bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Invasive shrubs amplify seasonal granivory, revealing optimal windows for seed survival following invasive shrub removal
Authors: Fuka Mark E. , Orrock John L. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractInvasive shrubs dramatically reduce the biodiversity of native plants, making invaded areas important targets of conservation and restoration. Adding seeds of native plant species, in addition to the removal of invasive plants, is a potentially promising means for restoration of native plant communities. However, because seed survival may vary among seasons, it is essential to understand temporal patterns of seed survival. For example, dense habitats created by invasive shrubs exhibit seasonal changes in structure and food resources that could create seasonal variation in seed survival by altering the activity and abundance of native seed‐eating rodents. Despite the potential for invasive shrubs to generate seasonal changes in granivory, we lack experimental studies to evaluate changes in granivory caused by invasive plants over a full year. We mechanically removed the widespread invasive species common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) from half of 14 sites (20 × 20 m) in a deciduous oak‐maple forest to track rodent and arthropod granivory of three native tree species, basswood (Tilia americana), black cherry (Prunus serotina), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and the invasive shrub R. cathartica over a year. Our results reveal that the effect of invasive shrubs on granivory changed across seasons. Seeds in invaded habitats experienced, on average, 25.9% higher seed removal than seeds in areas with R. cathartica removed, with the largest difference in removal occurring in winter. Seed removal was almost entirely due to rodent granivores that removed seeds at similar rates among species. These results indicate that, following removal of invasive shrubs, sowing seeds in winter may optimize seedling establishment by minimizing granivory. Our findings further reinforce the importance of removing invasive shrubs as an important restoration tool because invasions may amplify granivory throughout the year. Understanding the mechanisms that could be affecting seasonal granivory within invaded systems, the important role of rodent granivores, and the similarities in seed consumption between native and nonnative seeds is critical for continual conservation and restoration efforts aimed at promoting forest regeneration.
Colder temperatures augment viability of an indirectly transmitted songbird pathogen on bird feeders
Authors: Teemer Sara R. , Tulman Edan R. , Arneson Alicia G. , Geary Steven J. , Hawley Dana M. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractInanimate surfaces that are contaminated with infectious pathogens are common sources of spread for many communicable diseases. Understanding how ambient temperature alters the ability of pathogens to remain viable on these surfaces is critical for understanding how fomites can contribute to seasonal patterns of disease outbreaks. House finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) experience fall and winter outbreaks of mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, caused by the bacterial pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG). Although bird feeder surfaces serve as an indirect route of MG transmission between sick and healthy individuals, the contributions of feeders to MG transmission in the wild will depend on how ambient temperature affects viability and pathogenicity of MG on feeder surfaces over time. Here, we used two experiments, with identical initial design, to assess such temperature effects. For both experiments, we pipetted equal amounts of MG onto replicate feeder ports held at night‐day temperatures representing summer (22–27°C) or winter (4–9°C). We allowed MG to incubate on feeders at either temperature and swabbed remaining inocula from surfaces at 0, 1, 2, 4, or 7 days post‐inoculation of the feeder, with each replicate feeder port only swabbed at a single time point. In the first study, we analyzed swabs using a culture‐based assay and found that MG incubated at colder versus warmer temperatures maintained higher viability on feeder surfaces over time. In the second study, we replicated the same experimental design but used MG swabs from feeder surfaces to inoculate wild‐caught, pathogen‐naïve birds and measured resulting disease severity and pathogen loads to determine pathogenicity. We found that MG remained pathogenic on feeder surfaces at cold ambient temperatures for up to one week, much longer than previously documented. Further, MG was significantly more pathogenic when incubated on feeders in colder versus warmer temperatures, with the strongest effects of temperature present after at least four days of incubation on feeder surfaces. Overall, cold ambient temperatures appear to alter the role of fomites in the MG transmission process, and temperature likely contributes to seasonal disease dynamics in this system and many others.
Global Impact of Aging on the Hemodynamic Response Function in the Gray Matter of Human Cerebral Cortex
Authors: Fesharaki Nooshin J. , Taylor Amanda , Mosby Keisjon , Li Ruosha , Kim Jung Hwan , Ress David 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTIn functional magnetic resonance imaging, the hemodynamic response function (HRF) is a stereotypical response to local changes in cerebral hemodynamics and oxygen metabolism due to briefly (< 4 s) evoked neural activity. Accordingly, the HRF is often used as an impulse response with the assumption of linearity in data analysis. In cognitive aging studies, it has been very common to interpret differences in brain activation as age‐related changes in neural activity. Contrary to this assumption, however, evidence has accrued that normal aging may also significantly affect the vasculature, thereby affecting cerebral hemodynamics and metabolism, confounding interpretation of fMRI cognitive aging studies. In this study, use was made of a multisensory task to evoke the HRF in ~87% of cerebral cortex in cognitively intact adults with ages ranging from 22 to 75 years. This widespread activation enabled us to investigate age trends in the spatial distributions of HRF characteristics within the majority of cortical gray matter, which we termed as global age trends. The task evoked both positive and negative HRFs, which were characterized using model‐free parameters in native‐space coordinates. We found significant global age trends in the distributions of HRF parameters in terms of both amplitudes (e.g., peak amplitude and contrast‐to‐noise ratio) and temporal dynamics (e.g., full‐width‐at‐half‐maximum). Our findings offer insight into how age‐dependent changes affect neurovascular coupling and show promise for use of HRF parameters as non‐invasive indicators for age‐related pathology.
Comparison of Postoperative Outcomes in Two Lip‐Splitting Approaches for Buccal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Ablation
Authors: Al‐Aroomi Maged Ali , Liang Ye , Chen Jie , Feng Yiheng , Pei‐Xuan Liu , Jiang Canhua 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTObjectivesThe choice of surgical access for resection and reconstruction of buccal squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) with the lip‐splitting incision is controversial. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of midline lip split with lazy‐S incision (MLSI) against the lateral lip‐splitting incision (LLSI).MethodsA retrospective review was conducted on 41 patients with primary BSCC who underwent resection and reconstruction using MLSI approach (n = 19) and LLSI approach (n = 22) between 2022 and 2024. Functional outcomes, including skin sensitivity testing, oral competency, lip movement, cold perception, and other relevant measures, were evaluated with appropriate scales. Functional satisfaction and Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) were analyzed.ResultsNone of the patients in either group demonstrated differences in sensation to light touch from baseline at 6 months postoperatively. Patients with MLSI approach reported higher lip function satisfaction (p = 0.037), and no patients in either group reported drooling. Besides, groove formation was significantly more common in the LLSI compared to the MLSI groups (50% vs. 15.8%, respectively; p = 0.046). A statistically significant difference was also observed in the self‐assessment of mouth‐opening movement among MLSI patients (p = 0.041). No significant differences were found in the mean POSAS scores, except that irregularity and surface area parameters were better in the MLSI group.ConclusionsObjective sensation deficits are reversible and do not impact long‐term daily activities. The MLSI approach provides better postoperative outcomes and low disfigurement perception.
Hippocampal Discoveries: Spatial View Cells, Connectivity, and Computations for Memory and Navigation, in Primates Including Humans
Authors: Rolls Edmund T. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTTwo key series of discoveries about the hippocampus are described. One is the discovery of hippocampal spatial view cells in primates. This discovery opens the way to a much better understanding of human episodic memory, for episodic memory prototypically involves a memory of where people or objects or rewards have been seen in locations “out there” which could never be implemented by the place cells that encode the location of a rat or mouse. Further, spatial view cells are valuable for navigation using vision and viewed landmarks, and provide for much richer, vision‐based, navigation than the place to place self‐motion update performed by rats and mice who live in dark underground tunnels. Spatial view cells thus offer a revolution in our understanding of the functions of the hippocampus in memory and navigation in humans and other primates with well‐developed foveate vision. The second discovery describes a computational theory of the hippocampal‐neocortical memory system that includes the only quantitative theory of how information is recalled from the hippocampus to the neocortex. It is shown how foundations for this research were the discovery of reward neurons for food reward, and non‐reward, in the primate orbitofrontal cortex, and representations of value including of monetary value in the human orbitofrontal cortex; and the discovery of face identity and face expression cells in the primate inferior temporal visual cortex and how they represent transform‐invariant information. This research illustrates how in order to understand a brain computation, a whole series of integrated interdisciplinary discoveries is needed to build a theory of the operation of each neural system.
Integration of personalised ultrasensitive ctDNA monitoring of patients with metastatic breast cancer to reduce imaging requirements
Authors: Mouhanna Pia , Ståhlberg Anders , Andersson Daniel , Albu‐Kareem Ahmed , Elinder Ellinor , Eriksson Olle , Kavanagh Amy , Kovács Anikó , Larsson Karolina F. , Linderholm Barbro , Uminska Monika , Österlund Tobias , Howell Sacha J. , Ekholm Maria 
Published: December 2024

AbstractCirculating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is an emerging biomarker for monitoring cancers. The personalised disease monitoring in metastatic breast cancer (PDM‐MBC) study is an ongoing study instigated to evaluate ctDNA as a biomarker to individualise imaging requirements in patients with MBC. Patients receiving first‐line endocrine therapy (aromatase inhibitor + cyclin‐dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor) had plasma samples collected pre‐treatment, weeks 2 and 4, and concurrently with imaging until progressive disease (PD). Here, we apply an experimental analytical workflow for ultrasensitive ctDNA analysis, utilising personalised ctDNA panels designed from mutations identified in tumour tissue, and present results for 24 patients. Twenty patients (83%) had detectable ctDNA pre‐treatment. The median progression‐free survival was 25.6 months, and 13 patients experienced PD, with rising ctDNA detected at or prior to PD in 12 patients (92%). If imaging had been omitted until the detection of rising ctDNA for at least one mutation, 68% (n = 71) of the scans performed amongst ctDNA‐positive patients would have been avoided. Our results demonstrate that integration of personalised ctDNA monitoring of patients with MBC has potential to substantially reduce the imaging needs in patients showing ctDNA response to treatment.
ESG Rating Disagreement and the Quality of Analysts' Forecasts: Information or Noise
Authors: Li Menghan , Chen Qi 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThe rise of ESG investment has stimulated the development of ESG ratings, while there is substantial ESG rating disagreement among different rating agencies, which creates a major obstacle to sustainable investment. This study empirically examines the impact of ESG rating disagreement on the quality of analysts' forecasts based on the data of Chinese listed companies from 2015 to 2021. It is found that the ESG rating disagreement significantly improves the quality of analysts' forecasts. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that ESG rating disagreement can enhance the quality of analysts' forecasts by increasing analysts' attention. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the observed effect is more pronounced in companies with low information quality and those with star analysts. These findings not only objectively assess the impact of ESG rating disagreement, but also emphasise the crucial role of analysts in improving the capital market information environment.
Labial adhesions due to vulvovaginal lichen planus suspected to be caused by angiotensin II receptor blocker
Authors: Sawada Yugo , Kitagawa Yasuhide , Tanaka Atsushi , Harada Shunsuke , Nomura Masayoshi Jimmy 
Published: December 2024

IntroductionLichenoid drug eruption, induced by gold or cardiovascular drugs, is one of the causes of lichen planus, and vulvovaginal erosive lichen planus can cause labial adhesions. However, few studies have focused on drugs as a cause of labial adhesions.Case presentationWe encountered a 78‐year‐old woman with labial adhesions, vulvodynia, and itching of the vulva. The cause was thought to be lichenoid drug eruption from an angiotensin II receptor blocker. After discontinuation of the drug, vulvodynia and pruritus resolved quickly, the pathology showed improvement, and labial adhesions did not recur after detachment.ConclusionAn angiotensin II receptor blocker was a suspected cause of vulvovaginal erosive lichen planus, which causes labial adhesions. Physicians should recognize the possible cause of labial adhesions secondary to lichenoid drug eruption.
C‐TUnet: A CNN‐Transformer Architecture‐Based Ultrasound Breast Image Classification Network
Authors: Wu Ying , Li Faming , Xu Bo 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTUltrasound breast image classification plays a crucial role in the early detection of breast cancer, particularly in differentiating benign from malignant lesions. Traditional methods face limitations in feature extraction and global information capture, often resulting in lower accuracy for complex and noisy ultrasound images. This paper introduces a novel ultrasound breast image classification network, C‐TUnet, which combines a convolutional neural network (CNN) with a Transformer architecture. In this model, the CNN module initially extracts key features from ultrasound images, followed by the Transformer module, which captures global context information to enhance classification accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model achieves excellent classification performance on public datasets, showing clear advantages over traditional methods. Our analysis confirms the effectiveness of combining CNN and Transformer modules—a strategy that not only boosts the accuracy and robustness of ultrasound breast image classification but also offers a reliable tool for clinical diagnostics, holding substantial potential for real‐world application.
TFAP2A Promotes Cell Progression and Suppresses Ferroptosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma via Activating Transcription of CST1
Authors: Luan Xinyu , Peng Xuxing , Hui Gang , Wei Zichun 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTLung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a common type of lung cancer with complicated pathological mechanism. Transcription Factor AP‐2 Alpha (TFAP2A) and Cysteine protease inhibitor 1 (CST1) are upregulated genes in LUAD samples, accordingly, we focused on clarifying the role of TFAP2A/CST1 axis in LUAD. Expression analysis was performed using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Cellular behaviors were detected by colony formation assay, EdU assay, wound healing assay and flow cytometry. Ferroptosis was assessed by oxidative indicators, Fe2+ level and related proteins. TFAP2A and CST1 interaction was analyzed via ChIP assay and dual‐luciferase reporter assay. TFAP2A function in vivo was evaluated by xenograft tumor assay. CST1 was overexpressed in LUAD samples and cells. Downregulation of CST1 inhibited proliferation, migration but it promoted apoptosis and ferroptosis of LUAD cells. TFAP2A interacted with the promoter of CST1 to up‐regulate CST1 expression. TFAP2A regulated the malignant behaviors and ferroptosis of LUAD cells by targeting CST1. TFAP2A affected LUAD tumor growth via mediating CST1. All these data proved that TFAP2A/CST1 axis contributed to proliferation, migration while it suppressed apoptosis and ferroptosis in LUAD.
The Oxford House Stability Questionnaire: An Effort to Classify Recovery Homes
Authors: Jason Leonard A. , Garrity Elizabeth , O'Brien Connor , Bobak Ted 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTRecovery homes are located throughout the United States, with the self‐governed Oxford Houses representing one of the largest networks with over 3000 homes. Although there is a growing literature on the characteristics and outcomes of these recovery homes, far less is known about differences among the homes. The current study used a set of characteristics that had been proposed by a leader within the Oxford House recovery movement, and a university research team operationalized them into what is now called the Oxford House Stability Questionnaire. This scale was administered to attendees at their annual convention. Results of a sample of 397 respondents who completed over 95% of the scale validated the notion that there are four different types of Oxford House recovery houses, including Survival, Stable, Successful, and Significant. This scale examined activities that might occur in these homes related to enhancing stability, and we were able to identify mechanisms related to general involvement, social support, and self‐help. The findings suggest that these ecological and structural house characteristics are valuable ways to better understand these settings that are providing thousands of people with substance use disorders with distinctive environments for recovery.
Enhancing Research Through Image Analysis Workshops: Experiences and Best Practices
Authors: Marcotti Stefania , Jones Martin L. , Slater Thomas J. A. , Barry David J. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTModern microscopy systems allow researchers to generate large volumes of image data with relative ease. However, the challenge of analyzing these data effectively is often hindered by a lack of computational skills. This bottleneck negatively impacts both research reproducibility and efficiency, as researchers frequently rely on manual or semi‐automated analysis methods. Interactive image analysis workshops offer a valuable solution, equipping researchers with the skills and tools needed to automate image processing tasks. In this paper, we share our experiences and best practices from conducting such workshops, which emphasize the use of open‐source software like ImageJ, FIJI, and Python‐based tools such as JupyterLab and napari. We discuss key considerations for workshop design, logistics, and outcomes, while highlighting common pitfalls to avoid. Using two recent workshops as case studies, we also present strategies for optimizing participant engagement and learning. Our insights offer practical guidance for planning and conducting image analysis workshops and serve as a starting point for researchers looking to establish similar training initiatives and enrich their local imaging communities.
Forecasting the value of innovation in total knee arthroplasty care: A headroom approach
Authors: Otten Thomas M. , Grimm Sabine E. , Ramaekers Bram , Roth Alex , Emans Pieter , Boymans Tim , Janssen Maarten , Jeuken Ralph , Joore Manuela A. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractPurposeTotal knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the standard treatment of end‐stage osteoarthritis. TKA is often used and, therefore, poses a healthcare and societal burden, which is likely to increase further. Headroom analyses evaluate a technology under development by making assumptions about its effectiveness. This article applies a headroom approach to forecast the potential value of innovations that improve TKA‐related care in the Netherlands in terms of cost‐effectiveness and surgeries avoided.MethodsA state‐transition model estimating lifetime direct health effects, healthcare‐ and societal costs and percentage of avoide d surgeries was developed. The model compared care as usual to five hypothetical interventions to calculate the headroom associated with (1) preventing the need for TKAs, (2) preventing the need for all TKA revisions, (3) postponing TKAs without quality‐of‐life loss, (4) preventing periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) and (5) improving patient satisfaction.ResultsPreventing the need for all TKAs amounted to €43,076 of headroom. Preventing the need for TKA revisions amounted to €2276 (5.8% of surgeries avoided), postponing TKAs by 5 years amounted to €7634 (32.4% of surgeries avoided), preventing PJIs amounted to €1187 (1.4% of surgeries avoided) and improving patient satisfaction amounted to €16,622 (0% of surgeries avoided). The headroom of each hypothetical intervention was highest in younger populations (<50 years of age).ConclusionThere is a headroom for improving TKA‐related care. Innovations to avoid or postpone TKA (i.e., joint‐preserving treatments) as well as those that improve patient satisfaction can be effective in maximizing the value for money and avoiding surgeries. Due to the decreasing average patient age, innovations to reduce revision rates and PJIs will become more valuable as these are most effective in younger patients. It is currently unclear how cost‐effectiveness considerations should be traded off against the prevention of surgery to reduce the increasing burden on the healthcare system.Level of EvidenceLevel III economic evaluation/decision‐analytic model.