bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of climate change on vulnerable populations in pediatrics: opportunities for AI, digital health, and beyond—a scoping review and selected case studies
Authors: Campbell Elizabeth A. , Holl Felix , Marwah Harleen K. , Fraser Hamish S. , Craig Sansanee S. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Climate change critically impacts global pediatric health, presenting unique and escalating challenges due to children’s inherent vulnerabilities and ongoing physiological development. This scoping review intricately intertwines the spheres of climate change, pediatric health, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a goal to elucidate the potential of AI and digital health in mitigating the adverse child health outcomes induced by environmental alterations, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). A notable gap is uncovered: literature directly correlating AI interventions with climate change-impacted pediatric health is scant, even though substantial research exists at the confluence of AI and health, and health and climate change respectively. We present three case studies about AI’s promise in addressing pediatric health issues exacerbated by climate change. The review spotlights substantial obstacles, including technical, ethical, equitable, privacy, and data security challenges in AI applications for pediatric health, necessitating in-depth, future-focused research. Engaging with the intricate nexus of climate change, pediatric health, and AI, this work underpins future explorations into leveraging AI to navigate and neutralize the burgeoning impact of climate change on pediatric health outcomes.

Impact

Our scoping review highlights the scarcity of literature directly correlating AI interventions with climate change-impacted pediatric health that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, even though substantial research exists at the confluence of AI and health, and health and climate change respectively.

We present three case studies about AI’s promise in addressing pediatric health issues exacerbated by climate change.

The review spotlights substantial obstacles, including technical, ethical, equitable, privacy, and data security challenges in AI applications for pediatric health, necessitating in-depth, future-focused research.
Executioner caspases degrade essential mediators of pathogen-host interactions to inhibit growth of intracellular Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Lavergne Marilyne , Schaerer Raffael , De Grandis Sara , Bouheraoua Safaa , Adenuga Oluwadamilola , Muralt Tanja , Schaerer Tiffany , Chèvre Léa , Failla Alessandro , Matthey Patricia , Stumpe Michael , Kressler Dieter , Mantel Pierre-Yves , Walch Michael 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Cell death mediated by executioner caspases is essential during organ development and for organismal homeostasis. The mechanistic role of activated executioner caspases in antibacterial defense during infections with intracellular bacteria, such as Listeria monocytogenes, remains elusive. Cell death upon intracellular bacterial infections is considered altruistic to deprive the pathogens of their protective niche. To establish infections in a human host, Listeria monocytogenes deploy virulence mediators, including membranolytic listeriolysin O (LLO) and the invasion associated protein p60 (Iap), allowing phagosomal escape, intracellular replication and cell-to-cell spread. Here, by means of chemical and genetical modifications, we show that the executioner caspases-3 and -7 efficiently inhibit growth of intracellular Listeria monocytogenes in host cells. Comprehensive proteomics revealed multiple caspase-3 substrates in the Listeria secretome, including LLO, Iap and various other proteins crucially involved in pathogen-host interactions. Listeria secreting caspase-uncleavable LLO or Iap gained significant growth advantage in epithelial cells. With that, we uncovered an underappreciated defense barrier and a non-canonical role of executioner caspases to degrade virulence mediators, thus impairing intracellular Listeria growth.
Re-architecture for requirements of academic space development in the universities: design and validitation of RASD questionnaire
Authors: Karimian Zahra , Abolghasemi Mahmoud 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Universities are the cornerstone of social development and progress; however, it is essential to enhance the academic environment to support this mission. The objective of this research is to identify the Requirements for Academic Space Development (RASD) in universities. The present study was conducted in 2022–2023 using a mixed-method with a qualitative-quantitative sequence. The qualitative section was conducted using purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews with 20 experts of Iranian universities. The data were analyzed using content and thematic analysis at three levels of codes (Items), components, and themes (Main concepts), and then, it was examined quantitatively using a survey on 265 faculty members. For data analysis and validate the instrument, the face and content validity (CVI/CVR), reliability and construct validity were examined. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to validate the questionnaire using SPSS 24 and Liseral 8.5 software. In qualitative stage, 67 codes, 4 concepts (formal, political, cultural, and scientific), and 14 components were extracted, which resulted in the word “Re-architecture” based on the acronym of the first letter. The content validity of the RASD questionnaire was confirmed with CVI = 0.941 and CVR = 0.940. The overall reliability was 0.962. For construct validity, first, the sample adequacy was confirmed with KMO = 0.928 and the Bartlett test (P < 0.001). In general, the quantitative section also extracted 14 factors that estimated 70.229% of the total variance. The “Happiness” had the highest factor loading (30.35%), followed by “Unity” (6.11%), “Thinking” (4.23%), Refining” (3.87%), “Expediency” (3.22%), and “Interaction” (2.83%) with the highest factor loadings. Universities need a rethinking, a concept that has been addressed in this research as “Re-architecture”. Perhaps the choice of this term is appropriate because we also need changes in universities, by combining science, re-engineering, cultural considerations, and an artistic integration of all factors influencing academic development.
Statistical-based detection of pilot contamination attack for NOMA in 5G networks
Authors: Nashat Dalia , Khairy Sahar 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Fifth-generation (5G) communication technologies, such as millimeter wave communication, massive multiple-input-multiple-output and non-orthogonal-multiple-access (NOMA) are playing a pivotal role in promoting the modern applications of the Internet-of-Things. Using non-orthogonal resource allocation, NOMA can increase spectrum efficiency and achieve wide connectivity with low transmission delay and signaling cost. Despite the high potential of NOMA in 5G communications, NOMA is susceptible to a pilot contamination attack (PCA), in which an attacker resents the same pilot signals as authorized users. Currently, using the available detection methods in NOMA gives high false positive probability since the time-division-duplex or orthogonal resource block can be allocated by many authorized user. Since the pilot contamination attack changes the signal reception at the legitimate receiver, this work introduces a novel detection scheme for identifying Pilot Contamination attack (PCA) that statistically investigates the asymmetry in received signal power levels. The main idea of the proposed detection scheme is to use various statistical measurements for normal traffic attributes (CSI) as a reference profile. Then, compute the Mahalanobis distance between the reference profile and CSI for the incoming connection and use the probability of the uniform distribution to make the final detection decision. The performance of the proposed detection technique in terms of its detection rate and false positive probabilities has been evaluated through extensive simulation. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme succeeded in detecting the pilot contamination attack with a detection rate of up to 98% and a precision reached 97.88%.
scRNA seq of an F1 cross of Marek’s disease resistant and susceptible chickens identifies allele specific expression signatures enriched in transcription modulators
Authors: Velez-Irizarry Deborah , Cheng Hans , Hearn Cari 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Marek’s disease (MD), a T cell lymphoma disease in chickens, is caused by the Marek’s disease virus (MDV) found ubiquitously in the poultry industry. Genetically resistant Line 63 (L6) and susceptible Line 72 (L7) chickens have been instrumental to research on avian immune system response to MDV infection. In this study we characterized molecular signatures unique to splenic immune cell types across different genetic backgrounds 6 days after infection. Using three populations, L6, L7, and an F1 cross between L6xL7, we evaluated the immune cell transcriptome of responding cell types using single cell RNA sequencing. Several MDV genes were found expressed mainly in cytotoxic T cells while ICP4 and MEQ MDV genes were expressed across infected cell types. Using the F1 we quantified allele specific expression (ASE) of biallelic SNPs and found biased expression of parental alleles specific to immune cell subtypes. We identified 22 SNPs with ASE in response to MDV infection mapped to gene rich regions surrounding 59 genes of critical importance for chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation. Histone deacetylase genes (HDAC1 and HDAC8) had increased expression of L6 alleles, while small nuclear RNA genes (SNORA68 and SNORA72) expressed higher levels of L7 alleles with infection in T cell subsets. SNPs with ASE also mapped genes important for an adequate immune response including GNLY (cytotoxic activity) and PDIA3 (component of MHC class I peptide loading complex), and genes known to promote viral replication (MCM5 and EIF3M). These results show that functional variants associated with susceptibility to MD may have a bigger impact in subsets of immune cell types, and by characterizing the transcriptomes of these subtypes we can unravel molecular signatures specific to MD genomic resistance.
Measuring Intentional Communication in Infants at Elevated Likelihood of Autism: Validity, Reliability, and Responsiveness of a Novel Coding Scale
Authors: Choi-Tucci Elizabeth , Sideris John , Holland Cristin , Baranek Grace T. , Watson Linda R. 
Published: January 2025

Purpose:
Intentional communication acts, or purposefully directed vocalizations and gestures, are particularly difficult for infants at elevated likelihood for eventual diagnosis of autism. The ability to measure and track intentional communication in infancy thus has the potential to aid early identification and intervention efforts. This study assesses the validity of a novel measure of intentional communication intended for use within semistructured caregiver–infant interactions.

Method:
The Intentional Communication Coding Scale (IC Coding Scale) captures infants' Vocalizations, Gestures, and Combined (vocalizations paired with gestures) acts. Using data from 36 infants at elevated likelihood for autism, we tested the convergent and discriminant validity of the IC Coding Scale with established language measures using Spearman's rho. We tested interrater reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) calculations. Finally, we tested responsiveness (i.e., sensitivity to change) using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests and Spearman's rho.

Results:
Our initial psychometric tests suggested adequate levels of convergent and discriminant validity. ICCs ranged from .77 to .92, while confidence intervals were wide, suggesting that Gestures and Combined acts were coded more variably than Vocalizations were among raters. Tests of the scale's responsiveness suggested adequate sensitivity to change across a 12-week period.

Conclusions:
This study is an important first step toward validating the IC Coding Scale for use in measuring and tracking intentional communication behaviors in infants at elevated likelihood for autism within more naturalistic, semistructured activities. Additional studies are needed to disentangle the effects of intervention from maturation and to examine types of intentional communication acts in more detail.
Working Memory Deficits in School-Age Children With Cochlear Implants Are Primarily Explained by Deficits in the Processing of Auditory and Lexical Information
Authors: Pesnot Lerousseau Jacques , Denis Maude , Roman Stéphane , Schön Daniele 
Published: January 2025

Purpose:
Prelingual deaf children with cochlear implants show lower digit span test scores compared to normal-hearing peers, suggesting a working memory impairment. To pinpoint more precisely the subprocesses responsible for this impairment, we designed a sequence reproduction task with varying length (two to six stimuli), modality (auditory or visual), and compressibility (sequences with more or less regular patterns). Results on 22 school-age children with cochlear implants and 21 normal-hearing children revealed a deficit of children with cochlear implants only in the auditory modality. We observed no deficit in the visual modality and no deficit in the ability to detect and use regular patterns to improve memorization.

Conclusion:
These results suggest that the working memory deficit of children with cochlear implants is explained by an impairment in the processing, encoding, and/or storage of the auditory and lexical information, as opposed to a global storage deficit or an inability to use compressibility strategies to improve memorization.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.28216088
Development of an autonomous Internet of Things system for distributed production of boxed flat sheet metal parts in railcar manufacturing
Authors: Matenga Alice Elizabeth , Mpofu Khumbulani 
Published: January 2025

AbstractRailcar manufacturing takes place in a multi‐tier production environment, where scheduling and resource allocation are two of many critical components of operations management. In general, organizations harness the opportunities presented by enterprise information systems (EIS) with connected devices to enhance the efficiency of their supply chains. However, systematic vulnerabilities emerge in these EIS due to a lack of unified and synchronized data management systems across enterprises. Industry 4.0 (i4.0) prompted the adoption of cyber‐physical systems (CPS) in industry, creating new opportunities to address these vulnerabilities. A key challenge identified in planning and developing autonomous Internet of Things (IoT) system lies in integrating and managing data from multiple sources, which come in various formats, and is generated in different scales, using different platforms. Hence, the study centred on developing a cloud‐native autonomous manufacturing application, with bi‐directional data flow for production of boxed flat sheet metal parts in a distributed network of manufacturing suppliers. Serverless computing enables integration of information technology and operational technology (IT/OT) for real‐time control and monitoring of industrial Internet of Things operations (IIoT). An autonomous manufacturing system is developed for the closed‐loop manufacturing supply chain (SC), utilizing a system‐to‐system (SoS) approach.
Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Female Reproductive Aging
Authors: Wu Jiaxin , Harlow Siobán D. , Randolph John F. , Gold Ellen B. , Park Sung Kyun 
Published: January 2025

AbstractFemale reproductive aging often affects women's emotional, physical, and physiological well-being. Ovarian aging is characterized by fluctuations in reproductive hormones and determines the age at which menopause occurs. Understanding potentially modifiable factors that influence this process is essential for addressing health disparities, improving quality of life, and informing relevant public health strategies. This review synthesizes in vivo, in vitro, and epidemiological findings about the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), specifically heavy metals and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on female reproductive aging. Most in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that heavy metals alter ovarian morphology, folliculogenesis, and steroidogenesis. Evidence regarding the effects of PFAS is limited and inconsistent. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that heavy metals are associated with a higher risk of diminished ovarian reserve (indicated by decreased anti-Müllerian hormone) and earlier menopause, with limited findings regarding reproductive hormone changes. PFAS exposure has been associated with decreased estradiol and earlier menopause but not significantly with ovarian reserve. Gaps in the literature require more comprehensive epidemiological research on the effects of EDCs on female reproductive aging, including ovarian reserve, age at menopause, and vasomotor symptoms, to inform future interventions to reduce hazardous exposures and improve women's health.
Technical Review of Lithotripsy Devices for Percutaneous Management of Biliary Stones: A Guide for Interventional Radiologists
Authors: Mirza-Aghazadeh-Attari Mohammad , Kamireddy Arun , Jost Alec , Bwayili Hannatu , Singh Harjit 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis review provides a comprehensive overview of intracorporeal lithotripsy techniques, focusing on laser and electrohydraulic lithotripsy, for the management of biliary tract stones. Biliary stones pose a significant health concern, affecting a notable percentage of the adult population, with potentially life-threatening complications. Minimally invasive approaches, such as lithotripsy, offer advantages over traditional, open surgical methods, including reduced risk of complications, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times. Laser lithotripsy employs light emission and amplification to fragment stones, while electrohydraulic lithotripsy generates shockwaves from a bipolar probe tip for fragmentation. Solid-state lasers like holmium and thulium fiber lasers are considered the gold standard, with recent advancements enhancing their efficiency and safety profiles. Safety precautions and patient preparation are essential for successful outcomes. Future directions for platform utilization may focus on optimizing parameters, exploring new therapeutic indications, and refining fiber designs. Overall, intracorporeal lithotripsy techniques represent valuable options for biliary stone management, improving patient care and quality of life through a minimally invasive approach.
Molecular dynamics simulations of functionalized hBN nanopores in water: Ab initio force field and implications for water desalination
Authors: Ghorai Sagar , Dhondi Pradeep , Govind Rajan Ananth 
Published: January 2025

Heteropolar two-dimensional materials, including hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), are promising candidates for seawater desalination and osmotic power harvesting, but previous simulation studies have considered bare, unterminated nanopores in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. There is presently a lack of force fields to describe functionalized nanoporous hBN in aqueous media. To address this gap, we conduct density functional theory (DFT)-based ab initio MD simulations of hBN nanopores surrounded by water molecules. The results reveal a high propensity for hydrogen (H) and hydroxyl (OH) functionalization at boron edges, while nitrogen edges are functionalized with H and occasionally with oxygen (O), highlighting a route to tune membranes. We demonstrate the role of the Grotthuss mechanism during the functionalization of hBN edges in water. We develop high-fidelity force fields for H- and OH-functionalized hBN nanopores using potential energy surface fitting based on DFT calculations. The nonbonded parameters for H functionalization are obtained by training a force field for borazine (B3N3H6). We find that the proposed force field enables stable MD simulations of water/ion transport through B- and N-terminated hBN nanopores. Our results also indicate that previous studies that considered bare nanopores without functional groups overestimated the water flux and underestimated the ionic rejection of nanoporous hBN. Overall, our work is expected to enable the realistic modeling of edge-functionalized hBN in aqueous media for various application areas.
Integration of seed priming with nano-sized chitosan-proline and biochar application improves salt tolerance in differentially responding genotypes of alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
Authors: Al-Farsi Safaa Mohammed , Al-Sadi Abdullah M. , Ullah Aman , Rehman Abdul , Farooq Muhammad 
Published: January 2025

Context Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses challenging alfalfa (Medicago sativa) production. Aims In this study, we evaluated the potential of nano-sized chitosan-proline (NsCP) seed priming and biochar application to enhance salt tolerance in alfalfa. Methods Seeds of two alfalfa genotypes (OMA-84, salt-sensitive; and OMA-285, salt-tolerant) were soaked for 18 h in aerated distilled water (hydropriming) or a solution of NsCP (100 mM) for seed priming. Seeds were then planted in plastic pots containing acid-washed pure sand supplemented with or without biochar (25 g kg−1 sand) and with or without salt stress (120 mM). Key results Both genotypes showed significant reduction in root and shoot growth, biomass production, and carbon assimilation under salinity stress, with more pronounced effects on OMA-84. However, applying both NsCP seed priming and biochar significantly improved the biomass production and plant photosynthetic assessment traits. Notably, this combined approach proved more effective in enhancing salt tolerance than individual treatments. Biochar amendment increased the Na+ and Cl− concentration but it also contributed to salt tolerance by elevating K+ level, promoting proline accumulation, and antioxidant activities. Conclusions NsCP seed priming enhanced the salinity stress tolerance in alfalfa genotypes by facilitating osmotic adjustment (proline accumulation), maintaining ionic homeostasis (higher K+ and lower Na+ concentration), and increasing the levels of α-tocopherol, flavonoids, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Implications Integrated application of NsCP and biochar significantly enhanced salt tolerance in alfalfa, demonstrating practical strategies for sustainable agriculture in saline environments by promoting ionic homeostasis, osmotic adjustment, and antioxidant defence mechanisms.