bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soil microbial communities in dry and moist tropical forests exhibit distinct shifts in community composition but not diversity with succession
Authors: Saltonstall Kristin , van Breugel Michiel , Navia Wayra , Castillo Hilda , Hall Jefferson S.
Published: February 2025

Soil microbial communities are integral to ecosystem function but our understanding of how they respond to secondary succession in fragmented landscapes is limited, particularly in tropical dry forests. We used DNA metabarcoding to evaluate successional changes in soil bacteria and fungi, comparing land managed for cattle, young, and older secondary forests at moist and dry sites in the Republic of Panama. We highlight key functional groups of microbes that interact with plants, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and plant pathogenic fungi. Plant diversity was higher at the moist site and increased with succession as the plant communities changed at both sites. By contrast, bacterial diversity was similar across sites and successional stages, and while overall fungal diversity was higher at the moist site, it also showed no changes with succession at either site. However, microbial community composition did change, with pastures and older forests having distinct bacterial and fungal communities and young secondary forests often displaying transitional ones. Functional groups of microbes showed contrasting patterns between sites, with the dry forest having a higher diversity of Nitrogen-fixing bacteria despite lower densities of legumes, higher diversity and different communities of AMF, and a much lower incidence of putative fungal plant pathogens than the moist site. Our findings highlight the importance of looking at aboveground and belowground effects together and demonstrate that predictions generated for soil microbes in moist tropical forests may not apply to dry forests. These results may also inform the restoration of climate-resilient forests.

IMPORTANCE

Secondary forests are important components of neotropical landscapes and soil microbes help to shape these forests and the ecosystem services that they provide. This study demonstrates that soil microbial communities in moist and dry tropical forests can recover and reassemble after only 20 years of natural succession following the removal of cattle. However, successional patterns that are seen in the plant community are not always seen belowground. These patterns were more predictable at the moist than the dry site where the patchiness of the landscape likely restricts dispersal of both plants and soil microbes. We highlight the importance of preserving remaining tropical dry forests as they host unique microbial biodiversity that may help forests respond to drought conditions. As community shifts in soil microbes influence plant establishment, forest productivity, and other aspects of ecosystem functioning during the succession of tropical forest communities, our results can inform the restoration of climate-resilient forests.
Discordance in genotypic and phenotypic drug susceptibility results: time to reconsider critical concentration of rifampicin
Authors: Shrivas Arti , Singh Sarman , Singh Jitendra , Shankar Prem , Soni Payal , Rufai Syed Beenish , Maurya Anand , Purwar Shashank
Published: February 2025

The objective of this study is to correlate
rpoB
mutations found on the new-generation sequencing (NGS) in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(MTB) isolates with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to the rifampicin (RIF). We assessed the minimum inhibitory concentrations for 151 archived clinical MTB isolates that were determined phenotypically susceptible to RIF (101; 66.89%), and the remaining 50 (50; 33.11%) were resistant to RIF by BACTEC MGIT SIRE DST. MIC values were determined using the colorimetric redox indicator (Resazurin/REMA) method, and results were correlated with
rpoB
gene mutations associated with rifampicin resistance found. Comparing the MIC and critical concentration, we found that 15 of these 101 (14.85%) isolates were misclassified by MGIT-960 as sensitive at standard critical concentration (1.0 µg/mL) though these were found to have low-level RIF resistance by CRI assay (MIC 0.50 to 1.0µg/mL) and NGS. We found that all 15 isolates contained non-synonymous mutations, the commonest being the
Ile572Phe
(7, 46.66%), followed by
Leu533Pro
(3, 20.0%),
His526Leu
(2, 13.33%),
His526Asn+Ile572
Phe (1),
Asp516Tyr
(1), and
Leu533Pro+Pro564
Arg (1). These mutations are reported to confer low-level RIF resistance. But we did not find any mutation at MIC ≤0.25 µg/mL. We found that a significant number of MTB isolates have phenotypic and genotypic discordance. Taking 1.0 µg/mL of rifampicin as a critical concentration, isolates from approximately 15% of patients are misidentified as susceptible to rifampicin, even when these strains carry low-level drug resistance-conferring mutations and have the potential to develop clinical multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

IMPORTANCE

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, killing millions every year. The emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB forms poses a challenge to the TB control programs. In the past few decades, several molecular tests for rapid detection and drug resistance determination have been developed. But these can miss the genetic mutations that confer low-level resistance to rifampicin (RIF), a critical constituent for treating drug-susceptible TB. On the other hand, for the phenotypic methods, a cutoff value is fixed, known as critical concentration (CC). The current WHO-endorsed CC for rifampicin is 1.0 μg/mL in liquid culture for confirmation of drug resistance; because of that in this system too, low-level RIF resistance may not be correctly identified. Therefore, it is important that either the CC for phenotypic methods is lowered or the specific mutations are included in the molecular tests. This study provides important insights in that direction.
Independent introductions and nosocomial transmission of
Candida auris
in Saudi Arabia ─ a genomic epidemiological study of an outbreak from a hospital in Riyadh
Authors: Guan Qingtian , Alasmari Faisal , Li Chang , Mfarrej Sara , Mukahal Mahmoud , Arold Stefan T. , AlMutairi Talal S. , Pain Arnab
Published: February 2025

Candida auris
, a pathogenic yeast responsible for global healthcare-associated outbreaks, was involved in a significant outbreak at King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) in Riyadh, affecting 20 patients from August 2018 to May 2019. Our study analyzed 23
C
.
auris
isolates from these patients, utilizing whole genome sequencing, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and transmission network construction. We identified four phylogeographic clades in Saudi Arabia, with two present among the KFMC isolates. The transmission network predominantly displayed two star-like patterns, indicative of super-spreader events. Resistance to various azoles was common, and one isolate was resistant to 5-flucytosine, linked to specific mutations in the ERG11 and CIT1 genes. High genetic similarity of the isolates suggested a nosocomial origin of the KFMC outbreak. The distribution of phylogeographic clades suggests at least four separate introductions into Saudi Arabia from 2017 to 2019 and two into KFMC, underscoring both direct and nosocomial transmission pathways within the hospital.

IMPORTANCE

Candida auris
is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast that poses a significant threat in healthcare settings worldwide. This study is one of the largest genomic investigations of a
Candida auris
outbreak in the Middle East, focusing on a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. By analyzing the genomes of isolates from 20 patients, we uncovered multiple independent introductions of
C. auris
into the region, as well as its subsequent spread within a hospital. The findings highlight the complex transmission dynamics and the challenges in controlling this pathogenic yeast in healthcare environments. This research underscores the critical need for robust genomic surveillance and accurate identification methods to prevent and manage
C. auris
outbreaks, which are increasingly linked to high mortality rates and limited treatment options. The insights gained from this study contribute to our understanding of
C. auris
transmission and resistance, offering valuable guidance for public health strategies.
Effects of the phylogeny and seed traits on germination of Polygonaceae species from Subtropical Forest, Southeast China
Authors: Bhatt Arvind , Chen Xingxing , Souza-Filho Paulo Roberto de Moura , Chauhan Harsh Kumar , Yu Deshui
Published: February 2025

Seed germination directly influences seeding survival. Phylogenetically related species often exhibit similar germination traits; however, several environmental factors also play important roles in determining germination. In this study, we tested inter-specific variability in seeds and investigated relations between germination responses, seed morphology, and phylogenetic relatedness in 9 species of Polygonaceae. Seed dimensions (length, width, and height) were examined using a Stereo Microscope equipped with a microscope camera. Water permeability was assessed by measuring the mass of three replicates of 25 seeds. Seeds were tested at five different alternating temperature regimes: 5/10, 10/20, 20/30, 25/35, and 35/40 °C and under two different conditions: 24 h darkness (dark treatment) and 12 h light/12 h darkness (light treatment) and light regimes. The findings highlighted significant differences in the seed morphology, water uptake, and germination behavior. Some species exhibited physiological dormancy while other responded readily to light and temperature. Seed size was positively correlated with germination performance, while the seed morphology distance matrix was not correlated to phylogenetic distances. These findings suggest that while phylogeny is an important factor in determining a role in seed traits, environmental cues play a more intense role in the evolution of seed traits in Polygonaceae.
Modeling of Pedestrian Crash Frequency at Unsignalized Intersections Using Traffic Conflict Indicators
Authors: Sahu Deorishabh , Muduli Kaliprasana , Ghosh Indrajit
Published: February 2025

This study develops a predictive model to estimate pedestrian crash frequency at unsignalized intersections by analyzing pedestrian-vehicle conflicts using video data from Cheema Chowk and Duke Chowk in Ludhiana, Punjab. Utilizing AI techniques like YOLO and Deep SORT, key conflict indicators such as Post-Encroachment Time (PET) and Time to Collision (TTC) were extracted. These indicators informed the construction of Extreme Value Theory (EVT) models, with bivariate Copula models outperforming univariate ones in predictive accuracy, evidenced by low Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values of 2.164% and 0.60%, respectively. The study demonstrates the efficacy of bivariate Copula models in forecasting pedestrian crashes, providing a proactive tool for enhancing road safety at unsignalized intersections by identifying high-risk areas and facilitating targeted safety interventions. This approach highlights the importance of incorporating multiple conflict indicators to improve predictive accuracy and reduce pedestrian casualties.
Divergence of sexual size dimorphism between wild and hatchery chum salmon under intensive Japanese hatchery programs
Authors: Morita Kentaro , Sato Shunpei
Published: February 2025

Artificial propagation weakens sexual selection by reducing male–male competition and female choice, which favor larger males in natural reproduction. If homing ability and sexual selection were strong, wild-origin salmon would exhibit more pronounced male-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) than their hatchery-origin counterparts. We conducted field sampling of chum salmon ( Oncorhynchus keta) in two Japanese rivers, where hatchery fish were marked using otolith thermal marking. The length at maturity of hatchery salmon differed by only 1–2 cm between males and females, whereas the length at maturity of wild-dominated salmon was 5–6 cm larger in males than in females. The mean age at maturity of wild-dominated fish was 0.2–0.3 years higher than that of hatchery fish, but no significant sex differences were observed in either origin. Additionally, macro-level comparisons of SSD, calculated as log10(male length/female length), among 21 populations showed that wild-dominated populations had significantly higher SSD than hatchery-dominated populations. Overall, hatchery salmon exhibited weaker SSD, consistent with reduced sexual selection in the hatchery.
The decline of walleye populations: an ecological tipping point?
Authors: Sass Greg G.
Published: February 2025

Walleye/ogaa ( Sander vitreus (Mitchill)) (hereafter, walleye; ogaa = Ojibwe translation) populations have historically supported important multi-use, harvest-oriented fisheries. Despite intensive management, walleye populations have declined in the midwestern United States raising concerns about the sustainability of the species. Numerous factors have been implicated in walleye population declines, including climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, species-interactions, production overharvest (i.e., harvest consistently exceeding annual production), and changing angler behaviors. These factors have negatively influenced natural recruitment and contributed to depensatory recruitment dynamics. I provide a review and perspective suggesting that the current trajectory of walleye populations is at or nearing an ecological tipping point. Although fish populations are often considered compensatory (i.e., negatively density-dependent), current walleye populations appear prone to depensation (i.e., positive density dependence). My review and perspective suggest that a compensatory management perspective for walleye is misaligned. A change in management towards a depensatory resource focus using ecosystem-based fisheries management and the recognition of walleye fisheries as social–ecological systems is needed for conservation. If compensatory management ensues, walleye persistence will likely be further threatened because many drivers of change are outside of managerial control, and those commonly used within managerial control have seemingly been ineffective for sustaining or rehabilitating naturally reproducing walleye populations.
Primary scalar hair in Gauss–Bonnet black holes with Thurston horizons
Authors: Guajardo Luis , Oliva Julio
Published: February 2025

In this work, we construct novel asymptotically locally AdS

$$_5$$

5

black hole solutions of Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet theory at the Chern–Simons point, supported by a scalar field that generates a primary hair. The strength of the scalar field is governed by an independent integration constant; when this constant vanishes, the spacetime reduces to a black hole geometry devoid of hair. The existence of these solutions is intrinsically tied to the horizon metric, which is modeled by three non-trivial Thurston geometries: Nil, Solv, and

$$SL(2,{\mathbb {R}}).$$

S
L
(
2
,
R
)
.

The quadratic part of the scalar field action corresponds to a conformally coupled scalar in five dimensions -an invariance of the matter sector that is explicitly broken by the introduction of a quartic self-interaction. These black holes are characterized by two distinct parameters: the horizon radius and the temperature. Notably, there exists a straight line in this parameter space along which the horizon geometry exhibits enhanced isometries, corresponding to solutions previously reported in JHEP 02, 014 (2014). Away from this line, for a fixed horizon radius and temperatures above or below a critical value, the metric’s isometries undergo spontaneous breaking. Employing the Regge–Teitelboim approach, we compute the mass and entropy of these solutions, both of which vanish. Despite this, only one of the integration constants can be interpreted as hair, as the other modifies the local geometry at the conformal boundary. Finally, for Solv horizon geometries, we extend these hairy solutions to six dimensions.
A sharp inequality relating Yamabe invariants on asymptotically Poincaré–Einstein manifolds with a Ricci curvature lower bound
Authors: Wang Xiaodong , Wang Zhixin
Published: February 2025

Let [Formula: see text] be a conformally compact manifold with [Formula: see text]. If [Formula: see text] is asymptotically Poincaré–Einstein, we establish a sharp inequality relating the type II Yamabe invariant of [Formula: see text] and the Yamabe invariant of its conformal infinity.
High-contrast random systems of PDEs: Homogenization and spectral theory
Authors: Capoferri Matteo , Cherdantsev Mikhail , Velčić Igor
Published: February 2025

We develop a qualitative homogenization and spectral theory for elliptic systems of partial differential equations in divergence form with highly contrasting (i.e. non-uniformly elliptic) random coefficients. The focus of this paper is on the behavior of the spectrum as the heterogeneity parameter tends to zero; in particular, we show that in general one does not have Hausdorff convergence of spectra. The theoretical analysis is complemented by several explicit examples, showcasing the wider range of applications and physical effects of systems with random coefficients, when compared with systems with periodic coefficients or with scalar operators (both random and periodic).
A Novel Approach for Prediction of Peak Plantar Pressure during the Gait Cycle Based on the LSTM and RNN
Authors: Li Fengtao , Sun Lifang , Sang Jianbing , Yang Peng , Zhang Chen , Xing Jin
Published: February 2025

A three-dimensional model of the ankle system was constructed based on CT scan image data with MIMICS software. This model was refined through surface smoothing and fitting operations in Geomagic software. Finite element method (FEM) was applied to simulate the forces acting on the ankle system during standing in order to generate plantar pressure nephogram. FEM results were compared with the experimental results, which illustrated a strong correlation regarding pressure peaks, thus indicating the effectiveness of the proposed model. Moreover, by changing the interaction force between the ankle system and the ground at different angles during the gait cycle, the FEM was utilized to obtain the curve of peak plantar pressure throughout the gait cycle in order to provide data for the training and testing of the AI algorithm model. The Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) models were developed to predict peak plantar pressure during the gait cycle. After training, the mean squared error (MSE) of the LSTM model converged to [Formula: see text], and the coefficient of determination ([Formula: see text] on the test set reached 99.47%. Meanwhile, the MSE of the RNN model converged to [Formula: see text], and the [Formula: see text] on the test set reached 99.20%. Additionally, the prediction results were compared with experimental data to evaluate the validity of both models. The prediction accuracy of the two algorithms was evaluated based on the [Formula: see text]value. The results show that both models’ predictions effectively reflect variations in peak plantar pressure, with the LSTM model proving to be more accurate for predicting peak plantar pressure throughout the gait cycle. Moreover, when taking the overall computation time into account, the RNN model demonstrates significantly higher efficiency in general.
Behavioural Indicators of Usability in Visual Analytics Dashboards
Authors: Alhamadi Mohammed , Alsayahani Hatim , Clinch Sarah , Vigo Markel
Published: February 2025

Information presentation problems on interactive dashboards are known to hinder decision-making. Since a traditional user-centred approach to designing usable dashboards cannot fully satisfy user demands, needs and skills, we isolate behavioural indicators of usability when users conduct typical information-seeking and comparison tasks. In a first study (N=50), we identified strategies derived from 486,435 interaction events logged in a controlled setting with synthetic dashboards. User models consisting of these user strategies and graph literacy produced strong signals indicating that usability was predictable. In a second study (N=65), we tested the initial insights on real-world dashboards. While most of our hypotheses were confirmed, graph literacy emerged as the best predictor of usability. Usability was better predicted in dashboards with problems, suggesting promising opportunities for automated usability evaluation and real-time support for users struggling with visual analytics dashboards.
A Unified Prompt-aware Framework for Personalized Search and Explanation Generation
Authors: Zhang Haobo , Zhu Qiannan , Dou Zhicheng
Published: February 2025

Product search is crucial for users to find and purchase products they need. Personalized product search, which models users’ search intent and provides tailored results, has become a prominent research problem in industry and academia. Recent studies often leverage knowledge graphs (KGs) to improve search performance and generate explanations for search results. However, existing KG-based methods treat search and explanation tasks separately and explore paths in KGs as explanations, creating a gap between search results and generated explanations. Also, path-formed explanations in KGs are not flexible enough to build correlations with the user’s current query. To address these challenges, we propose P-PEG, a unified prompt-aware framework for personalized product search and explanation generation. P-PEG leverages a pre-trained language model (PLM) and search signal to enhance the generation of user-understandable explanations. We introduce a prompt learning technique and design prompt generators for search and explanation generation tasks based on a fixed PLM. By incorporating search results in explanation-based prompts, we bridge the gap between search results and explanations, facilitating better interaction. Additionally, we utilize the user’s current query, historical search log, and KGs to personalize the explanations and inject task knowledge into PLM. Experimental results show that P-PEG outperforms existing methods in the explanation generation task of the three datasets and the search task of the Electronics dataset, and achieves comparable performance in the search task of the Cellphones & Accessories and CD & Vinyl datasets.
Polynomial Bounds of CFLOBDDs against BDDs
Authors: Zhi Xusheng , Reps Thomas
Published: February 2025

Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) are widely used for the representation of Boolean functions. Context-Free-Language Ordered Decision Diagrams (CFLOBDDs) are a plug-compatible replacement for BDDs—roughly, they are BDDs augmented with a certain form of procedure call. A natural question to ask is, “For a given family of Boolean functions

\(F\)

, what is the relationship between the size of a BDD for

\(f\in F\)

and the size of a CFLOBDD for

\(f\)

?” Sistla et al. established that there are
best-case families of functions
, which demonstrate an inherently exponential separation between CFLOBDDs and BDDs. They showed that there are families of functions

\(\{f_{n}\}\)

for which, for all

\(n=2^{k}\)

, the CFLOBDD for

\(f_{n}\)

(using a particular variable order) is exponentially more succinct than
any
BDD for

\(f_{n}\)

(i.e., using any variable order). However, they did not give a
worst-case bound
—i.e., they left open the question, “Is there a family of functions

\(\{g_{i}\}\)

for which the size of a CFLOBDD for

\(g_{i}\)

must be substantially larger than a BDD for

\(g_{i}\)

?” For instance, it could be that there is a family of functions for which the BDDs are exponentially more succinct than any corresponding CFLOBDDs.

This paper studies such questions, and answers the second question posed above in the negative. In particular, we show that by using the same variable ordering in the CFLOBDD that is used in the BDD, the size of a CFLOBDD for any function

\(h\)

cannot be far worse than the size of the BDD for

\(h\)

. The bound that relates their sizes is polynomial:

If BDD

\(B\)

for function

\(h\)

is of size

\(|B|\)

and uses variable ordering Ord, then the size of the CFLOBDD

\(C\)

for

\(h\)

that also uses Ord is bounded by

\({\mathcal{O}}(|B|^{3})\)

.

The paper also shows that the bound is tight: there is a family of functions for which

\(|C|\)

grows as

\(\Omega(|B|^{3})\)

.
Voice Recordings from Short Mobile Sessions versus Clinical Interviews for Mental Illness Screening: A Comparative Study with Deep Transfer Learning
Authors: Tlachac Ml , Reisch Miranda , Shrestha Avantika , Flores Ricardo , Toto Ermal , Rundensteiner Elke A.
Published: February 2025

The prevalence of mental illness symptoms is increasing. While questionnaires are traditionally used, prior research applied machine learning to clinical interview recordings conducted by a virtual agent for depression screening. In this research, we compare their screening ability with brief mobile voice recordings. The latter reduces completion time while increasing access to screening. We collected 546 mobile voice recordings in response to four clinical interview questions from over 200 crowd-sourced adults reporting English fluency. We also collected responses to traditional screening questionnaires to use as labels in the classifiers. We extract textual transcripts from these voice recordings, facilitating both unimodal and multimodal classification. We compose acoustic and language representation models into deep learning architectures fine-tuned for mental illness screening. In our study, we compare the mental illness screening ability of four questions from mobile voice recordings and complete clinical interviews. When screening for depression, the brief mobile voice responses to individual questions proved as good or better for half of the interview questions. Overall, we achieved AUC of 0.76 for depression, 0.76 for anxiety, and 0.81 for suicidal ideation screening using our mobile voice recordings. Our findings can help guide the development of efficient and effective mental illness screening technologies.
Reinforced Prompt Personalization for Recommendation with Large Language Models
Authors: Mao Wenyu , Wu Jiancan , Chen Weijian , Gao Chongming , Wang Xiang , He Xiangnan
Published: February 2025

Designing effective prompts can empower LLMs to understand user preferences and provide recommendations with intent comprehension and knowledge utilization capabilities. Nevertheless, recent studies predominantly concentrate on task-wise prompting, developing fixed prompt templates shared across all users in a given recommendation task (
e.g.,
rating or ranking). Although convenient, task-wise prompting overlooks individual user differences, leading to inaccurate analysis of user interests. In this work, we introduce the concept of instance-wise prompting, aiming at personalizing discrete prompts for individual users. Toward this end, we propose Reinforced Prompt Personalization (RPP) to realize it automatically. To improve efficiency and quality, RPP personalizes prompts at the sentence level rather than searching in the vast vocabulary word-by-word. Specifically, RPP breaks down the prompt into four patterns, tailoring patterns based on multi-agent and combining them. Then the personalized prompts interact with LLMs (environment) iteratively, to boost LLMs’ recommending performance (reward). In addition to RPP, to improve the scalability of action space, our proposal of RPP+ dynamically refines the selected actions with LLMs throughout the iterative process. Extensive experiments on various datasets demonstrate the superiority of RPP/RPP+ over traditional recommender models, few-shot methods, and other prompt-based methods, underscoring the significance of instance-wise prompting in LLMs for recommendation. Our code is available at
https://github.com/maowenyu-11/RPP
.
How I Fell in Love with Language, Linguistics, and “Activist Sociolinguistics”: An Autobiographical Essay
Authors: Rickford John Russell
Published: February 2025

My autobiographical essay begins with a brief section on my high school experience, then goes into more substantive detail about my research and publications over the past 55 years at the universities I attended (University of California, Santa Cruz; University of Pennsylvania) or at which I worked (University of Guyana, Stanford University) and since I retired in 2019. I mention my key mentors and influencers, including Roger Keesing, J. Herman Blake, Robert Le Page, and William Labov. And I identify some of the foci of my research over the years, including vowel laxing in Guyanese personal pronouns, prior creolization in the history of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), the Ebonics controversy, stylistic variation in sociolinguistics, quotative all, and racial disparities in automated speech recognition. Finally, I focus on “Activist Sociolinguistics,” including fighting for increased success for AAVE and other vernacular speakers in schools and for increased justice for them in the courtroom.
Limitations of Li-Ion Pouch Cells for Accelerated Testing and Long-Lifetime Cells
Authors: Tuul Kenneth , Black William , Floras Claire , Taskovic Tina , Martin Maher Sasha , Adamson Anu , Harlow Jessie , Johnson Michel B. , Rathore Divya , Chisholm Sam , Azam Saad , Palm Rasmus , Dahn J. R.
Published: February 2025

Li-ion pouch cells that have experienced long-term accelerated testing at extreme temperatures have exhibited electrolyte permeation through the seals of the pouch bag, leading to eventual cell failure due to electrolyte unwetting and impedance growth. Degradation of the pouch bag material is also noticed. The permeation rate follows an Arrhenius-type behavior that can be substantial at high temperatures (35 wt% y−1 at 70 °C). The rate is indicated to be dependent on the volatility of the electrolyte solvent. Electrolyte loss can be mitigated by applying high-temperature epoxy sealant on the seals of the cell or by switching the form factor of the cell to metallic cylindrical.
Machine Learning-Based In Situ Identification of the High-Dimensional Parameter Space for an Equivalent Circuit Model
Authors: You Qiang , Zhang Yongzhi , Xiong Rui , Ruan Haijun
Published: February 2025

Accurate online identification of equivalent circuit model (ECM) parameters of lithium-ion battery electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) remains a challenge, particularly with high-dimensional parameter spaces. Here, 11-dimensional adapted Randles ECM (AR-ECM) is reduced to two low-dimensional models, and the EIS frequency ranges for each AR-ECM parameter were determined by distinguishing the frequency bands representing different electrochemical processes. A multi-step parameter in situ identification methodology was developed to minimize onboard training costs by selecting an optimal training set for machine learning based on the Euclidean distance between the collected and generated EIS data. A Gaussian process regression model was constructed by correlating the AR-ECM parameters and EIS to estimate the AR-ECM parameters. Model performance was validated using 12 cells at different temperatures. Experimental results show that a simulated database covering the main EIS and AR-ECM characteristics can be established, whose scale is on the order of 1e^6, much smaller than the order of 1e^11 resulting from each AR-ECM parameter being varied among 10 values. The estimation errors of the key AR-ECM parameters are approximately 5% at different temperatures. The maximum estimation error of all parameters is as low as 9.03%, 13.96% lower than that based on the complex nonlinear least squares method.
Ultraviolet Photoresponse and Electroluminescence of Exfoliated Ga2O3 Flake on p-type GaN
Authors: Kim Mankyung , Park Junghyun , Yu Minsang , Baik Kwang Hyeon , Jang Soohwan
Published: February 2025

β-phase Ga2O3 (β-Ga2O3) is a promising candidate for deep ultraviolet (UV) solar-blind photodetector due to its large bandgap of 4.9 eV. A high crystal quality two-dimensional β-Ga2O3 flake on p-type GaN (p-GaN) surface was formed using a facile mechanical exfoliation and transfer method, and the heterojunction photodiode consisting of an n-type β-Ga2O3 flake on a p-type GaN substrate was fabricated. The device exhibited a distinctive rectifying current-voltage (I-V) characteristics with a rectification ratio of 4.0 × 105 at ±2 V. The photodetector responded to both 365 nm and 254 nm UV light irradiation with a photocurrent to dark current ratio of 5.64 × 10⁵% for 365 nm and 3.38 × 10⁵% for 254 nm UV. The rise and decay time constants for 365 nm and 254 nm deep UV exposure were obtained through dynamic time-dependent photocurrent measurements. In addition, electroluminescence of the p-type GaN/n-type Ga2O3 heterojunction diode was observed under high forward bias condition.
Pulmonary vascular remodeling in Fra-2 transgenic mice is driven by type 2 inflammation and accompanied by pulmonary vascular hyperresponsiveness
Authors: Birnhuber Anna , Biasin Valentina , Jain Pritesh P. , Kwiatkowski Grzegorz , Boiarina Ekaterina , Wilhelm Jochen , Ahrens Katharina , Nagaraj Chandran , Olschewski Andrea , Witzenrath Martin , Chlopicki Stefan , Marsh Leigh M. , Tabeling Christoph , Kwapiszewska Grazyna
Published: February 2025

In patients suffering from systemic sclerosis (SSc), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening complication linked to immune dysregulation. Preclinical analyses in Fos-related antigen-2 (Fra-2) transgenic (TG) mice, a model of SSc-PAH, identify type 2 inflammation as a key driver of vascular remodeling. Anti-inflammatory treatment targeting type 2 inflammation via IL-13 neutralizing antibodies improved pulmonary vascular remodeling. Thus, type 2-specific anti-inflammatory treatment may be a promising therapeutic approach in SSc-PAH.
The effect of an exercise- and passive-induced heat stress on autophagy in young and older males
Authors: McCormick James J. , King Kelli E. , Goulet Nicholas , Carrillo Andres E. , Fujii Naoto , Amano Tatsuro , Boulay Pierre , Kenny Glen P.
Published: February 2025

We show that a short-duration (30-min) bout of vigorous-intensity exercise stimulates autophagy in young and older males when performed in a temperate environment. However, when exposed to an equivalent heat load as achieved during the prior exercise bout to elicit the same relative increase in core temperature via warm-water immersion, autophagic dysregulation occurs in older but not younger males.
Key resource table from CSTF2 Supports Hypoxia Tolerance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Enabling m6A Modification Evasion of PGK1 to Enhance Glycolysis
Authors: Zhang Qiangnu , Zhang Yusen , Fu Chuli , He Xiaoyan , Huang Zuotian , Wu Geyan , Wei Teng , Jin Wen , Yan Lesen , Wu Meilong , Peng Gongze , Fan LinLan , Li Mingyue , Guo Yuehua , Bi Jiangang , Bai Yu , Roessler Stephanie , Yan Guang-Rong , Liu Liping
Published: February 2025

Information on antibodies and reagents, including RRIDs
JMJD6 Rewires ATF4-Dependent Glutathione Metabolism to Confer Ferroptosis Resistance in SPOP-Mutated Prostate Cancer
Authors: Zhang Chuanjie , Ding Jiawei , Lim Kiat Shenq , Zhou Wenjie , Miao Wenyu , Wu Siqi , Liu Hanqing , Huang Da , Chen Chufeng , He Hongchao , Xiao Jun , Xu Dan-feng , Shen Yan , Huang Hai , Gao Yi
Published: February 2025

Ferroptosis inducers have shown therapeutic potential in prostate cancer (PCa), but tumor heterogeneity poses a barrier to their efficacy. Distinguishing the regulators orchestrating metabolic crosstalk between cancer cells could shed light on therapeutic strategies to more robustly activate ferroptosis. Here, we found that aberrant accumulation of jumonji domain containing 6 (JMJD6) proteins correlated with poorer prognosis of PCa patients. Mechanistically, PCa-associated speckle type BTB/POZ protein (SPOP) mutants impaired the proteasomal degradation of JMJD6 proteins. Elevated JMJD6 and ATF4 coordinated enhancer-promoter loop interactions to stimulate the glutathione biosynthesis pathway. Independent of androgen receptor, JMJD6 recruited mediator subunits (Med1/14) to assemble de novo enhancers mapping to pivotal genes associated with glutathione metabolism, including SLC7A11, GCLM, ME1, and others. SPOP mutations thus induced intrinsic resistance to ferroptosis, dependent on enhanced JMJD6-ATF4 activity. Consequently, targeting JMJD6 rendered SPOP-mutated PCa selectively sensitive to ferroptosis. The JMJD6 antagonist SKLB325 synergized with erastin in multiple pre-clinical PCa models. Together, this study identifies JMJD6 as a druggable vulnerability in SPOP-mutated PCa to increase sensitivity to ferroptosis inducers.
Supplementary Figure S2. from Targeting NAD+ Metabolism Vulnerability in FH-Deficient Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Carcinoma with the Novel NAMPT Inhibitor OT-82
Authors: Najera Susana S. , Ricketts Christopher J. , Schmidt Laura S. , Medina Julia I. , Saito Keita , Ileva Lilia , Brender Jeffrey R. , James Amy M. , Peer Cody J. , Gouker Brad , Karim Baktiar O. , Chernova Olga , Wells Catherine , Wei Ming-Hui , Yang Youfeng , Zhang Xiaohu , Klumpp-Thomas Carleen , Travers Jameson , Chen Lu , Wilson Kelli M. , Issaq Sameer H. , Figg William D. , Difilippantonio Simone , Kalen Joseph D. , Krishna Murali C. , Thomas Craig J. , Ceribelli Michele , Heske Christine M. , Crooks Daniel R. , Meier Jordan L.
Published: February 2025

Validation studies to evaluate inhibition of additional HLRCC cell lines by NAMPT inhibitors. A) Effects of the NAMPT inhibitor GNE-618 on cell viability in FH -/- HLRCC cells lines UOK348, UOK271, UOK350, UOK268, UOK365, FH restored UOK268WT and non-transformed kidney epithelial cells RPTEC. Cell viability was assessed by Cell Titer-Glo assay at 96 h. B) Effects of the NAMPT inhibitor OT-82 on cell viability in FH -/- HLRCC cells lines UOK348, UOK271, UOK350, UOK268, UOK365, FH restored UOK268WT and non-transformed kidney epithelial cells RPTEC.
Figure S1 from Potential Mechanisms of Interstitial Lung Disease Induced by Antibody–Drug Conjugates Based on Quantitative Analysis of Drug Distribution
Authors: Koganemaru Shigehiro , Fuchigami Hirobumi , Morizono Chihiro , Shinohara Hiroko , Kuboki Yasutoshi , Furuuchi Keiji , Uenaka Toshimitsu , Doi Toshihiko , Yasunaga Masahiro
Published: February 2025

Pharmacokinetics of eribulin release from TROP2-eribulin and total TROP2-eribulin concentration in the plasma.
Supplementary Table S1 from Modeling the Acute Mucosal Toxicity of Fractionated Radiotherapy Combined with the ATM Inhibitor WSD0628
Authors: Garcia Darwin A. , Rathi Sneha , Connors Margaret A. , Grams Michael , Vaubel Rachael A. , Bakken Katrina K. , Ott Lauren L. , Carlson Brett L. , Hu Zeng , Decker Paul A. , Eckel-Passow Jeanette E. , Burgenske Danielle M. , Zhong Wei , Trzasko Joshua D. , Herman Michael G. , Elmquist William F. , Remmes Nicholas B. , Sarkaria Jann N.
Published: February 2025

Supplementary Table S1: treatment groups, doses, and sample sizes for oral mucosal and esophageal toxicity dose-response studies.
Data from OBI-992, a Novel TROP2-Targeted Antibody–Drug Conjugate, Demonstrates Antitumor Activity in Multiple Cancer Models
Authors: Li Wan-Fen , Chiang Ming-Feng , Weng Hao-Cheng , Yang Jhih-Jie , Wu Hsin-Shan , Wu Szu-Yu , Chen Yu-Jung , Lu Chi‐Huan , Tu Jyy-Shiuan , Hsu Ren-Yu , Shia Chi-Sheng , Huang Teng-Yi , Lai Ming-Tain
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) is highly expressed in multiple cancers relative to normal tissues, supporting its role as a target for cancer therapy. OBI-992 is an antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) derived from a novel TROP2-targeted antibody linked to the topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) inhibitor exatecan via an enzyme-cleavable hydrophilic linker, with a drug–antibody ratio of 4. This study evaluated and compared the antitumor activity of OBI-992 with that of benchmark TROP2-targeted ADCs datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) and sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in cell line–derived xenograft (CDX) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. OBI-992 treatment exhibited statistically significant antitumor activity versus controls at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg in various CDX and PDX models, demonstrating comparable or better antitumor activity with benchmark ADCs. In a large-tumor model, longer survival times were observed in OBI-992-treated mice compared with Dato-DXd-treated mice. OBI-992 treatment induced marked bystander killing of TROP2-negative cells in the presence of nearby TROP2-positive cells in both in vitro and in vivo studies. In lung adenocarcinoma CDX models with overexpression of either P-glycoprotein (P-gp) or breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) to mimic ATP-binding cassette transporter–mediated multidrug resistance, OBI-992 treatment maintained antitumor activity when Dato-DXd treatment became less effective. The combination of OBI-992 at suboptimal doses with either poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors or an immune check point inhibitor produced synergistic antitumor effects in mouse models. Taken together, these translational results support further development of OBI-992 as a cancer therapy.
Data from Soluble CD146 Cooperates with VEGFa to Generate an Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in CD146-Positive Tumors: Interest of a Combined Antibody-Based Therapy
Authors: Joshkon Ahmad , Traboulsi Wael , Terme Magali , Bachelier Richard , Fayyad-Kazan Hussein , Dignat-George Françoise , Foucault-Bertaud Alexandrine , Leroyer Aurelie S. , Bardin Nathalie , Blot-Chabaud Marcel
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Tumor development necessitates immune escape through different mechanisms. To counteract these effects, the development of therapies targeting immune checkpoints (ICP) has generated interest as they have produced lasting objective responses in patients with advanced metastatic tumors. However, many tumors do not respond to inhibitors of ICPs, necessitating to further study the underlying mechanisms of exhaustion. VEGFa, a proangiogenic molecule secreted by tumors, was described to participate to tumor immune exhaustion by increasing ICPs, justifying in part the use of an anti-VEGFa mAb, bevacizumab, in patients. However, recent studies from our group have demonstrated that tumors can escape anti-VEGFa therapy through the secretion of soluble CD146 (sCD146). In this study, we show that both VEGFa and sCD146 cooperate to create an immunosuppressive microenvironment by increasing the expression of ICPs. In addition, sCD146 favors protumoral M2-type macrophages and induces the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. An anti-sCD146 mAb reverses these effects and displays additive effects with the anti-VEGFa antibody to eliminate tumors in a syngeneic murine model grafted with melanoma cells. Combining bevacizumab with mucizumab could thus be of major therapeutic interest to prevent immune escape in malignant melanoma and other CD146-positive tumors.
Supplemental Table S6 from Ternary Complex Components Responsible for Rapid LDL Internalization as Biomarkers for Breast Cancer Associated with Proliferation and Early Recurrence
Authors: McDonald Elizabeth S. , Pan Tien-Chi , Pant Dhruv K. , Troester Melissa A. , Kossenkov Andrew V. , Mankoff David A. , Mach Robert H. , Chodosh Lewis A.
Published: February 2025

This shows the trimeric complex correlation with PAM50 ROR.
Supplemental Table S4 from Ternary Complex Components Responsible for Rapid LDL Internalization as Biomarkers for Breast Cancer Associated with Proliferation and Early Recurrence
Authors: McDonald Elizabeth S. , Pan Tien-Chi , Pant Dhruv K. , Troester Melissa A. , Kossenkov Andrew V. , Mankoff David A. , Mach Robert H. , Chodosh Lewis A.
Published: February 2025

This shows the upstream regulators with significant number of targets correlated with PGRMC1
Supplemental Figure S1 from Ternary Complex Components Responsible for Rapid LDL Internalization as Biomarkers for Breast Cancer Associated with Proliferation and Early Recurrence
Authors: McDonald Elizabeth S. , Pan Tien-Chi , Pant Dhruv K. , Troester Melissa A. , Kossenkov Andrew V. , Mankoff David A. , Mach Robert H. , Chodosh Lewis A.
Published: February 2025

This shows PGRMC1 expression is increased in ER-, PR-, and triple negative human breast cancers.
Wie krank macht der Klimawandel? Validierung einer deutschen Version der Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale und ihr Zusammenhang mit Maßen psychischer Gesundheit
Authors: Rohn Ninon , Barke Antonia , Forkmann Thomas
Published: February 2025

Hintergrund: Die Wahrnehmung des Klimawandels als Gefahr kann zu psychischer Belastung in Form von Öko-Angst führen. Erste Erkenntnisse weisen darauf hin, dass Öko-Angst im Zusammenhang mit weiteren psychischen Belastungen wie anderen Ängsten, Depression und Stress steht. Ziel dieser Studie war es, diesen Zusammenhang im deutschsprachigen Raum zu untersuchen. Material und Methoden: Eine deutsche Version der Hogg Eco-Anxiety Skala (HEAS-13) wurde in einem mehrstufigen Übersetzungsvorgehen erarbeitet und anhand einer deutschsprachigen Stichprobe (N = 256) validiert. Ergebnisse: Die vierfaktorielle Struktur des Originalfragebogens konnte in einer konfirmatorischen Faktorenanalyse als passendes Faktorenmodell bestätigt werden. Der Fragebogen zeigte eine hohe interne Konsistenz und eine gute Retest-Reliabilität sowie eine hohe diskriminante bzw. konvergente Validität. Die HEAS-13 korrelierte hoch mit einem Fragebogen zur Erfassung der Klimawandelangst (Climate Change Anxiety Skala), und in der Literatur beschriebene Zusammenhänge zwischen Öko-Angst und pro-ökologischen Werten, politischer Orientierung und Geschlecht konnten mit der deutschen HEAS-13 reproduziert werden. Öko-Angst korrelierte zudem mit Depressivität, Angst und Stresserleben. Ein allgemeiner Alterseffekt wurde nicht gefunden. Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung: Zusammenfassend kann festgestellt werden, dass die erarbeitete deutsche Version der HEAS-13 ein valides und reliables Messinstrument darstellt. Die Zusammenhänge zwischen Öko-Angst und Depression, anderen Ängsten und Stress zeigen die potentielle klinische Bedeutung von erhöhter Öko-Angst. Zukünftige Forschung sollte diesen Zusammenhang weiter untersuchen, um dessen Rolle bei der Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung psychischer Belastungen zu verstehen.
Association of abdominal volume index with asymptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis in rural Chinese adults: a population-based study
Authors: Wang Qiuting , Yang Xinhao , Yang Zhengyu , Hu Xinyan , Yuan Jiehong , Li Maoyu , Ma Xiaotong , Wang Xiang , Qiu Chengxuan , Sun Qinjian
Published: February 2025

Introduction:
The abdominal volume index (AVI), a novel anthropometric index that reflects abdominal obesity, has been related to atherosclerosis. We sought to investigate the association of AVI with the severity and burden of asymptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis (aICAS) in a rural Chinese population.
Methods:
The population-based cross-sectional study included 1994 participants who were aged ≥40 years and living in Kongcun Town, Pingyin County, Shandong, and who had no history of clinical stroke or transient ischemic attack. We detected aICAS by combining transcranial doppler ultrasound with magnetic resonance angiography. We used multiple logistic regression models to investigate the association between AVI and aICAS.
Results:
Of the 1994 participants, 146 were diagnosed with aICAS, including 51 with mild aICAS and 95 with moderate-to-severe aICAS. Controlling for confounding factors, a greater AVI was significantly associated with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] of 1.08 (1.02-1.14) for having aICAS, 1.11 (1.04-1.18) for moderate-to-severe aICAS, and 1.12 (1.01-1.23) for multiple moderate-to-severe aICAS. We detected a statistical interaction of AVI with hypertension on aICAS (P for interaction=0.011). Stratified analysis by hypertension showed a significantly independent association between AVI and aICAS in participants with hypertension (upper versus lower tertile of AVI: OR=2.90; 95% CI: 1.65-5.10, P<0.001), but not in those without hypertension.
Conclusion:
A greater AVI is independently associated with aICAS, especially among individuals with hypertension. Moreover, AVI may help to identify both the severity and burden of aICAS.