bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seeking changes in a challenging time
Authors: Liu Yu , Yu Qiaona , Wu Yu
Published: February 2025

Despite growing attention to the role of proficiency guidelines in Chinese as a second language (CSL) teaching and learning, systematic empirical research in this area remains limited. This special issue examines the impact of proficiency-oriented instruction in CSL education through five empirical studies focusing on program design, assessment, and intercultural competence, addressing challenges posed by innovations in language learning technology and evolving learner needs. Proficiency-oriented instruction encourages educators to design flexible curricula, organize teaching, and conduct assessments based on students' communication needs, linguistic knowledge, and communicative competence. This approach ensures clear, structured learning objectives while promoting student-centered and diverse teaching methods and strategies. This collection of studies bridges research and practice, fostering pathways for proficiency development in a globalized, multilingual world.
What makes a good L2 listener?
Authors: Wu Yu , Wang Yang
Published: February 2025

Listening poses significant challenges for L2 learners and is difficult to improve (Graham, 2011). Research shows that L2 Chinese learners’ listening performance lags behind speaking and
reading even after four years of college study (Winke et al., 2020). However, the
factors influencing listening comprehension remain underexplored (Cai, 2015; Wang & Treffers-Daller, 2017). This study investigates the impact of oral
proficiency, vocabulary size, metacognitive awareness, and test anxiety on listening comprehension among 89 CSL learners. Results
from multiple regression analyses indicate that oral proficiency and vocabulary size are significant predictors of listening
performance. For less proficient listeners, oral proficiency was crucial, while vocabulary size was most significant for advanced
listeners. The importance of step-by-step vocabulary development and proficiency-guided language output opportunities is
discussed.
Assessing interactive listening in beginning-level L2 Chinese
Authors: Wang Wei , Yeh Meng
Published: February 2025

Interactive listening (IL) is understood as the interactional process in which listeners not just listen and comprehend but also actively monitor the ongoing talk, display understanding of it, clarify meaning, and advance conversation. Despite its importance in L2 learning, IL does not have much presence in standardized proficiency tests. This study thus aims to develop a rating scale for assessing IL with data drawn from beginning-level L2 Chinese learners’ unscripted conversations with L1 interlocutor. Using the framework of conversation analysis, this study identifies three aspects of IL in which different groups of learners vary most distinctively, that is, 1) the variety of listener responses used; 2) the ways in which understanding and engagement are demonstrated; and 3) sequential orientation. A rating scale with specific descriptors is then proposed.
The impact of generative AI-powered chatbots on L2 comprehensibility
Authors: Sonsaat-Hegelheimer Sinem , Kurt Şebnem
Published: February 2025

While generative AI-based chatbots expand opportunities for L2 pronunciation practice, not all are designed for
language learning or provide explicit feedback. Through a comparison of two chatbots, Pronounce, which offers
explicit pronunciation feedback, and Gemini, a general-purpose chatbot whose real-time transcription may serve as
implicit feedback, this study explored whether practice with these chatbots had an impact on L2 English learners’
comprehensibility and whether any improvements were influenced by the presence of explicit feedback. Three groups of learners
participated: two experimental groups, each practicing with one of the chatbots, and one control group. Although comprehensibility
ratings indicated no statistically significant improvements at the group level based on training or the specific chatbot used,
individual learners demonstrated improvements. These advancements were noted among motivated learners who completed most of their
speaking sessions. Learners had positive impressions of their experience with the chatbots and believed that their practice
contributed to their pronunciation improvement.
Straintronic magnetic tunnel junctions for analog computation: A perspective
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Supriyo
Published: February 2025

The straintronic magnetic tunnel junction (s-MTJ) is an MTJ whose resistance state can be changed continuously or gradually from high to low with a gate voltage that generates strain the magnetostrictive soft layer. This unusual feature, not usually available in MTJs that are switched abruptly with spin transfer torque, spin-orbit torque or voltage-controlled-magnetic-anisotropy, enables many analog applications where the typically low tunneling magneto-resistance ratio of MTJs (on/off ratio of the switch) and the relatively large switching error rate are not serious impediments unlike in digital logic or memory. More importantly, the transfer characteristic of a s-MTJ (conductance versus gate voltage) always sports a linear region that can be exploited to implement analog arithmetic, vector matrix multiplication and linear synapses in deep learning networks very effectively. In these applications, the s-MTJ is actually superior to the better known memristors and domain wall synapses which do not exhibit the linearity and/or the analog behavior.
A deep learning model for inter-fraction head and neck anatomical changes in proton therapy
Authors: Burlacu Tiberiu , Hoogeman Mischa , Lathouwers Danny , Perkó Zoltán
Published: February 2025

Objective: To assess the performance of a probabilistic deep learning based algorithm for predicting inter-fraction anatomical changes in head and neck patients.Approach: A probabilistic daily anatomy model for head and neck patients (DAMHN) is built on the variational autoencoder architecture. The model approximates the generative joint conditional probability distribution of the repeat computed tomography (rCT) images and their corresponding masks on the planning CT images (pCT) and their masks. The model outputs deformation vector fields, which are used to produce possible rCTs and associated masks. The dataset is composed of 93 patients (i.e., 315 pCT - rCT pairs), 9 (i.e., 27 pairs) of which were set aside for final testing. The performance of the model is assessed based on the reconstruction accuracy and the generative performance for the set aside patients. Main results: The model achieves a DICE score of 0.83 and an image similarity score (NCC) of 0.60 on the test set. The generated parotid glands, spinal cord and constrictor muscle volume change distributions and center of mass shift distributions were also assessed. For all organs, the medians of the distributions are close to the true ones, and the distributions are broad enough to encompass the real observed changes. Moreover, the generated images display anatomical changes in line with the literature reported ones, such as the medial shifts of the parotids glands. Significance: DAMHN is capable of generating realistic anatomies observed during the course of the treatment and has applications in anatomical robust optimization, treatment planning based on plan library approaches and robustness evaluation against inter-fractional changes.
Detecting ionized bubbles around luminous sources during the reionization era using HI 21 cm signal
Authors: Mishra Arnab , Murmu Chandra Shekhar , Datta Kanan K. , Choudhuri Samir , Majumdar Suman , Nasreen Iffat , Ali Sk. Saiyad
Published: February 2025

Measuring the properties of the intergalactic medium (IGM) and sources during the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) is of immense importance. We explore the prospects of probing the IGM and sources through redshifted 21 cm observations of individual ionized bubbles surrounding known luminous sources during the EoR.
Accordingly, we simulate HI 21 cm maps, foreground contaminants, and system noise which are specific to the uGMRT and SKA1-Low observations. Following the subtraction of the foreground from the total visibility, we employ a visibility-based matched filter technique to optimally combine the desired HI 21 cm signal while minimizing the system noise.
Our analysis suggests that these ionized bubbles can be detected with more than 5σ significance using approximately ∼ 2000 and ∼ 3000 hours of observation time with the uGMRT at redshift 7.1 and 8.3, respectively, when the mean neutral hydrogen fraction outside the targeted bubble is ∼ 0.9. The SKA1-Low should be able to detect these bubbles with more than 8 σ significance using only ∼ 100 hrs of observations. The total observing time increases both for the uGMRT and SKA1-Low when the mean neutral hydrogen fraction outside the targeted bubble decreases. Further, we investigate the impact of foreground subtraction on the detectability and find the signal-to-noise ratio decreases when smaller bandwidth is used. More importantly, we show that the matched filtering method can measure ionized bubble radius and constrain HI-neutral fraction reasonably well, providing deeper insights into the source properties and the intergalactic medium.
Ionospheric effect on the synthetic Epoch of Reionization observations with the SKA1-Low
Authors: Pal Samit Kumar , Datta Abhirup , Mazumder Aishrila
Published: February 2025

The redshifted 21 cm signal of neutral hydrogen can be used as a direct probe of the intergalactic medium during Cosmic Dawn (CD) and Epoch of Reionization (EoR). However, detecting this inherently weak signal has numerous challenges. The major ones include accurate foreground removal from low-frequency radio observations and systematics arising from instrumental effects. The Earth's ionosphere poses a major obstacle at these low radio frequencies. Thus, a systematic study of ionospheric effects on these sensitive low-frequency observations is critical, given that the construction of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA1-Low) is in full progress. We use the end-to-end pipeline, called 21cmE2E, to study the effect of time-varying ionospheric corruption on the 21 cm power spectrum recovery. We use two models: a) a catalogue-based model focused on source position shift due to the refractive effect of the ionosphere and b) a realistic ionospheric condition generated using Kolmogorov's turbulence model. We assess the effect of the imperfections thus generated on the extraction of Hi 21 cm signal power spectrum. Our study shows that beyond “median ionospheric offset” (θ
MIO ≲ 0.1”), the 21 cm signal from the EoR is unaffected by residual ionospheric effects. Our study emphasizes the need for the development of efficient ionospheric calibration algorithms for the upcoming SKA1-Low observations to extract the Hi 21 cm power spectra from the CD/EoR.
High-energy and ultra-high-energy neutrinos from Primordial Black Holes
Authors: Wu Quan-feng , Xu Xun-Jie
Published: February 2025

Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) are capable of emitting
extremely energetic particles independent of their interactions with
the Standard Model. In this work, we investigate whether PBHs evaporating
in the early universe could be responsible for some of the observed
high-energy neutrinos above the TeV or PeV scale in the present universe.
We compute the energy spectrum of neutrinos directly emitted by PBHs
with a monochromatic mass function and estimate the wash-out point,
which determines the maximum energy of the spectrum. We find that
the spectrum generally extends to high energies following a power
law of E

ν

-3 until it reaches the wash-out point, which
crucially depends on the PBH mass. For PBHs of 1013 grams, the
spectrum can extend up to the PeV scale, though the flux is too low
for detection. We also consider an indirect production mechanism involving
dark particles that are emitted by PBHs and decay into neutrinos at
a much later epoch. This mechanism allows lighter (such as those in
the gram to kilogram range) PBHs to produce more energetic neutrino
fluxes without being washed out by the thermal plasma in the early
universe. In this scenario, we find that ultra-high-energy neutrinos
around or above the EeV scale can be generated, with sufficiently
high fluxes detectable by current and future high-energy neutrino
observatories such as IceCube and GRAND.
Precision Assessment of Micro-Thruster Performance: A Comparative Study of In-FEEP Thrust Measurement Methods with Force-feedback Pendulum
Authors: Cai Bo-Song , Shen Yan , Zhong Yuan , Liu Jian-Ping , Wang Yu-Qing , Li Zhu , Tu Liang-Cheng , Yang ShanQing
Published: February 2025

Accurate thrust assessment is crucial for characterizing the performance of micro-thrusters. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the thrust generated by a needle-type Indium Field Emission Electric Propulsion (In-FEEP) micro-thruster using three methods based on a pendulum: direct thrust measurement, indirect plume momentum transfer, and beam current diagnostics. The experimental setup utilized capacitive displacement sensors for force detection and a voice coil motor as a feedback actuator, achieving a resolution better than 0.1 μN. Key performance factors such as ionization and plume divergence of ejected charged particles were also examined. The study revealed that the high applied voltage induces significant electrostatic interference, becoming the dominant source of error in direct thrust measurements. Beam current diagnostics and indirect plume momentum measurements were conducted simultaneously, showing strong agreement within a deviation of less than 0.2 μN across the operational thrust range. The results from all three methods were consistent within the error margins, verifying the reliability of the indirect measurement approach and the theoretical thrust model based on In-FEEP’s electrical parameters.
Visual synapse based on reconfigurable organic photovoltaic cell
Authors: Pu Xiangrong , Shu Fan , Wang Qifan , Liu Gang , Zhang Zhang
Published: February 2025

The hierarchical and coordinated processing of visual information by the brain demonstrates its superior ability to minimize energy consumption and maximize signal transmission efficiency. Therefore, it is crucial to develop artificial visual synapses that integrate optical sensing and synaptic functions. This study fully leverages the excellent photoresponsivity properties of the PM6 : Y6 system to construct a vertical photo-tunable organic memristor and conducts in-depth research on its resistive switching performance, photodetection capability, and simulation of photo-synaptic behavior, showcasing its excellent performance in processing visual information and simulating neuromorphic behaviors. The device achieves stable and gradual resistance change, successfully simulating voltage-controlled long-term potentiation/depression (LTP/LTD), and exhibits various photo-electric synergistic regulation of synaptic plasticity. Moreover, the device has successfully simulated the image perception and recognition functions of the human visual nervous system. The non-volatile Au/PM6 : Y6/ITO memristor is used as an artificial synapse and neuron modeling, building a hierarchical coordinated processing SLP-CNN cascade neural network for visual image recognition training, its linear tunable photoconductivity characteristic serves as the weight update of the network, achieving a recognition accuracy of up to 93.4%. Compared with the single-layer visual target recognition model, this scheme has improved the recognition accuracy by 19.2%.
6-inch AlN epitaxial films with low dislocation densities via MOCVD
Authors: Lu Shunpeng , Ben Jianwei , Jiang Ke , Zhang Shanli , Zhang Ruojia , Hao Jialong , Liu Zhongxu , Sun Wenchao , Nie Zikai , Sun Xiaojuan , Li Dabing
Published: February 2025

High-quality AlN epitaxial layers with low dislocation densities and uniform crystal quality are essential for next-generation optoelectronic and power devices. This study reports the epitaxial growth of 6-inch AlN films on 17 nm AlN/sapphire templates using metal−organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Comprehensive characterization reveals significant advancements in crystal quality and uniformity. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows progressive surface roughness reduction during early growth stages, achieving stabilization at a root mean square (RMS) roughness of 0.216 nm within 3 min, confirming successful 2D growth mode. X-ray rocking curve (XRC) analysis indicates a marked reduction in the (0002) reflection full width at half maximum (FWHM), from 445 to 96 arcsec, evidencing effective dislocation annihilation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrates the elimination of edge dislocations near the AlN template interface. Stress analysis highlights the role of a highly compressive 17 nm AlN template (5.11 GPa) in facilitating threading dislocation bending and annihilation, yielding a final dislocation density of ~1.5 × 107 cm−2. Raman spectroscopy and XRC mapping confirm excellent uniformity of stress and crystal quality across the wafer. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of this method for producing high-quality, large-area, atomically flat AlN films, advancing applications in optoelectronics and power electronics.
Determination of Multi-elements in Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites by Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometry
Authors: Chen Qianqian , Guo Xingjie , Pan Hengpei , Zhang Yi , Zhang Jianhao , Liu Pan
Published: February 2025

Boron carbide reinforced aluminum matrix composites have the respective characteristics of boron carbide and aluminum alloys, and have been widely used in the nuclear field. The content of alloy components such as iron, manganese, zinc, chromium, copper, silicon, titanium, magnesium and boron is crucial to the quality control of products. Based on inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), the analysis of multi-elements in boron carbide reinforced aluminum matrix composites has been studied in this paper. RF power, atomization gas flow rate, plasma gas flow rate, observation height and other instrumental parameters were optimized and determined. The specific parameters were as follows: RF power 1.15 kW, atomization gas flow rate 0.7 L/min, plasma gas flow rate 11.0 L/min, observation height 7 mm, carrier gas: argon, pump speed: 12 r/min, stabilization time: 10 s, reading time: 6 s, lifting delay: 20 s, observation mode: radial, repetition times: 3 times, analysis spectrum lines: Fe 259.940 nm, Mn 257.610 nm, Zn 206.200 nm, Cr 267.716 nm, Cu 327.395 nm, Si 288.158 nm, Ti 327.280 nm, Mg 280.270 nm, B 249.772 nm, background correction mode: fitting. The linear correlation coefficient of the calibration curve is not less than 0.999 in the linear range of each element. A rapid method for the determination of multi-elements in boron carbide reinforced aluminum matrix composites by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) has been established. The quantitative limit, precision and accuracy can meet the needs of practical inspection.
Salivary metabolites profiling for diagnosis of COPD：an exploratory study
Authors: Zhang Zherong , Lv Yan , Gong Meng , Li Juan , Zhang Yayun , Wu Songze , Zhang Yu , Cheng Deyun , Fan Tao
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are the gold standard for diagnosing of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Given its limitation in some scenarios, it is imperative to develop new high-throughput screening methods for biomarkers in diagnosing COPD. This study aims to explore the feasibility of screening novel diagnostic biomarkers based on salivary metabolomics for the limited availability of PFTs and difficulties in implementation at primary care facilities.Methods: Participants were recruited from the outpatient department of West China Hospital. Saliva samples were collected to analyze the metabolites through the UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS platform. The raw data from the mass spectrometer was preprocessed with R software after peak extraction. The Wilcoxon rank sum test, Fold change analysis, PCA and OPLS-DA were used to identify potential biomarkers. The ROC curve was used to assess the diagnostic efficacy of the predictive model generated by potential biomarkers.Results: Saliva samples were collected from 66 patients with COPD and 55 healthy volunteers. Significant differences in the salivary metabolome between COPD patients and healthy controls were identified, with 261 differential metabolites recognized, 16 of which were considered as potential biomarker. The diagnostic model generated by these 16 biomarkers can successfully distinguish COPD patients from healthy people. Conclusions Salivary metabolomic profiling is likely to emerge as a promising method for screening potential diagnostic biomarkers of COPD. Further prospective studies with large sample size are needed to verify the predictive value of these biomarkers in COPD diagnosis.
Just energy transition: Navigating Poland’s transition away from coal mining
Authors: Martin Marilen , Broughel Anna
Published: February 2025

This perspective paper analyses Poland's transition from coal mining, focusing on Upper Silesia – home to the EU's largest coal mining workforce, with 78,500 direct mining jobs and an additional 21,000 indirect jobs at stake. Drawing upon original data analysis and existing literature, the paper examines the complex relationship between the coal phase-out and demographic decline at the powiat (county) level. While projected population decline could partially offset job losses from mine closures, the effects vary dramatically across powiats - from potential unemployment reaching 20.27 percent in Bieruńsko-Lędziński powiat to projected labor shortages in areas like Bytom and Zabrze. Despite a significant decrease in job opportunities in coal mining, averaging a 7.85 percent decline across affected powiats, there is a considerable likelihood that other industries will encounter labor scarcities. Second, the impact extends beyond direct mining employment - contractors and service providers are particularly vulnerable, with 70 percent of the 1,054 identified contracting companies dependent on a single mine. Third, retraining faces specific barriers: miners strongly resist relocation, are reluctant to accept wage reductions and show limited interest in solar and wind energy sectors, suggesting energy efficiency, automotive, and ICT sectors as better alternatives. The paper demonstrates that successful transitions require understanding local contexts, from workers' skill transferability to transportation infrastructure to fiscal capacity. These insights from Silesia offer valuable lessons for both developed economies managing industrial transitions and emerging economies seeking to balance economic development with decarbonization.
Neuromorphic Devices Assisted by Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Huo Ziwei , Sun Qijun , Yu Jinran , Wei Yichen , Wang Yifei , Cho Jeong Ho , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: February 2025

Neuromorphic computing extends beyond sequential processing modalities and outperforms traditional von Neumann architectures in implementing more complicated tasks, e.g., pattern processing, image recognition, and decision making. It features parallel interconnected neural networks, high fault tolerance, robustness, autonomous learning capability, and ultralow energy dissipation. The algorithms of artificial neural network (ANN) have also been widely used because of their facile self-organization and self-learning capabilities, which mimic those of the human brain. To some extent, ANN reflects several basic functions of the human brain and can be efficiently integrated into neuromorphic devices to perform neuromorphic computations. This review highlights recent advances in neuromorphic devices assisted by machine learning algorithms. First, the basic structure of simple neuron models inspired by biological neurons and the information processing in simple neural networks are particularly discussed. Second, the fabrication and research progress of neuromorphic devices are presented regarding to materials and structures. Furthermore, the fabrication of neuromorphic devices, including stand-alone neuromorphic devices, neuromorphic device arrays, and integrated neuromorphic systems, is discussed and demonstrated with reference to some respective studies. The applications of neuromorphic devices assisted by machine learning algorithms in different fields are categorized and investigated. Finally, perspectives, suggestions, and potential solutions to the current challenges of neuromorphic devices are provided.
Conclusion
Authors: Hartmann Catherine
Published: February 2025

Reflecting on passages from the novel We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangdzom Lama, the Conclusion brings together the themes of the preceding chapters to reaffirm the main thesis of the book. It reiterates the argument that Tibetan pilgrimage texts encode practices of seeing that engage pilgrims’ perception both of the ordinary material world and of the extraordinary, envisioned world, thus using vision as a site of transformation. These practices of seeing aim to reshape pilgrims’ perception of the holy mountain and their experience of the world. Next, the Conclusion argues that the particular practices of Tibetan pilgrimage literature expand our understanding of how religious traditions enable practitioners to experience that which is ordinarily invisible and inaccessible as real. This, in turn, shows that seemingly fantastical religious worldviews are not simply believed or taken for granted, but actively constructed and reconstructed for new generations of practitioners.
Spinoza’s Definition of Faith
Authors: Gartenberg Zachary Micah
Published: February 2025

One of the most pivotal yet under-examined moments in Spinoza’s Theological-Political Treatise is his attempt to define the notion of ‘faith’. This essay unpacks Spinoza’s understanding of his definition and its significance within the broader argument of the Treatise by carefully analyzing the relationship between the definition’s terminology and logical structure. It specifically examines the connection Spinoza draws between faith and obedience, arguing that, according to Spinoza’s definition, conceiving of obedience implies conceiving of faith and not the other way around (as many commentators have claimed). It explores the implications of this entailment for interpreting the nature and function of Spinoza’s ‘dogmas of universal faith’. Spinoza claims that the definition of faith ultimately grounds his main argument in the Treatise, which makes the case for a radical separation between ‘faith’ and ‘philosophy’. One of the goals of this essay is to bring out in higher resolution how the definition underwrites this argument, and what it ultimately means.
Incidence, stage and outcome of melanoma, keratinocyte and other cancers in individuals with vitiligo or alopecia: intraindividual or familial risks?
Authors: Delcoigne Benedicte , Lysell Josefin , Askling Johan
Published: February 2025

Background

Vitiligo and autoimmune alopecia (AA) are caused by T-cell mediated autoimmunity in genetically predisposed individuals. Studies in vitiligo have reported reduced risks for melanoma (MM), some also for keratinocyte skin cancer (KC). In AA, reduced risks for KC (and also MM) have been reported. The driving mechanisms (genetic predisposition, immunological or other effects of the disease phenotypes, or environmental) remains unclear. Whether the immune-related genetic predisposition in vitiligo and AA offers “inherent” protection against other types of cancer remains unresolved.

Objectives

To investigate the incidence and outcome of MM, squamous cell skin cancer (SCC) and non-cutaneous cancers in vitiligo and alopecia, vs. that in the general population, and to investigate the corresponding risks in their siblings.

Methods

We performed a population-based matched cohort study using data from linkage of Swedish registers. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate hazard ratios (HR) contrasting patients with vitiligo or AA and the general population, and contrasting their siblings.

Results

Between 2006 to 2021, we included 15,030 patients with vitiligo, 18,541 with alopecia, and 17,853 and 21,821 of their siblings. Based on 17 MM events (crude incidence per 100,000, IR: 16), 23 SCC events (IR: 22) in vitiligo, and, 20 MM (IR: 15) and 24 SCC (IR: 18) in AA, the HR for MM was 0.53 (95%CI 0.32-0.86) in vitiligo and 0.53 (95%CI 0.34-0.83) in AA. Regarding SCC, HRs were 0.81 (95%CI 0.53-1.24) in vitiligo and 0.65 (95%CI 0.43-0.98) in AA. Stage at diagnosis of MM didn’t differ substantially between patients and the general population. Among siblings, HRs for MM and SCC were not statistically significantly altered (0.82 ≤ HR ≤ 1.10). In patients and their siblings, HRs for non-cutaneous solid or hematological cancers were not reduced.

Conclusion

In vitiligo and in AA the decreased risk of cutaneous cancers extends beyond the cell-type targeted by the autoimmune reaction. The general tendency towards somewhat reduced skin cancer risks among their siblings suggests a role for other factors than the disease phenotypes per se. Neither the vitiligo and AA phenotypes nor their immune-related genetic predispositions seem to offer any “inherent“protection against non-cutaneous malignancies.
Polymorphism and Memory Mechanochromic Emission of a Novel Molecular Fluorophore, 1-Cyano-1-(2-naphthyl)-2-[4-(diphenylamino)phenyl]ethylene
Authors: Shimazaki Yuito , Kurita Rikuya , Nakano Hideyuki
Published: February 2025

A titled molecular fluorophore (DPACNA) has been designed and synthesized. In addition to glass formation, DPACNA was found to exhibit polymorphism taking two distinct crystal structures. Both crystalline forms and the amorphous film exhibited fluorescence with different emission spectra from each other. The spectra of both crystals changed to the same spectra as for the amorphous film by grinding the crystals. Interestingly, the resulting ground samples remembered their original crystalline states and could be restored by fuming or annealing.
The 60:40 conundrum: are women with CKD discriminated after referral to a nephrology clinic?
Authors: Vautcranne Adele , Bianco Lavinia , Maze Beatrice , Fois Antioco , Chatrenet Antoine , Moio Maria Rita , Santagati Gulia , Njandjo Linda , de Müllenheim Pierre-Yves , Torreggiani Massimo , Piccoli Giorgina Barbara
Published: February 2025

Background

Epidemiological data show that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is more prevalent among females than males but the prevalence of women in dialysis is lower, as is their representation in nephrology trials. We aimed to test whether sex distribution varies at nephrology referral, inclusion in a trial or at the starting of dialysis.

Methods

We evaluated patients’ characteristics at the time of the first consultation in the Unit for the Care of Advanced CKD (UIRAV), at the inclusion in an observational study (PRO-RE-RE-PRO) and at the beginning of dialysis. Patient and renal survival analysis was performed in the pre-dialysis phase and after dialysis start. Reasons for denying participation to the proposed study and causes of death or withdrawal from follow-up and dialysis were likewise examined.

Results

During the period 2017–2023, 866 patients were referred to the UIRAV, 59% males and 41% females. Female patients were older, had lower comorbidity and were referred at the same eGFR than males. The same males/females proportion was observed in patients included in the PRO-RE-RE-PRO study and at dialysis start. Survival was significantly higher in females. Overall, distribution across sex remained stable over time.

Conclusions

Males and females are referred at similar eGFR levels, which appears to be the main reason for seeking nephrology care. Afterwards, the ratio between males and females remains stable, suggesting that if a sex-selection bias exists, it should be sought before the first nephrology referral. However, further studies are needed to ensure that health equity is respected across sexes.
Left atrial veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (LAVA-ECMO) as a bridge to surgical or percutaneous closure of post-myocardial infarction ventriculoseptal defects (MI-VSD): A Case Series
Authors: Fadel Raef , Elderkin Jessica , Alrayes Hussayn , Giustino Gennaro , Frisoli Tiberio , Basir Mir Babar , Apostolou Dimitrios , Villablanca Pedro
Published: February 2025

Background

Post-myocardial infarct (MI) ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a rare and severe complication of an acute MI with high mortality rate. The use of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) as a bridge to surgical or percutaneous repair in cardiogenic shock secondary to post-MI VSD has been published, but is limited to small case series primarily utilizing surgical ECMO, with the main drawback of potentially increasing afterload and left ventricle pressure, further worsening VSD shunting. Left-atrial VA-ECMO (LAVA-ECMO) can potentially absolve this concern given it utilizes bi-atrial drainage through a trans-septal fenestrated cannula.

Cases

5 patients were included in this series, all with VSD secondary to MI, and all managed with LAVA-ECMO as a bridge to repair. Average age was 62 ± 4.2 years, body mass index of 29.4 ± 4.5 kg/m2, and left ventricular ejection fraction of 46.6 ± 13.8%. Hemodynamics monitoring pre- and post- LAVA ECMO demonstrated improvement in right atrial, right ventricular, pulmonary, left atrial, and left ventricular pressures (figure 1). Average time to repair was 7.4 ± 3.9 days. All 5 patients survived to repair, with 4 undergoing surgical and 1 undergoing percutaneous closure. 4 out of 5 patients were decannulated successfully.

Discussion

This case series reports the successful use of LAVA-ECMO as a bridge to MI-VSD repair in patients with cardiogenic shock. LAVA-ECMO serves as a convenient approach to managing patients with MI-VSD related cardiogenic shock as it is implanted percutaneously, and can be done at the time of shock diagnosis, during right heart catheterization by trained interventionists.
Successful catheter ablation for sustained ventricular tachycardia in right ventricular infarction after surgery for giant right coronary artery aneurysm. A case report
Authors: Watanabe Ken , Fukui Akio , Aono Tomonori , Aita Satoshi , Matsui Motoyuki
Published: February 2025

Background

Post-infarction scar-related ventricular tachycardia (VT) originating from the right ventricular (RV) free wall in patients with RV infarction is rare.

Case summary

A 75-year-old Asian male, with a history of RV infarction after surgery for a giant right coronary artery aneurysm, presented with sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) with left bundle branch block and inferior axis morphology. The activation mapping during the VT revealed a focal origin initially propagated from the anterior attachment of the RV wall, and mid-diastolic potentials (MDPs) were detected within the RV free wall close to the anterior attachment. At the MDPs recording site, entrainment pacing showed concealed entrainment. The stimulus-QRS interval was equal to the local electrogram-QRS interval. Successful termination of clinical VT was achieved through radiofrequency delivery targeting the MDPs during the VT. Voltage mapping during sinus rhythm (SR) demonstrated a scar area at the RV free wall. Delayed potentials (DPs) during SR were obtained at the zone of MDPs recorded. Additional ablation was performed to eliminate the DPs, resulting in no further inducibility of VT with programmed stimulation.

Discussion

RV free wall infarction can lead to scar-related arrhythmogenesis. Detailed electrophysiological and functional mapping of such scar areas proved effective in terminating VT.
An experimental study of the elastic properties of the sandstone flooded with supercritical CO₂: The influences of saturation, pressure, and temperature
Authors: Zhao Luanxiao , Zhao Yaxi , Song Xuehang , Wang Yirong , Chen Yuanyuan , Zhu Zhenyu , Yang Renfeng , Geng Jianhua
Published: February 2025

Geological storage of captured CO₂ is essential for reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring the sustainable use of fossil fuels. Understanding the influence of saturation, pressure, and temperature on the elastic properties of brine-saturated sandstone flooded with supercritical CO₂ is critical for interpreting seismic and sonic logging data, which aids in monitoring and quantifying subsurface changes associated with CO₂ injection. The experimental results indicate that as scCO₂ saturation increases (0∼60 per cent), the P-wave velocity decreases significantly with an average of 14 per cent drop, while the S-wave velocity increases slightly. Temperature variations (80–110°C) have a minimal effect on both velocities (1∼2 per cent), whereas elastic features show noticeable sensitivity to the variation of confining pressure (20-30 MPa) and pore pressure (10-20 MPa). Ignoring the effects of pore pressure might lead to the bias of interpreting seismic data for monitoring scCO₂ saturation change. The constructed rock physics models well capture the coupled effects of porosity and scCO₂ saturation on the P-impedance and P- and S-wave velocity ratio, which show good agreement with the experimental results. These findings are crucial for improving monitoring methods and enhancing the accuracy of predictive models for CO₂ geological storage.
Wetland ecosystem services and their spatial scales of benefit in an urban environment: A case study of varanasi, India
Authors: Kushwaha Prashant , Sanyal Srabani , Verma Shivam
Published: February 2025

Wetlands are valuable terrestrial ecosystems because they perform diverse ecosystem functions and provide significant benefits to humanity. These benefits, collectively termed ecosystem services, are essential for human survival, particularly in densely populated urban areas. However, wetlands often face neglect due to a lack of awareness among citizens and governments regarding their significance. We assessed the ecosystem services offered by the wetlands of Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities, and elucidate the spatial scales wherein these services are delivered. Field visits, personal observations, and interviews based on the Rapid Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Services (RAWES) approach, were used to evaluate 27 ecosystem services across 12 wetlands. The ecosystem services of water regulation and local climate regulation had high positive count value inferring highly beneficial contributions to human well-being, whereas pest regulation and regulation of human disease, had negative count value indicating an adverse impact on human well-being, primarily due to the polluted state of the city's wetlands. Supporting services with an Ecosystem Services Index (ESI) of 0.55 made a substantial positive impact on human well-being, while provisioning services made minimal contributions (ESI = 0.12). The analysis of the spatial scale of ecosystem service benefits indicated that the distribution of ecosystem services is highly Varanasi-centric. To provide a comprehensive representation of both the importance scale and the spatial scale of benefit, the Spatial Ecosystem Services Index (Spatial ESI) was developed. Cultural services scored the highest Spatial ESI of 0.17 while provisioning services have the lowest Spatial ESI (0.03).
Comparative evaluation of disc diffusion and Liofilchem™ MTS strip methods with broth microdilution for cefepime/enmetazobactam susceptibility testing
Authors: Emeraud Cécile , De Swardt Hippolyte , Bernabeu Sandrine , Latour Lena , Pages Alice , Ronsin Sarah , Bonnin Rémy A , Dortet Laurent
Published: February 2025

Background

Cefepime/enmetazobactam is a newly approved β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination with promising activity against MDR Gram-negative Enterobacterales, particularly ESBL- and OXA-48-producing isolates. Reliable susceptibility testing methods are essential to guide its clinical use.

Objectives

To evaluate the performance of two commercial cefepime/enmetazobactam susceptibility testing methods, disc diffusion and Liofilchem™ MTS gradient strips, using broth microdilution (BMD) as the gold standard.

Methods

A total of 291 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales isolates, including 194 carbapenemase producers, were included. Susceptibility testing was performed using BMD, disc diffusion and Liofilchem™ MTS strips. Results were interpreted following EUCAST and FDA 2025 breakpoints. Essential agreement (EA) and bias were calculated for gradient strip methods according to the ISO 20776-2021 guideline, whereas categorical agreement (CA), very major errors (VMEs) and major errors (MEs) were determined for disc diffusion according to the ISO 20776-2:2007 guideline.

Results

The disc diffusion method demonstrated high CA (93.8% EUCAST, 95.9% FDA). VME rates exceeded acceptable thresholds using EUCAST breakpoints (20.8%) but were within limits for FDA (1.9%). Liofilchem™ MTS strips achieved 88.3% (95% CI: 84.1%–91.5%) EA and a bias of −8.9%. Both methods accurately detected susceptibility in OXA-48-producing isolates but showed limitations for isolates close to the MIC breakpoints.

Conclusions

Disc diffusion and Liofilchem™ MTS strips represent reliable alternatives to BMD for routine cefepime/enmetazobactam testing.
Global epidemiology of high priority and pandemic Pseudomonas aeruginosa in pets, livestock, wild and aquatic animals: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Abdullahi Idris Nasir , Mejri Sirine , Okwume Chukwudi Cresent , Lawal Nurudeen Adedeji , Olusegun Olatunde A , Sallem Rym Ben , Slama Karim Ben
Published: February 2025

High-priority and international high-risk Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) are public health emergent strains. Here, we performed the first systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that reported the frequency of PA, carbapenem (CARBR), and colistin (COLR) resistant P. aeruginosa (PA) in healthy and sick livestock (A), pets (B), wild (C), and aquatic animals (D) from January 2013 to January 2023. Following the PRIMSA guidelines, 57 cross-sectional and eight prospective studies were found eligible. Random-effect models were used to determine the pooled prevalences. Phylogenetic analyses based on core-genome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were performed using CSI Phylogeny 1.4. The overall pooled prevalence of PA, COLR-PA, and CARBR-PA were 18.6%, 4%, and 11.7%, respectively. Wild animals had the highest pooled prevalence of PA, 33.5%. The pooled prevalence of COLR was significantly higher in PA strains from sick than healthy animals (p<0.0001). Furthermore, COLR was significantly highest in PA strains from wild animals, 9.8% (95% CI: 0.8-58.9) while CARBR was highest in PA strains from pets, 14.8% (95% CI: 6.7-29.8). Seven (ST235, ST111, ST233, ST244, ST357, ST308, ST277) of the 10 high-risk CARBR−PA clones carrying ExoU/T/S were reported in animals. The SNP-based phylogenetic analysis of 23 genomes of CARBR-PA from animals obtained from publicly available databases revealed two closely related blaGES-carrying strains (<100 SNPs) in sick pets, suggesting a transmission event. A higher frequency of high-risk carbapenem than colistin-resistant PA strains exists in animals. These findings highlight the roles of different animal species, especially pets and wild animals in the persistence and dissemination of high-priority P. aeruginosa.
FuSViz—visualization and interpretation of structural variation using cancer genomics and transcriptomics data
Authors: Zhao Sen , Nakken Sigve , Vodak Daniel , Hovig Eivind
Published: February 2025

Structural variation (SV) is a frequent category of genetic alterations important for understanding cancer genome evolution and revealing key cancer driver events. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technologies, the ability to detect SVs of various sizes and types has improved, at both the DNA and RNA levels. However, SV calls are still prone to a considerable fraction of false positives, which necessitates visual inspection and manual curation as part of the quality control process. Identification of reliable and recurrent SVs in larger cohorts lends strength to revealing the driving roles of SVs in cancer development and to the discovery of potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Here, we present FuSViz, an application for visualization, interpretation, and prioritization of SVs. The tool provides multiple data view approaches in a user-friendly interface, allowing the investigation of prevalence and recurrence of SVs and relevant partner genes in a sample cohort. It integrates SV calls from DNA and RNA sequencing datasets to comprehensively illustrate the biological impact of SVs on the implicated genes and associated genomic regions. The functionality of FuSViz is intended for interrogation of both recurrent and private SVs, effectively assisting with pathogenicity evaluation and biomarker discovery in cancer sequencing projects.
Generalization of the sci-L3 method to achieve high-throughput linear amplification for replication template strand sequencing, genome conformation capture, and the joint profiling of RNA and chromatin accessibility
Authors: Chovanec Peter , Yin Yi
Published: February 2025

Single-cell combinatorial indexing (sci) methods have addressed major limitations of throughput and cost for many single-cell modalities. With the incorporation of linear amplification and three-level barcoding in our suite of methods called sci-L3, we further addressed the limitations of uniformity in single-cell genome amplification. Here, we build on the generalizability of sci-L3 by extending it to template strand sequencing (sci-L3-Strand-seq), genome conformation capture (sci-L3-Hi-C), and the joint profiling of RNA and chromatin accessibility (sci-L3-RNA/ATAC). We demonstrate the ease of adapting sci-L3 to these new modalities by only requiring a single-step modification of the original protocol. As a proof of principle, we show our ability to detect sister chromatid exchanges, genome compartmentalization, and cell state-specific features in thousands of single cells. We anticipate sci-L3 to be compatible with additional modalities, including DNA methylation (sci-MET) and chromatin-associated factors (CUT&Tag), and ultimately enable a multi-omics readout of them.
Phosphorylated BLM peptide acts as an agonist for DNA damage response
Authors: Agrawal Ritu , Agarwal Himanshi , Mukherjee Chetana , Chakraborty Baishali , Sharma Vandana , Tripathi Vivek , Kumar Nitin , Priya Swati , Gupta Nidhi , Jhingan Gagan Deep , Bajaj Avinash , Sengupta Sagar
Published: February 2025

Upon exposure to ionizing irradiation, the MRE11–RAD50–NBS1 complex potentiates the recruitment of ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) kinase to the double-strand breaks. We show that the lack of BLM causes a decrease in the autophosphorylation of ATM in mice mammary glands, which have lost one or both copies of BLM. In isogenic human cells, the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway was dampened in the absence of BLM, which negatively affected the recruitment of DDR factors onto the chromatin, thereby indicating a direct role of BLM in augmenting DDR. Mechanistically, this was due to the BLM-dependent dissociation of inactive ATM dimers into active monomers. Fragmentation analysis of BLM followed by kinase assays revealed a 20-mer BLM peptide (91–110 aa), sufficient to enhance ATM-dependent p53 phosphorylation. ATM-mediated phosphorylation of BLM at Thr99 within BLM (91–110) peptide enhanced ATM kinase activity due to its interaction with NBS1 and causing ATM monomerization. Delivery of phosphomimetic T99E counterpart of BLM (91–110 aa) peptide led to ATM activation followed by restoration of the DDR even in the absence of ionizing irradiation (both in cells and in BLM knockout mice), indicating its role as a DDR agonist, which can be potentially used to prevent the initiation of neoplastic transformation.