bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rapid sea level rise causes loss of seagrass meadows
Authors: Capistrant-Fossa Kyle A. , Dunton Kenneth H. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAs global declines in seagrass populations continue to cause great concern, long-term assessment of seagrass meadows show promise in furnishing valuable clues into fundamental causes of seagrass loss and drivers of environmental change. Here we report two long-term records of seagrass presence in western Gulf of Mexico coastal waters (Laguna Madre) that provided insight into their rapid decline in a relatively pristine ecosystem. Coincident with unprecedented increases in water depth starting in 2014 (14–25 mm y−1), monthly measurements at a deep edge fixed station revealed that two ubiquitous seagrass species (Halodule wrightii and Syringodium filiforme) vanished altogether in just five years; a subsequent basin-wide assessment revealed that seagrasses disappeared at 23% of 144 sentinel stations. Models that incorporate differing sea level rise scenarios and water depth thresholds reveal potential global losses of seagrass habitat (14,000 km2), with expansion into newly created shallow habitats constrained by altered natural shorelines.
Global ecosystem responses to flash droughts are modulated by background climate and vegetation conditions
Authors: O Sungmin , Park Seon Ki 
Published: February 2024

AbstractFlash droughts and their physical processes have received increasing attention in recent years due to concerns about the potential of flash droughts to affect water resources and ecosystems. Yet to date, the response of ecosystems during flash drought events, particularly on a large scale, and the determinants of the ecosystem responses to flash droughts have been underexplored. Here we analyse temporal variations in vegetation anomalies during flash drought events at a global scale between 2001 and 2020 using observation-based leaf area index, gross primary productivity, and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence data. We identify divergent ecosystem responses in terms of the timing and intensification of drought-induced vegetation stress across different regions around the world. Furthermore, we find that these regional differences are largely modulated by background climate and vegetation conditions, rather than meteorological conditions, with ecosystems being subjected to more rapidly developing and greater degrees of vegetation stress in arid and short vegetation-dominated regions as compared to humid forests. Our results highlight the spatially heterogeneous ecological impacts of flash droughts, implying the need to comprehensively integrate aspects of both atmospheric and bioclimatic properties in flash drought monitoring and forecasting systems to improve our ability to track their evolution and impacts.
Generalisable deep learning method for mammographic density prediction across imaging techniques and self-reported race
Authors: Khara Galvin , Trivedi Hari , Newell Mary S. , Patel Ravi , Rijken Tobias , Kecskemethy Peter , Glocker Ben 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBackgroundBreast density is an important risk factor for breast cancer complemented by a higher risk of cancers being missed during screening of dense breasts due to reduced sensitivity of mammography. Automated, deep learning-based prediction of breast density could provide subject-specific risk assessment and flag difficult cases during screening. However, there is a lack of evidence for generalisability across imaging techniques and, importantly, across race.MethodsThis study used a large, racially diverse dataset with 69,697 mammographic studies comprising 451,642 individual images from 23,057 female participants. A deep learning model was developed for four-class BI-RADS density prediction. A comprehensive performance evaluation assessed the generalisability across two imaging techniques, full-field digital mammography (FFDM) and two-dimensional synthetic (2DS) mammography. A detailed subgroup performance and bias analysis assessed the generalisability across participants’ race.ResultsHere we show that a model trained on FFDM-only achieves a 4-class BI-RADS classification accuracy of 80.5% (79.7–81.4) on FFDM and 79.4% (78.5–80.2) on unseen 2DS data. When trained on both FFDM and 2DS images, the performance increases to 82.3% (81.4–83.0) and 82.3% (81.3–83.1). Racial subgroup analysis shows unbiased performance across Black, White, and Asian participants, despite a separate analysis confirming that race can be predicted from the images with a high accuracy of 86.7% (86.0–87.4).ConclusionsDeep learning-based breast density prediction generalises across imaging techniques and race. No substantial disparities are found for any subgroup, including races that were never seen during model development, suggesting that density predictions are unbiased.
Carotid body dysregulation contributes to Long COVID symptoms
Authors: El-Medany Ahmed , Adams Zoe H. , Blythe Hazel C. , Hope Katrina A. , Kendrick Adrian H. , Abdala Sheikh Ana Paula , Paton Julian F. R. , Nightingale Angus K. , Hart Emma C. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
The symptoms of long COVID, which include fatigue, breathlessness, dysregulated breathing, and exercise intolerance, have unknown mechanisms. These symptoms are also observed in heart failure and are partially driven by increased sensitivity of the carotid chemoreflex. As the carotid body has an abundance of ACE2 (the cell entry mechanism for SARS-CoV-2), we investigated whether carotid chemoreflex sensitivity was elevated in participants with long COVID.

Methods
Non-hositalised participants with long-COVID (n = 14) and controls (n = 14) completed hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR; the measure of carotid chemoreflex sensitivity) and cardiopulmonary exercise tests. Parametric and normally distributed data were compared using Student’s unpaired t-tests or ANOVA. Nonparametric equivalents were used where relevant. Peason’s correlation coefficient was used to examine relationships between variables.

Results
During cardiopulmonary exercise testing the VE/VCO2 slope (a measure of breathing efficiency) was higher in the long COVID group (37.8 ± 4.4) compared to controls (27.7 ± 4.8, P = 0.0003), indicating excessive hyperventilation. The HVR was increased in long COVID participants (−0.44 ± 0.23 l/min/ SpO2%, R2 = 0.77 ± 0.20) compared to controls (−0.17 ± 0.13 l/min/SpO2%, R2 = 0.54 ± 0.38, P = 0.0007). The HVR correlated with the VE/VCO2 slope (r = −0.53, P = 0.0036), suggesting that excessive hyperventilation may be related to carotid body hypersensitivity.

Conclusions
The carotid chemoreflex is sensitised in long COVID and may explain dysregulated breathing and exercise intolerance in these participants. Tempering carotid body excitability may be a viable treatment option for long COVID patients.
Bone morphogenic protein-4 availability in the cardiac microenvironment controls inflammation and fibrosis in autoimmune myocarditis
Authors: Perez-Shibayama Christian , Gil-Cruz Cristina , Cadosch Nadine , Lütge Mechthild , Cheng Hung-Wei , De Martin Angelina , Frischmann Kira , Joachimbauer Anna , Onder Lucas , Papadopoulou Iliana , Papadopoulou Chrysa , Ring Sandra , Krebs Philippe , Vu Vivian P. , Nägele Matthias P. , Rossi Valentina A. , Parianos Danaë , Zsilavecz Valentin W. , Cooper Leslie T. , Flammer Andreas , Ruschitzka Frank , Rainer Peter P. , Schmidt Dörthe , Ludewig Burkhard 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMyocarditis is an inflammatory heart disease that leads to loss of cardiomyocytes and frequently precipitates fibrotic remodeling of the myocardium, culminating in heart failure. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying immune cell control and maintenance of tissue integrity in the inflamed cardiac microenvironment remain elusive. In this study, we found that bone morphogenic protein-4 (BMP4) gradients maintain cardiac tissue homeostasis by single-cell transcriptomics analyses of inflamed murine and human myocardial tissues. Cardiac BMP pathway dysregulation was reflected by reduced BMP4 serum concentration in patients with myocarditis. Restoration of BMP signaling by antibody-mediated neutralization of the BMP inhibitors gremlin-1 and gremlin-2 ameliorated T cell-induced myocardial inflammation in mice. Moreover, progression to inflammatory cardiomyopathy was blocked through the reduction of fibrotic remodeling and preservation of cardiomyocyte integrity. These results unveil the BMP4–gremlin axis as a druggable pathway for the treatment of myocardial inflammation, limiting the severe sequelae of cardiac fibrosis and heart failure.
Real-life behavioral and neural circuit markers of physical activity as a compensatory mechanism for social isolation
Authors: Benedyk Anastasia , Reichert Markus , Giurgiu Marco , Timm Irina , Reinhard Iris , Nigg Carina , Berhe Oksana , Moldavski Alexander , von der Goltz Christoph , Braun Urs , Ebner-Priemer Ulrich , Meyer-Lindenberg Andreas , Tost Heike 
Published: February 2024

AbstractSocial isolation and loneliness pose major societal challenges accelerated by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, especially for mental health. In this cohort study using accelerometry, electronic diaries and neuroimaging in a community-based sample of 317 young adults, we show that people felt affectively worse when lacking social contact, but less so when engaging in physical activity. This putative compensatory mechanism was present even at small physical activity doses and was pronounced in individuals with higher brain functional connectivity within the default mode network signaling risk for depression. Social-affective benefits of movement were higher in people showing exacerbated loneliness and were replicated throughout the pandemic. These findings extend the state of knowledge on the dynamic interplay of social contact and physical activity in daily life identifying an accessible protective strategy to mitigate the negative effects of social isolation, particularly among at-risk individuals, which comes with the potential to improve public health in the post-pandemic world.
A Raman topography imaging method toward assisting surgical tumor resection
Authors: Czaja Alexander , Jiang Alice J. , Blanco Matt Zacchary , Eremina Olga E. , Zavaleta Cristina 
Published: February 2024

AbstractAchieving complete tumor resection upon initial surgical intervention can lead to better patient outcomes by making adjuvant treatments more efficacious and reducing the strain of repeat surgeries. Complete tumor resection can be difficult to confirm intraoperatively. Methods like touch preparation (TP) have been inconsistent for detecting residual malignant cell populations, and fatty specimens like breast cancer lumpectomies are too fatty to process for rapid histology. We propose a novel workflow of immunostaining and topographic surface imaging of freshly excised tissue to ensure complete resection using highly sensitive and spectrally separable surface-enhanced Raman scattering nanoparticles (SERS NPs) as the targeted contrast agent. Biomarker-targeting SERS NPs are ideal contrast agents for this application because their sensitivity enables rapid detection, and their narrow bands enable extensive intra-pixel multiplexing. The adaptive focus capabilities of an advanced Raman instrument, combined with our rotational accessory device for exposing each surface of the stained specimen to the objective lens, enable topographic mapping of complete excised specimen surfaces. A USB-controlled accessory for a Raman microscope was designed and fabricated to enable programmatic and precise angular manipulation of specimens in concert with instrument stage motions during whole-surface imaging. Specimens are affixed to the accessory on an anti-slip, sterilizable rod, and the tissue surface exposed to the instrument is adjusted on demand using a programmed rotating stepper motor. We demonstrate this topographic imaging strategy on a variety of phantoms and preclinical tissue specimens. The results show detail and texture in specimen surface topography, orientation of findings and navigability across surfaces, and extensive SERS NP multiplexing and linear quantitation capabilities under this new Raman topography imaging method. We demonstrate successful surface mapping and recognition of all 26 of our distinct SERS NP types along with effective deconvolution and localization of randomly assigned NP mixtures. Increasing NP concentrations were also quantitatively assessed and showed a linear correlation with Raman signal with an R2coefficient of determination of 0.97. Detailed surface renderings color-encoded by unmixed SERS NP abundances show a path forward for content-rich, interactive surgical margin assessment.
Tantalum oxide nanoparticles as versatile and high-resolution X-ray contrast agent for intraductal image-guided ablative procedure in rodent models of breast cancer
Authors: Zaluzec Erin K. , Kenyon Elizabeth , Volk Maximilian , Hayat Hasaan , Powell Katherine , Loomis Alexander , Chakravarty Shatadru , Hix Jeremy M. L. , Schipper Josh , Chang Chi , Kiupel Matti , Wang Ping , Shapiro Erik M. , Sempere Lorenzo F. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThere are limited options for primary prevention of breast cancer (BC). Experimental procedures to locally prevent BC have shown therapeutic efficacy in animal models. To determine the suitability of FDA-approved iodine-containing and various metal-containing (bismuth, gold, iodine, or tantalum) preclinical nanoparticle-based contrast agents for image-guided intraductal (ID) ablative treatment of BC in rodent models, we performed a prospective longitudinal study to determine the imaging performance, local retention and systemic clearance, safety profile, and compatibility with ablative solution of each contrast agent. At least six abdominal mammary glands (>3 female FVB/JN mice and/or Sprague-Dawley rats, 10–11 weeks of age) were intraductally injected with commercially available contrast agents (Omnipaque® 300, Fenestra® VC, MVivoTM Au, MVivoTM BIS) or in-house synthesized tantalum oxide (TaOx) nanoparticles. Contrast agents were administered at stock concentration or diluted in 70% ethanol (EtOH) and up to 1% ethyl cellulose (EC) as gelling agent to assess their compatibility with our image-guided ablative procedure. Mammary glands were serially imaged by microCT for up to 60 days after ID delivery. Imaging data were analyzed by radiologists and deep learning to measure in vivo signal disappearance of contrast agents. Mammary glands and major organs were ultimately collected for histopathological examination. TaOx-containing solutions provided best imaging performance for nitid visualization of ductal tree immediately after infusion, low outward diffusion (<1 day) and high homogeneity. Of all nanoparticles, TaOx had the highest local clearance rate (46% signal decay as stock and 36% as ablative solution 3 days after ID injection) and exhibited low toxicity. TaOx-containing ablative solution with 1% EC caused same percentage of epithelial cell death (88.62% ± 7.70% vs. 76.38% ± 9.99%, p value = 0.089) with similar minimal collateral damage (21.56 ± 5.28% vs. 21.50% ± 7.14%, p value = 0.98) in mouse and rat mammary glands, respectively. In conclusion, TaOx-nanoparticles are a suitable and versatile contrast agent for intraductal imaging and image-guided ablative procedures in rodent models of BC with translational potential to humans.
Lowering mutant huntingtin by small molecules relieves Huntington’s disease symptoms and progression
Authors: Bahat Anat , Itzhaki Elad , Weiss Benjamin , Tolmasov Michael , Tsoory Michael , Kuperman Yael , Brandis Alexander , Shurrush Khriesto A , Dikstein Rivka 
Published: February 2024

AbstractHuntington’s disease (HD) is an incurable inherited disorder caused by a repeated expansion of glutamines in the huntingtin gene (Htt). The mutant protein causes neuronal degeneration leading to severe motor and psychological symptoms. Selective downregulation of the mutant Htt gene expression is considered the most promising therapeutic approach for HD. We report the identification of small molecule inhibitors of Spt5-Pol II, SPI-24 and SPI-77, which selectively lower mutant Htt mRNA and protein levels in HD cells. In the BACHD mouse model, their direct delivery to the striatum diminished mutant Htt levels, ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction, restored BDNF expression, and improved motor and anxiety-like phenotypes. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that these SPIs pass the blood-brain-barrier. Prolonged subcutaneous injection or oral administration to early-stage mice significantly delayed disease deterioration. SPI-24 long-term treatment had no side effects or global changes in gene expression. Thus, lowering mutant Htt levels by small molecules can be an effective therapeutic strategy for HD.
mGluR7 allosteric modulator AMN082 corrects protein synthesis and pathological phenotypes in FXS
Authors: Kumar Vipendra , Lee Kwan Young , Acharya Anirudh , Babik Matthew S , Christian-Hinman Catherine A , Rhodes Justin S , Tsai Nien-Pei 
Published: February 2024

AbstractFragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading cause of inherited autism and intellectual disabilities. Aberrant protein synthesis due to the loss of fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP) is the major defect in FXS, leading to a plethora of cellular and behavioral abnormalities. However, no treatments are available to date. In this study, we found that activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGluR7) using a positive allosteric modulator named AMN082 represses protein synthesis through ERK1/2 and eIF4E signaling in an FMRP-independent manner. We further demonstrated that treatment of AMN082 leads to a reduction in neuronal excitability, which in turn ameliorates audiogenic seizure susceptibility in Fmr1 KO mice, the FXS mouse model. When evaluating the animals’ behavior, we showed that treatment of AMN082 reduces repetitive behavior and improves learning and memory in Fmr1 KO mice. This study uncovers novel functions of mGluR7 and AMN082 and suggests the activation of mGluR7 as a potential therapeutic approach for treating FXS.
Design and implementation of a cost‐effective practical single‐phase power quality analyzer using pyboard microcontroller and python‐to‐python interface
Authors: Sabahi Mehran , Safari Ashkan , Nazari‐Heris Morteza 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis work presents the design, development, and performance evaluation of a cost‐effective and practical single‐phase power quality analyzer (SPPQA) using Pyboard microcontroller and Python‐to‐Python interface. The SPPQA offers comprehensive measurements, including voltage/current harmonics up to the seventh order, frequency, voltage and current root mean square values, total power, active/reactive power, power factor, voltage and current crest factor, as well as voltage/current total harmonic distortion. To ensure the accuracy of the SPPQA, a testing procedure was conducted using a test bench equipped with a non‐linear load and a 220‐V power source operating at a frequency of 50 Hz. The obtained results, such as and , are compared with measurements obtained from classical approaches and devices, validating the authenticity and reliability of the SPPQA's performance. The SPPQA demonstrates considerable accuracy and reliability in its measurements, establishing it as an efficient and practical tool for power quality assessment. The ability to measure the seven harmonics of voltage and current, alongside other critical parameters, positions the SPPQA as a practical asset in the academic, industrial, and commercial sectors. The affordability and practicality of the SPPQA make it practical in both academic research and practical scenarios. Utilizers can gain deeper information into power quality through its measurements and harmonics analysis, while also enhancing industrial processes and ensuring a reliable power supply in commercial settings.
Evidence of evolution of the black hole mass function with redshift
Authors: Rinaldi Stefano , Del Pozzo Walter , Mapelli Michela , Lorenzo-Medina Ana , Dent Thomas 
Published: February 2024

Aims.We investigate the observed distribution of the joint primary mass, mass ratio, and redshift of astrophysical black holes using the gravitational wave events detected by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration and included in the third gravitational wave transient catalogue.Methods.We reconstructed this distribution using Bayesian non-parametric methods, which are data-driven models able to infer arbitrary probability densities under minimal mathematical assumptions.Results.We find evidence that both the primary mass and mass-ratio distribution evolve with redshift: our analysis shows the presence of two distinct subpopulations in the primary mass−redshift plane, with the lighter population, ≲20 M⊙, disappearing at higher redshifts,z > 0.4. The mass-ratio distribution shows no support for symmetric binaries.Conclusions.The observed population of coalescing binary black holes evolves with look-back time, suggesting a trend in metallicity with redshift and/or the presence of multiple redshift-dependent formation channels.
Extreme FeLoBAL outflow in the VLT/UVES spectrum of quasar SDSS J1321−0041
Authors: Byun Doyee , Arav Nahum , Sharma Mayank , Dehghanian Maryam , Walker Gwen 
Published: February 2024

Context. Quasar outflows are often analyzed to determine their ability to contribute to active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. We identified a broad absorption line (BAL) outflow in the VLT/UVES spectrum of the quasar SDSS J1321−0041. The outflow shows troughs from Fe II, and is thus categorized as an FeLoBAL. This outfow is unusual among the population of FeLoBAL outflows, as it displays C II and Si II BALs.
Aims. Outflow systems require a kinetic luminosity above ∼0.5% of the quasar’s luminosity to contribute to AGN feedback. For this reason, we analyzed the spectrum of J1321−0041 to determine the outflow’s kinetic luminosity, as well as the quasar’s bolometric luminosity.
Methods. We measured the ionic column densities from the absorption troughs in the spectrum and determined the hydrogen column density and ionization parameter using those column densities as our constraints. We also determined the electron number density, ne, based on the ratios between the excited-state and resonance-state column densities of Fe II and Si II. This allowed us to find the distance of the outflow from its central source, as well as its kinetic luminosity.
Results. We determined the kinetic luminosity of the outflow to be 8.4−5.4+13.7 × 1045 erg s−1 and the quasar’s bolometric luminosity to be 1.72 ± 0.13 × 1047 erg s−1, resulting in a ratio of Ėk/LBol = 4.8−3.1+8.0%. We conclude that this outflow has a sufficiently high kinetic luminosity to contribute to AGN feedback.