bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Making Indigenous employment everyone’s business: Indigenous employment and retention in non-Indigenous-owned businesses
Authors: Eva Christian , Bodle Kerry , Foley Dennis , Hunter Boyd Hamilton , Shirodkar Siddharth
Published: January 2025

Indigenous employment has attracted an increasing focus in recent decades from policy-makers, in the context of the gap between national rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous employment. Non-Indigenous businesses are implementing a series of workplace and recruitment policies to enhance their rates of Indigenous employment, yet there is limited research demonstrating the impact of these policies. This paper uses primary survey data from a representative sample of Australian-based non-Indigenous-owned businesses to detail how Indigenous-focused workplace and recruitment practices are associated with Indigenous employment and retention. Descriptive analysis reveals that businesses with a workforce with 3.8% or more Indigenous employees (3.8% being the most recent Indigenous population proportion estimate) are more likely to maintain a series of Indigenous-specific workplace and recruitment practices, including celebrating NAIDOC, having a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), and cultural competency training, compared to businesses with fewer than 3.8% Indigenous employees. Businesses with higher Indigenous employee retention rates similarly demonstrate a higher likelihood to maintain these policies; however, the clearest delineation for businesses with 3.8% or more Indigenous employment and high Indigenous staff retention, is the presence of Indigenous management within these businesses. Revealingly, probit regression models demonstrate that Indigenous manager/s in a business are associated with a 50–60% higher probability of maintaining an Indigenous employment rate of 3.8% or above and an 11–16% lower probability of having poor Indigenous staff retention. Therefore, this paper reveals the importance of having Indigenous people in positions of organisational influence within non-Indigenous organisations, more so than implementing isolated workplace strategies.
Historically Drowning Othered Voices with a Few Waves
Authors: Rodrigues Laís
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this paper is to problematize how the wave narrative maintains and reinforces the hegemony of Western-dominant feminisms while silencing, excluding, appropriating, and/or diluting Othered feminisms and gender-related perspectives. As Western-dominant feminist historicizations travel to the wave narrative, they become the points of reference to all, while Othered historicizations are either erased or Westernized and whitewashed as they travel to the wave narrative. First, to present these problematizations, I will articulate with Edward Said’s travelling theories, Santiago Castro-Gómez’s zero-point hubris, and Linda Alcoff’s speaking for the other. Secondly, I will argue the wave narrative is embedded in Western myths that reinforce its supremacy, including the myths of: (i) true-universal feminisms; (ii) neutral locus of enunciation; (iii) linear-progressive feminist historicization; and (iv) white feminist savior. Finally, I seek to contribute with the theoretical perspectives presented in this paper by focusing on: (1) the importance of understanding from-to/how-by theories and historicizations travel; (2) how Othered epistemologies are located, according to zero-point hubris logics, within hyper-surveilled points of no-observation; and (3) how the dilution and appropriation of Othered stories and epistemologies by Western-dominant feminisms is not simply speaking for Others, but speaking above Others.
The political drivers of antipoverty policy in Italy: persistence, change and reversals
Authors: Mulè Rosa , Toso Stefano
Published: January 2025

This article analyses the political determinants of antipoverty policy in Italy between 1948 and 2022, providing a long-term analysis of the Italian minimum income scheme. We look for an explanation of that evolution drawing on three theoretical perspectives: veto players, gradual institutional change, and party competition. Our methodology is process tracing which involves the examination of ‘diagnostic’ pieces of evidence for our broad political-historical analysis. We argue that the so called ‘neglect’ phase until 1992 can be explained by the veto players theory, the period after 1992 by gradual institutional change, whereas the final introduction of a minimum income scheme in 2018 is the result of competitive dynamics. The main lesson is that a case study analysis of the politics of anti-poverty policy offers fresh insights into a major challenge in capitalist systems, combating rising poverty trends.
Old woods, new rule: the annexation of Veneto to the Kingdom of Italy from a forest history perspective
Authors: Bonan Giacomo
Published: January 2025

This paper analyses the period following the annexation of Veneto to the Kingdom of Italy in 1866 from the standpoint of forest history. Recent historiography has demonstrated that the development of scientific forestry was a crucial factor in the state-building process. Post-unification Veneto provides an opportunity to explore these dynamics from a decentralised perspective, focusing on two critical aspects, relevant in Italy as in many other countries at that time: (a) the administration's attempts to study and manage forest resources, and (b) the forest conflicts arising from economic and institutional transformations in rural areas.
God Works for Good with Those Who Love Him: The Church as a Sacrament of Providence, Predestination, and Divine Goodness
Authors: Robertson Albert Elias
Published: January 2025

While various parts of St Thomas’ work have been suggested as places to discern a Thomistic ecclesiology, this article tries to situate the Church in a discussion of creation and the communication of divine goodness that is at the heart of the mystery of providence and predestination. Despite the assurance that God works for good with those who love him, our understanding of divine providence must begin with the frank admission of a tension between our intuition that creation must be ordered, and our experience of contingency. By understanding the Church’s place within creation, in a hidden and shadowy way from Abel until its manifestation in the Lord’s Paschal Mystery, we can see how God’s loving purposes are worked out both in the implicit faith in a Mediator, which finds its expression in a belief in God’s providential care of creation, and in the life of the visible Church where the mystery of predestination is worked out in the lives of the faithful until all is at last made manifest at the end of time. Such an ecclesiology allows us to see the fundamental importance, and mystical meaning, of the visible hierarchical Church.
Electron root optimisation for stellarator reactor designs
Authors: Lascas Neto E. , Jorge R. , Beidler C.D. , Lion J.
Published: January 2025

In this work, we propose a method for optimising stellarator devices to favour the presence of an electron root solution of the radial electric field. Such a solution can help avoid heavy impurity accumulation, improve neoclassical thermal ion confinement and helium ash exhaust, and possibly reduce turbulence. This study shows that an optimisation for such a root is possible in quasi-isodynamic stellarators. Examples are shown for both vacuum and finite plasma pressure configurations.
Evaluation of the recombinant protein Sh-TSP-2 for the serological diagnosis of imported urogenital schistosomiasis and comparison with commercially available tests
Authors: Luzón-García María Pilar , Navarro Laura , Rodríguez Esther , Soriano-Pérez Manuel Jesús , Vázquez-Villegas José , Cabeza-Barrera María Isabel , Loukas Alex , Castillo-Fernández Nerea , Perteguer María Jesús , Sotillo Javier , Salas-Coronas Joaquín
Published: January 2025

Different agencies have emphasized the need to evaluate current serological methods for screening patients with suspected urogenital schistosomiasis. However, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the most appropriate methods for this purpose. Here we assessed the diagnostic efficacy of a newly developed serological technique that utilizes the recombinant protein Sh-TSP-2, applied to the urine and serum of migrants suspected of having urogenital schistosomiasis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the recombinant protein Sh-TSP-2 were analysed and compared with other commercial serological methods. Due to the limitations of microscopy as a perfect reference method, a latent class analysis (LCA) and composite reference standard (CRS) approach was used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of each test. According to the LCA model, the commercial tests NovaLisa® and immunochromatography test (ICT) immunoglobulin G–immunoglobulin M (IgG–IgM) presented the highest sensitivity (100%), whereas the Sh-TSP-2 serum ELISA test had 79.2%. The Sh-TSP-2 urine and serum ELISA tests had the highest specificities among the serological methods (87.5 and 75%, respectively). CRS modelling showed that the ICT IgG–IgM, NovaLisa® and Sh-TSP-2 serum tests led in sensitivity at 97.1, 88.6 and 71.4%, respectively, with all tests except that the ICT IgG–IgM test having a specificity >90%. Sh-TSP-2 has been validated as a screening tool for patients suspected of having urogenital schistosomiasis. Although commercial serological tests have shown higher sensitivities, Sh-TSP-2 could be valuable for confirming results from tests with lower specificity. Nevertheless, further studies with larger patient cohorts are necessary to fully verify its potential.
The Spirit in relation to the Word, means in relation to grace
Authors: Wiarda Timothy
Published: January 2025

If a strong working concept of the Spirit–Word relationship and the means of grace is lacking in many contemporary churches, part of the solution may be a fresh analysis and articulation of those themes. An adequate doctrine of the means of grace will reflect the complexity of the Holy Spirit's partnership with the Word, highlight the Word of God as the one essential means of grace, and throw as much light as possible on why the Word is the Spirit's necessary and perfectly suited instrument for applying redemptive grace in human lives.
Counting geodesics between surface triangulations
Authors: PARLIER HUGO , POURNIN LIONEL
Published: January 2025

Given a surface

$\Sigma$

equipped with a set P of marked points, we consider the triangulations of

$\Sigma$

with vertex set P. The flip-graph of

$\Sigma$

is the graph whose vertices are these triangulations, and whose edges correspond to flipping arcs in these triangulations. The flip-graph of a surface appears in the study of moduli spaces and mapping class groups. We consider the number of geodesics in the flip-graph of

$\Sigma$

between two triangulations as a function of their distance. We show that this number grows exponentially provided the surface has enough topology, and that in the remaining cases the growth is polynomial.
What happened to the Ekottarikāgama 增壹阿含經 T125 after the death of Dao'an?
Authors: Radich Michael , Norrish Jamie
Published: January 2025

The only extant complete Ekottarikāgama, viz. Zengyi ahan jing 增壹阿含經 T125, has presented modern scholarship with significant challenges. This study departs from the assumption, demonstrated in prior work, that the extant collection is due to *Dharmanandin and Zhu Fonian (and not Saṅghadeva, as wrongly held by tradition and the Taishō). The study first systematically reviews and coordinates prior scholarship on a number of possible anomalous features of T125, such as possible Mahāyāna-ish elements, Sarvāstivādin elements, merged discourses, and material found only late in Pāli and other mainstream canonical parallels. We show that these anomalies are not evenly distributed, but cluster in certain patches of the collection. The second part of the study then presents new, internal (stylistic) evidence that shows that these anomalies tend to be correlated with evidence that associates some discourses in the collection with Zhu Fonian's style in original works, and with later texts. On this basis, we argue that the collection underwent modification after the death of Dao'an 道安 in 385, and suggest, more speculatively, that some of these modifications likely stemmed from the hand of Zhu Fonian.
High‐Resolution Downscaling of Disposable Income in Europe Using Open‐Source Data
Authors: Mikou Mehdi , Vallet Améline , Guivarch Céline , Makowski David
Published: January 2025

Income maps have been extensively used for identifying populations vulnerable to global changes. The frequency and intensity of extreme events are likely to increase in coming years as a result of climate change. In this context, several studies have hypothesized that the economic and social impact of extreme events depend on income. However, to rigorously test this hypothesis, fine‐scale spatial income data is needed, compatible with the analysis of extreme climatic events. To produce reliable high‐resolution income data, we have developed an innovative machine learning framework, that we applied to produce a European 1 km‐gridded data set of per capita disposable income for 2015. This data set was generated by downscaling income data available for more than 120,000 administrative units. Our learning framework showed high accuracy levels, and performed better or equally than other existing approaches used in the literature for downscaling income. It also yielded better results for the estimation of spatial inequality within administrative units. Using SHAP values, we explored the contribution of the model predictors to income predictions and found that, in addition to geographic predictors, distance to public transport or nighttime light intensity were key drivers of income predictions. More broadly, this data set offers an opportunity to explore the relationships between economic inequality and environmental degradation in health, adaptation or urban planning sectors. It can also facilitate the development of future income maps that align with the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, and ultimately enable the assessment of future climate risks.
An intelligent humidity sensing system for human behavior recognition
Authors: Yang Huabin , Guo Qiming , Chen Guidong , Zhao Yuefang , Shi Meng , Zhou Na , Huang Chengjun , Mao Haiyang
Published: January 2025

An intelligent humidity sensing system has been developed for real-time monitoring of human behaviors through respiration detection. The key component of this system is a humidity sensor that integrates a thermistor and a micro-heater. This sensor employs porous nanoforests as its sensing material, achieving a sensitivity of 0.56 pF/%RH within a range of 60–90% RH, along with excellent long-term stability and superior gas selectivity. The micro-heater in the device provides a high operating temperature, enhancing sensitivity by 5.8 times. This significant improvement enables the capture of weak humidity variations in exhaled gases, while the thermistor continuously monitors the sensor’s temperature during use and provides crucial temperature information related to respiration. With the assistance of a machine learning algorithm, a behavior recognition system based on the humidity sensor has been constructed, enabling behavior states to be classified and identified with an accuracy of up to 96.2%. This simple yet intelligent method holds great potential for widespread applications in medical assistance analysis and daily health monitoring.
Congenital hypothyroidism and associated visual-motor and intellectual development
Authors: Ontiveros-Mendoza Esperanza , González-Medrano Juan Antonio , Rivera-González Rolando , Sánchez-Huerta Karla , Sánchez Carmen , Barragán-Mejía Gerardo
Published: January 2025

Background

Congenital hypothyroidism’s sequelae include visuomotor and intellectual developmental deficits. Visual-motor perception is a cognitive function related to academic performance. Intellect is the ability to learn and use acquired knowledge to solve and achieve goals. Our objective was to evaluate visual-motor and intellectual development in children with late initiation of treatment for congenital hypothyroidism enrolled in a developmental follow-up and intervention program.

Methods

We evaluated the visual-motor and intellectual development of 75 infants with congenital hypothyroidism, 34 with athyrosis, and 41 with ectopia using the Bender Visual-Motor Development Test and the Weschler Intelligence Scale at eight and nine years of age.

Results

Children with ectopia had a visual-motor delay of −2 years and an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) greater than 98 points. Children with athyrosis had a visual-motor delay equivalent to −3.2 years and an IQ below 90 points. Better performance on Bender’s test was positively correlated with IQ. Attending more than 80% of Developmental Intervention Program appointments had a positive impact on intellectual development.

Conclusions

Timely diagnosis and early treatment with the appropriate dose of levothyroxine are determining factors; however, attendance to a development follow-up and intervention program could further support the cognitive development of children with congenital hypothyroidism.

Impact

Visuomotor development influences cognitive functions related to school performance.

Deficits in the ability to learn and use acquired knowledge to solve problems and achieve goals are characteristic of children with congenital hypothyroidism.

Delayed treatment is associated with more severe sequelae in both visual-motor and intellectual development.

Here, we show that treatment with adequate doses of levothyroxine and inclusion in a follow-up and developmental program are highly recommended for patients with delayed treatment.

A better understanding of these factors will allow clinicians to target therapeutic interventions.
Dairy consumption has a partial inverse association with systolic blood pressure and hypertension in populations with high salt and low dairy diets: cross-sectional data analysis from the Iwaki Health Promotion Project
Authors: Kawata Daisuke , Ueno Hiroshi M. , Nakano Ayatake , Tatara Yota , Tamada Yoshinori , Mikami Tatsuya , Murashita Koichi , Nakaji Shigeyuki , Itoh Ken
Published: January 2025

The prevalence of hypertension in Japan remains high, owing to the high salt content of the typical Japanese diet. Dairy-based foods may reduce blood pressure and hypertension risk. However, dairy consumption is low in Japan, and the relationships between dairy intake and blood pressure or the mechanisms by which dairy products affect blood pressure are not fully understood. This cross-sectional study was conducted as part of the Iwaki Health Promotion Project in Aomori, Japan. A total of 1071 participants were included from those who underwent annual medical checkups in June 2015. Adjusted multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the relationships between dairy consumption and blood pressure or hypertension risk. Comprehensive blood biomarker measurements were also performed. Whole- and high-fat dairy consumption was found to have significant inverse associations with systolic blood pressure (SBP) for all participants (β = –0.0213, P = 0.044) and with SBP and systolic hypertension risk for non-users of antihypertensive medicines (β = –0.0306, P = 0.011; and OR = 0.9927, P = 0.016; respectively). Three blood biomarkers related to phosphorus metabolism (inorganic phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone, and interleukin-6) were associated with both dairy consumption and SBP. Dairy consumption had a partial inverse association with SBP and hypertension risk in a Japanese population with high salt and low dairy consumption. Analysis of blood biomarkers suggested that phosphorus metabolism is involved in the associations between dairy consumption and blood pressure.
Triple-negative breast cancer modifies the systemic immune landscape and alters neutrophil functionality
Authors: Bakker Noor A. M. , Garner Hannah , van Dyk Ewald , Champanhet Elisa , Klaver Chris , Duijst Maxime , Voorwerk Leonie , Nederlof Iris , Voorthuis Rosie , Liefaard Marte C. , Nieuwland Marja , de Rink Iris , Bleijerveld Onno B. , Oosterkamp Hendrika M. , Wessels Lodewyk F. A. , Kok Marleen , de Visser Karin E.
Published: January 2025

Cancer disrupts intratumoral innate-adaptive immune crosstalk, but how the systemic immune landscape evolves during breast cancer progression remains unclear. We profiled circulating immune cells in stage I–III and stage IV triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients and healthy donors (HDs). Metastatic TNBC (mTNBC) patients had reduced T cells, dendritic cells, and differentiated B cells compared to non-metastatic TNBC patients and HDs, partly linked to prior chemotherapy. Vδ1 γδ T cells from mTNBC patients produced more IL17 than those from HDs. Chemotherapy-naïve mTNBC patients showed increased classical monocytes and neutrophils. Transcriptional, proteomic, and functional analyses revealed that neutrophils in mTNBC exhibited enhanced migratory capacity, elevated granule proteins, and higher ROS production. Some immune changes, such as reduced non-switched B cells and heightened neutrophil migration, were evident in earlier TNBC stages. This study comprehensively maps systemic immunity in TNBC, guiding future research on patient stratification and immunomodulation strategies.
Egoistic versus Prosocial Decision Making: an Eye Movement Data Report
Authors: Peshkovskaya Anastasia
Published: January 2025

Eye tracking data are highly promising in revealing novel and valuable evidence on human behavior and decision making. Data descripted in this article were collected in fourteen experiments with SMI eye tracking glasses in individual and social decision making conditions. The dataset is available on Harvard Dataverse and include data of 14 subjects with 4,180 visual behavior metrics summary and 3,744 eye moment records in decision-related areas of attention. Data may be applicable in computational models of oculomotor activity to explain decision process and predict its outcomes.
Integrated cancer cell-specific single-cell RNA-seq datasets of immune checkpoint blockade-treated patients
Authors: Gondal Mahnoor N. , Cieslik Marcin , Chinnaiyan Arul M.
Published: January 2025

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies have emerged as a promising avenue for the treatment of various cancers. Despite their success, the efficacy of these treatments is variable across patients and cancer types. Numerous single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies have been conducted to unravel cell-specific responses to ICB treatment. However, these studies are limited in their sample sizes and require advanced coding skills for exploration. Here, we have compiled eight scRNA-seq datasets from nine cancer types, encompassing 223 patients, 90,270 cancer cells, and 265,671 other cell types. This compilation forms a unique resource tailored to investigate how cancer cells respond to ICB treatment across cancer types. We meticulously curated, quality-checked, pre-processed, and analyzed the data, ensuring easy access for researchers. Moreover, we designed a user-friendly interface for seamless exploration. By sharing the code and data for creating these interfaces, we aim to assist fellow researchers. These resources offer valuable support to those interested in leveraging and exploring single-cell datasets across diverse cancer types, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of ICB responses.
Synthetic Browsing Histories for 50 Countries Worldwide: Datasets for Research, Development, and Education
Authors: Komosny Dan , Rehman Saeed Ur , Ayub Muhammad Sohaib
Published: January 2025

Browsing histories can be a valuable resource for cybersecurity, research, and testing. Individuals are often reluctant to share their browsing histories online, and the use of personal data requires obtaining signed informed consent. Research shows that anonymized histories can lead to re-identification, nullifying the anonymity promised by informed consent. In this work, we present 500 synthetic browsing histories valid for 50 countries worldwide. The synthetic histories are compiled based on real browsing data using a series of transformation criteria, including website content, popularity, locality, and language, ensuring their validity for the respective countries. Each history maintains the order of webpage accesses and covers a one-month period. The motivation for publishing this dataset arises from the community’s call for browsing histories from different countries for research, development, and education. The published synthetic browsing histories can be used for any purpose without legal restrictions.
Hydrologic outputs generated over the Great Lakes with a calibrated version of the GEM-Hydro model
Authors: Gaborit Étienne , Mai Juliane , Princz Daniel , Shen Hongren , Vionnet Vincent , Tolson Bryan , Fortin Vincent
Published: January 2025

This dataset contains outputs from a calibrated version of the GEM-Hydro model developed at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and is available on the Federated Research Data Repository. The dataset covers the basins of the Laurentian Great Lakes and the Ottawa River and extends over the period 2001–2018. The data consist of all variables (hourly fluxes and state variables) related to the water balance of GEM-Hydro’s land-surface scheme (including precipitation, surface and sub-surface runoff, drainage, evaporation, snow water equivalent, soil moisture…) and mean daily streamflow at 212 gauge locations. These outputs were simulated with a calibrated version of the GEM-Hydro model that was run in open-loop mode (no assimilation) and driven with atmospheric forcings coming from ECCC’s Canadian Surface Reanalysis version 2.1. GEM-Hydro achieves satisfactory simulations of various hydrologic variables when compared to reference datasets. This dataset can be used for example to drive any routing model, compute climatologies or statistics for different hydrologic variables and study their variability as a function of the local geo-morphology, etc.
Comparative analysis of correlation and causality inference in water quality problems with emphasis on TDS Karkheh River in Iran
Authors: Shakeri Reza , Amini Hossein , Fakheri Farshid , Lam Man Yue , Zahraie Banafsheh
Published: January 2025

Water quality management is a critical aspect of environmental sustainability, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions such as Iran where water scarcity is compounded by quality degradation. This study delves into the causal relationships influencing water quality, focusing on Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) as a primary indicator in the Karkheh River, southwest Iran. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset spanning 50 years (1968–2018), this research integrates Machine Learning (ML) techniques to examine correlations and infer causality among multiple parameters, including flow rate (Q), Sodium (Na+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Calcium (Ca2+), Chloride (Cl−), Sulfate (SO4
2−), Bicarbonates (HCO3
−), and pH. For modeling the causation, the “Back door linear regression” approach has been considered which establishes a stable and interpretable framework in causal inference by focusing on clear assumptions. Predictive modeling was used to show the difference between correlation and causation along with interpretability modeling to make the predictive model transparent. Predictive modeling does not report the causality among the variables as it showed Mg is not contributing to the target (TDS) while the findings reveal that TDS is predominantly positive influenced by Mg, Na, Cl, Ca and SO4, with HCO3 and pH exerting negative (inverse) effects. Unlike correlations, causal relationships demonstrate directional and often unequal influences, highlighting Mg as a critical driver of TDS levels. This novel application of ML-based causal inference in water quality research provides a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to traditional experimental methods. The results underscore the potential of ML-driven causal analysis to guide water resource management and policy-making. By identifying the key drivers of TDS, this study proposes targeted interventions to mitigate water quality deterioration. Moreover, the insights gained lay the foundation for developing early warning systems, ensuring proactive and sustainable water quality management in similar hydrological contexts.
Identifying key genes in cancer networks using persistent homology
Authors: Ramos Rodrigo Henrique , Bardelotte Yago Augusto , de Oliveira Lage Ferreira Cynthia , Simao Adenilso
Published: January 2025

Identifying driver genes is crucial for understanding oncogenesis and developing targeted cancer therapies. Driver discovery methods using protein or pathway networks rely on traditional network science measures, focusing on nodes, edges, or community metrics. These methods can overlook the high-dimensional interactions that cancer genes have within cancer networks. This study presents a novel method using Persistent Homology to analyze the role of driver genes in higher-order structures within Cancer Consensus Networks derived from main cellular pathways. We integrate mutation data from six cancer types and three biological functions: DNA Repair, Chromatin Organization, and Programmed Cell Death. We systematically evaluated the impact of gene removal on topological voids (
$$\beta _2$$
structures) within the Cancer Consensus Networks. Our results reveal that only known driver genes and cancer-associated genes influence these structures, while passenger genes do not. Although centrality measures alone proved insufficient to fully characterize impact genes, combining higher-order topological analysis with traditional network metrics can improve the precision of distinguishing between drivers and passengers. This work shows that cancer genes play an important role in higher-order structures, going beyond pairwise measures, and provides an approach to distinguish drivers and cancer-associated genes from passenger genes.
SLC1A5 is a key regulator of glutamine metabolism and a prognostic marker for aggressive luminal breast cancer
Authors: Alfarsi Lutfi H. , Ansari Rokaya El , Erkan Busra , Fakroun Ali , Craze Madeleine L. , Aleskandarany Mohammed A. , Cheng Kiu Wai , Ellis Ian O. , Rakha Emad A. , Green Andrew R.
Published: January 2025

Cancer cells exhibit altered metabolism, often relying on glutamine (Gln) for growth. Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease with varying clinical outcomes. We investigated the role of the amino acid transporter SLC1A5 (ASCT2) and its association with BC subtypes and patient outcomes. In large BC cohorts, SLC1A5 mRNA (n = 9488) and SLC1A5 protein (n = 1274) levels were assessed and correlated their expression with clinicopathological features, molecular subtypes, and patient outcomes. In vitro SLC1A5 knockdown and inhibition studies in luminal BC cell lines (ZR-75-1 and HCC1500) were used to further explore the role of SLC1A5 in Gln metabolism. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-squared tests, ANOVA, Spearman’s correlation, Kaplan–Meier analysis, and Cox regression. SLC1A5 mRNA and SLC1A5 protein expression were strongly correlated in luminal B, HER2 + and triple-negative BC (TNBC). Both high SLC1A5 mRNA and SLC1A5 protein expression were associated with larger tumour size, higher grade, and positive axillary lymph node metastases (P < 0.01). Importantly, high SLC1A5 expression correlated with poor BC-specific survival specifically in the highly proliferative luminal subtype (P < 0.001). Furthermore, SLC1A5 knockdown by siRNA or GPNA inhibition significantly reduced cell proliferation and glutamine uptake in ZR-75-1 cells. Our findings suggest SLC1A5 plays a key role in the aggressive luminal BC subtype and represents a potential therapeutic target. Further research is needed to explore SLC1A5 function in luminal BC and its association with Gln metabolism pathways.
Illuminating understudied kinases: a generalizable biosensor development method applied to protein kinase N
Authors: Bogomolovas Julius , Chen Ju
Published: January 2025

Protein kinases play crucial roles in regulating cellular processes, making real-time visualization of their activity essential for understanding signaling dynamics. While genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors have emerged as powerful tools for studying kinase activity, their development for many kinases remains challenging due to the lack of suitable substrate peptides. Here, we present a novel approach for identifying peptide substrates and demonstrate its effectiveness by developing a biosensor for Protein Kinase N (PKN) activity. Our method identified a new PKN substrate peptide that we optimized for use in a fluorescent biosensor design. The resulting biosensor shows specificity for PKN family kinases and can detect both overexpressed and endogenous PKN activity in live cells. Importantly, our biosensor revealed sustained basal PKN2 activity at the plasma membrane, identifying it as a PKN2 activity hotspot. This work not only provides a valuable tool for studying PKN signaling but also demonstrates a promising strategy for developing biosensors for other understudied kinases, potentially expanding our ability to monitor kinase activity across the human kinome.
Dark-field X-ray microscopy with structured illumination for three-dimensional imaging
Authors: Gürsoy Doğa , Yay Kaan Alp , Kisiel Elliot , Wojcik Michael , Sheyfer Dina , Last Arndt , Highland Matthew , Fisher Ian Randal , Hruszkewycz Stephan , Islam Zahir
Published: January 2025

Dark-field X-ray microscopy is a lens-based technique that enables real-space imaging of heterogeneous micro- and meso-scale ordered materials. However, achieving accurate three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction often requires meticulous sample alignment or rastering, requiring complex rotational setups and extended acquisition times. To address these challenges, we introduce a structured illumination technique optimized for 3D imaging of ordered materials at sub-micrometer length scales. Our approach employs a coded aperture to spatially modulate the incident X-ray beam, enabling 3D structural reconstruction from images captured at various aperture positions. Unlike current 3D imaging approaches, which often rely on rotational or rastering methods, our technique uses scanning X-ray silhouettes of the coded aperture for depth resolution along the diffraction axis. This eliminates the need for sample rotation or rastering, resulting in a highly stable and efficient imaging modality. We validated the efficacy of this approach through experimental imaging of an isolated twin domain within a bulk single crystal of an iron pnictide using a dark-field X-ray microscope. This advancement aligns with the enhanced brightness upgrades of modern synchrotron radiation facilities, unlocking new possibilities for high-resolution imaging of ordered materials.
Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical investigation of Ru(por)(NO)(OAr) derivatives (por = octaethylporphyrin, tetraanisolylporphyrin; Ar = Ph, C6H4-2-NHC(O)CF3; C6H3-2,6-(NHC(O)CF3)2)
Authors: Ramuglia Anthony R. , Zink Jeremy R. , Warhausen Adam J. , Abucayon Erwin , Xu Nan , Shrestha Kailash , Richter-Addo George , Shaw Michael J.
Published: January 2025

The electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry of Ru(porphyrin)(NO)(phenoxide) complexes indicate that initial one-electron oxidation results in structure-dependent net reactivity at the phenoxide ligand.
Vapor phase coupling of n-butanol over the mixed catalyst system PdZn/SiO2 + TiO2
Authors: Wegener Evan C.
Published: January 2025

Coupling fermentation derived oxygenates via Guerbet-type reactions offers a potential route for producing fuels and chemicals from agricultural feedstocks.
Atomic-Level Engineering of Single Ag1+ Sites Distribution on Titanium-Oxo Cluster Surface to Boost CO2 Electroreduction
Authors: Liu Chao , Meng Ru-Xin , Zhao Lan-Cheng , Luo Lipan , Tian Yi-Qi , Shao Yongliang , Tang Qing , Wang Likai , Yan Jun
Published: January 2025

Precise control over the distribution of active metal sites on catalyst surfaces is essential for maximizing catalytic efficiency. Addressing the limitations of traditional cluster catalysts with core-embedded catalytic sites, this...
Physical scaling for predicting shear viscosity and memory effects of lithium-ion battery cathode slurries
Authors: Gupta Yoshita , Liu Qingsong , Richards Jeffrey J.
Published: January 2025

Using rheo-electric measurements, we revealed a power-law scaling that quantitatively describes the shear rheology of lithium-ion battery slurry, and identified shear-induced structure memory through the carbon-phase electrical conductivity.
Examining Concurrent Associations Between Gesture Use, Developmental Domains, and Autistic Traits in Toddlers With Down Syndrome
Authors: La Valle Chelsea , Mejia Gabriela Davila , Wilkinson Carol L. , Baumer Nicole
Published: January 2025

Purpose:

Toddlers with Down syndrome (DS) showcase comparable or higher rates of gestures than chronological age– and language-matched toddlers without DS. Little is known about how gesture use in toddlers with DS relates to multiple domains of development, including motor, pragmatics, language, and visual reception (VR) skills. Unexplored is whether gesture use is a good marker of social communication skills in DS or if gesture development might be more reliably a marker of motor, language, pragmatics, or VR skills. This study examined the concurrent association of gesture use on other areas of development and investigated the association of autistic traits with gesture use in toddlers with DS.

Method:

Thirty toddlers with DS (15 females;
M
= 26.12 months,
SD
= 6.42 months) completed the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule–Second Edition (ADOS-2). Parents completed the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories Words and Gestures form and the Language Use Inventory (LUI; pragmatic language) about their child.

Results:

Controlling for child chronological age and sex, total gestures was strongly positively associated with the LUI total score (pragmatic language) and MSEL language (receptive, expressive) raw scores, moderately positively associated with motor (fine, gross) raw scores, but not significantly associated with VR raw scores. Higher ADOS social affect (SA) calibrated severity scores was strongly negatively associated with total gestures but not significantly associated with restricted and repetitive behaviors.

Conclusions:

Gestures track together with language, pragmatics, and motor skills. Higher ADOS SA calibrated severity scores were associated with fewer gestures in toddlers with DS. Clinicians can consider each child's developmental profile (e.g., motor, pragmatics, language, social communication skills) to better understand their gesture development.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28169186
Cosmic voids and the kinetic analysis
Authors: Gurzadyan V. G. , Fimin N. N. , Chechetkin V. M.
Published: January 2025

The formation of cosmic structures in the late Universe was considered using the Vlasov kinetic approach. The crucial point is the use of the gravitational potential with repulsive term of the cosmological constant, which provides a solution to the Hubble tension, that is, the Hubble parameter for the late Universe has to differ from its global cosmological value. This also provides a mechanism of formation of stationary semi-periodic gravitating structures of voids and walls, so that the cosmological constant has the role of the scaling. It can therefore be compared with the observational data for given regions. The considered mechanism of the structure formation in the late cosmological epoch then succeeds the epoch described by the evolution of primordial density fluctuations.
Controllability of second order discrete-time descriptor systems
Authors: Phi Ha , Duc Thuan Do
Published: January 2025

This paper is mainly devoted to the controllability of second order discrete-time descriptor systems. Characterizations for different controllability concepts are derived and feedback designs are investigated by transforming the system into an appropriate form and then making use of novel methods. It shows how classical rank conditions for first order systems can be generalized to second order systems. This work extends and complements the researches about controllability of high-order descriptor systems.

2020 Mathematics Subject Classification

06B99, 34D99, 47A10, 47A99, 65P99. 93B05, 93B07, 93B10.
Calibration of a groundwater flow model in a karst aquifer using EPM approach: Case of Elhajeb-Ifrane aquifer, Morocco
Authors: Ammari Zakaria , Oumou Abdellah , Essahlaoui Narjisse , El Fakir Rabia , Mili El Mostafa , Essahlaoui Ali , Kassou Amina , Van Rompaey Anton
Published: January 2025

Numerical models constitute a powerful tool for groundwater resources management, as they can provide information about flow path, water balance, and effects of future actions. In karst aquifers, groundwater modelling may be challenging because of the heterogeneity of the system. Indeed, karst aquifers have concentrated recharge in sinkholes and preferential flow patterns through fractures and conduits. Modellers used several approaches to simulate karst aquifers. The equivalent porous media approach was used by many researchers and showed an acceptable performance of the application of MODFLOW in regional and sub-regional aquifers. The objective of this study is to simulate the sub-regional aquifer of Elhajeb-Ifrane. The groundwater flow model was constructed using a Python package and was calibrated using the parameter estimation code. The results show a good fit between simulated and observed heads. The model reduced RMSE values to 0.49, 0.56, and 0.58 for piezometers 1098/22, 1448/22, and 1830/22, respectively. The annual water balance results show that the aquifer meanly discharges to the springs with 71.8% and 80.8% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, followed by streams with 5.9% AND 5% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, then discharges to Sais aquifers with 2.6% and 3.8% in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Vs30 Mapping and Soil Classification in Tiznit Region Based On H/V Spectral Ration Method
Authors: Cherki Fadoua , Tadili Mehdi , Tadili Benaissa , Mhammdi Nadia
Published: January 2025

The average shear wave velocity measured to a depth of 30 meters (VS30) is an important parameter for determining soil characteristics. As part of the seismic risk assessment in the Tiznit region, ambient noise recordings were made during the geophysical investigation campaign using the (H/V) method. The spectral analysis of these recordings enabled the determination of dominant frequencies and the estimation of VS30 values for each site. The aim of this study is to map the spatial variation of VS30 and classify soil types in the Tiznit region. The results show that the soil in the study area is divided into two classes according to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) classification: Class C refers to soft rock and very dense soils with VS30 greater than 360 m/s, while Class D represents stiff soils with VS30 values between 180 m/s and 360 m/s.
Urban Island Modeling for Semi-Arid Cities: The Case of the City of Oujda
Authors: Djebbour Mounir , Sbai Abdelkader
Published: January 2025

There is often a difference between the surface temperature and the various types of land use within cities, where it rises in built-up areas and barren lands and decreases in areas with vegetation cover and dense afforestation. In this study, the urban heat island phenomenon was analyzed by linking the relationship between the different types of land use in the city of Oujda and the surface temperature based on Landsat imagery and some indicators. These indicators include the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which measures the health and density of vegetation, and the Land Surface Temperature (LST), which provides a direct measurement of the temperature of the land surface. The results showed variations in the surface temperature of the city of Oujda, which rises in areas with a low level of afforestation and vegetation cover, as well as in built-up areas, the industrial district, and barren lands. In contrast, the surface temperature of the land decreases in areas with an increase in vegetation cover. This study found that the impact of the surface temperature varies according to the nature of land use, vegetation cover, and other factors. It highlighted the importance of geographic information systems and remote sensing in studying climate changes and revealing the importance of vegetation cover in reducing this phenomenon.
Monitoring of agricultural drought using remote sensing data in the Sebou watershed, Morocco
Authors: El-Bouhali Abdelaziz , El Ouazani Ech-Chahdi Khadija , Amyay Mhamed
Published: January 2025

Drought is a climatic phenomenon that can adversely affect the environment and human activities. Currently, agricultural drought has become a concern in countries where agriculture largely depends on rainfall and is highly vulnerable to climatic variability. The study of drought requires the availability of hydroclimatic and remote sensing data. Based on these data, researchers have proposed several indices (SPI, SPEI, PDSI, VCI, VHI, etc.) that allow the monitoring of the spatiotemporal evolution of drought. This study focuses on remote sensing data to illustrate agricultural drought in the Sebou watershed from 2010 to 2023. We used the NDVI derived from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite images to calculate the Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) during the crop growth season. The analysis of the VCI over 14 years shows that the Sebou watershed has undergone droughts of varying severity, with a notable increase in drought events from 2016 to 2023. In 2016, approximately 50% of the basin experienced extreme agricultural drought. Thus, we found that the VCI is a valuable indicator that reflects the vegetation's response to the rainfall deficit recorded in recent years.
Using GIS and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for flood hazard assessment based on morphological and hydrological criteria, case of the Meknes region, Morocco
Authors: Essahlaoui Narjisse , Ijlil Safae , Alitane Abdennabi , Mohajane Meriame , El Ouali Abdelhadi , Rhazi Abdelaziz , Oumou Abdellah , Alouane Ayoub , Ammari Zakaria , Khrabcha Abdelali , El Hafyani Mohamed , Essahlaoui Ali , Aouragh My Hachem , Van Rompaey Anton
Published: January 2025

Flooding is one of the most significant natural disasters affecting North Africa. Its impact is increasingly intensified by climate change. Flood risk is a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors, highlighting the importance of understanding its spatial distribution in order to plan effective land management strategies. The main aim of this study is to identify and map areas at risk of flooding in the R'dom catchment area (Meknes, Morocco). This hazard is assessed by taking into account morphological criteria (slope, altitude, density of the hydrographic network, curvature) and hydrological criteria (drainage density, stream power index (SPI) and rainfall data). The methodology adopted is essentially based on a multicriteria analysis using analytical hierarchy process (AHP), with the use of GIS tools and satellite data. A flood hazard map was drawn up, with classification according to degree of susceptibility. The resulting map reveals that 26.3% of the study area is characterized by a high to very high flood hazard. Moderate flood risk accounts for 56.9% of the study area. These results underline the crucial need to implement effective flood mitigation strategies to protect communities from flooding.