bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling tau spreading in Alzheimer’s disease in the AD workbench environment
Authors: Franzmeier Nicolai , Schöll Michael
Published: January 2025

Background

To understand the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), neuroimaging and biomarker research relies increasingly on sophisticated data analysis techniques that are often restricted to expert lab environments. Here, we demonstrate how complex analyses on modeling tau spreading across interconnected brain regions from our previous studies (e.g., Franzmeier et al., Nat Commun, 2020; 2024, Sci Adv, 2020) can be replicated using the cloud‐based Alzheimer's Disease Workbench (ADWB) environment. We illustrate how data analyses can transition from restricted lab environments to open cloud‐based workspaces, highlighting the potential for data sharing, transparency and collaborative analysis in AD research via cloud‐based solutions.

Methods

Data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were re‐analyzed in the ADWB environment. The analyses involved combining resting‐state fMRI with longitudinal tau‐PET imaging data to investigate the relationship between brain connectivity and tau accumulation. We illustrate the role of the ADWB as an integrated workspace where datasets can be uploaded, explored, and analyzed using a suite of tools, including Python and R. Within this environment we illustrate how sophisticated data analyses can be replicated in shared environments to facilitate collaborative research efforts.

Results

Replicating key findings from our original studies, we demonstrate that interconnected brain regions show correlated tau accumulation, and that tau spreads from local epicenters across connected brain regions, indicating potential trans‐neuronal tau propagation. We provide shared data and code for running and visualizing analyses on connectivity‐mediated tau spreading, enhancing the accessibility and reproducibility of neuroimaging analyses in AD.

Conclusion

The AD Workbench environment effectively supports complex neuroimaging analyses, facilitating data sharing and collaborative research using open‐access datasets such as ADNI. By enabling researchers to replicate and extend existing studies, ADWB can enhance our understanding of AD mechanisms and foster collaborations across different research sites and groups. We underscore the role of cloud‐based and open‐access solutions in neuroimaging research that can make advanced data analysis techniques available to a broader research community.
Exogenously and Endogenously Sequential Regulation of DNA Nanodevices Enables Organelle‐Specific Signal Amplification in Subcellular ATP Profiling
Authors: Feng Xueyan , Yi Deyu , Li Lele , Li Mengyuan
Published: January 2025

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency in cells, is dynamically regulated across different subcellular compartments. The ATP interplay between mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) underscores their coordinated roles in various biochemical processes, highlighting the necessity for precise profiling of subcellular ATP dynamics. Here we present an exogenously and endogenously dual‐regulated DNA nanodevice for spatiotemporally selective, subcellular‐compartment specific signal amplification in ATP sensing. The system allows for exogenous NIR light‐controlled spatiotemporal localization and activation of the aptamer sensor in mitochondria or ER, while a specific endogenous enzyme in the organelles further drives signal amplification via the consumption of molecular beacon fuels, resulting in significantly enhanced sensitivity and spatial precision for the subcellular ATP profiling in the organelle of interest. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of this system for robust monitoring of ATP fluctuations in mitochondria and ER following drug interventions. This advancement provides a powerful tool for improving our understanding of cellular energetics at the subcellular level and holds potential for the development of targeted therapeutics.
Hydrogen‐Borrowing‐Based Methods for the Construction of Quaternary Stereocentres
Authors: Crompton Jessica L. , Jenkins Timothy C. , Rowe Sam M. , Donohoe Timothy J.
Published: January 2025

Compounds containing quaternary stereocentres are a valuable motif in biologically active compounds. Herein we present our strategy to utilise the hydrogen borrowing manifold to access α‐quaternary ketones via a tandem acceptorless dehydrogenation‐cyclisation cascade. This new application of the methodology results in the formation of five‐ and six‐membered carbocycles with a high degree of diastereoselectivity. Interestingly, benzylic alcohol substrates behaved anomalously and eliminated sulfinate in situ to give a set of rearranged α‐quaternary ketone products.
Microbial methods matter: Identifying discrepancies between microbiome denoising pipelines using a leaf biofilm taphonomic dataset
Authors: Palmer Brianne , Karačić Sabina , Bierbaum Gabriele , Gee Carole T.
Published: January 2025

Premise

The occurrence of different microorganisms on aquatic macrophyte fossils suggests that biofilm microbes may facilitate leaf preservation. Understanding the impact of microorganisms on leaf preservation requires studies on living plants coupled with microbial amplicon sequencing. Choosing the most suitable bioinformatic pipeline is pivotal to accurate data interpretation, as it can lead to considerably different estimations of microbial community composition.

Methods

We analyze biofilms from floating and submerged leaves of Nymphaea alba and Nuphar lutea and mock communities using primers for the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), 18S rRNA, and ITS amplicon regions and compare the microbial community compositions derived from three bioinformatic pipelines: DADA2, Deblur, and UNOISE.

Results

The choice of denoiser alters the total number of sequences identified and differs in the identified taxa. Results from all three denoising pipelines show that the leaf microbial communities differed between depths and that the effect of the environment varied depending on the amplicon region.

Discussion

Considering the performance of denoising algorithms and the identification of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), we recommend DADA2 for analyzing 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA. For the ITS region, the choice is more nuanced, as Deblur identified the most ASVs and was compositionally similar to DADA2.
Histochemical indications for a chemically complex signal produced by the cervical gill slit gland of the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps)
Authors: Keenan Tiffany F. , McLellan William A. , Rommel Sentiel A. , Costidis Alexander M. , Harms Craig A. , Thewissen J. G. M. , Rehorek Susan J. , Rotstein David S. , Gay Mark D. , Taylor Alison R. , Koopman Heather N. , Wang Ying , Kamel Stephanie , Pabst D. Ann
Published: January 2025

The pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) possesses an exocrine gland associated with its false gill slit pigmentation pattern. The cervical gill slit gland is a compound tubuloalveolar gland that produces a holocrine secretion and displays maturational changes in size and secretory histology. While the morphology of the cervical gill slit gland has been described in detail, to date, the chemical composition of its secretion remains uncharacterized. This study used histochemical staining techniques and quantitative lipid analysis to identify and characterize the constituents expressed in the secretory cells and secretion of the cervical gill slit gland. Results demonstrate that the secretion, like those of terrestrial artiodactyls that function in chemical communication, includes a complex mixture of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. Differences in staining intensity across germinal and secretory epithelial layers demonstrate differential expression, or maturation, of mucins and proteins. Additionally, a highly unusual and primary constituent of the secretion is uric acid. Uric acid was identified within the secretion using histochemical stains and polarized light imaging, and chemically verified using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry. While uric acid is not a common constituent of mammalian exocrine glands, urate‐based compounds are abundant in the secretions of marine organisms used in chemical communication. Thus, uric acid may contribute to the chemical message produced by K. breviceps in its marine environment. We hypothesize that the chemical signals produced by the gill slit gland may be shared at close‐range by conspecifics, and that the mode of sensory reception is likely gustation.
Hydrodynamic Influences on Dissolution Testing Using Flow Channel Apparatuses
Authors: Mattusch Amelie , Meurers Alexandra , Hense Niklas , Bartsch Jens , Thommes Markus
Published: January 2025

The extent and rate of solution formation are measured via dissolution testing. Contrary to expectations, the intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR) is not size‐independent, despite normalization of the sample area. By comparing different channel designs and sample diameters, the dimensionless boundary layer normalization factor (BNF) was developed to account for the size‐dependence discovered. With the derived velocity of the boundary (vb), the comparability of dissolution data generated with flow channel apparatuses was established, depending on the flow pattern under laminar flow conditions.
Lignin‐derived carbon fibers: A green path from biomass to advanced materials
Authors: Yan Li , Liu Hai , Yang Yanfan , Dai Lin , Si Chuanling
Published: January 2025

Carbon fibers (CFs) with notable comprehensive properties, such as light weight, high specific strength, and stiffness, have garnered considerable interest in both academic and industrial fields due to their diverse and advanced applications. However, the commonly utilized precursors, such as polyacrylonitrile and pitch, exhibit a lack of environmental sustainability, and their costs are heavily reliant on fluctuating petroleum prices. To meet the substantial market demand for CFs, significant efforts have been made to develop cost‐effective and sustainable CFs derived from biomass. Lignin, the most abundant polyphenolic compound in nature, is emerging as a promising precursor which is well‐suited for the production of CFs due to its renewable nature, low cost, high carbon content, and aromatic structures. Nevertheless, the majority of lignin raw materials are currently derived from pulping and biorefining industrial by‐products, which are diverse and heterogeneous in nature, restricting the industrialization of lignin‐derived CFs. This review classifies fossil‐derived and biomass‐derived CFs, starting from the sources and chemical structures of raw lignin, and outlines the preparation methods linked to the performance of lignin‐derived CFs. A comprehensive discussion is presented on the relationship between the structural characteristics of lignin, spinning preparation, and structure‐morphology‐property of lignin‐derived CFs. Additionally, the potential applications of these materials in various domains, including energy, catalysis, composites, and other advanced products, are also described with the objective of spotlighting the unique merits of lignin. Finally, the current challenges faced and future prospects for the advancement of lignin‐derived CFs are proposed.
Azine Dearomatization in Natural Product Total Synthesis
Authors: Knight Brian J. , Grigolo Thiago A. , Tolchin Zachary A. , Smith Joel M.
Published: January 2025

Since antiquity, alkaloid natural products have served as medicinal ingredients that still contribute as an inspiration for the development of novel therapeutics. For the synthetic chemist, much of the importance of natural products lies in their acting as a forcing‐function for the invention of new synthetic strategies and tactics for molecular assembly. With this rich history in mind, it remains an important goal for chemists to build nitrogenous structures with greater efficiency, abiding by economies of synthesis. Nitrogenous aromatic feedstocks have been an intriguing starting point for the functionalization and construction of alkaloids for several decades, but recent advances in reaction design have opened new doors for leveraging their abundance in concise synthesis. Herein, advances in this area of synthetic ingenuity will be summarized with the aim of instructing chemists towards considering dearomatization as a strategic avenue for both target‐oriented and diversity‐oriented synthetic campaigns. Overall, syntheses are evaluated, compared, and contrasted to give a systematic overview of this continued area of research.
The Impact of Text‐Based Financial Constraints on Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence From the UK Firms
Authors: Albert Acheampong , Mousavi Mahdi , Gozgor Giray , Patrick Yeboah
Published: January 2025

This paper employs a textual analysis approach to quantify financial constraints information from the narrative sections of annual reports in the UK firms. Then, the paper examines the impact of this information on the stock price crash risk in 250 firms from 2005 to 2021. The paper also analyses the moderating role of adopting the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on the impact of text‐based financial constraints on stock price crash risk. It is found that text‐based financial constraints are positively associated with stock crash risk measures. It is also observed that adopting the IFRS weakens the positive impact of financial constraints on stock price crash risk. These results are robust to several controls and model specifications. The findings also have several implications for investors and other market participants for seeking evidence of the credibility of annual reports in reflecting relevant information that highlights financial constraints.
Female dental students' perceptions on barriers and motivators in pursuing oral and maxillofacial surgery
Authors: Jatana Courtney , Conley Katelyn , Moffitt Anika , Schumacher Fernanda , Emam Hany
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Although females represent more than half of US dental students, less than 10% are practicing oral surgeons. This study sought to identify barriers and motivators perceived by female dental students in their D1 and D4 years concerning a career in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS).

Methods

This cross‐sectional study used a single survey in 2023 sent to all US dental schools for female D1 and D4 students. Perceived barriers and motivating factors were rated on a scale from 0 to 5, 5 indicating the highest importance. For comparisons between D1 and D4, the data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test and adjusted for multiple correction using the Bonferroni method. All responses were pooled to identify statistically significant barriers and motivating factors.

Results

Combined cohort barriers identified were time commitment (86.2%), family sacrifices (75.2%), long work hours (70.7%), and need to perform at top of class (64.6%). The important motivators were financial security (82.1%), scope (71.2%), respect (62%), and lifestyle after residency (51.4%). A statistically significant difference between groups was on the need to excel academically, with D1 students rating it more important (4.14/5) and D4's rating 3.51/5 (adjusted p‐value = 0.02, which is less than 0.05). The responses for motivation to pursue OMS showed a significant difference, D1 rating it 3.81/5 and D4 rating it 3.26/5 (adjusted p‐value = 0.03, which is less than 0.05).

Conclusion

As the primary barriers identified relate to issues of time and personal sacrifice, it may be beneficial to enhance female mentorship and surgical clerkship opportunities for female dental students to address these issues.
Effort–reward imbalance among dental and dental hygiene faculty and turnover intention
Authors: Kentar Lileth , Boyd Linda D. , Vineyard Jared , McCarthy Jennifer
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The impact of effort–reward imbalance (ERI) on the decision to leave academia among dental and dental hygiene faculty in the United States (US) has yet to be explored. This study examined the effect of effort, reward, and overcommitment on turnover intention to leave academia in dental and dental hygiene faculty in the US.

Methods

Cross‐sectional survey research design was conducted with a convenience sample of dental hygiene and dental faculty (n = 273) currently teaching in the US. The survey included three sections: demographics, Teacher Effort–Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (Teacher ERIQ), and turnover intention scale‐6 (TIS‐6). Descriptive, correlation, and regression were used for analysis.

Results

The completion rate was 66.7% (n = 182). About 67% of the sample reported sometimes or always considering leaving their job. The effort (M = 49.53)–reward (M = 46.86) ratio was 1.11 (SD ± 0.37) suggesting slightly more effort than reward. The TIS mean was 16.32 with scores of 18 or higher suggesting intent to leave. Regression analysis found that predictors of turnover intention were effort (β = 0.315, t = 3.821, p < 0.001) indicating higher levels of perceived effort were associated with an increased turnover intention. Reward emerged as a significant negative predictor of TIS (β = −0.464, t = −7.449, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The predictors of turnover intention for faculty were greater effort with lower reward. These are areas institutions need to address to recruit and retain qualified dental and dental hygiene educators.
Exact Results for Generalized Extremal Problems Forbidding an Even Cycle
Authors: Győri Ervin , He Zhen , Lv Zequn , Salia Nika , Tompkins Casey , Varga Kitti , Zhu Xiutao
Published: January 2025

We determine the maximum number of copies of in a ‐free ‐vertex graph for all integers and sufficiently large . Moreover, for and any integer , we obtain the maximum number of cycles of length in an ‐vertex ‐free bipartite graph.
Lymph Node Dissection for Melanoma: Contemporary Trends in Postoperative Outcomes and Patient Selection With Reduced Case Volumes in the Post‐MSLT2 Era
Authors: Farooq Mohammad S. , Vargas Gracia M. , Shafique Neha , Guo Jennifer , Miura John T. , Karakousis Giorgos C.
Published: January 2025

Background and Objectives

Since the publication of the German Cooperative Oncology Group Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial and Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial II (MSLT2) trials, the treatment paradigm for node‐positive melanoma has shifted from completion lymph node dissection (LND) to nodal ultrasound surveillance. We sought to identify the impact of this practice change on postoperative outcomes in a national cohort.

Methods

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients diagnosed with truncal/extremity malignant melanoma who underwent axillary/inguinal LND. Patients diagnosed with head/neck melanoma with subsequent cervical LND were also analyzed separately. Trends in case volumes, clinicodemographic patient characteristics, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

There has been a reduction of patients undergoing axillary/inguinal LND in the post‐MSLT2 era (24.1% vs. 19.0%, p < 0.01). Furthermore, these patients are older (63 vs. 59 years, p < 0.01) and have worse systemic comorbidities (ASA class 3+ +54% vs. 42%, p <0.01). Despite this, postoperative outcomes remain unchanged. For cervical LND, no significant changes in case volumes or clinicodemographic factors were found. Apart from an increase in superficial skin infections in the post‐MSLT2 cohort, postoperative outcomes remain largely unchanged.

Conclusions

Continued efforts should be made to optimize patient selection and maintain acceptable postoperative morbidity for LND as it becomes more sparingly utilized in the care of patients with melanoma.
Assessment of Atrial Size, Shape, and Contractility in Growth‐Restricted and Small‐for‐Gestational‐Age Fetuses
Authors: DeVore Greggory R. , Putra Manesha , Hobbins John C.
Published: January 2025

Objectives

The size, shape, and contractility of the heart's atrial chambers have not been evaluated in fetuses with growth restriction (FGR) or who are small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) as defined by the Delphi consensus protocol. This study aimed to examine the atrial chambers using speckle tracking analysis to identify any changes that may be specific for either growth disturbance.

Methods

Sixty‐three fetuses were evaluated with an estimated fetal weight <10th percentile who were classified as FGR or SGA based on the Delphi consensus protocol. The atrial cardiac cycle was defined as end‐diastole, end‐systole, and end‐diastole, equivalent to ventricular end‐systole, end‐diastole, and end‐systole. The atrial size, shape, and contractility were computed from 24 transverse segments and one length measurement identified from speckle tracking analysis of the endocardium at end‐diastole and end‐systole. The z‐score for each atrial measurement was computed using the mean and standard deviation equations from a control group of 200 fetuses. The z‐score values were compared between the control and FGR/SGA fetuses as well as between FGR and SGA fetuses using the Kruskal–Wallis test. A P‐value of <.05 was considered significant.

Results

Of the 63 fetuses with an estimated fetal weight (EFW) <10th percentile, 60% (38/63) were classified as FGR and 40% (25/63) as SGA. The following abnormal atrial measurements were unique to FGR fetuses: decreased end‐diastolic left atrial (LA) area, decreased LA base and mid‐chamber end‐diastolic width, decreased LA base sphericity index, decreased right atrial (RA) mid‐chamber sphericity index, decreased LA ejection volume, and decreased LA emptying volume. The following were unique to the SGA fetuses: Increased RA mid‐chamber length, decreased LA fractional area change, decreased RA reservoir strain, decreased RA basal‐apical length fractional shortening, and decreased LA base width transverse fractional shortening. The significant difference was an increased LA mid‐chamber length in the SGA fetuses.

Conclusions

Fetuses with an EFW <10th percentile who are classified as either SGA or FGR demonstrate unique abnormalities of atrial size, shape, and contractility, thus allowing the examiner to differentiate between FGR and SGA fetuses.
A Heart Chamber Model Using a Capacitance Function Combined With the Navier–Stokes Equations
Authors: Abdala Laryssa , Mady Carlos Eduardo K. , Correa Maicon R.
Published: January 2025

We present a simplified mathematical and computational model of blood flow through a chamber of a healthy human heart, with a particular description of the left ventricle. We use fixed representations of the domain and mesh, assume blood to be an incompressible Newtonian fluid, and simulate the chamber volume variation by introducing a capacitance function, which is space and time‐dependent. The inclusion of this capacitance function gives rise to a model whose differential form resembles the compressible Navier–Stokes equations. The numerical methodology is based on stable Galerkin mixed finite element formulations posed on velocity and pressure. Convergence studies for the two‐dimensional steady‐state Stokes equation with spatially‐varying capacitance indicate optimal convergence orders when combining continuous biquadratic velocities with continuous bilinear pressures (Taylor–Hood elements) or discontinuous unmapped linear pressures. On the other hand, we observed loss of optimality with discontinuous linear mapped approximations for this field, as expected for the classical Stokes problem. Additional convergence studies indicate that the optimal convergence properties are preserved in the resolution of the nonlinear model, for the case of smooth solutions. Finally, we present simulations of cardiac cycles in an idealized human left ventricle in two and three dimensions. The results are meaningful given the model simplicity and open the possibility for future extensions of the proposed methodology.
Statistical methods to adjust for the effects on intervention compliance in randomized clinical trials where precision treatment rules are being developed
Authors: Zainal Nur Hani , Benjet Corina , Albor Yesica , Nuñez‐Delgado Mauricio , Zambrano‐Cruz Renato , Contreras‐Ibáñez Carlos C. , Cudris‐Torres Lorena , de la Peña Francisco R. , González Noé , Guerrero‐López José Benjamín , Gutierrez‐Garcia Raúl A. , Jiménez‐Peréz Ana Lucía , Medina‐Mora Maria Elena , Patiño Pamela , Cuijpers Pim , Gildea Sarah M. , Kazdin Alan E. , Kennedy Chris J. , Luedtke Alex , Sampson Nancy A. , Petukhova Maria V. , Zubizarreta Jose R. , Kessler Ronald C.
Published: January 2025

Background

Heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTEs) can occur because of either differential treatment compliance or differential treatment effectiveness. This distinction is important, as it has action implications, but it is unclear how to distinguish these two possibilities statistically in precision treatment analysis given that compliance is not observed until after randomization. We review available statistical methods and illustrate a recommended method in secondary analysis in a trial focused on HTE.

Methods

The trial randomized n = 880 anxious and/or depressed university students to guided internet‐delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (i‐CBT) or treatment‐as‐usual (TAU) and evaluated joint remission. Previously reported analyses documented superiority of i‐CBT but significant HTE. In the reanalysis reported here, we used baseline (i.e., pre‐randomization) covariates to predict compliance among participants randomized to guided i‐CBT, generated a cross‐validated within‐person expected compliance score based on this model in both intervention groups, and then used this expected composite score as a predictor in an expanded HTE analysis.

Results

The significant intervention effect was limited to participants with high expected compliance. Residual HTE was nonsignificant.

Conclusions

Future psychotherapy HTE trials should routinely develop and include expected compliance composite scores to distinguish the effects of differential treatment compliance from the effects of differential treatment effectiveness.
A Thermomechanical Model of Coarse‐Grained Soils With Non‐Orthogonal Flow Rule
Authors: Sun Zengchun , Xiao Yang , Fang Qingyun , Jiang Xiang , He Xiang , Liu Hanlong
Published: January 2025

In geo‐energy engineering projects, temperature is an essential environmental variable, and accurately predicting its effect on the thermomechanical properties of geomaterials remains a challenge. Similar to fine‐grained soils, temperature variation is also a crucial factor that affects the stress‐strain response and critical state behavior of coarse‐grained soils. In this study, a thermomechanical model is established for coarse‐grained soils using theories from the critical state and fractional plasticity. The evolution of the critical state line with increasing temperature can be well characterized by introducing a thermal‐dependent parameter, then the state void‐ratio‐pressure parameter that incorporates the effect of temperature can be derived according to the temperature‐dependent critical state. The plastic flow direction and dilatancy function are obtained directly from the fractional derivation of the modified elliptical yield function to describe the nonassociated flow characteristics. Furthermore, the thermal state parameter is introduced into the non‐orthogonal dilatancy function and hardening modulus to reflect the state‐ and temperature‐dependent behaviors. Comparative analysis of experimental data and predictions indicates that the established thermomechanical model can reasonably predict the drained shear characteristics of coarse‐grained soils under different temperatures, including strain‐hardening, strain‐softening, dilatancy, contraction, and thermal softening.
Dynamic Torsional Response of Pile in Fractional‐Order Viscoelastic Unsaturated Transversely Isotropic Soil With Imperfect Contact
Authors: Ma Wenjie , Leong Eng‐Choon , Wang Xu , Wang Binglong , Wang Changdan , Wang Bolin
Published: January 2025

A novel theoretical model is proposed to investigate the torsional response of a pile in fractional‐order viscoelastic unsaturated transversely isotropic soil with imperfect contact. This model employs Biot's framework for three‐phase porous media along with the theory of fractional derivatives. Unlike previous models that assume continuous displacement at the pile–soil interface, this study uses the Kelvin model to simulate relative slippage between pile–soil contact surfaces (imperfect contact). Incorporating fractional‐order viscoelastic and transversely isotropic models to describe the stress‐strain relationship, comprehensive dynamic governing equations are derived. Using the separation of variables method, inverse Fourier transform, and convolution theory, analytical solutions for the frequency domain response and semi‐analytical solutions for the time domain response of the pile head under semi‐sine pulse excitation are obtained. Using numerical examples, the effects of model parameters in the fractional‐order viscoelastic constitutive model, pile–soil relative slip and continuity model, and soil anisotropy on the torsional complex impedance, twist angle, and torque are presented.
A Customer Choice Model of Impulse Buying in Social Commerce
Authors: Bernstein Fernando , Guo Yuan
Published: January 2025

Social commerce integrates user interactions and user‐generated content with commercial activities in the context of social media platforms. Examples include Instagram Shopping and TikTok Shopping, where brands attach product tags directly to their posts, enabling users to complete purchases within the social media platform. A user's on‐site purchase decision can be driven by the impulse to buy upon seeing a product, but is constrained by their limited attention. In this paper, we propose a choice model that captures users' impulsive behavior and limited attention span during purchase decisions on social media platforms. We explore a retailer's product display problem on a social media product page. We show that the size of the optimal display set can be monotone decreasing or increasing on the level of impulsiveness of the customer population, depending on the interplay between the population's inclination for impulse buying and their attention span. When the influence of impulse buying outweighs the effect of attention span, it can be optimal for the retailer to display a larger set of products. Additionally, we examine two strategies for retailers to stimulate purchases on social media platforms. One is to invest in environmental cues to enhance user impulse buying behavior, and the other considers leveraging influencer promotion of a specific product.
Attentional Rhythms Are Sensitive to Binocular Visual Pathway
Authors: Dong Bo , Zu Guangyao , Zou Ying , Jia Jianrong , Chen Airui , Zhang Ming
Published: January 2025

Visual attention is intrinsically rhythmic and oscillates based on the discrete sampling of either single or multiple objects. Recently, studies have found that the early visual cortex (V1/V2) modulates attentional rhythms. Both monocular and binocular cells are present in the early visual cortex, which acts as a transfer station for transformation of the monocular visual pathway into the binocular visual pathway. However, whether the neural site of attentional rhythms is in the monocular or binocular visual pathway needs further study. In the current study, we leveraged the anatomical features of the monocular and binocular pathway to design a paradigm with same‐eye and different‐eye presentations of cues and targets. By combining this approach with EEG recordings and analysis the impulse response function (TRF), we aimed to address this question. In Experiment 1, we reset the phase of attentional rhythms in one monocular channel (left eye or right eye) by a dichoptic cue and tracked the impulse response function (TRF) of the monocular channel in the left and right eye separately. We found no significant differences in the respective TRFs and their spectra for each eye, suggesting that attention rarely switched between the two eyes, indicating that the binocular visual pathway, not the monocular visual pathway, is the neural site of attentional rhythms. These results were verified when resetting the phases of attentional rhythms by a binocular cue in Experiment 2. These results suggest that attentional rhythms may be sensitive to activities in the binocular visual pathway.
A Way of Decoupling the Gravitational Bulk Field Equations of Regular Braneworld Black Holes to Suppress the Bulk Singularities
Authors: Estrada Milko , Crispim Tiago Mota , Alencar Geova
Published: January 2025

The authors provide a methodology for decoupling the bulk gravitational field equations of braneworld black holes (BHs) to suppress the bulk singularities. Thus, a regular braneworld BH setup is provided. To achieve this, a minimal geometric deformation is applied with respect to a coupling constant to the Minkowski spacetime embedded in an extra dimension. This results in a gravitational decoupling into a system with equations of motion of order and a system , related to the so‐called Quasi–Einstein equations of order . This methodology allows for the construction of a regular geometry everywhere. The necessary constraints for eliminating singularities is outlined and provide a recipe for solving the equations of motion. Both the warp factor, the scalar field, and the potential obtained are smooth and free from Dirac delta singularities. A control parameter is introduced such that, in the limit , the Randall–Sundrum setup is recovered, resulting in a transition from a thick brane to a thin brane. The asymptotic behavior of the curvature invariant is positive near the de Sitter core (for small ), asymptotically negative for finite , and asymptotically flat at the boundary as . Although this work aims to suppress bulk singularities, it is expected that our methodology may be useful for future investigations related to the embedding of gravitational objects within other braneworld contexts.
Effects of timed LED regimes on tomato plant traits, performance of two‐spotted spider mites, and predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis)
Authors: Savi Patrice , Hall Samantha , Hernandez Maria , Mantri Anil , Kliebenstein Daniel , Nansen Christian
Published: January 2025

BACKGROUND

Light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are being used in controlled environments to enhance crop production and pest management with most studies focusing on continuous treatments (applied throughout the entire daytime or nighttime period). Here, we tested the hypothesis that providing tomato plants with timed LED regimes (daily 3‐h doses of red, blue, or far‐red LED) during the day or at night may affect their traits (leaf reflectance indices, element composition, and phenolic profile), performance of two‐spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) (TSSM), and a species of predatory mite (Phytoseiulus persimilis).

RESULTS

Nighttime LED regimes significantly altered leaf element composition: red LED increased K levels, blue LED enhanced Mg levels, and far‐red LED enhanced Mn and Cu and reduced Zn levels. Among daytime LED regimes, blue LED reduced Zn level. Nighttime LED regimes significantly increased leaf glandular trichome densities (except far‐red regime) and reduced total phenolic content. Among a series of leaf reflectance indices, ARI and CRI increased significantly in response to nighttime red and blue regimes but decreased with far‐red LED regimes. Performance bioassays showed significantly lower TSSM populations on nighttime plants than on daytime and control plants. LED regimes did not affect predatory mites' population and their feeding capacity, except for blue daytime regime, which was reduced on mobile TSSM. These results suggest that timed LED regimes have potential to strategically manipulate plant‐prey–predator interactions.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that timed LED regimes can be crucial in designing integrated pest management strategies that promote both plant growth and effective biological control in controlled environments. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Resolving the Nanostructure of Carbon Nitride‐Supported Single‐Atom Catalysts
Authors: Allasia Nicolò , Xu Shuai , Jafri Sadaf Fatima , Borfecchia Elisa , Cipriano Luis A. , Terraneo Giancarlo , Tosoni Sergio , Mino Lorenzo , Di Liberto Giovanni , Pacchioni Gianfranco , Vilé Gianvito
Published: January 2025

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) are gathering significant attention in chemistry due to their unique properties, offering uniform active site distribution and enhanced selectivity. However, their precise structure often remains unclear, with multiple models proposed in the literature. Understanding the coordination environment of the active site at the atomic level is crucial for explaining catalytic activity. Here, a comprehensive study of SACs made of carbon nitride (CNx) containing isolated nickel atoms is presented. Using a combination of synthesis techniques and characterization methods including Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the local environment of nickel active centers in CNx‐supported SACs is investigated. These results challenge conventional structural models and propose a new architecture that better aligns with current experimental evidence. This new structure serves as a foundational step toward a rational approach to catalyst development and can facilitate more precise design and application of these innovative catalysts.
The sense that we're invisible: A longitudinal analysis of diverse women's experiences with structural violence in biomedical doctoral programs
Authors: Salusky Ida , Remich Robin , Jones Remi , Ulerio Grevelin , McGee Richard
Published: January 2025

A longstanding and significant disparity in representation across gender, economic status, ethnicity, race, and sexual identity exists within STEM doctoral training. Most of the research on the retention and attrition of minoritized PhD STEM students focuses on individual factors, rather than system level issues. To address these gaps, we qualitatively examined longitudinal experiences of 33 Asian American, Black, and Latiné female biomedical PhD students, using a structural violence framework. The researchers developed three themes: (1) institutional hostility toward core aspects of identity; (2) the importance of intersectionality and within‐group variation in experiences with structural violence; and (3) students' growing awareness of structural violence in training. Findings have significant implications for the structure of doctoral training and interventions to create equitable training environments.
Relative Openness of the Gabor Frame Set on the Hyperbolas
Authors: Kulikov Aleksei
Published: January 2025

We prove that for the functions of the form

$$g(x) = h(x) + \frac{C}{x+i}$$

g

(
x
)

=
h

(
x
)

+

C

x
+
i

, where h belongs to the continuous Wiener algebra

$$W_0$$

W
0

, the intersection of the Gabor frame set

$$\mathcal {F}_g$$

F
g

with every hyperbola

$$\{\alpha , \beta > 0 \mid \alpha \beta = c\}$$

{
α
,
β
>
0
∣
α
β
=
c
}

is open in the relative topology. In particular, this applies to all rational functions g. We also show that the same phenomenon occurs for the functions from the Wiener algebra W which are discontinuous at one point.
A fast region of interest algorithm for efficient data compression and improved peak detection in high-resolution mass spectrometry
Authors: Kronik Oskar Munk , Christensen Jan H. , Nielsen Nikoline Juul , Tisler Selina , Tomasi Giorgio
Published: January 2025

Liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) is commonly used for identification of compounds in complex samples due to the high chromatographic and mass spectral resolution provided. In subsequent data processing workflows, it is imperative to preserve this resolution to fully exploit the data. “Region of interest” (ROI) algorithms were introduced as a better alternative to equidistant binning for compressing HRMS data because they better preserve the mass spectral resolution. In this paper, we present a new ROI algorithm that improves on the selection of contiguous m/z traces, amongst others by introducing the concept of chromatographic filter, allows for an automated approach to optimise the admissible mass-to-charge deviation (δm/z) and can be used to match ROIs across multiple samples. The algorithm was tested on a LC-HRMS dataset comprised of 21 replicate injections of a wastewater effluent extract and assessed on its ability to correctly retrieve the ROI’s relative to 57 compounds and match them across all injections. In summary, it achieved a ten-fold compression rate in on-disk storage at a noise threshold of 200 counts, and the median ROI length matched the observed chromatographic peak width (12–23 points). Correct ROI matching with a mass accuracy of 9 ppm was observed for 52 compounds across all 21 injections with only one compound split between two adjacent m/z traces in six runs. Overall, the new algorithm performed favourably compared to the ROI algorithm currently used in the well-established ROI-MCR (multivariate curve resolution) workflow for deconvolution of HRMS chromatographic data.
Conditional Deletion of Gremlin-1 in Cathepsin K-expressing Mature Osteoclasts Altered the Skeletal Response to Calcium Depletion in Sex-Dependent Manner
Authors: Sheng Matilda H.-C. , Rundle Charles H. , Baylink David J. , Lau Kin-Hing William
Published: January 2025

This study assessed the novel concept that osteoclast-derived Grem1 has regulatory functions in the skeletal response to calcium stress using an osteoclastic Grem1 conditional knockout (cKO) mouse model. The calcium stress was initiated by feeding cKO mutants and wildtype (WT) littermates a calcium-deficient diet for 2 weeks. Deletion of Grem1 in mature osteoclasts did not affect developmental bone growth nor basal bone turnover. In response to calcium depletion, male cKO mutants showed greater increases in osteoclastic resorption and trabecular bone loss than male WT littermates, indicating an enhanced skeletal sensitivity to calcium depletion in male mutants. The enhanced sensitivity to calcium depletion was sex-dependent, as female cKO mutants showed lower increases in osteoclastic resorption and bone loss than female WT littermates as well as male cKO mutants. The sex disparity in osteoclastic resorption response to calcium stress was intrinsic to osteoclasts since osteoclasts of male but not female cKO mutants showed greater in vitro bone resorption activity than osteoclasts of WT littermates of respective sex. Male cKO mutants displayed smaller bone formation response to calcium depletion than male WT littermates, while female mutants showed bigger bone formation response than female WT littermates, indicating that cKO mutants also displayed sex disparity in bone formation response. The sex disparity in bone formation response was not caused by intrinsic differences in osteoblasts but might be due to sex-dependent differential osteoclastic release of osteogenic factors. In summary, osteoclast-derived gremlin-1 has complicated and sex-dependent regulatory roles in skeletal response to calcium stress.
Bolus-Tracked Biphasic Contrast-Enhanced CT Imaging Following Microwave Liver Ablation Improves Ablation Zone Conspicuity and Semi-automatic Segmentation Quality
Authors: Giansante Louise , McDonagh Ed , Basso Jodie , Haris Arafat , KC Sajjan , Withey Samuel J. , Shur Joshua , Fotiadis Nicos , Goldberg S. Nahum , Johnston Edward W.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) may be performed immediately following microwave liver ablation for assessment of ablative margins. However, practices and protocols vary among institutions. Here, we compare a standardized bolus-tracked biphasic CECT protocol and compare this with a single venous phase fixed delay protocol for ablation zone (AZ) assessment.

Methods

An institutional review board approved study performed at a specialist cancer centre. A prospective cohort of patients undergoing bolus-tracked biphasic imaging was compared with a retrospective cohort of patients who underwent fixed delay venous phase imaging. AZ conspicuity and segmentation quality were semi-quantitatively scored using Five-point Likert scales. Time between ablation and image acquisition was recorded for each AZ and was correlated to AZ conspicuity and segmentation quality.

Results

Forty patients, median age 59 years (IQR 48–66 years), 24 men, underwent microwave ablation of 68 liver tumours. AZ conspicuity was higher in the bolus-tracked (n = 33) vs. fixed delay (n = 35) cohorts, 4.5 vs. 2.5, P < 0.0001. Commensurate segmentation quality was also higher, 5.0 vs. 3.0 respectively, P < 0.0001. Ordinal regression showed that image quality scores declined by 3–4% for each minute that passes after ablation, particularly for arterial phase images, where regression coefficients were − 0.04, P = 0.007, and -0.03, P = 0.012 for conspicuity and segmentation quality, respectively.

Conclusion

Bolus-tracked biphasic contrast-enhanced CT protocols improve both conspicuity and semi-automatic segmentation quality of microwave liver ablation zones, particularly if imaged soon after ablation.

Evidence-Based Medicine

Level 2b; exploratory prospective cohort study.

Graphical Abstract
Melanoma detection, treatment, survival, and mortality through year 2 of the pandemic
Authors: Kim Uriel , Hoehn Richard S , Koroukian Siran M , Rose Johnie , Bordeaux Jeremy S , Carroll Bryan T
Published: January 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the timely diagnosis and treatment of many cancers, including melanoma, the fifth most common cancer in the U.S. This study aimed to quantify the disruption and recovery of melanoma detection, treatment, survival, and mortality during the pandemic by analyzing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program from 2000 to 2021. Our epidemiological analysis found that melanoma incidence initially dropped by 14.8% (95% CI: − 17.2 to − 12.4) in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic projections. Although incidence rates substantially recovered by 2021, an estimated 10,274 patients (95% CI: − 12,824 to − 7,724) remained undiagnosed due to pandemic-related disruptions. Time-to-treatment and 1-year survival were mostly consistent with pre-pandemic trends, while melanoma-specific mortality modestly declined by 4.5% (95% CI: − 14.6 to 5.6) in 2021, though this was statistically non-significant. These findings suggest that healthcare systems adapted to the challenges posed by the pandemic, maintaining essential cancer services. However, the significant drop in melanoma diagnoses likely contributed to the observed reduction in mortality. Thus, re-establishing care for patients missed during the pandemic will be crucial to preventing a future increase in advanced-stage melanoma and related deaths.