bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Localization and symbiotic status of probiotics in the coral holobiont
Authors: Cardoso P. M. , Hill L. J. , Villela H. D. M. , Vilela C. L. S. , Assis J. M. , Rosado P. M. , Rosado J. G. , Chacon M. A. , Majzoub M. E. , Duarte G. A. S. , Thomas T. , Peixoto R. S. 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

Corals establish symbiotic relationships with microorganisms, especially endosymbiotic photosynthetic algae. Although other microbes have been commonly detected in coral tissues, their identity and beneficial functions for their host are unclear. Here, we confirm the beneficial outcomes of the inoculation of bacteria selected as probiotics and use fluorescence
in situ
hybridization (FISH) to define their localization in the coral
Pocillopora damicornis
. Our results show the first evidence of the inherent presence of
Halomonas
sp. and
Cobetia
sp. in native coral tissues, even before their inoculation. Furthermore, the relative enrichment of these coral tissue-associated bacteria through their inoculation in corals correlates with health improvements, such as increases in photosynthetic potential, and productivity. Our study suggests the symbiotic status of
Halomonas
sp. and
Cobetia
sp. in corals by indicating their localization within coral gastrodermis and epidermis and correlating their increased relative abundance through active inoculation with beneficial outcomes for the holobiont. This knowledge is crucial to facilitate the screening and application of probiotics that may not be transient members of the coral microbiome.

IMPORTANCE

Despite the promising results indicating the beneficial outcomes associated with the application of probiotics in corals and some scarce knowledge regarding the identity of bacterial cells found within the coral tissue, the correlation between these two aspects is still missing. This gap limits our understanding of the actual diversity of coral-associated bacteria and whether these symbionts are beneficial. Some researchers, for example, have been suggesting that probiotic screening should only focus on the very few known tissue-associated bacteria, such as
Endozoicomonas
sp., assuming that the currently tested probiotics are not tissue-associated. Here, we provide specific FISH probes for
Halomonas
sp. and
Cobetia
sp., expand our knowledge of the identity of coral-associated bacteria and confirm the probiotic status of the tested probiotics. The presence of these beneficial microorganisms for corals (BMCs) inside host tissues and gastric cavities also supports the notion that direct interactions with the host may underpin their probiotic role. This is a new breakthrough; these results argue against the possibility that the positive effects of BMCs are due to factors that are not related to a direct symbiotic interaction, for example, that the host simply feeds on inoculated bacteria or that the bacteria change the water quality.
Intra-arc rifting induced the fragmentation of microplate from the continental margin
Authors: Wu Limin , Zhao Guochun , Gao Jianfeng , Dong Xiaohan , Zhang Aimei , Peng Touping 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Although abundant Neoproterozoic igneous rocks exposed along the periphery of the Yangtze Block of the South China Craton record the tectonic processes of the assembly and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent, the mechanism that induced the rifting of the South China Craton from Rodinia and reconstruction of the paleogeographic position of the South China Craton in Rodinia remain controversial. We document two episodes of bimodal intrusions with emplacement ages of ca. 785 Ma and ca. 750 Ma in the Diancangshan Massif that provide critical constraints on the rifting processes and mechanisms. The rock association and the elemental and Hf-O isotopic signatures of these two episodes of bimodal intrusions illustrate that they are an important component of the Panxi-Hannan magmatic arc in the western Yangtze Block. The spatial pattern of Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks to the west of the Panxi-Hannan arc and their provenance indicate that intra-arc rifting promoted the separation of microplates such as the Xuelongshan and Diancangshan massifs and even the Yidun Block from the western Yangtze Block and the mechanism induced synchronous deposits in these regions.
Evidence for ca. 1 Ga hypervelocity impact event found in northwest Greenland
Authors: Hyde William R. , Kenny Gavin G. , Jaret Steven J. , MacGregor Joseph A. , Beck Pierre , Whitehouse Martin J. , Larsen Nicolaj K. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
There are likely many undiscovered impact structures on Earth, but several challenges prevent their detection, including possible concealment beneath large ice sheets. In recent years, geophysical, geochemical, and microphysical evidence has mounted for a ca. 58 Ma impact structure under the Hiawatha Glacier, northwest Greenland. Here, we report evidence for a second, much older hypervelocity impact event in this region, recorded in an impact melt rock sample collected from a glaciofluvial deposit in Inglefield Land. Secondary ion mass spectrometry U-Pb analyses of shock metamorphosed zircon grains yielded a previously unrecorded, Proterozoic best estimate impact age of 1039 ± 16 Ma (mean square of weighted deviates = 2.9). Based on Archean–Proterozoic target rock U-Pb ages obtained from unshocked zircon grains and the location of the melt rock sample along the ice margin, we suggest this sample was derived from a hypervelocity impact structure farther inland, concealed by the Greenland Ice Sheet. This study demonstrates the ability to uncover new impact events in some of the most inaccessible areas on Earth and the possibility of sampling multiple impact structures from one location when examining ex situ material. Our results have implications for current and future Martian and lunar returned samples that demonstrably bear complex impact histories.
Oligocene melting of subducted mélange and its mantle dynamics in northeast Asia
Authors: Hong Ke-Chun , Wang Feng , Zhang Si-Wen , Xu Wen-Liang , Wang Yi-Ni , Yang De-Bin 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Melting of subducted mélange can potentially transport mass from the slab-mantle interface to the mantle wedge in subduction zones. The mélange diapir model was primarily proposed from the results of laboratory experiments and thermodynamic modeling. However, the melting mechanisms of mélange diapirs in subduction zones remain unclear. To further constrain the mantle dynamics of a mélange diapir, we studied Oligocene alkaline intermediate rocks on the northeast Asian continental margin. We report whole-rock geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb-Mg-Zn isotope data and show that these rocks formed by partial melting of mélange. We conclude that a diapir was the mechanism for Oligocene melting of the mélange. We also identified younger rocks formed by melting of mélange in the eastern part of northeast Asia, implying an eastward shift in such magmatism since the Oligocene. Our results and the tectonic setting indicate that melting of mélange diapirs occurred preferentially during tectonic transitions, such as the formation of a back-arc basin triggered by trench-perpendicular mantle flow. The low-viscosity mantle with an incompressible stress field triggered melting of the mélange diapirs. Interactions occurred between the mélange diapirs and carbonated peridotites, constraining the depth of mélange-mantle interactions to the asthenosphere, which is deeper than the depth inferred in previous studies.
Predictive model for iris melanoma
Authors: Singh Arun , Melendez-Moreno Alexander , Krohn Jørgen , Zabor Emily C 
Published: April 2024

Aim
To develop a predictive model for the diagnosis of iris melanoma.

Methods
Retrospective consecutive case series that included 100 cases of pathologically confirmed iris melanoma and 112 cases of Iris naevus, either pathological confirmation or documented stability of >1 year. Patient demographic data, features of clinical presentation, tumour characteristics and follow-up were collected. Iris melanoma with ciliary body extension was excluded. Lasso logistic regression with 10-fold cross-validation was used to select the tuning parameter. Discrimination was assessed with the area under the curve (AUC) and calibration by a plot.

Results
There was a significant asymmetry in the location of both nevi and melanoma with preference for inferior iris quadrants (83, 74%) and (79, 79%), respectively (p=0.50). Tumour seeding, glaucoma and hyphaema were present only in melanoma. The features that favoured the diagnosis of melanoma were size (increased height (OR 3.35); increased the largest basal diameter (OR 1.64)), pupillary distortion (ectropion uvea or corectopia (OR 2.55)), peripheral extension (angle or iris root involvement (OR 2.83)), secondary effects (pigment dispersion (OR 1.12)) and vascularity (OR 6.79). The optimism-corrected AUC was 0.865. The calibration plot indicated good calibration with most of the points falling near the identity line and the confidence band containing the identity line through most of the range of probabilities.

Conclusions
The predictive model provides direct diagnostic prediction of the lesion being iris melanoma expressed as probability (%). Use of a prediction calculator (app) can enhance decision-making and patient counselling. Further refinements can be undertaken with additional datasets, forming the basis for automated diagnosis.
Relapse in ocular tuberculosis: relapse rate, risk factors and clinical management in a non-endemic country
Authors: Putera Ikhwanuliman , ten Berge Josianne C. E. M. , Thiadens Alberta A. H. J. , Dik Willem A. , Agrawal Rupesh , van Hagen P. Martin , La Distia Nora Rina , Rombach Saskia M. 
Published: April 2024

AimsTo assess the risk of uveitis relapse in ocular tuberculosis (OTB) following clinical inactivity, to analyse clinical factors associated with relapses and to describe the management strategies for relapses.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on a 10-year patient registry of patients with OTB diagnosed at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Time-to-relapse of uveitis was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier curve and risk factors for relapses were analysed.Results93 OTB cases were identified, of which 75 patients achieved clinical inactivity following treatment. The median time to achieve uveitis inactivity was 3.97 months. During a median follow-up of 20.7 months (Q1–Q3: 5.2–81.2) after clinical inactivity, uveitis relapse occurred in 25 of these 75 patients (33.3%). Patients who were considered poor treatment responders for their initial uveitis episode had a significantly higher risk of relapse after achieving clinical inactivity than good responders (adjusted HR=3.84, 95% CI: 1.28 to 11.51). 13 of the 25 relapsed patients experienced multiple uveitis relapse episodes, accounting for 78 eye-relapse episodes during the entire observation period. Over half (46 out of 78, 59.0%) of these episodes were anterior uveitis. A significant number of uveitis relapse episodes (31 episodes, 39.7%) were effectively managed with topical corticosteroids.ConclusionsOur results suggest that approximately one-third of patients with OTB will experience relapse after achieving clinical inactivity. The initial disease course and poor response to treatment predict the likelihood of relapse in the long-term follow-up. Topical corticosteroids were particularly effective in relapse presenting as anterior uveitis.
Prospective evaluation to characterize the real-world performance of the EMBOVAC aspiration catheter for neurothrombectomy: a post-market clinical follow-up trial
Authors: Piano Mariangela , Jansen Olav , Marnat Gaultier , Gory Benjamin , Nordmeyer Hannes , Eckert Bernd , Pedicelli Alessandro , Cognard Christophe , Loehr Christian , Zanoni Matteo , Schaefer Axel , Macera Antonio , Fiehler Jens , Doyle Karen , Lobotesis Kyriakos 
Published: April 2024

BackgroundA direct aspiration first pass technique (ADAPT) is an effective alternative to stent retriever thrombectomy for patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO). The PERFECT study evaluated direct aspiration with the EMBOVAC large bore aspiration catheter in patients with LVO strokes.MethodsPERFECT was a prospective, post-market, single-arm, multicenter, observational study of patients enrolled across 11 European centers between October 2020 and July 2022. Three direct aspiration passes with EMBOVAC were mandated before switching strategy. The primary endpoint was core-lab assessed successful reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) ≥2b) post-procedure. Other outcomes included first pass mTICI ≥2c, independent 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) evaluation, and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) at 24 hours by a clinical events committee.ResultsEMBOVAC was used in 100 patients (mean age 70.4±14.0 years, 59.0% (59/100) female). Final mTICI ≥2b was achieved in 98.0% (97/99), final mTICI ≥2b with no change in frontline therapy or thrombolytics use during the procedure was achieved in 87.9% (87/99), final mTICI ≥2c in 86.9% (86/99), and first pass mTICI ≥2c in 53.5% (53/99). sICH at 24 hours was 0%. The 90-day mRS ≤2 rate was 56.6% (56/99) and all-cause mortality was 12.9%. One device-related serious adverse event occurred within 90 days (1.0%).ConclusionsPERFECT demonstrates that EMBOVAC achieves successful reperfusion rates and favorable clinical outcomes when used in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) using a direct aspiration technique as first line therapy in a real-world setting in patients with AIS secondary to large vessel occlusion.Trial registrationwww.clinicaltrials.govUnique identifier:NCT04531904.
Gluon distribution and mass decomposition of the pion and kaon
Authors: Han Chengdong , Kou Wei , Wang Rong , Chen Xurong 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe present the gluon distribution functions of the pion and kaon in small-x and large-x regions, and compare them with the results obtained from lattice QCD and continuum Schwinger function methods. Whether in the small-x region or the large-x region, our gluon distribution of the pion is consistent with the results of lattice QCD and continuum Schwinger function methods. We also calculate the first four moments of gluon distributions of the pion and kaon at different $$Q^{2}$$

Q
2

scales. In addition, we present the mass decomposition of the pion and kaon with the dynamical parton distribution functions calculated by the DGLAP equation with parton–parton recombination corrections. The mass structures of the pion and kaon are completely different from that of the proton.
The crease flow on null hypersurfaces
Authors: Cotsakis Spiros 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe crease flow, replacing the Hamiltonian system used for the evolution of crease sets on black hole horizons, is introduced and its bifurcation properties for null hypersurfaces are discussed. We state the conditions of nondegeneracy and typicality for the crease submanifolds, and find their normal forms and versal unfoldings (codimension 3). The allowed boundary singularities are thus prescribed by the Arnold–Kazaryan–Shcherbak theorem for 3-parameter versal families, and hence identified as swallowtails and Whitney umbrellas of particular kinds. We further present the bifurcation diagrams describing crease evolution at the crossings of the bifurcation sets and elsewhere, and a typical example is studied. Some remarks on the connection of these results to the crease evolution on black hole horizons are also given.
The Dangers of Digitization, and the Importance of Data Backup
Authors: Bruderer Herbert , Vakulov Alex 
Published: April 2024

In each issue of
Communications
, we publish selected posts or excerpts from the many blogs on our website. The views expressed by bloggers are their own and not necessarily held by
Communications
or the Association for Computing Machinery.

Read more blogs and join the discussion at https://cacm.acm.org/blog.
https://cacm.acm/blog
Herbert Bruderer considers the societal downsides of digital technologies, while Alex Vakulov discusses how to protect data by making copies.
Exploring the Landscape of e-Government Maturity Models: Insights from Systematic Mapping Study and Comparative Analysis
Authors: Okan Aylin Akca 
Published: April 2024

e-Government Maturity Models are essential tools for governments to assess and improve their e-government capabilities, performance, and impact. This article offers a pioneering systematic mapping study and comparative analysis of e-Government Maturity Models proposed between 2010 and 2022, marking a significant stride in the realm of e-government research. The review focuses on these recent models and compares their approaches, frameworks, and dimensions. Previous comparison research studies conducted before 2010 are also reviewed to provide an inclusive context for understanding the evolution and advancement of e-government maturity models. The study is the first to systematically map and compare e-Government Maturity Models proposed in recent years, also comparing with the previous decade.
Employing a mixed-methods approach, this article meticulously dissects and contrasts various models, shedding light on the evolution, strengths, and weaknesses of e-government maturity frameworks over more than a decade. The research contributes to the literature by revealing underlying discrepancies in current models and proposing a synthesized perspective that integrates technological advancements and administrative strategies, providing insights into opportunities for future research and practice. The findings of the study can be used to develop a new generation of e-government maturity models that are more comprehensive and relevant to the current needs of governments.
Improving auditory attention decoding by classifying intracranial responses to glimpsed and masked acoustic events
Authors: Raghavan Vinay S. , O’Sullivan James , Herrero Jose , Bickel Stephan , Mehta Ashesh D. , Mesgarani Nima 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Listeners with hearing loss have trouble following a conversation in multitalker environments. While modern hearing aids can generally amplify speech, these devices are unable to tune into a target speaker without first knowing to which speaker a user aims to attend. Brain-controlled hearing aids have been proposed using auditory attention decoding (AAD) methods, but current methods use the same model to compare the speech stimulus and neural response, regardless of the dynamic overlap between talkers which is known to influence neural encoding. Here, we propose a novel framework that directly classifies event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by glimpsed and masked acoustic events to determine whether the source of the event was attended. We present a system that identifies auditory events using the local maxima in the envelope rate of change, assesses the temporal masking of auditory events relative to competing speakers, and utilizes masking-specific ERP classifiers to determine if the source of the event was attended. Using intracranial electrophysiological recordings, we showed that high gamma ERPs from recording sites in auditory cortex can effectively decode the attention of subjects. This method of AAD provides higher accuracy, shorter switch times, and more stable decoding results compared with traditional correlational methods, permitting the quick and accurate detection of changes in a listener’s attentional focus. This framework also holds unique potential for detecting instances of divided attention and inattention. Overall, we extend the scope of AAD algorithms by introducing the first linear, direct-classification method for determining a listener’s attentional focus that leverages the latest research in multitalker speech perception. This work represents another step toward informing the development of effective and intuitive brain-controlled hearing assistive devices.
Visual cortical area contributions to the transient, multifocal and steady-state VEP: A forward model-informed analysis
Authors: Mohr Kieran S. , Geuzebroek Anna C. , Kelly Simon P. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Central to our understanding of how visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) contribute to visual processing is the question of where their anatomical sources are. Three well-established measures of low-level visual cortical activity are widely used: the first component (“C1”) of the transient and multifocal VEP, and the steady-state VEP (SSVEP). Although primary visual cortex (V1) activity has often been implicated in the generation of all three signals, their dominant sources remain uncertain due to the limited resolution and methodological heterogeneity of source modelling. Here, we provide the first characterisation of all three signals in one analytic framework centred on the “cruciform model”, which describes how scalp topographies of V1 activity vary with stimulus location due to the retinotopy and unique folding pattern of V1. We measured the transient C1, multifocal C1, and SSVEPs driven by an 18.75 Hz and 7.5 Hz flicker, and regressed them against forward models of areas V1, V2, and V3 generated from the Benson-2014 retinotopy atlas. The topographic variations of all four VEP signals across the visual field were better captured by V1 models, explaining between 2 and 6 times more variance than V2/V3. Models with all three visual areas improved fit further, but complementary analyses of temporal dynamics across all three signals indicated that the bulk of extrastriate contributions occur considerably later than V1. Overall, our data support the use of peak C1 amplitude and SSVEPs to probe V1 activity, although the SSVEP contains stronger extrastriate contributions. Moreover, we provide elaborated heuristics to distinguish visual areas in VEP data based on signal lateralisation as well as polarity inversion.
What Do Self-Supervised Speech Models Know About Words?
Authors: Pasad Ankita , Chien Chung-Ming , Settle Shane , Livescu Karen 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Many self-supervised speech models (S3Ms) have been introduced over the last few years, improving performance and data efficiency on various speech tasks. However, these empirical successes alone do not give a complete picture of what is learned during pre-training. Recent work has begun analyzing how S3Ms encode certain properties, such as phonetic and speaker information, but we still lack a proper understanding of knowledge encoded at the word level and beyond. In this work, we use lightweight analysis methods to study segment-level linguistic properties—word identity, boundaries, pronunciation, syntactic features, and semantic features—encoded in S3Ms. We present a comparative study of layer-wise representations from ten S3Ms and find that (i) the frame-level representations within each word segment are not all equally informative, and (ii) the pre-training objective and model size heavily influence the accessibility and distribution of linguistic information across layers. We also find that on several tasks—word discrimination, word segmentation, and semantic sentence similarity—S3Ms trained with visual grounding outperform their speech-only counterparts. Finally, our task-based analyses demonstrate improved performance on word segmentation and acoustic word discrimination while using simpler methods than prior work.1