bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Segmentation Framework Utilizing Mamba Fusion for Optical and SAR Images
Authors: Ma Mengqi , Liu Can , Li Qing , Liu YuZhao , Zhang Dongxu , Dun Yuanbo
Published: January 2025

Semantic segmentation of multimodal remote sensing images is an effective approach to enhancing segmentation accuracy. Optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images capture ground features from distinct perspectives, offering varied information for ground observation. Effectively fusing these two modalities information and performing multimodal segmentation remains a promising yet challenging task due to their complementary nature and significant differences. The existing methods have the problem of ignoring spatial dimension information and being unable to bridge semantic gaps. However, the proposal of Selective Structured State Space Models (Mamba) provides opportunities for multimodal fusion. Therefore, we propose a segmentation framework based on Mamba fusion of optical and SAR images. The framework introduces a novel fusion module inspired by the principle of Mamba. This module selects effective features from different modalities for cross‐fusion within a global sensing field, facilitating the mutual compensation of optical and SAR image features and reducing the semantic gap. The fused features are then accurately segmented using a decoder that incorporates the Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (ASPP) technique. On the WHU‐OPT‐SAR dataset, this method outperforms other state‐of‐the‐art deep learning approaches, achieving an overall accuracy (OA) of 84.13%, compared to 76.29% for the Kappa statistic.
Late Cretaceous aeolianites in South China: Implications for palaeowind systems and palaeoclimate
Authors: Wang Jingyu , Li Xianghui , Rasbury E. Troy , Zheng Chenyu , Zhang Chaokai
Published: January 2025

Despite reports of palaeowind from aeolian deposits across several basins in South China, knowledge of the Late Cretaceous palaeowind system and its associated palaeoclimatic conditions in East Asia remains inadequate. To elucidate the palaeowind system, numerous Late Cretaceous sandstones from 15 basins in South China were studied. Sedimentary features such as reddish orange colour, large‐scale and high angle cross‐beddings, good sorting, Fe‐varnish and impact scars demonstrate that the studied sandstones are aeolian in origin. The widespread occurrence of the Late Cretaceous aeolian deposition in South China suggests extensive aridification at this time. Based on the reconstruction of bedform morphology and dune architecture, these aeolian deposits are identified as (superposed) individual barchan, compound barchans and compound transverse dunes. Over 3000 measurements, corrected for structural tilting, together with published data show a primary dip direction of 0° to 200°. These dip directions reflect palaeowind blowing‐towards directions of 40° to 160°, from which two dominant sets of north‐east ca 70° and south‐east ca 110° are identified. These prevailing wind directions are interpreted to reflect a large regional, perhaps continental‐scale, monsoon system set up by the topographic barrier created by the Cretaceous Coastal Mountain in East Asia. The record of aeolian dunes, spanning ca 90 to 80 Ma (Coniacian–early Campanian), provides insights into the transition from the greenhouse conditions of the mid‐Cretaceous into the cool climate of the Late Cretaceous.
Notification of blood donors who test positive for transfusion‐transmissible infections
Authors: O'Brien Sheila F. , Naicker Kiyuri , Osmond Lori , Holloway Kelly , Drews Steven J. , Bigham Mark , Goldman Mindy
Published: January 2025

Background and Objectives

Despite screening procedures, a few blood donors confirm positive for transfusion‐transmissible infections and are deferred. Effective notification of laboratory results is essential to ensure that donors are advised of confirmed results and to seek medical care. Here we report results from post‐notification interviews of Canadian Blood Services donors.

Materials and Methods

Over 17 years, 2006–2022, all donors with confirmed positive results for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human T‐cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) and syphilis were notified by registered mail of their result and advised to see a physician. In a separate communication, all donors were later invited to participate in a scripted interview asking whether they tested positive for an infection; if yes, which one, what their reaction was, whether they consulted a physician and whether public health contacted them. Frequencies of responses were calculated.

Results

Of 2654 donors with confirmed positive test results, 876 (33%) participated; 90% said they were informed of a positive test result. Of these, about a quarter did not know for which infection they were positive. Most were surprised, and some were sad or disappointed. Most saw a physician after notification (77%). About two‐thirds with HBV or HCV said they were contacted by public health, slightly fewer (58%) with syphilis, 27% of those with HTLV.

Conclusion

Most donors recalled being notified and were aware of their positive test, but details of the infection were sometimes not understood or recalled, and not all donors consulted a physician about the infection.
In vivo calcium imaging reveals directional sensitivity of C‐low threshold mechanoreceptors
Authors: Semizoglou Evangelia , Lo Re Laure , Middleton Steven J. , Perez‐Sanchez Jimena , Tufarelli Tommaso , Bennett David L. , Chisholm Kim I.
Published: January 2025

C‐low threshold mechanoreceptors (C‐LTMRs) in animals (termed C‐tactile (CT) fibres in humans) are a subgroup of C‐fibre primary afferents, which innervate hairy skin and respond to low‐threshold punctate indentations and brush stimuli. These afferents respond to gentle touch stimuli and are implicated in mediating pleasant/affective touch. These afferents have traditionally been studied using low‐throughput, technically challenging approaches, including microneurography in humans and teased fibre electrophysiology in other mammals. Here we suggest a new approach to studying genetically labelled C‐LTMRs using in vivo calcium imaging. We used an automated rotating brush stimulus and von Frey filaments, applied to the hairy skin of anaesthetized mice to mirror light and affective touch. Simultaneously we visualized changes in C‐LTMR activity and confirmed that these neurons are sensitive to low‐threshold punctate mechanical stimuli and brush stimuli with a strong preference for slow brushing speeds. We also reveal that C‐LMTRs are directionally sensitive, showing more activity when brushed against the natural orientation of the hair. We present in vivo calcium imaging of genetically labelled C‐LTMRs as a useful approach that can reveal new aspects of C‐LTMR physiology.

image

Key points

C‐low threshold mechanoreceptors are sensitive to the directionality of a brush stimulus, being preferentially activated by brushing against the grain of the hair, compared with brushing with the grain of the hair. This is surprising as brushing against the grain of the hair is considered less pleasant.

In vivo calcium imaging is a useful approach to the study of C‐low threshold mechanoreceptors.

While viral transfection, using systemic AAV9, is effective in labelling most sensory neuron populations in the dorsal root ganglion, it fails to label C‐low threshold mechanoreceptors.
Performance Enhancement of Single Slope Solar Still With Sensible Heat Storage System: An Experimental Investigation Under Climatic Conditions of Northeast India
Authors: Kumar Vishwanath , Das Biplab , Gupta Rajat
Published: January 2025

This study conducts an experimental assessment to investigate the influence of black gravel and cylindrical cement fins as thermal heat storage materials in a single-slope solar still. The trials are performed under the meteorological conditions of North-East, Silchar (24.76°N, 92.80°E), India. The performance of each modification is evaluated experimentally and compared to a conventional solar still (CSS) at three different water depths in the basin: 2 cm, 4 cm, and 6 cm. The study assessed the cumulative distillate output, along with a 4E analysis (energy, exergy, economic, and ecological analyses) of the solar stills. The outcomes show that at a 2 cm water depth, the daily yield and efficiency of the solar still with black gravel (SSBG) are 27% and 18% higher, respectively, when compared to the CSS. Additionally, the solar still with cylindrical cement fins (SSCCFs) achieved the highest daily production of 4462.4 mL/m2 with an efficiency of 41.5%. The cost assessment disclosed that the cost per liter of distillate water produced by SSBG and SSCCF is 18% and 23% lower, respectively, than the CSS at a water level of 2 cm. Moreover, the SSCCF improved carbon credits by 26% and enhanced carbon emission mitigation by 110.87% compared to the CSS at the same water depth. Solar stills equipped with energy storage provide a cost-effective solution for tackling water scarcity.
A Radiation-Based Analytical Model for the Computation of Temperature in the Arc Column of Submerged Arc Additive Manufacturing Process
Authors: Goala Suraj , Joshi Shrikrishna N.
Published: January 2025

Submerged Arc Additive Manufacturing (SAAM) is an advanced Wire Arc-based Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) technique known for its uniform deposition structure, high deposition rate, and superior surface finish. However, it is difficult and expensive to experimentally investigate the arc column in SAAM due to its submerged nature under flux. This paper presents an effective alternative: developing a radiation-based analytical model to predict the complex temperature distribution within the SAAM arc column. It focuses on the radiation heat transfer phenomenon since the temperatures attained inside the arc column are beyond the melting temperature of the material involved, and the presence of granular flux and slag intensifies the effect of the same. The model incorporates key input process parameters like wire diameter, stick-out length, current, voltage, and travel speed alongside design parameters like bead width, penetration depth, and material reinforcement. The double ellipsoidal heat source model is the foundation for generating the temperature profile. The predicted temperature profile resembles the double ellipsoid in other arc welding-based additive manufacturing techniques. The model's predictions showed a deviation of approximately 14% from experimental results, validating its effectiveness. Extensive parametric studies were carried out using the developed model. It was observed that longer stick-out lengths dampened temperature variations, while higher currents confined the affected zone further. Increased travel speed reduces the heating and cooling rate, while voltage behaves the opposite way. This analytical approach offers a cost-effective alternative for optimizing process parameters to achieve desired dimensions and deposition quality in SAAM applications.
A comparison of methods for modeling soundscape dimensions based on different datasets
Authors: Versümer Siegbert , Blättermann Patrick , Rosenthal Fabian , Weinzierl Stefan
Published: January 2025

Soundscape studies vary considerably in study design, statistical methods, and model fit metrics used. Due to this confounding of data and methods, it is difficult to assess the suitability of statistical modelling techniques used in the literature. Therefore, five different methods and two performance metrics were applied to three existing soundscape datasets to model soundscape Pleasantness and Eventfulness based on seven acoustic and three sociodemographic predictors. Datasets differed in soundscape type (urban outdoor vs indoor), experimental setting (field- vs lab-based), size, and study design (site- vs person-centered). The fixed-effects and mixed-effects methods ranged from linear to nonlinear regression based on advanced machine learning approaches. Results showed that models performed better for Eventfulness than for Pleasantness in most cases, while performance as measured by the out-of-sample R2 was dependent on the total variance of the target, especially in both field studies with imbalanced targets and groups. Nonlinear methods consistently outperformed linear regression, with random forest and extreme gradient boosting performing particularly well, while the performance levels of all nonlinear methods remained comparable. Mixed-effects models provided a more generalized, albeit slightly smaller prediction performance when tested on unknown groups. Finally, this study motivates the use of cross-validation with special splitting for analyzing small imbalanced datasets.
A nanoparticle-based wireless deep brain stimulation system that reverses Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Wu Junguang , Cui Xuejing , Bao Lin , Liu Guanyu , Wang Xiaoyu , Chen Chunying
Published: January 2025

Deep brain stimulation technology enables the neural modulation with precise spatial control but requires permanent implantation of conduits. Here, we describe a photothermal wireless deep brain stimulation nanosystem capable of eliminating α-synuclein aggregates and restoring degenerated dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra to treat Parkinson’s disease. This nanosystem (ATB NPs) consists of gold nanoshell, an antibody against the heat-sensitive transient receptor potential vanilloid family member 1 (TRPV1), and β-synuclein (β-syn) peptides with a near infrared–responsive linker. ATB NPs by stereotactic injection target dopamine neurons expressing TRPV1 receptors in the substantia nigra. Upon pulsed near-infrared irradiation, ATB NPs, serving as nanoantennae, convert the light into heat, leading to calcium ion influx, depolarization, and action potentials in dopamine neurons through TRPV1 receptors. Simultaneously, β-synuclein peptides released from ATB NPs cooperate with chaperone-mediated autophagy initiated by heat shock protein, HSC70, to effectively eliminate α-synuclein fibrils in neurons. These orchestrated actions restored pathological dopamine neurons and locomotor behaviors of Parkinson’s disease.
Opioidergic activation of the descending pain inhibitory system underlies placebo analgesia
Authors: Neyama Hiroyuki , Wu Yuping , Nakaya Yuka , Kato Shigeki , Shimizu Tomoko , Tahara Tsuyoshi , Shigeta Mika , Inoue Michiko , Miyamichi Kazunari , Matsushita Natsuki , Mashimo Tomoji , Miyasaka Yoshiki , Dai Yi , Noguchi Koichi , Watanabe Yasuyoshi , Kobayashi Masayuki , Kobayashi Kazuto , Cui Yilong
Published: January 2025

Placebo analgesia is caused by inactive treatment, implicating endogenous brain function involvement. However, the neurobiological basis remains unclear. In this study, we found that μ-opioid signals in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activate the descending pain inhibitory system to initiate placebo analgesia in neuropathic pain rats. Chemogenetic manipulation demonstrated that specific activation of μ-opioid receptor–positive (MOR
+
) neurons in the mPFC or suppression of the mPFC–ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) circuit inhibited placebo analgesia in rats. MOR
+
neurons in the mPFC are monosynaptically connected and directly inhibit layer V pyramidal neurons that project to the vlPAG via GABA
A
receptors. Thus, intrinsic opioid signaling in the mPFC disinhibits excitatory outflow to the vlPAG by suppressing MOR
+
neurons, leading to descending pain inhibitory system activation that initiates placebo analgesia. Our results shed light on the fundamental neurobiological mechanism of the placebo effect that maximizes therapeutic efficacy and reduces adverse drug effects in medical practice.
Single-cell analysis reveals
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
ESX-1–mediated accumulation of permissive macrophages in infected mouse lungs
Authors: Zheng Weihao , Borja Michael , Dorman Leah C. , Liu Jonathan , Zhou Andy , Seng Amanda , Arjyal Ritwicq , Sunshine Sara , Nalyvayko Alina , Pisco Angela Oliveira , Rosenberg Oren S. , Neff Norma , Zha Beth Shoshana
Published: January 2025

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(MTB) ESX-1, a type VII secretion system, is a key virulence determinant contributing to MTB’s survival within lung mononuclear phagocytes (MNPs), but its effect on MNP recruitment and differentiation remains unknown. Here, using multiple single-cell RNA sequencing techniques, we studied the role of ESX-1 in MNP heterogeneity and response in mice and murine bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDM). We found that ESX-1 is required for MTB to recruit diverse MNP subsets with high MTB burden. Further, MTB induces a transcriptional signature of immune evasion in lung macrophages and BMDM in an ESX-1–dependent manner. Spatial transcriptomics revealed an up-regulation of permissive features within MTB lesions, where monocyte-derived macrophages concentrate near MTB-infected cells. Together, our findings suggest that MTB ESX-1 facilitates the recruitment and differentiation of MNPs, which MTB can infect and manipulate for survival. Our dataset across various models and methods could contribute to the broader understanding of recruited cell heterogeneity during MTB lung infection.
CD4
+
FOXP3Exon2
+
regulatory T cell frequency predicts breast cancer prognosis and survival
Authors: Fusco Clorinda , Di Rella Francesca , Liotti Antonietta , Colamatteo Alessandra , Ferrara Anne Lise , Gigantino Vincenzo , Collina Francesca , Esposito Emanuela , Donzelli Ivana , Porcellini Antonio , Feola Antonia , Micillo Teresa , Perna Francesco , Garziano Federica , Maniscalco Giorgia Teresa , Varricchi Gilda , Mottola Maria , Zuccarelli Bruno , De Simone Bruna , di Bonito Maurizio , Matarese Giuseppe , Accurso Antonello , Pontillo Martina , Russo Daniela , Insabato Luigi , Spaziano Alessandra , Cantone Irene , Pezone Antonio , De Rosa Veronica
Published: January 2025

CD4
+
FOXP3
+
regulatory T cells (T
regs
) suppress immune responses to tumors, and their accumulation in the tumor microenvironment (TME) correlates with poor clinical outcome in several cancers, including breast cancer (BC). However, the properties of intratumoral T
regs
remain largely unknown. Here, we found that a functionally distinct subpopulation of T
regs
, expressing the FOXP3 Exon2 splicing variants, is prominent in patients with hormone receptor–positive BC with poor prognosis. Notably, a comprehensive examination of the TCGA validated FOXP3E2 as an independent prognostic marker in all other BC subtypes. We found that FOXP3E2 expression underlies BCs with defective mismatch repair and a stem-like signature and highlights pathways involved in tumor survival. Last, we found that the TME induces FOXP3E2 through the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis and confirmed the higher immunosuppressive capacity of FOXP3E2
+
T
regs
derived from patients with BC. Our study suggests that FOXP3E2
+
T
regs
might be used as an independent biomarker to predict BC prognosis and survival and to develop super-targeted immunotherapies.
Surmounting the ceiling effect of motor expertise by novel sensory experience with a hand exoskeleton
Authors: Furuya Shinichi , Oku Takanori , Nishioka Hayato , Hirano Masato
Published: January 2025

For trained individuals such as athletes and musicians, learning often plateaus after extensive training, known as the “ceiling effect.” One bottleneck to overcome it is having no prior physical experience with the skill to be learned. Here, we challenge this issue by exposing expert pianists to fast and complex finger movements that cannot be performed voluntarily, using a hand exoskeleton robot that can move individual fingers quickly and independently. Although the skill of moving the fingers quickly plateaued through weeks of piano practice, passive exposure to otherwise impossible complex finger movements generated by the exoskeleton robot at a speed faster than the pianists’ fastest one enabled them to play faster. Neither a training for fast but simple finger movements nor one for slow but complex movements with the exoskeleton enhanced the overtrained motor skill. The exoskeleton training with one hand also improved the motor skill of the untrained contralateral hand, demonstrating the intermanual transfer effect. The training altered patterns of coordinated activities across multiple finger muscles during piano playing but not in general motor and somatosensory functions or in anatomical characteristics of the hand (range of motion). Patterns of the multifinger movements evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation over the left motor cortex were also changed through passive exposure to fast and complex finger movements, which accompanied increased involvement of constituent movement elements characterizing the individuated finger movements. The results demonstrate evidence that somatosensory exposure to an unexperienced motor skill allows surmounting of the ceiling effect in a task-specific but effector-independent manner.
Complete genome sequence of
Bacillus subtilis
GL-4
Authors: Qin Shaomin , Zeng Wenting , Wei Jue , Chen Fenglian , Ma Ling , Qin Shuying , Lin Jun , Xu Lishi , Zhu Peng , Liu Jinfeng
Published: January 2025

A cellulase-producing
Bacillus
was previously isolated from the intestinal tract of domestic bamboo rat and identified as
Bacillus subtilis
GL-4. In this study, we present the complete genome sequence of
B. subtilis
GL-4. The genome is 4,271,214 bp long, with a guanine-cytosine content of 43.45%.
Complete genome sequence of a Bangladesh-developed live-attenuated lumpy skin disease (LSD) vaccine strain
Authors: Samad Mohammed A. , Hossen Anowar , Karim Md. Rezaul , Uddin ASM Ashab , Roy Dipu , Shithi Khairun Nahar , Akter Mst Nazia , Das Taposh Kumar , Selleck Paul , Bulach Dieter M. , Bowden Timothy R.
Published: January 2025

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle is managed through live-attenuated vaccines. Bangladesh LSD vaccine was developed from LSD virus isolate Bangladesh LSD-29 by passaging 60 times in cell culture. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of Bangladesh LSD vaccine strain.
Draft genome sequence of
Acetobacter persici
DS1, a strain for high-acidity vinegar fermentation
Authors: Tripathi Neha Mani , Singh Puneet Kumar , Yadav Asha , Sharma Krishna Kant , Jain Amit Kumar , Aseri Gajender Kumar , Sharma Deepansh , Singh Deepti
Published: January 2025

The draft genome sequence of
Acetobacter persici
DS1 was isolated for high-acidity vinegar fermentation. The
A. persici
DS1 draft genome has a length of 8,793,442 bp, with 44.27% GC content, 3,053 proteins, 3,169 genes, and 15 genes that play an important role in acetic acid production.
Complete genome sequences of two actinomycetes containing abyssomicin-like gene clusters:
Kutzneria buriramensis
DSM 45791 and
Streptomyces
sp. NL15-2K
Authors: Williams Sam E. , Faurdal David , Jørgensen Tue S. , Back Catherine R. , Rooms Lynden D. , Hayes Martin A. , Willis Christine L. , Stach James E. M. , Curnow Paul , Race Paul R.
Published: January 2025

Here, we report the resequencing, assembly, and annotation of two actinomycete genomes containing abyssomicin gene clusters.
Kutzneria buriramensis
DSM 45791 with a circular chromosome of 11,681,598 bp and 4 circular plasmids (14,175–207,548 bp) and
Streptomyces
sp. NL15-2K with a 12,368,159 bp linear genome and circular plasmid (11,584 bp).
Biofloc technology significantly reshapes water microbiome and improves survival rates in Japanese eel (
Anguilla japonica
)
Authors: Yang Jiho , Choi Hyunjun , Park Jun Seong , Cha Yehyeon , Hwang Ju-Ae , Oh Seung-Yoon
Published: January 2025

Global aquaculture production faces the challenge of biologically cycling nitrogenous waste. Biofloc technology (BFT) systems offer the potential to reduce water consumption and eliminate waste products by using beneficial microorganisms to convert waste into usable nutrients or non-toxic molecules. Unlike flow-through systems (FTS), which depend on continuous water exchange and result in higher operational costs as well as limited microbiome stability, BFT operates without the need for constant water exchange. Instead, it leverages its inherent microbiome for nutrient recycling, which can help reduce associated costs. The Japanese eel (
Anguilla japonica
), consumed as a luxury food item in China, Japan, and South Korea, has seen little research related to BFT. In this study, we observed the survival and growth rates of eels treated with BFT over 8 weeks and monitored changes in the gut and water microbiome using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (metabarcoding) and quantitative PCR. Our research demonstrated that BFT treatment was more advantageous for eel growth compared with FTS in terms of eel survival rate, feed intake amount, and growth rate. Both treatments did not result in water quality conditions detrimental to the growth of eels. Alpha diversity was higher in BFT water microbiome than in FTS, but no differences were observed in the guts of eels between the two treatments. While community structures of water microbiome (taxonomic composition) differed between BFT and FTS, gut microbiome did not. To identify the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that directly influence the feed consumption rate of eels, closely linked to their growth rate, we first determined the differentially abundant residents and then highlighted the most informative OTUs. In summary, our analysis identified microbial residents potentially associated with the higher growth rates observed in BFT-treated eels, highlighting the need for further functional studies.

IMPORTANCE

This study is significant as it addresses a critical gap in the application of Biofloc Technology (BFT) to Japanese eel (
Anguilla japonica
) aquaculture, a high-value species in East Asia. BFT’s potential to reduce water consumption and enhance growth through the use of beneficial microorganisms presents a sustainable solution to the challenges of nitrogenous waste management in global aquaculture. Our research provides the first comprehensive analysis of how BFT influences both the growth and microbiome composition of Japanese eels compared with traditional flow-through systems. By identifying specific microbial residents potentially linked to improved feed consumption and growth, this study opens new avenues for optimizing BFT in eel farming. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of microbial roles in aquaculture, highlighting the potential for BFT to support more sustainable and productive aquaculture practices.
Identifying specific subgroups of older patients at risk of repeated hospital readmissions and death after discharge in a prospective multicentre cohort in France
Authors: Visade Fabien , Babykina Genia , Carretero-Bravo Jesus , Deschasse Guillaume , Vandewalle Vincent , Beuscart Jean-Baptiste
Published: January 2025

Objective

To identify specific subgroups of older patients at risk of repeated hospital readmissions and death.

Design

Prospective, multicentre, DAMAGE (Patient Outcomes After Hospitalization in Acute Geriatric Unit) cohort of adults aged 75 and over, discharged from an acute geriatric unit (AGU) and followed up for 12 months.

Setting

Six recruiting hospital centres in the Hauts-de-France and Normandie regions of France.

Main outcome measures

We performed a latent class analysis to identify subgroups at risk of repeated hospital readmissions and death, followed by a logistic regression analysis to determine the characteristics associated with the identified subgroups.

Results

3081 patients were included (mean (SD) age: 86.4 (5.5)) and two subgroups were identified. In subgroup 1 (n=2169, 70.4%), only 619 (28.5%) patients were readmitted to hospital once during the follow-up, and 495 (22.5%) died. In subgroup 2 (n=912, 29.6%), all patients were readmitted to hospital at least twice, and 523 (57.8%) died. Subgroup 2 accounted for 29.6% of patients but 74.4% of hospital readmissions, with longer lengths of stay, and 51.6% of deaths. A multivariate logistic regression analysis identified only four characteristics weakly associated with the risk of being in subgroup 2 (at least one hospital admission in the 6 months preceding the index hospital admission, cancer, polymedication and weight changes (gain or loss) during the index hospital admission). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 63%.

Conclusion

A latent class analysis showed that a population of older adults hospitalised in an AGU is divided into two subgroups with regard to the postdischarge outcomes: one subgroup (70% of the individuals) will have a low rate of hospital readmission and a moderate death rate, whereas the other will have a high rate of hospital readmission and a very high death rate. There is a need for predictive scores for both events, with a view to better targeting at-risk patients.

Trial registration number

Trial registration number was approved by the local independent ethics committee (CPP Nord-Ouest IV, Lille, France) on 13 February 2015, with an amendment approved on 21 January 2016 (reference: IDRCB 2014 A01670 47, CNIL bxA15352514).
Exploring surgeon behavioural factors impacting the quality of care: protocol for a scoping review
Authors: Dhaliwal Bhavan , Goubran Doris , Fylyma Orest , Siwach Ina , Askin Nicole , Darbandi Maziar Fazel , Delisle Megan
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Modern surgery incorporates many aspects of care, including preoperative workup, surgical management and multidisciplinary collaboration to achieve favourable outcomes and high patient satisfaction. Current literature identifies variability in surgical practice and quality of care. The objective of this study is to fill the gap in the literature by identifying modifiable surgeon behavioural factors influencing the quality of care and to identify interventions and policies that modify these factors.

Methods and analysis

This scoping review will be reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping review guidelines. The protocol was drafted according to JBI Best Practice Guidance and Reporting Items for the Development of Scoping Review Protocols. A comprehensive search encompassing five databases (OVID Medline, OVID EMBASE, Cochrane Library (Central) and SCOPUS) was conducted. Search terms included ‘surgeons’, ‘surgeon characteristics’, ‘quality of care’ and ‘outcomes’ using AND, OR and ADJ2 Boolean operators. Studies describing interventions aimed at modifying behavioural surgeon factors influencing the quality of healthcare will be included. Studies describing institutional or system factors will be excluded. Searches were limited from 1 January 2000 to 1 January 2024 to capture modern surgery practices. Searches were peer reviewed as per Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies 2015. Two independent reviewers will perform a title and abstract screening using DistillerSR and extract data on the participants, study methods, modifiable surgeon factors and interventions that modify these factors. The data will be qualitatively analysed using the COM-B Framework which describes how capability, motivation and opportunity constitute behaviour. We expect to compile a list of existing interventions aimed at modifying surgeon behaviours, analysing the success of existing interventions to improve patient outcomes and identifying modifiable surgeon factors that do not have interventions.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval and patient consent are not required. The results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.
Modern clinical genetics in cardiology
Authors: Charron Philippe , Proukhnitzky Julie
Published: January 2025

Advances in molecular genetics during the past decades led to seminal discoveries in the genetic basis of cardiovascular diseases, resulting in a new understanding of their pathogenesis, determinants of natural history and more recently paved the way for innovative therapies. A significant gap, however, exists between the rapidly increasing knowledge, especially of cardiovascular Mendelian disorders, and the medical applications in daily practice. This paper will focus on the practical issues the cardiologist may be faced with when suspecting a Mendelian disorder. The objective is to review the general issues related to genetic counselling and genetic testing, and to provide key messages for their integration into the medical management of the patients and relatives, according to a precision medicine approach.
Occupational noise exposure and maternal pregnancy complications: register-based cohort from urban areas in four Nordic countries
Authors: Pasanen Tytti P , Tiittanen Pekka , Roswall Nina , Persson Waye Kerstin , Selander Jenny , Sanchez Martinez Nestor , Sjöström Mattias , Vincens Natalia , Ögren Mikael , Aasvang Gunn Marit , Evandt Jorunn , Krog Norun Hjertager , Weyde Kjell Vegard , Khan Jibran , Gissler Mika , Lindstrøm Jonas Christoffer , Poulsen Aslak Harbo , Pershagen Göran , Sorensen Mette , Lanki Timo
Published: January 2025

Objective

To assess the role of occupational noise exposure on pregnancy complications in urban Nordic populations.

Methods

A study population covering five metropolitan areas in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden was generated using national birth registries linked with occupational and residential environmental exposures and sociodemographic variables. The data covered all pregnancies during 5–11 year periods in 2004‒2016, resulting in 373 184 pregnancies. Occupational noise exposure was based on a Swedish-developed job-exposure-matrix, containing measured A-weighted annual 8 hour noise levels (L
Aeq8h
), and linked with person-specific job-history. Outcomes included diagnosed gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, mild pre-eclampsia and severe pre-eclampsia. The data were analysed with logistic regression models separately in each country, adjusting for maternal (age, parity, birth year, education and marital status) and residential environmental factors (low neighbourhood income, NO
2
and green and blue space). The results were combined by meta-analysis.

Results

Occupational noise exceeding 80 dB, compared with less than 70 dB, was associated with an increased odds of gestational diabetes in all countries, with a combined OR of 1.26 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.51), and mild pre-eclampsia in all countries except Finland, resulting in a combined OR of 1.22 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.51). Further adjustment by maternal body-mass index attenuated these associations. No association with gestational hypertension or severe pre-eclampsia was found.

Conclusions

Register data from four nationalities show that gestational diabetes and, tentatively, mild pre-eclampsia was increased among pregnant workers working in occupations where noise levels exceed 80 dB L
Aeq8h
but not in occupations with lower noise levels.
Body size as a leading indicator of run size and application to in-season forecasting of sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska
Authors: Woodard Grant A. , Schindler Daniel E. , Ohlberger Jan , Cunningham Curry J.
Published: January 2025

Bristol Bay supports the world’s largest fishery for sockeye salmon which are harvested during an extremely condensed time period as fish return to their natal rivers. Uncertainties in preseason forecasts of run size challenge managers and the fishing community because of limited time to adapt strategies within a season. Preseason forecast errors from 2000 to 2023 were as large as 29%, with a mean absolute % error (MAPE) of 15%. We used autoregressive models including mean size-at-age of returning sockeye salmon, along with other environmental covariates, and weighted these models by the inverse of their MAPE to produce an ensemble in-season model that was subsequently weighted with preseason forecasts. This methodology improved forecasts of run size substantially earlier in the fishing season than currently possible and had an average MAPE of 12% (∼6 million fish), approximately 1 week into the fishing season. This level of error is not met by current in-season methods until approximately 2 weeks later after the season has peaked, and is better than current preseason methods in most years.
Record of Late Oligocene silicic volcanism in the Hrvatsko Zagorje Basin, Croatia: insights from U–Pb zircon geochronology and volcanology
Authors: Šuica Sanja , Trinajstić Nina , Schindlbeck-Belo Julie Christin , Kutterolf Steffen , Milošević Monika , Brlek Mihovil , Hauff Folkmar , Grizelj Anita , Kukoč Duje , Brčić Vlatko , Mišur Ivan , Avanić Radovan
Published: January 2025

The Hrvatsko Zagorje Basin represents a part of the Slovenian Strait, an Oligocene–Middle Miocene seaway connection between the Central Paratethys and the Mediterranean. Volcanic deposits within the basin are key geochronological markers for understanding the evolution of this important segment of the Paratethyan realm. The timing, eruption styles, magma characteristics and depositional environments of these events, however, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate volcaniclastic sequences from Donje Jesenje and Varaždinske Toplice using sedimentological, mineralogical, petrographical, geochemical, palaeontological and zircon U–Pb geochronological analyses. Zircon dating yielded ages of 24.09 ± 0.13 Ma for Donje Jesenje and 23.35 ± 0.15 Ma for Varaždinske Toplice, corresponding to the Late Oligocene. At both sites, the volcaniclastic deposits show evidence indicative of deposition from large explosive eruptions in a submarine environment. Post-depositional alteration processes have led to zeolitization of the glassy components in Donje Jesenje and alteration to clay minerals and silicification in Varaždinske Toplice, under burial diagenesis. Whole-rock geochemistry indicates rhyolitic, subduction-type volcanism, similar to older Periadriatic and younger Carpathian–Pannonian Region magmatism. The temporal and spatial position of Hrvatsko Zagorje Basin magmatism provides a link between these regional magmatic provinces and allows us to hypothesize their geodynamic connection during the Late Oligocene–Early Miocene tectonic reorganization of the wider Alpine–Carpathian–Dinaride area.
PhonemeVec: A Phoneme-Level Contextual Prosody Representation For Speech Synthesis
Authors: Wang Shiming , Chen Li-Ping , Ai Yang , Hu Yajun , Ling Zhen-Hua
Published: January 2025

Recently, fine-grained prosody representations have emerged and attracted growing attention to address the one-to-many problem in text-to-speech (TTS). In this paper, we propose the PhonemeVec, a pre-trained prosody representations with considering the contextual information. To obtain the contextual prosody representations, we improve the data2vec framework according to the characteristics of prosody to extract the PhonemeVec from the low-band mel-spectrogram, and pre-train on a 960 hours Chinese corpus with high quality and diverse pronunciation. PhonemeVec is subsequently integrated into FastSpeech2, supervising the prosody modeling of the text encoder. Experiments conducted on the Blizzard Challenge 2019 dataset show that the integration of PhonemeVec results in the synthesis of more natural speech. Additionally, objective evaluations confirm that the application of PhonemeVec reduces the distortions between the generated speech and original recordings in terms of duration and F0. Audio samples can be found in http://home.ustc.edu.cn/~wsmzzz/PhonemeVec/demo.html.
C
3
-GAN+: Complex-Condition-Controlled Generative Adversarial Networks with Enhanced Embedding
Authors: Zhang Yingxue , Li Yanhua , Zhou Xun , Liu Zhenming , Luo Jun
Published: January 2025

Given historical traffic distributions and associated urban conditions observed in a city, the conditional urban traffic estimation problem aims at estimating realistic future projections of the traffic under a set of new urban conditions, e.g., new bus routes, rainfall intensity, and travel demands. The problem is important in reducing traffic congestion, improving public transportation efficiency, and facilitating urban planning. However, solving this problem is challenging due to the strong spatial dependencies of traffic patterns and the complex relations between the traffic and urban conditions. Recently, we proposed a

Complex-Condition-Controlled Generative Adversarial Network (

\(\boldsymbol{C^{3}}\)

-GAN)

, which tackles both of the challenges and solves the urban traffic estimation problem under various complex conditions by adding a fixed embedding network and an inference network on top of the standard conditional GAN model. The randomly chosen embedding network transforms the complex conditions to latent vectors, and the inference network enhances the connections between the embedded vectors and the traffic data. However, a randomly chosen embedding network cannot always successfully extract features of complex urban conditions, which indicates

\(C^{3}\)

-GAN is unable to uniquely map different urban conditions to proper latent distributions. Thus,

\(C^{3}\)

-GAN would fail in certain traffic estimation tasks. Besides,

\(C^{3}\)

-GAN is hard to train due to vanishing gradients and mode collapse problems. To address these issues, in this article, we extend our prior work by introducing a new deep generative model, namely,

\(C^{3}\)

-GAN

\(+\)

, which significantly improves the estimation performance and model stability.

\(C^{3}\)

-GAN

\(+\)

has new objective, architecture, and training algorithm. The new objective applies Wasserstein loss to the conditional generation case to encourage stable training. Shared convolutional layers between the discriminator and the inference network help to capture spatial dependencies of traffic more efficiently, part of the shared convolutional layers are used to update the embedding network periodically aiming to encourage good representation and avoid model divergence. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets demonstrate that our

\(C^{3}\)

-GAN

\(+\)

produces high-quality traffic estimations and outperforms state-of-the-art baseline methods.
Evidence-based evaluation of student and marker performances in assessment and examination
Authors: Kemi Ole J.
Published: January 2025

Core to their education mission is that colleges and universities scrutinize assessment and examination via boards of examiners, but this scrutiny has no set standard or protocol. This article gives principles and practical recommendations, with examples, for how this scrutiny could or should be carried out, in a manner that establishes accountability and good practice that study programs and boards of examiners in education may utilize, to improve educational practice.
The influence of interleukin-27 on metabolic fitness in a murine neonatal model of bacterial sepsis
Authors: Povroznik Jessica M. , Wang Lei , Annamanedi Madhavi , Bare Rachael L. , Akhter Halima , Hu Gangqing , Robinson Cory M.
Published: January 2025

IL-27 has been linked with immune regulation during infection, but this is the first report of a combined influence of IL-27 on complete host response during systemic infection with metabolic fitness in a neonate. Novel findings demonstrate improved glucose homeostasis and insulin response supported by a reduced expression of genes involved in gluconeogenesis in the absence of IL-27 signaling. An increased expression of genes integral to cholesterol biosynthesis further supports a protective response during sepsis.
Observing changes in motoneuron characteristics following distorted sensorimotor input via blood flow restriction
Authors: Taleshi Mansour , Bubeck Franziska , Brunner Pascal , Gizzi Leonardo , Vujaklija Ivan
Published: January 2025

To improve our understanding of how acute blood flow restriction (BFR) intervention affects neuromechanical function and motor unit characteristics, we applied high-density surface electromyography on the abductor digiti minimi muscle during isometric trapezoidal and sinusoidal precision force tracking tasks. Although BFR increased discomfort, it minimally affected force tracking performance; however, it did alter the underlying motor unit behavior. These findings further enhance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying BFR.
Exploring the complex relationship between psychosocial stress and the gut microbiome: implications for inflammation and immune modulation
Authors: Marwaha Komal , Cain Ryan , Asmis Katherine , Czaplinski Katya , Holland Nathan , Mayer Darly C. Ghislaine , Chacon Jessica
Published: January 2025

There is growing interest in understanding the complex relationship between psychosocial stress and the human gastrointestinal microbiome (GIM). This review explores the potential physiological pathways connecting these two and how they contribute to a proinflammatory environment that can lead to the development and progression of the disease. Exposure to psychosocial stress triggers the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA), leading to various physiological responses essential for survival and coping with the stressor. However, chronic stress in susceptible individuals could cause sustained activation of HPA and SNS, leading to immune dysregulation consisting of redistribution of natural killer (NK) cells in the bloodstream, decreased function of T and B cells, and elevation of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumor necrotic factor-α, interferon-gamma. It also leads to disruption of the GIM composition and increased intestinal barrier permeability, contributing to GIM dysbiosis. The GIM dysbiosis and elevated cytokines can lead to reciprocal effects and further stimulate the HPA and SNS, creating a positive feedback loop that results in a proinflammatory state underlying the pathogenesis and progression of stress-associated cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, autoimmune, and psychiatric disorders. Understanding these relationships is critical for developing new strategies for managing stress-related health disorders.
The TRP Channels Serving as Chemical-to-Electrical Signal Converter
Authors: Tian Yuhua , Zheng Jie
Published: January 2025

Biology uses many signaling mechanisms. Among them, calcium and membrane potential are two prominent mediators for cellular signaling. TRPM4 and TRPM5, two calcium-activated monovalent cation-conducting ion channels, offer a direct linkage between these two signals. Their activities convert a rise in the intracellular calcium level—a chemical signal—into depolarization of membrane potential—an electrical signal. Interestingly, membrane depolarization can in turn alter the electrical driving force or membrane permeability for calcium entry, hence offers feedback mechanisms for regulating calcium signaling. By converging two powerful cellular signals, TRPM4 and TRPM5 are capable of contributing to many fundamental biological processes including cardiovascular biology, immunology, insulin release, chemo-sensation, and others. Numerous mutations in TRPM4 are linked to human hereditary cardiac and skin diseases, whereas knocking out TRPM5 in mice abolishes perception of sweet, umami and bitter tastes. This review summarizes what are currently known about the signaling roles of these unique TRP channels, and what remain mysterious.