bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pilin regions that select for the small RNA phages in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
type IV pilus
Authors: Bae Hee-Won , Ki Hyeong-Jun , Choi Shin-Yae , Cho You-Hee
Published: February 2025

Type IV pili (TFPs) serve as the primary receptor for phages in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(PA), playing a key role in phage selection and determining the phage host range. We previously demonstrated that a fiersphage
Pepevirus rubrum
(PP7) selectively infects PA strains with group II (G2) TFP pilin. In this study, we expanded on this by profiling the host range of another fiersphage,
Pepevirus spumicola
(LeviOr01), which was able to infect several PA strains including PMM23. Analysis of 47 in-house PA strains showed that PMM23, along with nine other LeviOr01-susceptible strains and four resistant strains, possessed group I (G1) TFP pilin. This suggests that LeviOr01 targets specific regions of G1 pilin for phage-receptor interaction. Comparative sequence analysis revealed significant differences in the amino acid composition of the αβ and β1-β2 loop regions between susceptible and resistant G1-pilin strains. Pilin switching experiments using a PA surrogate strain (PAK) lacking endogenous pilin confirmed that G1 pilin is essential for LeviOr01 infection, while the accessory gene (
tfpO
) associated with G1 pilin was not involved in phage susceptibility. Structural predictions and comparisons between G1 and G2 pilins revealed conformational similarities but distinct differences at the αβ loop, which is likely critical for interacting with the phage virions. These findings suggest that the αβ loop region plays a pivotal role in determining RNA phage selectivity, offering new insights into the molecular mechanisms governing phage-host interactions and the host tropism of the RNA phages in various PA strains.

IMPORTANCE

The host range of bacteriophages (phages) is crucial for both fundamental research and practical applications, particularly when targeting bacterial pathogens like
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(PA). Previous studies have shown that the RNA phage PP7 (
Pepevirus rubrum
) binds to the αβ loop region of group II (G2) pilin. In this study, we demonstrate that another RNA phage, LeviOr01 (
Pepevirus spumicola
), also relies on the same region in group I (G1) pilins for infection. Computational modeling and structural comparisons between G1 and G2 pilins suggest that variations in the αβ loop region determine the selectivity of RNA phage binding, with similar interactions observed in both pilin groups. These findings enhance our understanding of the molecular interactions between RNA phages and their pilin receptors, offering valuable insights for developing RNA phage-based therapeutic strategies to combat PA infections.
Revealing pathogenesis-associated metabolites in
Histoplasma capsulatum
through comprehensive metabolic profiling
Authors: Heckart Adrian , Cocuron Jean-Christophe , Ray Stephanie C. , Rappleye Chad A. , Alonso Ana P.
Published: February 2025

During infection,
Histoplasma capsulatum
yeasts interact with a variety of phagocytic cells, where macrophages represent an important niche for long-term intracellular fungal survival and replication. In the phagosomes of macrophages, a hostile environment where most microorganisms are killed,
Histoplasma
not only survives but overcomes several biological challenges and proliferates intracellularly. To better understand the characteristics of intracellular
Histoplasma
and the phagosomal environment, a metabolomic platform was used to analyze
Histoplasma
yeasts cultured on different carbon sources and yeasts extracted from macrophages, identifying metabolites associated with pathogenesis. Metabolomic results of
in vitro
-grown yeasts were further characterized with available transcriptomic data, informing underlying gene expression patterns in response to contrasting milieus. These approaches revealed that
Histoplasma
yeasts, unlike many other yeasts, do not ferment sugars to ethanol, and, when cultivated on glycolytic versus gluconeogenic carbon sources, produce distinct metabolomes with altered intracellular amino acid, lipid, and sugar contents. Furthermore, analysis of
Histoplasma
-inoculated media illustrated that
Histoplasma
secretes mannitol and anthranilates. Lastly, a comparison of the metabolomes derived from
in vitro
cultivation versus intracellular growth highlighted leucine and cysteine/cystine as amino acids, which may serve as sources of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur to yeasts within macrophages. These results detail metabolites linked to
Histoplasma
metabolism during macrophage infection, identifying potential candidates to target for novel histoplasmosis therapeutics.

IMPORTANCE

Intracellular pathogens reside within host cells, surviving against innate immune responses while exploiting host resources to proliferate. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie their survival and proliferation is critical for developing novel treatments and therapeutics for the diseases these pathogens cause. While
Histoplasma
is a unique example of a true intra-phagosomal pathogen, insights into its pathogenesis may still inform the study of other intracellular pathogens.
Does domestic violence legislation reduce permissive attitudes about intimate partner violence? Longitudinal evidence from men and women from 61 countries
Authors: Richardson Robin A , Rodriguez-Planas Nuria , Hadd Alexandria Ree , Wiederkehr Katjana , Jamshed Farheen , Clark Cari Jo , Benmarhnia Tarik
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is highly prevalent and has substantial implication for women’s health. Changing IPV attitudes is one pathway to reduce IPV. While evidence suggests that interventions targeting individuals may change IPV attitudes, the effect of wider-scale interventions, such as legislation, remains unknown.

Methods

We used individual-level IPV attitudes information collected between 1997 and 2020 by the Demographic and Health Surveys and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, which we linked with national-level domestic violence (DV) legislation information. We evaluated the effect of adoption of DV legislation on changes in IPV attitudes using a difference-in-differences study design that controlled for time-varying country-level confounding and accounted for staggered timing of legislation adoption.

Results

Our sample included harmonised information across 61 countries, composed of 2 184 047 women from 60 countries and 390 877 men from 40 countries. After controlling for country-level time-varying confounders, adoption of DV legislation reduced IPV acceptability among women (average treatment effect among treated=−0.07, 95% CI: −0.16, 0.06) and men (average treatment effect among treated=−0.11, 95% CI: −0.22, 0.03) although estimates were imprecise and included the null.

Conclusions

DV legislation may reduce permissive IPV attitudes, especially among men, although conclusions should be interpreted cautiously due to imprecise estimates.
Gut microbial-derived N-acetylmuramic acid alleviates colorectal cancer via the AKT1 pathway
Authors: Hu Mengyao , Xu Yi , Wang Yuqing , Huang Zhenhe , Wang Lei , Zeng Fanan , Qiu Bowen , Liu Zefeng , Yuan Peibo , Wan Yu , Ge Shuang , Zhong Dian , Xiao Siyu , Luo Rongrong , He Jiaqi , Sun Meiling , Zhuang Xiaoduan , Guo Nannan , Cui Chunhui , Gao Jie , Zhou Hongwei , He Xiaolong
Published: February 2025

Background

Gut microbial metabolites are recognised as critical effector molecules that influence the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Peptidoglycan fragments (PGFs) produced by microbiota play a crucial role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, but their role in CRC remains unclear.

Objective

Here, we aimed to explore the potential contribution of PGFs in intestinal tumourigenesis.

Design

The relative abundance of peptidoglycan synthase and hydrolase genes was assessed by metagenomic analysis. Specific PGFs in the faeces and serum of CRC patients were quantified using targeted mass spectrometry. The effects of PGF on intestinal tumourigenesis were systematically evaluated using various murine models of CRC and organoids derived from CRC patients. Downstream molecular targets were screened and evaluated using proteome microarray, transcriptome sequencing and rescue assays.

Results

Metagenomic analysis across seven independent cohorts (n=1121) revealed a comprehensive reduction in peptidoglycan synthase gene relative abundance in CRC patients. Targeted mass spectrometry identified significant depletion of a specific PGF, N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) in CRC patients, which decreased as tumours progressed (p<0.001). NAM significantly inhibits intestinal tumourigenesis in various models, includingApcMin/+, AOM/DSS-treated and MC38 tumour-bearing mice. Additionally, NAM inhibits the growth of patient-derived CRC organoids in a concentration-dependent manner. Mechanistically, NAM inhibits the activation of AKT1 by directly binding to it and blocking its phosphorylation, which is a partial mediator of NAM’s anticancer effects.

Conclusion

The PGF NAM protects against intestinal tumourigenesis by targeting the AKT1 signalling pathway. NAM may serve as a novel potential preventive and therapeutic biomarker against CRC.
Re-envisaging child protection contacts as an early prevention opportunity to support child development and well-being: an Australian data linkage study
Authors: Falster Kathleen , Pilkington Rhiannon Megan , Ahmed Tasnia , Montgomerie Alicia , Hanly Mark , Newton BJ , Brownell Marni , Edwards Ben , Lingam Raghu , Shakeshaft Anthony , Cretikos Michelle , Stewart Jessica , Hawkins Katherine , McClean Kitty , Lynch John W
Published: February 2025

Objectives

To quantify developmental vulnerability at age 5 by child protection contacts before school in two Australian states.

Methods

All children with birth, child protection and/or 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data in New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia (SA) were grouped according to child protection contact before school: no contact, child protection reports, screened-in reports, investigations, substantiations and out-of-home care (OOHC). The outcome was developmental vulnerability on ≥1 AEDC domains or medically diagnosed conditions with support needs at school entry.

Results

56 650 (14.2%) NSW children and 12 617 (15.6%) SA children had ≥1 child protection contact before school. Developmental vulnerability on ≥1 domains or medically diagnosed conditions was lowest in the no child protection group (NSW, 21–22%; SA, 24–25%), with progressively higher risk in the child protection report (NSW, 35%; SA, 41–46%) through to the OOHC (NSW, 50–54%; SA, 59–66%) groups in all AEDC years. Developmental risk was higher among children aged <2 years at first contact and those with more reports. Children with only one child protection report before school had approximately 65% higher developmental risk than the no child protection group in both states.

Conclusions

A single child protection report before school was an early indicator of higher developmental risk at age 5, with higher developmental risks among children with earlier, more serious and frequent child protection contacts. Beyond child safety screening, child protection reports represent an opportunity to mobilise early health and social support for children with developmental support needs.
Liénard-Wiechert potentials due to a ‘classically’ spinning point-charge in non-relativistic arbitrary motion
Authors: Hadap Nikhil D.
Published: February 2025

Liénard-Wiechert potentials have been derived for a moving and ‘classically’ spinning point-charge; assuming it to be a small rigid charged-sphere in combined non-relativistic translational and rotational motion, and subsequently reducing its dimensions to ‘point-particle’ limit. The paper demonstrates that when the effect of rotation were taken into account, together with causality, expressions for the LW potentials accompany additional correction terms that contain spin angular momentum (or simply the ‘classical-spin’) of the point-charge.
Energy Transformation in Gravitational Fields: A New Perspective on Four-Velocity
Authors: Liu Xiaoling , Liu Qianyu
Published: February 2025

Incorporating the effective speed of light, rather than the conventional constant c, into the four-velocity vector leads to a more physically meaningful expression for the momentum and energy of stationary objects in Schwarzschild spacetime. This indicates that free-falling objects do not gain any energy in the gravitational field; instead, they experience a conversion of rest energy into kinetic energy within the specific spacetime structure. This innovative approach allows us to dispense with the traditional concept of gravitational potential energy, simplifying energy transformations within gravitational fields.
AI-driven healthcare systems: A personalized symptom-based disease prognosis tool using RF, GNB, and SVC techniques
Authors: Massoudi Massoud , Malhotra Ruchika
Published: February 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is being leveraged for multiple tasks in the healthcare sector, such as improving the diagnosis of disease, streamlining management services, and tailoring treatment procedures. Applying predictive analysis and performing robotic surgery helps patients in a way that reduces the burden on their caregivers. This study uses a healthcare disease prediction dataset using three robust machine learning algorithms: random forest (RF), Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB), and support vector classifier (SVC). The models learn to use other symptoms to detect the presence of various diseases. In model evaluation, cross-validation is done on the training set after data preprocessing is performed to ensure none of the groups is overrepresented in the final model. In both the training and the testing of each model, which were respectively 100%, the model was able to make perfect predictions. A vote of three classifiers reached the 100% precision mark over a test dataset on an ensemble model that combined all the classifiers. This research integrates the advances in AI technology into the healthcare setting in a bid to enhance healthcare delivery. Additionally, we created such a straightforward tool in the case of input symptoms and proposed a possible disease diagnosis. This study also adds to the expanding corpus of research on AI in healthcare by providing a practical method for symptom-based diagnosis.
MoDA: Mixture of Domain Adapters for Parameter-efficient Generalizable Person Re-Identification
Authors: Wang Yang , Zhang Yixing , Ren Xudie , Deng Yuxin
Published: February 2025

The Domain Generalizable Re-identification (DG ReID) task has attracted significant attention in recent years, as a challenging task but closely aligned with practical applications. Mixture-of-experts (MoE) based methods has been studied for DG ReID to exploit the discrepancies and inherent correlations between diverse domains. However, most of DG ReID methods, especially MoE-based methods, have to full fine-tune a large amount of parameters, which is not always practical in real-world scenarios. Considering this problem, we propose a novel MoE-based DG ReID method, named mixture of domain adapters (MoDA), which utilizes many expert adapters and a global adapter to help MoE-based method scale to a much larger model but in a more parameter-efficient way. Furthermore, we conduct our approach with the large-scale vision-language pre-trained model CLIP, which exploits both visual and text encoders, to learn more robust representations based on multimodal information. Extensive experiments verify the effectiveness of our method and show that MoDA achieves competitive with state-of-the-art DG ReID methods with much fewer tunable parameters.
Lightweight yet Efficient: An External Attentive Graph Convolutional Network with Positional Prompts for Sequential Recommendation
Authors: Zhang Jinyu , Li Chao , Zhao Zhongying
Published: February 2025

Graph-based Sequential Recommender systems (GSRs) have gained significant research attention due to their ability to simultaneously handle user-item interactions and sequential relationships between items. Current GSRs often utilize composite or in-depth structures for graph encoding (e.g., the Graph Transformer). Nevertheless, they have high computational complexity, hindering the deployment on resource-constrained edge devices. Moreover, the relative position encoding in Graph Transformer has difficulty in considering the complicated positional dependencies within sequence. To this end, we propose an
E
xternal
A
ttentive
G
raph convolution network with
P
ositional prompts for
S
equential recommendation, namely EA-GPS. Specifically, we first introduce an external attentive graph convolutional network that linearly measures the global associations among nodes via two external memory units. Then, we present a positional prompt-based decoder that explicitly treats the absolute item positions as external prompts. By introducing length-adaptive sequential masking and a soft attention network, such a decoder facilitates the model to capture the long-term positional dependencies and contextual relationships within sequences. Extensive experimental results on five real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed EA-GPS outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. Remarkably, it achieves the superior performance while maintaining a smaller parameter size and lower training overhead. The implementation of this work is publicly available at
https://github.com/ZZY-GraphMiningLab/EA-GPS
.
Utility of MRI and CT in Sports Cardiology
Authors: Rajiah Prabhakar Shantha , Kumar Vinayak , Domenech-Ximenos Blanca , Francone Marco , Broncano Jordi , Allison Thomas G.
Published: February 2025

MRI and CT play an important role in sports cardiology, including preparticipation evaluation, distinguishing adaptive changes of athlete’s heart from pathologic entities, and evaluation following cardiovascular symptoms or adverse events.
Short bouts of hypoxia improve insulin sensitivity in adults with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Zhao Jiahui , Massoudian Sahar D. , Stray-Gundersen Sten , Wojan Frank , Lalande Sophie
Published: February 2025

Hypoxia stimulates glucose uptake independently from the action of insulin. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of intermittent hypoxia, consisting of alternating short bouts of breathing hypoxic and room air, on glucose concentration, insulin concentration, and insulin sensitivity during an oral glucose tolerance test in adults with type 2 diabetes and adults with normal glycemic control. Nine adults with type 2 diabetes (two women, HbA1c: 7.3±1.5%, age: 52±13 years) and nine adults with normal glycemic control (four women, HbA1c: 5.4±0.1%, age: 24±4 years) performed a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test on two separate visits to the laboratory. Following ingestion of the glucose drink, participants were exposed to either an intermittent hypoxia protocol, consisting of eight 4-min hypoxic cycles at a targeted oxygen saturation of 80% interspersed with breathing room air to resaturation, or a sham protocol consisting of eight 4-min normoxic cycles interspersed with breathing room air. Intermittent hypoxia did not attenuate the increase in glucose concentration but attenuated the increase in insulin concentration in response to an oral glucose tolerance test in comparison with the sham protocol in adults with type 2 diabetes. Insulin sensitivity was greater during intermittent hypoxia in comparison with the sham protocol in adults with type 2 diabetes (0.043±0.036 vs. 0.032±0.046 μmol/kg/min/pmol, p=0.01), but did not change in the control group (0.122±0.015 vs. 0.128±0.008 μmol/kg/min/pmol, p=0.12). In conclusion, intermittent hypoxia improved insulin sensitivity in adults with type 2 diabetes.
δ-containing GABAA receptors on parvalbumin interneurons modulate neuronal excitability and network dynamics in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Lu Xinguo , Shu Hong-Jin , Lambert Peter M. , Benz Ann , Zorumski Charles F. , Mennerick Steven
Published: February 2025

In medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV) interneurons regulate excitability and microcircuit oscillatory activity important for cognition. Although PV interneurons inhibit pyramidal neurons, they themselves express δ subunits of GABAA receptors important for slow inhibition. However, the specific contribution of δ-containing GABAA receptors to the function of PV interneurons in mPFC is unclear. We explored cellular, synaptic, and local-circuit activity in PV interneurons and pyramidal neurons in mouse mPFC after selectively deleting δ subunits in PV interneurons (cKO mice). In current-clamp recordings, cKO PV interneurons exhibited a higher frequency of action potentials and higher input resistance than wild type (WT) PV interneurons. Picrotoxin increased firing and GABA decreased firing in WT PV interneurons but not in cKO PV interneurons. The δ-preferring agonist THIP reduced spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents disproportionately in WT pyramidal neurons compared with cKO pyramidal neurons. In WT slices, depolarizing the network with 400 nM kainate increased firing of pyramidal neurons but had little effect on PV interneuron firing. By contrast, in cKO slices kainate recruited PV interneurons at the expense of pyramidal neurons. At the population level, kainate induced broadband increases in local field potentials in WT but not cKO slices. These results on cells and network activity can be understood through increased excitability of cKO PV interneurons. In summary, our study demonstrates that δ-containing GABAA receptors in mPFC PV interneurons play a crucial role in regulating their excitability and the phasic inhibition of pyramidal neurons, elucidating intricate mechanisms governing cortical circuitry.
Change in Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio and Occurrence of Hyperkalemia in Patients Initiating Finerenone in the United States: A Cohort Study from the FOUNTAIN platform
Authors: Kovesdy Csaba P. , Ebert Natalie , Vizcaya David , Walsh Michael , Kosiborod Mikhail N. , Layton J. Bradley , Ziemiecki Ryan , Johannes Catherine B. , Pladevall-Vila Manel , Gee Patrick O. , Jefferson Nichole , Chicoye Annie , Lopes Maria , Thapa Bishnu Bahadur , Curhan Gary , Rangel Luis , Bhartia Mudit , Liu Fangfang , Farjat Alfredo E. , Oberprieler Nikolaus G.
Published: February 2025

Introduction. In 2021, finerenone – a novel, selective non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist – was approved in the US to treat adults with CKD and T2D This study aimed to describe characteristics and short-term outcomes of patients prescribed finerenone since regulatory approval.
Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study using claims and electronic health records data from the OM1 Real-World Data Cloud™. A total of 15,948 US adults with a previous diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes who initiated
10mg or 20mg finerenone between July 2021 and August 2023 were included. Dosing was evaluated at baseline and over up to 12-months’ follow-up. Change from baseline in urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) was evaluated at 4 and 12 months (among 913 and 443 patients, respectively, with available repeat UACR values). Hyperkalemia occurrence was determined at 12 months and over total follow-up.
Results. Median follow-up was 7.2 months. Mean age was 70.3 years; 44.1% were female. At baseline (-365; 0 days) 70% had CKD stage 3; for patients with UACR measurements 80.8% had moderate/severe albuminuria (≥30mg/g). Median UACR was 203mg/g. Co-medication use was: ACE inhibitors/ARBs (51%), SGLT2is (38%), and GLP-1 RAs (26%). 86% of patients initiated 10mg finerenone, and among 2212 patients still under observation at 12 months, 70% were on 10mg. For finerenone initiators with available UACR data, UACR was reduced by 33% at 4 months and 38% at 12 months. Hyperkalemia occurred in 1.2% of the cohort by 12 months (incidence 2.0 per 100 person-years).
Conclusion. Patients who initiated finerenone had a notable reduction in median UACR at 4 months, sustained at 12 months; hyperkalemia occurrence appeared to be low. These initial findings from US clinical practice should be complemented by results from other real-world cohorts of patients started on finerenone.
The Association of Serum Iron with Congestive Heart Failure: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Analysis of NHANES 2017–2020
Authors: Ding Chen , Weng Shuwei , Zhou Yafeng
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a major global health concern with complex pathophysiological mechanisms. Iron, a crucial micronutrient for cardiac function, has been increasingly researched for its potential link with HF. This study aims to investigate the association between serum iron levels and congestive heart failure (CHF) using cross-sectional data from the NHANES database (2017-2020), thereby contributing to the understanding and management of HF.
Methods: This cross-sectional analysis utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), focusing on American adults. CHF status was identified through self-reported medical history. Serum iron levels were measured using the Roche Cobas 6000 analyzer. Covariates included demographics, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Statistical analyses involved logistic regression models, adjusting for potential confounders to evaluate the association between serum iron and CHF.
Results: Among 7,298 participants (240 with CHF and 7,058 without CHF), those with CHF had significantly lower serum iron levels. Higher serum iron levels were associated with a reduced incidence of CHF, even after adjusting for covariates. Subgroup analyses revealed this association to be particularly significant in older adults, hypertensive, diabetic, smokers, obese, and those with renal impairment. The optimal serum iron cutoff value for CHF risk was identified as 15.1μmol/L.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates a negative association between serum iron levels and CHF occurrence, suggesting serum iron as a potential marker for CHF diagnosis and management.
A tag-based recommender system for tourism using collaborative filtering
Authors: Selmi Afef , Alawadh Maryah , Alotaibi Raghad , Alharbi Shrefah
Published: February 2025

Recommender systems have garnered significant attention from researchers due to their potential for delivering personalized recommendations in light of the vast amount of information available online. These systems have found applications in various domains, including financial services, movies, and research articles. Their implementation in the tourism industry is particularly promising. Travelers often face the daunting task of selecting the right tourist attractions from a plethora of options, which can consume considerable time and energy. By leveraging personalized recommendation technologies, it is possible to provide highly accurate travel suggestions tailored to individual preferences. This study proposes the development of a customized recommendation system (RS) aimed at assisting travelers in the Qassim region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. By using this region as a case study, the proposed RS consists of two main modules: a user registration and login module and a recommendation technique and tag module. The system will capture users’ interests and prompt them to select from various options, subsequently presenting them with tailored recommendations based on their preferences. This approach aims to enhance the travel experience by offering relevant suggestions that align with the interests of each traveler.
Acute-Phase Recording of the Spreading Depolarization Continuum in Aged Nonhuman Primates During Focal Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Sword Jeremy J. , Sparks Tyler , Debs Luca H. , Major Sebastian , Sharma Suash J. , Jensen Michael A. , Moore-Hill Debra T. , Barton Karen , Shah Manan , Garcia Klepper Alfredo , Switzer Jeffrey A. , Blake David T. , Vale Fernando L. , Dreier Jens P. , Hartings Jed A. , Kirov Sergei A.
Published: February 2025

BACKGROUND:

Decades of experimental and clinical data revealed that spreading depolarizations (SDs) play a central causal role in the development of cortical lesions after acute brain injury. However, clinical documentation of events at the onset of focal ischemic stroke and during the initial phase of cortical injury development is lacking because electroencephalography monitoring of SD typically starts hours or days later. Here, we used nonhuman primates to map electrophysiological pathology through focal ischemic stroke’s onset and acute stage.

METHODS:

Craniotomies were performed over both hemispheres on 4 male and 1 female nemestrina and rhesus macaques aged 23 years to 32 years. Subdural electrode arrays were placed bilaterally over the middle cerebral artery territory, recording from 24 electrodes 1 cm apart on the left cortex and 7 on the right. After 30 minutes of baseline monitoring, the left middle cerebral artery and, in some cases, also the left internal carotid or anterior cerebral arteries were permanently occluded with aneurysmal clips.

RESULTS:

Repetitive SDs occurred during the next 3 hours, followed by terminal SD during euthanasia. No epileptiform activity was observed in any of the 5 animals. Nonspreading electrical silence developed in the ischemic core within seconds of ischemic onset, followed by terminal SD and SD-initiated negative ultraslow potential after several minutes. These events defined the ischemic core and led to histologically confirmed cell damage. Initial and subsequent transient SDs caused spreading depression of spontaneous activity in the normally perfused surrounding cortex without any signs of histological damage. Cardiocirculatory arrest at the end of experiments first induced nonspreading depression of activity followed by SD and, eventually, the SD-initiated negative ultraslow potential, which indicated brain death.

CONCLUSIONS:

Results in gyrencephalic nonhuman primates hold significant implications for understanding the role of SD in acute brain injury development and for the clinical translation and diagnosis of pathologies manifested in the SD continuum.
Familiarity dampens the effect of boldness on coordination in three-spined sticklebacks
Authors: Riley Riva J. , Kwon Young Mi , Manica Andrea , Savage James L.
Published: February 2025

Group-living animals must coordinate with other group members to reap the benefits and avoid the costs of social living, but precisely how individuals should respond to one another is mediated by interacting social and environmental factors. In stable groups, familiarity (i.e. prior experience with particular conspecifics) often improves group coordination, with familiar groups outperforming unfamiliar groups in foraging efficiency and predator evasion. Group coordination is also affected by individual behavioural tendencies, and consistent individual differences such as boldness drive specific coordination behaviours including leadership. Furthermore, in stable groups these consistent differences in behaviour (or ‘personalities’) facilitate individuals predicting each other’s behaviour as they can learn their groupmates’ behavioural tendencies over time. Few studies have investigated how familiarity and personality interact to influence behaviour in social groups. Here, we assess how familiarity differentially affects ‘bold’ and ‘shy’ individuals in pairs of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Our results show that familiarity modifies how individuals coordinate with their partners, and that leadership dynamics are determined by boldness levels in unfamiliar pairs, but not in familiar pairs. This suggests that familiarity with others in social groups alters the leadership tendencies of individuals, with implications for how personality interacts with the social environment to determine individual coordination behaviour.
Gut detoxification and antioxidant responses in laying hens supplemented with phytogenics
Authors: Anagnostopoulos E.C. , Mountzouris K.C.
Published: February 2025

This study evaluated the effects of a phytogenic blend (PB) on the performance and critical genes relevant to the detoxification (i.e. aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway) and antioxidant responses (i.e. nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathways) in the duodenum and the caeca of laying hens. The PB consisted of selected Mediterranean plants containing olive oil polyphenols, carvacrol and thymol among its main bioactive components. A total of 385, 21-week-old Hy-Line Brown layers were assigned to one of five dietary treatments with seven replicates of 11 hens each for a 12 week feeding experiment. The experimental treatments included a control corn-soybean meal basal diet with no PB (C) or supplemented with PB at 250 (PB250), 750 (PB750), 1000 (PB1000) or 1,500 mg/kg diet (PB1500). During the experimental period, the 0–6 weeks laying rate, egg mass, feed intake and FCR did not differ among the treatment groups. For the period 7–12 weeks, laying rate, egg mass and FCR were significantly increased with PB inclusion compared to birds fed the C diet. In the duodenum and the caeca, increasing dietary PB concentration beneficially affected (P≤0.05) the expression of the majority of the AhR and Nrf2 pathway genes studied. Phytogenic inclusion modulated the layer adaptive cytoprotection in the gut and documented further the improved production, with PB750 displaying optimal benefits. In conclusion, PB inclusion beneficially modulated the layer adaptive cytoprotection in the gut which improved performance, with PB750 displaying the optimal benefits.
Creating Novel, Responsible, and Impactful Entrepreneurship Education Models
Authors: Henry Colette , Mansilla Ester Bernadó , Singer Slavica , Gabriel Barbara , Valente Robertt , Moberg Kåre , Tomasi Sabrina , Planck Sebastian , Sailer Klaus
Published: February 2025

In this article, we ask: How can universities create novel responsible, and impactful entrepreneurship education models? Answering this question could enhance the take-up and relevance of entrepreneurship education, encouraging students, academics, entrepreneurs and, indeed, every citizen, to use their skills to address society’s grand challenges. We adopt an in-depth case approach to critically explore the EU-funded ‘Start for Future’ (SFF) alliance, an entrepreneurship and innovation mega-ecosystem that brings universities together to deliver entrepreneurship education in SDG-related domains. Our article contributes by: 1) enhancing understanding of the critical role universities play as entrepreneurial changemakers, driving social, economic and technological transformation; 2) augmenting the growing body of scholarship on entrepreneurship education, specifically illuminating the responsibility dimension in driving impactful entrepreneurship; 3) drawing attention to a novel, playful yet highly impactful entrepreneurship education model – Start for Future – one built on the principles of responsible entrepreneurship, reciprocity, mutual learning, co-creation and experimentation.
Kierkegaard, the Forerunner of Presuppositional Apologetics
Authors: Oganessian Armen
Published: February 2025

This paper argues that Kierkegaard critiques both inductive and deductive arguments for establishing biblical truths. His contention with them arises from his belief that the human mind, restricted by its cognitive limitations, lacks the requisite categories to know God. Essentially, without the incarnation of Christ, the human intellect lacks the object for the subject of theology. This, coupled with his belief that one can only directly encounter Christ in the Bible, leads Kierkegaard to advocate for a reliance on Scripture as the sole source of knowledge of God. He argues that proofs, whether historical or speculative, create an epistemological barrier between the individual and Christ. Historical arguments, in Kierkegaard’s view, treat truth as a mere hypothesis, thereby distancing believers from a genuine encounter with God. Likewise, speculative proofs, by abstractly presenting Christian truths, create a similar distance. Thus, I contend that Kierkegaard should be recognized as a precursor to presuppositionalism.
A new genus of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), the first known hymenopteran in amber from Lower Lusatia (Germany)
Authors: SIMUTNIK SERGUEI A. , PANKOWSKI MADELINE V. , PERKOVSKY EVGENY E.
Published: February 2025

Waninka haikowielandi Simutnik gen. et sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on a female specimen from amber found in Lower Lusatia (Germany). This parasitic wasp is the first known record of a hymenopteran discovered in amber from Lower Lusatia and is believed to be from the late Eocene. The new genus is characterized by very long postmarginal and stigmal veins, the first funicular segment ring-like and conspicuously smaller than the second one, and the eye not reaching the occipital margin. The taxonomic position of the new genus is incertae sedis within the subfamily Encyrtinae. An updated key to the genera of late Eocene encyrtids of the subfamily Encyrtinae is provided. The “Baltic river” as the route of amber redeposition to Lower Lusatia is discussed.
A new species of Indigofera (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) from Misiones with a key to species from Argentina
Authors: SÃO-PAULO RITA DE CÁSSIA ALVES MENEZES , SNAK CRISTIANE , RIBEIRO CAROLINA LIMA , ROCHA LAMARCK , QUEIROZ LUCIANO PAGANUCCI DE
Published: February 2025

Indigofera stolonifera, a new stoloniferous species from Misiones, Argentina, is described and illustrated. The new species resembles I. campestris but differs in habit (erect stoloniferous herb vs. decumbent subshrub in I. campestris), petiole length (2–2.5 mm vs. 5–6 mm), and leaflet indumentum (sericeous to velutinous vs. pubescent). A detailed description, illustrations, photos, distribution map, and comments on taxonomy and morphology are presented. Additionally, we present an updated identification key for Indigofera species in Argentina.
Tricholosporum tamilnaduense (Asproinocybaceae, Agaricales), a new species from Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: A AGNES KAYALVIZHI , MANOGARAN NIVETHA , MUNUSWAMY KUMAR
Published: February 2025

Tricholosporum tamilnaduense sp. nov. is reported here from the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. Tricholosporum tamilnaduense is well supported by the morphological characteristics by having broadly umbonate pale orange pileus 3.5–5 cm broad with a shallow central depression, violet-white margin, pale lilac emarginate lamellae and a short stipe 2.3–3.7 cm long, with an apex pruina; cruciate, hyaline, inamyloid basidiospores measuring 4–6 × 3–4 µm, clavate basidia 17–23 µm long and the cystidia bulbous or ampullaceous, measuring 16–35 µm long with a fusoid or mucronate apex. Further, the phylogenetic studies validate the morphological evidence for T. tamilnaduense sp. nov. through the nrDNA ITS sequence by forming a separate branch among the other Tricholosporum species. A description, illustrations, and phylogenetic analysis results of the new species are provided.
A 42-yr statistic on the Dabie vortices: Multi-scale temporal characteristics and associated mechanisms, and hourly-rainfall features
Authors: Fu Shen-Ming , Zhang Jing-Ping , Xiao Xue , Huang Ting-Ting , Sun Jian-Hua
Published: February 2025

Over the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Basin, there are an important type of mesoscale vortices, which are referred to as the Dabie vortex (DBVs). DBVs has formed a research focus for decades, as they frequently induce flash-flood-producing rainstorms along their tracks. However, of all existing DBVs-related studies, none have ever investigated DBVs’ long-term climatological features, and all the basic features of DBVs are obtained from shortterm statistics and/or case studies. To partly fill these knowledge gaps, we conduct a 42-yr statistical study on the DBVs by using the hourly ERA5 reanalysis data. New findings mainly include the follows: On an interdecadal scale, from 1983 to 2016, DBVs’ occurrence frequency shows a significant increasing trend of ∼0.3 DBV a−1, which may correspond to the enhancing horizontal transport of vorticity by the intensifying summer monsoon (a trend of 0.23 d−1 in summer-monsoon index). Monthly variation of DBVs’ occurrence/appearance frequency (maximizes in June) is consistent with monthly variations of summer monsoon and its associated divergence, which affect DBVs’ formation through vertical stretching. DBVs’ diurnal variation shows two peaks at 2200 UTC (∼9.8% in proportion) and at 1000 UTC (∼6.8%), respectively, with the former more stable than the latter. Both local diurnal variation and nonlocal forcings are crucial for producing these two peaks. As rainfall intensity grows, the relative importance of DBVs’ contribution increases from ∼13.6% (accumulated precipitation) to ∼71.5% (heaviest precipitation) within DBVs’ source region. Inside/outside source region, ∼15.2%/∼1.4% of the strongest local hourly precipitation is directly related to the DBVs.
Silent entrepreneuring: Complying with and refusing entrepreneurial norms through practices of tactical subordination and shielding space
Authors: Wettermark Anna , Berglund Karin
Published: February 2025

Entrepreneurship is often understood as acting boldly on the market, broadcasting one’s endeavours in persuasive success stories. We, in contrast, seek to understand less flamboyant entrepreneurial practices by examining the creativity and innovations pursued by a gendered and marginalized professional group in the public sector. Through an ethnographic study of hospital pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic, we seek to understand how pharmacists ‘do’ entrepreneuring at work, what practices they engage in, and how they act creatively, sometimes breaking with role expectations, and seldom receiving recognition for what they are doing. In the article, we refer to this as silent entrepreneuring – a form of entrepreneuring that simultaneously complies with and refuses entrepreneurial ideals. By adopting two contrasting but complementary analytical positions, we examine the often unspoken activities of pharmacists and how they form practices that both support and contradict each other. We conclude by suggesting that the concept of silent entrepreneuring enables a broadened understanding of organizational entrepreneurship that calls for greater sensitivity towards the different forms that entrepreneuring may take.
F0 and Voice Quality of Coarticulated Mandarin Tones
Authors: Huang Yaqian
Published: February 2025

Tonal coarticulation occurs when adjacent tones affect the production of each other, and this often induces changes in both F0 and voice quality of the tones. In Mandarin, F0 height of the target tone is affected by adjacent tones through both carryover assimilation and anticipatory dissimilation. In addition, voice quality is found to be largely dependent on F0, such that lower F0 induces creakier quality, regardless of tone. Given this dependency of voice quality on F0, it is unclear how this interaction manifests in the context of coarticulated tones. This study investigates the relationship between F0 and voice quality changes in coarticulated tones in three-tone sequences. Voice quality is assessed both acoustically and articulatorily using electroglottography (EGG). Our study confirms both carryover and anticipatory effects on F0. Changes in voice quality are largely expected from the direction of F0 changes. However, tone-specific exceptions especially in the dipping Tone 3 and falling Tone 4 are present, which we interpret as support for the (potential) independence of voice quality from F0.
The Emergence of a Fiscal Cleavage: Evasori, Tartassati, and the Italian Tax State Since 1973
Authors: Döpking Lars
Published: February 2025

Taxation is not only politics congealed in institutions, but politics is the product of fiscal relations. This is particularly evident in Italy, where tax revolts are frequent and governments collapse because of fiscal conflicts. This article argues that these conflicts originate from a fiscal cleavage, the socio-structural foundations of which were laid in the 1970s. The major tax reform of 1971–73 constituted two fiscal class positions that soon initiated a series of collective actions, including strikes, demonstrations, and shop closures. After 1994, the fiscal division line influenced the different groups’ orientation toward the party system of the Second Republic. There, election campaigns centered on tax policy ultimately hardened the fiscal cleavage in the context of European integration. This qualitative, historical-sociological analysis relies on archival material, newspaper articles, published sources, and social statistics. It aims not only to explain the contemporary dynamics of Italian politics but also to help us understand the growing salience of tax politics in other societies.
Making Sense of a Puzzling Activity: Awakening to Languages in an English as an Additional Language Classroom
Authors: Steil Kevin Randall , Matias Santos Danielli Neves
Published: February 2025

According to Fidler, the pluralistic approach known as awakening to languages (AtL) holds the potential to positively impact metalinguistic awareness (MA) among young additional language learners. However, a deeper exploration of the effects of this pluralistic approach on metalinguistic engagement is needed to offer insights for the effective integration of pluralistic methodologies into language classrooms. To address this gap, an AtL puzzle was devised and completed as part of seven pedagogical interventions in an English as an additional language classroom with fourteen plurilingual participants aged 12 to 13, living in Barcelona, Spain. Qualitative data collection included an initial questionnaire, audio recording that captured the participants’ engagement with the AtL puzzle, a written survey administered after the activity and a subsequent focus group interview conducted post-activity. Participants expressed the use of awareness spanning orthographic and pragmatic dimensions. Furthermore, their metalinguistic strategies were illuminated, encompassing cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies such as selective attention and planning. These findings collectively contribute to a more nuanced comprehension of the potential advantages conferred by pluralistic approaches within the domain of additional language education, emphasizing the positive impact that they may have on the cultivation of MA and the development of metacognitive strategies among young language learners.