bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of cities on quail (Coturnix coturnix) migration: a disturbing story of population connectivity, health, and ecography
Authors: Nadal Jesús , Sáez David , Volponi Stefano , Serra Lorenzo , Spina Fernando , Margalida Antoni
Published: February 2024

The increasing impact of human activities on ecosystems is provoking a profound and dangerous effect, particularly in wildlife. Examining the historical migration patterns of quail (Coturnix coturnix) offers a compelling case study to demonstrate the repercussions of human actions on biodiversity. Urbanization trends, where people gravitate toward mega-urban areas, amplify this effect. The proliferation of artificial urban ecosystems extends its influence across every biome, as human reliance on infrastructure and food sources alters ecological dynamics extensively. We examine European quail migrations pre- and post-World War II and in the present day. Our study concentrates on the Italian peninsula, investigating the historical and contemporary recovery of ringed quail populations. To comprehend changes in quail migration, we utilize trajectory analysis, open statistical data, and linear generalized models. We found that while human population and economic growth have shown a linear increase, quail recovery rates exhibit a U-shaped trajectory, and cereal and legume production displays an inverse U-shaped pattern. Generalized linear models have unveiled the significant influence of several key factors—time periods, cereal and legume production, and human demographics—on quail recovery rates. These factors closely correlate with the levels of urbanization observed across these timeframes. These insights underscore the profound impact of expanding human populations and the rise of mega-urbanization on ecosystem dynamics and services. As our planet becomes more urbanized, the pressure on ecosystems intensifies, highlighting the urgent need for concerted efforts directed toward conserving and revitalizing ecosystem integrity. Simultaneously, manage the needs and demands of burgeoning mega-urban areas. Achieving this balance is pivotal to ensuring sustainable coexistence between urban improvement and the preservation of our natural environment.
Potential impacts of climate change on renewable energy in Egypt
Authors: Hassaan Mahmoud Adel , Abdrabo Mohamed Abdel Karim Aly , Hussein Hadeer Ahmed , Ghanem Azza Abdallah Abdelhamid , Abdel-Latif Hany
Published: February 2024

The need for renewable energy sources is recently necessitated by attaining sustainability and climate change mitigation. Accordingly, the use of renewable energy sources has been growing rapidly during the last two decades. Yet, the potentials of renewable energy sources are generally influenced by several climatic factors that either determine the source of energy such as wind speed in the case of wind power or affect the performance of system such as the reduction in solar PV power production due to temperature increase. This highlights the need for assessing climate change impacts on renewable energy sources in the future to ensure their reliability and sustainability.

This paper is intended to assess impacts of climate change on wind and solar potential energy in Egypt by the year 2065 under RCP 8.5 scenario. For this purpose, a GIS-based methodology of three main steps was applied. The results revealed that solar energy potential in Egypt is expected to be relatively less vulnerable to climate change compared to wind energy. In this respect, it was found that while wind energy potential was estimated to range ± 12%. By the year 2065 under RCP 8.5 scenario, PV module power is expected to decrease by about 1.3% on average. Such assessment can assist in developing more sustainable and flexible renewable energy policy in Egypt.
AI for crisis decisions
Authors: Comes Tina
Published: February 2024

Increasingly, our cities are confronted with crises. Fuelled by climate change and a loss of biodiversity, increasing inequalities and fragmentation, challenges range from social unrest and outbursts of violence to heatwaves, torrential rainfall, or epidemics. As crises require rapid interventions that overwhelm human decision-making capacity, AI has been portrayed as a potential avenue to support or even automate decision-making. In this paper, I analyse the specific challenges of AI in urban crisis management as an example and test case for many super wicked decision problems. These super wicked problems are characterised by a coincidence of great complexity and urgency. I will argue that from this combination, specific challenges arise that are only partially covered in the current guidelines and standards around trustworthy or human-centered AI. By following a decision-centric perspective, I argue that to solve urgent crisis problems, the context, capacities, and networks need to be addressed. AI for crisis response needs to follow dedicated design principles that ensure (i) human control in complex social networks, where many humans interact with AI; (ii) principled design that considers core principles of crisis response such as solidarity and humanity; (iii) designing for the most vulnerable. As such this paper is meant to inspire researchers, AI developers and practitioners in the space of AI for (urban) crisis response – and other urgent and complex problems that urban planners are confronted with.
Design culture for Sustainable urban artificial intelligence: Bruno Latour and the search for a different AI urbanism
Authors: Palmini Otello , Cugurullo Federico
Published: February 2024

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between AI urbanism and sustainability by drawing upon some key concepts of Bruno Latour’s philosophy. The idea of a sustainable AI urbanism - often understood as the juxtaposition of smart and eco urbanism - is here critiqued through a reconstruction of the conceptual sources of these two urban paradigms. Some key ideas of smart and eco urbanism are indicated as incompatible and therefore the fusion of these two paradigms is assessed as an unstable basis for shaping sustainable AI urbanism. The concepts in question - modernity, science and nature – are subsequently redefined following Latour’s philosophical perspective, in an attempt to define a different theoretical basis for a sustainable AI urbanism in the Anthropocene. Finally, the principles of a design philosophy shaped by Latour are used to change the design culture that informs AI urbanism towards a more sustainable practice. This paper constructs and promotes a dialogue between the disciplines of philosophy and urban theory with urban design in the conviction that the principles produced by the former and the practices carried out by the latter must start a biunivocal relationship. The paper reveals that in order to change design culture in the field of AI urbanism, it is necessary to rethink some of the key ideas that inform the Western and modern worldview through novel philosophical reflections.
Broad-scale genetic population connectivity in the Moreton Bay Bug (Thenus australiensis) on Australia’s east coast
Authors: McMillan Matthew N. , Brunjes Naomi , Williams Samuel M. , Holmes Bonnie J.
Published: February 2024

Understanding population connectivity helps inform resource and conservation managers about appropriate boundaries for management units. However, for many species facing recent increases in fishing or environmental pressure, accurate information on population structure is lacking. Reef Bugs (Thenus australiensis), commonly known as Moreton Bay Bugs, are iconic shovel-nosed lobsters in northern Australia and an increasingly important fisheries resource. Around 80% of landings occur in the Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery (ECOTF) where the first stock assessment of the species is underway. However, knowledge about population structure to inform stock assessment is lacking. We used genome complexity reduction-based sequencing to characterise high-quality Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) used to evaluate population structure among three management zones of the ECOTF. Post-filtering, a total of 3,031 SNPs were used to infer no genetic differences among locations indicating strong genetic population connectivity. The presence of a single panmictic population was further supported by cluster and kinship analyses. Broad-scale genetic connectivity likely results from pelagic larval dispersal due to limited adult movements. Findings of high gene flow among connected populations indicate a single biological stock of T. australiensis on Australia’s east coast and will inform future fisheries management initiatives.
Visual performance and patient preference with bilateral implantation of an extended depth of focus or combined implantation of an extended depth of focus/trifocal intraocular lens
Authors: Moore Jonathan , Østergaard Jens , Kretz Florian
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Evaluate postoperative visual performance in patients with bilaterally implanted AT LARA or AT LARA/AT LISA tri (Carl Zeiss AG, Jena, Germany) intraocular lenses.

Methods

Multicentered, comparative, open-label, retrospective/prospective study. Post-IOL implantation, patients were prospectively enrolled into this study; preoperative patient data were collected retrospectively. Follow-up was at 2–4 and 5–8 months post-surgery. The primary endpoint was binocular best corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). The study was retrospectively registered on clinicaltrials.gov (#NCT05462067).

Results

Seventy-one patients (142 eyes) were enrolled; 67 patients (134 eyes) have 5–8 months data. The mean binocular CDVA at 2–4 months was -0.10 ± 0.06 logMAR in the bilateral AT LARA group (“bilateral”) and -0.11 ± 0.09 logMAR in the combined implantation AT LARA/ AT LISA tri group (“combined implantation”); (P = 0.4856). At 5–8 months, mean binocular CDVA was -0.13 ± 0.06 logMAR in the bilateral group and -0.11 ± 0.09 in the combined implantation group (P = 0.4003). At 5–8 months, more eyes in the bilateral group attained 0.2 logMAR or better binocular uncorrected intermediate VA (UIVA; 67 cm) than those in the combined implantation group (100% vs. 94%, respectively). The bilateral group achieved a mean of 0.24 ± 0.11 logMAR in uncorrected near VA (UCNVA), compared to a mean of 0.16 ± 0.12 logMAR in the combined implantation group at 5–8 months (P = 0.0041).

Conclusions

A combined implantation approach (AT LARA in the distance dominant eye/AT LISA tri in the non-dominant eye) produced similar CDVA outcomes but better UCNVA as bilateral implantation with the AT LARA. UIVA was comparable between groups. No new safety concerns were reported.
Long-Term Urban and Population Trends in the Southern Mesopotamian Floodplains
Authors: Marchetti Nicolò , Bortolini Eugenio , Menghi Sartorio Jessica Cristina , Orrù Valentina , Zaina Federico
Published: February 2024

The processes of long-term urbanization in southern Mesopotamia are still insufficiently investigated, even though recent studies using large datasets and focusing on neighboring regions have paved the way to understanding the critical role of multiple variables in the shaping of settlement strategies by ancient human societies, among which climate change played an important role. In this paper, we tackle these issues by analyzing, within the new FloodPlains Web GIS project, a conspicuous amount of archaeological evidence collected over the past decades at approximately 5000 sites in southern Mesopotamia. We have measured modifications over time in a variety of demographic proxies generated through probabilistic approaches: our results show that the rapid climate changes, especially those that occurred around 5.2, 4.2, and 3.2 ka BP, may have contributed—in addition to other socioeconomic factors—to triggering the main urban and demographic cycles in southern Mesopotamia and that each cycle is characterized by specific settlement strategies in terms of the distribution and the dimension of the urban centers.
Identification-robust methods for comparing inequality with an application to regional disparities
Authors: Dufour Jean-Marie , Flachaire Emmanuel , Khalaf Lynda , Zalghout Abdallah
Published: February 2024

We propose Fieller-type methods for inference on generalized entropy inequality indices in the context of the two-sample problem which covers testing the statistical significance of the difference in indices, and the construction of a confidence set for this difference. In addition to irregularities arising from thick distributional tails, standard inference procedures are prone to identification problems because of the ratio transformation that defines the considered indices. Simulation results show that our proposed method outperforms existing counterparts including simulation-based permutation methods and results are robust to different assumptions about the shape of the null distributions. Improvements are most notable for indices that put more weight on the right tail of the distribution and for sample sizes that match macroeconomic type inequality analysis. While irregularities arising from the right tail have long been documented, we find that left tail irregularities are equally important in explaining the failure of standard inference methods. We apply our proposed method to analyze income per-capita inequality across U.S. states and non-OECD countries. Empirical results illustrate how Fieller-based confidence sets can: (i) differ consequentially from available ones leading to conflicts in test decisions, and (ii) reveal prohibitive estimation uncertainty in the form of unbounded outcomes which serve as proper warning against flawed interpretations of statistical tests.
Cultivation and dynamic cropping processes impart land-cover heterogeneity within agroecosystems: a metrics-based case study in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta (USA)
Authors: Heintzman Lucas J. , McIntyre Nancy E. , Langendoen Eddy J. , Read Quentin D.
Published: February 2024

Context

Cultivation and crop rotation, influenced by federal policy, prices, and precipitation, are significant sources of land-cover heterogeneity. Characterization of heterogeneity is required to identify areas and trends of stability or change.

Objectives

We analyzed a land-cover time series within a prominent agroecosystem in the US, the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta (the Delta), as a case study of which metrics capture dynamics of landscape composition, configuration, connectivity, and context.

Methods

An assessment of land cover- from 2008 to 2021- was conducted and analyzed for potential differences among three Farm Bill eras. Twelve out of 23 metrics (including three new ones presented herein) examined were useful in characterizing land-cover heterogeneity.

Results

Although there was no increase in cultivated land, > 72% of the Delta experienced changes in land-cover type, and ~ 3% of the Delta was stable monoculture. Configurational metrics varied across years for soybeans, cotton, and rice, indicating prevalence of field-level changes in composition; connectivity metrics revealed isolation of upland forest and rice. The amount of corn was positively associated with the previous year’s commodity prices and negatively with precipitation whereas soybean acreage was lower in high-precipitation years and more dependent on commodity prices. Farm Bill effects were mixed among categories, whereas CRP generally declined.

Conclusions

The Delta experienced land-cover change with no net loss or gain of cultivated lands. Using 12 metrics that captured temporal shifts in spatial patterns, we characterized this agroecosystem as a shifting mosaic. Our approach may be useful for identifying areas of spatio-temporal heterogeneity or stability, with implications on resource management.
Local habitat composition and complexity outweigh seascape effects on fish distributions across a tropical seascape
Authors: Moustaka Molly , Evans Richard D. , Kendrick Gary A. , Hyndes Glenn A. , Cuttler Michael V. W. , Bassett Tahlia J. , O’Leary Michael J. , Wilson Shaun K.
Published: February 2024

Context

The distribution of animals is influenced by a complex interplay of landscape, environmental, habitat, and anthropogenic factors. While the effects of each of these forces on fish assemblages have been studied in isolation, the implications of their combined influence within a seascape remain equivocal.

Objectives

We assessed the importance of local habitat composition, seascape configuration, and environmental conditions for determining the abundance, diversity, and functional composition of fish assemblages across a tropical seascape.

Methods

We quantified fish abundance in coral, macroalgal, mangrove, and sand habitats throughout the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. A full-subsets modelling approach was used that incorporated data from benthic habitat maps, a hydrodynamic model, in situ measures of habitat composition, and remotely sensed environmental data to evaluate the relative influence of biophysical drivers on fish assemblages.

Results

Measures of habitat complexity were the strongest predictors of fish abundance, diversity, and assemblage composition in coral and macroalgal habitats, with seascape effects playing a secondary role for some functional groups. Proximity to potential nursery habitats appeared to have minimal influence on coral reef fish assemblages. Consequently, coral, macroalgal, and mangrove habitats contained distinct fish assemblages that contributed to the overall diversity of fish within the seascape.

Conclusions

Our findings underscore the importance of structural complexity for supporting diverse and abundant fish populations and suggest that the value of structural connectivity between habitats depends on local environmental context. Our results support management approaches that prioritise the preservation of habitat complexity, and that incorporate the full range of habitats comprising tropical seascapes.
Key questions for understanding drivers of biodiversity-ecosystem service relationships across spatial scales
Authors: Mitchell Matthew G. E. , Qiu Jiangxiao , Cardinale Bradley J. , Chan Kai M. A. , Eigenbrod Felix , Felipe-Lucia María R. , Jacob Aerin L. , Jones Matthew S. , Sonter Laura J.
Published: February 2024

Context

Biodiversity loss is predicted to have significant impacts on ecosystem services based on previous ecological work at small spatial and temporal scales. However, scaling up understanding of biodiversity-ecosystem service (BES) relationships to broader scales is difficult since ecosystem services emerge from complex interactions between ecosystems, people, and technology.

Objectives

In order to inform and direct future BES research, identify and categorise the ecological and social-ecological drivers operating at different spatial scales that could strengthen or weaken BES relationships.

Methods

We developed a conceptual framework to understand the potential drivers across spatial scales that could affect BES relationships and then categorized these drivers to synthesize the current state of knowledge.

Results

Our conceptual framework identifies ecological/supply-side and social-ecological/demand-side drivers, and cross-scale interactions that influence BES relationships at different scales. Different combinations of these drivers in different contexts will lead to a variety of strengths, shape, and directionality in BES relationships across spatial scales.

Conclusions

We put forward four predictions about the spatial scales that the effects of biodiversity, ecosystem service management, ecosystem co-production, and abiotic linkages or effects will be most evident on BES relationships and use these to propose future directions to best advance BES research across scales.
Advancing the optimization of urban–rural ecosystem service supply-demand mismatches and trade-offs
Authors: Fang Guangji , Sun Xiao , Sun Ranhao , Liu Qinghua , Tao Yu , Yang Peng , Tang Huajun
Published: February 2024

Context

Intensified human activities have disrupted landscape patterns, causing a reduction in the supply of ecosystem services (ESs) and an increase in demand, especially in urban agglomerations. This supply-demand imbalance will eventually lead to unsustainable landscapes and needs to be optimized.

Objective

Based on ES supply-demand mismatch and trade-off relationships across urban–rural landscapes, this study explored which ESs need to be optimized and identified priority restoration regions of ESs that require optimization to promote landscape sustainability in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration.

Methods

A methodological framework for ES supply-demand optimization in urban–rural landscapes was developed. urban–rural landscapes were identified using Iso cluster classification tool. ES supply was quantified using biophysical models and empirical formulas, and demand was quantified through consumption and expectations. Restoration Opportunities Optimization Tool was then adopted to identify priority regions.

Results

From 2000 to 2020, most of ES supply were lowest in urban areas and highest in rural areas, while demand exhibited the opposite. Although supply was increasing, it did not match demand. ES deficits were dominant in urban areas; both deficits and trade-offs were dominant in urban–rural fringe; and trade-offs were dominant in rural areas. There were 13,175 km2 of priority regions distributed in urban–rural landscapes, and their spatial heterogeneity was influenced by ES deficits and trade-offs.

Conclusion

Differences in ESs supply-demand relationships affected the necessity of optimizing ESs zoning in urban–rural landscapes. Assigning weights reasonably according to trade-off curves to determine priority regions could facilitate both efficient use of resources and sustainable ES management for urban–rural regions.
Egg White Hydrolysate Mitigates Cadmium-induced Neurological Disorders and Oxidative Damage
Authors: Pinheiro Júnior José Eudes Gomes , Sosa Priscila Marques , das Neves Ben-Hur Souto , Vassallo Dalton Valentim , Peçanha Franck Maciel , Miguel-Castro Marta , Mello-Carpes Pâmela Billig , Wiggers Giulia Alessandra
Published: February 2024

We aimed to investigate whether the consumption of Egg White Hydrolysate (EWH) acts on nervous system disorders induced by exposure to Cadmium (Cd) in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into (a) Control (Ct): H2O by gavage for 28 days + H2O (i.p. − 15th − 28th day); (b) Cadmium (Cd): H2O by gavage + CdCl2 − 1 mg/kg/day (i.p. − 15th − 28th day); (c) EWH 14d: EWH 1 g/kg/day by gavage for 14 days + H2O (i.p.- 15th − 28th day); (d) Cd + EWH cotreatment (Cd + EWHco): CdCl2 + EWH for 14 days; (e) EWH 28d: EWH for 28 days; (f) EWHpre + Cd: EWH (1st − 28th day) + CdCl2 (15th − 28th day). At the beginning and the end of treatment, neuromotor performance (Neurological Deficit Scale); motor function (Rota-Rod test); ability to move and explore (Open Field test); thermal sensitivity (Hot Plate test); and state of anxiety (Elevated Maze test) were tested. The antioxidant status in the cerebral cortex and the striatum were biochemically analyzed. Cd induces anxiety, and neuromotor, and thermal sensitivity deficits. EWH consumption prevented anxiety, neuromotor deficits, and alterations in thermal sensitivity, avoiding neuromotor deficits both when the administration was performed before or during Cd exposure. Both modes of administration reduced the levels of reactive species, and the lipid peroxidation increased by Cd and improved the striatum’s antioxidant capacity. Pretreatment proved to be beneficial in preventing the reduction of SOD activity in the cortex. EWH could be used as a functional food with antioxidant properties capable of preventing neurological damage induced by Cd.
Contingentism and paraphrase
Authors: Werner Jonas
Published: February 2024

One important challenge for contingentists is that they seem to be unable to account for the meaning of some apparently meaningful modal discourse that is perfectly intelligible for necessitists. This worry is particularly pressing for higher-order contingentists, contingentists who hold that it is not only contingent which objects there are, but also contingent which semantic values there are for higher-order variables to quantify over. Objections against higher-order contingentism along these lines have been presented in Williamson (Mind 119(475):657–748, 2010; Modal logic as metaphysics, Oxford University Press, 2013, ch. 7), and Fritz and Goodman (Mind 126(504):1063–1108, 2017). This paper presents a way for contingentists to respond to these challenges. The upshot is that the contingentist can account for the meaningfulness of the problematic modal claims by pretending necessitism to be true, but in some cases it turns out to be indeterminate whether they are true. I defend this strategy against the objections against pretence-strategies presented in Fritz and Goodman (Mind 126(504):1063–1108, 2017, §4). Furthermore, I defend the plausibility of the resulting indeterminacy from the contingentist’s perspective.
Optimized transgene expression in the red alga Porphyridium purpureum and efficient recombinant protein secretion into the culture medium
Authors: Hammel Alexander , Neupert Juliane , Bock Ralph
Published: February 2024

Microalgae represent a promising but yet underexplored production platform for biotechnology. The vast majority of studies on recombinant protein expression in algae have been conducted in a single species, the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. However, due to epigenetic silencing, transgene expression in Chlamydomonas is often inefficient. Here we have investigated parameters that govern efficient transgene expression in the red microalga Porphyridium purpureum. Porphyridium is unique in that the introduced transformation vectors are episomally maintained as autonomously replicating plasmids in the nucleus. We show that full codon optimization to the preferred codon usage in the Porphyridium genome confers superior transgene expression, not only at the level of protein accumulation, but also at the level of mRNA accumulation, indicating that high translation rates increase mRNA stability. Our optimized expression constructs resulted in YFP accumulation to unprecedented levels of up to 5% of the total soluble protein. We also designed expression cassettes that target foreign proteins to the secretory pathway and lead to efficient protein secretion into the culture medium, thus simplifying recombinant protein harvest and purification. Our study paves the way to the exploration of red microalgae as expression hosts in molecular farming for recombinant proteins and metabolites.
Deep N acquisition in cultivated grasslands: Uptake of slow-release 15N-labeled ammonium in hemiboreal monospecific leys
Authors: Byers Erin , Dörsch Peter , Eich-Greatorex Susanne , Bleken Marina A.
Published: February 2024

Aims

To develop a methodology to study uptake and redistribution by plants of NH4+ from deep soil, applying it to investigate deep root N uptake by cultivated grassland species.

Methods

A slow-release 15NH4+ label adsorbed to clinoptilolite was placed into soil (depth 42 cm) well below the densest root zone in well-established monospecific stands of five grass and two clover species. Species showing a variety of deep rooting patterns, N acquisition strategy, forage qualities, and persistence in hemiboreal conditions were chosen. The label was placed in early spring and tracked throughout one or two growing seasons in two repeated experiments.

Results

After two growing seasons ~ 90% of the label was tracked in the soil and harvested herbage of grasses, less in clovers. Deep N uptake was limited in spring, increased during mid-season, and was strongest in autumn in all species, despite lower herbage yield in autumn. Species differed in ability to recover and maintain 15N in the soil–plant system. In one growing season, Lolium perenne L., Phleum pratense L., Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P.Beauv. and Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort herbage recovered ~ 65% of the label, Poa pratensis L. 54%, and Trifolium pratense L. and Trifolium repens L. 36–48%. Label transport to topsoil was observed, mainly attributable to plant nutrient redistribution rather than physical diffusion.

Conclusions

The innovative slow-release 15N label enabled tracing species differences and seasonal changes in uptake of NH4+ from deep soil. Among the tall-growing grasses, growth vigor appeared as important for deep N uptake as expected root depth.
Thermodynamic model: steam and oxidative reforming of methane over nickel catalyst
Authors: Rakhi  , Mauss Fabian
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we have used a thermodynamic model for the first time to investigate the steam and oxidative reforming of methane over a nickel catalyst in a wide temperature range, i.e., 400–1200 K. The available literature focus on the kinetic models and hence, thermodynamic models require attention to understand the behaviour of the thermochemistry of the species involved in the mechanism. This study presents the comparison between the species concentration produced using the thermodynamic model against the available kinetic model to validate the results. The investigation is further extended, firstly, to perform the sensitivity analysis of the reactions involved in a thermodynamic model to figure out the most influential reactions at various temperatures and pressures. This allows us to compare the most influencing reactions in reforming process for kinetic and thermodynamic model to optimize the processes. Secondly, the reaction flow analysis is carried out for the thermodynamic model to comprehend the effect of the thermochemistry of the species and the major difference in the reaction pathways for both the models are noted.
Research output and economic growth in technological laggard contexts: a longitudinal analysis (1980–2019) by type of research
Authors: Pinto Tânia , Teixeira Aurora A. C.
Published: February 2024

The literature on the impact of research output (RO) on economic growth (EG) has been rapidly expanding. However, the single growth processes of technological laggard countries and the mediating roles of human capital (HC) and structural change have been overlooked. Based on cointegration analyses and Granger causality tests over 40 years (1980–2019) for Portugal, five results are worth highlighting: (1) in the short run, RO is critical to promote EG; (2) the long run relation between RO and EG is more complex, being positive and significant in the case of global and research fields that resemble capital goods (Life, Physical, Engineering & Technology, and Social Sciences), and negative in the case of research fields that resemble final goods (Clinical & Pre-Clinical Health, and Arts & Humanities); (3) existence of important short run mismatches between HC and scientific production, with the former mitigating the positive impact of the latter on EG; (4) in the long run, such mismatches are only apparent for ‘general’ HC (years of schooling of the population 25 + years), with the positive association between RO and EG being enhanced by increases in ‘specialized’ HC (number of R&D researchers); (5) structural change processes favouring industry amplify the positive (long-run) association and (short-run) impact of RO on EG. Such results robustly suggest that even in technologically laggard contexts, scientific production is critical for economic growth, especially when aligned with changes in sectoral composition that favour industry.
Detailed parallel social modeling for the analysis of COVID-19 spread
Authors: Cublier Martínez Aymar , Carretero Jesús , Singh David E.
Published: February 2024

Agent-based epidemiological simulators have been proven to be one of the most successful tools for the analysis of COVID-19 propagation. The ability of these tools to reproduce the behavior and interactions of each single individual leads to accurate and detailed results, which can be used to model fine-grained health-related policies like selective vaccination campaigns or immunity waning. One characteristic of these tools is the large amount of input data and computational resources that they require. This relies on the development of parallel algorithms and methodologies for generating, accessing, and processing large volumes of data from multiple data sources. This work presents a parallel workflow for extending the social modeling of EpiGraph, an agent-based simulator. We have included two novel parallel social generation stages that generate a detailed and realistic social model and one new visualization stage. This work also presents a description of the algorithms used in each stage, different optimization techniques that permit to reduce the application convergence time, and a practical evaluation of large workloads on HPC systems. Results show that this contribution can be efficiently executed in parallel architectures and the results allow to increase the simulation detail level, representing a significant advance in the simulator scenario modeling. As a summary of results, the first contribution of this paper is the development of two models (a spatial and a social one) that assign geographical and socioeconomic indicators to each simulated individual (i.e., agents), reproducing the real social distribution of the city of Madrid. The second contribution presents an improved parallel and distributed algorithm that executes the two aforementioned models using different parallelization strategies and preserving the load balance.
The omniscient speaker puzzle
Authors: Domosławski Aleksander
Published: February 2024

The epistemicist theory aims to explain ignorance due to vagueness by semantic plasticity: the shiftiness of intensions across close possible worlds resulting from shiftiness in usage. This explanation is challenged by the Omniscient Speaker Puzzle (Sennet in Philos Stud 161(2):273–285, 2012). Suppose that an omniscient speaker, Barney, who knows all the facts about usage and how these facts determine the intensions of expressions, cooks up a scheme to stabilise the intension of a normally semantically plastic term like ‘rich’. It seems that ‘rich’ would display all the phenomena associated with vagueness without being semantically plastic, thus making the epistemicist explanation of ignorance due to vagueness insufficient. In this paper, I present a few choice points for epistemicism that arise as a result of the puzzle.
A taxonomic study of Fulvifomes (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) in the Federated States of Micronesia and identification of two new species
Authors: Suh Hannah , Cho Yoonhee , Seo Chang Wan , Kim Dohye , Lee Hyi-Seung , Lim Young Woon
Published: February 2024

Fulvifomes (Hymenochaetaceae) is a genus that was separated from Phellinus in the early 2000s based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and nuclear large ribosomal subunit (nLSU) analyses. Species recognition in the genus is challenging without molecular analysis due to general absence of discrete morphological characteristics. In this study, we examined Fulvifomes diversity in the Federated States of Micronesia (FS Micronesia), primarily found in the tropical and subtropical regions. Seven Fulvifomes species were confirmed: two new species, one unrecorded species and four species previously reallocated to Fulvifomes from other genera. We provide sequences including data on two protein-coding genes (RNA polymerase II; RPB2 and translation elongation factor-1 alpha; TEF1), nLSU and different conspecific ITS types.
Beetlehangers.org: harmonizing host–parasite records of Harmonia axyridis and Hesperomyces harmoniae
Authors: de Groot Michiel D. , Christou Maria , Pan Jeffrey Y. , Adriaens Tim , Maes Dirk , Martinou Angeliki F. , Roy Helen E. , Verbeken Annemieke , Haelewaters Danny
Published: February 2024

Citizen science is an increasingly powerful tool to gather large quantities of biological data and to engage the public. The number of citizen science initiatives has rapidly increased in the last 15 years. Invasive alien species such as the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), provide a particularly good opportunity for broad-scale use of such initiatives. Harmonia axyridis is parasitized by a fungus, Hesperomyces harmoniae (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniales), that can be found throughout the range of its host. Here we present Beetlehangers.org, a website and data repository where we combine observations of He. harmoniae from literature, online databases, and citizen science initiatives, including new records of both Ha. axyridis and He. harmoniae. Whereas Ha. axyridis is now present in 86 countries across six continents (including seven new country records), the distribution of its parasite He. harmoniae comprises 33 countries in five continents (including two new country records since its description in 2022). We explore spatiotemporal trends of He. harmoniae in light of these records. Finally, we discuss challenges and new opportunities for citizen science in relation to species interactions such as these and provide future perspectives for the website as a home for future Laboulbeniales research and outreach.
Acute stress transiently activates macrophages and chemokines in cervical lymph nodes
Authors: Dohi Akihiro , Noguchi Tadahide , Yamashita Masako , Sasaguri Kenichi , Yamamoto Toshiharu , Mori Yoshiyuki
Published: February 2024

Acute restraint stress (RS) is routinely used to study the effects of psychological and/or physiological stress. We evaluated the impact of RS on cervical lymph nodes in rats at molecular and cellular levels. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to stress by immobilization for 30, 60, and 120 min (RS30, RS60, and RS120, respectively) and compared with rats of a no-stress control (C) group. The expression of genes encoding chemokines CXCL1/CXCL2 (Cxcl1 and Cxcl2) and their receptor CXCR2 (Cxcr2) was analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and microarray analyses. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were performed to determine the expression of these proteins and the macrophage biomarker CD68. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression of 514 and 496 genes was upregulated and downregulated, respectively, in the RS30 group. Compared with the C group, the RS30 group exhibited a 23.0-, 13.0-, and 1.6-fold increase in Cxcl1, Cxcl2, and Cxcr2 expression. Gene Ontology analysis revealed the involvement of these three upregulated genes in the cytokine network, inflammation, and leukocyte chemotaxis and migration. RT-qPCR analysis indicated that the mRNA levels of Cxcl1 and Cxcl2 were significantly increased in the RS30 group but were reverted to normal levels in the RS60 and RS120 groups. Cxcr2 mRNA level was significantly increased in the RS30 and RS120 groups compared with that in the C group. RS-induced CXCL1-immunopositive cells corresponded to B/plasma cells, whereas CXCL2-immunopositive cells corresponded to endothelial cells of the high endothelial venules. Stress-induced CXCR2-immunopositive cells corresponded to macrophages. Psychological and/or physiological stress induces an acute stress response and formation of an immunoreactive microenvironment in cervical lymph nodes, with the CXCL1/CXCL2–CXCR2 axis being pivotal in the acute stress response.
Temporal Changes in CSF Cell Parameters After SAH: Comparison of Ventricular and Spinal Drain Samples
Authors: Virta Jyri J. , Satopää Jarno , Luostarinen Teemu , Kaprio Jaakko , Niemelä Mika , Korja Miikka , Raj Rahul
Published: February 2024

Background

Forty percent of patients with aneurysmatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) develop acute hydrocephalus requiring treatment with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage. CSF cell parameters are used in the diagnosis of nosocomial infections but also reflect sterile inflammation after aSAH. We aimed to study the temporal changes in CSF parameters and compare external ventricular drain (EVD)–derived and lumbar spinal drain–derived samples.

Methods

We retrospectively identified consecutive patients with aSAH treated at our neurointensive care unit between January 2014 and May 2019. We mapped the temporal changes in CSF leucocyte count, erythrocyte count, cell ratio, and cell index during the first 19 days after aSAH separately for EVD-derived and spinal drain–derived samples. We compared the sample sources using a linear mixed model, controlling for repeated sampling.

Results

We included 1360 CSF samples from 197 patients in the analyses. In EVD-derived samples, the CSF leucocyte count peaked at days 4–5 after aSAH, reaching a median of 225 × 106 (interquartile range [IQR] 64–618 × 106). The cell ratio and index peaked at 8–9 days (0.90% [IQR 0.35–1.98%] and 2.71 [IQR 1.25–6.73], respectively). In spinal drain–derived samples, the leucocyte count peaked at days 6–7, reaching a median of 238 × 106 (IQR 60–396 × 106). The cell ratio and index peaked at 14–15 days (4.12% [IQR 0.63–10.61%]) and 12–13 days after aSAH (8.84 [IQR 3.73–18.84]), respectively. Compared to EVD-derived samples, the leucocyte count was significantly higher in spinal drain–derived samples at days 6–17, and the cell ratio as well as the cell index was significantly higher in spinal drain–derived samples compared to EVD samples at days 10–15.

Conclusions

CSF cell parameters undergo dynamic temporal changes after aSAH. CSF samples from different CSF compartments are not comparable.
Patient Perceptions of Care Coordination during Neoadjuvant Therapy for Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Mixed Methods Analysis
Authors: Bath Natalie M. , Palettas Marilly , Stevens Lena , Sarna Angela , Ejaz Aslam , Kim Alex , Pawlik Timothy M. , Cloyd Jordan M.
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Effective cancer care coordination (CCC) is an integral component of health care delivery and critical to achieving optimal oncologic outcomes. Neoadjuvant therapy (NT), the delivery of multimodality therapy prior to surgery, is inherently complex and multidisciplinary, but CCC during NT is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to characterize patient perceptions of CCC during NT using a mixed methods approach.

Methods

This study is a cross-sectional analysis of patients with gastrointestinal cancers receiving NT who participated in a prospective longitudinal cohort study evaluating their real-time experience using a customized smartphone application. Patients completed the Cancer Care Coordination Questionnaire for Patients (CCCQ-P), a 20-item validated measure of care coordination quality, six weeks after initiating NT. Items were scored on a 5-point Likert scale, and subsections on communication (13 questions) and navigation (7 questions) were calculated with higher scores signifying better CCC. Univariate linear regression was used to calculate the impact of fragmented care and other factors on perceived CCC. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among a convenience sample of patients (n = 5); transcribed interviews were then coded using an inductive approach.

Results

Among 82 participants, mean age was 61 years old, 68% were male, and mean number of comorbidities was 1.68. Overall (mean 76.6 out of 100), communication subsection (48.6 out of 65), and navigation subsection (28.0 out of 35) CCCQ-P scores suggested overall positive perceptions of care coordination. Qualitative analysis of patient interviews highlighted the need for coordination among physicians before communicating the plan to patients as well as the importance of providers communicating plans in verbal and written form.

Conclusions

Successful completion of NT requires significant care coordination between patients and healthcare professionals. Yet, in this cross-sectional analysis of patients on a prospective cohort study, patient perceptions of CCC during NT were overall positive. Future research should focus on optimizing other aspects of care delivery in order to improve outcomes of NT.
Resilience and social support as predictors of life satisfaction in preadolescents: a gender analysis
Authors: Ayllón-Negrillo Ester , Salamanca-Villate Annabella , Cava Maria-Jesús , Lascorz-Lozano Lorién
Published: February 2024

Resilience and social support are variables related to life satisfaction. Nonetheless, these relationships could be different for boys and girls. This study aimed to analyze the links among life satisfaction, resilience (novelty seeking, emotional regulation and future positive orientation) and social support in early adolescents by exploring possible gender differences. In this study, 552 adolescents aged 10–13 years (52% girls) participated. The results showed stronger positive correlations between life satisfaction and novelty seeking in boys, and positive correlations between life satisfaction and emotional regulation only for girls. Social support was a significant predictor of life satisfaction for both genders, but some resilience dimensions showed differences in their predictive capacity according to gender. Emotional regulation and future positive orientation were predictors of life satisfaction, but only for girls, while novelty seeking was a predictor of life satisfaction for boys. These results highlight the importance of maintaining a gender perspective in research on life satisfaction in early adolescence, and the need to consider gender differences in interventions to enhance their positive development.
Methyl-11C-L-methionine positron emission tomography for radiotherapy planning for recurrent malignant glioma
Authors: Niitsu Hikaru , Fukumitsu Nobuyoshi , Tanaka Keiichi , Mizumoto Masashi , Nakai Kei , Matsuda Masahide , Ishikawa Eiichi , Hatano Kentaro , Hashimoto Tsuyoshi , Kamizawa Satoshi , Sakurai Hideyuki
Published: February 2024

Objective

To investigate differences in uptake regions between methyl-11C-L-methionine positron emission tomography (11C-MET PET) and gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and their impact on dose distribution, including changing of the threshold for tumor boundaries.

Methods

Twenty consecutive patients with grade 3 or 4 glioma who had recurrence after postoperative radiotherapy (RT) between April 2016 and October 2017 were examined. The study was performed using simulation with the assumption that all patients received RT. The clinical target volume (CTV) was contoured using the Gd-enhanced region (CTV(Gd)), the tumor/normal tissue (T/N) ratios of 11C-MET PET of 1.3 and 2.0 (CTV (T/N 1.3), CTV (T/N 2.0)), and the PET-edge method (CTV(P-E)) for stereotactic RT planning. Differences among CTVs were evaluated. The brain dose at each CTV and the dose at each CTV defined by 11C-MET PET using MRI as the reference were evaluated.

Results

The Jaccard index (JI) for concordance of CTV (Gd) with CTVs using 11C-MET PET was highest for CTV (T/N 2.0), with a value of 0.7. In a comparison of pixel values of MRI and PET, the correlation coefficient for cases with higher JI was significantly greater than that for lower JI cases (0.37 vs. 0.20, P = 0.007). D50% of the brain in RT planning using each CTV differed significantly (P = 0.03) and that using CTV (T/N 1.3) were higher than with use of CTV (Gd). V90% and V95% for each CTV differed in a simulation study for actual treatment using CTV (Gd) (P = 1.0 × 10–7 and 3.0 × 10–9, respectively) and those using CTV (T/N 1.3) and CTV (P-E) were lower than with CTV (Gd).

Conclusions

The region of 11C-MET accumulation is not necessarily consistent with and larger than the Gd-enhanced region. A change of the tumor boundary using 11C-MET PET can cause significant changes in doses to the brain and the CTV.