bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Septic tendosynovitis in a breeding ram and isolation of Mycoplasma arginini
Authors: Roden Eva , Suchowski Marcel , Voigt Katja , Spergser Joachim , Riehm Julia M.
Published: January 2025

A breeding ram was submitted to a veterinary hospital due to persistent pneumonia, emaciation and high fever. Upon submission, it also showed severe weight‐bearing lameness on all four legs with highly fluid‐filled digital flexor tendon sheaths. Additionally, a mild brisket sore was diagnosed. The postmortem examination revealed a chronically active fibrinosuppurative inflammation of the digital flexor tendon sheaths on all four legs. Additionally, a distinctive chronically active necrotising, suppurative and abscess‐forming soft tissue inflammation was identified in the sternal area. Microbiological examination of tissue samples from different locations revealed a mixed bacterial colonisation including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca and Trueperella pyogenes. Additionally, Mycoplasma arginini was detected in samples of the lung and tendon sheaths. Genome sequencing and characterisation of M. arginini revealed the presence of a prophage associated with arthritogenesis in related Mycoplasma species. However, the contribution of M. arginini to the diagnosed tendosynovitis cannot be conclusively clarified.
Agile Software Engineering Capstone Courses: Exploring the Impact of Gender
Authors: Sæter Gyda Elisa , Lund Camilla Kielland , Stray Viktoria
Published: January 2025

The wide adoption of agile methodologies in software development necessitates an educational approach that prepares students for industry practices. This study aims to explore an agile capstone course, focusing on student learning experiences in teamwork while examining the gender dynamics affecting team roles and engagement. We conducted a comprehensive study of the capstone course “Software Engineering with Project Work” at the University of Oslo, analyzing 27 presentations and interviewing 10 students and two teaching assistants. The course is designed to immerse informatics students of different specializations in agile methodologies and collaborative project work. Our findings suggest that the students learn essential collaboration and technical skills. However, during their final presentations, significant gender differences emerged in the topics discussed: women predominantly spoke about design and process, whereas men focused more on technical aspects such as architecture, technical solutions, and algorithms. Our results underscore the need for educational strategies that promote inclusivity and equal participation in agile software development courses.
Shared Leadership for Better Understanding Agile Teams
Authors: Perlak Jakub
Published: January 2025

Leadership has been considered from every angle (almost) and the efforts are going strong. New ideas, books and trends, fads are popping out frequently. It’s not a secret that leadership in Agile is a fundament, started looking from attitude and roles up to practice at every level of the organization. Leadership in Agile Teams is still under dispute. It is time to embrace shared leadership, a very helpful concept in describing an emergent team phenomenon whereby leadership roles and influence are distributed among team members. This approach has surprising support in studies about team performance, well-established history, and even anecdotal evidence from practitioners. This very short paper presents results from the initial research of the author using SNA method.
Design Framework for Software Startups Applying Remote Work
Authors: Triando
Published: January 2025

Remote work is commonplace nowadays, with software startups actively embracing it. However, remote work poses various challenges, among which team challenges are prominent and highly relevant to early-stage software startups, since effective team collaboration is one key factor for them to operate and succeed in uncertain environments. Challenges faced by early-stage software startup teams are less explored, especially in remote work settings. This research will propose a design framework to address the challenges faced by early-stage software startup teams in remote work settings. This research uses multi-case study to facilitate a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. Expected significance of findings lies in the identification of unique challenges and key practices to tackle those challenges, offering actionable insights and innovative solutions.
LD@Taiga: An Embedded Learning Dashboard for Agile Project Management in Student Teams
Authors: Farré Carles , López Lidia , Oriol Marc , Franch Xavier
Published: January 2025

We present LD@Taiga, a learning dashboard seamlessly integrated into the Taiga agile project management tool. LD@Taiga provides visualizations of individual and team performance metrics, offering students valuable feedback and aiding their decision-making. A preliminary evaluation revealed enhanced usability compared to a previous version, although there is still room for improvement.
XP 25th Anniversary Workshop and Panel Report: Innovating Software Solutions – Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Fraser Steven D. , Mancl Dennis
Published: January 2025

Software practitioners have adopted many new ways of working over the past 25 years. Change has been driven by a diverse and global community of users, practitioners, researchers, and vernacular programmers. What have we learned over the past 25 years? What skills will software researchers and practitioners need in the future? Will AI or other emerging technologies offer opportunities for greater achievements, or will they become an obstacle to the human touch needed to develop software products? This paper reports on a combined workshop and panel organized and facilitated by Steven Fraser (Innoxec) together with Dennis Mancl (MSWX Software Experts) and Werner Wild (Evolution Consulting). The workshop and panel were part of the 25th Anniversary Track at the XP 2024 conference held in Bolzano, Italy.
Dual Effects of Hybrid Working on Performance: More Work Hours or More Work Time
Authors: Smite Darja , Tkalich Anastasiia , Moe Nils Brede , Chatzipetrou Panagiota , Klotins Eriks , Helland Per Kristian
Published: January 2025

Work in software development companies has become increasingly hybrid with employees altering days of working in the office with days of working remotely from home. Yet, little is know about the efficiency of such way of working because the current scale of remote working is unprecedented. In this paper, we present our findings from a company-wide survey at Storebrand - a large-scale Norwegian fintech company, focusing on perceived performance. Our analysis of 192 responses shows that most employees report being able to perform the planned tasks. Further, half of respondents perceive to have increased work hours. Through qualitative analysis of open-ended commentaries of respondents we learned that remote working has dual effects on the perceived work hours - some employees report working longer hours and others report having more work time due to efficient use of the time throughout the day. Finally, we recommend managers to discuss and address the concerning habits of employees caused by increased connectivity and inability to stop working, before these lead to burnout and disturbances in the work/life balance.
Entanglement asymmetry and symmetry defects in boundary conformal field theory
Authors: Kusuki Yuya , Murciano Sara , Ooguri Hirosi , Pal Sridip
Published: January 2025

Abstract

A state in a quantum system with a given global symmetry, G, can be sensitive to the presence of boundaries, which may either preserve or break this symmetry. In this work, we investigate how conformal invariant boundary conditions influence the G-symmetry breaking through the lens of the entanglement asymmetry, a quantifier of the “distance” between a symmetry-broken state and its symmetrized counterpart. By leveraging 2D boundary conformal field theory (BCFT), we investigate the symmetry breaking for both finite and compact Lie groups. Beyond the leading order term, we also compute the subleading corrections in the subsystem size, highlighting their dependence on the symmetry group G and the BCFT operator content. We further explore the entanglement asymmetry following a global quantum quench, where a symmetry-broken state evolves under a symmetry-restoring Hamiltonian. In this dynamical setting, we compute the entanglement asymmetry by extending the method of images to a BCFT with non-local objects such as invertible symmetry defects.
Testing holographic entropy inequalities in 2 + 1 dimensions
Authors: Grado-White Brianna , Grimaldi Guglielmo , Headrick Matthew , Hubeny Veronika E.
Published: January 2025

Abstract

We address the question of whether holographic entropy inequalities obeyed in static states (by the RT formula) are always obeyed in time-dependent states (by the HRT formula), focusing on the case where the bulk spacetime is 2 + 1 dimensional. An affirmative answer to this question was previously claimed by Czech-Dong. We point out an error in their proof when the bulk is multiply connected. We nonetheless find strong support, of two kinds, for an affirmative answer in that case. We extend the Czech-Dong proof for simply-connected spacetimes to spacetimes with π
1 = ℤ (i.e. 2-boundary, genus-0 wormholes). Specializing to vacuum solutions, we also numerically test thousands of distinct inequalities (including all known RT inequalities for up to 6 regions) on millions of randomly chosen configurations of regions and bulk spacetimes, including three different multiply-connected topologies; we find no counterexamples. In an appendix, we prove some (dimension-independent) facts about degenerate HRT surfaces and symmetry breaking.

A video abstract is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ols92YU8rus.
Testing the potential of zebularine to induce heritable changes in crop growth and development
Authors: Finnegan E. Jean , Crisp Peter A. , Zhang Peng , Eglitis-Sexton Judith , Greenwood Julian , Hintzsche Jessica , Li Jianbo , Taylor Jen , Wallace Xiaomei , Swain Stephen
Published: January 2025

Key message

Zebularine-treated wheat uncovered a phenotype with characteristics of an epigenetically regulated trait, but major chromosomal aberrations, not DNA methylation changes, are the cause, making zebularine unsuitable for epigenetic breeding.

Breeding to identify disease-resistant and climate-tolerant high-yielding wheats has led to yield increases over many years, but new hardy, higher yielding varieties are still needed to improve food security in the face of climate change. Traditional breeding to develop new cultivars of wheat is a lengthy process taking more than seven years from the initial cross to cultivar release. The speed of breeding can be enhanced by using modern technologies including high-throughput phenomics, genomic selection, and directed mutation via CRISPR. Here we test the concept of modifying gene regulation by transiently disrupting DNA methylation with the methyltransferase inhibitor, zebularine (Zeb), as a means to uncover novel phenotypes in an elite cultivar to facilitate breeding for epigenetically controlled traits. The development and architecture of the wheat inflorescence, including spikelet density, are an important component of yield, and both grain size and number have been extensively modified during domestication and breeding of wheat cultivars. We identified several Zeb-treated plants with a dominant mutation that increased spikelet density compared to the untreated controls. Our analysis showed that in addition to causing loss of DNA methylation, Zeb treatment resulted in major chromosomal abnormalities, including trisomy and the formation of a novel telocentric chromosome. We provide evidence that increased copy number of the domestication gene, Q, is the most likely cause of increased spikelet density in two Zeb-treated plants. Collateral damage to chromosomes in Zeb-treated plants suggests that this is not a viable approach to epigenetic breeding.
Accumulation of chlorinated paraffins in adipocytes is determined by cellular lipid content and chlorination level
Authors: Vrzáčková Nikola , Tomáško Jakub , Svoboda Petr , Škop Vojtěch , Melčová Magdalena , Dudová Jana , Zelenka Jaroslav , Pulkrabová Jana , Ruml Tomáš
Published: January 2025

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are environmental pollutants extensively used in industries. While the use of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) has been restricted since 2017, the use of medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) has risen as their replacement. Due to lipophilic character, it can be expected that CPs enter the cells; however, the in vitro accumulation potential of CPs remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the ability of SCCPs and MCCPs to accumulate in fat cells. We utilized an in vitro model of mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and adipocytes. Using gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry operated in negative chemical ionization mode, we determined the intracellular amounts of CPs. These compounds accumulated at rates of 8.5 ± 0.1 µg/gcells/h for SCCPs and 7.8 ± 0.3 µg/gcells/h for MCCPs when an initial concentration of 120 ng/ml was present in the medium. This rate increased approximately tenfold when the concentration of CPs was raised to 1200 ng/ml. CPs content in adipocytes steadily increased over 5 days, whereas preadipocytes accumulated 15–20 times less CPs. This highlights the importance of cellular lipid content, which was about 12 times higher in adipocytes. Furthermore, we found that the level of chlorine content in the CPs molecules significantly influenced their accumulation. Our results demonstrate that MCCPs exhibit a similar accumulation potential to SCCPs, with lipid content playing a crucial role. As with SCCPs, restrictions on the use of MCCPs in industry should be considered to mitigate their environmental and health impacts.
Exploratory multivariate analysis using R Language for method development in liquid chromatography
Authors: Hroch Miloš
Published: January 2025

The visual evaluation of data derived from screening and optimization experiments in the development of new analytical methods poses a considerable time investment and introduces the risk of subjectivity. This study presents a novel approach to processing such data, based on factor analysis of mixed data and hierarchical clustering — multivariate techniques implemented in the R programming language. The methodology is demonstrated in the early-stage screening and optimization of the chromatographic separation of 15 structurally diverse drugs that affect the central nervous system, using a custom R Language script. The presented explorative approach enabled the identification of key parameters affecting the separation and significantly reduced the time required to evaluate the comprehensive dataset from the screening experiments. Based on the data analysis results, the optimal combination of stationary phase and mobile phase composition was selected, considering retention, overall resolution, and peak shape of compounds. Additionally, compounds vulnerable to changes in selected chromatographic conditions were identified. As a complement to the presented R Language script, a web-based application ChromaFAMDeX has been developed to offer an intuitive interface that enhances the accessibility of the used statistical methods. Accompanying the publication, the R script and the link to the standalone application are provided, enabling replication and adaptation of the methodology.

Graphical Abstract
Generalizing Lusztig’s total positivity
Authors: Guichard Olivier , Wienhard Anna
Published: January 2025

We introduce the notion of

$\Theta $

Θ

-positivity in real semisimple Lie groups. This notion at the same time generalizes Lusztig’s total positivity in split real Lie groups and invariant orders in Lie groups of Hermitian type. We show that there are four families of simple Lie groups which admit a positive structure relative to a subset 

$\Theta$

Θ

of simple roots, and investigate fundamental properties of

$\Theta $

Θ

-positivity. We define and describe the positive and nonnegative unipotent semigroups and show that they give rise to a notion of positive

$n$

n

-tuples in flag varieties.
The nanocomposite of chitosan-vitamin C modulates the expression of immune and antioxidant-related genes in Nile tilapia stressed with lead (Pb)
Authors: Sherif Ahmed H. , Fadel Amr , Kasem Enas A. , Mahfouz Magdy E. , Eldessouki Elsayed A. , Fahmy Hanan A.
Published: January 2025

Fish cultivated in a polluted environment usually face complicated disease cases. Pollution is an evitable event in aquaculture that weakens surface immunity, delaying and lowering the immune responses of aquatic animals. In an indoor experiment, Nile tilapia were reared in water polluted with lead (Pb) at a concentration of 51 µg/l for 8 weeks. A trial was conducted to mitigate the immunosuppression using pre-acclimatized Nile tilapia that were subdivided into six groups in which the exposed fish treated with nanocomposite (chitosan-vitamin C-protected nanoparticles (CVC-NPs)) consisted of 1 g of chitosan nanoparticles containing 400 mg vitamin C/kg fish and 200 mg vitamin C/kg fish feed for 1 week. Fish exposed to Pb pollution were immunocompromised as gene expression of immune-related cytokine and antioxidant enzymes significantly declined. Innate immunity was drastically impacted as OBA, phagocytosis and serum antibacterial activity (SAA) showed low values compared to the control fish; meanwhile, exposed fish was challenged against Streptococcus agalactiae and showed a high mortality rate (MR%). Dietary nanocomposite could restore normal immune status, and supplemented fish achieved low MR% with significantly high gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines. It was concluded that adding 200 mg of CVC-NPs/kg fish feed for 1 week could effectively protect Nile tilapia from S. agalactiae, having superiority over the high dose of 400 mg of CVC-NPs.
Redlisting genetics: towards inclusion of genetic data in IUCN Red List assessments
Authors: McLaughlin Chloee M. , Hinshaw Chauncy , Sandoval-Arango Stephania , Zavala-Paez Michelle , Hamilton Jill A.
Published: January 2025

Genetic diversity is critical for adaptation in response to changing environments and provides a valuable metric for predicting species’ extinction risk. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and broader scientific community have acknowledged that genetic diversity is a critical component to biodiversity conservation. However, there remain gaps in the incorporation or application of genetic data to extinction risk assessments. Here, we describe how genetic diversity metrics can inform species extinction risk. Specifically, we focus on how information gained from genetic diversity metrics, and temporal reporting of changes in genetic diversity can complement existing IUCN Red List of Threatened Species criteria. We conclude by advocating for standardized reporting of genetic sequence data and calculated diversity metrics to facilitate the use of genetic data in threat assessments for IUCN and Red List-assessed species. This perspective highlights a critical need for, and a critical step towards, integration of genetic diversity metrics into Red List assessments. We expect our recommendations will complement ongoing work by the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Conservation Genetics Specialist Group to protect genetic diversity globally.
How to Civilize Elites: Controlling “Foreign Scientists” at a Field Station in the Galápagos Islands
Authors: Lindee M. Susan
Published: January 2025

This paper explores the control of visiting “foreign scientists” at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) after it was established in the Galápagos Islands in 1959. Scholarly accounts of the creation of the Galápagos National Park and of the field station have emphasized their place in an international “land grab,” as leading scientists and conservationists sought to control nature in places around the world that seemed less “civilized” to European thinkers. The actual administrative labor in the early years at this scientific field station, however, in practice struggled to control people widely taken to represent “civilization” in its highest form—European and American scientists. At the research station, European and American (but not Ecuadorian) scientists were the focus of a delicate choreography of discipline and acquiescence, as scientists were courted and refused, welcomed and limited, chastised and supported. Meanwhile CDRS fund-raising appeals promised that the station would control island residents, fishing crews, and invasive species. Such appeals did not mention controlling elite field scientists. Existing historiography has stressed how Western scientists were privileged actors in non-Western nature reserves and parks, their privileges coming at the expense of local communities. But scientists too faced new (quietly implemented) constraints as post-war conservation programs developed, and achieving their compliance with these new rules involved a process I call here “civilizing” elites.
Eigenvalues of the magnetic Dirichlet Laplacian with constant magnetic field on disks in the strong field limit
Authors: Baur Matthias , Weidl Timo
Published: January 2025

We consider the magnetic Dirichlet Laplacian with constant magnetic field on domains of finite measure. First, in the case of a disk, we prove that the eigenvalue branches with respect to the field strength behave asymptotically linear with an exponentially small remainder term as the field strength goes to infinity. We compute the asymptotic expression for this remainder term. Second, we show that for sufficiently large magnetic field strengths, the spectral bound corresponding to the Pólya conjecture for the non-magnetic Dirichlet Laplacian is violated up to a sharp excess factor which is independent of the domain.
Implementation of an AI-based predictive structural health monitoring strategy for bonded insulated rail joints using digital twins under varied bolt conditions
Authors: Bianchi G. , Freddi F. , Giuliani F. , La Placa A.
Published: January 2025

Predictive maintenance is essential for the implementation of an innovative and efficient structural health monitoring strategy. Models capable of accurately interpreting new data automatically collected by suitably placed sensors to assess the state of the infrastructure represent a fundamental step, particularly for the railway sector, whose safe and continuous operation plays a strategic role in the well-being and development of nations. In this scenario, the benefits of a digital twin of a bonded insulated rail joint (IRJ) with the predictive capabilities of advanced classification algorithms based on artificial intelligence have been explored. The digital model provides an accurate mechanical response of the infrastructure as a pair of wheels passes over the joint. As bolt preload conditions vary, four structural health classes were identified for the joint. Two parameters, i.e. gap value and vertical displacement, which are strongly correlated with bolt preload, are used in different combinations to train and test five predictive classifiers. Their classification effectiveness was assessed using several performance indicators. Finally, we compared the IRJ condition predictions of two trained classifiers with the available data, confirming their high accuracy. The approach presented provides an interesting solution for future predictive tools in SHM especially in the case of complex systems such as railways where the vehicle–infrastructure interaction is complex and always time varying.
PRANK: A Singular Value Based Noise Filtering of Multiple Response Datasets for Experimental Dynamics
Authors: Trainotti F. , Klaassen S. W. B. , Bregar T. , Rixen D. J.
Published: January 2025

High quality measurements are paramount to a successful application of experimental techniques in structural dynamics. The presence of noise and disturbances can significantly distort the information stored in the data and, if not adequately treated, may result in erroneous findings and misleading predictions. A common technique to filter out noise relies on decomposing the dataset into singular components sorted by their degree of significance. Discarding low-value contributions helps to clean the data and remove spuriousness. This paper presents PRANK, a novel singular value-based reconstruction approach for multiple-response vibration datasets. PRANK integrates the effect of Principal Response Functions and Hankel filtering actions, resulting in an improved data reconstruction for both system poles and zeros. The proposed formulation is tested on both analytical and numerical examples, showcasing its robustness, efficiency and versatility. PRANK operates with both time- and frequency-based data. Applied to noisy full-field camera measurements, the filter delivered excellent performance, indicating its potential for various identification tasks and applications in vibration analysis.
Elite Conflicts and the Path to Economic Decentralization
Authors: Zhang Dong , Liu Mingxing , Shih Victor
Published: January 2025

Why would a politically centralized state embark on the path of economic decentralization? This Element delves into the political origin of the puzzling economic decentralization in mainland China. The authors contend that the intra-elite conflicts between the authoritarian ruler and the ruling elites within the state prompted the ruler to pursue decentralization as a strategy to curb the influence wielded by the ruling elites. By examining the composition of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, they find that the Cultural Revolution, fueled by elite conflicts, shifted the elite selectorate's composition from favoring central agencies to favoring local interests. Subsequent low turnover reinforced this shift, aligning elite incentives with decentralization policies and committing the Chinese leadership to a decentralized path in the 1980s. Additionally, Taiwan's economic liberalization under the Kuomintang's authoritarian rule provides further evidence of the link between ruling party elite composition and economic policy orientation.
Wars Make Laws and Laws Make States
Authors: Slater Dan
Published: January 2025

Egor Lazarev has given his readers more of an epic story than a grand theory, and everyone who reads State Building as Lawfare will be the richer for it. The setting for this riveting tale is the war-torn Russian province of Chechnya. We quickly learn from Lazarev’s mise-en-scene that Chechnya’s famously mountainous terrain is as choppy and uneven legally as it is topographically. Three separate legal systems coexist and commingle in this single subnational domain: 1) customary law, or adat; 2) Islamic law, or Sharia; and almost as an afterthought, 3) state law, “courtesy” of Russian central authorities in Moscow.
Effects of plant-based diet on metabolic parameters, liver and kidney steatosis: a prospective interventional open-label study
Authors: Guler Senturk Begum , Gurses Bengi , Soyturk Ceren , Copur Sidar , Incir Said , Siriopol Dimitrie , Hasbal Nuri Baris , Akyildiz Murat , van Raalte Daniel H , Kanbay Mehmet
Published: January 2025

This interventional single-centre prospective open-label study aims to evaluate the effects of a vegan diet, compared with a vegetarian and omnivorous diet, on metabolic parameters, insulin sensitivity, and liver and kidney steatosis in healthy adults. The study included fifty-three omnivorous participants aged 18–40 years, BMI 18–30 kg/m2, without any chronic disease, chronic medication use, active smoking or significant alcohol consumption. All participants were omnivorous at baseline and selected to continue an omnivorous diet or transition to a vegetarian or vegan diet, with follow-up over 6 months. Anthropometric measurements, biochemical parameters and liver and kidney steatosis were assessed at baseline and after six months using MRI-proton density fat fraction. Primary outcomes included changes in liver and kidney steatosis, while secondary outcomes were alterations in anthropometric and biochemical markers. Among fifty-three participants, eighteen followed an omnivorous diet, twenty-one adopted a vegetarian diet and fourteen transitioned to a vegan diet. Dietary interventions did not result in statistically significant changes in BMI, fat mass, fat percentage or muscle mass over 6 months. However, statistically significant improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, favouring the vegan diet, were observed. We aimed to control for potentially confounding variables to ensure the reliability of these findings. We have demonstrated a better decline in steatosis at the lower kidney pole, the total hilus and the Liver 6 index in vegans. We demonstrated that a plant-based diet is associated with improvements in several metabolic parameters and may reduce liver and kidney steatosis.
Modulational instability of geodesic-acoustic-mode packets
Authors: Korger D. , Poli E. , Biancalani A. , Bottino A. , Maj O. , Sama J.N.
Published: January 2025

Isolated, undamped geodesic-acoustic-mode (GAM) packets have been demonstrated to obey a (focusing) nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) (E. Poli, Phys. Plasmas, 2021). This equation predicts susceptibility of GAM packets to the modulational instability (MI). The necessary conditions for this instability are analysed analytically and numerically using the NLSE model. The predictions of the NLSE are compared with gyrokinetic simulations performed with the global particle-in-cell code ORB5, where GAM packets are created from initial perturbations of the axisymmetric radial electric field

$E_r$

. An instability of the GAM packets with respect to modulations is observed both in cases in which an initial perturbation is imposed and when the instability develops spontaneously. However, significant differences in the dynamics of the small scales are discerned between the NLSE and gyrokinetic simulations. These discrepancies are mainly due to the radial dependence of the strength of the nonlinear term, which we do not retain in the solution of the NLSE, and to the damping of higher radial spectral components

$k_r$

. The damping of the high-

$k_r$

components, which develop as a consequence of the nonlinearity, can be understood in terms of Landau damping. The influence of the ion Larmor radius

$\rho _i$

as well as the perturbation wavevector

$k_\text {pert}$

on this effect is studied. For the parameters considered here the aforementioned damping mechanism hinders the MI process significantly from developing to its full extent and is strong enough to stabilize some of the (according to the undamped NLSE model) unstable wavevectors.
Winter warming of McMurdo Dry Valleys soils
Authors: Fowler Gavin , Levy Joseph
Published: January 2025

Continuous permafrost is present across the McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. While summer active-layer thaw is common in the low-elevation portions of the Dry Valleys, active layers have not significantly thickened over time. However, in some locations, coastal Antarctic permafrost has begun to warm. Here, based on soil and meteorological measurements from 1993 to 2023, we show that wintertime soil temperatures have increased across multiple sites in the Dry Valleys, at rates exceeding the pace of summer soil warming. Linear warming trends over time are significant (P < 0.05) at six of seven soil monitoring sites. Winter warming is strongly correlated with increased numbers of down-valley wind events (Foehn/katabatics), but it may also be driven by increased incident longwave radiation at some stations (although winter longwave increase is not significant over time). While down-valley wind events increase winter warming, when down-valley wind events are excluded from the record, winter soil warming remains persistent and significant, suggesting that Antarctic soils are experiencing less cold winters over time in response to regional warming. Together, these observations suggest that some Antarctic permafrost may be approaching a transition to discontinuous permafrost in some regions as winter freezing intensity is reduced over time.
Ebstein’s anomaly in children and young adults: clinical features, arrhythmia, surgical management, and factors affecting arrhythmia and mortality
Authors: Adıgüzel Aydın , Aypar Ebru , Karagöz Tevfik , Ertuğrul İlker , Aykan Hayrettin Hakan , Alehan Dursun , Güvener Murat , Yılmaz Mustafa , Demircin Metin , Doğan Rıza
Published: January 2025

Background:

Ebstein’s anomaly represents 40% of congenital tricuspid valve abnormalities. Studies about paediatric Ebstein’s anomaly patients are limited.

Aim:

To evaluate clinical characteristics, treatment (medical/arrhythmia ablation/surgical) results, and outcome of Ebstein’s anomaly patients, and to determine factors affecting arrhythmia presence and mortality.

Methods:

Clinical data, echocardiography, treatment results, and outcomes of patients followed in our centre between 2000 and 2017 were retrospectively evaluated.

Results:

A total of 79 patients (61 children, median diagnosis age: 1.5 years [1 day–24 years]) were included. Eight patients (10.1%) were deceased during the study period. Common associated anomalies were atrial septal defect/patent foramen ovale (56.9%), mitral regurgitation (25.3%), pulmonary stenosis/atresia (17.7%), and ventricular septal defect (16.5%). Genetic diseases/congenital anomalies were present in 5/3.8%. Tricuspid regurgitation was present in 75.9%, and severe in 50%. Arrhythmias were detected in 30.4%, and accessory pathway-mediated re-entrant tachycardia was the most common (67%). Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome was present in 12.7%. Twenty-one ablation procedures (radiofrequency ablation [85.7%]/cryoablation [14.3%]) were performed in 16 patients (median age: 13.3 years [4.9–17]). Acute success/recurrence rates: 87.5/25%. Surgery was performed in 31.6% (median age: 6.5 years [4 days–29 years]), 7.6% were operated during the first month, and 12.6% during the first year. Second surgery was required in 28%. Perioperative mortality rate was 12%, and median mortality age was 25 days (1 day–17 years). Median follow-up period was 5.3 years (1 day–32 years). Older diagnosis age (p = 0.005) and mild-moderate mitral regurgitation (p = 0.036) were associated with arrhythmias. Younger age at diagnosis (p = 0.012), younger age at first surgery (p = 0.004), surgery before age three years (p = 0.037), and presence of pulmonary atresia (p = 0.000014) were associated with mortality. Gender, diagnosis age, congenital anomalies/genetic disorders, tricuspid regurgitation, arrhythmias, and surgery history did not have an independent effect on survival.

Conclusions:

In children and young adults presenting with Ebstein’s anomaly, younger age at presentation and at surgery, surgery before age three years, pulmonary atresia were associated with death. Ablation procedures can be successfully performed but recurrence rate is still high.
Psilocybin and hallucinogenic mushrooms
Authors: Fradet Mathieu , Kelly Carlton M. , Donnelly Anna J. , Suppes Trisha
Published: January 2025

Psilocybin therapy has recently emerged as a promising new treatment for depression and other mental health disorders. This chapter summarizes the most recent data on its safety and efficacy. The delivery of psilocybin therapy and its subjective effects are also presented. Furthermore, this chapter outlines our current understanding of psilocybin’s pharmacology and neurobiological effects. Other similar psychedelic substances with encouraging therapeutic potential are briefly presented.
Technology and Mathematics as Non-Human Forces: The agency of hyperbolic paraboloids, computer software and interface hardware in the making of a visitor-interactive audiovisual work
Authors: Frank Colin
Published: January 2025

While mathematics and technologic systems have been intrinsically developed with purposes of representing and computing problems with a human-centric orientation, they nonetheless can be considered to have non-human agency. Drawing on anthropology and architecture studies, this article argues that the human-based logics underpinning mathematics and technologies does not delimit them as human entities, and that they can exhibit influential capacities when engaged with during processes of artistic making. This idea is demonstrated through the development of a visitor-interactive audiovisual artwork. The software environments IanniX and Max were actants in the experimental process of sonifying hyperbolic paraboloid (hypar) planes, as well as the mathematic equations themselves. This article discusses how mathematic and technologic agency affected the development of three hypar models used in the piece, as well as an initial unused version. It also discusses how hardware interface objects influenced human-computer interaction design. The article will interest scholars of technologic agency and practitioners interested in converting three-dimensional planes into sound or creating interactive exhibition technology.
Developing and using a School Menu Healthiness Assessment Tool to analyse school food provision in Wales
Authors: Gilmour Alice , Fairchild Ruth
Published: January 2025

Objectives:

To design and develop a new, innovative and valid School Menu Healthiness Assessment Tool that is suitable for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of school food and drink provision. Second, to analyse primary and secondary school menus and price lists pan-Wales to ascertain their healthiness and whether free school meal (FSM) eligible pupils can afford to access healthy, nutritious food across the school day.

Design:

Codable items and categories of school food and drink provision were operationalised before the tool underwent iterative development and testing. Then, cross-sectional content analysis of publicly available documents detailing school food provision (i.e. menus and price lists) was done.

Setting:

Primary and secondary schools in Wales, UK.

Participants:

In total, 82 canteen menus were sourced online. This comprised local authority catering for primary (n 22) and secondary (n 19) schools and school-organised catering for primary (n 5) and secondary (n 36) schools.

Results:

Intercoder reliability testing found high agreeability between coders, demonstrating that the tool and data interpretation are reproducible and trustworthy. The FSM allowance is not wholly sufficient for all secondary school pupils to purchase a healthy meal from the school canteen. Moreover, the tool identified that oily fish and wholegrain provision were lacking across many menus.

Conclusions:

A valuable tool was created, useful for researchers and other health professionals (i.e. dietitians) who are required to analyse the healthiness of school food provision in line with the latest nutritional requirements. This study provides insight into the current school food and drink landscape pan-Wales.
Solving Decision Theory Problems with Probabilistic Answer Set Programming
Authors: AZZOLINI DAMIANO , BELLODI ELENA , KIESEL RAFAEL , RIGUZZI FABRIZIO
Published: January 2025

Solving a decision theory problem usually involves finding the actions, among a set of possible ones, which optimize the expected reward, while possibly accounting for the uncertainty of the environment. In this paper, we introduce the possibility to encode decision theory problems with Probabilistic Answer Set Programming under the credal semantics via decision atoms and utility attributes. To solve the task, we propose an algorithm based on three layers of Algebraic Model Counting, that we test on several synthetic datasets against an algorithm that adopts answer set enumeration. Empirical results show that our algorithm can manage non-trivial instances of programs in a reasonable amount of time.
Mechanisms for Layered Anisotropy and Anomalous Magmatism of Alaska Subduction System Revealed by Ambient Noise Tomography and the Wave Gradiometry Method
Authors: Liu Zhijin , Liang Chuntao , Cao Feihuang , Fan Xingli , Chen Chunmei
Published: January 2025

Seismic anisotropy can provide valuable constraints for the study of subduction zone dynamics. This study presents a high‐resolution 3‐D azimuthally anisotropic shear wave velocity model down to 230 km beneath Alaska via ambient noise tomography and wave gradiometry method. The model reveals layered anisotropy patterns related to subduction tectonics. The shear wave's fast directions in the Aleutian fore‐arc region exhibit trench‐parallel, trench‐normal, trench‐parallel, and trench‐normal variation relative to the trench trend with increasing depth. This anisotropic pattern may be attributed to the strike of fractures or faults in the overlying North American plate, subduction‐driven mantle wedge corner flow, preexisting fabrics in the subducting Pacific Plate, and entrained flow in the sub‐slab mantle, respectively. The depth‐dependent anisotropy pattern in the back‐arc mantle wedge reflects subduction‐induced corner flow, altered by the subducting slab's changing geometry. Moreover, the model provides new insights into the anomalous magmatism in the Alaskan subduction system. The 3‐D isosurface clearly shows the relatively high mantle wedge velocities beneath the Denali Volcanic Gap (DVG), suggesting a relatively dry and cold mantle wedge for the flat‐slab subduction of Yakutat slab. The absence of a magma source likely caused the DVG. The Wrangell Volcanic Field (WVF) is characterized by a similar depth‐dependent anisotropy pattern to the Aleutian‐Pacific subduction system, providing additional evidence for the presence of Wrangell Slab. The formation of WVF may be the result of combined effects of toroidal mantle upwelling around the edge of the Wrangell Slab and melting due to dehydration of the Wrangell Slab.
Do CMIP6 Models Capture Seasonal and Regional Differences in the Asymmetry of ENSO‐Precipitation Teleconnections?
Authors: Sengupta Aditya , King Andrew D. , Brown Josephine R.
Published: January 2025

El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a prominent climate phenomenon affecting precipitation patterns across much of the world. Regional ENSO‐precipitation teleconnections are often asymmetric such that the precipitation response to El Niño is stronger or weaker than the response to La Niña. Better understanding of asymmetry in teleconnections can improve the predictability of climate extremes during ENSO events. In this study, we assess the capability of 50 state‐of‐the‐art climate models and a reanalysis against observational data in simulating seasonal differences in asymmetric response of precipitation to ENSO. The analysis is performed across 46 sub‐continental scale regions, using a precipitation composite technique for deriving the asymmetric component of precipitation response. Significant regional and seasonal diversity is found in the asymmetric response to ENSO, both in observations and models. Model performance in simulating the nature of teleconnections is higher than the performance in simulating the associated asymmetry. Model performance in capturing the regional diversity of asymmetry is highest in austral spring. The model biases in asymmetry are related to the inability of the models to accurately simulate the skewness of the heavy tailed local precipitation distributions and Niño3.4 SST distributions. In regions outside the Pacific and Indian Ocean basins, model bias in the skewness of local precipitation variability plays a larger role in model asymmetry bias. This analysis contributes to better understanding the fidelity of CMIP6 models in capturing asymmetry in teleconnections across different seasons and regions which are critical for making skillful projections of floods and droughts in a warming climate.
Accessing ultrastable glass via a bulk transformation
Authors: Bu Hengtong , Luan Hengwei , Kang Jingyi , Jia Jili , Guo Wenhui , Su Yunshuai , Ding Huaping , Chang Hsiang-Shun , Wang Ranbin , Wu You , Shi Lingxiang , Gong Pan , Zeng Qiaoshi , Shao Yang , Yao Kefu
Published: January 2025

As a medium to understand the nature of glass transition, ultrastable glasses have garnered increasing attention for their significance in fundamental science and technological applications. Most studies have produced ultrastable glasses through a surface-controlled process using physical vapor deposition. Here, we demonstrate an approach to accessing ultrastable glasses via the glass-to-glass transition, a bulk transformation that is inherently free from size constraints and anisotropy. The resulting ultrastable glass exhibits a significantly enhanced density (improved by 2.3%), along with high thermodynamic, kinetic, and mechanical stability. Furthermore, we propose that this method of accessing ultrastable glasses is general for metallic glasses, based on the examination of the competitive relationship between the glass-to-glass transition and crystallization. This strategy is expected to facilitate the proliferation of the ultrastable glass family, helping to resolve the instability issues of glass materials and devices and deepen our understanding of glasses and the glass transition.
Network-based transfer of pan-cancer immunotherapy responses to guide breast cancer prognosis
Authors: Ding Xiaobao , Zhang Lin , Fan Ming , Li Lihua
Published: January 2025

Breast cancer prognosis is complicated by tumor heterogeneity. Traditional methods focus on cancer-specific gene signatures, but cross-cancer strategies that provide deeper insights into tumor homogeneity are rarely used. Immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors, results from variable responses across cancers, offering valuable prognostic insights. We introduced a network-based transfer (NBT) of pan-cancer immunotherapy responses to enhance breast cancer prognosis using node embedding and heat diffusion algorithms, identifying gene signatures netNE and netHD. Our results showed that netHD and netNE outperformed seven established breast cancer signatures in prognostic metrics, with netHD excelling. All nine gene signatures were grouped into three clusters, with netHD and netNE enriching the immune-related interferon-gamma pathway. Stratifying TCGA patients into two groups based on netHD revealed significant immunological differences and variations in 20 of 50 cancer hallmarks, emphasizing immune-related markers. This approach leverages pan-cancer insights to enhance breast cancer prognosis, facilitating insight transfer and improving tumor homogeneity understanding.

Abstract graph of network-based insights translating pan-cancer immunotherapy responses to breast cancer prognosis. This abstract graph illustrates the conceptual framework for transferring immunotherapy response insights from pan-cancer studies to breast cancer prognosis. It highlights the integration of PPI networks to bridge genetic data and clinical phenotypes. The network-based method facilitates the identification of prognostic gene signatures in breast cancer by leveraging immunotherapy response information, providing a novel perspective on tumor homogeneity and its implications for clinical outcomes.