bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Root‐Zone Water‐Storage Capacity and Uncertainty: An Intrinsic Factor Affecting Agroecosystem Resilience to Drought
Authors: Romano Nunzio , Mazzitelli Caterina , Nasta Paolo 
Published: January 2025

AbstractMapping ecosystem function indicators helps identify areas susceptible to drought, heat stress, and reduced agricultural production. This information can be used to prioritize areas for targeted interventions to tackle adverse climatic conditions and changes in land use. Root‐zone water‐storage capacity (SR) is a commonly used variable of agroecosystem functioning, representing the maximum value of water stored within the root zone and accessible to vegetation for its productive growth. Mapping SR over large spatial scales is only feasible through an oversimplification of real‐world conditions. Under such circumstances, we propose to resort to soil‐hydraulic‐energy indices, namely the integral mean water capacity (IMWC) and the integral energy (IE) and an effective root‐zone depth (zR). Accordingly, a more efficient and environmentally sensitive, albeit still simplistic, determination of the root‐zone water‐storage capacity is computed as SR,IMWC = zR × IMWC, and validated against soil moisture measurements carried out along a transect. Subsequently, the SR,IMWC indicator was mapped in Campania, a 13,700 km2 region in southern Italy. This study also addressed the issue of the propagation of epistemic uncertainty in input soil hydraulic parameters to the output response variable IMWC. This was accomplished using a Monte Carlo simulation technique that generated several equiprobable stochastic realizations from the multivariate set of data inputs. Finally, we assessed the potential utility of the integral capacity energy (ICE) composite indicator, computed as the ratio IMWC/IE in %, as a scoring parameter to identify Priority Intervention Areas (PIAs) where resilience to environmental challenges, including water scarcity, drought events, and post‐fire conditions, could be enhanced.
Comparing COVID-19 literacy and vaccine hesitancy among health care workers, including oral health professionals, in Japan
Authors: Ueno Fujimi , Haresaku Satoru , Iino Hidechika , Taguchi Tomoaki , Sakagami Ryuji , Matsumoto Koichiro , Kudo Kotaro , Yoneda Masahiro , Chishaki Akiko , Okada Kenji 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Background
Oral health professionals should have good COVID-19 vaccine literacy as should physicians and nurses. However, little is known about COVID-19 literacy and vaccine hesitancy among oral health professionals in Japan.

Aims
This study aimed to investigate the status of COVID-19 literacy and vaccine hesitancy among oral health professionals by comparing them with other healthcare workers (HCWs).

Methods
To compare these differences, a self-administered questionnaire-based survey of 596 staff members was conducted in March 2023 at schools, an affiliated hospital, and elderly care facilities after the staff who wished to receive it completed the fifth dose of COVID-19 vaccinations. Comparison between the recognition levels and number of vaccine doses among the HCWs were examined using the Kruskal–Wallis tests. Defining the third or lower doses of COVID-19 vaccine as vaccine hesitancy, factors associated with the hesitancy were examined using logistic regression analysis.

Results
In total, 408 (68.5%) participants were enrolled for the study. Dental hygienists’ COVID-19 literacy levels were lower compared to those of nurses and physicians. Dentists received a significantly lower number of vaccine doses than did physicians. Vaccine hesitancy was positively associated with younger age and higher concern about the adverse effects of the vaccine, but it was not associated with occupation.

Conclusion
Interventions to improve the low COVID-19 literacy and high COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among oral health professionals, particularly young ones, are needed for COVID-19 and future pandemics.
Spontaneous base flipping helps drive Nsp15’s preferences in double stranded RNA substrates
Authors: Wright Zoe M. , Butay Kevin John , Krahn Juno M. , Wilson Isha M. , Gabel Scott A. , DeRose Eugene F. , Hissein Israa S. , Williams Jason G. , Borgnia Mario J. , Frazier Meredith N. , Mueller Geoffrey A. , Stanley Robin E. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractCoronaviruses evade detection by the host immune system with the help of the endoribonuclease Nsp15, which regulates levels of viral double stranded RNA by cleaving 3′ of uridine (U). While prior structural data shows that to cleave double stranded RNA, Nsp15’s target U must be flipped out of the helix, it is not yet understood whether Nsp15 initiates flipping or captures spontaneously flipped bases. We address this gap by designing fluorinated double stranded RNA substrates that allow us to directly relate a U’s sequence context to both its tendency to spontaneously flip and its susceptibility to cleavage by Nsp15. Through a combination of nuclease assays, 19F NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and single particle cryo-EM, we determine that Nsp15 acts most efficiently on unpaired Us, particularly those that are already flipped. Across sequence contexts, we find Nsp15’s cleavage efficiency to be directly related to that U’s tendency to spontaneously flip. Overall, our findings unify previous characterizations of Nsp15’s cleavage preferences, and suggest that activity of Nsp15 during infection is partially driven by bulged or otherwise relatively accessible Us that appear at strategic positions in the viral RNA.
Insulin signaling regulates R2 retrotransposon expression to orchestrate transgenerational rDNA copy number maintenance
Authors: Nelson Jonathan O. , Slicko Alyssa , Raz Amelie A. , Yamashita Yukiko M. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractPreserving a large number of essential yet highly unstable ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeats is critical for the germline to perpetuate the genome through generations. Spontaneous rDNA loss must be countered by rDNA copy number (CN) expansion. Germline rDNA CN expansion is best understood in Drosophila melanogaster, which relies on unequal sister chromatid exchange (USCE) initiated by DNA breaks at rDNA. The rDNA-specific retrotransposon R2 responsible for USCE-inducing DNA breaks is typically expressed only when rDNA CN is low to minimize the danger of DNA breaks; however, the underlying mechanism of R2 regulation remains unclear. Here we identify the insulin receptor (InR) as a major repressor of R2 expression, limiting unnecessary R2 activity. Through single-cell RNA sequencing, we find that male germline stem cells (GSCs), the major cell type that undergoes rDNA CN expansion, have reduced InR expression when rDNA CN is low. Reduced InR activity in turn leads to R2 expression and CN expansion. We further find that dietary manipulation alters R2 expression and rDNA CN expansion activity. This work reveals that the insulin pathway integrates rDNA CN surveying with environmental sensing, revealing a potential mechanism by which diet exerts heritable changes to genomic content.
Giant elasto-optic response of gallium selenide on flexible mica
Authors: Barker T. , Gray A. , Weir M. P. , Sharp J. S. , Kenton A. , Kudrynskyi Z. R. , Rostami H. , Patané A. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractUnderstanding the bending behaviour of a crystal onto a flexible platform is crucial for flexible electronics. The Young’s modulus, a measure of how easily a material deforms, plays a critical role in the coupled deformation of a crystal on a flexible substrate, as well as the transfer of strain from the substrate onto the layer. Here, we report on the bending behaviour of gallium selenide (GaSe), a van der Waals semiconductor with a small Young’s modulus and strain-dependent electronic band structure. A controllable, reproducible uniaxial strain, ϵ, is applied to nanometer-thick GaSe layers via their bending on a mica substrate. The spectral shift ΔE of the room temperature photoluminescence emission corresponds to a strain coefficient ΔE/ϵ of up to ~100 eV, the largest value reported in the literature to date. This is accompanied by coupled electronic and vibrational states under strain-induced resonant excitation conditions, as probed by Raman spectroscopy.
Park7 deletion leads to sex-specific transcriptome changes involving NRF2-CYP1B1 axis in mouse midbrain astrocytes
Authors: Helgueta Sergio , Heurtaux Tony , Sciortino Alessia , Gui Yujuan , Ohnmacht Jochen , Mencke Pauline , Boussaad Ibrahim , Halder Rashi , Garcia Pierre , Krüger Rejko , Mittelbronn Michel , Buttini Manuel , Sauter Thomas , Sinkkonen Lasse 
Published: January 2025

AbstractLoss-of-function mutations in PARK7, encoding for DJ-1, can lead to early onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). In mice, Park7 deletion leads to dopaminergic deficits during aging, and increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. However, the severity of the reported phenotypes varies. To understand the early molecular changes upon loss of DJ-1, we performed transcriptomic profiling of midbrain sections from young mice. While at 3 months the transcriptomes of both male and female mice were unchanged compared to their wildtype littermates, an extensive deregulation was observed in 8 month-old males. The affected genes are involved in processes like focal adhesion, extracellular matrix interaction, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and enriched for primary target genes of NRF2. Consistently, the antioxidant response was altered specifically in the midbrain of male DJ-1 deficient mice. Many of the misregulated genes are known target genes of estrogen and retinoic acid signaling and show sex-specific expression in wildtype mice. Depletion of DJ-1 or NRF2 in male primary astrocytes recapitulated many of the in vivo changes, including downregulation of CYP1B1, an enzyme involved in estrogen and retinoic acid metabolism. Interestingly, knock-down of CYP1B1 led to gene expression changes in focal adhesion and EMT in primary male astrocytes. Finally, male iPSC-derived astrocytes with loss of function mutation in the PARK7 gene also showed changes in the EMT pathway and NRF2 target genes. Taken together, our data indicate that loss of Park7 leads to sex-specific gene expression changes through astrocytic alterations in the NRF2-CYP1B1 axis, suggesting higher sensitivity of males to loss of DJ-1.
Connection between f-electron correlations and magnetic excitations in UTe2
Authors: Halloran Thomas , Czajka Peter , Saucedo Salas Gicela , Frank Corey E. , Kang Chang-Jong , Rodriguez-Rivera J. A. , Lass Jakob , Mazzone Daniel G. , Janoschek Marc , Kotliar Gabriel , Butch Nicholas P. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThe detailed anisotropic dispersion of the low-temperature, low-energy magnetic excitations of the candidate spin-triplet superconductor UTe2 is revealed using inelastic neutron scattering. The magnetic excitations emerge from the Brillouin zone boundary at the high symmetry Y and T points and disperse along the crystallographic $$\hat{b}$$

b

̂

-axis. In applied magnetic fields to at least μ0H = 11 T along the $$\hat{c}-{\rm{axis}}$$

c

̂

−
axis

, the magnetism is found to be field-independent in the (hk0) plane. The scattering intensity is consistent with that expected from U3+/U4+ f-electron spins with preferential orientation along the crystallographic $$\hat{a}$$

a

̂

-axis, and a fluctuating magnetic moment of μeff=1.7(5) μB. We propose interband spin excitons arising from f-electron hybridization as a possible origin of the magnetic excitations in UTe2.
A New Global Mangrove Height Map with a 12 meter spatial resolution
Authors: Simard Marc , Fatoyinbo Lola , Thomas Nathan M. , Stovall Atticus E. , Parra Adriana , Barenblitt Abigail , Bunting Pete , Hajnsek Irena 
Published: January 2025

AbstractMangrove forests thrive along global tropical coasts, acting as a barrier that protects coastlines against storm surges and as nurseries for an entire food web. They are also known for their high carbon sequestration rates and soil carbon stocks. We introduce a new global mangrove canopy height map generated from TanDEM-X spaceborne elevation measurements collected during the 2011–2013 period with a 12-meter spatial resolution and an accuracy of 2.4 meters (RMSE). Height was calibrated and validated using GEDI mission data and independently verified with airborne Lidar. The tallest mangrove stands reach nearly 60 meters in Colombia and Gabon, and potentially other countries. The map captures a broader range of canopy heights with finer spatial details than other available global products that use optical imagery. This new global mangrove height dataset can aid in evaluating mangrove ecosystem services at local and regional scales, improving our understanding of factors controlling mangrove structure, and supporting conservation, climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Optimizing optical, dielectric, and electrical properties of polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl pyrrolidone/poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate/NiO-based polymeric nanocomposites for optoelectronic applications
Authors: Salim E. , Magdy A. , EL-Farrash A. H. , El-Shaer A. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractAn electro- and optically favorable quaternary nanocomposite film was produced by solution-casting nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT/PSS). Based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) observations, the synthesized NiO NPs have a cubic phase and a diameter between 10 and 45 nm. The complexity and interactions observed through XRD patterns, UV–visible spectra, and FTIR measurements suggest that the NPs are not just dispersed within the polymer matrix, but are interacting with it, leading to enhanced dielectric properties and AC electrical conductivity. From 9 × 103 to 3.22 × 103 Ω, NiO NPs concentrations reduce bulk resistance Rb, indicating more linked conductive channels. The dielectric tests showed that polarized nanoparticles increased polarizability under electric field conditions. The incorporation of NiO NPs boosted DC conductivity from 1.25 × 10–6 to 5.64 × 10–5 S m−1. The mobility of NiO NPs boosts DC conductivity linearly with field frequency. These interactions can lead to improved electrical conductivity, energy storage capabilities, and overall efficiency of the nanocomposite, making it a promising material for various applications.
Brain activity patterns reflecting security perceptions of female cyclists in virtual reality experiments
Authors: Bidgoli Mohammad Arbabpour , Behmanesh Arian , Khademi Navid , Thansirichaisree Phromphat , Zheng Zuduo , Tehrani Sara Saberi Moghadam , Mazloum Sajjad , Kongsilp Sirisilp 
Published: January 2025

AbstractActive transportation, such as cycling, improves mobility and general health. However, statistics reveal that in low- and middle-income countries, male and female cycling participation rates differ significantly. Existing literature highlights that women’s willingness to use bicycles is significantly influenced by their perception of security. This study employs virtual reality (VR) cycling simulation and electroencephalography (EEG) analysis to investigate factors influencing female cyclists’ perceptions of security in Tehran. A total of 52 female participants took part in four scenarios within a VR bicycle simulator, which simulates various environmental settings. In this experiment, participants’ brainwave signals are gathered through an EEG device, and a questionnaire with their stated preferences is filled out. The Gaussian mixture approach is used to cluster brainwave patterns based on security perception from EEG data. Subsequently, four supervised machine learning methods, random forest, support vector machine, logistic regression, and multilayer perceptron, are utilized to classify influential factors on security perception using clustered EEG data. Consequently, the support vector machine model, with an F1 score of 0.74, appears to be the most effective technique for the classification of environmental and surveillance factors. Furthermore, the SelectKBest algorithm determines that factors such as the presence of obstacles like kiosks, cycling routes passing through tunnels and underpasses, the level of incivility in the urban cycling environment, and the presence of informal surveillance have the biggest impact on female cyclists’ security perception.
Expression profiles of miR-101-3p and miR-431-5p as potential diagnostic biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Sadaty Mohamed M. , Mekhemer Salma M. , Abdel-Ghany Shaimaa , El-Ansary Amira R. , Mohamed Rana , Kamal Nashaat N. , Sabit Hussein 
Published: January 2025

AbstractRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation of the synovial joints, leading to cartilage and bone destruction. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of specific microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential biomarkers for RA. The study was conducted on 60 patients with RA disease along with 20 control participants. Comprehensive analysis of patient data, encompassing serological, hematological, and biochemical markers, revealed significantly elevated levels of miR-99b-5p, miR-101-3p, and miR-431-5p in RA patients compared to healthy controls. Among these, miR-101-3p demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.873. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of RA pathogenesis and suggest that miR-101-3p may serve as a valuable biomarker for early disease detection and potentially improved patient management. Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying miRNA involvement in RA and to explore their potential as therapeutic targets.
Advancements in microalgal biomass conversion for rubber composite applications
Authors: Mahmoud Doaa S. , El-Sabbagh Salwa H. , Abdo Sayeda M. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractCarbon black (CB) as rubber reinforcement has raised environmental concerns regarding this traditional petroleum-based filler, which is less susceptible to biodegradability. Although it has great reinforcing properties, the production technique is no longer sustainable, and its cost increases regularly. For these reasons, it is wise to look for sustainable replacement materials. Microalgal biomass (MB) has demonstrated great potential for use as biodegradable nano fillers in rubber composites. Microalgal has a high biomass productivity compared to traditional crops. They can produce a large amount of biomass per unit of land area, making them highly efficient in terms of resource utilization. In the present research, microalgal biomass was blended with CB at different concentrations for preparing two different kinds of rubber composites: Nitrile rubber Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) are two common synthetic rubbers. In this study, the researchers investigated using microalgal biomass as filler in rubber composites. They assessed the filler-matrix interaction by evaluating the processability, mechanical characteristics, Payne effect, and swelling properties of the MB/CB-filled composites and compared them to CB-filled composites. The results show that rubber composites incorporating dual fillers (microalgal biomass and carbon black) had faster cure times, increased torque, and improved mechanical properties. The results prove biomass helps to minimize bulk quantities of CB and may be used as a partial replacement while still improving the mechanical properties. According to the study, microalgal biomass can successfully replace up to 50% of the CB filler. This will reduce petroleum dependence and possibly costs, depending on current petroleum prices.
Unsupervised self-organising map classification of Raman spectra from prostate cell lines uncovers substratified prostate cancer disease states
Authors: West Daniel , Stepney Susan , Hancock Y. 
Published: January 2025

AbstractProstate cancer is a disease which poses an interesting clinical question: Should it be treated? Only a small subset of prostate cancers are aggressive and require removal and treatment to prevent metastatic spread. However, conventional diagnostics remain challenged to risk-stratify such patients; hence, new methods of approach to biomolecularly sub-classify the disease are needed. Here we use an unsupervised self-organising map approach to analyse live-cell Raman spectroscopy data obtained from prostate cell-lines; our aim is to exemplify this method to sub-stratify, at the single-cell-level, the cancer disease state using high-dimensional datasets with minimal preprocessing. The results demonstrate a new sub-clustering of the prostate cancer cell-line into two groups—protein-rich and lipid-rich sub-cellular components—which we believe to be mechanistically linked. This finding shows the potential for unsupervised machine learning to discover distinct disease-state features for more accurate characterisation of highly heterogeneous prostate cancer. Applications may lead to more targeted diagnoses, prognoses and clinical treatment decisions via molecularly-informed stratification that would benefit patients. A method that could discover distinct disease-state features that are mechanistically linked could also assist in the development of more effective broad-spectrum treatments that simultaneously target linked disease-state processes.
Sleep deprivation and corneal chronobiology: reevaluating overnight corneal changes
Authors: Aszalós Zsuzsa Zakarné , Kolozsvári Bence Lajos , Lénárt Vivien , Pásztor Dorottya , Hassan Ziad , Surányi Éva , Chaker Reda , Fodor Mariann 
Published: January 2025

AbstractThis prospective cohort study is aimed to investigate circadian variations in corneal parameters, focusing on sleep-deprived subjects. Sixty-four healthy individuals (age range: 21–76 years) actively participated in this study, undergoing examinations at least five times within a 24-hour timeframe. The analysis encompassed keratometric parameters of the cornea’s front (F) and back (B) surfaces, refractive power in flattest and steepest axes (K1, K2), astigmatism (Astig) and its axis (Axis), aspheric coefficient (Asph), corneal pachymetry values of thinnest corneal thickness (Pachy Min) and corneal thickness in the center of the pupil (Pachy Pupil), volume relative to the 3 and 10 mm corneal diagonal (Vol D3, Vol D10) and surface variance index (ISV). Circadian changes were assessed using a hierarchical, mixed-effects linear regression adjusted for age and night shift. A total of 1,636 measurements revealed significant circadian changes in various corneal parameters, including K1 F, K2 F/B, Astig F/B, Asph F/B, Pachy Min/Pupil, Vol D3/10, and ISV (p < 0.0001). Moreover, K1 B exhibited a significant circadian change (p = 0.0002), while Axis F/B remained unchanged. Notably, Corneal thickness peaked before 6 o’clock in the morning and reached its minimum after 12 o’clock. Contrary to previous notions linking corneal diurnal changes with eyelid closure during sleep, our study reveals that these changes persist in the absence of sleep. This research contributes valuable insights into the impact of sleep deprivation on corneal properties, warranting further investigations to deepen our understanding of daily variations in visual quality and guide the planning of refractive eye surgery interventions.