bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Infrared thermography reveals weathering hotspots at the Požáry field laboratory
Authors: Loche Marco , Racek Ondřej , Petružálek Matěj , Scaringi Gianvito , Blahůt Jan 
Published: June 2024

AbstractEvaluating physical properties and mechanical parameters of rock slopes and their spatial variability is challenging, particularly at locations inaccessible for fieldwork. This obstacle can be bypassed by acquiring spatially-distributed field data indirectly. InfraRed Thermography (IRT) has emerged as a promising technology to statistically infer rock properties and inform slope stability models. Here, we explore the use of Cooling Rate Indices (CRIs) to quantify the thermal response of a granodiorite rock wall within the recently established Požáry Test Site in Czechia. We observe distinct cooling patterns across different segments of the wall, compatible with the different degrees of weathering evaluated in the laboratory and suggested by IRT observations of cored samples. Our findings support previous examinations of the efficacy of this method and unveil correlations between cooling phases in the field and in the laboratory. We discuss the scale-dependency of the Informative Time Window (ITW) of the CRIs, noting that it may serve as a reference for conducting systematic IRT field surveys. We contend that our approach not only represents a viable and scientifically robust strategy for characterising rock slopes but also holds the potential for identifying unstable areas.
Sex ratios in vocal ensembles affect perceptions of threat and belonging
Authors: Neuenswander Kelsey L. , Goodale Brianna M. , Bryant Gregory A. , Johnson Kerri L. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractPeople often interact with groups (i.e., ensembles) during social interactions. Given that group-level information is important in navigating social environments, we expect perceptual sensitivity to aspects of groups that are relevant for personal threat as well as social belonging. Most ensemble perception research has focused on visual ensembles, with little research looking at auditory or vocal ensembles. Across four studies, we present evidence that (i) perceivers accurately extract the sex composition of a group from voices alone, (ii) judgments of threat increase concomitantly with the number of men, and (iii) listeners’ sense of belonging depends on the number of same-sex others in the group. This work advances our understanding of social cognition, interpersonal communication, and ensemble coding to include auditory information, and reveals people’s ability to extract relevant social information from brief exposures to vocalizing groups.
Direct oral anticoagulants for oral anticoagulants-naïve Asian patients with atrial fibrillation and end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis
Authors: Roh Jae-Hyung , Kim Yong-Giun , Kim Doyeon , Park Sangwoo , Park Kyung Sun , Kim Minsu , Hwang Ki Won , Hwang Wonmook , Park Gyung-Min , Lee Jae-Hwan 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn Asian patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis, the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) remains debatable. From the national health insurance claims data in South Korea, we included 425 new users of OAC among patients with non-valvular AF and ESRD undergoing dialysis between 2013 and 2020. Patients were categorized into DOAC (n = 106) and warfarin group (n = 319). Clinical outcomes, including ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, were compared between the two groups using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis. During the median follow-up of 3.2 years, the incidence of ischemic stroke was significantly reduced in the DOAC compared to the warfarin group [Hazard ratio (HR) 0.07; P = 0.001]. However, the incidence of MI (HR 1.32; P = 0.41) and GI bleeding (HR 1.78; P = 0.06) were not significantly different between the two groups. No ICH events occurred in the DOAC group, although the incidence rate did not differ significantly between the two groups (P = 0.17). In Asian patients with AF and ESRD undergoing dialysis, DOACs may be associated with a reduced risk of ischemic stroke compared with warfarin. The MI, ICH, and GI bleeding rates may be comparable between DOACs and warfarin.
Full-length transcriptome sequencing of Arabidopsis plants provided new insights into the autophagic regulation of photosynthesis
Authors: Wang Song , Shi Yunfeng , Zhou Yanhui , Hu Weiming , Liu Fen 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAutophagy is a highly conserved eukaryotic pathway and plays a crucial role in cell survival under stress conditions. Here, we applied a full-length transcriptome approach to study an Arabidopsis autophagy mutant (atg5-1) subjected to nitrogen-starvation, using Oxford Nanopore Technologies. A total of 39,033 transcripts were identified, including 11,356 new transcripts. In addition, alternative splicing (AS) events and lncRNAs were also detected between Col-0 (WT) and atg5-1. Differentially expressed transcript enrichment showed that autophagy upregulates the expression of many stress-responsive genes and inhibits the transcription of photosynthesis-associated genes. The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression patterns of photosynthesis-related genes in the atg5-1 differed under the conditions of nitrogen starvation and carbon starvation. Under nitrogen starvation treatment, many genes related to photosynthesis also exhibited AS. Chlorophyll fluorescence images revealed that the Fv/Fm and ΦPSII of old atg5-1 leaves were significantly reduced after nitrogen starvation treatment, but the Y(NPQ) indices were significantly increased compared to those of the WT plants. The results of qRT-PCR suggest that autophagy appears to be involved in the degradation of genes related to photodamage repair in PSII. Taken together, the full-length transcriptiome sequencing provide new insights into how new transcripts, lncRNAs and alternative splicing (AS) are involved in plant autophagy through full-length transcriptome sequencing and suggest a new potential link between autophagy and photosynthesis.
TLR9 agonism differentially impacts human NK cell-mediated direct killing and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity
Authors: Mahr Anna R. , Bennett-Boehm Maia M. C. , Rothemejer Frederik H. , Weber Isabelle S. , Regan Alexander K. , Franzen Josh Q. , Bisson Cami R. , Truong Angela N. , Olesen Rikke , Schleimann Mariane H. , Rauter Claudia M. , Smith Audrey L. , El-Gamal Dalia , Søgaard Ole S. , Tolstrup Martin , Denton Paul W. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThere are two known mechanisms by which natural killer (NK) cells recognize and kill diseased targets: (i) direct killing and (ii) antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). We investigated an indirect NK cell activation strategy for the enhancement of human NK cell killing function. We did this by leveraging the fact that toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonism within pools of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) results in a robust interferon signaling cascade that leads to NK cell activation. After TLR9 agonist stimulation, NK cells were enriched and incorporated into assays to assess their ability to kill tumor cell line targets. Notably, differential impacts of TLR9 agonism were observed—direct killing was enhanced while ADCC was not increased. To ensure that the observed differential effects were not attributable to differences between human donors, we recapitulated the observation using our Natural Killer—Simultaneous ADCC and Direct Killing Assay (NK-SADKA) that controls for human-to-human differences. Next, we observed a treatment-induced decrease in NK cell surface CD16—known to be shed by NK cells post-activation. Given the essential role of CD16 in ADCC, such shedding could account for the observed differential impact of TLR9 agonism on NK cell-mediated killing capacity.
Visfatin impact on the proteome of porcine luteal cells during implantation
Authors: Kopij Grzegorz , Kiezun Marta , Gudelska Marlena , Dobrzyn Kamil , Zarzecka Barbara , Rytelewska Edyta , Zaobidna Ewa , Swiderska Bianka , Malinowska Agata , Rak Agnieszka , Kaminski Tadeusz , Smolinska Nina 
Published: June 2024

AbstractVisfatin (VIS) is a hormone belonging to the adipokines’ group secreted mainly by the adipose tissue. VIS plays a crucial role in the control of energy homeostasis, inflammation, cell differentiation, and angiogenesis. VIS expression was confirmed in the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis structures, as well as in the uterus, placenta, and conceptuses. We hypothesised that VIS may affect the abundance of proteins involved in the regulation of key processes occurring in the corpus luteum (CL) during the implantation process in pigs. In the present study, we performed the high-throughput proteomic analysis (liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, LC–MS/MS) to examine the in vitro influence of VIS (100 ng/mL) on differentially regulated proteins (DRPs) in the porcine luteal cells (LCs) on days 15–16 of pregnancy (implantation period). We have identified 511 DRPs, 276 of them were up-regulated, and 235 down-regulated in the presence of VIS. Revealed DRPs were assigned to 162 gene ontology terms. Western blot analysis of five chosen DRPs, ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 1 (ADAMTS1), lanosterol 14-α demethylase (CYP51A1), inhibin subunit beta A (INHBA), notch receptor 3 (NOTCH3), and prostaglandin E synthase 2 (mPGES2) confirmed the veracity and accuracy of LC–MS/MS method. We indicated that VIS modulates the expression of proteins connected with the regulation of lipogenesis and cholesterologenesis, and, in consequence, may be involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones, as well as prostaglandins’ metabolism. Moreover, we revealed that VIS affects the abundance of protein associated with ovarian cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, as well as CL new vessel formation and tissue remodelling. Our results suggest important roles for VIS in the regulation of ovarian functions during the peri-implantation period.
MRI-based adrenal gland volume is associated with cardiovascular alterations in individuals without prior cardiovascular disease
Authors: Askani Esther , Rospleszcz Susanne , Lorbeer Roberto , Wintergerst Charlotte , Müller-Peltzer Katharina , Nattenmüller Johanna , Hasic Dunja , von Krüchten Ricarda , Kellner Elias , Reisert Marco , Rathmann Wolfgang , Peters Annette , Schlett Christopher L. , Bamberg Fabian , Storz Corinna 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAim of this study was to analyse the associations of cardiovascular health and adrenal gland volume as a rather new imaging biomarker of chronic hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation. The study population originates from the KORA population-based cross-sectional prospective cohort. 400 participants without known cardiovascular disease underwent a whole-body MRI. Manual segmentation of adrenal glands was performed on VIBE-Dixon gradient-echo sequence. MRI based evaluation of cardiac parameters was achieved semi-automatically. Cardiometabolic risk factors were obtained through standardized interviews and medical examination. Univariate and multivariate associations were derived. Bi-directional causal mediation analysis was performed. 351 participants were eligible for analysis (56 ± 9.1 years, male 58.7%). In multivariate analysis, significant associations were observed between adrenal gland volume and hypertension (outcome hypertension: Odds Ratio = 1.11, 95% CI [1.01, 1.21], p = 0.028), left ventricular remodelling index (LVRI) (outcome LVRI: β = 0.01, 95% CI [0.00, 0.02], p = 0.011), and left ventricular (LV) wall thickness (outcome LV wall thickness: β = 0.06, 95% CI [0.02, 0.09], p = 0.005). In bi-directional causal mediation analysis adrenal gland volume had a borderline significant mediating effect on the association between hypertension and LVRI (p = 0.052) as well as wall thickness (p = 0.054). MRI-based assessment of adrenal gland enlargement is associated with hypertension and LV remodelling. Adrenal gland volume may serve as an indirect cardiovascular imaging biomarker.
Sex differences in the association of long-term exposure to heat stress on kidney function in a large Taiwanese population study
Authors: Chen Yi-Kong , Wu Ping-Hsun , Wu Pei-Yu , Tsai Yi-Chun , Chiu Yi-Wen , Chang Jer-Ming , Hung Chih-Hsing , Wu Chih-Da , Kuo Chao-Hung , Tseng Yu-Chee , Chen Szu-Chia 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe incidence and prevalence of dialysis in Taiwan are high compared to other regions. Consequently, mitigating chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the worsening of kidney function have emerged as critical healthcare priorities in Taiwan. Heat stress is known to be a significant risk factor for CKD and kidney function impairment. However, differences in the impact of heat stress between males and females remains unexplored. We conducted this retrospective cross-sectional analysis using data from the Taiwan Biobank (TWB), incorporating records of the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) during midday (11 AM–2 PM) and working hours (8 AM–5 PM) periods based on the participants’ residential address. Average 1-, 3-, and 5-year WBGT values prior to the survey year were calculated and analyzed using a geospatial artificial intelligence-based ensemble mixed spatial model, covering the period from 2010 to 2020. A total of 114,483 participants from the TWB were included in this study, of whom 35.9% were male and 1053 had impaired kidney function (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2). Multivariable analysis revealed that in the male participants, during the midday period, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year average WBGT values per 1 ℃ increase were significantly positively associated with eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (odds ratio [OR], 1.096, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.002–1.199, p = 0.044 for 1 year; OR, 1.093, 95% CI = 1.000–1.196, p = 0.005 for 3 years; OR, 1.094, 95% CI = 1.002–1.195, p = 0.045 for 5 years). However, significant associations were not found for the working hours period. In the female participants, during the midday period, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year average WBGT values per 1 ℃ increase were significantly negatively associated with eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (OR, 0.872, 95% CI = 0.778–0.976, p = 0.018 for 1 year; OR, 0.874, 95% CI = 0.780–0.978, p = 0.019 for 3 years; OR, 0.875, 95% CI = 0.784–0.977, p = 0.018 for 5 years). In addition, during the working hours period, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year average WBGT values per 1 ℃ increase were also significantly negatively associated with eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (OR, 0.856, 95% CI = 0.774–0.946, p = 0.002 for 1 year; OR, 0.856, 95% CI = 0.774–0.948, p = 0.003 for 3 years; OR, 0.853, 95% CI = 0.772–0.943, p = 0.002 for 5 years). In conclusion, our results revealed that increased WBGT was associated with impaired kidney function in males, whereas increased WBGT was associated with a protective effect against impaired kidney function in females. Further studies are needed to elucidate the exact mechanisms underlying these sex-specific differences.
Indirect non-linear effects of landscape patterns on vegetation growth in Kunming City
Authors: Li Ninglv , Zhao Fangkai , Chen Shanshan , Li Chun , Wang Yiting , Ma Yuxin , Chen Liding 
Published: June 2024

AbstractUrban greening is becoming an important strategy in improving urban ecosystem services and sustainability. Identifying the response of vegetation to urbanization and urban landscape patterns can help in planning for urban greening. Urbanization may lead to both direct and indirect effects on vegetation, and the indirect effects of urbanization on vegetation growth (UIE-VG) have been paid much attention recently in large scale. In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal evolution of UIE-VG and the effects of landscape patterns on UIE-VG using the boosted regression tree model and remotely sensed data. An increase in average UIE-VG from 4 to 56% was found during urbanization of Kunming, the case study area in southwest China. However, UIE-VG exhibited high variations due to landscape pattern changes at the local scale. Overall, area-related and aggregation-related landscape metrics had greater effects on UIE-VG than the other metrics. The increase and aggregation of built-up land enhanced UIE-VG by 3.1–81.3% while the increase and aggregation of unused land and waterbodies reduced UIE-VG by 0.7–20.6%. Moreover, we found that the large and aggregated vegetation areas may mitigate the negative UIE-VG in low urbanization areas. Our findings have important implications for integrating urban landscape planning into sustainable urban greening strategies.
No constraint on long-term tropical land carbon-climate feedback uncertainties from interannual variability
Authors: Liu Laibao , Fisher Rosie A. , Douville Hervé , Padrón Ryan S. , Berg Alexis , Mao Jiafu , Alessandri Andrea , Kim Hyungjun , Seneviratne Sonia I. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractUnraveling drivers of the interannual variability of tropical land carbon cycle is critical for understanding land carbon-climate feedbacks. Here we utilize two generations of factorial model experiments to show that interannual variability of tropical land carbon uptake under both present and future climate is consistently dominated by terrestrial water availability variations in Earth system models. The magnitude of this interannual sensitivity of tropical land carbon uptake to water availability variations under future climate shows a large spread across the latest 16 models (2.3 ± 1.5 PgC/yr/Tt H2O), which is constrained to 1.3 ± 0.8 PgC/yr/Tt H2O using observations and the emergent constraint methodology. However, the long-term tropical land carbon-climate feedback uncertainties in the latest models can no longer be directly constrained by interannual variability compared with previous models, given that additional important processes are not well reflected in interannual variability but could determine long-term land carbon storage. Our results highlight the limited implication of interannual variability for long-term tropical land carbon-climate feedbacks and help isolate remaining uncertainties with respect to water limitations on tropical land carbon sink in Earth system models.
A scalable big data approach for remotely tracking rangeland conditions
Authors: Xie Zunyi , Game Edward T. , Phinn Stuart R. , Adams Matthew P. , Bayarjargal Yunden , Pannell David J. , Purevbaatar Ganbold , Baldangombo Batkhuyag , Hobbs Richard J. , Yao Jing , McDonald-Madden Eve 
Published: June 2024

AbstractRangelands, covering half of the global land area, are critically degraded by unsustainable use and climate change. Despite their extensive presence, global assessments of rangeland condition and sustainability are limited. Here we introduce a novel analytical approach that combines satellite big data and statistical modeling to quantify the likelihood of changes in rangeland conditions. These probabilities are then used to assess the effectiveness of management interventions targeting rangeland sustainability. This approach holds global potential, as demonstrated in Mongolia, where the shift to a capitalist economy has led to increased livestock numbers and grazing intensity. From 1986 to 2020, heavy grazing caused a marked decline in Mongolia’s rangeland condition. Our evaluation of diverse management strategies, corroborated by local ground observations, further substantiates our approach. Leveraging globally available yet locally detailed satellite data, our proposed condition tracking approach provides a rapid, cost-effective tool for sustainable rangeland management.
Numerical investigation of module-level inhomogeneous ageing in lithium-ion batteries from temperature gradients and electrical connection topologies
Authors: He Haosong , Fly Ashley , Barbour Edward , Chen Xiangjie 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe distribution of current/voltage can be further regulated by optimising the electrical connection topology, considering a particular battery thermal management systems. This study numerically investigates a 4P6S battery module with two connection topologies: 1) a straight connection topology, where the sub-modules consist of parallel-connected cells that are serial connected in a linear configuration, and 2) a parallelogram connection topology, where the sub-modules are serial connected in a parallelogram configuration. We find that the straight topology is more advantageous, as it allows the temperature gradient to be distributed among the parallel-connected cells in the sub-modules, mitigating over(dis)charging. Consequently, it achieves a 0.8% higher effective capacity than the parallelogram topology at 1C discharge, along with a higher state of health at 80.15% compared to 80% for the parallelogram topology. Notably, the straight topology results in a maximum current maldistribution of 0.24C at 1C discharge, which is considered an acceptable trade-off.
Alternative proteoforms and proteoform-dependent assemblies in humans and plants
Authors: McWhite Claire D , Sae-Lee Wisath , Yuan Yaning , Mallam Anna L , Gort-Freitas Nicolas A , Ramundo Silvia , Onishi Masayuki , Marcotte Edward M 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe variability of proteins at the sequence level creates an enormous potential for proteome complexity. Exploring the depths and limits of this complexity is an ongoing goal in biology. Here, we systematically survey human and plant high-throughput bottom-up native proteomics data for protein truncation variants, where substantial regions of the full-length protein are missing from an observed protein product. In humans,Arabidopsis, and the green algaChlamydomonas, approximately one percent of observed proteins show a short form, which we can assign by comparison to RNA isoforms as either likely deriving from transcript-directed processes or limited proteolysis. While some detected protein fragments align with known splice forms and protein cleavage events, multiple examples are previously undescribed, such as our observation of fibrocystin proteolysis and nuclear translocation in a green alga. We find that truncations occur almost entirely between structured protein domains, even when short forms are derived from transcript variants. Intriguingly, multiple endogenous protein truncations of phase-separating translational proteins resemble cleaved proteoforms produced by enteroviruses during infection. Some truncated proteins are also observed in both humans and plants, suggesting that they date to the last eukaryotic common ancestor. Finally, we describe novel proteoform-specific protein complexes, where the loss of a domain may accompany complex formation.
Engineering an annular donor–acceptor reaction chamber with spontaneous feedstock collection for boosting CO2 photoreduction
Authors: Zhou Zhanpeng , Zeng Hao , Feng Chengyang , Li Ling , Tang Rongdi , Li Wenbo , Huang Ying , Deng Yaocheng 
Published: June 2024

The interaction between methyl and phosphorus atoms constructs a porous reaction chamber and an annular electron donor–acceptor structure in g-C3N4, inducing a spontaneous collection mechanism of feedstock to enhance photoreduction of CO2 to CO.