bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fibroblast growth factor 21: a novel link in the development and treatment of metabolic disorders
Authors: Mikhailova A. A. , Sharypova M. V. , Simanenkova A. V. , Cheburkin Yu. V. , Fuks O. S. , Timkina N. V. , Dyachuk V. A. , Karonova T. L.
Published: January 2025

In recent years, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has garnered increasing attention as a metabolic regulator. It plays a role in the development of tissue insulin sensitivity, exerts beneficial effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and exhibits antihyperglycemic and antilipidemic properties. Elevated FGF21 levels have been observed in patients with type 2 diabetes, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and a range of other conditions. This may indicate either resistance to FGF21 or a compensatory response to metabolic stress. Evidence suggests that FGF21 can be considered both a marker of several metabolic disorders and a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of significant societal health issues. Objective. The objective of this review is to summarize the data published to date in the literature, including meta-analyses, reviews, and original studies, focusing on the diagnostic and potential therapeutic role of FGF21 in metabolic disorders.
Associations between physical activity, infrastructure parameters of the area of residence, and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors
Authors: Gaziev T. F. , Mulerova T. A. , Bazdyrev E. D.
Published: January 2025

The purpose of the research is to study the relationship among physical activity, infrastructure parameters of the area of residence, and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in the population of the Kemerovo Region. Design and methods. The study started at the Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases (Kemerovo) in 2015 and continues to this day. It includes 1,598 residents aged 35–70 as part of the epidemiological work “Study of the influence of social factors on chronic non-communicable diseases.” The researchers measure the participants’ physical activity using the Russian-language version of the international IPAQ questionnaire and assess the subjective attitude of citizens to the infrastructure parameters using the NEWS questionnaire. The study establishes associations between the participants’ physical activity, mediated by their subjective attitude towards the infrastructure parameters, and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, abdominal obesity, and lipid and carbohydrate metabolism disorders. Results. The present study demonstrates a direct impact of the infrastructure parameters from the NEWS scales on the reduction in the participants’ physical activity: B (accessibility of infrastructure facilities) [OR = 1,51]; D (pedestrian accessibility) [OR = 1,52]; E (environment in the vicinity) [OR = 1,55]; H (satisfaction with living conditions) [OR = 1,37]. In the group of individuals with low physical activity, characteristics of the area of residence combined into scales B [OR = 1,44], D [OR = 1,43], and F [OR = 1,30] were associated with hypertension; B [OR = 1,42] and [OR = 1,53], C [OR = 1,39] and [OR = 1,37], D [OR = 1,43] and [OR = 1,32] respectively — with obesity and its abdominal type; B [OR = 1,65] and D [OR = 1,41] — with dyslipidemia. Conclusions. The formed sample of the Kemerovo Region associates an increase in cardiovascular risk factors with the low physical activity of the population and its subjective attitude to the social characteristics (infrastructure parameters) of the area of residence.
Transparency of the Federal Reserve, a Force of Stability or Volatility in Financial Markets Post 2008 and Prior to COVID-19?
Authors: Soper Carolyne C. , Sywak Monika K.
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this article is to analyze how the Central Bank of the United States, the Federal Reserve’s decision to provide greater transparency after the Financial Crisis of 2008 impacted the volatility in financial markets. This study uses five Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Indices as a proxy for overall market volatility and attempts to capture their deviances from expected returns. The event dates identified are when the United States Federal Reserve met and released their “summary of economic predictions”.
The methodology deployed uses an event study framework on daily financial market data from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting days, to determine how an increased availability of information impacted financial markets in the period of January 2008 – January 2020.
The results of the empirical analysis do not reveal abnormal returns pre or post the event dates. This finding suggests that the FOMC announcements did not lead to significant abnormal returns of the analyzed assets.
Empirical Study of Multi-Objective Risk Portfolio Optimization Based on NSGA-II
Authors: Gao Qian , Kresta Aleš
Published: January 2025

The purpose of the article. The application of multi-objective optimization in portfolio management has gained significant attention in asset management. This study aims to uncover the potential advantages of dynamic portfolio optimization using a multi-objective genetic algorithm to address the challenges of ever-changing market conditions.
Methodology. By incorporating multi-objective optimization, this paper comprehensively examines three key portfolio objectives: minimizing two risk types and maximizing returns. The approach involves constructing portfolios, initializing the population using the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), and employing crossover and mutation steps to achieve Pareto optimality. Additionally, this study compares the performance of two risk minimization strategies through traditional portfolio backtesting.
Results of the research. The results indicate that the multi-objective risk genetic algorithm not only effectively explores the portfolio space but also handles conflicting optimization objectives, thereby enhancing the comprehensiveness and flexibility of investment decisions. However, its performance depended on the chosen risk measurement methods, and the backtesting returns were unstable.
Mineralogy and geochemistry of kaolinitic clays in the Şile Neogene Basin (İstanbul, Türkiye)
Authors: Ekinci Şans Bala , Zarikaya Oral , Esenli Fahri , Özdamar Şenel , Tunçdemir Hakan , Karadoğan Ümit , Kumral Mustafa
Published: January 2025

Şile Neogene Basin (ŞNB) is one of the world's crucial sedimentary clay-sand-coal basins, where approximately 3 million tons of clay and 20 million tons of sand are produced annually. The ŞNB, with a thickness of
La régénération dans les forêts de plaine de l'intérieur du Sud Viêt-Nam dix ans après pulvérisation aérienne de l'agent orange comme défoliant
Authors: Ashton Peter S.
Published: January 2025

En janvier 1983, l'auteur a visité des forêts denses de plaine au Sud Viêt-Nam pour lesquelles des photos aériennes et des données sur la pulvérisation chimique étaient disponibles, et dans le but d'évaluer les effets résiduels dix ans après l'arrêt de la pulvérisation. Les effets directs des défeuillants chimiques sur les forêts ont été immédiats et les produits chimiques responsables de la défoliation ne persistent pas dans l'écosystème. Le dommage résultant varie beaucoup en intensité. En général seul le couvert a été détruit et la régénération existante a survécu pour former un nouveau peuplement. Mais dans des portions importantes des deux forêts examinées, toutes les espèces d'arbres ont été détruites à de rares exceptions près ; par action probable de l'homme le feu parcourt tous les ans ces surfaces, arrêtant la succession et conduisant à des savanes secondaires plus ou moins stables. L'impact spatial des dégâts résultant de l'effet direct de la défoliation n'est, par conséquent, plus discernable en général. Deux climax forestiers principaux se rencontrent au Sud Viêt-Nam, tous deux dominés par la famille des Diptérocarpacées importante pour les bois d'œuvre. La formation prédominante est une forêt sempervirente légèrement décidue et sensible au feu mais dans l'ouest on trouve des savanes arborées plus sèches et pyrophiles.Dans ces savanes, beaucoup d'arbres ont rejeté de souche ou se sont couverts de gourmands après pulvérisation. On conclut que toutes les forêts affectées demanderont longtemps pour se régénérer par voie naturelle et que le principal effet de la défoliation est d'avoir facilité la pénétration des savanes en forêt dense. On recommande de faire un investissement substantiel dans le domaine des recherches et le développement des plantations.
Is biochar a carbon dioxide removal?
Authors: PIRARD Romain
Published: January 2025

Biochar is commonly presented as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology with great potential to contribute to climate change mitigation and co-benefits thanks to its soil conditioning properties, among others. We discuss the relevance of classifying biochar as a carbon dioxide removal and argue that in most cases its use will rather reduce CO2 emissions. The reason is that biochar is mostly a way of processing biomass into a more permanent matrix for carbon storage, independently of carbon removals that may have occurred previously into various types of biomass. It is therefore misleading to attribute carbon removal processes to biochar except in some very specific cases (e.g., purpose-grown tree plantations). Making a distinction between CDR and emission reductions is important to prevent the misallocation of resources available for mitigation activities and provides more certainty to biochar business models that could be misled by unrealistic expectations over (inflated) carbon-related revenues. As biochar has the potential to play a significant role, not only for mitigation but also for adaptation to climate change with increasing resilience of agriculture and forestry, we argue that policies should fully recognise the combined adaptation and mitigation benefits of biochar and act accordingly to create the right conditions for deploying it at scale (e.g., by supporting its use as a replacement for chemical fertilisers).
Prawo ubezpieczeń społecznych a prawo cywilne. Studium teoretyczno- i dogmatycznoprawne
Authors: Babińska-Górecka Renata
Published: January 2025

Celem niniejszej monografii było stworzenie modelu relacji prawa ubezpieczeń społecznych względem prawa cywilnego. Skoncentrowano się zatem na wskazaniu zasadniczych aspektów relacji obu gałęzi prawa oraz zbadaniu i rozważeniu wybranych elementów cząstkowych, dotyczących zarówno wymiaru normatywnego (związki terminologiczne, pojęciowe i instytucjonalne) i funkcjonalnego, jak i poszczególnych obszarów wpływu prawa cywilnego na wykładnię przepisów i stosowanie prawa ubezpieczeń społecznych.
Kierunek przeprowadzonych badań i analiz determinowało przekonanie, że obie gałęzie prawa – prawo ubezpieczeń społecznych i prawo cywilne – podlegają różnym uwarunkowaniom aksjologicznym, prakseologicznym oraz teoretyczno- i dogmatycznoprawnym. Korespondowała z nim teza, że odmienność systemu wartości uzewnętrznionego w normach prawa ubezpieczeń społecznych i prawa cywilnego oraz celu przyświecającego instytucjom należącym do tych gałęzi prawa, a także wzgląd na efektywność ich regulacji prawnych determinują zakres oddziaływania prawa cywilnego na kształtowanie i tworzenie oraz na wykładnię przepisów oraz stosowanie prawa ubezpieczeń społecznych. Podobne znaczenie przypisano swoistym uwarunkowaniom dogmatycznoprawnym oraz teoretycznoprawnym, którym obie gałęzie prawa podlegają. Dążono też do wykazania, że występują jednak czynniki ograniczające wzajemną niezależność obu gałęzi prawa.
W monografii wskazano ogólne kryteria oceny relacji prawa ubezpieczeń społecznych względem prawa cywilnego (np. kryterium występowania związków strukturalnych lub funkcjonalnych, kryterium ratio legis instytucji prawnej, kryterium aksjologiczne i prakseologiczne), a także określono wzorzec, według którego można – za pomocą obranych kryteriów – podejmować konkretne rozstrzygnięcia (np. ustalenie sensu terminu równobrzmiącego, występującego w aktach prawnych obu gałęzi prawa czy „użycie” prawa cywilnego w procesie stosowania prawa ubezpieczeń społecznych). Jednocześnie zakwestionowano bezapelacyjną przydatność pojęć, instytucji czy innych kategorii prawnych i prawniczych prawa cywilnego na gruncie prawa ubezpieczeń społecznych, dostarczając argument na rzecz różnych przejawów autonomii prawa ubezpieczeń społecznych względem prawa cywilnego, w tym m.in. pojęciowej czy funkcjonalnej.
Reimagining Student Success through Engagement and Soft Outcomes: Learning from a Capstone Course in a Canadian Polytechnic
Authors: Mulcahy Clare , Khan Ashique
Published: January 2025

This paper uses a capstone class in the bachelor of technology program at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (Canada) as a case study for reimagining a “successful” student and promoting growth in a variety of learners. In this course, students, guided by faculty advisors, work in teams to address real-world projects solicited by individuals or organizations. Over two years, feedback was gathered through interviews and surveys with graduating students and alumni to identify opportunities for improvement and to gain deeper insight into students’ learning experiences. The authors analyze these responses through the lens of scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), particularly through literature on soft outcomes. In comparison to hard outcomes like grades or completing a degree, soft outcomes capture student advancement toward the goals of a particular course and can include interpersonal, organizational, and internal development. Ultimately, we conclude that our course promotes students’ progress toward soft outcomes through their relationships with their project sponsors, instructors, and teammates. Our findings emphasize the importance of fostering students’ social, emotional, and personal growth and suggest that the students who might be perceived as low-achieving can still advance as much on their learning journey as the ones who would be traditionally lauded as high-achieving. We align our findings with scholarship that investigates students’ emotional growth and wellbeing, which can be difficult amidst pedagogy, research, and government policy that define the value of post-secondary education primarily in terms of its ability to prepare students for the job market. This paper reframes what being a successful student means, contributes to a wider body of research on soft outcomes, and provides valuable insight for educators and researchers who are invested in students’ engagement.
Building Trust Through Feedback: A Conceptual Framework for Educators
Authors: Bayraktar Breana , Ragupathi Kiruthika , Troyer Katherine A.
Published: January 2025

Trust is fundamental for effective student engagement with feedback in higher education. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework delineating the specific instructor practices and learning environment conditions that facilitate trustful feedback processes. Open-ended survey responses from higher education instructors (n=147) were analysed using a qualitative methodology. Analysis revealed three key environmental conditions for building trust-based relationships: positive non-judgment; inclusion, community, and constructive interdependence; and dialogue and discussion. Three instructor feedback practices were found to promote student agency: showing empathy and sensitivity to student identities, communicating high expectations, and promoting student self-evaluation. These relationship- building conditions and agency-promoting practices operate synergistically, as represented by our framework of Building Trust Through Feedback. By continuously cultivating this interplay of environmental and relational factors, instructors can engender greater reciprocity, vulnerability, and growth during the feedback process. The proposed framework provides guidance on trust-building pedagogies that enhance student engagement and learning. Further research should explore student perspectives on practices that build trusting instructor-student relationships.
What is the Role of Trust in Peer Support Schemes for Underrepresented Students?
Authors: Hamshire Claire , Benjamin Mimi , Soong Swee Kit Alan
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this study was to explore how peer support schemes can be used to facilitate meaningful relationships and a sense of belonging for underrepresented students. Using three case studies, the study explored and compared peer support leaders’ narratives about their experiences at three universities: one in the United Kingdom (UK), one in the United States (USA), and the other in Singapore. One-to-one interviews and focus groups were completed with 25 students (15 in the UK, four in the USA, and six in Singapore) to explore their perceptions and experiences of being a peer support lead within their institution. These three case studies (one at each institution) explore the multifaceted concept of belonging in order to identify the relative influences of social connection, shared culture/experiences and interpersonal trust. The results demonstrated that the students were aware of the challenges faced by underrepresented students and how peer support schemes can facilitate belonging. Whilst the three settings are diverse, the findings demonstrate that supporting learning transitions and the navigation of liminal spaces through peer support can encourage trust, belonging, and student success. We propose a conceptual model for considering how social connection, shared culture/experiences, and interpersonal trust can contribute to the central goal of belonging. This conceptual model can be used as a resource to support consideration of peer support schemes for underrepresented students that can be developed to support student belonging.
The TB27 Transcriptomic Model for Predicting Mycobacterium tuberculosis Culture Conversion
Authors: Reimann Maja , Avsar Korkut , DiNardo Andrew , Goldmann Torsten , Günther Gunar , Hoelscher Michael , Ibraim Elmira , Kalsdorf Barbara , Kaufmann Stefan , Köhler Niklas , Mandalakas Anna , Maurer Florian , Müller Marius , Nitschkowski Dörte , Olaru Ioana , Popa Cristina , Rachow Andrea , Rolling Thierry , Salzer Helmut , Sanchez-Carballo Patricia , Schuhmann Maren , Schaub Dagmar , Spinu Victor , Terhalle Elena , Unnewehr Markus , Zielinski Nika , Heyckendorf Jan , Lange Christoph
Published: January 2025

Rationale: Treatment monitoring of tuberculosis patients is complicated by a slow growth rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Recently, host RNA signatures have been used to monitor the response to tuberculosis treatment.
Objective: Identifying and validating a whole blood-based RNA signature model to predict microbiological treatment responses in patients on tuberculosis therapy.
Methods: Using a multi-step machine learning algorithm to identify an RNA-based algorithm to predict the remaining time to culture conversion at flexible time points during anti-tuberculosis therapy. 
Results: The identification cohort included 149 patients split into a training and a test cohort, to develop a multistep algorithm consisting of 27 genes (TB27) for predicting the remaining time to culture conversion (TCC) at any given time. In the test dataset, predicted TCC and observed TCC achieved a correlation coefficient of r=0.98. An external validation cohort of 34 patients shows a correlation between predicted and observed days to TCC also of r=0.98. 
Conclusion: We identified and validated a whole blood-based RNA signature (TB27) that demonstrates an excellent agreement between predicted and observed times to M. tuberculosis culture conversion during tuberculosis therapy. TB27 is a potential useful biomarker for anti-tuberculosis drug development and for prediction of treatment responses in clinical practice.
New branch and definitions against emerging infectious diseases
Authors: Solozafy Bemena Bruce Masonova , Totohasina André , Feno Daniel Rajaonasy , Rakotoarivelo Rivo Andry
Published: January 2025

Since the Middle Ages, our world has been ravaged by terrible pandemics and deadly epidemics (such as the Black Death in 1348, Spanish flu in 1918, cholera in 1503, tuberculosis in the 18th century, smallpox in the 18th century, and typhoid fever in 1910). However, the consequences of epidemics for the population seem to have been brought under control and mitigated after the creation of the World Health Organization in 1948, thanks to technological developments, the various methods and strategies deployed, and the invention of remedies and vaccines against infectious diseases. Nevertheless, a disease aggravated by global warming (i.e., COVID-19) crossed our paths in 2020 and threw us off course. It has sent us back to the Stone Age, to the same situation faced by our elders with the pandemic and the same result, with some 15 million deaths and a hundred million confirmed cases worldwide. This article aims to explain the reasons behind this situation such as the rapid development of biomedical science and medical biology into chimeric viruses, the lack of training of health workers in the face of emerging diseases, and the lack of information on the possible behavior of future emerging diseases. It also attempts to propose a solution to better handle similar problems in future.
Figurative Attention: EEG-Based Assessment Using Ambiguous Stimuli
Authors: Pisarchik Alexander , Vega Walter Escalante Puente de la , Paredes Ricardo Imbert , Mora Elena Villalba
Published: January 2025

Figurative attention is a captivating cognitive process that involves maintaining sustained focus on a preferred interpretation of an ambiguous stimulus. This process entails voluntary attention and is directly related to perceptual bistability. Quantifying figurative attention reveals an individual's ability to interpret ambiguous information, thereby influencing creative thinking and decision-making. Understanding figurative attention can enhance our comprehension of how different people perceive and interpret multiple real-world scenarios. To study figurative attention, we employ a method wherein the pixels of two faces of the Necker cube are simultaneously flickered at distinct frequencies, resulting in the appearance of the corresponding spectral components at these frequencies (tags) in the Fourier spectra of obtained electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. The observed tags serve as neural markers associated with figurative attention. To quantify figurative attention, we propose two criteria based on the relative differences between spectral magnitudes at the flicker frequencies for samples corresponding to voluntary and involuntary attention. Additionally, we introduce the attention performance index, which classifies participants according to their capacity to sustain figurative attention. Furthermore, we demonstrate that assessing figurative attention can be achieved using only three EEG channels in the occipital cortex. This small number of channels is highly beneficial for the development of real-time brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) for visual attention control, presenting an attractive direction for future research. The proposed methodology holds significant promise for various applications, including medical contexts. For instance, measuring attention can aid in the early diagnosis of quantification of attention deficit disorder, providing valuable information for developing intervention and treatment strategies.
A Lung CT Foundation Model Facilitating Disease Diagnosis and Medical Imaging
Authors: Guo Yuchen , Gao Zebin , Zhang Guoxun , Liang Hengrui , Liu Jiaxin , Ma Liangdi , Wang Tianyun , Guo Yanchen , Chen Yujia , Zeping Yan , Chen Xiangru , He Jianxing , Xu Feng , Wong Tien Yin , Dai Qionghai
Published: January 2025

The concomitant development and evolution of lung computed tomography (CT) and artificial intelligence (AI) has allowed non-invasive lung imaging to be a key part of the clinical care of patients with major diseases, such as lung cancer. However, the paucity of labeled lung CT data has limited the training highly efficacious AI models and thereby has retarded broad-scale adoption and deployment of AI-based lung CT imaging in the real-world clinical setting. In this paper, We introduce LCTfound, a foundational model that encodes images along with correlated clinical information, into a neural network. LCTfound used self-supervised learning pre-trained by diffusion models using a large dataset containing 105,184 lung CT scans (totaling more than 28 million images) from multiple centers. LCTfound was evaluated on 8 categories of lung CT tasks, ranging from scanning-level clinical diagnosis to pixel-level image restoration, including segmentation of mediastinal neoplasm, diagnosis of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer, prediction of major pathological response to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, whole lung 3D modeling for surgical navigation, virtual lung computed tomography angiography(CTA), reconstruction of lung CT from sparse views, and enhancement of low-dose CT images. Equipped with the robust few-shot learning capability, LCTfound outperformed the previously state-of-the-art pre-trained models in all the above tasks. LCTfound is a major advancements in self-supervised representation learning on lung CT, laying the groundwork for a foundational model that operates with high efficacy across the spectrum of low-level and high-level clinical tasks and serving a dual purpose in aiding in clinical diagnosis of lung diseases and improving the quality of lung CT imaging
Identification and seasonal abundance of web- and air-borne sex pheromone components of western black widow spiders, Latrodectus hesperus
Authors: Fischer Andreas , Fischer Alexandra J. , Gries Regine , Hung Emmanuel , Lau Kelvin , Monfared Aryan , Gries Gerhard
Published: January 2025

Sex pheromones mediate mate location in many animal taxa. Widow spider males are attracted to sex pheromones disseminating from female webs. Upon arrival on a web, males court in response to web-borne contact pheromone components. N-3-Methylbutanoyl-O-methylpropanoyl-L-serine methyl ester (1) is the single known, weakly effective, contact pheromone component of female western black widows, Latrodectus hesperus. Moreover, the seasonal periodicity of pheromone signalling by female spiders is unknown. We tested the hypotheses that female L. hesperus (1) deposit multiple contact pheromone components on their web that transition to mate-attractant pheromone components, and (2) increase pheromone signalling during the primary mating season. Analyses of web extract by gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS; LC-MS) revealed N-3-methylbutanoyl-O-methylpropanoyl-L-serine (7), the corresponding acid of 1. Web extract of unmated female L. hesperus, and the synthetic blend of 1 and 7, were equally effective in eliciting courtship by males but web extract induced more sustained courtship. Tested singly, 7 prompted longer courtship behaviour by males than 1. Synthetic isobutyric acid (10), the hydrolysis product of 1 and 7, attracted male spiders in a field experiment. The abundance of 1 and 7 on female webs, and the dissemination of10 from webs, peaked during the summer when males are most abundant, indicating strategic sexual signalling by female spiders.
Freshwater ponds create highly dynamic Arctic tundra landscapes
Authors: Assmann Jakob , Akandil Cengiz , Plekhanova Elena , Moigne Alizée Le , Karsanaev Sergey , Maximov Trofim , Schaepman-Strub Gabriela
Published: January 2025

Greenhouse gas emissions from Arctic tundra ponds and permafrost thaw provide important positive feedbacks to global warming. However, a high landscape heterogeneity and small size of ponds make it challenging to assess trends in surface water extent and associated carbon and energy fluxes, especially in the understudied Eastern Siberian tundra. Here, we show that surface water extent in these landscapes can be highly dynamic, shaped by pond-scale processes that cannot be detected in satellite products. Using a time-series of aerial imagery at 12 cm resolution spanning eight years (2014–2021), we classified surface water at three sites in Kytalyk National Park and traced the 465 ponds larger than 1 m2. The surface water extent varied between 102%-124% relative to the time-series mean, without significant trends in contrast to previous reports. Individual pond area fluctuated by 52% on average, and two thirds of ponds were present for less than six years. One-quarter of ponds showed evidence for thermokarst or vegetation colonisation as drivers of change, based on our high-resolution surface elevation models. These findings highlight a highly dynamic nature of tundra ponds and stress the need for improved change detection to better model carbon and energy fluxes in this biome. Main Text
A pipeline to unravel complexity in human peripheral blood B cell subsets through multiomic cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing (CITE-seq) analyses
Authors: Meinhardt Nathan , Veltri Anthony J. , Gurski Cody , Valenti Sophia M. , Dittel Bonnie N.
Published: January 2025

Classifying heterogeneous human B cells into discrete subsets based on surface phenotype alone remains a major challenge. We discovered a mouse splenic IgM+IgDlow/− B cell subset (BDL) that induces proliferation of CD4+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells, making them a therapeutic target for autoimmunity. Because they are rare and lack sufficient cell surface markers, a multiomic strategy is required to identify and track them in humans. The lack of correlation between mRNA expression levels and cell surface expression is a drawback to a transcriptome-only single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) approach because ‘novel’ cell populations identified by surface protein transcripts may prove impossible to validate. To that end a pipeline was developed using human peripheral blood (PB) IgM+IgDlow/− B cells as a surrogate. First, a standardized flow cytometry gating scheme (CD27 versus IgD and CD24 versus CD38) that captures all major human PB B cell subsets was utilized. Second, CD19+IgM+IgDlow/− PB B cells were tagged with the four markers using cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing. Biaxial plots similar to flow cytometry were used to identify naïve, immature, and memory B cells, and then confirmed with scRNA-seq. These studies using a multiomic workflow allowed the identification of IgM+IgDlow/− B cell subsets by cell surface expression that could subsequently be analyzed for unique transcriptional profiles.
Embedding high-resolution touch across robotic hands enables adaptive human-like grasping
Authors: Zhu Yixin , Zhao Zihang , Li Wanlin , Li Yuyang , Liu Tengyu , Li Boren , Wang Meng , Du Kai , Liu Hangxin , Wang Qining , Althoefer Kaspar , Zhu Song-Chun
Published: January 2025

Developing robotic hands that adapt to real-world dynamics remains a fundamental challenge in robotics and machine intelligence. Despite significant advances in replicating human hand kinematics and control algorithms, robotic systems still struggle to match human capabilities in dynamic environments, primarily due to inadequate tactile feedback. To bridge this gap, we present F-TAC Hand, a biomimetic hand featuring high-resolution tactile sensing (0.1mm spatial resolution) across 70% of its surface area. Through optimized hand design, we overcome traditional challenges in integrating high-resolution tactile sensors while preserving the full range of motion. The hand, powered by our generative algorithm that synthesizes human-like hand configurations, demonstrates robust grasping capabilities in dynamic real-world conditions. Extensive evaluation across 600 real-world trials demonstrates that this tactile-embodied system significantly outperforms non-tactile alternatives in complex manipulation tasks (p<0.0001). These results provide empirical evidence for the critical role of rich tactile embodiment in developing advanced robotic intelligence, offering new perspectives on the relationship between physical sensing capabilities and intelligent behavior.
Harnessing Machine Learning to Predict Time-Sensitive Conditions in Prehospital Care: The Impact of Response Times in Patients with Breathing Problems
Authors: Hill Peter , Jonsson Daniel , Lederman Jakob , Bolin Peter , Vicente Veronica
Published: January 2025

Background:
Shorter response times in prehospital care are often linked to better outcomes, especially for patients presenting with breathing problems—a group that frequently faces life-threatening conditions if not treated promptly. However, the ways in which response time interacts with patient characteristics (like age and sex) remain less clear. This study uses machine learning to examine how response time, age, and sex influence the likelihood of high-risk time-sensitive conditions (HRTS) in patients initially assessed for breathing difficulties by the Emergency Medical Call Centre (EMCC)
Methods:
A retrospective analysis of 132,395 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) missions in Stockholm, Sweden (2017–2022) was conducted. Development of a gradient boosting model, a type of machine learning method that can handle complex, nonlinear relationships, to predict HRTS in patients initially assessed for breathing difficulties by EMCC was conducted. The focus is on the effect of response time—the interval between the emergency call and the EMS team’s arrival—alongside patient age and sex. Model performance was evaluated using Youden’s Index and misclassification rates, and interpretation of the model was facilitated through partial dependence (PD) and individual conditional expectation (ICE) plots.
Results:
The gradient boosting model performed best among several tested methods, achieving a Youden’s Index of 0.2411. Age, response time, and sex were the most important predictors of HRTS. Shorter response times tended to be associated with higher chances of HRTS, likely reflecting proper prioritization. Nonlinear patterns emerged with longer response times, especially in patients over 60 years old, suggesting potential gaps in how patients are initially triaged. Male patients across all age groups showed a higher probability of HRTS compared to females.
Conclusions:
Incorporating predictive modelling into EMCC workflows—especially by considering age and sex—could improve the accuracy of initial prioritization and potentially enhance outcomes for patients with breathing problems. By better aligning EMS response times with actual patient risk, healthcare systems may optimize resource allocation, improve patient safety, and reduce the impact of prolonged response times.
Dynamic Tuning of ENZ Wavelength in Conductive Polymer Films via Polaron Excitation
Authors: Ye Hui
Published: January 2025

Traditional metal and n–type doped semiconductor materials serve as emerging epsilon–near zero (ENZ) materials, showcasing great potential for nonlinear photonic applications. However, a significant limitation for such materials is the lack of versatile ENZ wavelength tuning, and thus dynamic tuning of the ENZ wavelength remains a technical challenge, thereby restricting their potential applications, such as multi–band communications. Here, dynamic tuning of the ENZ wavelength in p–type organic PEDOT: PSS films is achieved through a reversible change in hole concentrations originated from the polaron formation/decoupling following optical excitation, and a tunable ENZ wavelength shift up to 150 nm is observed. Experimental investigations about ultrafast dynamics of polaron excitation reveal a ∼80 fs time constant for polaron buildup and a ∼280 fs time constant for polaron decoupling, indicating the potential of reversal ultrafast switching for the ENZ wavelength within subpicosecond time scale. These findings suggest that p–type organic semiconductors can serve as a novel platform for dynamically tuning the ENZ wavelength through polaron excitation, opening new possibilities for ENZ–based nonlinear optical applications in flexible optoelectronics.
Cognitive Alignment Between Humans and LLMs Across Multimodal Domains
Authors: Wang Yuwei , Liang Dongqi , Zeng Yi
Published: January 2025

Large Language Models (LLMs) show remarkable text abilities, prompting investigations into their alignment with human cognition.
Using the Brain-Based Componential Semantic Representation (BBSR), a neurobiologically grounded semantic framework, we evaluate nine LLMs, including Qwen2, Llama-3, Llama-3.1, and GPT series.
We examine their multimodal cognitive boundaries, representational similarity, cross-modality consistency, abstract/concrete divergences, psycholinguistic factors, and stability across repeated responses.
Larger models align more closely with human cognition, particularly for concrete concepts and early-acquired words.
Still, discrepancies persist, especially for abstract concepts, spatial cognition, embodied experiences (e.g., olfaction, gustation), and causal reasoning.
These findings reveal limitations in LLM cognitive architectures, emphasizing models embodying human cognition.
Workplace Flourishing as a Mediator in the Relationship between Relationship-Oriented Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Context of Nursing Staff in Hospitals
Authors: Türe Aysun , Akkoç İrfan , Arun Korhan , KARA Arzu UĞURLU
Published: January 2025

Background: This study investigates the impact of relationship-oriented leadership on organizational citizenship behavior among hospital nurses, focusing on the mediating role of workplace flourishing. The research aims to fill gaps in understanding the indirect effects of leadership on organizational citizenship behavior through workplace well-being in the context of healthcare professionals.
Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed, surveying 448 nurses from a university hospital using structured Likert-type scales. Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling and the bootstrap method to test the hypothesized relationships among the variables.
Results: The findings indicate that relationship-oriented leadership significantly affects organizational citizenship behavior dimensions such as altruism, conscientiousness, courtesy, and sportsmanship. Additionally, workplace flourishing was found to mediate the relationship between leadership style and organizational citizenship behavior, with flourishing showing a strong positive influence on organizational citizenship behavior dimensions.
Conclusion: The study highlights that relationship-oriented leadership fosters workplace flourishing, which in turn enhances organizational citizenship behaviors. These results suggest that healthcare leaders can promote better workplace outcomes by fostering a flourishing environment, ultimately improving nurse engagement and citizenship behaviors.
Impact of Topological Defects on Strain-Induced Crystallization in Elastocaloric Polymers
Authors: Lin Shaoting , Yu Zhaohan , Xu Duo , Usmanova Zumrat , Swarnkar Aditya , Ye Chuwei , Scott Emma , Huang Sizhe , Rao Siyuan , Boriskina Svetlana , Bai Ruobing
Published: January 2025

Elastocaloric polymers, whose performance typically relies on phase transformation between amorphous chains and crystalline domains, offer a promising alternative to traditional refrigeration technologies due to their solid-state characteristics and environmental benefits. While engineering polymer-network architecture has shown the potential to boost elastocaloric performance, the role of topological defects remains unexplored despite their prevalence in real polymers. This study investigates strain- and temperature-induced crystallization in a series of model end-linked star polymers (ELSPs) with controlled dangling-chain defects, focusing on their effects on mechanical properties and elastocaloric performance. Our findings reveal two competing effects: suppression of strain-induced crystallization (SIC), which hinders amorphous chain alignment and crystalline domain orientation, and promotion of temperature-induced crystallization (TIC), which enhances polymer network flexibility. Increasing dangling-chain defects monotonically lowers ELSPs’ mechanical performance at high temperatures due to suppressed SIC, but nonmonotonically impacts the mechanical performance at low temperatures due to the competition between suppressed SIC and enhanced TIC. Additionally, elastocaloric experiments show an intriguing defect-dependent adiabatic temperature change, highlighting the critical role of topological defects in maximizing the cooling performance of elastocaloric polymers.
The silver bullet - new evidence for a hypervelocity impact origin for the Silverpit Crater
Authors: Nicholson Uisdean Alasdair , de Jonge-Anderson Iain , Gillespie Alex , Kenkmann Thomas , Jones Tom Dunkley , Collins Gareth S. , Frankel James , Bray Veronica , Gulick Sean P.S. , Parr Ronnie
Published: January 2025

An impact origin for the Silverpit Crater, on the UK continental shelf, has been contested over the last two decades, with a lack of a ‘silver bullet’ – traditionally petrographic evidence of shock metamorphism – to resolve the debate. Here we present new 3D seismic, petrographic and biostratigraphic data, and numerical impact simulations to test the impact hypothesis. The seismic data provide exceptional imaging of the entire structure for the first time, confirming the presence of a central uplift, annular moat, damage zone and numerous secondary craters on the contemporaneous seabed. The distribution of normal and reverse faults in the brim, and curved radial faults around the central uplift suggest a low-angle impact from the west. The pitted, flat-topped central uplift at the top chalk horizon may indicate significant devolatilization of chalk immediately following impact. Biostratigraphic data confirm that this event occurred during the middle Eocene, between 43-46 million years ago. Petrographic analysis from the reworked ejecta sequence in the nearby 43/25-1 well reveals two grains with shock lamellae, indicating shock pressures of ~10-13 GPa, consistent with results from our numerical models. This combination of evidence proves that the Silverpit structure is an exceptionally preserved hypervelocity impact structure.
A Child Presenting with Arthralgia Confirmed to Be Wilson's Disease
Authors: Li Yiyuan , Wen Yang
Published: January 2025

Backgrounds
:Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by impaired hepatic copper metabolism, resulting in copper accumulation and multi-systemic manifestations, but arthritis as an initial manifestation is rare .We report a pediatric case of WD visiting the hospital for arthralgia.
Case presentation
A ten-year-old patient experienced recurrent arthralgia in the lower limbs, predominantly involved ankles and knees, and physical examination revealed tenderness in the right ankle joint and hepatomegaly. Laboratory investigations demonstrated liver disfunction, including elevated alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with WD based on the presence of Kayser-Fleischer rings on ophthalmic examination, low ceruloplasmin levels, and increased urinary copper excretion. With penicillamine and Zinc preparations therapy, the patient reported gradual improvement in arthralgia and liver function.
Conclusion
Wilson's disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with arthralgia, especially in the presence of abnormal liver function tests.
Investigation of longitudinal modes for different microchip Nd:YVO4/KTP green lasers
Authors: Elsafty Ahmed Saudi.
Published: January 2025

Nowadays, single-frequency diode-pumped solid-state lasers play an important role in laser frequency standard and length metrology. In this paper, the longitudinal modes oscillation of three different low-cost microchips Nd:YVO4/KTP green lasers have been investigated. A short-cavity Nd:YVO4 laser is used to explore Single Longitudinal Mode (SLM) without inserting any optical elements inside the cavity. The experiment confirms that SLM can occur by controlling the diode pumping current and laser crystal temperature at a wide range from (300 mA to 388 mA) and (18.5°C to 30°C), respectively.
Re-evaluating the associations of abdominal and ectopic fat accumulation with impaired glucose metabolism based on Q-CT measurements in overweight/obese Chinese subjects by gender
Authors: Ma Xiaoli , Liu Yang , Li Bohan , Zhao Huichen , Sun Yanpei , Han Heli , Yu Wanjiang , Mu Weina , Liu Yuantao
Published: January 2025

Objective: Re-evaluate the associations of abdominal adiposity and ectopic fat accumulation with impaired glucose metabolism (IGM) in overweight/obese Chinese subjects by gender, based on quantitative computed tomography (Q-CT) measurements.
Materials and Methods: This study included 205 participants (100 males, 105 females ) with BMI ≥24, aged between 18 and 50 years. All participants underwent a standard 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The subjects were divided into three categories according to their glucose status: normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and diabetes (DM) for both genders. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) was conducted to ascertain the quantities of abdominal fat and fat within the liver, pancreas, and skeletal muscle. IGM was defined as the presence of IGT or DM. The data was analyzed separately by gender.
Results: The hepatic fat fraction (HFF) was found to be significantly higher in IGMpatients than in NGT subjects, across both genders. After adjusting for age and dyslipidemia, the odds ratio for the prevalence of IGM in the highest tertile of HFF was 5.24 (95% CI 1.64-16.73) in males and 6.45 (95% CI 2.12-19.63) in females, respectively. Further analysis demonstrated that other fat fractions, specifically visceral adipose tissue (VAT), exhibited significantly higher levels in IGM patients compared to NGT subjects, across both genders. With regard to VAT, the odds ratio for IGM was 6.56 (95% CI 1.55-27.86) in males and 3.29 (95% CI 1.17-9.29) in females, respectively. The results for subcutaneous fat tissue (SAT) demonstrated significantly lower levels in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic and IGT patients. In males, the odds ratio for IGM of SAT was 0.13 (95% CI 0.03-0.60).
Conclusions: The results demonstrated that both HFF and VAT were independent risk factors for IGM in Chinese overweight/obese subjects of both genders. In male subjects, SAT was found to be a beneficial factor in reducing the risk of IGM. The findings revealed useful biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the early detection and prevention of diabetes in Chinese subjects with overweight/obesity.