bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lessons for Interactive Theorem Proving Researchers from a Survey of Coq Users
Authors: de Almeida Borges Ana , Casanueva Artís Annalí , Falleri Jean-Rémy , Gallego Arias Emilio Jesús , Martin-Dorel Érik , Palmskog Karl , Serebrenik Alexander , Zimmermann Théo
Published: February 2025

The Coq Community Survey 2022 was an online public survey of users of the Coq proof assistant conducted during February 2022. Broadly, the survey asked about use of Coq features, user interfaces, libraries, plugins, and tools, views on renaming Coq and Coq improvements, and also demographic data such as education and experience with Coq and other proof assistants and programming languages. The survey received 466 submitted responses, making it the largest survey of users of an interactive theorem prover (ITP) so far. We present the design of the survey, a summary of key results, and analysis of answers relevant to ITP technology development and usage. In particular, we analyze user characteristics associated with adoption of tools and libraries and make comparisons to adjacent software communities. Notably, we find that experience has significant impact on Coq user behavior, including on usage of tools, libraries, and integrated development environments (IDEs).
The effect of different metal pad sizes on shear stress in solder ball bonding
Authors: Kim Kyoungrae , Kim Yekyung , Kang Sungho , Park Tae Hoon
Published: February 2025

The reliability and performance of solder ball joints are critical factors affecting the durability and functionality of electronic parts. This study investigates the relationship between metal pad size and the bonding force of solder ball joints. Mechanical strength tests were performed on solder ball bonds with various pad diameters and heights to evaluate the shear stress. Results showed that there is a direct correlation between pad size and bonding stress, with larger pad sizes increasing the contact area and forming a larger area of intermetallic compounds during reflow soldering, resulting in improved mechanical robustness. Conversely, smaller pad sizes were found to be more susceptible to mechanical failure and crack propagation under stress and exhibited higher solder ball dropout rates and misalignment. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing pad design in microelectronic packaging to improve the mechanical reliability of solder ball bonding in applications. Furthermore, it also highlights the importance of considering pad size as a critical parameter in the design and manufacturing process of electronic components.
A singular case of complex suicide by hanging with hesitation marks by axe
Authors: Vinci Annachiara , Laura Ambrosi Laura , Benevento Marcello , Ferorelli Davide , Solarino Biagio
Published: February 2025

We present a case of complex suicide concerning a 55-year-old man who hanged himself using a rope anchored to a beam on the terrace of his apartment. Multiple parallel linear wounds were observed on his head. At the crime scene, an axe stained with blood and hair was found resting against the wall adjacent to the stairs leading to the upper floor. Forensic investigations identify the cause of death as mechanical asphyxia due to the hanging, in a complex suicide characterized by hesitation marks inflicted on the head with an axe. This specific type of complex suicide has never been described in the literature.
Beschwerdeverfahren als Mittel zur Verschleierung von Krisen
Authors: Equit Claudia , Thomas Elisabeth
Published: February 2025

Der Beitrag diskutiert auf der Grundlage des DFG-Projekts „Partizipation in Organisationskulturen der Heimerziehung“ Einblicke in die Funktionsweisen von Beteiligungs- und Beschwerdeverfahren in stationären Wohngruppen. Es zeigt sich, dass Fachkräfte Handlungsspielräume in der Umsetzung von formalen Beteiligungs- und Beschwerdeverfahren besitzen, sodass letztlich sie es sind, die bestimmen, ob sie formale Beteiligungs- und Beschwerdeverfahren zur Umsetzung der Kinderrechte im Alltag der Adressat_innen nutzen oder aber eine Form von „displaying children’s rights“ betreiben, in der formale Beteiligungs- und Beschwerdeverfahren genutzt werden, um junge Menschen zum Schweigen zu bringen. Die Krise ist hier zweifach verortet: einerseits bei jungen Menschen, deren Rechte in einigen Wohngruppen häufig verletzt werden, während sich die Organisation formal als die Kinderrechte anerkennend ausweist, andererseits bei der Jugendhilfereform und Politiken, die auf formale Konzepte wie Beschwerdeverfahren zur Sicherung der Kinderrechte fokussiert sind.
Arbeitsplatzattraktivität und Beschäftigungsqualität beim Deutschen Caritasverband
Authors: Pietsch Marcel , Krimmer Pascal , Heinz André
Published: February 2025

In Zeiten eines intensivierten Fachkräftemangels sind Organisationen des Sozial- und Gesundheitswesens mehr denn je dazu aufgefordert, qualifiziertes Personal durch attraktive Arbeitsbedingungen zu gewinnen und langfristig an sich zu binden. Mit empirischen Befunden des Caritaspanels 2022 lassen sich Tätigkeitsattraktivität und Beschäftigungsqualität in Sozialer Arbeit und Altenpflege beim Deutschen Caritasverband vergleichen. Das Ergebnisreview zeigt, dass Caritas-Rechtsträger beider Handlungsfelder zahlreiche wichtige Arbeitsplatzaspekte als attraktiv bewerten. Der Grad der Arbeitsbelastung wird hingegen eher als Negativfaktor eingeschätzt. Als aktive Anreize zur Fachkräftesicherung setzen die Rechtsträger v. a. auf gute Weiterbildungsmöglichkeiten, die Umsetzung flexibler Arbeitszeitwünsche und hohe Arbeitsplatzsicherheit. Angebote zur Karriereplanung spielen in Sozialer Arbeit noch eine untergeordnete Rolle, während sie in der Altenpflege bereits stärker etabliert sind. Dies lässt sich u. a. mit den unterschiedlichen Qualifikationsniveaus der Handlungsfelder verknüpfen. Die Befristungsquoten liegen in beiden Bereichen zwischen den branchenweiten Referenzwerten. In der Caritas lassen sich aktuell mehr Personalabgänge in Folge auslaufender Verträge als im übergeordneten Sozial- und Gesundheitswesen beobachten. Allerdings kommt es deutlich häufiger zu Entfristungen als in der übergeordneten Erziehungs- und Unterrichtsbranche. Bei fast 40 % des Personals in der Altenpflege und Sozialen Arbeit handelt es sich zudem um langjährig Beschäftigte, die seit mindestens zehn Jahren im derzeitigen Betrieb tätig sind. Somit scheinen Mitarbeitende vielerorts nachhaltige Beschäftigungs- und Bindungsmöglichkeiten vorzufinden. Für die prospektive Handlungsfähigkeit und Attraktivität sozialprofessioneller Betriebe scheint die weitere empirische Erforschung eigener Praxis- und Beschäftigungsstrukturen insgesamt sehr bedeutsam zu sein.
Stationary solutions for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation
Authors: Ferrario Benedetta , Zanella Margherita
Published: February 2025

We construct stationary statistical solutions of a deterministic unforced nonlinear Schrödinger equation, by perturbing it by adding a linear damping

$$\gamma u$$

γ
u

and a stochastic force whose intensity is proportional to

$$\sqrt{\gamma }$$

γ

, and then letting

$$\gamma \rightarrow 0^+$$

γ
→

0
+

. We prove indeed that the family of stationary solutions

$$\{U_\gamma \}_{\gamma >0}$$

{

U
γ

}

γ
>
0

of the perturbed equation possesses an accumulation point for any vanishing sequence

$$\gamma _j\rightarrow 0^+$$

γ
j

→

0
+

and this stationary limit solves the deterministic unforced nonlinear Schrödinger equation and is not a trivial process. This technique has been introduced in Kuksin and Shirikyan (J Phys A: Math Gen 37:1–18, 2004), using a different dissipation. However, considering a linear damping of zero order and weaker solutions, we can deal with larger ranges of the nonlinearity and of the spatial dimension; moreover we consider the focusing equation and the defocusing equation as well.
Obinutuzumab in Rituximab-resistant and recurrent membranous nephropathy: a case-series
Authors: Sridharan Krita , Gopal Basu , Wilson Scott , Pham Alan , Hutton Holly
Published: February 2025

Background

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults, with high risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease when untreated. Rituximab is commonly used in its treatment however many patients do not respond. Obinutuzumab is a novel anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody for which there is increasing observational evidence in treatment-resistant membranous nephropathy. The majority of evidence for its use relates to anti-phospholipase A2 receptor-(PLA2R) associated membranous nephropathy.

Methods

This was a single-centre case-series of all patients at a tertiary nephrology centre in Melbourne, Australia, treated with Obinutuzumab for membranous nephropathy, between January 2023 and June 2024. All patients who received Obinutuzumab were included in this case-series, irrespective of PLA2R status.

Results

Out of 5 patients with treatment-resistant membranous nephropathy, 3 had PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy which had previously been refractory to, or relapsed on Rituximab therapy. All 3 patients with PLA2R-positive membranous nephropathy achieved complete immunological and clinical remission after receiving Obinutuzumab. The case of secondary PLA2R-negative membranous nephropathy only achieved partial remission after Obinutuzumab before unexpectedly dying from another cause. The case of recurrent PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy in a renal allograft did not respond to Obinutuzumab.

Conclusion

This case-series supports the existing evidence in favour of Obinutuzumab for treatment-resistant PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy. To our knowledge it is the first reported use of Obinutuzumab in sarcoidosis-associated membranous nephropathy.

Graphical abstract
Adaptive robotic tamping: a novel robotic method for formative surface finishing in earth-based additive manufacturing
Authors: Chadha Kunaljit , Vasey Lauren , Gramazio Fabio , Kohler Matthias
Published: February 2025

Earth-based materials are emerging in additive manufacturing (AM) for construction due to their wide availability and minimal environmental impact. However, the inherent rough surface texture from AM processes poses significant barriers to getting accepted by the building industry partly due to its tendency to accumulate dust, dirt, and pollutants, leading to challenges in long-term maintenance. To address this challenge, this paper presents a novel ’tamping’ technique as a formative robotic surface finishing method to achieve smooth surface quality in structures produced through robotic additive manufacturing with earth-based materials, particularly for the Impact Printing process, which involves the discrete aggregation of workable parts at high velocity to create volumetric structures. The tamping process achieves a smooth surface finish by iteratively compacting the structure’s surface while the material remains workable, leveraging the extended workability period of the material post-deposition and eliminating the need for additional materials for surface finishing. This paper describes the experimental setup consisting of a custom end-effector and electronic integration for adaptive control and presents preliminary results of the robotic tamping process, demonstrating its potential to improve surface quality and affirming the viability of the Impact Printing method for sustainable construction practices within the industry.
COP29: achieving net zero through financial sustainability
Authors: Arora Pranay
Published: February 2025

Conference of Parties (COP) provide a critical platform to global leaders to review and discuss targets related to achieving the Paris Agreement, and the sustainable development goals. This yearly summit has become a key part of the policy-making sector, allowing actors from different sectors to come together and take action on anthropogenic climate change. At the recently held COP29 summit, important decisions regarding financial flow in the climate sector were taken. These goals aim to increase funding for climate actions, particularly in developing nations, and help reduce human and economic damage from anthropogenic weather disasters. While the decisions promise a huge increase in channeling of funds to developing nations, some critical issues remain in the targets. This article aims to assess the outcomes and decisions taken at COP29 and their benefits and disadvantages, particularly for the developing nations. It also discusses steps that can be taken to further improve these outcomes.
Computational analysis of sutterby nanofluid with heat and mass convective conditions: a comparative study of Riga plate and stationary plate
Authors: Eswaramoorthi S. , Loganathan K. , Choudhary Prasun , Senthilvadivu K. , Ahlawat Anil , Sivakumar M.
Published: February 2025

The purpose of current study is to analyze the Darcy–Forchheimer flow of sutterby nanofluid in porous media by accounting for both viscous and inertial effects. This flow model enables accurate modelling for industrial, environmental and biological applications, especially at higher flow rates. In this study, the flow of Sutterby nanofluid over a Riga plate is discussed, considering chemical reaction and heat radiation effects in the presence of first-order velocity slip. The nonlinear partial differential equations of this study are tackled by the application of the suitable transformations, which results in a new set of ordinary differential equations. The derived equations are subsequently analysed by an analytical methodology, the Homotopy Analysis Method. The impact of the acquired parameters on velocity, temperature, nanoparticle concentration, and motile microbe distribution is well detailed through diagrams and tables. The results indicate that the velocity of Sutterby nanofluid elevates with the change of the Deborah number. The temperature of Sutterby nanofluid grows with a higher heat generation parameter. The concentration of nanoparticles raises with an elevated solutal Biot number. The profiles of microorganisms drop as the bioconvection Lewis number improves. Also, current modelling offers initial guidance for various biotechnological and industrial uses.
Diverse marine Vibrio species convert methylphosphonate to methane
Authors: Yu Shu-Xian , Wang Xiaolei , Wang Yan , Wang Haonan , Liu Jiwen , Hong Wen , Zhang Yunhui , Yu Min , Zhang Gui-Ling , Thompson Fabiano , Zhang Xiao-Hua
Published: February 2025

Microbial degradation of methylphosphonate (MPn) is an important pathway contributing to the ‘methane paradox’ in the oxic ocean. Vibrio spp. are suggested to participate in this process. However, little is known about the molecular basis, phylogenetic breadth and catabolic efficiency of methane production in Vibrio species. Here, 18 Vibrionales strains known to be effective in MPn demethylation were obtained. The most effective strains, i.e., Vibrio gallaecicus HW2-07 and HW2-08, can convert 70%–80% of amended MPn into methane in 5 days. Estimations based on quantitative PCR determination indicated that Vibrio spp. were influential contributors to marine methane production. Genes flanking the common phn genes suggested a divergent gene arrangement and grouped the phn operons into nine types. This was consistent with the phylogeny of phnJ and phnL. The phn operons of cluster I and II were identified frequently in Vibrio isolates and were common in coastal seas and the open ocean. Addition of MPn increased expression of the phn genes, as well as an unexpected gene that encodes an acyltransferase (act), which frequently occurred in cluster I–IV operons. This study provided experimental evidence and theoretical support for a further understanding that Vibrio spp. may play important roles in aerobic marine methane production.
Microbial biobank-based strain phenotyping efficiently identifies plant growth-promoting bacteria from citrus rhizosphere
Authors: Li Hongfei , Wang Yuanfa , Deng Lile , Pan Zhiyong
Published: February 2025

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) enhance nutrient accessibility and offer disease protection, conferring significant advantages to host plants. Although considerable progress has been made in PGPR research, efficient acquisition of PGPR remains challenging, primarily due to the absence of a microbial biobank, especially for perennial woody crops like citrus. Through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, this study analyzed rhizobacterial communities from five citrus-producing regions in China, identifying 9,887 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) across 28 rhizobacterial phyla. Subsequently, a citrus rhizosphere microbial biobank was established, comprising 3,142 bacterial strains, through extensive isolation of citrus rhizobacteria. From this collection, 269 potential PGPR were screened from 435 bacterial taxa based on their production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophore synthesis, phosphate solubilization, and their effects on Arabidopsis root growth. Further evaluation of 22 selected PGPR strains via pot-culture inoculation on citrus and tomato seedlings demonstrated that 11 strains significantly enhanced plant growth. This study provides a foundational theoretical and technological framework for advancing the development and application of beneficial rhizobacteria in citrus agriculture.
Contemporary Non-Positivism
Authors: Atiq Emad H.
Published: February 2025

This Element defends and clarifies the thesis that the legality of a system of rules depends on its moral features. Positivists who deny this dependence struggle to explain: (1) the traditional classification of moral norms as a form of a priori law; (2) judicial reliance on moral norms in legal discovery; (3) persistent theoretical disagreement about intra-systemic, law-determining facts; (4) why radically arbitrary or immoral schemes of social organization represent borderline cases of law; and (5) why law, like other artifacts, can be evaluated in a kind-relative sense (“as law”). Meanwhile, traditional versions of non-positivism overstate the dependence going further than the desiderata warrant. A moderate theory is formulated: law is an artifact whose existence depends on adequately performing an essentially normative function. The theory's justification lies in its explanatory power: a comparison with other “value-driven” artifacts, such as artworks, proves vital for understanding legal language, reasoning, and practice.
The Colchester Vase: A Master Potter at Work
Authors: Bird Joanna , Crummy Nina
Published: February 2025

Decorated en barbotine with arena scenes and with an inscription cut pre-firing, the Colchester Vase is a late-second-century product of the local pottery industry. Of exceptional quality, it may have come from the workshop to which the named potter Acceptus iii belonged. It appears to record a performance in the town, and was used as the cremation urn for a non-local male of 40+ years.
Submesoscale Processes Associated With the East India Coastal Current
Authors: Pargaonkar Shrikant M. , Mallick Subrat Kumar , Kalita Bijit Kumar , Vinayachandran P. N.
Published: February 2025

Seasonal variations and generation mechanisms of the submesoscale features associated with the East India Coastal Current (EICC) are investigated using a high resolution (1 km) regional ocean model set up for the Bay of Bengal (BoB) during 2012–2013. Simulations show that EICC is extremely rich in submesoscale features manifested as fronts, filaments, and eddies and the associated submesoscale processes exhibit significant seasonal variations. Characteristics such as local Rossby number, normalized horizontal divergence, vertical velocity, and strain rate show marked increase during winter monsoon (November–January). Submesoscale features of EICC are least active during spring (March–April). EICC is much more active in the submesoscale regime than the open ocean. Frontogenesis is the strongest at the end of summer monsoon in the north bay and spreads throughout the EICC in winter monsoon. There is continuous conversion of available potential energy to kinetic energy throughout the year. In the summer monsoon, strong stratification caused by the increased freshwater influx from Ganga‐Brahmaputra rivers suppresses generation of mixed layer instabilities in the north bay. In the winter monsoon, freshwater advection by EICC enhances the generation of mixed layer instabilities. The Ertel potential vorticity is mostly negative for EICC region throughout the winter monsoon. Further investigations of the criteria for symmetric instability reveals that the conditions over EICC region remain highly susceptible to the symmetric instability throughout the winter monsoon. The seasonal variability and generation processes of submesoscale features of EICC are closely related to the seasonal variability of EICC and freshwater forcing of the bay.
Is Reservoir Storage Effectively Utilized in the Southeastern US? A Regional Assessment to Improve Water Supply Availability Considering Potential Storage and Flood Scenarios
Authors: Levey J. R. , Sankarasubramanian A.
Published: February 2025

Most of the world's population faces freshwater scarcity threats, and reservoirs, built both for ensuring water supply during prolonged droughts and reducing downstream flood risks, are critical infrastructure for water sustainability. Historical inflow data and water demand were used to estimate reservoir storage allocation and operation policies when designing and building reservoirs, 50–100 years ago. This study assesses historical reservoir operations in 16 Southeastern reservoirs and evaluates the potential for utilizing existing flood control storage for alternative purposes without increasing downstream flood risk. Using a reservoir simulation model, we evaluate the resulting storage under four initial storage conditions for observed and synthetic seasonal maximum 6‐day flood pulses. For most reservoirs, we find conservation storage is depleting and did not exceed the flood storage capacity in their historical operation. The simulation model resulted in most of the reservoirs' storage levels staying within the flood control pool for all scenarios (for observed and synthetic floods). Additional flood risk was lowest for initial storage condition 1 (flood control pool empty) and highest with condition 2 (50% of the flood control pool full). Flood risk increased the most for reservoirs with small ratios of flood control to conservation pool storage. Our study shows the potential for reallocation and utilization of flood control storage to meet the increasing demand. As limited opportunities for new reservoirs exist, utilizing current reservoir storage without introducing additional downstream risk may be an effective management strategy to mitigate flood and drought risk under climate change and population growth.
A Holocene Paleosecular Variation Record From the Northwestern Ross Sea, Antarctica
Authors: Truax Olivia J. , Nelson Faye , Riesselman Christina R. , Ohneiser Christian , Lee Jae Il , Yoo Kyu‐Cheul , Dagg Bob , Wilson Gary
Published: February 2025

We present a mid‐to‐late Holocene record of relative paleosecular variation from the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. The 6,700‐year‐long record of inclination, declination, and relative paleointensity from a marine sediment core collected near Cape Adare is independently dated using a combination of ramped pyrolysis oxidation and carbonate radiocarbon dates. Agreement between the large‐scale features of the relative paleointensity record and the virtual axial geomagnetic dipole moment suggests that changes in the record are dominated by the dipole component of the Earth's geomagnetic field. Correspondence between the record and a non‐independently dated reconstruction from the Antarctic Peninsula indicates regionally coherent changes in the geomagnetic field intensity in the southern high latitudes during the mid‐to‐late Holocene. The prominent features of the record serve as stratigraphic markers for hard‐to‐date Antarctic sedimentary records and a constraint on Holocene geomagnetic field behavior when incorporated into the next generation of geomagnetic field models.
The Thermodynamics of the 2023 Gulf of Mexico Marine Heatwave
Authors: Bailey Shanice T. , Drake Henri F. , Gruenburg Laura K. , Abernathey Ryan P. , Torres Mariana I.
Published: February 2025

This study aims to understand the mechanisms of the activation and evolution of the marine heatwave (MHW) that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) during summer 2023. We quantified contributions of the thermodynamic processes that transformed surface waters in the GoM into an unprecedented large volume of extremely warm water . Through water mass transformation analysis of reanalyses data, we find that the genesis of this MHW was due to the compounding effect of anomalously warm winter surface water priming the region for a MHW, coupled with greater exposure to strong solar radiation. Transformation due to total surface fluxes (sensible and latent heat, solar and longwave radiation) contributed to the MHW volume at a peak rate of 17.0 Sv (  = Sv), while the residual term (including mixing) countered the effect by 22.3 Sv at its peak. Total transformation during this 2023 MHW peaked at 4.9 Sv.
Changing Earth‐Sun Distance Drifts Global Circulation Patterns
Authors: Yang Hu , Liu Yufei , Pinho Tainã M. L. , Shi Xiaoxu , Zhong Yi , Liu Qingsong , Lohmann Gerrit , Liu Jiping , Zhang Jingyu , Zheng Xufeng , Chen Dake
Published: February 2025

Modern observations reveal that large‐scale ocean‐atmosphere circulation (OAC) is drifting toward higher latitudes under global warming. Paleoclimate proxies indicate that similar OAC drifts occurred on orbital timescale as well. However, the characteristics and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, by conducting simulations with different Earth's orbits, we investigate how changes in Earth‐Sun distance affect the OAC. We find that a closer Earth‐Sun distance (perihelion) causes a poleward drift of OAC. This drift in circulation is dynamically consistent with displacement of meridional temperature gradient. Precession alters the perihelion season on orbital timescales, leading to a seasonal poleward drift in OAC. This drift is amplified during the hemispheric summer, reaching magnitudes of 10° under high eccentricity. The identified OAC drifts reshape the seasonality of precipitation and temperature over land, as well as ocean upwelling and downwelling, ultimately affecting the distribution of Earth's terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Jupiter's Auroral Ionosphere: Juno Microwave Radiometer Observations of Energetic Electron Precipitation Events
Authors: Bhattacharya Ananyo , Waite J. Hunter , Levin Steven M. , Oyafuso Fabiano A. , Steffes Paul G. , Lu Yue , Gladstone G. Randall , Kammer Joshua , Nordheim Tom A. , Paranicas Chris , Cravens Thomas , Sinclair James , Hu Jiheng , Li Cheng , Atreya Sushil K. , Becker Heidi N. , Bolton Scott J.
Published: February 2025

Jupiter's polar aurora exhibits low brightness temperatures in Juno Microwave Radiometer (MWR) observations when the Juno spacecraft passes over the high‐latitude region of the Northern Hemisphere. These cold features are observed predominantly at 0.6 GHz and show both long‐term hours and short‐term changes over time, that is, spans less than the 30‐s spacecraft spin period. The MWR “cold spot” observations are associated with polar ultraviolet emission features that are thought to originate from high energy electron precipitation into the Jovian high latitude atmosphere. The energetic electron precipitation produces strong absorptive characteristics at microwave frequencies due to the transient formation of high‐density electron regions in the lower stratosphere. In this paper, we describe progress on the analysis of Juno MWR observations of the northern aurora and simulate the effects of heating and electron impact ionization processes due to high energy particle precipitation events in Jupiter's auroral ionosphere. Electron precipitation intensities at energies up to 10 MeV inferred from the Jupiter Energetic‐Particle Detector Instrument (JEDI) and Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instruments are used as a Northern Hemisphere case study to understand the energy deposition and ionization processes in the lower stratosphere, and subsequently used to estimate the microwave and ultraviolet opacity of the auroral region. The northward progression of Juno's perijove during the mission reduces the overflight altitude and allows important insights into effects produced at different length scales with respect to the auroral oval.
Microcavity optomechanical magnetometry with picotesla-sensitivity
Authors: Cai Zhaoyu , Bao Chengying
Published: February 2025

A new microcavity magnetometry with FeGaB thin film achieves 1.68 pT/Hz1/2 sensitivity, which is two orders of magnitude improvement over previous work. Corona current detection has been demonstrated using this magnetometer.
Omega and heart rate variability in overweight and obese schoolchildren
Authors: Ibrahim Hoda Atef Abdelsattar , Sobhi Rodina , Khaled Farouk Nouran , Mohamed AbdelAziz Faten
Published: February 2025

Background

Overweight and obese children are risky for developing chronic cardiovascular disorders. Heart rate variability is a valuable indicator of the cardiovascular health.

Aim

To outline the impact of supplementation of omega-3 on the variability of the heart rate.

Methods

A randomized interventional control study has been done on 60 overweight and obese children; 30 children were assigned to the interventional group who received omega-3 with the standard recommendations and 30 children were assigned to the control group who received the standard recommendations only. Resting 10 min Holter ECG was done at the start and after 3 months of omega-3 supplementation in both groups to observe and compare the difference in the heart rate variability. In addition, lipid profiles were investigated and compared.

Results

Difference in measures of the heart rate variability; RMSSD, SDNN, and pNN50 were increased significantly in cases compared to the controls (P value = 0.017, 0.009, and 0.043 respectively). Differences in measures of the lipid profiles differed only in triglycerides which decreased significantly in cases and HDL which increased significantly in the cases (P value = 0.006, 0.005 respectively).

Conclusion

Our results suggested that omega-3 supplementation might improve cardiovascular health in overweight and obese children.

Impact

This study discloses the importance of supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids as a cardioprotective dietary supplement.

Omega-3 fatty acids can improve heart rate variability in overweight and obese children.

Omega-3 fatty acids can also improve the lipid profiles in overweight and obese children.
Cannabinoid-2 receptor depletion promotes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice via disturbing gut microbiota and tryptophan metabolism
Authors: Cheng Wei-ting , Pei Si-ya , Wu Jie , Wang Yan-jie , Yang Yong-wen , Xiao Mei-fang , Chen Jun , Wang Yuan-yuan , Wu Li , Huang Ze-bing
Published: February 2025

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. NAFLD encompasses a spectrum of liver damage starting with liver steatosis and lipid disorders presented as the hallmark. Cannabinoid-2 receptor (CB2R) is the receptor of endocannabinoids mainly expressed in immune cells. Our preliminary study revealed the preventative role of CB2R in liver injury related to lipid metabolism. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of CB2R in NAFLD and the underlying mechanism related to microbial community. High-fat diet-induced NAFLD model was established in mice. We found that hepatic CB2R expression was significantly reduced in NAFLD mice and CB2R–/– mice fed with normal chow. Interestingly, cohousing with or transplanted with microbiota from WT mice, or treatment with an antibiotic cocktail ameliorated the NAFLD phenotype of CB2R–/– mice. The gut dysbiosis in CB2R–/– mice including increased Actinobacteriota and decreased Bacteroidota was similar to that of NAFLD patients and NAFLD mice. Microbial functional analysis and metabolomics profiling revealed obviously disturbed tryptophan metabolism in NAFLD patients and NAFLD mice, which were also seen in CB2R–/– mice. Correlation network showed that the disordered tryptophan metabolites such as indolelactic acid (ILA) and xanthurenic acid in CB2R-/- mice were mediated by gut dysbiosis and related to NAFLD severity indicators. In vitro and in vivo validation experiments showed that the enriched tryptophan metabolites ILA aggravated NAFLD phenotypes. These results demonstrate the involvement of CB2R in NAFLD, which is related to gut microbiota-mediated tryptophan metabolites. Our findings highlight CB2R and the associated microbes and tryptophan metabolites as promising targets for the treatment of NAFLD.
Tubular CD44 plays a key role in aggravating AKI through NF-κB p65-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Huang Jiewu , Meng Ping , Liang Ye , Li Xiaolong , Zhou Shan , Li Jiemei , Wang Xiaoxu , Miao Jinhua , Shen Weiwei , Zhou Lili
Published: February 2025

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is in rapid prevalence nowadays. Of note, the underlying mechanisms have not been clarified. Several reports showed a cluster of differentiation-44 (CD44), a cell-surface glycoprotein, might be involved in AKI. However, its role in AKI has not been clearly clarified. Herein, we found CD44 increased in renal tubules in AKI mice. Gene ablation of CD44 improved mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) function, further protecting against tubular cell death and kidney injury. Conversely, ectopic CD44 impaired mitochondrial homeostasis and exacerbated tubular cell apoptosis to aggravate AKI progression. From transcriptome sequencing, we found that CD44 induces mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NF-κB p65 signaling. Lipidomics also showed that CD44 interfered with multiple aspects of lipid metabolism. We deeply investigated NF-κB p65 inhibited the transcription of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction and cell apoptosis. CD44 also facilitated iron intake to assist cell ferroptosis. Hence, our study provided a new mechanism for AKI, and demonstrated that targeted inhibition on CD44 could be a promising therapeutic strategy to resist AKI.
Lactylation in cancer: metabolic mechanism and therapeutic strategies
Authors: Sui Ying , Shen Ziyang , Wang Zhenling , Feng Jifeng , Zhou Guoren
Published: February 2025

Recent progress in cancer metabolism research has identified lactylation as a critical post-translational modification influencing tumor development and progression. The process relies on lactate accumulation and the activation of lactate-sensitive acyltransferases. Beyond its role in epigenetic regulation, lactylation has emerged as a significant factor in tumor metabolism and evolution, offering fresh opportunities for developing targeted therapies that transcend traditional approaches. This review explores the growing importance of lactylation in cancer biology and highlights its potential for advancing diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies.
Gender and ethnic diversity in randomised clinical trials in age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular oedema
Authors: Ibrahim Farah NI , Sivaprasad Sobha , Cheung Chui Ming Gemmy
Published: February 2025

In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of diversity in pivotal randomised clinical trials (RCTs). This is vital to ensure the validity and applicability of the results in the clinical setting. In this review, we aim to assess the inclusion of females and minoritized groups in recent RCTs in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular oedema (DMO) and explore any potential barriers to their enrolment. Overall, a female predominance was observed among the AMD RCTs while less than half of the study population in DMO trials were females. White participants made up the majority of the study population in both AMD and DMO trials. Gender distribution within minoritized groups has only been reported in a few trials but appears lower than in the white population. This disparity may be attributable to the difference in the prevalence of diseases between these subgroups, as well as social and/ or cultural reasons. Nonetheless, there has been an overall increase in representation of minoritized groups over the past two decades. These observations provide important perspectives to consider when applying clinical trial learnings to clinical settings.
Expanding protected area coverage for migratory birds could improve long-term population trends
Authors: Border Jennifer A. , Pearce-Higgins James W. , Hewson Chris M. , Howard Christine , Stephens Philip A. , Willis Stephen G. , Fuller Richard A. , Hanson Jeffrey O. , Sierdsema Henk , Foppen Ruud P. B. , Brotons Lluís , Gargallo Gabriel , Fink Daniel , Baillie Stephen R.
Published: February 2025

Populations of many migratory taxa have been declining over recent decades. Although protected areas are a cornerstone for conservation, their role in protecting migratory species can be incomplete due to the dynamic distributions of these species. Here, we use a pan-European citizen science bird occurrence dataset (EurobirdPortal) with Spatiotemporal Exploratory Modelling to assess how the weekly distributions of 30 passerine and near passerine species overlap with protected areas in Europe and compare this to range adjusted policy protection targets. Thirteen of our 30 species were inadequately covered by protected areas for some, or all, of the European part of their annual cycle under a target based on the 2020 Convention on Biodiversity framework and none were adequately covered under a target based on the 2030 Convention on Biodiversity framework. Species associated with farmland had the lowest percentage of their weekly distribution protected. The percentage of a species’ distribution within protected areas was positively correlated with its long-term population trend, even after accounting for confounding factors, suggesting a positive influence of protected areas on long-term trends. This emphasises the positive contribution that an informed expansion of the European protected area system could play for the future conservation of migratory land birds.
Predicting three-dimensional chaotic systems with four qubit quantum systems
Authors: Steinegger Joel , Räth Christoph
Published: February 2025

Reservoir computing (RC) is among the most promising approaches for AI-based prediction models of complex systems. It combines superior prediction performance with very low CPU-needs for training. Recent results demonstrated that quantum systems are also well-suited as reservoirs in RC. Due to the exponential growth of the Hilbert space dimension obtained by increasing the number of quantum elements small quantum systems are already sufficient for time series prediction. Here, we demonstrate that three-dimensional systems can already well be predicted by quantum reservoir computing with a quantum reservoir consisting of the minimal number of qubits necessary for this task, namely four. This is achieved by optimizing the encoding of the data, using spatial and temporal multiplexing and recently developed read-out-schemes that also involve higher exponents of the reservoir response. We outline, test and validate our approach using eight prototypical three-dimensional chaotic systems. Both, the short-term prediction and the reproduction of the long-term system behavior (the system’s “climate”) are feasible with the same setup of optimized hyperparameters. Our results may be a further step towards the realization of a dedicated small quantum computer for prediction tasks in the NISQ-era.
Shedding light on dark taxa: exploring a cryptic diversity of parasitoid wasps affected by artificial light at night
Authors: Dietenberger Manuel , Jechow Andreas , Sann Manuela , Hölker Franz
Published: February 2025

Artificial light at night (ALAN) contributes to the globally observed insect decline. ALAN attracts nocturnal insects from their native ecosystems and disturbs their functions in the food web. Road lights in this context are ubiquitous and relevant ALAN sources that are often not considered in conservation approaches. In a previous study we showed that shielded LED road lights are suited to be part of conservation measures by effectively reducing the attraction of nocturnal insects. Here we show that this positive effect holds true for parasitoid wasps in an experimental BACI design (Before-After-Control-Impact). Combining morphological with molecular and phylogenetic analyses, we identified 106 individuals (62 morphotypes) of a minimum of 45 genera out of 13 Hymenoptera families. We were able to identify 21 species, 11 of which are newly reported in Southern Germany (Baden-Württemberg). Further combining knowledge on life history and host appearance from our data and the literature, we discuss potential impacts of ALAN ranging from an influence on nocturnal pollination via parasitoid pressure on moth species and biological control of invasive pest species to tritrophic interactions between primary and secondary parasitoids. We conclusively think that shielded LED road lights will reduce the ecological impact of ALAN on parasitoid wasps in a large and undescribed number of taxa with different host associations, likely affecting associated ecosystem functions such as biological control.
Palaeognath birds innovate to solve a novel foraging problem
Authors: Clark Fay E. , Burdass Jasmine , Kavanagh Annalise , King Annabel
Published: February 2025

The ability to innovate implies flexible cognition, and is used as a broad metric of intelligence. Innovation in birds has been intensively studied in the larger and more taxonomically diverse Neognathae clade (particularly crows and parrots) and overlooked in the smaller and more ancestral Palaeognathae clade. The current study provides the first known evidence of technical innovation in palaeognath birds. We tested the ability of nine individuals of three species to move a hole towards a chamber to access a food reward. This problem was different to traditional innovation puzzle-boxes where an obstacle is moved away from a food chamber. Three emus and one rhea produced a wheel-turning innovation, moving the hole in the most efficient direction (closer to the nearest food item) in 90% of cases. One rhea dismantled the task twice by removing the central bolt, which we suggest is a second type of innovation, and it did not persist once they innovated the wheel turning solution. Ostriches did not innovate. We classify innovation in palaeognaths as low level/simplistic, relying on general exploration and asocial trial and error learning. Our research suggests that technical innovation may have evolved far earlier in birds than previously thought, and palaeognath birds are a compelling taxonomic group for further cognitive research.
Neurocognitive and brain structure correlates of reading and television habits in early adolescence
Authors: Rauschecker Andreas M. , Nedelec Pierre , Pan Simon , Olaru Maria , Nillo Ryan M. , Palmer Clare E. , Pecheva Diliana , Dale Anders M. , Jernigan Terry L. , Sugrue Leo P.
Published: February 2025

Results of the impact of reading books and viewing television on neurodevelopment have been mixed, without definitive evaluation to date. Using data from 11,875 US adolescents in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, we investigated the associations between reading and television viewing on brain morphology and neurocognitive performance. After quality control, 8,125 participants’ MRI scans and cognitive tests were analyzed in relation to their reading and TV habits. Greater reading time was associated with higher cognitive performance and regionally-selective increases in cortical area, while greater TV viewing had a much smaller association with lower cognitive performance and decreased cortical area. Regionally, areas of spatial overlap in associations included the lateral temporal, inferior parietal, and inferior frontal lobes, while significant associations in the ventral and inferior temporal cortex and cingulate cortex were unique to reading habits. These relationships persisted after adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic factors, genetic ancestry, and imaging factors. The magnitude of reading associations exceeded those of TV viewing and was similar to established contributions of parental income and education on neurodevelopment. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of how these behaviors correlate with early adolescent brain development across a large diverse population.
A Dickson polynomial based group key agreement authentication scheme for ensuring conditional privacy preservation and traceability in VANETs
Authors: Rajkumar Y. , Santhosh Kumar S. V. N.
Published: February 2025

VANETs exchange data in highly dynamic open wireless access environments which are prone to security and privacy attacks. In order to safeguard the transmitted data, group key agreement authentication (GKAA) technique is used. Utilization of group key allows entities to corroborate a group key for secure VANET communication in an unsecure wireless communication channels. The traditional GKAA consumes a considerable amount of resources, verification delay is very high. Since the group key is computed and administered solely by TTA, it leads to central tendency. Additionally the communication delay soars high. To alleviate the problems of computational cost, communication cost, security, conditional privacy, central tendency, a Dickson polynomial based conditional privacy preservation authentication based on group key authentication (GKA) for VANETs has been proposed. The proposed work involves the use of Dickson polynomial to improve the security strength of TTA while authentication vehicles. Since it is based on chaotic mapping algorithm, wherein the chaotic map provides a one-way hash function; Dickson polynomial is used to corroborate a publicly distributed group key; it alleviates the complex modular or scalar multiplication performed using Elliptic curves. The group key gets computed in a distributed fashion by using the Chinese Remainder Theorem (CRT) and gets updated dynamically without the aid of TTA. Conditional Privacy has been ensured by the tracing back the pseudonyms in case of any illicit behavior exhibited by the vehicles. The proposed scheme is lightweight and lowers the communication, computation cost involved during authentication and verification. Performance analysis has been carried out by using BAN logic and ROR model thereby ensuring the security and efficiency. Thus the proposed authentication technique outperforms the traditional certificate-less and group key authentication schemes in terms of improvement in computation cost of 39%, communication cost of 672 bits for a single message with a less verification delay.