bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proximity-induced anomalous topological superconductivity in an antiferromagnetic honeycomb-lattice
Authors: Qi Fenghua , Xiang Yuanyuan , Cao Jie , Jin Guojun
Published: February 2025

Topological superconductivity, generated in an engineered system with the proximity effect from an s-wave superconductor, usually requires the original sample to be a topological insulator. In this study, we propose a novel form of topological superconductivity in a honeycomb lattice arising from both antiferromagnetism (AFM) and s-wave superconductivity. Eventhough the honeycomb lattice with AFM is a normal insulator, the inherent topology of such a system is nontrivial. The topology of the system is determined by the relative values of the s-wave pairing potential and antiferromagnetic order. Notably, there are no chiral edge states at the open boundary if the engineered system is uniform everywhere, whether topologically trivial or not. However, when two parts with different topologies are brought together, two chiral edge states emerge at the topological phase boundary in the middle of the material. This challenges the bulk-edge correspondence observed in conventional topological materials. These chiral edge states are protected by valley symmetry and, owing to their Majorana fermion nature, can contribute to a half-integer quantized conductance.
Metasurface integrated dual polarized all textile antenna for WBAN application
Authors: Kheradiya Varsha , Pandey Ganga Prasad , Desai Arpan
Published: February 2025

This paper presents a dual-polarized textile antenna with an integrated polarization conversion metasurface (PCM) for Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) applications. The proposed quad-band antenna design achieves linear-to-circular polarization conversion at 1.9 GHz and 6.1 GHz through a 5 × 5 PCM, enabling enhanced circular polarization performance. The PCM unit cell comprises two square rings with plus-shaped metal strips constructed with copper polyester taffeta fabric (CPTF) on a flexible textile substrate, such as jeans. The antenna operates across four bands: GSM1900 (1.9 GHz), LTE (2.8 GHz), WLAN (5.2 GHz), and Wi-Fi 6E (6.1 GHz). Textile PCM antenna underwent theoretical evaluation, numerical optimization, and parametric investigation, resulting in a 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of 1.75–2.05 GHz (15%) and 5.97–6.28 GHz (5.3%), validated by measurements. The compact antenna design 0.45 λ
0 × 0.43 λ
0 × 0.0054 λ
0 mm3 is positioned above 15 mm PCM, which has a dimension of 0.63

λ

0

 × 0.63

λ

0

 × 0.11

λ

0

mm3. The antenna achieves a 95% gain increase at 6.1 GHz, a front-to-back ratio of up to 6.6 dB, and a substantial reduction in SAR levels (by 95%) due to the PCM’s effect when positioned 5 mm from the human body. The design’s robustness is demonstrated under bending conditions, with Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) analysis showing safety for WBAN use. Simultaneous linear and circular polarization, gain enhancement, improved front-to-back ratio, and reduced SAR impact make this antenna highly suitable for wearable applications.
ARE-QL: an enhanced Q-learning algorithm with optimized search for mobile robot path planning
Authors: Zhang Yunjie , Liu Yue , Chen Yadong , Yang Zhenjian
Published: February 2025

This paper addresses challenges in Q-learning for mobile robot path planning, specifically low learning efficiency and slow convergence. An ARE-QL algorithm with an optimized search range is proposed to address these issues. Firstly, the reward function of Q-learning is enhanced. A dynamic continuous reward mechanism, based on heuristic environmental information, is introduced to reduce the robot’s search space and improve learning efficiency. Secondly, integrating the pheromone mechanism from the ant colony algorithm introduces a pheromone-guided matrix and path filtering, optimizing the search range and accelerating convergence to the optimal path. Additionally, an adaptive exploration strategy based on state familiarity enhances the algorithm’s efficiency and robustness. Simulation results demonstrate that the ARE-QL algorithm outperforms standard Q-learning and other improved algorithms. It achieves faster convergence and higher path quality across various environmental complexities. The ARE-QL algorithm enhances path planning efficiency while demonstrating strong adaptability and robustness, providing new insights and solutions for mobile robot path planning research.
Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Study on Transition-Metal Kagome Materials
Authors: Yang Jiangang , Huang Jianwei , Zhao Lin , Zhou X. J.
Published: February 2025

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has become a cornerstone technique for elucidating the electronic structures of emergent quantum materials. Among these, kagome materials—distinguished by their two-dimensional lattice of corner-sharing triangles—provide a fertile ground for investigating exotic quantum phenomena, driven by geometric frustration, electronic correlation, and topology. In this review, we present a overview of recent ARPES studies on transition-metal kagome materials. We first outline the fundamental features of their electronic structure, including van Hove singularities (vHSs), Dirac points, and flat bands, and discuss the novel quantum states that arise from many-body interactions within the kagome lattice. We then highlight key ARPES investigations into these unique electronic structures, detailing their manifestation and associated quantum states in representative kagome materials. Finally, we offer a forward-looking perspective on the potential of ARPES to uncover new quantum phenomena and its broader implications for the study of underlying physics in kagome materials.
All-microwave CZ Gate Based on Fixed-Frequency Driven Coupler
Authors: Gao Wanpeng , He Xiaoliang , Niu Zhengqi , Bao Daqiang , Liu Kuang , Chen Junfeng , Wang Zhen , Lin Z. R.
Published: February 2025

High-quality entangling gates are crucial for scalable quantum information processing. Implementing all-microwave two-qubit gates on fixed-frequency transmons offers advantages in reducing wiring complexity, but gate performance is often limited due to residual ZZ interaction and frequency crowding problem. Here, we introduce a novel scheme that enables a microwave drive-activated CZ gate compatible with the coupler structure to suppress residual ZZ interaction. The microwave drive is applied on coupler and the microwave drive frequency remains far detuned from the system’s transition frequency to alleviate frequency crowding problem. We model the gate process analytically and demonstrate a theoretical gate fidelity up to 99.9% numerically. Our scheme is compatible with current coupler-structure-based circuits, and insensitive to microwave crosstalk, showing a possible path for all-microwave quantum operations at scale.
Acetylcholine-loaded nanoparticles protect against doxorubicin-induced toxicity in in vitro cardiac spheroids
Authors: Liu Chung Ming Clara , Patil Runali , Refaat Ahmed , Lal Sean , Wang Xiaowei , Gentile Carmine
Published: February 2025

Doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used in chemotherapy, yet it significantly contributes to heart failure-associated death. Acetylcholine (ACh) is cardioprotective by enhancing heart rate variability and reducing mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation. Nonetheless, the protective role of ACh in countering DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) remains underexplored as current approaches to increasing ACh levels are invasive and unsafe for patients. In this study, we explore the protective effects of ACh against DIC through three distinct ACh administration strategies: i) freely-suspended 100µM ACh; ii) ACh-producing cholinergic neurons (CNs); or iii) ACh-loaded nanoparticles (ACh-NPs). These are tested in in vitro cardiac spheroids (CSs), which have previously been shown to approximate the complex DIC. We assess ACh’s protective effects by measuring the toxicity ratio (cell death/viability), contractile activity, gene expression changes via qPCR and nitric oxide (NO) signaling. Our findings show that ACh effectively attenuates DOX-induced cell death and contractile dysfunction. ACh also counteracts the DOX-induced downregulation of genes controlling myocardial fibrosis, endothelial and cardiomyocyte dysfunction, and autonomic dysregulation. ACh cardioprotection against DOX is dependent on NO signaling in endothelial cells but not in cardiac myocytes or fibroblasts. Altogether, this study shows for the first time that elevating ACh levels showed a promising therapeutic approach for preventing DIC.
Computation in Chemical Graph Rewriting Networks
Authors: Flamm Christoph , Merkle Daniel , Stadler Peter F
Published: February 2025

Biological systems are frequently viewed as performing computations that are implemented by chemical transformations underlying the turn-over of their molecular components. In chemical reaction networks, computation may refer two at least two fundamentally different aspects: concentrations of molecules, and molecular structures. The latter can be captured by modeling chemical reactions as a rewriting system acting on structural formulae, i.e., labeled graphs. We investigate the computational power of double-pushout (DPO) graph rewriting restricted to chemical graphs and show that chemical graph rewriting is sufficient to emulate Turing machines and 2-tag systems on polymeric graphs that act as tapes. Moreover, we raise the question whether chemistry, modeled as DPO graph rewriting together with some additional form of chemical programs, may be computationally universal in the strong sense, i.e., capable of computing any computable function on chemical graphs.
Demanding Human Rights
Authors: Borum Caty , Conrad-Pérez David
Published: February 2025

Chapter 5, “Demanding Human Rights,” delves into the activities of documentary films, collaborative civil society networks, and community groups that are advocating for human rights around the world. A fundamental media function remains its ability to expose violations of human rights atrocities that take place in the shadows. Civil society organizations and activists come together in this pursuit to challenge governments and corporate actors who are subverting these processes and voices (and who pose a direct threat to justice and human rights in doing so). In 2019, Amnesty International’s groundbreaking report revealed the mechanisms and uptick in actions by which civil society and human rights defenders are harassed, surveilled, attacked, and arrested—a global trend, not reserved for dictatorships alone. In this increasingly hostile climate, this chapter presents several documentary projects and teams working to uphold human rights and to cast a bright light on the long-term implications wrought when these rights are abused, through films that include Hooligan Sparrow (China), One Child Nation (China), Welcome to Chechnya (Russia), Uyra, The Rising Forest (Brazil), and He Named Me Malala (United States).
Demonstrating Activism
Authors: Borum Caty , Conrad-Pérez David
Published: February 2025

Chapter 6, “Demonstrating Activism,” lifts up the work of activists—individual people who find themselves in extraordinary times, called or forced to stand up against injustice and fight for their families and communities. In nearly every juncture in global history where justice and equity are expanded, we see the work of activists as they create networks and inspire others, changing political systems along the way, for better or worse. This chapter examines why activism matters in a global context, and it unpackages the inside machinations and influence of documentaries that show activism at work, through films that include Thank You for the Rain (Kenya), Delikado (Philippines), The Territory (Brazil), And She Could Be Next (United States), and I Am Samuel (Kenya).
The ‘American Negro’ and the White Atlantic
Authors: Tischler Julia
Published: February 2025

Chapter 4 argues that the NAD’s policy of what it called agricultural segregation had not been formed in isolation but through multiple transnational exchanges between experts, missionaries, philanthropists, and administrators. Unlike apartheid in the second half of the century, segregation policy did not stand out as exceptional in its international context. In particular, white South African officials and reformers looked to the Jim Crow US South for inspiration on how to deal with the ‘race question’, adopting and adapting approaches in which agriculture played a central role. South African rural reformers, enlisting the collaboration of American philanthropists and social scientists, ‘whitewashed’ the philosophy of the Tuskegee Institute to transform it into an oppressive pedagogy of inferior education. This model of ‘adapted education’ was decidedly not about the attainment of so-called civilized standards but rather served to limit Africans’ physical and social mobility for the sake of segregation.
The State of Planning
Authors: Tischler Julia
Published: February 2025

Chapter 8 discusses the ways in which, from the 1920s, agricultural education became increasingly framed in national terms after the Union Department of Agriculture began usurping functions that had previously been fulfilled by the provincial agricultural colleges. Spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture’s new Division for Agricultural Education and Extension, state-led agricultural research and education for white rural men and boys expanded rapidly. South African administrators studied examples from the United Kingdom, Europe, and especially the United States to devise a centralized and systematic approach to agricultural education, echoing how national governments elsewhere were intervening much more heavily in farming due to food shortages, droughts, and the Great Depression. At the same time, the Department of Agriculture remained far from representing the omniscient, dirigiste state institution about which its leaders fantasized, and continued to depend on leading farmers’ collaboration. In addition, it stumbled over its dual mission to assist market-oriented, modernizing farmers at the same time as tying struggling white producers to the land. Resulting rural social engineering efforts, including irrigation settlements, vocational training, and school gardens, were inspired by American back-to-the-land ideologies, which South African authorities combined with a desire to stop the ‘blackening’ of the countryside. While rural education became enmeshed in practices of classifying and controlling the poor, the latter especially resisted those measures that were aimed at creating a class of skilled rural labourers rather than encouraging independent farming.
The logic of barter trade: Rational choice and constitutional economics
Authors: Steinbach Armin
Published: February 2025

With states pursuing self-interests through cooperation, the process of EU supranationalization can be understood as trading ‘jurisdiction’, defined as the allocation of authority or the institutionalized exercise of power. EU states enter a market where the exercise of authority or its renunciation are traded. This leads states to relinquish autonomy in some areas (and craft corresponding authority to EU institutions) while obtaining expected benefits in return. With reciprocal concessions in these trades not always leading to gains for all Member States on every occasion, constitutional economics offers a rationale as to why states nevertheless accept suitable constraints on their behavioural choices that stabilize expectations and produce benefits over time.
Why cooperation fails
Authors: Steinbach Armin
Published: February 2025

Failure in EU cooperation remains ubiquitous, for example when EU primary law is not respected or when EU members fail to adopt secondary law. With rational choice as standard explanation, ‘self-help’ payoff can be higher than the ‘cooperation’ payoff, a phenomenon well-known in international law. Heterogenous distributional effects as the outcome of EU cooperation solutions add difficulty in reaching cooperation. From an individual EU member’s perspective, transaction costs analysis rationalizes cooperation failure, with for instance salient sovereignty or negotiation costs outweighing cooperation gains, or due to high enforcement costs where the Commission and ECJ hold limited surveillance power. Moving from unanimity to qualified majority reduces veto positions and cooperation on the level of secondary law. With the EU’s vast scope of policy fields offering lots of leeway for compensation solutions, issue linkages may generate new opportunities for mutually beneficial arrangements. Domestic politics constraints determine possible equilibria, especially when domestic political welfare (based on the public choice approach) deviates from actual welfare.
Syntax of Brazilian Sign Language
Authors: Müller de Quadros Ronice , Royer Miriam
Published: February 2025

This article examines the syntactic structure of Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), focusing on word order and the role of different verb types. The study combines formal and functional theoretical perspectives, supported by empirical data, based on Libras Corpus. It confirms that Libras primarily follows a Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) word order under unmarked conditions, although variations like Subject–Object–Verb can occur. These variations often arise due to grammatical mechanisms, such as topicalization, focus constructions, and using non-manual markers like facial expressions.

A significant finding of the study is the distinction between plain and non-plain verbs. Plain verbs lack agreement features and do not show inflection with subjects or objects, whereas non-plain verbs, including agreement and spatial verbs, incorporate agreement features related to person, number, or location. This distinction affects the syntactic structure of Libras, allowing non-plain verbs greater flexibility in word order and enabling negation to occur in preverbal positions, which is not possible with plain verbs.

Corpus-based analysis reinforces these observations, showing that natural, spontaneous signing tends to adhere to SVO word order, with variations marked by specific non-manual cues and syntactic mechanisms. Using both manual and non-manual elements is crucial in constructing meaning and conveying different levels of emphasis or background information within sentences. Complex syntactic units, including those with coordination and subordination, are managed through these markers, showcasing the syntactic richness of Libras.

The study highlights the importance of further research into the syntax of Libras, especially in the context of bilingualism, as many signers also use Portuguese. This bilingual context may influence syntactic choices and word order in Libras, suggesting that syntax is shaped by both linguistic and sociolinguistic factors. Future research should continue to explore these dynamics to deepen the understanding of the complexities and adaptability of sign languages, contributing to the broader knowledge of human language.
Artificial intelligence model for perigastric blood vessel recognition during laparoscopic radical gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy in locally advanced gastric cancer
Authors: Chen Guanjian , Xie Yequan , Yang Bin , Tan JiaNan , Zhong Guangyu , Zhong Lin , Zhou Shengning , Han Fanghai
Published: February 2025

Background

Radical gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy is standard surgical protocol for locally advanced gastric cancer. The surgical experience and skill in recognizing blood vessels and performing lymph node dissection differ between surgeons, which may influence intraoperative safety and postoperative oncological outcomes. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop an accurate and real-time deep learning-based perigastric blood vessel recognition model to assist intraoperative performance.

Methods

This was a retrospective study assessing videos of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy. The model was developed based on DeepLabv3+. Static performance was evaluated using precision, recall, intersection over union, and F1 score. Dynamic performance was verified using 15 intraoperative videos.

Results

The study involved 2460 images captured from 116 videos. Mean(s.d.) precision, recall, intersection over union, and F1 score for the artery were 0.9442(0.0059), 0.9099(0.0163), 0.8635(0.0146), and 0.9267(0.0084) respectively. Mean(s.d.) precision, recall, intersection over union, and F1 score for the vein were 0.9349(0.0064), 0.8491(0.0259), 0.8015(0.0206), and 0.8897(0.0127) respectively. The model also performed well in recognizing perigastric blood vessels in 15 dynamic test videos. Intersection over union and F1 score in difficult image conditions, such as bleeding or massive surgical smoke in the field of view, were reduced, while images from obese patients resulted in satisfactory vessel recognition.

Conclusion

The model recognized the perigastric blood vessels with satisfactory predictive value in the test set and performed well in the dynamic videos. It therefore shows promise with regard to increasing safety and decreasing accidental bleeding during laparoscopic gastrectomy.
Low β predicts motor output and cell degeneration in the A53T Parkinson's disease rat model
Authors: Hofman Katarina , Chen Jia Zhi , Sil Tanmoy , Pellegrini Franziska , Haufe Stefan , Pozzi Nicolo , Palmisano Chiara , Isaias Ioannis , Koprich James B , Brotchie Jonathan M , Kühn Andrea A , Matthies Cordula , Reich Martin M , Muthuraman Muthuraman , Volkmann Jens , Ip Chi Wang
Published: February 2025

Elevated beta (β; 13-30 Hz) synchronization within the subthalamic nucleus (STN) characterizes bradykinesia in Parkinson’s disease (PD). β oscillations may serve as biomarkers for off-period motor symptoms and control signals for adaptive, closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS) in PD. However, their relation to striatal dopaminergic denervation and PD progression remains uncertain. Research on β oscillations is limited to advanced PD stages undergoing DBS, prohibiting insights into early-stage progression and compensatory mechanisms. We therefore investigated β dynamics, correlation with motor performance, and nigrostriatal neurodegeneration in a progressive PD rat model overexpressing AAV1/2-A53T α-synuclein, mimicking PD pathology.

Over eight weeks, we longitudinally conducted behavioral assessments using the cylinder test and recorded local field potentials (LFP) from the STN and motor cortex (MCx) in the AAV-A53T-αSyn PD rat model.

Increased β power and burst parameters accompanied early motor deficits in the AAV-A53T-αSyn PD rat model. Changes were observed in the STN and MCx versus empty vector controls; alterations intensified with pathology progression. Increased high β power and burst parameters (e.g. long burst probability in the STN but not MCx) were associated with motor impairment and nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Multivariate analyses from these rat-derived data demonstrated that combined β parameters in the cortico-subthalamic pathway and striatal dopaminergic fiber density predicted motor performance and neurodegeneration. Additional multivariate analyses confirmed the translational relevance of the A53T PD model, linking β activity and dopamine uptake to motor impairment (UPDRS III Med-OFF) in human PD patients. Our data support the pathophysiological significance of β oscillations as a progression marker of PD for motor symptoms and neurodegeneration. Our predictive models carry translational relevance, with the prospect of monitoring disease progression and neuroprotective outcomes in PD based on LFP recordings.
Cardiomyocyte SORBS2 expression increases in heart failure and regulates integrin interactions and extracellular matrix composition
Authors: Timmer Louk T , den Hertog Elvira , Versteeg Danielle , Post Harm , Verdonschot Job A J , Monshouwer-Kloots Jantine , Kyriakopoulou Eirini , Perini Ilaria , Koopmans Tim , van der Kraak Petra , Zentilin Lorena , Heymans Stephane R B , Vink Aryan , Giacca Mauro , Heck Albert J R , van Rooij Eva
Published: February 2025

Aims

In this study, we aimed to uncover genes associated with stressed cardiomyocytes by combining single-cell transcriptomic datasets from failing cardiac tissue from both humans and mice

Methods and results

Our bioinformatic analysis identified SORBS2 as conserved NPPA correlated gene. Using mouse models and cardiac tissue from human heart failure patients, we demonstrated that SORBS2 expression is consistently increased during pathological remodeling, correlates to disease severity and is regulated by GATA4. By affinity-purification mass-spectrometry, we showed SORBS2 to interact with the integrin-cytoskeleton connections. Cardiomyocyte-specific genetic loss of Sorbs2 in adult mice changed integrin interactions, indicated by the increased expression of several integrins and altered extracellular matrix components connecting to these integrins, leading to an exacerbated fibrotic response during pathological remodeling.

Conclusions

Sorbs2 is a cardiomyocyte-enriched gene that is increased during progression to heart failure in a GATA4-dependent manner and correlates to phenotypical hallmarks of cardiac failure.

Our data indicate SORBS2 to function as a crucial regulator of integrin interactions and cardiac fibrosis.
Residential exposome and the risk of coronary obstruction and myocardial ischemia detected by coronary computed tomography
Authors: De Potter Tom , Motoc Andreea , Verachtert Els , Hooyberghs Hans , Tanaka Kaoru , Belsack Dries , De Cock Diederik , Fierens Frans , Tsugu Toshimitsu , Nawrot Tim , Claeys Marc , Cosyns Bernard , Argacha Jean-François
Published: February 2025

Background and Aims

To assess independent impacts of air and noise pollution, and residential green exposure on non-invasively derived coronary obstruction and myocardial ischemia.

Methods

Consecutive patients screened by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for stable chest pain between 01/01/2019 and 31/12/2020 were included in a registry. Exposure associations between residential PM2.5 (particulate matter <2.5 micrometres), NO2 (nitric dioxide), major road distance, airport distance and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and obstructive coronary artery disease (OCAD, stenosis ≥50%) and abnormal fractional flow reserve (FFRCT<80%) measurement were assessed by propensity score-adjusted logistic regression. Subgroup analysis was performed according to Framingham low (<10%) and high (>20%) 10-year coronary heart disease risk categories.

Results

2620 patients were enrolled, including 420(16%) FFRCT analyses. OCAD was reported in 518(20%) patients and abnormal FFRCT in 276(11%). People with OCAD lived closer to the airport (10.841 [7.869-19.022]km vs. 12.297 [8.691-22.843]km, p<0.001). People living closer to the airport had more cardiovascular and socio-economic risk factors. Distance to airport decreased OCAD risk (OR 0.983, 95%CI 0.974-0.992, per 1km) in univariable analysis. After propensity score (PS) adjustment, environmental stressors were not significantly associated with OCAD, regardless of risk categories. Only distance to major road decreased abnormal FFRCT risk (OR 0.634, 95%CI: 0.421-0.926, per 1km) in high-risk patients after PS adjustment.

Conclusions

We found no clear environmental associations with CT-derived coronary obstruction or ischemia. However, airport proximity was linked to OCAD risk via cardiovascular and socio-economic factors, while major road proximity was independently associated with myocardial ischemia in high-CV-risk patients, warranting further investigation.
A Model to Identify Gray Zone Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Requiring Antiviral Therapy: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
Authors: Yang Xue-Yan , Li Xi-Dong , Wu Bai-Yun , Yang Qiao , Zheng Yu-Bao , Zheng Ming-Hua , Wu Yin-Ping , Ma Hang-Yu , Zuo Jing , Jia Ruo-Xi , Yu Yue , Xu Ling-Yun , Tian Yu-Xin , An Qi , Zhang Tao , He Ying-Li , Shi Yu , Fan Yu-Chen
Published: February 2025

Background

Individuals who do not match any specific immune stage of chronic hepatitis B are classified into the gray zone, and appropriate management for these patients remains unclear. This study aimed to develop and validate a noninvasive model to identify gray zone patients requiring antiviral therapy (AVT).

Methods

We retrospectively collected data on 200 gray zone patients not requiring AVT, according to assessment by noninvasive parameters from 2010 to 2023 in 6 hospitals, and randomized them into development (n = 140) and validation (n = 60) cohorts. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify independent variables for establishing a nomogram to predict the probability of requiring AVT by liver biopsy.

Results

Seventy-eight patients (n = 39%) were identified as requiring AVT. The following were identified as independent variables for constructing the nomogram: age (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01–1.11), alanine aminotransferase (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.08–5.59), lymphocyte percentage (OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 1.23–33.64), platelet count (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, .98–1.00), and international normalized ratio (per 0.01) (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, .98–.1.00). These variables showed good discriminability based on the development data set (area under the curve, 0.755) and validation data set (area under the curve, 0.707), calibration, and clinical applicability.

Conclusions

Gray zone patients requiring AVT should be identified, and the model developed here is a promising tool.

Clinical trials registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06041022.
Application of nDATA Workflow for Semi-Quantitative Screening of 1094 Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables Using UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap Full MS/vDIA
Authors: Wang Jian , Chow Willis , Wong Jon W
Published: February 2025

Background

Cost-effective multi-residue pesticide methods with a broad detection scope are desired for risk-based monitoring programs.

Objective

The aim was to evaluate the nDATA (non-target Data Acquisition for Target Analysis) workflow using UHPLC/ESI quadrupole-Orbitrap (Q-Orbitrap) mass spectrometry and semi-quantitate 1094 pesticides in fruits and vegetables.

Methods

Pesticide extracts from fresh produce were prepared using the QuEChERS procedure. nDATA was carried out by utilizing UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap Full MS scan and variable data independent acquisition (vDIA). Data were processed using a Compound Database (CDB, 1094 pesticides) and one-point standard calibration with internal standards for semi-quantitation. Data processing criteria were based on retention time (± 0.5 min) and mass accuracy of a precursor ion (± 5 ppm) (RTP by full MS), or retention time (± 0.5 min) and mass accuracy of a precursor ion (± 5 ppm) and that of its fragment ion (± 10 ppm) (RTFI by full MS/vDIA).

Results

RTP found 1010 and 1094 pesticides, while RTFI identified 906 and 1029 pesticides at 10 and 100 μg/kg, respectively. RTF detected all 30 LC-amenable pesticides and RTFI identified 29 of 30 LC-amenable pesticides in eight proficiency testing samples. There were 42 pairs of co-eluting isomeric pesticides and five pairs of isobaric pesticides that were not separated by mass resolving power and/or chromatographic separation (ΔtR < 0.12 min) with the current instrument parameter settings.

Conclusions

The validated nDATA workflow using UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap Full MS/vDIA proved to be a comprehensive detection method for semi-quantitative screening of 1094 pesticides in fruits and vegetables.

Highlights

nDATA combines both non-target data acquisition and target analysis. The non-target data acquisition generates data for retrospective analysis of a large number (over one thousand) of pesticides. The target analysis using a compound database (CDB) and a one-point standard calibration affords confidence in semi-quantitative screening results.
Maternal supplementation with α-tocopherol inhibits the development of offspring food allergy, H1R signaling and ultimately anaphylaxis early in life
Authors: Kosins Allison E , Gao Haoran , Blankenship Ross L , Emmerson Lauren N , Ochoa Joel A , Cook-Mills Joan M
Published: February 2025

Food allergy has had a rapid rise in prevalence, and thus it is important to identify approaches to limit the development of food allergy early in life. Because maternal dietary supplementation with α-tocopherol (α-T), an isoform of vitamin E, during pregnancy and nursing increases neonate plasma levels of α-T and can limit neonate development of other allergies, we hypothesized that α-T can limit development of food allergy. To assess this, male mice with mutations in their skin barrier genes (FT−/− mice) were mated with wild-type females that received a diet supplemented with α-tocopherol or a control diet. Starting at postnatal day 3, these FT+/− pups were sensitized 4 to 5 times over 2.5 weeks by skin co-exposure to the food allergen peanut extract (PNE) and the environmental allergen Alternaria alternata (Alt). Control pups were exposed to saline, PNE only or Alt only. Supplementation with α-T blocked Alt+PNE sensitization (anti-PNE-specific IgE), without blocking Alt+PNE-stimulated skin IL33, Areg, OSM, CCL11, TSLP or plasma MCPT1. However, supplementation with α-T blocked mast cell activation, the increase in plasma histamine in Alt+PNE sensitized pups, histamine receptor stimulation of endothelial PKCα signaling, and ultimately oral PNE-induced anaphylaxis in Alt+PNE sensitized mice. Thus, maternal supplementation with α-tocopherol reduced development of food allergy and anaphylaxis in neonates. These results have implications for supplementation of mothers with α-tocopherol to limit development of food allergy in neonates with skin barrier mutations.
MIGHTEE: exploring the relationship between spectral index, redshift, and radio luminosity
Authors: Pinjarkar Siddhant , Hardcastle Martin J , Lal Dharam V , Smith Daniel J B , Afonso José , Barbosa Davi , Hale Catherine L , Jarvis Matt J , Kolwa Sthabile , Murphy Eric , Vaccari Mattia , Whittam Imogen H
Published: February 2025

It has been known for many years that there is an apparent trend for the spectral index ($\alpha$) of radio sources to steepen with redshift z, which has led to attempts to select high-redshift objects by searching for radio sources with steep spectra. In this study, we use data from the MeerKAT, Low Frequency Array survey, Giant Metre-wave Radio Telescope survey (GMRT), and uGMRT telescopes, particularly using the MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) and superMIGHTEE surveys, to select compact sources over a wide range of redshifts and luminosities. We investigate the relationship between spectral index, luminosity and redshift and compare our results to those of previous studies. Although there is a correlation between $\alpha$ and z in our sample for some combinations of frequency where good data are available, there is a clear offset between the $\alpha$–z relations in our sample and those derived previously from samples of more luminous objects; in other words, the $\alpha$–z relation is different for low and high-luminosity sources. The relationships between $\alpha$ and luminosity are also weak in our sample but in general the most luminous sources are steeper-spectrum and this trend is extended by samples from previous studies. In detail, we argue that both a $\alpha$–luminosity relation and an $\alpha$–z relation can be found in the data, but it is the former that drives the apparent $\alpha$–z relation observed in earlier work, which only appears because of the strong redshift–luminosity relation in bright, flux density-limited samples. Steep-spectrum selection should be applied with caution in searching for high-z sources in future deep surveys.
Contemporaneous optical-radio observations of a fast radio burst in a close galaxy pair
Authors: Hanmer K Y , Pastor-Marazuela I , Brink J , Malesani D , Stappers B W , Groot P J , Cooper A J , Tejos N , Buckley D A H , Barr E D , Bezuidenhout M C , Bloemen S , Caleb M , Driessen L N , Fender R , Jankowski F , Kramer M , Pieterse D L A , Rajwade K M , Tian J , Vreeswijk P M , Wijnands R , Woudt P A
Published: February 2025

We present the MeerKAT discovery and MeerLICHT contemporaneous optical observations of the Fast Radio Burst (FRB) 20230808F, which was found to have a dispersion measure of DM = 653.2 ± 0.4 pc cm−3. FRB 20230808F has a scattering timescale τs = 3.1 ± 0.1 ms at 1563.6 MHz, a rotation measure RM = 169.4 ± 0.2 rad m−2, and a radio fluence Fradio = 1.72 ± 0.01 Jy ms. We find no optical counterpart in the time immediately after the FRB, nor in the three months after the FRB during which we continued to monitor the field of the FRB. We set an optical upper flux limit in MeerLICHT’s q-band of 11.7 μJy for a 60 s exposure which started ∼3.4 s after the burst, which corresponds to an optical fluence, Fopt, of 0.039 Jy ms on a timescale of ∼3.4 s. We obtain an estimate for the q −band luminosity limit of vLv ∼ 1.3 × 1043 erg s−1. We localise the burst to a close galaxy pair at a redshift of zspec = 0.3472 ± 0.0002. Our time delay of ∼3.4 s between the FRB arrival time and the start of our optical exposure is the shortest ever for an as yet non-repeating FRB, and hence the closest to simultaneous optical follow-up that exists for such an FRB.
Angry Politics: Populism and the Erosion of Political Support during Hard Times
Authors: Auer Daniel , Freitag Markus
Published: February 2025

We argue that threat-induced anger is not a universal driver of populist attitudes and waning political support. Instead, we hypothesize that anger erodes democracy-relevant political attitudes only when a threat affects citizens’ norms and only when blame for said threat is attributed to the domestic political system. We corroborate our hypotheses using data from a unique survey experiment conducted in Germany in 2022, in which we vary the level of responsibility attribution and threat noxiousness by exposing respondents to different threats that were salient during the field phase. The results indicate that citizens differentiate whom they hold accountable, such that it is not necessarily the quality of the threat but the quality of the political response to the threat that determines the future of democracy.
Identifying public transit deserts: A travel demand-independent persistent homology-based method
Authors: Carmody Daniel , Zhu Ophelia , He Zhengbing , Santi Paolo , Ratti Carlo
Published: February 2025

To identify time-space locations where public transit infrastructure fails to provide a reliable and timely alternative to private vehicles, this paper proposes a new travel demand-independent persistent homology-based method to locate and rank the severity of modal travel desert. Persistent homology, which is a tool from algebraic topology, is incorporated and the severity of a transit desert is measured as a trade-off between its proximity to existing transit infrastructure and the travel time required to travel through it. The proposed method highlights entire regions of cities that are bereft of suitable public transit, providing reasonable estimates even in the absence of travel demand data. This paper presents the techniques and software tools used to study the Stockholm public transit network. The proposed method is potentially useful for city planners to consider the trade-off between how severe a bottleneck is and how difficult the bottleneck is to fix.
Morphometric analysis of foot arches and determining their effect on speed and dynamic stability among 18- to 24-year-old women
Authors: Alla Deekshitha , Mugada Hema Radhika , Muneesh Seepana , Alla Sai Santhosha Mrudula , Anjali Ramba Govardhana , Shah Dhruv Jayeshkumar , Das Arghadip , Marepalli Nitheesha Reddy , Rathod Urvashi , Bayeh Ruth Getaneh
Published: February 2025

Objective:

To evaluate the incidence of flat feet among young individuals and understand the advantages of subjects with high-arched feet in athletic performance and balance compared to subjects with low and neutral-arched feet.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 young females aged 18–25. Footprints of the subjects were taken, and the arch index was calculated using Staheli’s arch index and the Chippaux–Smirak index. Based on the value of the arch index, the subjects were divided into group A (low-arch), group B (normal-arch), and group C (high-arch). 40-yard dash test, vertical jump test, and star excursion balance test were conducted to assess the speed and balance of individuals.

Results:

The prevalence of low-arched feet, normal-arched feet, and high-arched feet was found to be 11%, 78%, and 12%, respectively. The mean weight of low-arched individuals was found to be greater than the other two groups (P < 0.001). On comparing the mean values of the three groups, scores were significantly improved in high-arched subjects in the three tests (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Thus, it can be concluded that high-arched individuals show improved speed and dynamic balance and individuals with increased body weight are more prone to flat feet.
Elective Versus Corrective Cochlear Implant Revision Surgery of Legacy Internal Devices
Authors: O’Rourke Samuel P. , Dillon Margaret T. , Scharf Samantha P. , Overton Andrea B. , Dedmon Matthew M.
Published: February 2025

Objective

To assess the time course of speech recognition restoration for recipients of legacy devices who underwent cochlear implant revision (CIR) surgery in the presence or absence of device failure.

Study Design

Retrospective review.

Setting

Tertiary academic referral center.

Patients

Forty-four adult recipients of a first- or second-generation internal device who underwent CIR surgery.

Interventions

Cases were categorized by whether the CIR surgery was elective (n = 18) or corrective due to a hard (n = 7) or soft (n = 19) failure.

Main Outcome Measures

Aided consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) word recognition scores were queried for the following visits: best performance pre-CIR and 3, 6, and 12 months post-CIR. A linear mixed effects model evaluated the main effects of visit, CIR category, and age at CIR surgery, and the interaction of interval and revision category on CNC scores.

Results

Limited surgical challenges were reported (n = 4), which included one case of incomplete insertion of the new device. Post-CIR CNC scores were similar to the best pre-CIR scores by 6 months post-CIR (p = 0.055). There was a significant effect of age (p = 0.006), with better performance observed for younger adults. The time course of speech recognition restoration post-CIR did not differ significantly for cases of corrective CIR due to hard or soft failures or elective CIR (F
(2,40) = 0.08, p = 0.923).

Conclusions

Legacy CI users who undergo corrective or elective CIR may experience a similar time course in restoration of speech recognition post-CIR. Legacy device recipients considering elective CIR to access technology upgrades should be counseled on the associated potential risks and benefits.
Antibiotics Use Practices in Otology Procedures: A Nationwide Survey Study
Authors: Marouf Azmi , Konda Samya , Warren De'Andre , Cabrera Claudia I. , Mowry Sarah , Rivas Alejandro , Semaan Maroun , Killeen Daniel E.
Published: February 2025

Objective

To assess practice patterns regarding antibiotics prophylaxis in otologic surgery in the United States.

Study Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Tertiary care center.

Subjects

Members of American Neurotology Society (ANS).

Intervention

Nationwide survey.

Main Outcome Measures

Prevalence of antibiotic prescribing among surgeons performing the following six ear surgical procedures: cochlear implantation, tympanoplasty with a clean ear, tympanoplasty with active drainage, cholesteatoma surgery without evidence of infection, cholesteatoma surgery with evidence of infection, and stapedectomy.

Results

Seventy-three surgeons completed the survey (15.21% response rate). Twenty-seven percent had more than 25 years in experience, and 18% had 0 to 5 years of experience. Antibiotic prescribing practices varied by procedure: cochlear implantation (64.4%, median 5 d), tympanoplasty (clean ear: 23.3%, median 5 d; active drainage: 53.4%, median 7 d), cholesteatoma surgery (no infection: 30.1%, median 7 d; with infection: 58.9%, median 7 d), and stapedectomy (34.2%, mean 5 d). Cephalosporins were preferred for noninfected procedures, whereas amoxicillin dominated for active infections.

Conclusions

Prophylactic oral antibiotics varies for ear surgery, with higher usage for procedures with active infection and a preference for cephalosporins in noninfected cases. These findings underscore the need for the development and dissemination of standardized, evidence-based recommendations.
Loss of a morph is associated with asymmetric character release in a radiation of woodland salamanders
Authors: Waldron Brian P. , Hantak Maggie M. , Watts Emily F. , Uyeda Josef C. , Lemmon Alan R. , Lemmon Emily Moriarty , Guralnick Robert P. , Blackburn David C. , Kuchta Shawn R.
Published: February 2025

Color polymorphism, the occurrence of multiple discrete color morphs with co-adapted sets of traits within the same population, may provide the raw materials for rapid species formation. It has been hypothesized that fixation of a single morph can result in character release, whereby the monomorphic form evolves without the constraint of accommodating multiple adaptive peaks. However, the rates of evolution between populations fixed for different morphs likely depend on the specific adaptive zones occupied by each morph. We studied the evolution of dorsal color polymorphism (striped and unstriped morphs) in woodland salamanders (Plethodon), a North American radiation in which the polymorphism can be found in even the most distantly related species (∼44 Ma divergence). We estimated a phylogenomic tree ofPlethodon, representing all extant taxa with multiple samples for most species. Morphometric data suggest that between-species variation exists predominantly along an axis of relative body elongation, likely corresponding to a terrestrial–fossorial continuum. Polymorphic species occupy an intermediate phenotypic space between the evolutionary optima of striped and unstriped species, although polymorphic species did not have elevated speciation rates. Faster rates of body shape evolution were observed in unstriped species, suggesting that body elongation, which is co-adapted with the unstriped morph, is constrained by the polymorphism. Striped species had slower rates of evolution than polymorphic species, despite lacking the genetic constraints often associated with polymorphism. Our results demonstrate that rates of phenotypic evolution and speciation following character release can be asymmetric and idiosyncratic depending on the alternative adaptations of each morph.