bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Novel Variant in TUBB4B Causes Progressive Cone‐Rod Dystrophy and Early Onset Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Scarpato Margherita , Testa Francesco , Nesti Anna , Zeuli Roberta , Boccia Rosa , Auletta Gennaro , Banfi Sandro , Simonelli Francesca , Karali Marianthi 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTBackgroundSensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a frequent manifestation of syndromic inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), exemplified by the very rare form of autosomal‐dominant Leber congenital amaurosis with early onset deafness (LCAEOD; OMIM #617879). LCAEOD was first described in 2017 in four families segregating heterozygous missense mutations in TUBB4B, a gene encoding a β‐tubulin isotype. To date, only eight more families with similar TUBB4B‐associated sensorineural disease (SND) have been reported. Most cases harbored missense variants affecting the same amino acid (Arg391) and only three families segregated variants involving different residues (Tyr310, Arg390).MethodsWe performed whole‐exome sequencing and a full ophthalmological and audiological examination of the affected members in an Italian family segregating syndromic IRD with early onset deafness.ResultsWe identified a novel, ultra‐rare, disease‐causing variant in TUBB4B (NM_006088.6:c.1049A>C) that replaces a highly conserved lysine with threonine at amino acid position 350. The functional impact of the Lys350Thr substitution was supported by protein structure modeling studies. The variant segregates in the family members presenting retinal disease with early onset SNHL. Detailed ophthalmological assessment of the affected subjects diagnosed a progressive cone‐rod dystrophy.ConclusionThese findings expand the limited number of disease‐causing TUBB4B variants, corroborating their association with SND forms, and suggest Lys350 is an important residue for β‐tubulin function. Interestingly, our results demonstrate that TUBB4B mutations can cause cone‐dominated retinal phenotypes.
Harmonic analysis and optimization for closed‐loop superconducting shim coils of 7 T MRI magnet
Authors: Lin Zijie , Zhang Zhan , Li Jiaxin , Gao Zhaoyao , Chu Zhenyu , Liu Yongsuo , Zhang Panfeng , Wu Leping , Zhou Chao 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundHigh‐resolution brain imaging is crucial in clinical diagnosis and neuroscience, with ultra‐high field strength MRI systems () offering significant advantages for imaging neuronal microstructures. However, achieving magnetic field homogeneity is challenging due to engineering faults during the installation of superconducting strip windings and the primary magnet.PurposeThis study aims to design and optimize active superconducting shim coils for a 7 T animal MRI system, focusing on the impact of safety margin, size, and adjustability of the second‐order shim coils on the MRI system's optimization.MethodsThe study employs a nonlinear optimization method to determine the parameters of the shim coils, considering the size of the coil, the level of undesired harmonics, and the whole number approximation of the turns in each coil. The study also conducts a thorough robustness analysis, examining the effects of coil winding accuracy, former processing accuracy, and assembly angle accuracy on the harmonic intensity of each coil.ResultsThe optimization design results for the 7 T MRI system's shim coils show that the magnetic field changes are less than 0.5 %. After second‐order shimming and the harmonic coupling an, the low‐order harmonics are minimized, resulting in an improved magnetic field peak‐to‐peak uniformity from 254.47 to 8.970 ppm.ConclusionThe study successfully demonstrates the creation of a set of second‐order shim coils for a 7 T animal MRI system through numerical optimization. The design outputs provide essential technological support for the development of a human whole‐body 7 T MRI system, ensuring high‐quality imaging at the neuronal level. The project also highlights the importance of considering manufacturing and assembly flaws in the shim coil design process to achieve effective shimming in practical engineering scenarios.
Segmentation of coronary artery and calcification using prior knowledge based deep learning framework
Authors: Wang Jinda , Chen Qian , Jiang Xingyu , Zhang Zeyu , Tang Zhenyu 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundComputed tomography angiography (CTA) is used to screen for coronary artery calcification. As the coronary artery has complicated structure and tiny lumen, manual screening is a time‐consuming task. Recently, many deep learning methods have been proposed for the segmentation (SEG) of coronary artery and calcification, however, they often neglect leveraging related anatomical prior knowledge, resulting in low accuracy and instability.PurposeThis study aims to build a deep learning based SEG framework, which leverages anatomical prior knowledge of coronary artery and calcification, to improve the SEG accuracy. Moreover, based on the SEG results, this study also try to reveal the predictive ability of the volume ratio of coronary artery and calcification for rotational atherectomy (RA).MethodsWe present a new SEG framework, which is composed of four modules: the variational autoencoder based centerline extraction (CE) module, the self‐attention (SA) module, the logic operation (LO) module, and the SEG module. Specifically, the CE module is used to crop a series of 3D CTA patches along the coronary artery, from which the continuous property of vessels can be utilized by the SA module to produce vessel‐related features. According to the spatial relations between coronary artery lumen and calcification regions, the LO module with logic union and intersection is designed to refine the vessel‐related features into lumen‐ and calcification‐related features, based on which SEG results can be produced by the SEG module.ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that our framework outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art methods on CTA image dataset of 72 patients with statistical significance. Ablation experiments confirm that the proposed modules have positive impacts to the SEG results. Moreover, based on the volume ratio of segmented coronary artery and calcification, the prediction accuracy of RA is 0.75.ConclusionsIntegrating anatomical prior knowledge of coronary artery and calcification into the deep learning based SEG framework can effectively enhance the performance. Moreover, the volume ratio of segmented coronary artery and calcification is a good predictive factor for RA.
Comparison of a Minimization and a Saddle Point Formulation of a Coupled Mechanics‐Diffusion Problem Implemented in deal.II
Authors: Jeeja Akshay Balachandran , Kiefer Bjoern , Prüger Stefan , Rheinbach Oliver , Röver Friederike 
Published: January 2025

AbstractFor a problem in chemo‐mechanics, stated as a rate‐type variational principle, a minimization and a saddle point formulation are considered. Both formulations couple mechanical balance equations to mass diffusion and are intended to accurately model the diffusion‐induced swelling of hydrogels. The variational formulation is discretized by finite elements and implemented using the deal.II software library. The linearized systems in the incremental‐iterative solution procedure are solved using the unsymmetric multifrontal package (UMFPACK) sparse direct solver. The two formulations, employing three different, conforming finite element types, are considered for the case of mechanically‐induced diffusion and compared with respect to the evolution of the reaction force, mesh convergence, and the solution time. This initial step, comparing the performance of sparse direct solvers, sets the stage for future assessments involving domain decomposition, where sparse direct solvers are a computational kernel.
Antbears and underground melons: A highly specialized seed dispersal mutualism mediated by scent
Authors: Johnson Steven D. , Eichhoff Anka , Midgley Jeremy J. 
Published: January 2025

Societal Impact StatementSeed dispersal is critical for the establishment and persistence of populations of most plant species. We investigated the seed dispersal biology of an African melon, Cucumis humifructus, which is closely related to cultivated cucumbers and watermelons but differs in that it buries its fruits deep underground. The fruits are located by antbears using olfaction; the antbears consume the fruit pulp and the seeds germinate in their faeces. Cucumis humifructus has become very rare in some parts of Africa and is vulnerable on account of its annual lifecycle combined with its dependence on a declining mammal species for establishing each new generation.Summary
Seed dispersal mutualisms between plants and animals are seldom specialized at the species level. We investigated the highly unusual case of the dispersal of seeds of a melon Cucumis humifructus by the antbear (Orycteropus afer), a myrmecophagous African mammal. This annual plant buries its fruits c. 20 cm underground, a depth from which seedling emergence is impossible. We asked why the fruits are buried and how they are located by animals.
We investigated the seed dispersal system of C. humifructus in central Namibia using camera traps, seed germination experiments and analyses of animal faeces. Coupled gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS) was used to analyse the chemistry of fruit scent.
Naturally‐buried C. humifructus fruits were excavated solely by antbears. Antbear faecal pellets often contained intact C. humifructus seeds. All of the C. humifructus plants that we examined originated in antbear pellets. Fruits placed experimentally above ground or buried shallowly were eaten by porcupines which act as seed predators as they destroy soft melon seeds with their chewing teeth. Fruits of C. humifructus emit scent with a chemical profile distinct from that of related melon species.
We argue that deep burial of fruits is a strategy that C. humifructus uses to escape from mammalian seed predators, particularly porcupines. This study highlights the potential role of escape from antagonistic interactions in the evolution of specialized seed dispersal mutualisms.
One‐Step Biosynthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Their Nonantibacterial, Nonantifungal, and Biocompatibility Properties
Authors: Yadwade Rachana , Babu Peram , Ankamwar Balaprasad 
Published: January 2025

AbstractIn present research article, single‐step biosynthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) is reported by using Sapindus mukorossi (SM) fruit extract as a source of reducing and capping agents. Biosynthesized spherical magnetic IONPs are characterized using XRD, ATR‐IR, FE‐SEM, VSM, BET, and XPS techniques. VSM analysis indicates an Ms value of 30.505 emu g−1, BET analysis reveals a specific surface area of 9.691 m2 g−1, and XPS confirms the formation of Fe₂O₃. NMR, GC‐MS, and HR‐MS techniques reveal the biological molecules present in SM fruit extract including flavonoids, diterpenoids, and antioxidants. These biomolecules perform a dynamic role of capping, stabilizing, and reducing agents to synthesize stable IONPs, using a bottom‐up synthesis approach. They exhibit nonantibacterial potential against both Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus aureus, (S. aureus), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis)) and Gram‐negative (Escherichia coli, (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa)) microorganisms. Nonantifungal potential against different fungi (Penicillium spp., Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus), Fusarium oxysporum (F. oxysporum), and Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani)) is also observed. The biosynthesized IONPs exhibit inertness toward the L929 normal fibroblast cell line, making them a promising candidate for drug delivery and various therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
Source Seeking With a Nonholonomic Vehicle in Static and Dynamic Spatial Fields
Authors: Mellucci Chiara , Menon Prathyush P. , Edwards Christopher 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTIn this paper, a novel source seeking strategy is presented. A single autonomous vehicle is modeled as a kinematic unicycle moving in two‐dimensional space within a spatial field. The proposed control scheme allows the vehicle to reach a neighborhood of the source of the spatial field in finite time. In this work, the spatial field can be static, translating or dynamically evolving. The control strategy, based on the definition of a reference trajectory and on a second order sliding mode extremum seeking approach, exploits only a point measurement at the vehicle position, and does not require knowledge or an estimate of the spatial gradient of the phenomenon of interest. Explicit bounds on the reference trajectory parameters are introduced in order to guarantee finite time convergence to a neighborhood of the source. The approach is tested in simulation on static and dynamic spatial fields.
ZnS Honey‐Hump Nanocrystals: Efficient Green Catalysis for Remazol Black Dye Removal in Wastewater Treatment
Authors: M.S Manojkumar , B. Sivaprakash , T. Sathish , S. Mohan 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThe extensive use of synthetic dyes in a variety of sectors, including textiles, leather, food, and paints are resulted in substantial environmental issues due to their persistence and toxicity in water bodies. Moreover, about twenty to forty gallons of water is used for two pounds of fabric in conventional textile industries around the globe. Hence, it is vital to develop effective and fast catalytic dye removal methods or devices. Citrullus lanatus rind is primarily researched for its effective removal of dye from aqueous solution. The ZnS nanocrystals are well known for its photocatalytic property to remove dyes. In this research, ZnS extracted from the Citrullus lanatus rind was used for investigating the removal of Remazol Black dye. The dye is said to increase heart rate and cause eye problems in humans. The ZnS is extracted using green synthesis and the work focuses on the goal of contributing to long‐term and successful water treatment solutions. The generated ZnS nanocrystals were validated using UV–vis spectroscopy, indicating the successful formation of nanoparticles. The presence of polyphenolic groups responsible for reducing metal sulfide nanoparticles was verified using FTIR spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) research indicated that the produced ZnS nanocrystals had a morphology with a mean size of roughly 6 nm. The impact of nanocrystals in removing Remazol Black dye was examined, with a phenomenal clearance efficiency of 99.8% achieved in 6 min. The rapid and successful dye decomposition was attributable to the chemisorption process, demonstrating ZnS honey‐hump‐like nanocrystal potential as useful catalysts in ecological cleanup purposes.
Bi2O3‐Modified Rice‐Like Brookite TiO2 for Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity under Visible‐Light Irradiation
Authors: Dong Ru , Lu Hanhan , Mei Wenlong , Tang Shanshan , Xu Jinlei 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBrookite TiO2 is a metastable crystalline phase, which is difficult to prepare manually. In this study, brookite TiO2 with controllable morphology was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The prepared brookite TiO2 was a complete rice‐like granular particle with a smooth surface and sharp edges at the tip of both ends. And the diameter of an individual brookite TiO2 was approximately 200 nm. Then, to improve the photocatalytic degradation performance of brookite TiO2, we prepared Bi2O3/brookite TiO2 nanocomposites. After Bi2O3 composite, the crystalline phase of brookite TiO2 did not change, and still maintained high purity and crystallinity. The Bi2O3 nanoparticles were dispersed on the surface of brookite TiO2, forming heterogeneous structures in close contact. The Bi2O3/brookite TiO2 nanocomposite exhibited a significantly higher degradation rate of ofloxacin (20 mg L−1) under visible light (300 W Xenon lamp, λ ≥ 400 nm) compared to pure brookite TiO2. The photocatalytic activity of 5 mol% Bi2O3/brookite TiO2 was the best, the degradation rate of OFX reached 90.7%. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3/brookite TiO2 nanocomposites was attributed to the formation of Bi2O3/brookite TiO2 heterojunction, which accelerated the photogenerated charge‐hole separation. This study provided theoretical support for efficient photocatalytic degradation of pollutants.
Zirconocene‐Mediated Cationic Copolymerization of n‐Butyl and 2‐Phthalimidylethyl Vinyl Ethers: Reactivity Ratios, Thermal Analysis, and Degradation Kinetics
Authors: Michos‐Stavridis Kosmas , Plachouras Nikolaos V. , Zouganelis Stavros , Pitsikalis Marinos 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis study reports the synthesis of the novel statistical copolymers comprising of n‐butyl vinyl ether, BVE, and 2‐phthalimidylethyl vinyl ether, PEVE, via a nonconventional cationic polymerization technique involving activated zirconocene complexes. Initially, the research was focused in finding the best experimental conditions to obtain the statistical copolymerization of the two monomers, utilizing bis(η5‐cyclopentadienyl)dimethyl zirconium, Cp2ZrMe2, in conjunction with tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate dimethylanilinium salt [B(C6F5)4]–[Me2NHPh]+, as the initiation system. The statistical analysis of the P(BVE‐co‐PEVE) products, along with the calculation of the monomers’ reactivity ratios via various linear graphical methods and the COPOINT program demonstrated that an azeotropic copolymerization occurred in toluene at 25 °C. Regarding the thermal analysis, the glass transition temperatures, Tg, were determined by differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, and were subsequently correlated with a number of theoretical models, thereby enabling the prediction of these Tg values. The thermal stability of the copolymers was investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis, TGA, and differential thermogravimetry, DTG, at six distinct heating rates. The derived data were processed within the framework of the Ozawa–Flynn–Wall, OFW, and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose, KAS, methodologies in order to study the kinetics of thermal decomposition. Finally, the PEVE‐based copolymers were subjected to basic hydrolysis, resulting in the formation of the corresponding copolymers of BVE and 2‐amino‐ethyl vinyl ether, AEVE, which were also studied by TGA and DTG analysis. These materials can be further employed for further chemical transformations and the synthesis of more complex macromolecular architectures and, as amphiphilic and biocompatible compounds are possible candidates for the biomedical applications.
Outcome and process frames: Strategic renewal and capability reprioritization at the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Authors: Raffaelli Ryan , Zuzul Tiona , Gulati Ranjay , Rivkin Jan 
Published: January 2025

AbstractResearch SummaryFraming is critical for leaders who must build support for strategic renewal. While research has concentrated on renewal that replaces one set of capabilities with another, we explore a distinctive challenge: how leaders persuade stakeholders to endorse the reprioritization of resources toward a capability set that must coexist with an existing one. Moreover, while research has focused on how leaders build employee support for renewal, we examine how to persuade those overseeing resource allocation. Our study analyzes Director Robert Mueller's 12‐year effort at the FBI—after the 9/11 terrorist attacks—to build up counterterrorism capabilities while maintaining existing law enforcement capabilities. We offer a novel distinction between outcome frames and process frames and discuss how each frame, sequenced properly, is relevant to strategic renewal.Managerial SummaryThis study examines how leaders can build support for strategic renewal when an organization must develop new capabilities while maintaining existing ones. We analyze how FBI Director Robert Mueller, in the wake of 9/11, used strategic communication—or framing—to persuade members of Congress overseeing the FBI's budget to support the development of new counterterrorism capabilities alongside its traditional law enforcement mandate. We highlight two types of frames: outcome frames (focused on what the organization seeks to achieve) and process frames (emphasizing how the organization operates). Our findings reveal that sequencing these types of frames is essential. By using outcome frames to address immediate concerns and shifting to process frames to resolve longer‐term tensions, leaders can build stakeholder support for complex resource reprioritization efforts.
Research on the Integrated Analysis of Water Quality and Spatial‐Temporal Changes in Qionghai Lake
Authors: Su Kai , Wang Qin , Xi Yingwei , Peng Zhongshan , Li Guizhi 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACTThis paper used data from 2019, 2020, and 2021 to assess the water quality of Qionghai Lake using the traditional and improved Nemerow pollution index methods. To analyze the pattern of change in water quality between different Qionghai monitoring sections, a spatial‐temporal change rate calculation was conducted. According to the traditional Nemerow pollution index method, assessment results for 2019, 2020, and 2021 show that Qionghai as a whole, along with the Qinglong Temple water quality monitoring section, the Qionghai Hotel, and the lake center, all had Class I, superb water quality. However, Qionghai's water level was Class I in 2019 and 2021, according to the results of the improved Nemerow pollution index method, while the water quality assessment for 2020 showed that the water quality was Class II, with good but inconsistent water quality across the 3 years. From 2019 to 2020, the overall lake quality and the water quality of the lake center, Qionghai Hotel, and Qinglong Temple section have all experienced a significant decline of more than 20%. In 2021, there will be more than 20% substantial improvement in water quality. Qionghai Hotel experienced a slight decline of 10% to 20% in 2019 and a sharp deterioration of more than 20% in 2020. There was no significant difference in water quality changes between Qionghai Hotel and the Qinglongsi section between 2019 and 2020, and the change range was less than 10%.
Examining the arrhythmogenicity of dobutamine when used in conjunction with isoflurane in horses: A retrospective study at a single university teaching hospital
Authors: Ishihara Toshitsugu , Nieves Emily , Reed Rachel , Hofmeister Erik 
Published: January 2025

AbstractBackgroundDobutamine is used to treat hypotension in isoflurane‐anaesthetised horses but may produce arrhythmias. Halothane is a volatile anaesthetic that was, historically, widely used in horses, but in one study, 56 of 200 halothane‐anaesthetised horses (28%) developed arrhythmias after dobutamine administration. Although isoflurane has largely replaced halothane, it is unknown how isoflurane and dobutamine interact in the development of arrhythmias.MethodsThe medical records of horses undergoing general anaesthesia at the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital in 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Cases were selected if isoflurane was used as the maintenance inhalant anaesthetic agent and dobutamine was administered for the treatment of hypotension. Any instances of arrhythmia occurring following dobutamine administration were recorded.ResultsArrhythmia occurred after dobutamine administration in six out of a total of 148 horses (4.0%).LimitationsThe retrospective nature of this study and the fact that the horses were anaesthetised at a single institution might limit the extent to which the findings can be ge.ConclusionCompared to halothane, isoflurane has a much lower incidence of arrhythmia when used with dobutamine. However, a larger‐scale study is needed to identify risk factors associated with horses developing an arrhythmia induced by isoflurane in combination with dobutamine.