bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Postoperative outcomes of biopsy versus debulking surgery for immunoglobulin G4-related ophthalmic disease: a retrospective comparative study
Authors: Iwasaki Rikako , Kitaguchi Yoshiyuki , Morimoto Takeshi , Nishida Kohji 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Purpose
To compare the postoperative outcomes of corticosteroid therapy following biopsy with those following debulking surgery in patients with immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD).

Study Design
Retrospective comparative study.

Methods
Fifteen patients diagnosed with IgG4-ROD (5 unilateral, 10 bilateral) were retrospectively analyzed. IgG4-ROD was diagnosed based on imaging, histopathology, and blood test results. The biopsy group included patients who underwent resection of minimal tissue for diagnosis, whereas the debulking group included patients who underwent resection of a substantial portion of the mass to decrease the tumor size. Postoperative outcomes after steroid administration, recurrence rates, and changes in lacrimal gland function were compared between the groups.

Results
The biopsy and debulking groups included seven and eight patients, respectively. All patients in the biopsy group and 25% of patients in the debulking group required steroid treatment postoperatively (p = 0.0070). Relapse occurred in 71.4% and 12.5% (p = 0.041) and maintenance therapy was required in 57.1% and 12.5% (p = 0.12) patients in the biopsy and debulking groups, respectively. Twelve patients had extraorbital lesions, with one patient receiving corticosteroid treatment for sphenoid bone lesion. Schirmer I test values did not differ preoperatively and postoperatively in either group (biopsy: p = 0.47; debulking: p = 0.72). One patient from the biopsy group developed severe dry eyes, necessitating lacrimal canalicular excision.

Conclusions
Debulking surgery effectively reduced the requirement for postoperative steroid administration for recurrent lacrimal gland lesion in patients with IgG4-ROD, indicating its potential as an effective alternative to current standard treatment.
Heart Rate Variability Predicts Therapy Outcome in Anxiety Disorders: The Role of Inhibitory Learning
Authors: Fagioli Sabrina , Watanabe Darcianne K. , Koenig Julian , Free Matthew , Fazio Russell H. , Vasey Michael W. , Thayer Julian F. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Exposure therapy has been shown to be useful for the treatment of anxiety disorders. However, there are individual differences in the extent to which this intervention is effective in reducing symptoms, and a substantial number of patients may experience a return of fear (ROF). The factors associated with successful therapy outcomes are an important topic of investigation as these factors might influence the nature of the interventions as well as enhance our understanding of the process associated with the disorder and its treatment. Here, we investigated the effect of resting heart rate variability (HRV) on ROF following exposure therapy in social phobics. In particular, using path modeling, we assessed the hypothesis that resting HRV prospectively predicts inhibitory learning, which, in turn, prospectively predicts ROF at follow-up. Forty adult participants (60% female) diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder were assigned to a single massed exposure therapy session. Self-reported behavioral and physiological responses were recorded pre-treatment, immediately following treatment, and at one-month follow-up. The Personalized Implicit Association Task (PIAT) was used as an implicit measure of inhibitory learning, and HF-HRV was taken as a measure of vagal activity. Results revealed that those with high pre-treatment HRV reported less negative implicit attitude towards public speaking after exposure (b = -0.044, p =.047) and showed reduced residual symptoms one month after treatment. (b = 2.247, p =.013). Taken together these results support exposure therapy models that emphasize the importance of inhibitory learning in extinction and are consistent with research linking HRV to inhibition.
The effect of three types of water-based training protocols on thymus atrophy and specific indicators of cellular immune senescence in aged male rats
Authors: Jahan-Mahin Mohammad , Askari Roya , Haghighi Amir Hossein , Khaiyat Omid 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
The collective detrimental impact of aged naive lymphocytes and thymus atrophy on the aging of the immune system can be mitigated by exercise. Hence, this research aims to explore the effects of three methods of water-based exercises on immune system aging and thymus atrophy in elderly rats. Thirty-two 24-month-old rats, with an average weight of 320 ± 5 g, were randomly allocated into four groups of endurance training (n = 8), resistance training (n = 8), combined training (n = 8), and control (n = 8).The training protocols (10 weeks) were conducted four times a week in a container measuring 50 × 50x100 cm filled with water at 30 ± 1 °C. The evaluation of naïve and memory T lymphocytes was conducted for the intervention groups based on the expression or lack of expression of the CD28 and CD57 markers in the subsets of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells. Naïve T cells were represented by CD28 + CD57- T lymphocytes, memory T cells were represented by CD28- CD57- T lymphocytes, aged naïve T cells were indicated by CD28 + CD57 + lymphocytes, and aged memory T cells were represented by CD28- CD57 + lymphocytes. The findings of the study showed that all three exercise protocols resulted in a significant decrease in levels of memory CD8, aged CD8, naive and naive CD4 and CD8, and aged memory, as well as an increase in levels of CD4, CD8, CD4 + , and naive CD8 when compared to the control group. It was observed that thymus atrophy, memory CD4, and aged CD4 had a significant decrease only in the combined exercise group compared to the control group, with no significant differences observed in these indicators for the resistance and endurance groups. Furthermore, the ratio of CD4 to CD8 remained unchanged across all groups. The findings of this study suggest greater efficacy of combined training in enhancing specific health indicators of cell immunity among elderly populations. Moreover, engaging in water exercises of all three types of combined, resistance, and endurance training are deemed safe activities for older individuals to bolster their immune system and mitigate the aging process of T cells.
Temperature effects on the impact of two invasive parasitic copepods on the survival, growth, condition, and reproduction of native mussels
Authors: Jolma E. Rosa , Born-Torrijos Ana , Engelsma Marc Y. , Heesterbeek Hans , van Leeuwen Anieke , Twijnstra Robert H. , Wegner K. Mathias , Thieltges David W. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
An increase in temperature due to climate change may affect the geographic ranges of invasive parasites and alter their impact on native hosts. Our goal was to determine if the effects of infection by two species of invasive endoparasitic copepods on native blue mussel hosts (Mytilus edulis) change with increasing temperatures. We investigated this with a laboratory experiment using temperatures that represent annual mean and mean summer water temperatures of past observations and future predictions for the study area, the European Wadden Sea (10–26 °C). Over a period of 8–20 weeks, infection with Mytilicola intestinalis lowered mussel condition and infection with Mytilicola orientalis decreased mussel shell growth. High temperatures decreased mussel growth and condition in general, but only at low temperatures (10–14 °C) the parasite-induced loss of condition was evident compared to uninfected mussels. Mussel mortality and reproductive activity were not affected by parasite infection, although both were impacted by temperature: the highest temperature (26 °C) increased mussel mortality, and gamete ripening only occurred at lower temperatures (10–18 °C). Taken together, these results suggest that both infection and high temperatures have independent negative effects. However, an increase in temperature does not worsen the effect of infection on individual mussel hosts, and neither does infection decrease host tolerance for long-term exposure to high temperatures. These findings add to our understanding of the interplay between increasing temperature and the interaction between invasive parasites and native hosts, and help predicting host and parasite dynamics in systems affected by species invasions and climate change.
Convergence rates for random feature neural network approximation in molecular dynamics
Authors: Huang Xin , Plecháč Petr , Sandberg Mattias , Szepessy Anders 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Random feature neural network approximations of the potential in Hamiltonian systems yield approximations of molecular dynamics correlation observables that have the expected error

$$\mathcal {O}\left( \left( K^{-1}+J^{-\frac{1}{2}}\right) ^{\frac{1}{2}}\right) $$

O

K

-
1

+

J

-

1
2

1
2

, for networks with K nodes using J data points, provided the Hessians of the potential and the observables are bounded. The loss function is based on the least squares error of the potential and regularizations, with the data points sampled from the Gibbs density. The proof uses a new derivation of the generalization error for random feature networks that does not apply the Rademacher or related complexities.
Anhydrous HCl gas-induced alcoholysis of cotton linter fibers
Authors: Wang Yingfeng , Pääkkönen Timo , Yousefi Neptun , Kontturi Eero 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Abstract
Alcoholysis has attracted attention because of its potential to isolate platform chemicals and biofuel precursors from cellulosic biomass. We investigated the degradation of native cellulose fibers via alcoholysis using various alcohols (ethanol, 2–propanol, t–butanol, and ethylene glycol) and anhydrous HCl gas as an acid catalyst. We explored the impact of these different systems on the leveling-off degree of polymerization (LODP). Fibers soaked in ethylene glycol and t–butanol reached LODP under the default conditions, i.e., 50 wt.% alcohol content. When subjected to a post-hydrolysis step, the fibers previously alcoholyzed in ethanol and 2–propanol attained the LODP level as well. However, the production of monosaccharides during post–hydrolysis was 20 times higher from the fibers that had been alcoholyzed previously by ethanol than with 2–propanol.

Graphical abstract
On Quantum Systems with Non-deterministic Yet Non-random Outcomes and Their Potential Link with the Emergence of a Genuine Freedom of Choice
Authors: Shushi Tomer 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
In this short paper, we propose a special class of quantum systems with implicit quantum uncertainties without any probability structure followed by the dynamical behavior of the systems. When a system is deterministic or random, it does not capture the essence of freedom of choice (FOC), which is the ability to make decisions followed by one’s preferences, free from both deterministic and random outcomes. The proposed special class of quantum systems contains non-deterministic yet non-random outcomes, and so they open the possibility of having FOC within the systems. We also examine examples of such a special class of quantum systems that do not violate the postulates of quantum mechanics.
In situ and ex situ conservation gap analyses of crop wild relatives from Northeast Africa
Authors: Aldow Ahmed , Brehm Joana Magos , Gaisberger Hannes , Maxted Nigel 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) are wild plant taxa closely related to domesticated crops that play a vital role in enhancing crop resilience. This study assessed the conservation status of 97 priority CWR in Northeast Africa through a comprehensive approach, incorporating ecogeographic data and complementarity analysis. The analysis of 4551 occurrence records from 57 CWR highlighted significant gaps in in situ conservation. Notably, the highest number of occurrence records within Protected Areas (PAs) were found in Ethiopia, particularly in Borena National Park, Kafa UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve, and Bonga National Forest Priority Area. However, only 40 taxa (~ 42%) were identified within existing PAs, with Solanum campylacanthum Hochst. cx A. Rich, and Coffea arabica L. being the most prevalent. Ecogeographic Land Characterization (ELC) maps identified 45 distinct ecological zones representing the region’s diverse habitats. Ex situ analysis revealed 1295 occurrence records from 52 taxa (54%) conserved in genebanks, although only 8% of these taxa were represented by more than 50 accessions. S. camplyacanthum and Avena vaviloviana (Malz.) Mordv. had the highest number of accessions. Ecogeographical analysis indicated that ELC zones 8, 17, and 18 had the highest frequencies of occurrence in both PAs and genebanks. Complementarity analysis identified 34 potential genetic reserve areas, covering 42 taxa (43%), compared to 33 taxa conserved across 18 PAs identified by coverage analysis. These findings highlight the urgent need for a comprehensive CWR conservation strategy to protect valuable genetic diversity for future crop breeding programs, ultimately enhancing crop resilience in the face of ongoing and future agricultural challenges.
Toll-like Receptors 1, 3 and 7 Activate Distinct Genetic Features of NF-κB Signaling and γ-Protocadherin Expression in Human Cardiac Fibroblasts
Authors: Chaudhari Aditi , Axelsson Camila , Mattsson Hultén Lillemor , Rotter Sopasakis Victoria 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Fibroblasts play a pivotal role in key processes within the heart, particularly in cardiac remodeling that follows both ischemic and non-ischemic injury. During remodeling, fibroblasts drive fibrosis and inflammation by reorganizing the extracellular matrix and modulating the immune response, including toll-like receptor (TLR) activation, to promote tissue stabilization. Building on findings from our prior research on heart tissue from patients with advanced coronary artery disease and aortic valve disease, this study sought to explore specific effects of TLR1, TLR3, and TLR7 activation on NF-κB signaling, proinflammatory cytokine production, and γ-protocadherin expression in cardiac fibroblasts. Human cardiac fibroblasts were exposed to agonists for TLR1, TLR3, or TLR7 for 24 h, followed by an analysis of NF-κB signaling, cytokine production, and γ-protocadherin expression. The activation of these TLRs triggered distinct responses in the NF-κB signaling pathway, with TLR3 showing a stronger activation profile compared to TLR1 and TLR7, particularly in downregulating γ-protocadherin expression. These findings highlight a potential role for TLR3 in amplifying inflammatory responses and reducing γ-protocadherin levels in cardiac fibroblasts, correlating with the enhanced inflammation and lower γ-protocadherin expression observed in diseased myocardium from patients with coronary artery disease and aortic valve disease. Consequently, TLR3 represents a potential therapeutic target for modulating immune responses in cardiovascular diseases.
Epigallocatechin 3-gallate-induced neuroprotection in neurodegenerative diseases: molecular mechanisms and clinical insights
Authors: Islam Md. Rezaul , Rauf Abdur , Akter Sumiya , Akter Happy , Al-Imran Md. Ibrahim Khalil , Islam Samiul , Nessa Meherun , Shompa Chaity Jahan , Shuvo Md. Nabil Rihan , Khan Imtiaz , Al Abdulmonem Waleed , Aljohani Abdullah S. M. , Imran Muhammad , Iriti Marcello 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are caused by progressive neuronal death and cognitive decline. Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenolic molecule in green tea as a neuroprotective agent. This review evaluates the therapeutic effects of EGCG and explores the molecular mechanisms that show its neuroprotective properties. EGCG protects neurons in several ways, such as by lowering oxidative stress, stopping Aβ from aggregation together, changing cell signaling pathways, and decreasing inflammation. Furthermore, it promotes autophagy and improves mitochondrial activity, supporting neuronal survival. Clinical studies have demonstrated that EGCG supplementation can reduce neurodegenerative biomarkers and enhance cognitive function. This review provides insights into the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential of EGCG in treating various NDs. EGCG reduces oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals and enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity, aiding neuronal defense. It also protects neurons and improves cognitive abilities by inhibiting the toxicity and aggregation of Aβ peptides. It changes important cell signaling pathways like Nrf2, PI3K/Akt, and MAPK, which are necessary for cell survival, cell death, and inflammation. Additionally, it has strong anti-inflammatory properties because it inhibits microglial activation and downregulates pro-inflammatory cytokines. It improves mitochondrial function by reducing oxidative stress, increasing ATP synthesis, and promoting mitochondrial biogenesis, which promotes neurons’ survival and energy metabolism. In addition, it also triggers autophagy, a cellular process that breaks down and recycles damaged proteins and organelles, eliminating neurotoxic aggregates and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Moreover, it holds significant promise as an ND treatment, but future research should focus on increasing bioavailability and understanding its long-term clinical effects. Future studies should focus on improving EGCG delivery and understanding its long-term effects in therapeutic settings. It can potentially be a therapeutic agent for managing NDs, indicating a need for further research.
Crafting Cumulative Advantage: A Systemic Approach to the Career Development of Highly Productive Researchers
Authors: Mudrak Jiri , Zabrodska Katerina , Machovcova Katerina 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Despite a meritocratic discourse prevalent in higher education, academic careers appear to be deeply influenced by structural inequalities. In this study, we employed a systemic perspective that merged organizational theories of cumulative advantage and job crafting to explore the career development of highly productive researchers. Our focus was on the dynamic relationship between the researchers’ agency and the organizational structure of their workplaces, which facilitated their access to crucial job resources, enhancing their research productivity. Methodologically, we conducted a large-scale qualitative study exploring how academics at public universities perceived their work environments in relation to their career development. The analysis showed that participants “crafted” their jobs to acquire career-related resources, leading to cumulative benefits in later career stages. We identified three main themes across career stages: "crafting dependence" in the early career stage, when participants navigated dependency; "crafting independence" in the mid-career stage, as they established autonomy in their research; and "crafting interdependence" in the advanced stages, where participants occupied central positions at their workplaces, leveraging access to resources that they invested in other people to accumulate further resources and maintain their high research productivity. We discuss these findings from the perspective of individual academic career development as conditions for developing research excellence as well as from an institutional perspective, with implications for the development of inequalities in academic workplaces.
The ups and downs of ignorance
Authors: Degano Marco , Marty Paul , Ramotowska Sonia , Aloni Maria , Breheny Richard , Romoli Jacopo , Sudo Yasutada 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Plain disjunctive sentences, such as The mystery box contains a blue ball or a yellow ball, typically imply that the speaker does not know which of the two disjuncts is true. This is known as an ignorance inference. We can distinguish between two aspects of this inference: the negated universal upper bound part (i.e., the speaker is uncertain about each disjunct), which we call uncertainty, and the existential lower bound part (i.e., the speaker considers each disjunct possible), which we call possibility. In the traditional approach, uncertainty is derived as a primary implicature, from which possibility follows. In this paper, we report on two experiments using a sentence-picture verification task based on the mystery box paradigm that challenge the traditional implicature approach. Our findings show that possibility can arise without uncertainty, and we thus call for a reevaluation of the traditional view of disjunction and ignorance inferences. Our experimental findings are related to similar results involving disjunction in embedded contexts and pave the way for alternative theories that can account for the observed patterns of inference derivation in a unified fashion. We discuss how recent implicature and non-implicature theories can account for the derivation of existential lower bound inferences without the presence of negated universal upper bound inferences.
On internal resonances in pipes conveying pulsating fluid for beam, stretched-beam, and string models
Authors: Köroğlu Ege , van Horssen Wim T. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
In this paper, we investigate an initial-boundary value problem for a linear Euler-Bernoulli beam equation governing the dynamics of pipes conveying fluid. The fluid flow velocity inside the pipe is assumed to have a small amplitude and to be time-varying, that is,

$$V(t)=\varepsilon (V_0+V_1 \sin (\Omega t))$$

V

(
t
)

=
ε
(

V
0

+

V
1

sin

(
Ω
t
)

)

, where a two time-scales perturbation method is applied to construct approximations of the solutions. We explore fluid velocity pulsation frequencies

$$\Omega $$

Ω

that lead to resonance in the pipe system. Depending on the order of bending stiffness, we study beam, stretched-beam and string models, each displaying distinct resonance behaviour. For special values of the frequency

$$\Omega $$

Ω

and the bending stiffness, resonance frequencies can coincide, leading to internal resonances that exhibit more complex dynamical behaviour. We investigate both pure and detuned internal resonance scenarios, highlighting how early truncation in the number of oscillation modes leads to erroneous approximations and incorrect stability conclusions.
A general-purpose approach to multi-agent Bayesian optimization across decomposition methods
Authors: Krishnamoorthy Dinesh 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
This paper proposes a general-purpose multi-agent Bayesian optimization (MABO) where agents are connected via shared variables or constraints, and each agent’s local cost is unknown. The proposed approach is general-purpose in the sense that it can be used with a broad class of decomposition methods, whereby we augment traditional BO acquisition functions with suitably derived coordinating terms to facilitate coordination among subsystems without sharing local data. Regret analysis is also carried out for the general-purpose MABO framework, which reveals that the cumulative regret of the proposed general-purpose MABO is the sum of individual regrets and is independent of the coordinating terms. This adaptability to different decomposition methods ensures versatility across diverse distributed optimization scenarios. Numerical experiments validate the effectiveness of the proposed MABO framework for different classes of decomposition methods.