bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive survey on shadow removal from document images: datasets, methods, and opportunities
Authors: Wang Bingshu , Li Changping , Zou Wenbin , Zhang Yongjun , Chen Xuhang , Chen C.L. Philip
Published: January 2025

With the rapid development of document digitization, people have become accustomed to capturing and processing documents using electronic devices such as smartphones. However, the captured document images often suffer from issues like shadows and noise due to environmental factors, which can affect their readability. To improve the quality of captured document images, researchers have proposed a series of models or frameworks and applied them in distinct scenarios such as image enhancement, and document information extraction. In this paper, we primarily focus on shadow removal methods and open-source datasets. We concentrate on recent advancements in this area, first organizing and analyzing nine available datasets. Then, the methods are categorized into conventional methods and neural network-based methods. Conventional methods use manually designed features and include shadow map-based approaches and illumination-based approaches. Neural network-based methods automatically generate features from data and are divided into single-stage approaches and multi-stage approaches. We detail representative algorithms and briefly describe some typical techniques. Finally, we analyze and discuss experimental results, identifying the limitations of datasets and methods. Future research directions are discussed, and nine suggestions for shadow removal from document images are proposed. To our knowledge, this is the first survey of shadow removal methods and related datasets from document images.
Empowering Energy: Legal and Regulatory Perspectives on Blockchain-Enabled Trading in Malaysia and Australia
Authors: Karisma Karisma , Deane Felicity
Published: January 2025

Leveraging blockchain technology in the energy sector holds immense potential, particularly in facilitating decentralised energy systems. However, the legal and regulatory landscapes of several countries, including Malaysia and Australia, pose significant obstacles to its effective implementation. This article examines the specific legal and regulatory hurdles hindering the incorporation of P2P energy trading systems in these two jurisdictions: Malaysia and Australia. Through a comparative analysis, the authors aim to provide valuable insights for policymakers and regulators seeking to develop comprehensive frameworks that encourage blockchain adoption in the energy sector. The article highlights the need to address the under-inclusiveness of laws, legal uncertainty around novel blockchain-based concepts like smart contracts, and the obsolescence of legal frameworks designed for traditional centralised energy systems. By examining Malaysia’s and Australia’s unique challenges, the article seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of the complexities of adapting legal and regulatory frameworks to accommodate this transformative technology.
“But the Emperor has no clothes!” empirical validation of the nonmarket integrated strategy model
Authors: Hadani Michael , Schuler Doug
Published: January 2025

Corporate political activity (CPA) scholarship has long held the notion that firms can improve their performance by combining CPA and market activities, the so-called nonmarket integrated strategy model (NISM). Yet, the relationships embedded in the NISM have not been subjected to thorough empirical investigation beyond a handful of case studies or analyses limited to regulated firms. We step into this void and empirically evaluate whether the performance benefits of integration ever manifest. Our comprehensive analysis of over 2,200 publicly traded firms from 1998 to 2018 convincingly shows that the firms combining their CPA and market activities do not outperform their counterparts not using this combined strategy. Instead, the overall pattern of findings provides a nuanced picture of firms’ abilities to benefit financially from integration. We offer four interpretations of these novel findings, related to strategic control limitations, policy opportunity windows, visibility via market activities, and limited integration mimicry, advancing our theoretical knowledge of nonmarket integrated strategy.
On the Right to Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Ethical Safeguards in Algorithmic Human Resource Management
Authors: Capasso Marianna , Arora Payal , Sharma Deepshikha , Tacconi Celeste
Published: January 2025

Algorithmic human resource management (AHRM), the automation or augmentation of human resources-related decision-making with the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled algorithms, can increase recruitment efficiency but also lead to discriminatory results and systematic disadvantages for marginalized groups in society. In this paper, we address the issue of equal treatment of workers and their fundamental rights when dealing with these AI recruitment systems. We analyse how and to what extent algorithmic biases can manifest and investigate how they affect workers’ fundamental rights, specifically (1) the right to equality, equity, and non-discrimination; (2) the right to privacy; and, finally, (3) the right to work. We recommend crucial ethical safeguards to support these fundamental rights and advance forms of responsible AI governance in HR-related decisions and activities.
Roles, Skills, and Knowledge Requirements of Clinical Pharmacists in Disaster or Emergency Response Teams: A Scoping Review
Authors: Uren Hailie , O’Mathúna Dónal , Weinstein Eric S. , Herbert Teri Lynn
Published: January 2025

Objective

The scoping review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature to inform an understanding of pharmacists’ roles, skills, and knowledge requirements for Emergency Medical Teams responding to disasters or humanitarian crises.

Methods

The methodology utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, with methodology adapted by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Six databases were searched for sources published after 2000: PubMed, Mednar, Scopus, Defense Technical Information Centre, LILACS, and CINAHL. A manual search of grey literature was conducted to discover additional sources of information outside of the electronic databases.

Results

Of the 427 initial studies and reports, 36 were selected for inclusion. Five key themes on role requirements were identified: supply chain management; establishment and operationalization of pharmacies; stakeholder communication, collaboration, and liaison; direct patient care; and response management and coordination. Each theme was delineated into subthemes linked with requisite skills and knowledge.

Conclusions

This scoping review identifies key roles, skills, and knowledge requirements of pharmacist contributions to Emergency Medical Teams responding to disasters or emergencies.
Overview of the cellular and immune mechanisms involved in acute pancreatitis: In search of new prognosis biomarkers
Authors: Mititelu Alexandra , Grama Alina , Colceriu Marius-Cosmin , Pop Tudor L.
Published: January 2025

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an acute-onset gastrointestinal disease characterized by a significant inflammation of the pancreas. Most of the time, AP does not leave substantial changes in the pancreas after the resolution of the symptoms but the severe forms are associated with local or systemic complications. The pathogenesis of AP has long been investigated and, lately, the importance of intracellular mechanisms and the immune system has been described. The initial modifications in AP take place in the acinar cell. There are multiple mechanisms by which cellular homeostasis is impaired, one of the most important being calcium overload. Necrotic pancreatic cells initiate the inflammatory response by secreting inflammatory mediators and attracting immune cells. From this point on, the inflammation is sustained by the involvement of innate and adaptive immune systems. Multiple studies have demonstrated the importance of the first 48 h for identifying patients at risk for developing severe forms. For this reason, there is a need to find new, easy-to-use and reliable markers for accurate predictions of these forms. This review provides an overview of the main pathogenetic mechanisms involved in AP development and the most promising biomarkers for severity stratification.
Lavaurs algorithm for cubic symmetric polynomials
Authors: BLOKH ALEXANDER , OVERSTEEGEN LEX G. , SELINGER NIKITA , TIMORIN VLADLEN , VEJANDLA SANDEEP CHOWDARY
Published: January 2025

As discovered by W. Thurston, the action of a complex one-variable polynomial on its Julia set can be modeled by a geodesic lamination in the disk, provided that the Julia set is connected. It also turned out that the parameter space of such dynamical laminations of degree two gives a model for the bifurcation locus in the space of quadratic polynomials. This model is itself a geodesic lamination, the so called quadratic minor lamination of Thurston. In the same spirit, we consider the space of all cubic symmetric polynomials

$f_\unicode{x3bb} (z)=z^3+\unicode{x3bb} ^2 z$

in three articles. In the first one, we construct the cubic symmetric comajor lamination together with the corresponding quotient space of the unit circle. As is verified in the third paper, this yields a monotone model of the cubic symmetric connectedness locus, that is, the space of all cubic symmetric polynomials with connected Julia sets. In the present paper, the second in the series, we develop an algorithm for generating the cubic symmetric comajor lamination analogous to the Lavaurs algorithm for constructing the quadratic minor lamination.
Pushchino multibeam pulsar search — V. The bright FRB 20190203 detected at 111 MHz
Authors: Tyul’bashev S. A. , Samodurov V. A. , Pozanenko A. S. , Brylyakova E. A. , Grebenev S. A. , Chelovekov I. V. , Minaev P. Yu. , Isaev E. A. , Barkov M. V.
Published: January 2025

Since August 2014, a monitoring survey at a frequency of 111 MHz has been conducted on the Large Phased Array (LPA) radio telescope of the P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute (LPI). We report the discovery of a bright pulse having a dispersion measure (DM) equal to 134.4 ± 2 pc cm–3, a peak flux density (Sp) equal to 20 ± 4 Jy and a half-width (We) equal to 211 ± 6 ms. The excessive DM of the pulse, after taking into account the MilkyWay contribution, is 114 pc cm–3 that indicates its extragalactic origin. Such value of DM corresponds to the luminosity distance 713 Mpc. The above parameters make the pulse to be a reliable candidate to the fast radio burst (FRB) event, and then it is the second FRB detected at such a large λ ∼ 2.7 m wavelength and the first one among non-repeating FRBs. The normalized luminosity L
ν
of the event, which we have designated as FRB 20190203, estimated under assumption that the whole excessive DM is determined by the intergalactic environment toward the host galaxy, is equal to ≃ 1034 erg s–1Hz–1. In addition to the study of radio data we analyzed data from the quasi-simultaneous observations of the sky in the high energy (≥ 80 keV) band by the omnidirectional detector SPI/ACS aboard the INTEGRAL orbital observatory (in order to look for a possible gamma-ray counterpart of FRB 20190203). We did not detect any transient events exceeding the background at a statistically significant level. In the INTEGRAL archive, the FRB 20190203 localization region has been observed many times with with a total exposure of ∼ 73.2 days. We have analyzed the data but were unable to find any reliable short gamma-ray bursts from the FRB 20190203 position. Finally we note that the observed properties of FRB 20190203 can be reproduced well in the framework of a maser synchrotron model operating in the far reverse shock (at a distance of ∼ 1015 cm) of a magnetar. However, triggering the burst requires a high conversion efficiency (at the level of 1%) of the shock wave energy into the radio emission.
Social defeat predicts the emergence of psychotic-like experiences through the effects on aberrant salience: insights from a network analysis of longitudinal data
Authors: Bielawski Tomasz , Rejek Maksymilian , Misiak Błażej
Published: January 2025

Background

Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are subclinical phenomena that often precede the onset of psychosis and occur in various mental disorders. Social determinants of psychosis and PLEs are important and have been operationalized within the social defeat (SD) hypothesis. The SD hypothesis posits that low social status and exposure to repeated humiliation can lead to imbalanced dopamine neuron activity, and thus increased risk of psychosis. We aimed to assess the role of dynamic interactions between SD components in shaping the occurrence of PLEs using a network analysis.

Methods

A total of 2241 non-clinical, young adults were assessed at baseline and invited for reassessment after a 6-month follow-up. Self-reports recording the occurrence of PLEs, aberrant salience (AS), depressive, and anxiety symptoms as well as SD characteristics (socioeconomic status, minority status, humiliation, perceived constraints, and domain control) were administered. Two networks were analyzed (the first one covering all baseline measures and the second one with the baseline SD components and follow-up measures of AS and psychopathology).

Results

The SD components were not directly connected to the measures of PLEs in both networks. However, in both networks, SD components were connected to PLEs through a mediating effect of AS. Among SD components, humiliation had the highest bridge centrality across three predefined communities of variables (SD; depressive and anxiety symptoms; AS, and PLEs).

Conclusions

The findings indicate that SD might make individuals vulnerable to develop PLEs through the mediating effects of AS. Among SD components, humiliation might play the most important role in the development of PLEs.
Exploring attitudes to generative AI in education for English as an additional language (EAL) adult learners
Authors: Creely Edwin , Barnes Melissa , Tour Ekaterina , Henderson Michael , Waterhouse Peter , Pena Melisa Agudelo , Patel Sweta Vijaykumar
Published: January 2025

This article addresses a critical gap in international research concerning digital literacies and empowerment among adults who are English as an additional language (EAL) learners. In the Australian context, where digital communication and services are embedded in all aspects of life and work, proficiency in digital literacies, including advanced technologies like generative artificial intelligence (AI), is vital for working and living in Australia. Despite the increasing prevalence and significance of generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, there is a notable absence of dedicated programs to assist EAL learners in understanding and utilising generative AI, potentially impacting their employability and everyday life. This article presents findings from a larger study conducted within training providers, spanning adult educational institutions nationwide. Through analysis of data gathered from surveys and focus groups, the article investigates the knowledge and attitudes of students, educators, and leaders regarding integrating generative AI into the learning program for adult EAL learners. The results reveal a hesitance among educators, particularly concerning beginning language learners, in incorporating generative AI into educational programs. Conversely, many adult learners demonstrate enthusiasm for learning about its potential benefits despite having limited understanding. These disparities underscore the pressing need for comprehensive professional development for educators and program leaders. The findings also highlight the need to develop the AI literacy of learners to foster their understanding and digital empowerment. The article concludes by advocating for a systemic approach to include generative AI as an important part of learning programs with students often from adult migrant and refugee backgrounds.
Metastable Inventions: Simondonian concretisation and technical invention in modular synthesis practice
Authors: Carey Benjamin
Published: January 2025

This article analyses the author’s modular synthesis practice through the lens of Simondonian philosophy, arguing that modular synthesis represents a dynamic example of technical ontogenesis in artistic practice. With its emphasis on technical becoming, Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy of technology provides a detailed framework for the analysis of modular synthesis patching. Following a practice-based methodology, the article references two ‘think-aloud’ videos filmed of the author patching on two modular synthesis systems. Tracing the genesis of sound sources throughout each session, aspects of Simondonian technical invention are analysed with respect to this creative practice. As these patches concretise, an increasingly saturated associated milieu is shown to emerge as the driving force behind technical invention. Seeking resolutions between incompatibilities arising between the internal milieu of a sound source and the external milieu of the modular system, the analysis reveals the appearance of metastable states within the ontogenesis of each patch. By detailing the various forms of recurrent causality in these patches, this article reveals how modular synthesis practice can serve as the site for the co-evolution of musical ideas and technical objects; a theatre of individuation that is both more-than-human in its evolutionary potential, and more-than-music in its practical application.
Quantum internal models for Solvency II and quantitative risk management
Authors: Amjad Muhammad Ahmer
Published: January 2025

This paper extends previous research on using quantum computers for risk management to a substantial, real-world challenge: constructing a quantum internal model for a medium-sized insurance company. Leveraging the author’s extensive experience as the former Head of Internal Model at a prominent UK insurer, we closely examine the practical bottlenecks in developing and maintaining quantum internal models. Our work seeks to determine whether a quadratic speedup, through quantum amplitude estimation can be realised for problems at an industrial scale. It also builds on previous work that explores the application of quantum computing to the problem of asset liability management in an actuarial context. Finally, we identify both the obstacles and the potential opportunities that emerge from applying quantum computing to the field of insurance risk management.
The Effects of Increasing the Coupling Frequency and Considering the Sublayer Temperature on the Simulation by CAS‐ESM2
Authors: Dong Xiao , Guo Run , Jin Jiangbo , Zhang Ze , Zhang He , Chen Shaowen , Zeng Qingcun
Published: January 2025

The diurnal variation in sea surface temperature (SST) plays a critical role in the simulation of oceanic and climate changes. Only increasing the air‐sea coupling frequency from daily to hourly will result in a small SST diurnal amplitude. To accurately simulate this diurnal characteristic, a parameterization scheme for the diagnostic sublayer, which is shallower than the top model layer, and its temperature (sublayer temperature) was applied to models with coarse vertical resolution. In this study, we considered the effect of diurnal variation in SST on the performance of the second version of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Earth System Model (CAS‐ESM2). Upon increasing the coupling frequency (EXP1), the diurnal variation in the global SST was reasonably reproduced with an underestimated amplitude. The observed amplitude was reasonably captured when applying sublayer temperature parameterization (EXP2). We compared these findings to a simulation of no diurnal variation in the SST by focusing on climatology, interannual variation, and ENSO asymmetry in a tropical Pacific region. In EXP1, the climatological mean state bias was not improved, but the discrepancy in the overestimation of interannual variability was largely improved. Compared with EXP1, in EXP2, the climatological cold tongue bias was reduced, and the skewness bias was less underestimated. Both diurnal coupling and the sublayer temperature should be considered to improve the performance of climate models.
Rupture Directivity of Moderate Earthquakes Along the Main Marmara Fault Suggests Larger Ground Motion Towards Istanbul
Authors: Chen Xiang , Martínez‐Garzón Patricia , Kwiatek Grzegorz , Ben‐Zion Yehuda , Bohnhoff Marco , Cotton Fabrice
Published: January 2025

Analysis of earthquake rupture directivity provides key information for seismic hazard and risk assessment, particularly for faults near urban areas. We analyze directivity patterns for 31 well‐constrained  3.5 earthquakes along the Main Marmara Fault, in direct proximity to Istanbul. We calculate source mechanisms with a waveform modeling approach and analyze earthquake directivity from apparent source‐time functions using empirical Green's functions. Most of the strike‐slip earthquakes to the west of the Princes Islands segment display a predominantly asymmetric rupture toward the east with the median directivity trending 85°, consistent with the Main Marmara Fault strike. Consequently, earthquake ground shaking may be more pronounced toward Istanbul. This holds potentially for a large earthquake on the Main Marmara Fault which is late in its seismic cycle. Our results motivate the importance of evaluating the impact of eastward asymmetric ruptures on the probabilistic seismic hazard and risk assessment around Istanbul.
Impacts of Wave‐Current Interaction in Coupled Storm Surge‐Wave Model
Authors: Papandreou Angelos , Hara Tetsu , Ginis Isaac
Published: January 2025

In existing two‐dimensional (depth integrated) storm surge models coupled with wave models, the surface wave effect is traditionally included as the radiation stress gradient forcing, which accounts for momentum transfer from surface waves to currents. However, recent studies on wave‐current interactions indicate that radiation stress alone does not fully capture the impact of waves on ocean currents and sea surface elevation. In this study, we derive new governing equations for two‐dimensional storm surge models to incorporate more comprehensive wave‐current interactions. Instead of using vertically integrated Eulerian currents, our formulation is based on vertically integrated Lagrangian currents, which include the wave Stokes drift. The resulting momentum equations include a new wave‐induced forcing term that depends on both waves and currents, in addition to the radiation stress gradient. We incorporated the new term into the Advanced Circulation storm surge model, coupled with the Wavewatch III wave model, and simulated storm surges during Hurricanes Michael (2018) and Ian (2022). Our results indicate that, while the radiation stress forcing significantly increases water levels (by 0.4 m or more) over a large area to the right of the storm track, the new wave‐induced forcing causes a notable reduction in water levels (up to 0.3 m) near the storm track shortly before the storm makes landfall. This reduction is attributed to the alignment of strong currents and waves in the alongshore direction.
Inhibition of GSK3β is synthetic lethal with FHIT loss in lung cancer by blocking homologous recombination repair
Authors: Tao Shishi , Pu Yue , Yang Eun Ju , Ren Guowen , Shi Changxiang , Chen Li-Jie , Chen Liang , Shim Joong Sup
Published: January 2025

FHIT is a fragile site tumor suppressor that is primarily inactivated upon tobacco smoking. FHIT loss is frequently observed in lung cancer, making it an important biomarker for the development of targeted therapy for lung cancer. Here, we report that inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) and the homologous recombination DNA repair (HRR) pathway are synthetic lethal with FHIT loss in lung cancer. Pharmacological inhibition or siRNA depletion of GSK3β selectively suppressed the growth of FHIT-deficient lung cancer tumors in vitro and in animal models. We further showed that FHIT inactivation leads to the activation of DNA damage repair pathways, including the HRR and NHEJ pathways, in lung cancer cells. Conversely, FHIT-deficient cells are highly dependent on HRR for survival under DNA damage stress. The inhibition of GSK3β in FHIT-deficient cells suppressed the ATR/BRCA1/RAD51 axis in HRR signaling via two distinct pathways and suppressed DNA double-strand break repair, leading to the accumulation of DNA damage and apoptosis. Small molecule inhibitors of HRR, but not NHEJ or PARP, induced synthetic lethality in FHIT-deficient lung cancer cells. The findings of this study suggest that the GSK3β and HRR pathways are potential drug targets in lung cancer patients with FHIT loss.
Smoother sea ice with fewer pressure ridges in a more dynamic Arctic
Authors: Krumpen Thomas , von Albedyll Luisa , Bünger H. Jakob , Castellani Giulia , Hartmann Jörg , Helm Veit , Hendricks Stefan , Hutter Nils , Landy Jack C. , Lisovski Simeon , Lüpkes Christof , Rohde Jan , Suhrhoff Mira , Haas Christian
Published: January 2025

Pressure ridges, formed by sea ice deformation, affect momentum transfer in the Arctic Ocean and support a larger biomass than the surrounding-level ice. Although trends in Arctic sea ice thickness and concentration are well documented, changes in ridge morphology remain unclear. This study provides airborne-based evidence of a shift towards a smoother ice surface, with fewer pressure ridges and reduced surface drag, attributed to the loss of old ice. Furthermore, an increase in seasonal ice cover enhances overall deformation in the Arctic and acts as a negative feedback mechanism on pan-Arctic ridge morphology: the greater the proportion of seasonal ice, the higher the pan-Arctic mean ridge rate, dampening an overall decline in ridges with age. While thinner and less frequent ridges benefit industries such as shipping, these changes are likely to have profound impacts on the energy and mass balance and the ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean.
Perceived climate change impacts and adaptation responses in ten African mountain regions
Authors: Cuni-Sanchez Aida , Aneseyee Abreham B. , Baderha Ghislain K. R. , Batumike Rodrigue , Bitariho Robert , Imani Gerard , Jha Nisha , Kaganzi Kaiza R. , Kaplin Beth A. , Klein Julia A. , Leite Ana , Marchant Robert A. , Martin Emanuel H. , Mcharazo Fatuma , Mwangi Ben , Ngute Alain S. K. , Nkengurutse Jacques , Nkurunziza Aline , Olaka Lydia , Soromessa Teshome , Tchoffo Romeo O. K. , Thorn Jessica P. R. , Twinomuhangi Isaac , Sullivan Martin J. P. , Zafra-Calvo Noelia
Published: January 2025

Mountain regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Yet, little is known about local adaptation responses in African mountain regions, especially if these are incremental or transformational. First, using household questionnaires, we interviewed 1,500 farmers across ten African mountain regions to investigate perceived climate change impacts and adaptation responses. Second, through a reflective process involving all co-authors, we identified: (1) main constraints and opportunities for adaptation, and (2) if adaptation was incremental or transformational. Questionnaire data show that farmers in all sites perceive multiple impacts, and that they mostly respond by intensifying farming practices and using off-farm labour. We established that, while several constraints were shared across sites, others were context specific; and that adaptation was mostly incremental, but that certain attributes (for example, social capital) made three sites in East Africa slightly more transformational.
Seasonal productivity of the equatorial Atlantic shaped by distinct wind-driven processes
Authors: Brandt Peter , Körner Mareike , Moum James N. , Roch Marisa , Subramaniam Ajit , Czeschel Rena , Krahmann Gerd , Dengler Marcus , Kiko Rainer
Published: January 2025

The eastern equatorial Atlantic hosts a productive marine ecosystem that depends on upward supply of nitrate, the primary limiting nutrient in this region. The annual productivity peak, indicated by elevated surface chlorophyll levels, occurs in the Northern Hemisphere summer, roughly coinciding with strengthened easterly winds. For enhanced productivity in the equatorial Atlantic, nitrate-rich water must rise into the turbulent layer above the Equatorial Undercurrent. Using data from two trans-Atlantic equatorial surveys, along with extended time series from equatorial moorings, we demonstrate how three independent wind-driven processes shape the seasonality of equatorial Atlantic productivity: (1) the nitracline shoals in response to intensifying easterly winds; (2) the depth of the Equatorial Undercurrent core, defined by maximum eastward velocity, is controlled by an annual oscillation of basin-scale standing equatorial waves; and (3) mixing intensity in the shear zone above the Equatorial Undercurrent core is governed by local and instantaneous winds. The interplay of these three mechanisms shapes a unique seasonal cycle of nutrient supply and productivity in the equatorial Atlantic, with a productivity minimum in April due to a shallow Equatorial Undercurrent and a productivity maximum in July resulting from a shallow nitracline coupled with enhanced mixing.
Rapid rise in atmospheric CO2 marked the end of the Late Palaeozoic Ice Age
Authors: Jurikova Hana , Garbelli Claudio , Whiteford Ross , Reeves Theodore , Laker Gemma M. , Liebetrau Volker , Gutjahr Marcus , Eisenhauer Anton , Savickaite Kotryna , Leng Melanie J. , Iurino Dawid Adam , Viaretti Marco , Tomašových Adam , Zhang Yuchen , Wang Wen-qian , Shi G. R. , Shen Shu-zhong , Rae James W. B. , Angiolini Lucia
Published: January 2025

Atmospheric CO2 is thought to play a fundamental role in Earth’s climate regulation. Yet, for much of Earth’s geological past, atmospheric CO2 has been poorly constrained, hindering our understanding of transitions between cool and warm climates. Beginning ~370 million years ago in the Late Devonian and ending ~260 million years ago in the Permian, the Late Palaeozoic Ice Age was the last major glaciation preceding the current Late Cenozoic Ice Age and possibly the most intense glaciation witnessed by complex lifeforms. From the onset of the main phase of the Late Palaeozoic Ice Age in the mid-Mississippian ~330 million years ago, the Earth is thought to have sustained glacial conditions, with continental ice accumulating in high to mid-latitudes. Here we present an 80-million-year-long boron isotope record within a proxy framework for robust quantification of CO2. Our record reveals that the main phase of the Late Palaeozoic Ice Age glaciation was maintained by prolonged low CO2, unprecedented in Earth’s history. About 294 million years ago, atmospheric CO2 rose abruptly (4-fold), releasing the Earth from its penultimate ice age and transforming the Early Permian into a warmer world.
Autogene cevumeran with or without atezolizumab in advanced solid tumors: a phase 1 trial
Authors: Lopez Juanita , Powles Thomas , Braiteh Fadi , Siu Lillian L. , LoRusso Patricia , Friedman Claire F. , Balmanoukian Ani S. , Gordon Michael , Yachnin Jeffrey , Rottey Sylvie , Karydis Ioannis , Fisher George A. , Schmidt Marcus , Schuler Martin , Sullivan Ryan J. , Burris Howard A. , Galvao Vladimir , Henick Brian S. , Dirix Luc , Jaeger Dirk , Ott Patrick A. , Wong Kit Man , Jerusalem Guy , Schiza Aglaia , Fong Lawrence , Steeghs Neeltje , Leidner Rom S. , Rittmeyer Achim , Laurie Scott A. , Gort Eelke , Aljumaily Raid , Melero Ignacio , Sabado Rachel L. , Rhee Ina , Mancuso Michael R. , Muller Lars , Fine Gregg D. , Yadav Mahesh , Kim Leesun , Leveque Vincent J. P. , Robert Alberto , Darwish Martine , Qi Ting , Zhu Jiawen , Zhang Jingbin , Twomey Patrick , Rao Gautham K. , Low Donald W. , Petry Chris , Lo Amy A. , Schartner Jill M. , Delamarre Lélia , Mellman Ira , Löwer Martin , Müller Felicitas , Derhovanessian Evelyna , Cortini Andrea , Manning Luisa , Maurus Daniel , Brachtendorf Sebastian , Lörks Verena , Omokoko Tana , Godehardt Eva , Becker Dirk , Hawner Christine , Wallrapp Christine , Albrecht Christian , Kröner Christoph , Tadmor Arbel D. , Diekmann Jan , Vormehr Mathias , Jork Anette , Paruzynski Anna , Lang Maren , Blake Jonathon , Hennig Oliver , Kuhn Andreas N. , Sahin Ugur , Türeci Özlem , Camidge D. Ross
Published: January 2025

Effective targeting of somatic cancer mutations to enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy requires an individualized approach. Autogene cevumeran is a uridine messenger RNA lipoplex-based individualized neoantigen-specific immunotherapy designed from tumor-specific somatic mutation data obtained from tumor tissue of each individual patient to stimulate T cell responses against up to 20 neoantigens. This ongoing phase 1 study evaluated autogene cevumeran as monotherapy (n = 30) and in combination with atezolizumab (n = 183) in pretreated patients with advanced solid tumors. The primary objective was safety and tolerability; exploratory objectives included evaluation of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, preliminary antitumor activity and immunogenicity. Non-prespecified interim analysis showed that autogene cevumeran was well tolerated and elicited poly-epitopic neoantigen-specific responses, encompassing CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells, in 71% of patients, most of them undetectable at baseline. Responses were detectable up to 23 months after treatment initiation. CD8+ T cells specific for several neoantigens constituted a median of 7.3% of circulating CD8+ T cells, reaching up to 23% in some patients. Autogene cevumeran-induced T cells were found within tumor lesions constituting up to 7.2% of tumor-infiltrating T cells. Clinical activity was observed, including one objective response in monotherapy dose escalation and in two patients with disease characteristics unfavorable for response to immunotherapy treated in combination with atezolizumab. These findings support the continued development of autogene cevumeran in earlier treatment lines. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03289962.
Ferric carboxymaltose for anemia in late pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Pasricha Sant-Rayn , Moya Ernest , Ataíde Ricardo , Mzembe Glory , Harding Rebecca , Mwangi Martin N. , Zinenani Truwah , Prang Khic-Houy , Kaunda Justina , Mtambo Owen P. L. , Vokhiwa Maclean , Mhango Gomezgani , Mamani-Mategula Elisabeth , Fielding Katherine , Demir Ayşe , Von Dinklage Naomi , Verhoef Hans , McLean Alistair RD , Manda-Taylor Lucinda , Braat Sabine , Phiri Kamija S.
Published: January 2025

Over 46% of African pregnant women are anemic. Oral iron is recommended but often suboptimal, particularly late in pregnancy. Intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) could treat anemia in women in the third trimester in sub-Saharan Africa. In an open-label, individually randomized trial in antenatal clinics in southern Malawi, we randomized 590 women at 27–35 weeks of gestation with capillary hemoglobin <10.0 g dl−1 to FCM (20 mg kg−1 up to 1,000 mg, once at enrollment) or standard of care (60 mg elemental iron, twice daily for 90 days). Participants and their infants were followed to 4 weeks postpartum. Primary outcomes were maternal anemia at 36 weeks’ gestation or delivery (whichever occurred first) and neonatal birthweight. At the primary timepoint, 126 of 270 (46.7%) of women in the FCM group were anemic, compared to 170 of 271 (67.3%) women in the standard-of-care group (PR, 0.74 (95% CI 0.64, 0.87); P = 0.0002). There was no difference between groups in birthweight (mean difference 10.9 g (−65.7, 87.5 g); P = 0.78). No serious infusion-related reactions occurred, and there were no differences in adverse events between groups. In Malawian women in late pregnancy, FCM effectively and safely reduced anemia before childbirth. Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial registration: ANZCTR12621001239853
Typical development of synaptic and neuronal properties can proceed without microglia in the cortex and thalamus
Authors: O’Keeffe Mary , Booker Sam A. , Walsh Darren , Li Mosi , Henley Chloe , Simões de Oliveira Laura , Liu Mingshan , Wang Xingran , Banqueri Maria , Ridley Katherine , Dissanayake Kosala N. , Martinez-Gonzalez Cristina , Craigie Kirsty J. , Vasoya Deepali , Leah Tom , He Xin , Hume David A. , Duguid Ian , Nolan Matthew F. , Qiu Jing , Wyllie David J. A. , Dando Owen R. , Gonzalez-Sulser Alfredo , Gan Jian , Pridans Clare , Kind Peter C. , Hardingham Giles E.
Published: January 2025

Brain-resident macrophages, microglia, have been proposed to have an active role in synaptic refinement and maturation, influencing plasticity and circuit-level connectivity. Here we show that several neurodevelopmental processes previously attributed to microglia can proceed without them. Using a genetically modified mouse that lacks microglia (Csf1r
∆FIRE/∆FIRE), we find that intrinsic properties, synapse number and synaptic maturation are largely normal in the hippocampal CA1 region and somatosensory cortex at stages where microglia have been implicated. Seizure susceptibility and hippocampal-prefrontal cortex coherence in awake behaving animals, processes that are disrupted in mice deficient in microglia-enriched genes, are also normal. Similarly, eye-specific segregation of inputs into the lateral geniculate nucleus proceeds normally in the absence of microglia. Single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomic analyses of neurons and astrocytes did not uncover any substantial perturbation caused by microglial absence. Thus, the brain possesses remarkable adaptability to execute developmental synaptic refinement, maturation and connectivity in the absence of microglia.
A Collaborative and Scalable Geospatial Data Set for Arctic Retrogressive Thaw Slumps with Data Standards
Authors: Yang Yili , Rodenhizer Heidi , Rogers Brendan M. , Dean Jacqueline , Singh Ridhima , Windholz Tiffany , Poston Amanda , Potter Stefano , Zolkos Scott , Fiske Greg , Watts Jennifer , Huang Lingcao , Witharana Chandi , Nitze Ingmar , Nesterova Nina , Barth Sophia , Grosse Guido , Lantz Trevor , Runge Alexandra , Lombardo Luigi , Nicu Ionut Cristi , Rubensdotter Lena , Makopoulou Eirini , Natali Susan
Published: January 2025

Arctic permafrost is undergoing rapid changes due to climate warming in high latitudes. Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTS) are one of the most abrupt and impactful thermal-denudation events that change Arctic landscapes and accelerate carbon feedbacks. Their spatial distribution remains poorly characterised due to time-intensive conventional mapping methods. While numerous RTS studies have published standalone digitisation datasets, the lack of a centralised, unified database has limited their utilisation, affecting the scale of RTS studies and the generalisation ability of deep learning models. To address this, we established the Arctic Retrogressive Thaw Slumps (ARTS) dataset containing 23,529 RTS-present and 20,434 RTS-absent digitisations from 20 standalone datasets. We also proposed a Data Curation Framework as a working standard for RTS digitisations. This dataset is designed to be comprehensive, accessible, contributable, and adaptable for various RTS-related studies. This dataset and its accompanying curation framework establish a foundation for enhanced collaboration in RTS research, facilitating standardised data sharing and comprehensive analyses across the Arctic permafrost research community.
Spin and valley dependent transport and tunneling magnetoresistance in irradiated ferromagnetic WSe2double barrier junctions
Authors: Li Ming , Zhao Zheng-Yin , Sheng Jia-Yi
Published: January 2025

Spin and valley polarizations (Ps and PKK’) and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) are demonstrated in the ferromagnetic/barrier/normal/barrier/ferromagnetic WSe2 junction, with the gate voltage and off-resonant circularly polarized light (CPL) applied to the two barrier regions. The minimum incident energy of non-zero spin- and valley-resolved conductance has been derived, which is consistent with numerical calculations and depends on the electric potential U, CPL intensity ΔΩ, exchange field h, and magnetization configuration: parallel (P) or antiparallel (AP). For the P (AP) configuration, the energy region with PKK’ = -1 or Ps = 1 is wider (narrower) and increases with ΔΩ. As h increases, the Ps = 1 (PKK’ = -1 or Ps = 1) plateau becomes wider (narrower) for the P (AP) configuration. As U increases, the energy region with PKK’ = -1 increases first and then moves parallel to the EF-axis, and the energy region with Ps = 1 for the P configuration remains unchanged first and then decreases. The energy region for TMR = 1 increases rapidly with h, remains unchanged first and then decreases as U increases, and has little dependence on ΔΩ. When the helicity of the CPL reverses, the valley polarization will switch. This work sheds light on the design of spin-valley and TMR devices based on ferromagnetic WSe2 double-barrier junctions.
A novel RFE-GRU model for diabetes classification using PIMA Indian dataset
Authors: Shams Mahmoud Y. , Tarek Zahraa , Elshewey Ahmed M.
Published: January 2025

Diabetes is a long-term condition characterized by elevated blood sugar levels. It can lead to a variety of complex disorders such as stroke, renal failure, and heart attack. Diabetes requires the most machine learning help to diagnose diabetes illness at an early stage, as it cannot be treated and adds significant complications to our health-care system. The diabetes PIMA Indian dataset (PIDD) was used for classification in several studies, it includes 768 instances and 9 features; eight of the features are the predictors, and one feature is the target. Firstly, we performed the preprocessing stage that includes mean imputation and data normalization. Afterwards, we trained the extracted features using various types of Machine Learning (ML); Random Forest (RF), Logistic Regression (LR), K-Nearest neighbor (KNN), Naïve Bayes (NB), Histogram Gradient Boost (HGB), and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) models. To achieve the classification for the PIDD, a new model called Recursive Feature Elimination-GRU (RFE-GRU) is proposed in this paper. RFE is vital for selecting features in the training dataset that are most important in predicting the target variable. While the GRU handles the challenge of vanishing and inflating gradient of the features results from RFE. Several predictive evaluation metrics, including precision, recall, F1-score, accuracy, and Area Under the Curve (AUC) achieved 90.50%, 90.70%, 90.50%, 90.70%, 0.9278, respectively, to verify and validate the execution of the RFE-GRU model. The comparative results showed that the RFE-GRU model is better than other classification models.
Unifying spatiotemporal and frequential attention for traffic prediction
Authors: Guo Qi , Tan Qi , Tang Jun , Shi Benyun
Published: January 2025

Intelligent transportation systems heavily rely on forecasting urban traffic flow, and a variety of approaches have been developed for this purpose. However, most current methods focus on exploring spatial and temporal dependencies in historical traffic data, while often overlooking the inherent spectral characteristics hidden in traffic time series. In this paper, we introduce an approach to analyzing traffic flow in the frequency domain. By integrating attention mechanisms, we comprehensively capture the hidden correlations among space, time, and frequency dimensions. By leveraging deep learning to capture spatial correlations in traffic flow and applying spectral analysis to fuse time series data with underlying periodic correlations in both the time and frequency domains, we develop an innovative traffic prediction model called the Space-Time-Frequency Attention Network (STFAN). The core of this network lies in the application of attention mechanisms, which project the hidden states of current traffic features across the space, time, and frequency domains onto future hidden states. This approach enables a comprehensive learning of the relationships between each dimension and the future states, ultimately allowing for accurate predictions of future traffic flow. We carry out experiments on two publicly available datasets from the California Department of Transportation, PeMS04 and PeMS08, to assess the performance of the proposed model. The results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms existing baseline models in terms of predictive accuracy, particularly for mid- and long-term traffic flow forecasting. Finally, the ablation study confirmed that the frequency domain characteristics of traffic flow significantly influence future traffic conditions, demonstrating the practical effectiveness of the model.
Details on the transport of European eel larvae through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Freese Marko , Marohn Lasse , Ferrer Luis , Pohlmann Jan-Dag , Wysujack Klaus , Blancke Tina , Hanel Reinhold
Published: January 2025

Numbers of European glass eels (Anguilla anguilla) monitored along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Europe currently serve as the main stock indicator in assessment of this critically endangered species. Spawning, however, takes place exclusively in the Sargasso Sea, several thousand kilometers away. The beginning of its complex lifecycle is characterized by a distant and lengthy larval drift, before the young-of-the-year reach the monitoring stations at the European coasts. The oceanic mechanisms regulating dispersal and distribution of European eel leptocephalus larvae, before they metamorphose into glass eels and colonize future growth habitats, are still poorly understood and data are scarce. Here, we present oceanographic and leptocephalus catch data from a 24-h station on board of the German Research Vessel Meteor, covering one event cycle of the tide-derived change of hydrographic conditions in the central part of the Strait of Gibraltar. Results of this study provide detailed insights on how the exchange of water masses between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea may favor or prevent transport and migration of eel larvae through the Strait, which potentially plays a decisive role in timing and magnitude of larval recruitment events into the entire Mediterranean region.
DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes expression in lung cancer and its correlation with different clinicopathologic parameters
Authors: Farrag Mayada Saad , Abdelwahab Heba Wagih , Abdellateef Amr , Anber Nahla , Ellayeh Mohamed Adel , Hussein Dalia Tawfeek , Eldesoky Ahmed Ramadan , Sheta Heba
Published: January 2025

Lung cancer (LC) is a crucial rapidly developing disease. In Egypt, it is one of the five most frequent cancers. Little is known about the impact of deleted mismatch repair genes and its correlation to clinicopathological characteristics. This study evaluates immunohistochemical expression of the mismatch repair genes (PMS2), (MSH2), (MLH1) & (MSH6) & its correlation with clinicopathologic parameters & prognosis of LC. Age was higher with lost MLH1 & PMS2 but HTN was higher with lost four markers. Smoking was associated with expression of MLH1 & PMS2. A progressive course was associated with lost MSH2 & MSH6. Suprarenal metastasis was associated with lost all markers but bone metastasis was associated with lost MSH2 & MSH6. All the markers were significantly correlated with each other, with perfect correlations between MSH6 & MSH2 and between MLH & PMS2. Median overall survival among cases with lost markers was significantly lower than patients with preserved markers. We recommend evaluation of the four proteins as a biomarker that could guide LC therapy. In-depth biological research is imperative to elucidate the precise roles and mechanisms of these markers. This will advance management strategies and even guide immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for LC.