bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparing market instruments for forest conservation in Brazil using farm-level census data
Authors: DePaula Guilherme , Veloso Leandro
Published: January 2025

Almost 40 per cent of Brazil's native vegetation is located on over five million private properties. This study assesses the potential of agricultural land taxes and tradable forest certificates for conserving Brazil's fragmented native vegetation across commercial farms, using micro census data from 2006 and 2017. We explore the variability of optimal tax rates and market prices for forest certificates, revealing a supply-demand imbalance in the Amazon and high sensitivity of conservation outcomes to changes in farmland opportunity costs, especially in productive areas. Despite a more positively skewed distribution of opportunity costs by 2017, market outcomes remained unaffected. Notably, expanding the market to include the Amazon's agricultural frontier microregions could achieve 45 per cent of the conservation target. Our analysis underscores the interplay between market-based conservation mechanisms and regional agricultural economics, highlighting the need for tailored approaches to optimize conservation efforts.
Modular Composition: An approach towards structural plasticity in music
Authors: Lynch Samuel , English Helen , Scott Nathan , Drummond Jon
Published: January 2025

This article considers modular composition as an approach to engendering structural plasticity in musical works. Structural plasticity, in this case, is defined as the ability for the components of a musical work (e.g., events, ideas, sequences, textures, timbres) to vary in how and when they are presented. In this research, modular composition is the process for creating a collection of individual musical ideas (e.g., sequences, patterns, phrases) termed ‘modules’, and designing a dynamic system for their assembly into cohesive structures. This approach results in musical works that exist in a state of constant structural flux, allowing for real-time alteration while progressing beyond similar existing approaches observed in video game music and interactive music apps, from which this research takes inspiration. Approaches involving compositionally focused intelligent music systems are also observed, highlighting how modular composition bridges traditional compositional practices and the design of interactive music systems. Two of the authors’ own works are discussed with regard to how modular composition can be implemented in varying creative ways. The outcome of this work illuminates the creative possibilities of integrating traditional compositional practices with new digital approaches to arrive at a more structurally plastic and alterable form of music.
Addressing the Negative Externalities of Trade: Flanking Policies and the Role of Package Treaties
Authors: Shaffer Gregory
Published: January 2025

This article examines the rationales for addressing sustainability and social inclusion in trade policy and the tradeoffs among imperfect institutional choices in doing so through ‘flanking policies’. It examines three types of negative spillovers or externalities implicated by trade: material, moral, and social/political. Section 1 defines terms and sets forth the argument. Section 2 typologizes the three categories of negative externalities and then highlights the challenges posed for flanking measures given the reciprocal nature of externalities. It respectively addresses environmental harms and labor and social inclusion concerns. Section 3 assesses different institutional alternatives for addressing negative externalities, dividing them between domestic measures targeted at protecting domestic concerns and international ones, such as package treaties. Section 4 shows how the concept of a flanking measure can be flipped, so that environmental sustainability and social inclusion become the core and trade measures become the flanking policies. Section 5 concludes.
Operationalizing Package Treaties: A US Case Study
Authors: Claussen Kathleen
Published: January 2025

This article studies the incorporation of package treaties in domestic law and administrative practice, including the functions these treaties serve once in force. This sketch of the domestic operationalization offers a window into the institutional design choices that shape how lawmakers craft the regulatory ecosystem in which flanking policies are carried out. The typology for understanding how governments situate package treaties in their domestic regulatory spaces is introduced, arguing that the ‘package’ of legally binding trade liberalization commitments and mutually agreed flanking policies is shaped by both legislative and regulatory choices that are often underestimated and overlooked. DUS trade agreements are used as a case study, finding that the US government's treatment of each of its trade agreements tends to follow a common pattern: only a small part of the agreement is transposed into domestic law; complex and robust institutions are built around the agreement to embed it deeply into the trade policy work of the executive branch; and, the entrenchment of US trade agreements has a significant enabling effect across a wide range of cross-border regulatory engagements that US agencies think of as ‘monitoring’ or ‘enforcing’, among other labels. Finally, the policy choices against the goals laid out by proponents of package treaties are assessed.
A systematic literature review of real-world evidence (RWE) on post-market assessment of medical devices
Authors: Manetti Stefania , Guidotti Elisa , Vola Federico , Vainieri Milena
Published: January 2025

The increasing use of real-world evidence (RWE) and real-world data (RWD) to assess post-market medical devices (MDs) might satisfy the urgent need for data sharing and traceability. This study sought to (i) get an overview of current practice in post-market assessments of MDs reporting on RWE/RWD; (ii) draw policy recommendations for governments and health organisations and identify a research agenda for scholars.

A systematic review was undertaken until February 2024 following the PRISMA guidelines. Original peer-reviewed articles in English and incorporating RWE/RWD into any sort of post-market assessment strategy for an MD were included and their reference lists manually checked. A narrative synthesis was employed to describe evidence retrieved.

Totally, 145 research articles were identified. Administrative databases were mostly utilised; clinical and/or economic evidence gathered in a short/medium time horizon the most frequently reported; other evidence types (e.g., organisational) underreported; patient perspectives rarely incorporated; the innovation complexity of MDs relatively low.

To our knowledge, this study is the first in its kind to provide a comprehensive picture of how non-randomised evidence has been used when assessing MDs working in real-life conditions. The implications of this review might help health policy scholars in addressing the avenues for research in RWE for MDs and policy-makers to better understand the risks and benefits of medium and long-term use of MDs alongside clinical practice and make more informed decisions about adoption and use.
Response to critics of Open and Inclusive: Fair Processes for Financing Universal Health Coverage
Authors: Voorhoeve Alex , Dale Elina , Gopinathan Unni
Published: January 2025

In response to our critics, we clarify and defend key ideas in the report Open and Inclusive: Fair Processes for Financing Universal Health Coverage. First, we argue that procedural fairness has greater value than Dan Hausman allows. Second, we argue that the Report aligns with John Kinuthia's view that a knowledgeable public and a capable civil society, alongside good facilitation, are important for effective public deliberation. Moreover, we agree with Kinuthia that the Report's framework for procedural fairness applies not merely within the health sector, but also to the wider budget process. Third, we argue that while Dheepa Rajan and Benjamin Rouffy-Ly are right that robust processes for equal participation are often central to a fair process, sometimes improvements in other aspects of procedural fairness, such as transparency, can take priority over strengthening participation. Fourth, while we welcome Sara Bennett and Maria Merritt's fascinating use of the Report's principles of procedural fairness to assess the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, we argue that their application of the Report's principle of equality to development partners' decision-making requires further justification.
Interrelationships between social exclusion, mental health and wellbeing in adolescents: insights from a national Youth Survey
Authors: Filia K. , Teo S. M. , Brennan N. , Freeburn T. , Baker D. , Browne V. , Watson A. , Menssink J. , Prasad A. , Killackey E. , McGorry P. D. , Cotton S. M. , Gao C. X.
Published: January 2025

Aims

Adolescence is a critical developmental phase during which young people are vulnerable to the experiences of mental ill-health and social exclusion (consisting of various domains including education and employment, housing, finances and social supports and relationships). The aims of this study were to (i) obtain an understanding of the relationships between social exclusion, mental health and wellbeing of young people; and (ii) identify potentially modifiable targets, or population groups that require greater or targeted supports.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Mission Australia 2022 Youth Survey, Australia’s largest annual population-wide survey of young people aged 15–19 years (n = 18,800). Participants’ experiences of social exclusion in different domains were explored (e.g., prevalence, co-occurrence and controlling for differences in demographic characteristics). Multivariable linear regression models were used to map the relationships between social exclusion domains and mental health and wellbeing, controlling for confounding factors where necessary.

Results

Sixty per cent of all young people experienced social exclusion in at least one domain, 25% in multiple. Young people who identified as gender diverse, Indigenous, living in a remote/rural or socio-economically disadvantaged area and with a culturally diverse background were more likely to report social exclusion. A strong association was seen between all domains of social exclusion and poor mental health (e.g., higher psychological distress and loneliness, reduced personal wellbeing, reduced sense of control over their life and a more negative outlook on the future). Notably, difficulties in socialising and obtaining social support were critical factors linked to increased psychological distress and reduced wellbeing.

Conclusions

Findings underscore the need to address multiple domains of social exclusion concurrently, and in collaboration with youth mental healthcare. Prevention efforts aimed at early identification and intervention should be prioritised to support young people vulnerable to social exclusion. Screening approaches are needed to identify individuals and groups of young people in need of support, and to facilitate care coordination across multiple providers.
Confirmation of glyphosate-resistant waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) in New York
Authors: Kumar Vipan , Aulakh Jatinder , Stanyard Mike , Hunter Mike , Brown Bryan , Sosnoskie Lynn , Jhala Amit J.
Published: January 2025

Waterhemp has become a serious management challenge for New York (NY) field crop growers. Two putative glyphosate-resistant (GR) waterhemp populations (NY1 and NY2) were collected in 2023 from two soybean fields in Seneca County, NY. The objectives of this research were to (1) confirm and characterize the level of glyphosate resistance in waterhemp populations from NY relative to a known glyphosate-susceptible Nebraska (NE_SUS) population and (2) evaluate the efficacy of various postemergence (POST) herbicides for GR waterhemp control. Based on the shoot dry weight reductions (GR50 values) in a dose-response study, the NY1 and NY2 populations exhibited 5.6- to 8.3-fold resistance to glyphosate compared with the NE_SUS population. In a separate study, POST herbicides such as dicamba, glufosinate, lactofen, and 2,4-D applied alone or in a mixture with glyphosate or glufosinate had provided 89% to 99% control and ≥ 97% shoot dry weight reduction of NY1 and NY2 populations 21 days after treatment (DAT). Greater than 98% control of the NE_SUS population was achieved with tested POST herbicides, except mesotrione (62% control). Furthermore, atrazine, chlorimuron + thifensulfuron, and mesotrione were the least effective in controlling NY1 and NY2 populations (42% to 59% control and 50% to 67% shoot dry weight reductions, respectively). These results confirm the first report of GR waterhemp in NY. Growers should adopt effective alternative POST herbicides tested in this study to manage GR waterhemp.
Modeling the Long and Short of Subduction Zones
Authors: Owen Rebecca
Published: January 2025

A new subduction model could reveal important insights about megathrust earthquakes.
Classroom air quality in a randomized crossover trial with portable HEPA air cleaners
Authors: Simona Shayna C. , Bartell Scott M. , Vieira Verónica M.
Published: January 2025

Background

Children living in communities with lower socioeconomic status and higher minority populations are often disproportionately exposed to particulate matter (PM) compared to children living in other communities.

Objective

We assessed whether adding HEPA filter air cleaners to classrooms with existing HVAC systems reduces indoor air pollution exposure.

Methods

From July 2022 to June 2023, using a block randomized crossover trial of 17 Los Angeles Unified School District elementary schools, classroom PM concentrations were monitored and compared for 99 classrooms with HEPA filter air cleaners and 87 classrooms with non-HEPA filter air cleaners.

Results

In HEPA classrooms, average school-year PM2.5 was 39.9% lower (0.581 µg/m³; p < 0.001) and infiltration of outdoor PM2.5 into classrooms was 13.8–82.4% lower than non-HEPA classrooms, depending on the school.

Impact

Few studies have examined HEPA filtration in a classroom environment, and this is one of the first studies since the COVID-19 pandemic to assess PM exposure in the classroom. Using a well powered block randomized crossover trial, we showed that adding portable HEPA air cleaners to classrooms that already had HVAC systems with MERV 13 air filters resulted in lower measurable PM concentrations and less infiltration of outdoor PM2.5 compared to control classrooms with non-HEPA filters. This demonstrates that further improvements in classroom air quality, especially in environmentally burdened communities, can be achieved with additional filtration.
Associations between biomarkers of inflammation and depressive symptoms—potential differences between diabetes types and symptom clusters of depression
Authors: Herder Christian , Zhu Anna , Schmitt Andreas , Spagnuolo Maria C. , Kulzer Bernhard , Roden Michael , Hermanns Norbert , Ehrmann Dominic
Published: January 2025

Inflammation is a probable biological pathway underlying the relationship between diabetes and depression, but data on differences between diabetes types and symptom clusters of depression are scarce. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to compare associations of a multimarker panel of biomarkers of inflammation with depressive symptoms and its symptom clusters between people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). This cross-sectional study combined data from five studies including 1260 participants (n = 706 T1D, n = 454 T2D). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Serum levels of 92 biomarkers of inflammation were quantified with proximity extension assay technology. After quality control, 76 biomarkers of inflammation remained for statistical analysis. Associations between biomarkers and depressive symptom scores and clusters (cognitive-affective, somatic, anhedonia) were estimated with multivariable linear regression models. Nine biomarkers were positively associated with depressive symptoms in the total sample (CCL11/eotaxin, CCL25, CDCP1, FGF-21, IL-8, IL-10RB, IL-18, MMP-10, TNFRSF9; all p < 0.05) without interaction by diabetes type. Associations differed for eight biomarkers (pinteraction < 0.05). TNFβ was inversely associated with depressive symptoms in T1D, whereas three biomarkers (GDNF, IL-18R1, LIF-R) were positively associated with depressive symptoms in T2D. For the remaining four biomarkers (CD6, CD244, FGF-5, IFNγ) associations were not significant in either subgroup. Biomarker associations were more pronounced with somatic and anhedonia than with cognitive-affective symptoms. These results indicate that different proinflammatory pathways may contribute to depression in T1D and T2D and that there may be a symptom specificity in the link between subclinical inflammation and depression.
The role of direct air capture in achieving climate-neutral aviation
Authors: Brazzola Nicoletta , Meskaldji Amir , Patt Anthony , Tröndle Tim , Moretti Christian
Published: January 2025

Growing demand for air travel and limited scalable solutions pose significant challenges to the mitigation of aviation’s climate change impact. Direct air capture (DAC) may gain prominence due to its versatile applications for either carbon removal (direct air carbon capture and storage, DACCS) or synthetic fuel production (direct air carbon capture and utilization, DACCU). Through a comprehensive and time-dynamic techno-economic assessment, we explore the conditions for synthetic fuels from DACCU to become cost-competitive with an emit-and-remove strategy based on DACCS under 2050 CO2 and climate neutrality targets. We find that synthetic fuels could achieve climate neutrality at lower cost than an emit-and-remove strategy due to their ability to cost-effectively mitigate contrails. Under demand reductions, contrail avoidance, and CO2 neutrality targets the cost advantage of synthetic fuels weakens or disappears. Low electricity cost (€0.02 kWh-1) and high fossil kerosene prices (€0.9 l-1) can favor synthetic fuels’ cost-competitiveness even under these conditions. Strategic interventions, such as optimal siting and the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, can thus favor a shift away from fossil-reliant aviation.
Molecular basis for the enzymatic inactivity of class III glutaredoxin ROXY9 on standard glutathionylated substrates
Authors: Mrozek Pascal , Grunewald Stephan , Treffon Katrin , Poschmann Gereon , Rabe von Pappenheim Fabian , Tittmann Kai , Gatz Christiane
Published: January 2025

Class I glutaredoxins (GRXs) are nearly ubiquitous proteins that catalyse the glutathione (GSH)-dependent reduction of mainly glutathionylated substrates. In land plants, a third class of GRXs has evolved (class III). Class III GRXs regulate the activity of TGA transcription factors through yet unexplored mechanisms. Here we show that Arabidopsis thaliana class III GRX ROXY9 is inactive as an oxidoreductase on widely used model substrates. Glutathionylation of the active site cysteine, a prerequisite for enzymatic activity, occurs only under highly oxidizing conditions established by the GSH/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) redox couple, while class I GRXs are readily glutathionylated even at very negative GSH/GSSG redox potentials. Thus, structural alterations in the GSH binding site leading to an altered GSH binding mode likely explain the enzymatic inactivity of ROXY9. This might have evolved to avoid overlapping functions with class I GRXs and raises questions of whether ROXY9 regulates TGA substrates through redox regulation.
Optimized molecule detection in localization microscopy with selected false positive probability
Authors: Hekrdla Miroslav , Roesel David , Hansen Niklas , Frederick Soumya , Umar Khalilullah , Petráková Vladimíra
Published: January 2025

Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) allows imaging beyond the diffraction limit. Detection of molecules is a crucial initial step in SMLM. False positive detections, which are not quantitatively controlled in current methods, are a source of artifacts that affect the entire SMLM analysis pipeline. Furthermore, current methods lack standardization, which hinders reproducibility. Here, we present an optimized molecule detection method which combines probabilistic thresholding with theoretically optimal filtering. The probabilistic thresholding enables control over false positive detections while optimal filtering minimizes false negatives. A theoretically optimal Poisson matched filter is used as a performance benchmark to evaluate existing filtering methods. Overall, our approach allows the detection of molecules in a robust, single-parameter and user-unbiased manner. This will minimize artifacts and enable data reproducibility in SMLM.
Accelerating phase field simulations through a hybrid adaptive Fourier neural operator with U-net backbone
Authors: Bonneville Christophe , Bieberdorf Nathan , Hegde Arun , Asta Mark , Najm Habib N. , Capolungo Laurent , Safta Cosmin
Published: January 2025

Prolonged contact between a corrosive liquid and metal alloys can cause progressive dealloying. For one such process as liquid-metal dealloying (LMD), phase field models have been developed to understand the mechanisms leading to complex morphologies. However, the LMD governing equations in these models often involve coupled non-linear partial differential equations (PDE), which are challenging to solve numerically. In particular, numerical stiffness in the PDEs requires an extremely refined time step size (on the order of 10−12
s or smaller). This computational bottleneck is especially problematic when running LMD simulation until a late time horizon is required. This motivates the development of surrogate models capable of leaping forward in time, by skipping several consecutive time steps at-once. In this paper, we propose a U-shaped adaptive Fourier neural operator (U-AFNO), a machine learning (ML) based model inspired by recent advances in neural operator learning. U-AFNO employs U-Nets for extracting and reconstructing local features within the physical fields, and passes the latent space through a vision transformer (ViT) implemented in the Fourier space (AFNO). We use U-AFNOs to learn the dynamics of mapping the field at a current time step into a later time step. We also identify global quantities of interest (QoI) describing the corrosion process (e.g., the deformation of the liquid-metal interface, lost metal, etc.) and show that our proposed U-AFNO model is able to accurately predict the field dynamics, in spite of the chaotic nature of LMD. Most notably, our model reproduces the key microstructure statistics and QoIs with a level of accuracy on par with the high-fidelity numerical solver, while achieving a significant 11, 200 × speed-up on a high-resolution grid when comparing the computational expense per time step. Finally, we also investigate the opportunity of using hybrid simulations, in which we alternate forward leaps in time using the U-AFNO with high-fidelity time stepping. We demonstrate that while advantageous for some surrogate model design choices, our proposed U-AFNO model in fully auto-regressive settings consistently outperforms hybrid schemes.
The North American Repository for Archaeological Isotopes
Authors: Billings Traci N. , Scott Erin , Cocozza Carlo , Hixon Sean , Boivin Nicole , Roberts Patrick , Spengler Robert N. , Fernandes Ricardo
Published: January 2025

Here, we present the North American Repository for Archaeological Isotopes (NARIA), the largest open-access compilation of previously reported isotopic measurements (n = 28,374) from bioarchaeological samples in North America (i.e., Canada, Greenland, Mexico, and the United States of America) covering a time-frame of more than 12,000 years. This database consists of stable (δ13C, δ15N, δ18O) and radiogenic (87Sr/86Sr) isotope measurements from archaeological human, animal, and plant sources and their corresponding contextual information (e.g., location, chronology, cultural affiliation, etc.). This synthesis of isotopic measurements and other forms of data presents significant research potential for investigating past human lifeways, particularly in the realms of paleomobility, paleoenvironment, and paleodiet. Additionally, it serves to pinpoint spatial and temporal data gaps, offering valuable insights for future research directions.
The competitive esports physiological, affective, and video dataset
Authors: Behnke Maciej , Krzyżaniak Wadim , Nowak Jan , Kupiński Szymon , Chwiłkowska Patrycja , Jęśko Białek Szymon , Kłoskowski Maciej , Maciejewski Patryk , Szymański Kacper , Lakens Daniël , Petrova Kate , Jamieson Jeremy P. , Gross James J.
Published: January 2025

Esports refers to competitive video gaming where individuals compete against each other in organized tournaments for prize money. Here, we present the Competitive Esports Physiological, Affective, and Video (CEPAV) dataset, in which 300 male Counter Strike: Global Offensive gamers participated in a study aimed at optimizing affect during esports tournament1. The CEPAV dataset includes (1) physiological data, capturing the player’s cardiovascular responses from before, during, and after over 3000 CS: GO matches; (2) self-reported affective data, detailing the affective states experienced before gameplay; and (3) video data, providing a visual record of 552 in-laboratory gaming sessions. We also collected (affect-related) individual differences measures (e.g., well-being, ill-being) across six weeks in three waves. The self-reported affective data also includes gamers’ natural language descriptions of gaming affective situations. The CEPAV dataset provides a comprehensive resource for researchers and analysts seeking to understand the complex interplay of physiological, affective, and behavioral factors in esports and other performance contexts.
Contraction ratio of multifidus and erector spinae muscles in unilateral sacroiliac joint pain: A cross-sectional trial
Authors: Mabrouk Omar M. , Ayad Khaled E. , Hady Doaa A. Abdel
Published: January 2025

Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is one of the most prevalent reasons for disability, it affects the contraction ratio of the muscles of the back. Imaging is critical for diagnosing back muscles. The purpose of this study was to look at changes in the muscle contraction ratio of the lumbar multifidus (LM) and erector spinae (ES) in unilateral SIJ pain. This research included 60 individuals (30 with unilateral SIJ pain and 30 healthy people (who served as matching controls). The contraction ratio of back muscles such as ES and LM was assessed using real-time ultrasonography, and the results were compared between the affected and non-affected sides in patients with unilateral SIJ pain, and healthy participants as well. In the study group, the contraction ratio of ES and LM muscles on the non-affected side was significantly higher than on the affected side (p < 0.05). as well as a significant increase in contraction ratio of the ipsilateral side (affected matched control side) LM of the healthy group compared with that of the non-affected side of the study group (p < 0.001), while there was no significant difference in contraction ratio of the contralateral (unaffected matched control side) ES of the healthy group compared with that of the non-affected side of the study group. The results of this trial demonstrate that patients with unilateral SIJ pain exhibited a substantially lower muscle contraction ratio in the ES and LM of the affected side than the non-affected side in the study group, as well as a significant increase in the contraction ratio of the ES and MF on the ipsilateral side of the control group compared with that of the study group. However, there was no significant change in the contraction ratio of the contralateral ES in healthy individuals compared to the non-affected side of the study group. The findings of the study may help in designing an appropriate exercise program to deal with patients with SIJ pain.
Photocatalytic production and biological activity of D-arabino-1,4-lactone from D-fructose
Authors: Usuki Sho , Patil Pratiksha Babgonda , Jiang Tiangao , Taki Naoko , Uesaka Yuma , Togawa Haru , Latthe Sanjay S. , Liu Shanhu , Yamatoya Kenji , Nakata Kazuya
Published: January 2025

Lactones play crucial roles in various fields, such as pharmaceuticals, food, and materials science, due to their unique structures and diverse biological activities. However, certain lactones are difficult to obtain in large quantities from natural sources, necessitating their synthesis to study their properties and potential. In this study, we investigated the photocatalytic conversion of D-fructose, a biomass-derived and naturally abundant sugar, using a TiO2 photocatalyst under light irradiation in ambient conditions. The resulting products were identified using HPLC, LCMS, MALDI TOF MS, and 1H NMR. The results confirmed the successful production of D-arabino-1,4-lactone as a key product, along with the formation of other valuable compounds, including rare sugars such as erythrose and glyceraldehyde. Analysis of the reaction mechanism revealed that D-arabino-1,4-lactone can be directly produced by the α scission (C1-C2 position cleavage) of D-fructose. Furthermore, erythrose and glyceraldehyde, as rare sugars, can be produced from the decomposition of D-arabino-1,4-lactone, which means that D-arabino-1,4-lactone can be used as a source of rare sugars. Furthermore, to investigate the biological activity of D-arabino-1,4-lactone, it was administered to Bifidobacterium. The results showed that Bifidobacterium proliferated and produced more lactic acid than when cultured in a medium without D-arabino-1,4-lactone, suggesting that Bifidobacterium can utilize D-arabino-1,4-lactone.
Synthesis and structural insights of bis(2-methoxy-6-{[(2-methylpropyl)imino]methyl}phenolato) nickel (II) complex through DFT and docking investigations
Authors: Jayachandiran K. , Esha Sv. , Savitha Lakshmi M. , Mahalakshmi S. , Arockiasamy S.
Published: January 2025

Nickel complexes are a potential candidate for antibacterial and antifungal activity. A new Ni (II) complex, bis(2-methoxy-6-{[(2-methylpropyl)imino]methyl}phenolato)nickel (II) (2), was synthesised by reacting, bis(3-methoxy-salicylaldehyde)nickel (II) (1) with isobutylamine. It was characterised by single crystal X-ray diffraction (ScXRD), UV-Vis, NMR, IR, mass spectrometry, and thermogravimetry (TG) to study its structure and physico-chemical properties. The ScXRD showed a square planar geometry, and monoclinic crystal system with a space group P21/n. The TG analysis revealed its thermal durability pre and post-melting up to 225 oC with a weight loss of only 2%. The optimized molecular structure, energy gap between HOMO and LUMO, and intermolecular interactions were studied by computational methods. The microbial activity evaluation showed significant anti-bacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus when the concentration exceeded 40 µg/mL, and a prominent anti-fungal activity over C. albicans and C. tropicalis above 30 µg/mL. The values of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for bacteria (MIB) and fungi (MIF) implied its potential to inhibit the growth of microbes. Docking studies revealed that the molecule binds well with proteins such as PDB: 2W9H for Dihydrofolate Reductase of S.aureus as shown by its binding energy of -8.62 kcal.mol− 1.
The tree-ring width and interval trend values as indicators of sensitivity to temperature and precipitation in different provenances of European larch
Authors: Szymański Norbert , Wilczyński Sławomir , Kowalczyk Jan , Kowalkowski Wojciech
Published: January 2025

The study assessed the sensitivity of 20 provenances of European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) growing at provenance experimental trials located in lowland (Siemianice) and upland (Bliżyn) climate in Central Poland to air temperature and precipitation, including drought. The measure of the tree’ sensitivity was their radial growth reactions, i.e. changes in the radial growth in years 1971–2015. We found that rainwater supplies in a soil stored in autumn of the previous year, length of the growing season and thermal conditions in its beginning, as well as thermal and moisture conditions of the year of tree ring formation had a significant impact on the wood volume formed by the larches, regardless of their origin and climatic region in which they grew. The degree of homogeneity of tree’ radial growth reactions to precipitation deficit and high temperature was the lowest in a warmer and drier climate in the lowlands in Central Poland. Larch provenances with the lowest and the highest values of drought resilience components (resistance, recovery, resilience, relative resilience of radial growth) originated in different regions of Poland. Greater resistance to drought was observed in larch provenances growing at the trial located in the uplands. The relative resilience index seems to be the most helpful in predicting the future radial growth reactions of the studied provenances, and consequently their viability and survival, as this index showed the highest variability among trees of a given provenance and was most often significantly different between pairs of provenances.
Sleep trajectories and frequency of non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents: a person-oriented perspective over two years
Authors: Bauducco S. V. , Tilton-Weaver L. , Gradisar M. , Hysing M. , Latina D.
Published: January 2025

Adolescent sleep quality and quantity is commonly linked to worse emotion regulation. One maladaptive emotion regulation strategy that is on the rise is non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), which includes burning, hitting, or scratching one’s own body tissue without suicidal intent. The aim of this study was to explore the frequency of NSSI among different longitudinal trajectories of insomnia symptoms and short sleep duration to identify at-risk adolescents. We used questionnaire data collected annually (3 time points over 2 years) from a sample of Swedish adolescents (N = 1,294; Mage = 13.2 [range: 12–15 years], SD = 0.4; 46.8% girls). Adolescents answered questions about their sleep duration, symptoms of insomnia, NSSI, depressive symptoms, and demographics. Adolescents who reported persistent or increasing sleep problems over time also reported more NSSI. A notable pattern was that adolescents whose insomnia symptoms were high and increasing reported the highest frequency of NSSI, also compared to adolescents who started at the same high level of insomnia symptoms but improved over time. Therefore, measuring NSSI may help identify a risk-group for persistent sleep problems and self-injury. Because sleep disturbances, especially insomnia, and NSSI go hand-in-hand for most adolescents, sleep interventions would benefit the treatment and prevention of self-injury.
Using low-cost sensors to assess common air pollution sources across multiple residences
Authors: Rathbone Catrin J. , Bousiotis Dimitrios , Rose Owain G. , Pope Francis D.
Published: January 2025

The rapid development of low-cost sensors provides the opportunity to greatly advance the scope and extent of monitoring of indoor air pollution. In this study, calibrated particle matter (PM) sensors and a non-negative matrix factorisation (NMF) source apportionment technique are used to investigate PM concentrations and source contributions across three households in an urban residential area. The NMF is applied to combined data from all houses to generate source profiles that can be used to understand how PM source characteristics are similar or differ between different households in the same urban area. PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in all three houses were greater, more variable, and significantly different to ambient concentrations recorded at a nearby ambient monitoring site. Concentrations were also significantly different between houses, with the World Health Organisation 24-h guideline limits for PM2.5 breached in one household. The applied methodology was highly successful at modelling concentrations for all the houses (R2

$$\ge$$

≥

0.983), finding that across the houses the I/O (indoor to outdoor sources ratio) was the lowest for PM1 (down to 0.08), and greatest for PM10 (up to 4.93). Whilst the sources could not be clearly distinguished further than being outdoors or indoors, the methodology provides clear insights to source variability within and between the monitored houses. These results highlight the importance of monitoring indoor air pollution to improve pollution exposure estimates, as whilst people may live in areas with acceptable ambient air quality, they can be exposed to unhealthy concentrations in their own homes. This method may be applied in future studies for extended periods to investigate the influence of source seasonality on PM concentrations or scaled up to investigate source variability across larger geographical areas.
Deep learning for predicting prognostic consensus molecular subtypes in cervical cancer from histology images
Authors: Wang Ruoyu , Gunesli Gozde N. , Skingen Vilde Eide , Valen Kari-Anne Frikstad , Lyng Heidi , Young Lawrence S. , Rajpoot Nasir
Published: January 2025

Cervical cancer remains the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. This study proposes an end-to-end deep learning framework to predict consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) in HPV-positive cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) from H&E-stained histology slides. Analysing three CSCC cohorts (n = 545), we show our Digital-CMS scores significantly stratify patients by both disease-specific (TCGA p = 0.0022, Oslo p = 0.0495) and disease-free (TCGA p = 0.0495, Oslo p = 0.0282) survival. In addition, our extensive tumour microenvironment analysis reveals differences between the two CMS subtypes, with CMS-C1 tumours exhibit increased lymphocyte presence, while CMS-C2 tumours show high nuclear pleomorphism, elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and higher malignancy, correlating with poor prognosis. This study introduces a potentially clinically advantageous Digital-CMS score derived from digitised WSIs of routine H&E-stained tissue sections, offers new insights into TME differences impacting patient prognosis and potential therapeutic targets, and identifies histological patterns serving as potential surrogate markers of the CMS subtypes for clinical application.
From superior contrast to super resolution label free optical microscopy
Authors: Jayakumar Nikhil , Ahluwalia Balpreet Singh
Published: January 2025

Label-free optical microscopy utilizes the information encoded in light scattered off unlabeled particles to generate the images. This review article starts off with a discussion on how this light matter interaction gives rise to the issues of poor-contrast and diffraction-limited spatial resolution. Then, this article reviews the various far-field label-free optical microscopy techniques that have been developed, with an emphasis on the physical mechanisms behind the image formation processes in such techniques. Thus the article aims to elucidate the various state-of-the-art label-free techniques and their current applications.
5-(3-(N-(Carboxymethyl)naphthalene-2-sulfonamido)phenyl)-1-ethyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid as a Keap1–Nrf2 inhibitor for cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury treatment
Authors: Cairang Nanjia , Wu Yanran , Zhi Shumeng , Tang Jiaqin , Tie Xin , Zhan Dui , Lu Guangyuan , Shi Ying , Zhao Qipeng
Published: January 2025

The Keap1 (Kelch-like ECH-Associating Protein 1)–Nrf2 (Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2)-ARE (Antioxidant Response Element) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the oxidative stress response and has been linked to the development and progression of various diseases.
Thickness-dependent hydrogen evolution reaction activity on Pd films: an insightful view from magnetism
Authors: Liu Dong-Xue , Hong Hong , Cao Qingqi , Wang Dunhui , Du Youwei
Published: January 2025

The ferromagnetism of specific Pd films leads to enhanced magnetic HER activity.
Relationship between the location of the popliteal artery and the tibial osteotomy plane in patients with medial and lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: A retrospective analysis of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and intraoperative findings
Authors: Kubo Tatsuya , Takahashi Tsuneari , Kimura Yuya , Ajiki Takashi , Yasuda Eri , Takeshita Katsushi
Published: January 2025

Purpose: To clarify the location of the popliteal artery (PA) is relative to the tibial osteotomy plane in patients with medial and lateral unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis (KOA) undergoing UKA. Methods: Preoperative MRI and postoperative radiographs obtained from 50 patients with unicompartmental KOA who underwent fixed-bearing UKA were analyzed. The amount of tibial resection was determined from the surgical records, and a line was drawn parallel to the tibial posterior tilt angle on the sagittal MR image to create a virtual tibial cut line. The tibial resection width measured from the anteroposterior image of the postoperative radiograph was projected onto the transverse plane containing the intersection between the virtual tibial cut line and the posterior tibial cortex, after which a line was drawn parallel to the medial or lateral intercondylar ridge. We then determined whether the PA was within an extension of the osteotomy area. The shortest distance (Distance 1) between the posterior tibial cortex and the PA within the osteotomy area was measured. In addition, the shortest distance between the line extending the osteotomy posteriorly and the PA was measured (Distance 2). Results: The medial UKA (group M) and lateral UKA (group L) group comprised 41 and 9 cases. The percentage of PA located behind the osteotomy plane was significantly higher in group L than in group M [6/9 knees (66.7%) vs. 2/41 knees (4.9%); P < 0.001]. The distance 1 was 12.6 (4.3) mm in group M and 7.9 (3.7) mm in group L (P = 0.004). The distance2 was 11.1 (4.9) mm in group M and 2.6 (3.5) mm in group L (P < 0.001). Conclusion: During lateral UKA, the PA was often located behind the tibial osteotomy plane and close to the posterior tibial cortex. Nearly 5% of medial UKAs, the artery was located behind the osteotomy plane. Level of Evidence: Retrospective comparative LEVEL III study.
Imaging in Hydatid Disease: Pictorial Review
Authors: Sarkar Prasenjit , Dangwal Jyoti , Sharma Pankaj , Dev Rahul , Sherwani Poonam , Syed Anjum
Published: January 2025

Hydatid disease (HD) can affect any organ, but most commonly involves liver parenchyma. Complications like rupture/infection can further complicate the scenario. Familiarity with variable imaging appearances of HD is very helpful in making the diagnosis. This may also aid in diagnosis of difficult or atypical cases. We retrospectively reviewed radiologic findings of HD in 11 patients, who presented to our department in last 1 year. There was involvement of the lung, pleura, mediastinum, liver, abdominal cavity, pelvic cavity, ovary, splenic parenchyma, renal parenchyma, spinal cord, and brain, with variable imaging features.
Critical exponential behavior of metal oxide ceramic YBa2Cu3O9−δ
Authors: Ivanchenko Yu. M. , Mikheenko P. N.
Published: January 2025

The process of degradation of superconductivity in low-resistivity ceramics YBa2Cu3O9−δ (R100∼10−3−1014Ω cm) is considered. It is found that over a wide range of currents I and temperature T, the transition to the normal state is accompanied by a critical exponential dependence of resistance on temperature for a given current (R(T) ∝ (T—Tc)tR) and of voltage U on current for a given temperature (U(I) ∝ (I—Ic)tU). The position of constant tR.U lines on the I–T plane of critical indices is determined. The critical behavior of diamagnetic moment M as a function of temperature for a given value of the modulating magnetic field is reported. It is predicted that the critical behavior of metal oxide ceramics can be described by using nontrivial operators whose scale has the same dimensionality as the space of the system.
The ground state and domain structure of a rhombic antiferromagnet with Dzyaloshinskii interaction in a tilted field
Authors: Bogdanov A. N. , Zhuravlev A. V. , Puzynya A. I.
Published: January 2025

The ground state is calculated for a rhombic antiferromagnet with Dzyaioshinskii interaction in a magnetic field tilted from the easy to the middle axis. The boundaries of the intermediate state in the region of spin-flop transition are determined. The intermediate state is studied experimentally in the vicinity of the spin-flop transition in the rhombic antiferromagnet (C2H5NH3)2CuCl4. The effect of the shape of the sample on the region of existence of the intermediate state is analyzed. The critical angle of the spin-flop transition in (C2H5NH3)2CuCl4 is determined.
Spin conversion in the β-phase of methane
Authors: Lokotosh T. V.
Published: January 2025

The times of spin conversion for the librational and free sublattices are determined by using an expanded librational approach. It is shown that the intramolecular spin–spin interaction makes the main contribution to conversion in both sublattices.
Nonlinear conductivity of thermal contacts without phonon reabsorption
Authors: Moskalets M. V.
Published: January 2025

It is shown that the electron–phonon relaxation at point contacts with a small electron mean free path and ballistic phonons restrict the heating of the electron system, which leads to a peculiar voltage dependence of the point-contact spectrum.
High-frequency properties of point contacts due to nonequilibrium phonon relaxation
Authors: Moskalets M. V.
Published: January 2025

The resistance due to the scattering of electrons by phonons is calculated for the case when the energy distribution of phonons does not coincide with the equilibrium Planck distribution. The nonlinear current-voltage characteristic of a point contact with nonequilibrium phonons is investigated. The frequency dispersion of conductivity of the point contact contains information about the phonon-electron collision frequency νpc in the region of high energies and about the frequency νT of thermal equilibrium stabilization.
Peculiarities in thermal expansion of atomic cryocrystals due to oxygen impurity
Authors: Aleksandrovskii A. N. , Kir’yanova E. A. , Tolkachev A. M. , Azarenkov V. P. , Soldatov A. V.
Published: January 2025

Thermal expansion of Kr–O2 solutions containing 0.3, 0.6 and 1 mol.% of oxygen impurity is investigated in the temperature interval from 2 to 6 K. A low-temperature anomaly in thermal expansion of these solutions is observed. The obtained results are compared with the data on thermal expansion of the Ar–O2 solution. It is shown that theoretical models describing the behavior of the O2 impurity molecule are inapplicable for the description of thermal expansion of the solutions under investigation. An analysis of the concentration dependence of thermal expansion of the Kr–O2 solutions leads to the conclusion that the solubility of oxygen in krypton is weaker than in argon. The distortion of the Ar crystal lattice is modelled by introducing N2 impurity into the Ar–O2 solution, and the behavior of O2 molecules in such a lattice is investigated.
Current fluctuations in the presence of vortex flow in type-two superconductors in a strong electric field
Authors: Nagaev K. É.
Published: January 2025

Fluctuations in the viscosity of Abrikosov vortices induced by fluctuations in the number of quasi-particles confined in vortex cores are considered. The spectral density of current noise associated with these fluctuations is calculated. It is found that this noise can be considerably stronger than the equilibrium noise in weak magnetic fields B ≪ Hc2 at temperatures close to Tc if the electric field is strong enough.