bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
One-stage thyroid cartilage laryngotracheal reconstruction for children less than one year old with congenital subglottic stenosis
Authors: Chen Chao , Ni Yi-hua , Tan Le-tian , Huang Yue , Xu Zheng-min 
Published: April 2024

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate one-stage thyroid cartilage laryngotracheal reconstruction in children less than one year of age with congenital subglottic stenosis.MethodsCongenital subglottic stenosis children less than one year old who underwent one-stage thyroid cartilage laryngotracheal reconstruction between 2016 and 2020 in our department were retrospectively reviewed. Their clinical characteristics, treatments and prognoses were assessed.ResultsEleven congenital subglottic stenosis children (6–11 months) were included: seven with Myer–Cotton grade II, and four with Myer–Cotton grade III. Their tracheal diameters were corrected to normal size using thyroid cartilage, and they were intubated under sedation for two weeks after surgery. Moreover, all of them received anti-infection and anti-reflux therapies during hospitalisation. No breathing difficulty, aspiration, hoarseness or laryngitis was observed during the follow-up period (10–30 months), and their growth and development were age appropriate.ConclusionThe one-stage thyroid cartilage laryngotracheal reconstruction is a good treatment option for congenital subglottic stenosis children less than one year old with Myer–Cotton grade II–III.
Structural and Cognitive Mechanisms of Group Cohesion in Primates
Authors: Dunbar R.I.M. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Group-living creates stresses that, all else equal, naturally lead to group fragmentation, and hence loss of the benefits that group-living provides. How species that live in large stable groups counteract these forces is not well understood. I use comparative data on grooming networks and cognitive abilities in primates to show that living in large, stable groups has involved a series of structural solutions designed to create chains of ‘friendship’ (friends-of-friends effects), increased investment in bonding behaviours (made possible by dietary adjustments) to ensure that coalitions work effectively, and neuronally expensive cognitive skills of the kind known to underpin social relationships in humans. The first ensures that individuals synchronise their activity cycles; the second allows the stresses created by group-living to be defused; and the third allows a large number of weak ties to be managed. Between them, these create a form of multilevel sociality based on strong versus weak ties similar to that found in human social networks. In primates, these strategies appear successively at quite specific group sizes, suggesting that they are solutions to ‘glass ceilings’ that would otherwise limit the range of group sizes that animals can live in (and hence the habitats they can occupy). This sequence maps closely onto the grades now known to underpin the Social Brain Hypothesis and the fractal pattern that is known to optimise information flow round networks.
A new philosophy for international legal skepticism?
Authors: Lefkowitz David 
Published: April 2024

AbstractRonald Dworkin maintains that a system of coercive government is a genuinely legal one if and only if it exhibits fidelity to a conception of the rule of law as valuable for the constitutive contribution it makes to the treatment of all its individual human subjects with equal concern and respect. This requires a particular type of institutional structure, namely one that satisfies the criteria that constitute government according to the rule of law, and a particular political culture or ethos on the part of both rulers and ruled that Dworkin labels law as integrity. The existing practice of global coercive government may well satisfy neither of these conditions. If so, then given Dworkin's account of law, international law is not really law. Importantly, this is a practical claim, not a descriptive/explanatory one. Specifically, it entails that international officials are sometimes morally permitted to tell noble lies regarding what the ‘law’ is, to refuse to pronounce on questions of ‘law’, and to refrain from applying and enforcing actors' ‘legal’ rights and duties.
Fast tracking tool selection for sustainability decisions
Authors: Willer David F. , Christie Alec P. , Khripko Diana , Bremner Julie , Petrovan Silviu O. , Sutherland William J. , Short Samuel W. , Aldridge David C. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Non-technical Summary
In decision-making, especially for sustainability, choosing the right assessment tools is crucial but challenging due to the abundance of options. A new method is introduced to streamline this process, aiding policymakers and managers. This method involves four phases: scoping, cataloging, selection, and validation, combining data analysis with stakeholder engagement. Using the food system as an example, the approach demonstrates how practitioners can select tools effectively based on input variables and desired outcomes to address sustainability risks. This method can be applied across various sectors, offering a systematic way to enhance decision-making and manage sustainability effectively.

Technical Summary
Decision making frequently entails the selection and application of assessment tools. For sustainability decisions there are a plethora of tools available for environmental assessment, yet no established and clear approach to determine which tools are appropriate and resource efficient for application. Here we present an extensive inventory of tools and a novel taxonomic method which enables efficient, effective tool selection to improve decision making for policymakers and managers. The tool selection methodology follows four main phases based on the divergence-convergence logic; a scoping phase, cataloging phase, selection phase and validation phase. This approach combines elements of data-driven analysis with participatory techniques for stakeholder engagement to achieve buy-in and to ensure efficient management of progress and agile course correction when needed. It builds on the current limited range and scope of approaches to tool selection, and is flexible and Artificial Intelligence-ready in order to facilitate more rapid integration and uptake. Using the food system as a case study, we demonstrate how practitioners can use available input variables and desired output metrics to select the most appropriate tools to manage sustainability risks, with the approach having wide applicability to other sectors.

Social Media Summary
New method simplifies tool selection for sustainable decisions, aiding policymakers & managers. #Sustainability #DecisionMaking
The Short‐Periodic Response of Equatorial Electrojet to the Temporal Variations of IMF Bz During Geomagnetic Quiet Time
Authors: Zhang Kedeng , Wang Hui , Liu Jing 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe equatorial electrojet (EEJ) is an important and intense ionospheric current, flowing in a narrow band along the dip equator. Using the total electron content from Global Navigation Satellite System, electron density from Swarm, EEJ from Tatuoca station, and the corresponding Thermosphere‐Ionosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model simulations, this work investigates the behaviors of quiet‐time EEJ during the temporal oscillations of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz. It is found that an average relative perturbation of 17.5%, 5.51% and 23.17% could be generated in the quiet time EEJ on August 24 in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. The prominent feature shown in EEJ changes is the short‐periodic oscillations with high frequency and a period of tens of minutes. A power spectrum from wavelet supports that the small‐scale perturbations with high frequency are mainly attributed to the prompt penetration electric field (PPEF). During the temporal oscillations of IMF Bz, a similar spectrum is established between IMF Bz and PPEF. PPEF could be promptly superposed into the zonal equatorial electric field within minutes, producing similar frequent responses in EEJ. The large changes with low frequency are related to the disturbance wind dynamo electric field.
Transition Between Mechanical and Geometric Controls in Glacier Crevassing Processes
Authors: Rousseau Hugo , Gaume Johan , Blatny Lars , Lüthi Martin P. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractHerein, fast fracture initiation in glacier ice is modeled using a Material Point Method and a simplified constitutive law describing tensile strain softening. Relying on a simple configuration where ice flows over a vertical step, crevasse patterns emerge and are consistent with previous observations reported in the literature. The model’s few parameters allows identification of a single dimensionless number controlling fracture spacing and depth. This scaling law delineates two regimes. In the first one, ice thickness does not play a role and only ice tensile strength controls the spacing, giving rise to numerous surface crevasses, as observed in crevasse fields. In this regime, scaling can recover classical values for ice tensile strength from macroscopic field observations. The second regime, governed by ice bending, produces large‐scale, deep fractures resembling serac falls or calving events.
Vision–language foundation model for echocardiogram interpretation
Authors: Christensen Matthew , Vukadinovic Milos , Yuan Neal , Ouyang David 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe development of robust artificial intelligence models for echocardiography has been limited by the availability of annotated clinical data. Here, to address this challenge and improve the performance of cardiac imaging models, we developed EchoCLIP, a vision–language foundation model for echocardiography, that learns the relationship between cardiac ultrasound images and the interpretations of expert cardiologists across a wide range of patients and indications for imaging. After training on 1,032,975 cardiac ultrasound videos and corresponding expert text, EchoCLIP performs well on a diverse range of benchmarks for cardiac image interpretation, despite not having been explicitly trained for individual interpretation tasks. EchoCLIP can assess cardiac function (mean absolute error of 7.1% when predicting left ventricular ejection fraction in an external validation dataset) and identify implanted intracardiac devices (area under the curve (AUC) of 0.84, 0.92 and 0.97 for pacemakers, percutaneous mitral valve repair and artificial aortic valves, respectively). We also developed a long-context variant (EchoCLIP-R) using a custom tokenizer based on common echocardiography concepts. EchoCLIP-R accurately identified unique patients across multiple videos (AUC of 0.86), identified clinical transitions such as heart transplants (AUC of 0.79) and cardiac surgery (AUC 0.77) and enabled robust image-to-text search (mean cross-modal retrieval rank in the top 1% of candidate text reports). These capabilities represent a substantial step toward understanding and applying foundation models in cardiovascular imaging for preliminary interpretation of echocardiographic findings.
Rapid determination of hippuric acid as an exposure biomarker of toluene using a colorimetric assay and comparison with high-performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Dehghani Fatemeh , Yousefinejad Saeed , Mobaraki Nabiollah , Nekoeinia Mohsen , Hemmateenejad Bahram 
Published: April 2024

AbstractOccupational exposure to toluene is associated with health risks that require reliable monitoring methods. Hippuric acid (HA), a urinary metabolite of toluene, serves as a valuable biomarker for such exposure. Colorimetric methods for the quantitative determination of HA have gained prominence due to their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and suitability for field application. In the present study, a simple colorimetric technique was optimized for the determination of HA in the urine sample, and compared with a usual HPLC technique. The central composite design (CCD) was applied to examine the effective parameters on the colorimetric determination of HA. The calibration curve for HA was established within the concentration range of 6 to 100 mg L−1 with R2 = 0.97. The detection limit (LOD) and quantification limit (LOQ) were determined to be 1.8 mg L−1 and 6 mg L−1 respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD%) was less than 5%, and the recovery% (R%) was 90.5–100.1. The overall results showed good agreement between the colorimetric and HPLC results. There was a significant relationship between the results obtained from HPLC and colorimetric methods especially for higher concentration levels of HA (≥ 500 mg/g creatinine). In conclusion, our optimized colorimetric method is a simple, cost-effective, and rapid method for determination of HA in occupational exposure, which is comparable with the HPLC technique.
A minimal Fanconi Anemia complex in early diverging fungi
Authors: Barua Drishtee , Płecha Magdalena , Muszewska Anna 
Published: April 2024

AbstractFanconi Anemia (FA) pathway resolves DNA interstrand cross links (ICL). The FA pathway was initially recognized in vertebrates, but was later confirmed in other animals and speculated in fungi. FA proteins FANCM, FANCL and FANCJ are present in Saccharomyces cerevisiae but, their mechanism of interaction to resolve ICL is still unclear. Unlike Dikarya, early diverging fungi (EDF) possess more traits shared with animals. We traced the evolutionary history of the FA pathway across Opisthokonta. We scanned complete proteomes for FA-related homologs to establish their taxonomic distribution and analyzed their phylogenetic trees. We checked transcription profiles of FA genes to test if they respond to environmental conditions and their genomic localizations for potential co-localization. We identified fungal homologs of the activation and ID complexes, 5 out of 8 core proteins, all of the endonucleases, and deubiquitination proteins. All fungi lack FANCC, FANCF and FANCG proteins responsible for post-replication repair and chromosome stability in animals. The observed taxonomic distribution can be attributed to a gradual degradation of the FA pathway from EDF to Dikarya. One of the key differences is that EDF have the ID complex recruiting endonucleases to the site of ICL. Moreover, 21 out of 32 identified FA genes are upregulated in response to different growth conditions. Several FA genes are co-localized in fungal genomes which also could facilitate co-expression. Our results indicate that a minimal FA pathway might still be functional in Mucoromycota with a gradual loss of components in Dikarya ancestors.
Effects of bipolar irreversible electroporation with different pulse durations in a prostate cancer mouse model
Authors: Kim Song Hee , Kang Jeon Min , Park Yubeen , Kim Yunlim , Lim Bumjin , Park Jung-Hoon 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIrreversible electroporation (IRE) is a non-thermal ablation technique for local tumor treatment known to be influenced by pulse duration and voltage settings, affecting its efficacy. This study aims to investigate the effects of bipolar IRE with different pulse durations in a prostate cancer mouse model. The therapeutic effectiveness was assessed with in vitro cell experiments, in vivo tumor volume changes with magnetic resonance imaging, and gross and histological analysis in a mouse model. The tumor volume continuously decreased over time in all IRE-treated groups. The tumor volume changes, necroptosis (%), necrosis (%), the degree of TUNEL-positive cell expression, and ROS1-positive cell (%) in the long pulse duration-treated groups (300 μs) were significantly increased compared to the short pulse duration-treated groups (100 μs) (all p < 0.001). The bipolar IRE with a relatively long pulse duration at the same voltage significantly increased IRE-induced cell death in a prostate cancer mouse model.
Assessing heavy metal and physiochemical pollution load of Danro River and its management using floating bed remediation
Authors: Majumdar Aditi , Avishek Kirti 
Published: April 2024

AbstractRiver Danro in Garhwa (India) plays a vital role as a significant source of surface water and a crucial tributary of the North Koel River, ultimately joining the Ganga River Basin. Serving both urban-industrial and rural areas, the region faces challenges, including sand mining near Belchampa Ghat. This study aimed to assess physicochemical and heavy metals pollution at nine sampling locations, utilizing the Overall Index of Pollution (OIP), Nemerow Pollution Index (NPI), and Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI). OIP values indicated excellent surface water quality (0.71) in non-monsoon and slight pollution (6.28) in monsoon. NPI ranged from 0.10 to 1.74 in non-monsoon and from 0.22 (clean) to 27.15 (heavily polluted) in monsoon. HPI results suggested groundwater contamination, particularly by lead. Principal component analysis (PCA) and geospatial mapping showed similar outcomes, highlighting the influence of adjacent land use on water quality. Recognizing the significance of the Danro River in sustaining life, livelihoods, and economic growth, the study recommends implementing measures like floating bed remediation and regulatory actions for effective river management. The study acknowledges weaknesses in the current practical assessment methods for water contamination. These weaknesses make it difficult to put plans for cleaning up and controlling contamination into action. Because of this, future research on developing new in-place remediation techniques should focus on creating better ways to measure how effective the cleanup is.
Droplet based whole genome amplification for sequencing minute amounts of purified Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA
Authors: Dippenaar Anzaan , Ismail Nabila , Heupink Tim H. , Grobbelaar Melanie , Loubser Johannes , Van Rie Annelies , Warren Robin M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractImplementation of whole genome sequencing (WGS) for patient care is hindered by limited Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in clinical specimens and slow Mtb growth. We evaluated droplet multiple displacement amplification (dMDA) for amplification of minute amounts of Mtb DNA to enable WGS as an alternative to other Mtb enrichment methods. Purified genomic Mtb-DNA (0.1, 0.5, 1, and 5 pg) was encapsulated and amplified using the Samplix Xdrop-instrument and sequenced alongside a control sample using standard Illumina protocols followed by MAGMA-analysis. The control and 5 pg input dMDA samples underwent nanopore sequencing followed by Nanoseq and TB-profiler analysis. dMDA generated 105-2400 ng DNA from the 0.1-5 pg input DNA, respectively. Followed by Illumina WGS, dMDA raised mean sequencing depth from 7 × for 0.1 pg input DNA to ≥ 60 × for 5 pg input and the control sample. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a high number of false positive and false negative variants when amplifying ≤ 0.5 pg input DNA. Nanopore sequencing of the 5 pg dMDA sample presented excellent coverage depth, breadth, and accurate strain characterization, albeit elevated false positive and false negative variants compared to Illumina-sequenced dMDA sample with identical Mtb DNA input. dMDA coupled with Illumina WGS for samples with ≥ 5 pg purified Mtb DNA, equating to approximately 1000 copies of the Mtb genome, offers precision for drug resistance, phylogeny, and transmission insights.
Multimodal neural correlates of dispositional resilience among healthy individuals
Authors: Kim Hyun-Ju , Bang Minji , Pae Chongwon , Lee Sang-Hyuk 
Published: April 2024

AbstractResilient individuals are less likely to develop psychiatric disorders despite extreme psychological distress. This study investigated the multimodal structural neural correlates of dispositional resilience among healthy individuals. Participants included 92 healthy individuals. The Korean version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and other psychological measures were used. Gray matter volumes (GMVs), cortical thickness, local gyrification index (LGI), and white matter (WM) microstructures were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry, FreeSurfer, and tract-based spatial statistics, respectively. Higher resilient individuals showed significantly higher GMVs in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), increased LGI in the insula, and lower fractional anisotropy values in the superior longitudinal fasciculus II (SLF II). These resilience’s neural correlates were associated with good quality of life in physical functioning or general health and low levels of depression. Therefore, the GMVs in the IFG, LGI in the insula, and WM microstructures in the SLF II can be associated with resilience that contributes to emotional regulation, empathy, and social cognition.
Dynamic role of CUL4B in radiation-induced intestinal injury-regeneration
Authors: Guo Beibei , Huo Xiaohan , Xie Xueyong , Zhang Xiaohui , Lian Jiabei , Zhang Xiyu , Gong Yaoqin , Dou Hao , Fan Yujia , Mao Yunuo , Wang Jinshen , Hu Huili 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCUL4B, a crucial scaffolding protein in the largest E3 ubiquitin ligase complex CRL4B, is involved in a broad range of physiological and pathological processes. While previous research has shown that CUL4B participates in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and function, its involvement in facilitating intestinal recovery following ionizing radiation (IR) damage has not been fully elucidated. Here, we utilized in vivo and in vitro models to decipher the role of CUL4B in intestinal repair after IR-injury. Our findings demonstrated that prior to radiation exposure, CUL4B inhibited the ubiquitination modification of PSME3, which led to the accumulation of PSME3 and subsequent negative regulation of p53-mediated apoptosis. In contrast, after radiation, CUL4B dissociated from PSME3 and translocated into the nucleus at phosphorylated histones H2A (γH2AX) foci, thereby impeding DNA damage repair and augmenting p53-mediated apoptosis through inhibition of BRCA1 phosphorylation and RAD51. Our study elucidated the dynamic role of CUL4B in the repair of radiation-induced intestinal damage and uncovered novel molecular mechanisms underlying the repair process, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy of intestinal damage after radiation therapy for cancers.
Microwave-assisted synthesis, characterization and in vitro biomedical applications of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn.-mediated carbon quantum dots
Authors: Yalshetti Shweta , Thokchom Bothe , Bhavi Santosh Mallikarjun , Singh Sapam Riches , Patil Sneha R. , Harini B. P. , Sillanpää Mika , Manjunatha J. G. , Srinath B. S. , Yarajarla Ramesh Babu 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn recent years, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have garnered considerable attention as a promising material for biomedical applications because of their unique optical and biological properties. In this study, CQDs were derived from the leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn. via microwave-assisted technique and characterized using different techniques such as ultraviolet–visible, Fourier transform infrared, fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Subsequently, their potential for biomedical applications was investigated through in vitro assays assessing scratch healing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and cytotoxicity properties. It was found that the CQDs were fluorescent, polycrystalline, quasi-spherical, ~ 12 nm in size with presence of –OH and –COOH groups on their negatively charged surfaces, and demonstrated good anti-inflammatory by inhibiting protein denaturation, cyclooxygenase-2 and regulating inflammatory cytokines. The CQDs also exhibited antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus cereus, good biocompatibility, along with excellent promotion of cell proliferation in vitro, indicating their potential as a anti-inflammatory and wound healing material. The properties were more enhanced than their precursor, H. rosa-sinensis leaf extract. Hence, the CQDs synthesized from the leaves of H. rosa-sinensis can serve as a potential biomedical agent.