bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A comparative genomic study across 396 liver biopsies provides deep insight into FGF21 mode of action as a therapeutic agent in metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease
Authors: Tang Shifang , Borlak Jürgen 
Published: February 2025

AbstractBackgroundMetabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a systemic disease with insulin resistance at its core. It affects one‐third of the world population. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF21)‐based therapies are effective in lowering hepatic fat content and fibrosis resolution; yet, its molecular functions remain uncertain. To gain insight into FGF21 mode of action (MoA), we investigated the transcriptomes of MASLD liver biopsies in relation to FGF21 expression.MethodsWe compared N = 66 healthy controls with 396 MASLD patients and considered clinical characteristics relative to NAS disease activity scores (steatosis, lobular inflammation and ballooning), fibrosis grades and sex. We performed comparative genomics to identify FGF21‐responsive DEGs, utilised information from FGF21‐transgenic and FGF21‐knockout mice and evaluated DEGs following FGF21 treatment of MASLD animal models. Eventually, we explored 188 validated FGF21 targets, and for ≥10 patients showing the same changes, we constructed MASLD‐associated networks to determine the effects of FGF21 in reverting metabolic dysfunction.ResultsWe identified patients with increased 30% (N = 117), decreased 40% (N = 159) or unchanged 30% (N = 120) FGF21 expression, and the differences are caused by changes in FGF21 transcriptional control with ATF4 functioning as a key regulator. Based on comparative genomics, we discovered molecular circuitries of FGF21 in MASLD, notably FGF21‐dependent induction of autophagy and oxidative phosphorylation/mitochondrial respiration. Conversely, FGF21 repressed hepatic glycogen‐storage, its glucose release and gluconeogenesis, and therefore reduced glucose flux in conditions of insulin resistance. Furthermore, FGF21 repressed lipid transporters, and acetyl‐CoA carboxylase‐β to attenuate hepatic lipid overload and lipogenesis. Strikingly, FGF21 dampened immune response by repressing complement factors, MARCO, CD163, MRC1/CD206, CD4, CD45 and pro‐inflammatory cytokine receptors. It also reverted procoagulant imbalance in MASLD, stimulated extracellular matrix degradation, repressed TGFβ‐ and integrin‐signalling and lessened liver sinusoidal endothelial cell defenestration in support of fibrosis resolution.ConclusionsWe gained deep insight into FGF21‐MoA in MASLD. However, heterogeneity in FGF21 expression calls for molecular stratifications as to identify patients which likely benefit from FGF21‐based therapies.Key points
Performed comprehensive genomics across liver biopsies of 396 MASLD patients and identified patients with increased, decreased and unchanged FGF21 expression.
Used genomic data from FGF21 transgenic, knock‐out and animal MASLD models treated with synthetic FGF21 analogues to identify FGF21‐mode‐of‐action and metabolic networks in human MASLD.
Given the significant heterogeneity in FGF21 expression, not all patients will benefit from FGF21‐based therapies.
Helical Electric Field‐Assisted Circular Polarised Terahertz Wave Generation in Plasma by Beating of Two Lasers
Authors: Shukla Vivek Kumar , Hussain Saba , Singh Monika , Singh Ram Kishor 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTWe have studied the circular polarised Terahertz (THz) wave emission by mixing of two lasers in plasma when an externally applied helical structured electric field is present. A nonlinear transverse current density at difference frequency emerges on the accounts of ponderomotive nonlinearity. This occurs when the electrons moving under the influence of externally applied helical electric field, couples with the nonlinear plasma density at difference frequency. This transverse current density can be decomposed of two mutually perpendicular vector having equal amplitude and phase shift, which drives a circular polarised coherent THz radiation. It turns out that conversion efficiency of THz radiation substantially depends on electron plasma frequency, mismatch phase, polarisation angle between laser beams and externally applied helical electric filed. Numerical simulations show that the conversion efficiency increases as THz frequency approach to plasma frequency.
Integrating Human and Wildlife Dynamics in Co‐Occurrence Modelling
Authors: Rolle F. , Boiani M. V. , Fardone L. , Gaydou F. , Macario M. , Parentela F. , Ruco V. , Sigaudo D. , Marucco F. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTIn shared environments, where different species interact depending on overlapping resources, complex interspecific interactions emerge, with human activities impacting these dynamics and influencing wildlife abundance and distribution. In the Alps, the presence of multiple species of ungulates, such as roe deer and red deer, and a predator, the wolf, creates a web of spatial and behavioral interactions in an area where farming, hunting and tourism have persisted over time, with tourism recently experiencing a substantial growth. Accounting for these multiple interactions, we modelled the co‐occurrence probabilities of roe deer, red deer and wolves in an area of the Maritime Alps using data derived from 60 camera traps. We applied multi‐species occupancy models to investigate (i) the role of species co‐occurrences in explaining the occupancy of model species across the landscape, (ii) the role of human presence and activities on species occupancy and (iii) the potential effect of the hunting season on the species detection probabilities. Among the identified species, roe deer reported the highest frequency of recorded events and were the most widespread species. We provided important evidence of interspecific dependence, revealing that pairwise interactions among species had a greater impact than only considering individual environmental effects. We documented that the setting of cameras on trails increased the likelihood of detecting wolves but decreased the likelihood of detecting ungulates. Most importantly, the hunting season significantly reduced the likelihood of capturing roe deer, while having no effect on either red deer or wolves. Our results confirmed the relevance of including prey, predators, and human dynamics as a whole. Since the sharing of habitat makes human activities significantly important in defining predator–prey mechanisms, our insights are particularly relevant for defining solutions to optimize human‐wildlife coexistence, especially in a highly anthropogenic system such as Europe.
Influence of melatonin on the successful infection of Daphnia dentifera by Metschnikowia bicuspidata
Authors: Hughes Ashley G. , Cullum Jeannette E. , Fredericks Molly J. , Wilson Patrick J. , Schwarzenberger Anke , Cáceres Carla E. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThe levels of the hormone melatonin fluctuate daily, with higher concentrations often found at night. These fluctuations likely influence multiple aspects of physiology, including the immune response. We demonstrated that the addition of exogenous melatonin increased the proportion of the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia dentifera that became infected by the fungal pathogen Metschnikowia bicuspidata, during the day but not at night. To determine the stage of this host–pathogen interaction at which melatonin may increase susceptibility, we conducted a series of laboratory experiments in which we raised Daphnia in the presence and absence of exogenous melatonin. To complete its life cycle, Metschnikowia must encounter a foraging host, overcome the host's barrier resistance (gut wall), and evade the host's immune response (internal clearance). We quantified encounter rate by measuring the gut passage time and the number of spores that entered the gut. We also measured the number of spores that successfully entered the body cavity (barrier resistance) and the hemocyte response to spores entering the body cavity (one metric of internal clearance). Finally, we quantified the effect of exogenous melatonin on triggering molting. The addition of exogenous melatonin lengthened gut passage time and decreased the number of spores present in the gut. We found no effect of melatonin on the percentage of gut spores successfully entering the host's body cavity, nor on the hemocyte response. Melatonin is known to influence the timing of molting and hosts that molted during exposure were more likely to become infected, likely due to a decrease in barrier resistance. In a fully factorial experiment, there was a high death rate, low infection rate, and therefore no discernible effect of melatonin on molting, nor molting or melatonin on infection. Our results provide insight into the stages of infection where melatonin does and does not have significant effects.
Enzymatic Valorization of Fatty Acids in Oleochemical Synthesis
Authors: Tieves Florian , Hollmann Frank 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTFatty acids derived from renewable resources, such as vegetable oils, serve as essential feedstocks in various industries, including surfactants, cosmetics, lubricants, and polymers. Although current industrial applications of fatty acids are mainly centered around carboxylate group transformations, recent advancements in biocatalysis have opened new possibilities for converting fatty acids into valuable chemical building blocks. This contribution critically assesses novel biocatalytic transformations of fatty acids, including hydroxylation of the alkyl chain, epoxidation of C═C double bonds, reduction of the carboxylate group, and decarboxylation. These reactions hold great potential for producing important intermediates for chemical synthesis.Practical Application: The enzymatic valorization of fatty acids offers transformative potential for sustainable oleochemical synthesis, presenting practical applications across various industries. Hydroxylated and epoxidized fatty acids are promising precursors for the production of polyesters, bio‐based lubricants, and surfactants. Sophorolipids, derived from hydroxylated fatty acids, are gaining attraction as renewable biosurfactants with applications in detergents and cosmetics. Epoxidized fatty acids serve as intermediates for eco‐friendly adhesives, coatings, and polymers. Furthermore, decarboxylation reactions yield alkanes, viable as biofuels, whereas reductions of carboxyl groups enable selective synthesis of aldehydes and alcohols for fragrances and pharmaceutical intermediates. The scalability of these biocatalytic transformations, combined with their mild operational conditions and high specificity, can substantially reduce environmental impact and production costs. These applications highlight biocatalysis as a pivotal technology for advancing the chemical industry toward sustainable practices.
Left‐Right Ideological Differences in Moral Judgments: The Case of Acceptance of Collateral Civilian Killings in War
Authors: Elad‐Strenger Julia , Statman Daniel , Kessler Thomas 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTPublic sentiment on collateral civilian killings during wartime may crucially impact critical governmental decisions and the trajectory of the conflict itself. Across six studies in Israel and the United States, we examined (1) left‐right ideological differences in acceptance of collateral civilian killings across diverse war scenarios and (2) the role of moral values and ideological ingroup norms in underlying them. Conservatives/rightists consistently showed higher acceptance of collateral civilian killings than liberals/leftists, regardless of whether the civilians killed are members of a current rival group or a strategic partner, whether the war involves real‐life or fictitious groups, or whether participants are members of the group conducting the killings or mere observers. These ideological differences were mediated by conservatives'/rightists' lower endorsement of individualizing moral foundations but not by their higher endorsement of binding moral foundations. Finally, results suggest that ideological ingroup norms may play an indirect role in shaping these ideological differences.
Evaluation of a cIEF Fractionation Workflow for Offline MS Analysis of Charge Variants of the Monoclonal Antibody Matuzumab
Authors: Wittmann Antonia , Wilke Yannick , Grammel Nicolas , Wätzig Hermann 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTBiological drugs like monoclonal antibodies require careful analysis and characterization to ensure product quality, safety, and efficacy. Charge variants of the molecule are of key interest and are analyzed using imaged capillary isoelectric focusing (icIEF). However, deeper characterization of these variants poses challenges. Two workflows for their characterization exist: an ion‐exchange chromatography method for variant collection before mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, which is labor‐intensive, and direct coupling of CE to MS, which allows detailed structural characterization but has limitations, for example, due to incompatibilities with ES ionization using high BGE concentrations. This study evaluates a platform that fractionates charge variants for offline MS analysis. The suitability of a procedure in which analytical icIEF methods are converted into preparative cIEF fractionation methods by increasing the sample concentration and adding 20 mM arginine as a cathodic spacer was tested. After chemical mobilization and fraction collection, the identity of the fractions was determined by fluorescence measurement and reinjection of the protein‐containing fractions, using the previously developed analytical icIEF method. MS was subsequently performed. The general suitability of the workflow was demonstrated using Matuzumab. Transferring the analytical method from a concentration of 0.2 to 1.2 mg/mL in fractionation yielded an identical number of peaks and visually comparable peak profiles. The preparative separation took 50 min, with an additional 25 min for mobilization and 45 s per fraction collection, totaling approximately 2.5 h. Verification of charge variant isolation was straightforward via analytical icIEF. Following fractionation, MS allowed for the identification of the main peaks. Preliminary results with other antibodies indicated that the concentration range for MS experiments needs further investigation. Future work will aim to optimize sensitivity, selectivity, analysis time, and reproducibility.
Wavelet‐Based Feature Extraction for Efficient High‐Resolution Image Classification
Authors: Dede Albert , Nunoo‐Mensah Henry , Akowuah Emmanuel Kofi , Boateng Kwame Osei , Adjei Prince Ebenezer , Acheampong Francisca Adoma , Acquah Isaac , Kponyo Jerry John 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTConvolutional neural networks (CNNs) typically compress high‐resolution images to minimize computational requirements. However, this can lead to loss of information and reduced accuracy in classification tasks. This paper introduces WaveNet, a novel approach for processing high‐resolution images using wavelet‐domain inputs in CNNs. We address the challenge of maintaining classification accuracy with high‐resolution inputs while minimizing computational complexity. Our method employs wavelet packet transform (WPT) for image pre‐processing, extracting detailed multi‐scale and directional information from high‐resolution images. We propose a wavelet‐adaptive efficient channel attention (WAECA) module to dynamically select the most informative wavelet subbands. Popular CNN architectures like ResNet‐50 and MobileNetV2 are adapted by replacing their initial convolutional layers with wavelet‐transformed inputs, enabling direct learning in the wavelet domain. Experiments conducted on the Caltech‐256 and ALOT datasets demonstrate that WaveNet improves classification accuracy while reducing computational complexity. For instance, our wavelet‐enhanced ResNet‐50 achieves a Top‐1 accuracy of 72.47% on Caltech‐256, outperforming the baseline (70.65%) while reducing FLOPs from 16.52G to 3.98G. Similar improvements are observed across different architectures and datasets. We also evaluate various wavelet filters and ResNet backbones, finding that the bior1.1 filter and ResNet‐50 provide optimal performance. This work presents a practical solution for developing more accurate and efficient models for high‐resolution inputs without extensive computational resources or complex architectural modifications.
SB‐YOLO‐V8: A Multilayered Deep Learning Approach for Real‐Time Human Detection
Authors: Ansah Prince Alvin Kwabena , Appati Justice Kwame , Owusu Ebenezer , Boahen Edward Kwadwo , Boakye‐Sekyerehene Prince , Dwumfour Abdullai 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTOver the past decade, significant advancements in computer vision have been made, primarily driven by deep learning‐based algorithms for object detection. However, these models often require large amounts of labeled data, leading to performance degradation when applied to tasks with limited data sets, particularly in scenarios involving moving objects. For instance, real‐time detection and detection of humans in agricultural settings pose challenges that demand sophisticated vision algorithms. To address this issue, we propose SB‐YOLO‐V8 (Scene‐Based—You Only Look Once—Version 8), an optimized YOLO‐based convolutional neural network (CNN) designed specifically for real‐time human detection, not just limited to citrus farms but applicable to various agricultural and urban environments. The versatility of SB‐YOLO‐V8 is underpinned by its robust handling of class imbalances and enhanced feature extraction through binary adaptive learning optimization (ALO) and Synthetic Minority Over‐sampling Technique (SMOTE), addressing common challenges like limited labeled data sets and varied object dynamics in different scenarios. The proposed method is trained using images and videos of human workers captured by autonomous farm equipment. Evaluation metrics, including frame per second (FPS), model performance, and efficiency, demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms variances of YOLO such as YOLO‐V8, YOLO‐V7, YOLO‐V6, YOLO‐V4, and YOLO‐V3 with an average FPS of 13.63 and a precision of 91%. In effect, the proposed SB‐YOLO‐V8 presents an efficient solution for real‐time human detection in challenging visual scenarios.
Selection of Optimized Diagnostic Approach for Cardiovascular Diseases Leveraging Dynamic Linguistic Intuitionistic Fuzzy Decision‐Making Technique
Authors: Ameer M. , Emam Walid , Yousaf Awais , Younis Muhammad 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTFuzzy mathematical operations play an important role in the field of decision‐making. Decision‐making tools are being used in every field of life. Fuzzy operators are the building blocks for making a decision in the realm of uncertain information. The information is often in qualitative form which needs a qualitative approach for decision‐making rather than a quantitative one. The linguistic term sets are the mathematical tools to collect the qualitative data from experts of the fields and the conversion of linguistic data in the form linguistic intuitionistic fuzzy data is the more efficient and reliable for the process of decision making. The fuzzy aggregation operators are the best tools for the aggregation of uncertain and vague data. This work addresses a real‐world decision‐making problem of choosing the best diagnostic approach for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases by introducing a novel decision‐making technique with fuzzy aggregation operators in the domain of linguistic intuitionistic fuzzy (LIF) sets. Two new operators are used in this method: the Dynamic Linguistic Intuitionistic Fuzzy Dombi Weighted Averaging (DLIFDWA) operator and the Dynamic Linguistic Intuitionistic Fuzzy Dombi Weighted Geometric (DLIFDWG) operator. This work aims to identify an optimal technique for diagnosing cardiovascular illness using Dombi operations in the Linguistic Intuitionistic Fuzzy environment. The Dombi Operations are highly versatile and successful in addressing vagueness and uncertainty, making them crucial in our methodology. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the offered strategies, we have implemented the recommended operators for the selection of optimized diagnostic approach for cardiovascular diseases. This showcases the significance of these strategies in facilitating decision‐making. Ultimately, we perform a thorough analysis to showcase the reliability and uniformity of the produced procedures, comparing the provided operators with various current counterparts.
Self‐limited familial focal epilepsy caused by ANK2 variants: A potentially under‐recognized condition
Authors: Lin Po‐Hsi , Ho Chen‐Jui , Lin Chih‐Hsiang , Hou Ya‐Yuan , Chan Cheng‐Han , Tsai Meng‐Han 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThe Ankyrin 2 (ANK2) gene encodes the ankyrin‐B protein (ANKB), which is involved in the organization and stability of membrane ion channels, transporters, and receptors in cardiomyocytes and neurons. Variants in ANK2 genes are initially reported in long QT syndrome and autism. Animal models with ANK2 deletion have exhibited seizures and been anecdotally associated with epilepsy in case reports. Hereby, we reported a Taiwanese family with the ANK2 pathogenic variant (chr4:114276707, c.6933del, p.T2312Lfs*2) that affects the giant ankyrin‐B isoform. The family members presented with young‐onset self‐limited focal epilepsy, and achieved seizure‐free in adulthood with antiseizure medications. Interestingly, the electrocardiogram revealed no obvious cardiac phenotype. We further reviewed reported ANK2‐related epilepsies. Most variants are de novo and loss‐of‐function variants. Most patients had young epilepsy or neonatal seizures. Notably, most cases of ANK2‐related epilepsy are self‐limited and pharmaco‐responsive, which suggests that it is likely to be underdiagnosed. With the increased availability of whole exome sequencing, the diagnosis of ANK2‐related epilepsies may increase. The co‐existence of QT prolongation on electrocardiogram, autism, and a positive family history of cardiac arrhythmia or sudden death may provide important clues in the clinical diagnosis of ANK2‐related epilepsy. Furthermore, a correct genetic diagnosis of ANK2‐related epilepsy will initiate close cardiac surveillance to avoid the potential sudden death risk of this disorder.Plain Language SummaryANK2 has long been regarded as an arrhythmic gene. This study reported the first familial ANK2‐related epilepsy, highlighting the role of ANK2 in epileptogenesis. Most reported ANK2‐related epilepsies are self‐limited and pharmaco‐responsive, suggesting that they are likely to be underdiagnosed. Literature review of the phenotype and genotype of ANK2 showed that LOF ANK2 variants tend to have CNS phenotypes, whereas missense variants are arrhythmic. Early detection of ANK2 variants in epilepsy patients is worthwhile considering the potential sudden death risk of this disorder.