bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shaping the structural dynamics of motor learning through cueing during sleep
Authors: Stee Whitney , Legouhy Antoine , Guerreri Michele , Foti Michael Christopher , Lina Jean-Marc , Zhang Hui , Peigneux Philippe
Published: January 2025

Enhancing the retention of recent memory traces through sleep reactivation is possible via Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR), involving cueing learned material during post-training sleep. Evidence indicates detectable short-term microstructural changes in the brain within an hour after motor sequence learning, and post-training sleep is believed to contribute to the consolidation of these motor memories, potentially leading to enduring microstructural changes. In this study, we explored how TMR during post-training sleep affects performance gains and delayed microstructural remodeling, using both standard Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and advanced Neurite Orientation Dispersion & Density Imaging (NODDI). Sixty healthy young adults participated in a five-day protocol, undergoing five Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) sessions, pre- and post-two motor sequence training sessions, and after a post-training night of either regular sleep (RS) or TMR. Results demonstrated rapid skill acquisition on Day 1, followed by performance stabilization on Day 2, and improvement on Day 5, in both RS and TMR groups. (Re)training induced widespread microstructural changes in motor-related areas, initially involving the hippocampus, followed by a delayed engagement of the caudate nucleus. Mean Diffusivity (MD) changes were accompanied by increased Neurite Density Index (NDI) in the putamen, suggesting increased neurite density, while Free Water Fraction (FWF) reduction indicated glial reorganization. TMR-related structural differences emerged in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on Day 2 and the right cuneus on Day 5, suggesting unique sleep TMR-related neural reorganization patterns. Persistence of practice-related structural changes, although moderated over time, suggests a lasting neural network reorganization, partially mediated by sleep TMR.
Clostridium novyitype B causes fatal hemorrhagic disease in wild Asian elephants
Authors: Padhi Soumesh Kumar , Pahari Avishek , Behera Bikash Kumar , Dash Manojita , Dash Richa , Sahoo Niranjana , Nath Indramani , Acharya Aditya Prasad , Panda Susen Kumar , Mahapatra Subrata , Nair Manoj V.
Published: January 2025

The population of Asian elephants, an endangered species, is decreasing significantly due to anthropogenic interference in India. Research on Asian elephant disease is largely confined to observations reported from captive populations. The present study explored 11 disease investigation cases whose clinicopathological changes were similar to those of fatal hemorrhagic disease caused byBacillus anthracis. We used molecular diagnostic approaches such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction), quantitative PCR, 16S metagenomics analysis and whole-metagenome sequencing for identification of the etiological agent responsible for these wild elephant mortalities. 16S metagenomics analysis revealed the presence ofClostridium hemolyticumas the dominant bacteria in all the mortality events. In contrast, flagellin gene-specific identification of all the samples and whole metagenomics analysis of blood samples collected from the ear pinna of a freshly deceased elephant revealedClostridium novyitype B as the sole pathogenic agent responsible for the death of elephants. This study provides the first evidence of the involvement ofClostridium novyitype B in the death of wild elephants with similar clinical manifestations to anthrax. The current study also provides ample evidence of the need to explore investigations of emerging diseases of wild elephants to conserve these large mammals.
Hypoxia-related immune subsets induced bySalmonellaTyphi infection link early bacterial gut invasion to human infection outcomes
Authors: Ben-Moshe Noa Bossel , Avivi Shelly Hen , Efrati Liron Levy , Veinman Leia , Hill Jennifer , O’Connor Daniel , Verheul Marije , Stockdale Lisa , McLean Florence , Pollard Andrew , Avraham Roi
Published: January 2025

SalmonellaTyphi (S.Typhi), the causative agent of typhoid disease, remains a major public health concern. Owing to the human-restricted nature ofS. Typhi, current studies of typhoid pathogenesis in animal models are limited to a murine non-typhoidal pathogen. Furthermore, human studies are limited to analyses of peripheral immune responses which are blind to tissue-specific immunity and do not allow perturbations. What is now needed is an integrative approach that will provide mechanistic insights intoS. Typhi pathogenesis and immune correlates of infection outcome. Here, we performed an integrated single-cell analysis of immune responses from the humanS.Typhi challenge model and mouse model of typhoid disease, to associate biological mechanism with human infection outcome. Most prominent, we revealed immune subsets with a hypoxia-related signature in circulating immune cells from individuals that develop disease in the human challenge model. This signature was also evident in the mouse model in activated macrophages infiltrating into the Peyer’s patches, but not during infection with a mutant strain impaired for gut invasion. We further identified hypoxia-related signature as a general immune correlate of disease outcome in other infection- and inflammatory-related diseases. Collectively, using integrated analysis of mouse and human infection models, we revealed a hypoxia-related signature that link immune responses during bacterial invasion to increased risk of developing typhoid disease in humans, suggesting a possible causative role during the development of typhoid disease.
Molecular re-adaptation : compensatory evolution following deleterious episodes of GC-biased gene conversion in rodents
Authors: Riffis Marie , Saclier Nathanaëlle , Galtier Nicolas
Published: January 2025

GC-biased gene conversion (gBGC) is a widespread evolutionary force associated with meiotic recombination that favours the accumulation of deleterious AT to GC substitutions in proteins, moving them away from their fitness optimum. In many mammals recombination hotspots have a rapid turnover, leading to episodic gBGC, with the accumulation of deleterious mutations stopping when the recombination hotspot dies. Selection is therefore expected to act to repair the damage caused by gBGC episodes through compensatory evolution. However, this process has never been studied or quantified so far. Here, we analysed the nucleotide substitution pattern in coding sequences of a highly diversified group ofMurinaerodents. Using phylogenetic analyses of about 70,000 coding exons, we identified numerous exon-specific, lineage-specific gBGC episodes, characterised by a clustering of synonymous AT to GC substitutions and by an increasing rate of non-synonymous AT to GC substitutions, many of which are potentially deleterious. Analysing the molecular evolution of the affected exons in downstream lineages, we found evidence for pervasive compensatory evolution after deleterious gBGC episodes. Compensation appears to occur rapidly after the end of the episode, and to be driven by the standing genetic variation rather than new mutations. Our results demonstrate the impact of gBGC on the evolution of amino-acid sequences, and underline the key role of epistasis in protein adaptation. This study contributes to a growing body of literature emphasizing that adaptive mutations, which arise in response to environmental changes, are just one subset of beneficial mutations, alongside mutations resulting from oscillations around the fitness optimum.
Derivation of cardiac reference ranges forMus musculususing the Collaborative Cross and identification of new cardiac models
Authors: Popp Julia L. , Patel Krishna , Cuomo Danila , Lynch Rachel M. , Leung Steve W. , Berridge Brian R. , Rusyn Ivan , Chiu Weihsueh A. , Threadgill David W.
Published: January 2025

Contemporary approaches for developing interventions and assessing pre-clinical cardiovascular risk frequently utilize animal andin vitromodels. However, these models currently lack normal species-specific reference ranges similar to what exists for humans. The genetically diverse Collaborative Cross (CC) population that models human genetic heterogenetiety was characterized to develop mouse-specific cardiac reference ranges forMus muscuslus, the most commonly used pre-clincial model. Heart function was analyzed in males and females from 58 CC strains and C57BL/6J using high-frequency ultrasound under both conscious and anesthetized conditions, as well as conscious electrocardiography to develop two standard deviation-based reference ranges. The sources and magnitude of measurement variability were identified, and inter-laboratory comparisons determined to quantify phenotypic robustness and heritability. Strain was the largest source of variability, while laboratory where data were collected was also significant but sex was not. Additionally, strains were identified that have characteristics of disease-associated phenotypes in cardiac function and electrophysiology similar to human cases including dilated cardiomyopathy, systolic cardiomyopathy, cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction, and long QT. These new models allow a more natural, and therefore more translatable progession to a cardiac disease state, supporting development of strain-specific models for cardiac pathologies, ultimately allowing more accurate diagnoses and informative safety assessments in humans.

Article Summary

The Collaborative Cross (CC) mouse reference population, modeling human genetic diversity, was utilized to derive cardiac reference values forMus musculus. Strain was the primary source of variability, with the laboratory also playing a significant role, while sex had no impact. Despite inter-laboratory reproducibility challenges, the study identified strains resembling disease-associated phenotypes that offer a more natural progression to cardiac disease and provide crucial data for early disease identification and accurate safety assessments in humans.
Spatio-temporal dynamics of ingroup interactions in macaques
Authors: Kononowicz Tadeusz W. , Rolando Felipe , Maigre Lucas , Sirigu Angela , Duhamel Jean-René , Ballesta Sébastien , Wirth Sylvia
Published: January 2025

When sharing a space with others, many species including humans evolved a compromise regulating occupancy influenced by social determinants. For example, students in a classroom tend to sit close to their friends, keeping the same spots across days, revealing the social structure in the classroom. This place preference suggests that factors such as social hierarchy and affiliation can shape space utilization; contrasting with random walk models of agents moving at random in any given direction. Here, we asked whether spatial occupancy of macaques (Macaca fascicularisandM. mulatta) within a unisex group, reveals a structured space utilization beyond simple spatial affordance within the finite space. To this end, in two groups of four animals, we analyzed the simultaneously recorded positions of each individual while the group roamed in an enclosure. The data was gathered using automated devices that allow measuring accurate concomitant positions and calculate precise inter-individual distance, which is impossible in classical ethology even using GPS devices. Thus, our setup opens new possibilities using modelling approach, to characterize social interaction dynamics in small enclosures. We found that (1) The identity of each animal could be decoded from its individual pattern of spatial occupancy, revealing that each animal sustained a spatial footprint across multiple days. (2) Average distance between monkeys was a proxy of their social hierarchy, confirming that interpersonal distance is correlated to affiliation and dominance hierarchy. (3) Alternating the social context by removing one of the monkeys revealed that only removing the closest social partner influenced occupancy. (4) Finally, the distribution of distance between pairs of monkeys was bimodal and was modeled using random walk approach with an additional parameter reflecting propensity to stay in close proximity, which was again related to dominance hierarchy. These analyses reveal that space utilization is structured as a function of social determinants in macaques and simple modeling approach to further study group organization in neuro-ethological settings.
Quantifying Differences in Neural Population Activity With Shape Metrics
Authors: Barbosa Joao , Nejatbakhsh Amin , Duong Lyndon , Harvey Sarah E. , Brincat Scott L. , Siegel Markus , Miller Earl K. , Williams Alex H.
Published: January 2025

Quantifying differences across species and individuals is fundamental to many fields of biology. However, it remains challenging to draw detailed functional comparisons between large populations of interacting neurons. Here, we introduce a general framework for comparing neural population activity in terms ofshape distances. This approach defines similarity in terms of explicit geometric transformations, which can be flexibly specified to obtain different measures of population-level neural similarity. Moreover, differences between systems are defined by a distance that is symmetric and satisfies the triangle inequality, enabling downstream analyses such as clustering and nearest-neighbor regression. We demonstrate this approach on datasets spanning multiple behavioral tasks (navigation, passive viewing of images, and decision making) and species (mice and non-human primates), highlighting its potential to measure functional variability across subjects and brain regions, as well as its ability to relate neural geometry to animal behavior.
From spots to stripes: Evolution of pigmentation patterns in monkeyflowers via modulation of a reaction-diffusion system and its prepatterns
Authors: Liang Mei , Ringham Lee , Ye Changning , Yan Xu , Schaumburger Nathan , Cieslak Mikolaj , Blinov Michael , Prusinkiewicz Przemyslaw , Yuan Yao-Wu
Published: January 2025

The reaction-diffusion (RD) system is widely assumed to account for many complex, self- organized pigmentation patterns in natural organisms. However, the specific configurations of such RD networks and how RD systems interact with positional information (i.e., prepatterns) that may specify the initiation conditions for the RD operation remain largely unknown. Here, we introduced a three-substance RD system underlying the formation of repetitive pigment spots and stripes inMimulusflowers. It consists of an R2R3-MYB activator (NEGAN), an R3-MYB inhibitor (RTO), and a coactivator represented by two paralogous bHLH proteins. Through fine- scale genetic analyses, transgenic experiments, and computer simulations, we identified the causal loci contributing to the evolutionary transition from sparsely dispersed spots to longitudinal stripes. Genetic changes at these loci modulate the prepatterns of the activator and coactivator expression and the promoter activities of the inhibitor and one of the coactivator paralogs. Our findings highlight the importance of prepatterns towards a realistic description of RD systems in natural organisms, and reveal the genetic mechanism generating pattern variation through modulation of the kinetics of the RD system and its prepatterns.
Redesigning short food supply chains for sustainable livelihoods and economies worldwide: a review of contributions from the British Food Journal
Authors: Kumar Vimal , Verma Pratima , Shah Bhavin , Kumar Vikas
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) have been extensively researched for their environmental and economic implications. However, these are now confronted with shortcomings such as supply chain resilience (SLR) and societal livelihood (SL) hindering growth. The purpose of this study is to revisit and critically analyze existing SFSC literature, with a focus on SLR, SL, sustainability and human-centricity elements, to propose redesigning attributes for SFSCs in the era of Industry 5.0.

Design/methodology/approach

The systematic review scope is confined to the SFSC domain with an analysis of contemporary articles published in the British Food Journal (BFJ). The meta-data and research papers are sourced from the Scopus database and the VOSviewer software is used for the analysis. The thematic, diversified geographies and method-wise investigation bring theoretical insights toward building sustainable and resilient SFSCs.

Findings

The study findings could serve as a fitting theoretical framework to redesign the SFSCs for resiliency, sustainability and societal aspects of the economy, environment and human livelihood, respectively. The results also discuss the prior accomplishments and elaborate on avenues for future research.

Research limitations/implications

Emphasizing recent trends, challenges, policy design, conceptual framework and future research directions for the SFSC domain, considering SLR and SL, has extended the literature in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

Practical implications

This study offers comprehensive guidelines to the concerned stakeholders for redesigning the SFSCs by linking sustainability, resilience and societal livelihood dimensions.

Originality/value

The study derives comprehensive insights into how redesigning SFSCs has contributed to more sustainable and resilient food systems worldwide over 2 decades. It extends the BFJ’s literature body by establishing the linkages between SLR and SL concerning human-centric SFSC.
A review of temporal aggregation and systematic sampling on time-series analysis
Authors: Rajaguru Gulasekaran , Lim Sheryl , O'Neill Michael
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This review investigates the effects of temporal aggregation and systematic sampling on time-series analysis, focusing on their influence on data accuracy, interpretability and statistical properties. The purpose of the study is to synthesise existing literature on the topic and offer insights into the trade-offs between these data reduction techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology is based on an extensive review of theoretical and empirical studies covering univariate and multivariate time series models, focusing on unit roots, ARIMA, GARCH, cointegration properties and Granger Causality.

Findings

The key findings reveal that while temporal aggregation simplifies data by emphasising long-term trends, it can obscure short-term fluctuations, potentially leading to biases in analysis. Similarly, systematic sampling enhances computational efficiency but risks information loss, especially in non-stationary data, and may result in biased samples if sampling intervals coincide with data periodicity. The review highlights the complexities and trade-offs involved in applying these methods, particularly in fields like economic forecasting, climate modelling and financial analysis.

Originality/value

The originality and value of this study lie in its comprehensive synthesis of the impacts of these techniques across various time series properties. It underscores the importance of context-specific applications to preserve data integrity, offering recommendations for best practices in the use of temporal aggregation and systematic sampling in time-series analysis.
Does trading mechanism shape cross-market integration? Evidence from stocks and corporate bonds on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange
Authors: Hadad Elroi
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study investigates the influence of trading mechanisms on cross-market integration between stocks and corporate bonds on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) during the COVID-19 crisis. Unlike the worldwide practice of trading corporate bonds on an over-the-counter (OTC) market, TASE uses a limit-order-book (LOB) for both stocks and bonds, potentially creating unique volatility dynamics through direct information spillover. We analyze the volatility dynamics and spillover effects between TASE’s stock and corporate bond markets.

Design/methodology/approach

We employ an exponential general autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic (EGARCH)(1,1) model to assess the impact of stock market fear, measured by implied volatility, on Tel-Bond 20 Index returns and volatility. A bivariate diagonal Baba-Engle-Kraft-Kroner (BEKK) model is also applied to capture time-series integration and cross-volatility spillovers between the TA-35 Index (stocks) and the Tel-Bond 20 Index (corporate bonds), especially during financial stress.

Findings

The EGARCH model reveals a significant contagion effect, with increased stock market fear lowering corporate bond returns and increasing bond volatility. It also indicates a leverage effect, where negative shocks disproportionately amplify bond volatility. Diagonal BEKK results confirm strong cross-market volatility persistence, especially during crises, highlighting substantial financial contagion between stocks and bonds in TASE. While TASE’s market design improves the overall market quality, these findings underscore the LOB trading mechanism in facilitating financial contagion and systemic risk.

Practical implications

The LOB trading in TASE facilitates direct information flow, intensifying volatility spillover and cross-market integration, with the degree of integration fluctuating based on market conditions. Investors and managers should consider alternative hedging strategies during volatile periods, as stock market sentiment significantly impacts bond stability. Regulators should assess how trading mechanisms affect market integration and risk, especially during periods of distress.

Originality/value

This study offers new insights into how trading mechanisms influence cross-market dynamics, contributing to the literature on market design and financial contagion.
Thriving City Initiatives – what is a thriving city? Towards some definitions
Authors: Ljubojevic Maya
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the Thriving City Initiative (TCI) model in relation to Public Mental Health and Well-being. The initiative does not have an obvious coherence across the cities which implement it. Is there a consistent model as seen in other city-led public health initiatives? Can the TCI model continue to be adopted by urban areas worldwide without clear conceptualisation? This paper explores the discourse of what it means to be a TCI and whether or not there are key ingredients which tie them all together, justifying the common name-branding.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory paper uses existing literature on public health and discussions with public health leaders.

Findings

Despite the proliferation of TCIs across countries, there lacks a consistent model or identity across the different implementations. There are, however, some key ingredients across them: partnerships, a focus on prevention and promotion and changing perceptions of mental health and well-being.

Practical implications

This paper paves the way for future research on TCIs and creates a foundation for future exploration or evaluation of the initiatives and their impacts or effectiveness.

Originality/value

There is very little academic literature on individual TCIs and even less on the public health model itself. As of now, there is no outline, guidance or framework that identifies what a TCI is. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind, exploring the concepts and defining features of a TCI.
Navigating the information labyrinth: a smart search system for libraries
Authors: Rana Pooja , Singh Dalip
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a “smart” information search system called “Informapper” to address the challenge of information overload faced by modern libraries. The system aims to personalize the search experience, anticipate user needs and provide intuitive pathways through knowledge, ultimately empowering library patrons to easily navigate the information landscape.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology for the design and development of Informapper focuses on four major steps, i.e. structuring user query, cleaning and rearranging query data, fetching relevant data from the core database of the system and restructuring retrieved information following a user-centered design approach. Based on these user insights, the design and development phase will focus on creating a user-friendly interface and intuitive search algorithms that align with user expectations and behaviors.

Findings

Informapper aims to revolutionize the library search experience by offering a personalized, intuitive and user-friendly approach to information retrieval. The system will tailor search results and recommendations based on individual user profiles and preferences, ensuring users are presented with the most relevant resources. Moreover, Informapper will proactively suggest resources by analyzing user behavior and predicting information needs, anticipating user requirements before they even articulate them. The system will provide clear and concise pathways through complex information landscapes, making it easier for users to navigate and find the necessary information. Seamless integration with existing library tools will streamline workflows and improve the overall user experience, making Informapper an indispensable tool for library patrons.

Originality/value

This study’s originality lies in its innovative approach to tackling information overload in libraries. By combining user-centered design principles with data-driven insights, Informapper aims to create a more intelligent and personalized search experience that empowers users and ensures libraries’ continued relevance in the digital age.
Unravelling the painting materials and technique used in a Graeco-Roman funerary painted textile mummy shroud from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo: a non-invasive investigation
Authors: Al-Gaoudi Hanaa Ahmed , Marey Mahmoud Hussein Hassan
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to report the first analytical results obtained on a Graeco-Roman painted textile mummy shroud from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.

Design/methodology/approach

The analytical methodology included the examination by USB digital microscopic, infrared imaging, morphological and microanalysis analysis via the field emission scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. A non-invasive chemical analysis of several points on the shroud’s surface was performed by a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Further, the molecular analysis of some samples was performed by an attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Findings

The results revealed the application of unusual painting technique as multi-painted layers were applied directly to the textile fabric of the shroud. The analysis of the chromatic palette showed that a mixture of magnetite and carbon black was used to produce the black pigment, while a mixture of lead-based pigment and hematite was used for the red pigment. More, the whitish-blue hue probably was obtained through mixing iron-based bluish-green pigment with hydrocerussite. The orange pigment was obtained through adding hematite to an arsenic-based pigment, while the green pigment is a type of iron-based green pigments. In addition, a mixture of arsenic-based pigment, goethite and blue copper-based product was used to create the bluish-green colour.

Originality/value

The findings of this research draw the attention on the painting materials and technique used in a Graeco-Roman textile shroud from Egypt using non-invasive techniques.
Exploring the interplay of enjoyment and practicality’s dimensions: youths’ purchase intention in augmented reality shopping platforms
Authors: Chin Chee-Hua , Cham Tat-Huei , Ling Jill Pei-Wah , Jasmine Bao-Tze Chai , Chan Wei Chiang
Published: January 2025

Purpose

With an emphasis on the moderating impact of trust, this study examines determinants influencing the purchase intentions of young consumers in augmented reality (AR) shopping platforms. This research study aims to pinpoint essential elements, including the enjoyment dimensions (i.e. entertainment, visual appeal and hedonic component) and practicality dimensions [i.e. informativeness, navigation and perceived usefulness (PU)], that are imperative in influencing young consumers’ purchase intentions in AR-based shopping platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study used a quantitative approach grounded in the stimulus-organism-response model and the extended technology acceptance model, which analysed purchase intention among the youth using AR shopping platforms. One hundred seventy-two samples were gathered through self-administered questionnaires and underwent partial least squares structural equation modelling analysis to predict the relationships between the proposed variables.

Findings

The results of the current study suggested the independent variables (e.g. entertainment, visual appeal, informativeness and navigation) had a significant impact on hedonic components and PU. Furthermore, both hedonic components and PU had a significant and positive influence on purchase intention. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that hedonic components and PU in relation to purchase intention were not moderated by trust.

Originality/value

The developed research framework is significant for understanding the perceptions of shopping behaviour among young consumers in the Borneo region of Malaysia. This is one of the few studies that explored the interplay between enjoyment and practicality’s dimensions on purchase intention via AR shopping platforms in the less explored region of Malaysia. Hence, this study plays a pivotal role in contributing to the existing marketing and technology management literature. Moreover, it holds practical importance for business operators and marketers as it aids in decision-making and strategic planning for the future direction of businesses in the young consumer market.
Intercropping generates trait plasticity, which corresponds with year‐to‐year stability in productivity
Authors: Yang Hao , Xu Hua‐Sen , Zhang Wei‐Ping , Surigaoge Surigaoge , Su Ye , Li Yu‐Chen , Li Yi‐Qi , Callaway Ragan M. , Li Long
Published: January 2025

Environmentally friendly approaches to increasing food production include using the positive effects of plant biodiversity, such as in intercropping. Functional traits are key drivers of these positive effects, in part because variation in functional traits can increase niche partitioning. However, we know little about how variation in functional traits affects the long‐term stability of yield in agroecosystems.

We conducted a 5‐year field experiment with five different cropping systems; maize/peanut, maize/soybean intercropping, and maize, peanut and soybean monocultures. We compared the productivity of monocultures to intercrops and then compared plasticity in functional traits at different rates of nitrogen supply between the cropping systems.

Intercropping generated plasticity, measured here as the inverse of the coefficient of variation, in three functional traits of maize (height, stem diameter and ear height), which probably increases above‐ground spatial niche differentiation, and decreases the intraspecific competition of maize.

Intercropping also increased the stability of grain yield and above‐ground biomass. Plasticity in functional traits of maize correlated positively with year‐to‐year temporal stability (CV−1) of grain yield and biomass of maize and with the total productivity of the agroecosystem.

Synthesis and applications. Our study provides evidence of the greater productivity and temporal stability of species‐diverse intercropping systems. Interspecific interaction‐induced plasticity suggests a unique mechanism for biodiversity effects on ecosystem function, which adds to our understanding of fixed, or inherent, variation in traits among genotypes or species. Theoretically, our findings provide novel insights into how interspecific interactions contribute to ecosystem service, especially in yield temporal stability, by increased trait plasticity of the dominant crop, maize. The results also had implications for applying intercropping in the sustainable management of food‐production systems with the use of more crop species. Greater stability in production has the potential to provide a stable income for farmers.
Hepatincolaceae (Alphaproteobacteria) are Distinct From Holosporales and Independently Evolved to Associate With Ecdysozoa
Authors: Castelli Michele , Gammuto Leandro , Podushkina Diona , Vecchi Matteo , Altiero Tiziana , Clementi Emanuela , Guidetti Roberto , Rebecchi Lorena , Sassera Davide
Published: January 2025

The Hepatincolaceae (Alphaproteobacteria) are a group of bacteria that inhabit the gut of arthropods and other ecdysozoans, associating extracellularly with microvilli. Previous phylogenetic studies, primarily single‐gene analyses, suggested their relationship to the Holosporales, which includes intracellular bacteria in protist hosts. However, the genomics of Hepatincolaceae is still in its early stages. In this study, the number of available Hepatincolaceae genomes was increased to examine their evolutionary and functional characteristics. It was found that the previous phylogenetic grouping with Holosporales was incorrect due to sequence compositional biases and that Hepatincolaceae form an independent branch within the Hepatincolaceae. This led to a reinterpretation of their features, proposing a new evolutionary scenario that involves an independent adaptation to host association compared to the Holosporales, with distinct specificities. The Hepatincolaceae exhibit greater nutritional flexibility, utilising various molecules available in the host gut and thriving in anaerobic conditions. However, they have a less complex mechanism for modulating host interactions, which are likely less direct than those of intracellular bacteria. In addition, representatives of Hepatincolaceae show several lineage‐specific traits related to differences in host species and life conditions.
Comparative Analysis of Protist Communities in Oilsands Tailings Using Amplicon Sequencing and Metagenomics
Authors: Záhonová Kristína , Kaur Harpreet , Furgason Chantel C. , Smirnova Angela V. , Dunfield Peter F. , Dacks Joel B.
Published: January 2025

The Canadian province of Alberta contains substantial oilsands reservoirs, consisting of bitumen, clay and sand. Extracting oil involves separating bitumen from inorganic particles using hot water and chemical diluents, resulting in liquid tailings waste with ecotoxicologically significant compounds. Ongoing efforts aim to reclaim tailings‐affected areas, with protist colonisation serving as one assessment method of reclamation progress. Oilsands‐associated protist communities have mainly been evaluated using amplicon sequencing of the 18S rRNA V4 region; however, this barcode may overlook important protist groups. This study examined how community assessment methods between the V4 and V9 regions differ in representing protist diversity across four oilsands‐associated environments. The V9 barcode identified more operational taxonomical units (OTUs) for Discoba, Metamonada and Amoebozoa compared with the V4. A comparative shotgun metagenomics approach revealed few eukaryotic contigs but did recover a complete Paramicrosporidia mitochondrial genome, only the second publicly available from microsporidians. Both V4 and V9 markers were informative for assessing community diversity in oilsands‐associated environments and are most effective when combined for a comprehensive taxonomic estimate, particularly in anoxic environments.
Cold Surface Waters of the Sub‐Antarctic Pacific Ocean Support High Cyanophage Abundances and Infection Levels
Authors: Shopen Gochev Camelia , Demory David , Lopes dos Santos Adriana , Carlson Michael C. G. , Gutiérrez‐Rodríguez Andrés , Weitz Joshua S. , Lindell Debbie
Published: January 2025

Cyanobacterial distributions are shaped by abiotic factors including temperature, light and nutrient availability as well as biotic factors such as grazing and viral infection. In this study, we investigated the abundances of T4‐like and T7‐like cyanophages and the extent of picocyanobacterial infection in the cold, high‐nutrient‐low‐chlorophyll, sub‐Antarctic waters of the southwest Pacific Ocean during austral spring. Synechococcus was the dominant picocyanobacterium, ranging from 4.7 × 103 to 1.2 × 105 cells∙mL−1, while Prochlorococcus abundances were relatively low overall, ranging from 1.0 × 103 to 3.9 × 104 cells∙mL−1. Using taxon‐specific, single‐virus and single‐cell polony methods, we found that cyanophages were on average 15‐fold, and up to 50‐fold, more abundant than cyanobacteria in these waters. T4‐like cyanophages (ranging from 1.7 × 105 to 6.5 × 105 phage·mL−1) were 2.7‐fold more abundant than T7‐like cyanophages (ranging from 3.1 × 104 to 2.8 × 105 phage·mL−1). Picocyanobacteria were primarily infected by T4‐like cyanophages with more Synechococcus (4.8%–12.1%) infected than Prochlorococcus (2.5%–6.2%), whereas T7‐like cyanophages infected less than 1% of both genera. These infection levels translated to daily mortality in the range of 5.7%–26.2% and 2.9%–14.3% of the standing stock of Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, respectively. Our findings suggest that T4‐like cyanophages are significant agents of cyanobacterial mortality in the cold, low‐iron, sub‐Antarctic waters of the South Pacific Ocean.
Embodying God: ritual, value, and secular‐sacred entanglements in Norwegian folk high school education
Authors: Glisson Jamie
Published: January 2025

This paper explores the role of Lutheran ritual in value formations in Norwegian folk high school education. Folk high schools, subsidized by the state, offer gap year programs that are meant to instil values in young adult students before they attend higher education or enter the workforce. Drawing upon fifteen months of ethnographic fieldwork at a Christian folk high school in south‐eastern Norway, I assess how the school's Lutheran masses were designed to develop values relating to community, experience, and equality by inviting all students and staff, irrespective of their personal relationships with the Christian faith, to participate. I argue that despite prevailing stereotypes of Norway being predominantly secular, the ‘hidden sacrality’ of Norwegian political and social life was made visible through these masses at the state‐sponsored Christian folk high school. I take the body as an analytic, arguing that the school's rituals, designed to encourage students to ‘embody God’, were situated in students’ bodies in such a way that sameness and difference, secularity and sacrality, and faith and doubt could co‐exist.
Optimal Planning Target Volume Margins to Account for Intra‐Fractional Prostate Motion Relative to Treatment Duration: A Study Using Real‐Time Transperineal Ultrasound Guidance
Authors: Bannai Masaki , Brown Amy , Rumley Christopher , Squire Timothy , Tan Alex
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Prostate motion during external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is common and typically managed using fiducial markers and cone beam CT (CBCT) scans for inter‐fractional motion correction. However, real‐time intra‐fractional motion management is less commonly implemented. This study evaluated the extent of intra‐fractional prostate motion using transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) and examined the impact of treatment time on prostate motion.

Methods

Patients undergoing prostate EBRT with TPUS at a single institution from August 2016 to August 2021 were analysed. Pre‐treatment daily CBCT corrected inter‐fractional prostate shift. Continuous intra‐fractional prostate motion was recorded at two frames per second in three dimensions, with three‐dimensional (3D) displacement calculated as a vector. Motion data were modelled to determine the probability of the prostate remaining within pre‐specified PTV margins relative to treatment delivery time.

Results

The study analysed 3364 fractions delivered to 122 patients. The mean treatment delivery time was 3.8 min. The prostate remained within a 5 mm margin with high frequencies in the superior–inferior (SI) and left–right (LR) directions, 97.8% and 98.4% of fractions respectively while 5.5% of fractions had deviations greater than 5 mm in the anterior–posterior (AP) direction. By contrast, the 3D vector exceeded a 5 mm margin in 14.5% of fractions. Drift motion modelling indicated a 99% probability of the vector staying within a 3 mm margin for 2 min, while for a 5 mm margin, the duration extended to 3.4 min.

Conclusions

Intra‐fractional prostate motion monitoring is increasingly important as SABR with reduced PTV margins are utilised in prostate radiotherapy. Smaller PTV margins and longer treatment time require real‐time monitoring to avoid geographical miss.
Quantification of racial and ethnic disparities in alcohol‐related problems in light of different methodological approaches
Authors: Ye Yu , Lui Camillia K. , Martinez Priscilla , Greenfield Thomas K. , Kerr William C.
Published: January 2025

Aim

We applied the Institute of Medicine (IOM) definition of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare to estimate disparities in alcohol‐related problems. This estimation involved adjusting for drinking patterns, gender and age, with observed disparities further explained by socioeconomic status (SES). We compared results of five statistical approaches which use different methods for adjusting covariates.

Design and setting

We conducted analysis of the repeated cross‐sectional data from the US National Alcohol Surveys (NAS) from 2000 to 2020, comparing traditional regression, rank‐and‐replacement, propensity score weighting, G‐computation and the double‐robust methods.

Participants

39 239 respondents aged 18 + across five NAS surveys oversampling Black and Hispanic/Latino/a populations.

Measurements

Our primary analysis examined the dichotomous outcomes of the three alcohol problem measures: occurrence of negative consequences, alcohol dependence (using DSM‐IV criteria) and alcohol use disorder (AUD, using DSM‐5 criteria). The drinking pattern variables encompassed past year total alcohol volume and measures of heavy drinking, including the number of days consuming 12+, 8–11 and 5–7 drinks.

Findings

After adjusting for age, alcohol volume and heavy drinking days, statistically significantly higher prevalence of DSM‐IV dependence and DSM‐5 AUD were observed for Black and Hispanic men who drank in the past year compared with White men who drank. For instance, the Black–White difference in AUD prevalence ranged from 3.7% (95% confidence interval = 1.1%, 6.2%) to 4.9% (2.1%, 7.8%)–, while the HispanicWhite difference ranged from 2.3% (0.1%, 4.4%) to 3.4% (1.1%, 5.6%), using different adjustment methods. Further adjusting for SES factors only moderately explained the observed disparities. We found consistent results in the estimation of disparities across all five methods.

Conclusions

There appear to be racial and ethnic disparities in alcohol‐related problems between Black and Hispanic men in the United States relative to White men after alcohol drinking patterns and age are adjusted. The findings also exhibit overall consistency across the five different methods or measurement applied.
Outpatient surgical management of head and neck keratinocyte cancers in a regional centre: an updated analysis of costs and outcomes
Authors: Sapsford Timothy , Wilson Zachary , Chen Fang Joe , Nightingale James , Grigg Roger , Anderson Daniel , Fitzgerald Garret
Published: January 2025

Background

Australia has the highest global incidence of keratinocyte cancer. Surgically managing keratinocyte cancers in regional Australia presents geographic and economic challenges, which necessitate cost‐effective resource allocation. Previous work has outlined the cost benefit for outpatient day surgical excision of head and neck skin lesions that can be closed primarily. We expand on this analysis with the inclusion of graft and local flap reconstructions.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was completed in a single regional centre across 24 months from July 2022 to June 2024. Patient demographics, lesion characteristics, margin status, cost comparison, and complication rates were recorded.

Results

There were 256 excisions for proven or suspected keratinocyte cancers. Basal cell carcinomas comprised 73.1% of lesions, squamous cell carcinoma for 21.9% of lesions, and intra‐epidermal carcinoma for 5.1%. Lesion defects were closed primarily in 63.8% while 23.0% underwent full thickness graft reconstruction and 13.2% required local flaps. Involved margins were reported in 8.1% of excisions. Follow‐up wound review was undertaken in primary care for 26.1% of all lesion excisions. Average indicative costs were three‐to‐four times higher for procedures performed in theatre compared to the outpatient setting, and these savings were greatest for graft and local flap reconstructions. There were 20 recorded complications including 16 partial or complete graft failures and one partial flap failure.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates further cost effectiveness for graft and local flap reconstruction of head and neck skin excisions under local anaesthetic in the regional outpatient setting, while maintaining low complication and incomplete excision rates.
Advancement of the Dragon Heart 7‐Series for Pediatric Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Matlis Giselle C. , Palazzolo Thomas C. , Lawley Jonathan E. M. , Day Steven W. , Woodland Emily , Tchantchaleishvili Vakhtang , Stevens Randy M. , Throckmorton Amy L.
Published: January 2025

Background

Safe and effective pediatric blood pumps continue to lag far behind those developed for adults. To address this growing unmet clinical need, we are developing a hybrid, continuous‐flow, magnetically levitated, pediatric total artificial heart (TAH). Our hybrid TAH design, the Dragon Heart (DH), integrates both an axial flow and centrifugal flow blood pump within a single, compact housing. The axial pump is embedded in the central hub region of the centrifugal pump, and both pumps rotate around a common central axis, while maintaining separate fluid domains.

Methods

In this work, we concentrated our design and development effort on the centrifugal blood pump by performing computational modeling. An iterative process was employed to improve the DH design. The pressure generation, scalar stress levels, and fluid forces exerted on the magnetically levitated impellers were computationally estimated. A shaft driven centrifugal prototype was also manufactured and tested using a hydraulic flow loop circulating a water–glycerol blood analog. Pressure and flow performance of the pump prototype was measured for a given rotational speed for comparison to computational predictions.

Results

Our design achieved the target pump pressures of 60–140 mm Hg for flow rates of 1–5 L/min, and strong agreement in pressure rise was demonstrated between the experimental data and simulation results (less than 10% deviation on average). Fluid stress levels were, however, found to exceed thresholds in the outflow region of the pump, and fluid residence times were less than 600 ms.

Conclusion

The findings of this work demonstrate that the more compact, next‐gen DH's centrifugal pump design is able to achieve pressure–capacity requirements. Next steps will require a focused strategy to reduce hemolytic potential and to integrate magnetic suspension components for full rotor levitation.