authors: Nwafor Ifeoma E.
Published: August 2024

The investigatory framework of cybercrime is as essential as the legal and institutional framework governing cybercrime. This article argues that an effective investigation process is fundamental to the effective prosecution of cybercrime offences. Cybercrime investigation involves digital forensics, intelligence gathering, lawful interception, and use of communication data and internet networks. At its core, cybercrime investigation necessitates a comprehensive cybercrime investigation framework backed by a legal framework that ensures effective evidence collection, preservation, and analysis. This article evaluates the cybercrime investigation structure in Nigeria and highlights the gaps in Nigeria’s regulatory framework. It identifies the challenges that hinder Nigeria’s successful investigation and prosecution of cybercrime offences. The study adopts a comparative methodology by juxtaposing cybercrime investigation in Nigeria with the law and practice in the United Kingdom (UK). The UK has a robust cybercrime investigation framework, strengthened by its Cyber Security Strategy 2022. The findings show that, unlike the UK’s Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, 2000 and the Investigatory Powers Act, 2016, the Nigerian Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2024, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and other laws, are silent on essential investigatory initiatives, steps and specialised powers. The study proposes a practical cybercrime investigation framework to implement Nigeria’s effective prosecution of cybercrime offences.
The 30% Gender Quota Law in Sierra Leone: A Game Changer for Women’s Access to Parliament?
Authors: Lihiru Victoria Melkisedeck
Published: August 2024

The June 2023 elections in Sierra Leone occurred against the backdrop of amendments to the Public Elections Act (pea), the enactment of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act (gewe), and a switch from the First Past the Post (fptp) electoral system to the Proportional Representation (pr) electoral system. For the first time in Sierra Leone’s history, law reforms, among other things, introduced a 30% gender quota rule for parliamentary and councillorship seats. After the 2023 elections, women won 41 out of the 135 elected parliamentary seats, increasing the percentage of women parliamentarians from 12.32% in the 2018 elections to 30.37%. Despite the increase, there have been concerns about the overall effectiveness of the gender quota rule in facilitating women’s access to parliamentary seats. The gender quota rule is set below 50%, is not accompanied by the candidates’ ranking order, does not apply in the election of 14 paramount chiefs, and operates within poor data desegregation of the candidates. This article highlights the required reforms to address the identified legal challenges to facilitate women’s equal access to representation in Sierra Leone’s Parliament.
Jane Addams and the Limits of Sympathy. Failures, Corrections, and Lessons to be Learned
Authors: Mattarollo Livio , Santarelli Matteo
Published: August 2024

Jane Addams takes sympathetic knowledge as a key concept for her moral and political philosophy. However, regarding the classical objections to sympathy as a foundation for morality and democracy, some theoretical remarks are still needed. In this article we aim at showing that the main problem is not due to the absence but to the qualitative import of sympathy in democratic societies. To achieve this goal, we firstly consider Addams’ idea of sympathetic knowledge in light of the influence of social evolutionary theorizing and her distinction between individual and social ethics. Secondly, we analyze the 1894 Pullman strike and the “newsboy” case, and we argue that failures in sympathy may be corrected by a horizontal process. As a result, we consider them not only as failures but mainly as lessons to be learned towards democracy as a rule of living.
L1 Attrition and Repair in Remnant Language Islands
Authors: Schreiber Henning
Published: August 2024

Sociolinguistically, isolation can be seen as a speech-community event which is commonly the result of migration, e.g., if speakers from a larger speech community migrate into a language island, leading to contact-induced variation. Another type of language island results from extensive language shift when a formerly larger language area shrinks to a remnant speech community, an enclave. The literature shows, however, that in both cases ethno-linguistic vitality is precarious, and that the impact of language contact is observable at all levels. Nevertheless, the question arises as to whether contact-induced variation is sociolinguistically distinct from variation in an enclave island. The paper describes the enregisterment of semi-speech and repair strategies similar to ‘L1 creolisation’ in an endangered Eastern Mande language, Kyanga, spoken on the border of Benin/Nigeria.
Stealthily Breaching Dikes and the Bare Sticks Substatute: Notes on Some Legal Aspects of River Hydraulics in Late Imperial China
Authors: Amelung Iwo
Published: August 2024

Human-induced breaches in the dikes of the major river systems were a common phenomenon in late imperial China. The article examines cases mainly related to the Yellow River and how these cases were dealt with on the basis of the legal code.

While the extensive coverage of such cases in legal documents is an important reminder of the high degree of attention that the state paid to hydraulic installations, the phenomenon also needs to be understood as an manifestation of societal conflicts resulting from the pressures of the demographic and environmental developments of China in the late imperial period.
Articulating the Pacific Economy: Chinese Mercury, American Silver, and Californian Sea Otters
Authors: Giráldez Arturo , Richard Analiese
Published: August 2024

Among Hans Ulrich Vogel’s important contributions to Chinese and world history has been his work on the outsized influence China exercised in the early history of globalization. In this brief article, we pay tribute to his careful research and deep insights by describing the interconnected circuits of exchange of three commodities – mercury, silver, and sea otter pelts – through which the early Pacific economy was articulated and transformed. Following Professor Vogel’s lead, we explain how the Chinese demand that drove these exchanges fueled competitive economic expansion of European powers in the Pacific, setting in motion political, social, ecological, and economic patterns whose influence endures into the present.
3. CBNRM and landscape approaches to conservation in Kunene Region, post-Independence
Authors: Lendelvo Selma , Sullivan Sian , Dieckmann Ute
Published: August 2024

We review how national post-Independence policy supporting Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) has played out in Etosha-Kunene, highlighting a new impetus towards a “landscape approach” for conservation in communal areas. Communal land immediately to the west of Etosha National Park is currently divided into a series of communal area conservancies, inhabited by pastoralist populations relying additionally on varying combinations of horticulture, gathering and hunting. A new donor-funding trend is now noticeable towards recognising how landscapes with conservation and livelihood value overlap these areas. In the 2000s a Kunene People’s Park was proposed to connect the Hobatere, Etendeka and Palmwag Tourism Concessions between Etosha Pan and the Skeleton Coast, although this was never formalised. In 2018 proposals for a ‘People’s Park’ were reignited with international support by conservation donors and the British royal family. Present proposals for an Ombonde People’s Park/Landscape currently comprised primarily of two conservancies on the western boundary of Etosha National Park are being implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism with support by multiple donors. We provide an overview of conservation changes in Etosha-Kunene for the three decades since Namibia’s Independence in 1990.
Machine Learning-Assisted Navigation of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Synthesis: A Meta Analysis
Authors: Karakus Ceyda Oksel
Published: August 2024

The past two decades have seen a significant increase in research on the use of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) for a wide range of biomedical applications. IONPs are safe, biocompatible and have increased surface areas that enhance their magnetic properties. The relationship between
their size and response to the applied magnetic field underpins the importance of optimizing synthesis conditions to achieve the desired biomedical performance. Unfortunately, aggregation and difficulties in controlling their size distribution hamper the development of IONPs-containing diagnostics
and therapeutics. Clearly, a better understanding of the extrinsic parameters affecting the size and magnetic properties of IONPs is needed. To address this paucity of information, I compiled a large dataset from the literature, and used machine learning to explore the relative contributions
of synthesis conditions to the magnetic properties of IONPs. I determined the contribution of each experimental parameter to magnetic properties using two machine learning algorithms, regression trees and an artificial neural network. I demonstrate that computer-assisted approaches hold considerable
promise for finding bespoke synthesis conditions to generate materials appropriate for specific biomedical applications.
Are Our Climate Data Fit for Your Purpose?
Authors: Dee Dick , Obregon André , Buontempo Carlo
Published: August 2024

This paper describes the vision and objectives for evaluation and quality control of datasets available on the Climate Data Store (CDS) of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The CDS is a cloud service providing reliable, open, and free access to climate datasets from many different sources, including observations and derived climate data records, global and regional reanalysis products, and output from global and regional climate models. CDS data and information are widely used to monitor climate change, for policy development, environmental impact studies, business plans, public awareness, and many other purposes. CDS users include policymakers, technical consultants, and data scientists who are climate literate but not necessarily specialized in climate science. A key objective for C3S is to simplify data discovery and access and to ensure that all information provided is fit for purpose. The role of evaluation and quality control is to generate useful statements about the technical and scientific quality of the datasets available on the CDS, presented in a form that can be mapped directly to user requirements associated with specific application contexts. The ambition is to enable users to select, locate, access, and process climate data that are fit for purpose, simply by expressing their requirements in their own words.
The Influence of Caribbean Current Eddies on Coastal Circulation in the Southwest Caribbean Sea
Authors: Kastner S. E. , Pawlak G. , Giddings S. N. , Adelson Anne E. , Collin R. , Davis K. A.
Published: August 2024

Westward-propagating Caribbean Current eddies modify the volume-integrated potential vorticity (PV) balance in the western Caribbean Sea, influencing the circulation of the Panamá–Colombia Gyre (PCG) and coastal currents hundreds of kilometers to the south of the eddies’ mean trajectory. Using 22 years of output from the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model, we apply a volume-integrated eddy phase-averaged 1.5-layer PV balance, showing that PV fluxes into the PCG region are balanced by frictional PV dissipation represented by linear drag along the coastline. Coastal currents in the PCG region vary by a factor of 2 in phase with the passage of a Caribbean Current eddy over the 116-day average eddy period. Flow separation at the Isthmus of Panamá results in a vortex shed from the Darien Gulf, which slows the coastal currents in the gyre region from their maximum during eddy events. An annual ensemble average PV balance in the gyre region shows that the mean PV influx to this region is higher from August to October. Correspondingly, the range of coastal currents in the gyre region over an eddy event is modestly influenced by the PV influx magnitude. Eddy-influenced reversals in the coastal current can occur between November and July at Bocas del Toro and year-round at Colón. Such coastal current reversals are important for the alongshore transport of larvae, freshwater, and chemical tracers.