bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of Unexpected Underfoot Perturbations During Turning on Measures of Mediolateral Stability and Corresponding Recovery Strategies
Authors: Ho Tyler K. , Kreter Nicholas , Jensen Cameron , Son JunSeop , Kramer Paula , Fino Peter C. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTHumans regularly walk across uneven terrain, which demands the use of reactive control strategies to maintain forward progress and stability. While reactive control during walking has been well described during straight gait, it is unclear how reactive control differs during turning gait. Because turning is asymmetrical, perturbations to the inside and outside limbs may elicit different reactive adjustments. This study investigates how unexpected underfoot perturbations alter stability measures during turning and how individuals alter their foot placement to maintain stability after such perturbations. Seven healthy adults completed walking trials around a circular track while wearing mechanized shoes that pseudo-randomly delivered underfoot perturbations to either the inside or outside limb. We calculated mediolateral margin of stability corrected for centripetal acceleration (ML MoSC), step width, and step length from kinematic data. Linear mixed effects models compared the effects of perturbation type (inversion vs eversion), perturbation limb (inside vs outside), and their interaction for each outcome measure. ML MoSCwas affected by both perturbation type and perturbation limb, with larger changes observed during eversion, and outside, perturbations. Changes to step width and step time during two recovery steps after each perturbation were primarily influenced by the perturbation limb – outside perturbations elicited consistent changes during two recovery steps compared to one altered step after inside perturbations. Perturbations to the outside limb during turning disrupt gait longer than perturbations to the inside limb. This difference across perturbation limb may indicate that outside steps are more important to maintaining and recovering stability than inside ones during turning.
Development of itaconate polymer microparticles for intracellular regulation of pro-inflammatory macrophage activation
Authors: Woodworth Kaitlyn E. , Froom Zachary S.C.S. , Osborne Natasha D. , Rempe Christian N. , Wheeler Brenden , Medd Kyle , Callaghan Neal I. , Qian Huikang , Acharya Abhinav P. , Charron Carlie , Huyer Locke Davenport 
Published: February 2025

AbstractItaconate (IA) is an endogenous metabolite and a potent regulator of the innate immune system. Its use in immunomodulatory therapies has faced limitations due to inherent challenges in achieving controlled delivery and requirements for high extracellular concentrations to achieve internalization of the highly polar small molecule to achieve its intracellular therapeutic activity. Microparticle (MP)-based delivery strategies are a promising approach for intracellular delivery of small molecule metabolites through macrophage phagocytosis and subsequent intracellular polymer degradation-based delivery. Toward the goal of intracellular delivery of IA, degradable polyester polymer-(poly(itaconate-co-dodecanediol)) based IA polymer microparticles (IA-MPs) were generated using an emulsion method, forming micron-scale (∼ 1.5 µm) degradable microspheres. IA-MPs were characterized with respect to their material properties and IA release kinetics to inform particle fabrication. Treatment of murine bone marrow-derived macrophages with an optimized particle concentration of 0.1 mg/million cells enabled phagocytosis-mediated internalization and low levels of cytotoxicity. Flow cytometry demonstrated IA-MP-specific regulation of IA-sensitive inflammatory targets. Metabolic analyses demonstrated that IA-MP internalization inhibited oxidative metabolism and induced glycolytic reliance, consistent with the established mechanism of IA-associated inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase. This development of IA-based polymer microparticles provides a basis for additional innovative metabolite-based microparticle drug delivery systems for the treatment of inflammatory disease.
Fabrication of radiopaque, drug-loaded resorbable polymer for medical device development
Authors: Melancon Sophie T. , San Valentin Erin Marie , Bolinas Dominic Karl M. , Bernardino Marvin , Mishra Archana , Canlas Gino , Chintalapani Gouthami , Jacobsen Megan C. , Barcena Allan John R. , Huang Steven Y. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractResorbable medical devices provide temporary functionality before degrading into safe byproducts. One application is absorbable inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs), which prevent pulmonary embolism (PE) in high-risk patients with contraindications to anticoagulants.However, current absorbable IVCFs are limited by radiolucency and local clot formation risks. This study aimed to develop radiopaque, drug-loaded resorbable IVCFs with enhanced imaging and therapeutic capabilities.Poly-p-dioxanone (PPDO) sutures were infused with gadolinium nanoparticles (GdNPs) and dipyridamole (DPA), an anti-thrombotic agent. GdNPs were synthesized with an average diameter of 35.76 ± 3.71 nm. Gd content was 371 ± 1.6 mg/g (PPDO-Gd) and 280 ± 0.3 mg/g (PPDO-Gd+DPA), while DPA content was 18.20 ± 5.38 mg/g (PPDO-DPA) and 12.91 ± 0.83 mg/g (PPDO-Gd+DPA). Suture thickness (0.39-0.49 cm, P = 0.0143) and melting temperature (103.61-105.90, P = 0.0002) statistically differed among the different groups, while load-at-break did not (4.39-5.38, P = 0.2367). Although suture thickness and melting temperatures differed significantly, load-at-break was preserved and did not alter the mechanical and degradation properties of the various IVCFs. Micro-CT imaging revealed enhanced radiopacity for Gd-containing IVCFs (2,713 ± 105 HU for PPDO-Gd, 1,516 ± 281 HU for PPDO-Gd+DPA). Radiopacity decreased gradually over 10–12 weeks. Clot-trapping efficacy was maintained, and no hemolysis or cellular toxicity was observed.In conclusion, the GdNP- and DPA-infused PPDO IVCFs demonstrated improved radiopacity, anti-thrombotic potential, and compatibility with routine imaging, without compromising mechanical strength or safety.
Strong circulation ofAngiostrongylus cantonensisin a protected Mediterranean wetland. Implications for resident and migratory wildlife
Authors: de Macedo Marcia Raquel Pegoraro , Jaume-Ramis Sebastià , Paredes-Esquivel Claudia 
Published: February 2025

AbstractAngiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is a metastrongyloid nematode responsible for eosinophilic meningitis and an emerging pathogen of global concern. While its presence has been reported in various regions, including the Canary Islands and mainland Spain, data from the Balearic Islands remain limited. This study investigates the prevalence ofA. cantonensisin rodents from the Natural Park of s’Albufera, Mallorca, a protected wetland ecosystem. A total of 43 rodents were captured and necropsied, includingRattus norvegicus, R. rattusandApodemus sylvaticus. The overall prevalence ofA. cantonensisin rats was 46.15% (95% CI: 30.43–62.62%), with no significant differences between species, seasons, or sexes. However, adult rats exhibited significantly higher infection rates than juveniles (p = 0.05). Notably, infection intensity and parasite abundance were positively correlated with host weight (ρ = 0.60, p < 0.001). Given the co-occurrence of infected rodents and gastropods, our findings suggest the establishment ofA. cantonensisin Mallorca, raising concerns about zoonotic transmission risks. The study highlights the need for continued surveillance and public health awareness to mitigate potential human and wildlife exposure in this ecologically significant area.
General model with biclustering for target selection in severe preeclampsia
Authors: Majumdar Abhishek , Wang Biao , Li Lang , Chang Qing , Cheng Lijun 
Published: February 2025

AbstractPreeclampsia is a complex and multifactorial disease and a leading cause of death in pregnancy with no current effective treatment strategies, especially severe preeclampsia. A new general regression model with biclustering scalability is developed to quantify causal relationship from genes to gene products to clinical phenotypes among multiple datasets. It can identify those key genes and relationships between gene expression and clinical phenotype, which will be interpreted further, for molecular mechanism disclosure and effective drug development by pathway enrichment analysis. We observed pattern variation of gene expression relating to clinical phenotype among three preeclampsia datasets in parallel. Eighty-one genes are recommended as potential druggable targets for severe preeclampsia by their highly correlation between gene expression variation with preeclampsia clinical phenotypes in hypertension, HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) syndrome, proteinuria, and gestation week. Genes ENG, Flt and NEU1 and NEU2 show overexpression in severe preeclampsia in attenuating hypertension and proteinuria in multiple datasets of preeclampsia. Those genes are involved in the angiogenic factors and vascular molecular function. Treatment with either Flt or NEU1 have exciting clinical implications, and likely will transform the detection and treatment for patients with severe preeclampsia. The novel network mathematical models can quantify a causal relationship from genes to gene products to clinical phenotypes, and they can model causal influences of genes that are either monomorphic or polymorphic among heterology datasets, which is suggesting that key gene expression variation may be more likely to influence complex clinical phenotype variation in preeclampsia among multiple datasets.
The influence of anatomical shape variations of wrist bones on kinematic parameter extraction in CT scans
Authors: Haenen Maranda , Hummelink Stefan , Karstanje Eline , Sechopoulos Ioannis , van der Heijden Brigitte 
Published: February 2025

AbstractIntroductionFour-Dimensional Computed Tomography (4DCT) shows promise in diagnosing wrist pathologies such as scapholunate ligament lesions (SLL). Two parameters indicative of SLL lesions in these scans, the scapholunate angle (SLA) and the capitolunate angle (CLA), might be affected by anatomical shape variations. Therefore, this study characterizes the impact of anatomical shape variations on SLA and CLA estimates from 4DCT scans.Methods3D CT images retrieved from 4DCT scans of healthy wrists were used. Scans were automatically segmented using an Artificial Intelligence-based algorithm. A statistical shape model (SSM) was created for each bone separately. The quality of each SSM was assessed using a leave-one-out approach by calculating the root mean squared error (RMSE). Next, local coordinate systems (LCSs) were assigned to the SSMs while shape variations were introduced. The rotational deviation of the LCSs was calculated by a combined rotation around the three axes. Finally, the SLAs and CLAs were calculated for all possible bone shape combinations.ResultsSSMs of the carpal bones and radius were created using 106 and 99 scans, respectively, with a maximum RMSE across all SSMs of 0.65 mm. The 95thpercentile of the rotational deviations of the LCSs of the carpal bones and radius were below 3°. The resulting uncertainty due to anatomical variations in the calculation of the SLA and CLA was 2-3°.ConclusionAnatomical shape variations hardly influence the SLA, CLA, and LCSs of the carpal bones and radius so the methods to estimate the LCSs can be used to estimate relevant kinematic parameters in 4DCT scans.
CONVEX VERSUS LINEAR TRANSDUCER IN COVID-19 LUNG ULTRASOUND: A PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE COHORT
Authors: Gil-Rodríguez Jaime , Peregrina-Rivas José-Antonio , Aranda-Laserna Pablo , Martos-Ruíz Michel , Montero-Alonso Miguel Ángel , Benavente-Fernández Alberto , Melchor Juan , Guirao-Arrabal Emilio , Quero José Hernández 
Published: February 2025

AbstractBackground and purposeIt is currently unknown whether ultrasound transducer differences influence COVID-19 pneumonia images. Our aim was to describe and compare the results obtained using convex and linear transducers for image acquisition in COVID-19 lung ultrasound.MethodsThis is a single centre prospective cohort study, comparing convex and linear probes in 16 adult patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. We analysed 12 lung-fields and described the presence of pleural thickening, pleural irregularity, B-lines, >3 B-lines, coalescing B-lines, subpleural consolidation, pulmonary consolidation and pleural effusion in each of these fields and with both transducers. In addition, the Lung Ultrasound Score (LUS) was calculated for every patient using the two transducers.ResultThe mean LUS difference between both transducers was statistically significant in the right lower lateral, upper and lower posterior quadrants; as well as in the left lower anterior and upper posterior quadrants. Furthermore, mean total LUS difference was also statistically significant (15.81 convex vs. 10.81 linear; p = 0.001). The most frequently described findings with the convex transducer compared to the linear transducer were pleural irregularity, pleural thickening, >3 B-lines, coalescing B-lines and subpleural consolidation. On the opposite side, pleural effusion was more frequently described with the linear probe.ConclusionsLung ultrasound in COVID-19 pneumonia is a transducer-dependent technique. This difference is more pronounced in posterior quadrants and in the cardiac area. Although both linear and convex transducers are suitable for the evaluation of COVID-19 pneumonia, the convex probe provides more information than the linear probe if only one of the two is accessible.
Evaluation andIn SituLibrary Expansion of Small Molecule MHC-I Inducers
Authors: Kelly Joey J. , Newkirk Sarah E. , Chordia Mahendra D. , Pires Marcos M. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTImmunotherapy has emerged as a powerful strategy for combating cancer by harnessing the patient immune system to recognize and eliminate malignant cells. The major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) has a pivotal role in the recognition step. These surface proteins present cancer-specific neoantigens to CD8+ T cells, which triggers activation and T cell-mediated killing. However, cancer cells can often evade immune detection by downregulating MHC-I surface expression, which renders the immune response less effective. In turn, this resistance mechanism offers an opportunity to bolster MHC-I surface expressionviatherapeutic interventions. Here, we conducted an initial comprehensive evaluation of previously purported small molecule MHC-I inducers and identified heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors as privileged inducers of MHC-I surface expression. With a core scaffold in hand, we employed anin situclick chemistry-based derivatization strategy to generate 380 novel compounds in the same family. New agents from this library showed high levels of induction, with one of the triazole-based analogs,CliMB-325, also enhancing T cell activation and exhibiting lower toxicity, which could potentiate some immunotherapeutic modalities. Moreover, we demonstrated the potential of a click chemistry-based diversification strategy for the discovery of small molecules to counter immune evasion.
NGSTroubleFinder: A tool for detection and quantification of contamination and kinship across human NGS data
Authors: Valentini Samuel , Venturelli Tecla , Gallego Xavier , Perez-Cano Laura , Guney Emre 
Published: February 2025

AbstractSummaryQuality control is a fundamental but often neglected step in any NGS pipeline. Detecting issues like cross-sample contamination and sample swaps is essential to control the data integrity. Here, we present NGSTroubleFinder, a novel python tool to detect cross-sample contamination in human Whole-Genome and Whole-Transcriptome Sequencing data, sample swaps and mismatches between the reported and the inferred genetic and transcriptomic sexes. NGSTroubleFinder is implemented in Python and incorporates a custom-built parallelized pileup engine written in C. The tool reports extensive information on the samples both in textual and HTML format including key plots for easy interpretation of the results.Availability and ImplementationNGSTroubleFinder is written in Python and C, and it can be easily installed with pip. The tool source code and the models are freely available on github (https://github.com/STALICLA-RnD/NGSTroubleFinder) and a containerized version is available on dockerhub (https://hub.docker.com/r/staliclarnd/ngstroublefinder).
Automated assessment of the mouse body-language reveals pervasive behavioral disruption in a two-hit model of psychiatric vulnerability
Authors: Canicatti Viviana , Cibin Vanes , Berardi Nicoletta , Bozzi Yuri , Sale Alessandro , Chelini Gabriele 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThe influence of early-life experiences is widely acknowledged as a crafting tool that sculpts complex behavioral patterns and well-being of living organisms. The use of preclinical models can provide invaluable insight into how a negative environmental push interplays with genetic make-up in shaping psychiatric vulnerability. However, the assessment of psychiatric traits in cross-species studies often relies on the use of surrogate metrics as a proxy for the internal state, limiting the interpretation to context-dependent outcomes. In this work, we exploited a validated computational tool for digitalized ethological screening to identify spontaneous hallmarks of altered behavioral functioning in a dual-hit mouse model of psychiatric vulnerability. To do so, mice carrying heterozygous deletion of the gene coding for Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Cntnap2+/-) and their wild-type (WT) littermates were raised with limited bedding and nesting (LBN). These animals were compared to both WT andCntnap2+/-mice raised in standard conditions, mapping their spontaneous behavior during freely-moving exploration. Our data show that descriptors of motility state or surrogate anxiety indicators largely failed in detecting subtle diversion from control conditions. By contrast, automated segmentation of the body-language revealed a significant impact of both genotype and early-life experience in shaping the spontaneous behavioral programming. Thus, using unsupervised clustering, we unveiled two alternative neurobehavioral profiles within our dataset. We found that one of the identified profiles largely overlapped withCntnap2+/-mice raised with LBN, while the other was equally shared among controls. We conclude that the coincidence of early-life adversity andCntnap2haploinsufficiency drastically reshapes behavioral structure in rodents.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTEnhancing the predictive and face validity of preclinical models in psychiatric research remains a significant challenge due to the inherent heterogeneity and complexity of these conditions. While animal models are crucial for understanding the risk factors involved, replicating the full complexity of these conditions continues to pose difficulties. In this study, we use a tool for digitalized behavioral screening to investigate emotional hallmarks in a double-hit (environmental and genetic) mouse model of vulnerability for psychiatric disorder, glimpsing subliminal behavioral disturbances not captured with traditional assessments. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of novel computational tools in identifying subtle behavioral deviations and support the hypothesis that gene-environment interaction contributes to shape alternative behavioral structure in mice.
Leopard Cats Occupied Human Settlements in China for 3,500 years before the Arrival of Domestic cats in 600-900 CE around the Tang Dynasty
Authors: Han Yu , Hu Songmei , Liu Ke , Xu Xiao , Doherty Sean , Jamieson Alexandra Elizabeth , Manin Aurelie , Martins Sofia Granja , Yang Miaomiao , Yu Chong , Wang Juan , Wu Zhuang , Chen Canping , Han Sicheng , Lu Daowei , Peng Lanhui , Wu Xianzhu , Li Ziyi , Fan Wenquan , Cai Quanfa , Cui Zongliang , Yuan Jing , Li Zihan , Liu Yang , Li Zhipeng , Liu Zhendong , Ma Qian , Shao Jing , Sun Zhouyong , Xing Fulai , Yang Wuzhan , Yang Shugang , Yue Lianjian , Zhang Pengcheng , Wang Weilin , Zhang Huanyuan , Zhuang Yan , Sun Xin , Pan Yan , Wu Xiaohong , Frantz Laurent A. F. , Yu He , Alves Joel M. , Larson Greger , Luo Shu-Jin 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThe earliest cats in human settlements in China were not domestic cats (Felis catus), but native leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis). To trace when and how domestic cats arrived in East Asia, we analyzed 22 feline bones from 14 sites across China spanning 5,000 years. Nuclear and mitochondrial genomes revealed that leopard cats began occupying anthropogenic scenes around 5,400 years ago and last appeared in 150 CE. Following several centuries’ gap of archeological feline remains, the first known domestic cat (706–883 CE) in China was identified in Shaanxi during the Tang Dynasty. Genomic analysis suggested a white or partially white coat and a link to a contemporaneous domestic cat from Kazakhstan, indicating a likely dispersal route via the Silk Road. The two felids once independently occupied ancient anthropogenic environments in China but followed divergent paths and reached different destinations in human-animal interactions.
From ashes to adaptation: the impact of wildfires on the diet ofPodarcis lusitanicusrevealed by DNA metabarcoding
Authors: Simões Catarina , Vasconcelos Diana S. , Xavier Raquel , Santos Xavier , Rato Catarina , Harris D. James 
Published: February 2025

AbstractFire has long been recognized as an important ecological and evolutionary force in plant communities, but its influence on animals, particularly regarding predator-prey interactions, remains understudied. This study focuses on the impact of wildfires on the diet ofPodarcis lusitanicus, a lizard species inhabiting a fire-prone region in the Iberian Peninsula. Faecal samples were collected from 12 distinct locations in Northern Portugal, at sites that burned in two distinct years (2016 and 2022), and in sites unburned since at least 2016.Podarcis lusitanicusis a generalist arthropod predator with dietary flexibility. Given the turnover of arthropod species after fire, it is expected to find variations in diet caused by different fire histories, especially between unburnt and recently burnt sites. Using DNA metabarcoding approach, employing high-throughput sequencing, the study revealed that while prey richness remained unaffected by wildfire regime, significant shifts occurred in diet composition between more recently burned and unburned areas, demonstrating a likely influence on prey availability after a more recent fire. Specifically, we found that differences in diet composition between these two fire regimes were due to the presence ofTapinomaants and jumping spiders (Salticus scenicus) in unburned areas, while these were absent in areas burned in 2022. Interestingly, diets in unburned areas and areas burned in 2016 showed no significant differences, highlighting the lizards’ adaptability and the habitat’s resilience over time.Talitroides topitotumwas found in dominance in both burnt areas, suggesting that this species may be fire tolerant. In addition, families such as Cicadellidae and Noctuidae were found to be more associated with more recently burned areas. The use of DNA metabarcoding in this study was essential to provide a more detailed and accurate view of predator-prey interactions in ecosystems susceptible to fire, providing a better understanding of changes in prey consumption in these environments.