bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Female lineages and changing kinship patterns in Neolithic Çatalhöyük
Authors: Yüncü Eren , Küçükakdağ Doğu Ayça , Kaptan Damla , Kılıç Muhammed Sıddık , Mazzucato Camilla , Güler Merve N. , Eker Elifnaz , Katırcıoğlu Büşra , Chyleński Maciej , Vural Kıvılcım Başak , Sevkar Arda , Atağ Gözde , Altınışık N. Ezgi , Küçük Baloğlu Fatma , Bozkurt Defne , Pearson Jessica , Milella Marco , Karamurat Cansu , Aktürk Şevval , Sağlıcan Ekin , Yıldız Nisan , Koptekin Dilek , Yorulmaz Sevgi , Kazancı Duygu Deniz , Aydoğan Ayça , Karabulut Nergis Bilge , Gürün Kanat , Schotsmans Eline M.J. , Anvari Jana , Rosenstock Eva , Byrnes Jennifer , Biehl Peter F. , Orton David , Lagerholm Vendela Kempe , Gemici Hasan Can , Vasic Milena , Marciniak Arkadiusz , Atakuman Çiğdem , Erdal Yılmaz Selim , Kırdök Emrah , Pilloud Marin , Larsen Clark Spencer , Haddow Scott D. , Götherström Anders , Knüsel Christopher J. , Özer Füsun , Hodder Ian , Somel Mehmet
Published: June 2024

Arguments have long suggested that the advent of early farming in the Near East and Anatolia was linked to a ‘Mother Goddess’ cult. However, evidence for a dominant female role in these societies has been scarce. We studied social organisation, mobility patterns and gendered practices in Neolithic Southwest Asia using 131 paleogenomes from Çatalhöyük East Mound (7100-5950 BCE), a major settlement in Central Anatolia with an uninterrupted occupation and an apparent egalitarian structure. In contrast to widespread genetic evidence for patrilocality in Neolithic Europe, the Çatalhöyük individuals revealed no indication of patrilocal mobility. Analysing genetic kin ties among individuals buried in the same house (co-burials) across 35 Çatalhöyük buildings, we identified close ties concentrated within buildings and among neighbours in Çatalhöyük’s Early period, akin to those in the preceding Pre-Pottery Neolithic in Southwest Asia. This pattern weakened over time: by the late 7th millennium BCE, subadults buried in the same building were rarely closely genetically related, despite sharing similar diets. Still, throughout the site’s occupation, genetic connections within Çatalhöyük buildings were much more frequently connected via the maternal than the paternal line. We also identified differential funerary treatment of female subadults compared to those of males, with a higher frequency of grave goods associated with females. Our results reveal how kinship practices changed while key female roles persisted over one thousand years in a large Neolithic community in western Eurasia.
Delineating yeast cleavage and polyadenylation signals using deep learning
Authors: Stroup Emily Kunce , Ji Zhe
Published: June 2024

3′-end cleavage and polyadenylation is an essential process for eukaryotic mRNA maturation. In yeast species, the polyadenylation signals that recruit the processing machinery are degenerate and remain poorly characterized compared with the well-defined regulatory elements in mammals. Here we address this issue by developing deep learning models to deconvolute degeneratecis-regulatory elements and quantify their positional importance in mediating yeast poly(A) site formation, cleavage heterogeneity, and strength. InS. cerevisiae, cleavage heterogeneity is promoted by the depletion of U-rich elements around poly(A) sites as well as multiple occurrences of upstream UA-rich elements. Sites with high cleavage heterogeneity show overall lower strength. The site strength and tandem site distances modulate alternative polyadenylation (APA) under the diauxic stress. Finally, we develop a deep learning model to reveal the distinct motif configuration ofS. pombepoly(A) sites, which show more precise cleavage thanS. cerevisiae. Altogether, our deep learning models provide unprecedented insights into poly(A) site formation of yeast species, and our results highlight divergent poly(A) signals across distantly related species.
Energy deposition studies for the Upgrade II of LHCb at the CERN Large Hadron Collider
Authors: Ciccotelli Alessia , Appleby Robert B. , Cerutti Francesco , Buffet Kevin , Butin Francois , Corti Gloria , Esposito Luigi Salvatore , Alia Ruben Garcia , Karacson Matthias , Lerner Giuseppe , Wehrle Maud , Prelipcean Daniel
Published: June 2024

The Upgrade II of the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment is proposed to be installed during the CERN Long Shutdown 4, aiming to operate LHCb at 1.5×1034  cm−2 s−1 that is 75 times its design luminosity [1] and reaching an integrated luminosity of about 400  fb−1 by the end of the High Luminosity LHC era. This increase of the data sample at LHCb is an unprecedented opportunity for heavy flavor physics measurements. A first upgrade of LHCb (Upgrade I), completed in 2022, has already implemented important changes of the LHCb detector and, for the Upgrade II, further detector improvements of the tracking system, the particle identification system and the online and trigger infrastructure are being considered. Such a luminosity increase will have an impact not only on the LHCb detector but also on the LHC magnets, cryogenics, and electronic equipment placed in the insertion region 8. In fact, the LHCb experiment was conceived to work at a much lower luminosity than ATLAS and CMS, implying minor requirements for protection of the LHC elements from the collision debris, and therefore, a different layout around the interaction point. The Upgrade I has already implied the installation of an absorber for the neutral particle debris (TANB). However, the luminosity target proposed for this second upgrade requires to review the layout of the entire insertion region in order to ensure safe operation of the LHC magnets and to mitigate the risk of failure of the electronic devices. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the implications of the Upgrade II of LHCb in the experimental cavern and in the tunnel with a focus on the LHCb detector, electronic devices, and accelerator magnets. This proves that the Upgrade II luminosity goal can be sustained with the implementation of protection systems for magnets and electronics. The electronics placed in the experimental areas and in the cavern needs to be protected to mitigate a single event effect risk, which may imply recurring downtime of the LHC. On the other hand, protection for the first quadrupole of the final focus triplet and for the separation dipole are needed to prevent their quench and to reach the desired lifetime. Moreover, the normal-conducting compensators require the installation of shielding to limit their head coil degradation.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Instabilities of perturbations in some homogeneous color-electric and -magnetic backgrounds in SU(2) gauge theory
Authors: Geetha Divyarani C. , Tranberg Anders
Published: June 2024

We consider the instabilities of field perturbations around a homogeneous background color-electric and/or -magnetic field in SU(2) pure gauge theory. We investigate a number of distinct cases of background magnetic and electric fields, and we compute the dispersion relations in the linearized theory, identifying stable and unstable momentum modes. In the case of a net homogenous non-Abelian B field, we compute the nonlinear (quadratic and cubic) corrections to the equation of motion and quantify to what extent the instabilities are tempered by these nonlinearities.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Operator product expansion for radial lattice quantization of 3D
ϕ4
theory
Authors: Ayyar Venkitesh , Brower Richard C. , Fleming George T. , Glück Anna-Maria E. , Owen Evan K. , Raben Timothy G. , Tan Chung-I
Published: June 2024

At its critical point, the three-dimensional lattice Ising model is described by a conformal field theory (CFT), the 3D Ising CFT. Instead of carrying out simulations on Euclidean lattices, we use the quantum finite elements method to implement radially quantized critical ϕ4 theory on simplicial lattices approaching R×S2. Computing the four-point function of identical scalars, we demonstrate the power of radial quantization by the accurate determination of the scaling dimensions Δε and ΔT as well as ratios of the operator product expansion coefficients fσσε and fσσT of the first spin-0 and spin-2 primary operators

ε

and T of the 3D Ising CFT.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Dispersive determination of fourth generation quark masses
Authors: Li Hsiang-nan
Published: June 2024

We determine the masses of the sequential fourth generation quarks b′ and t′ in the extension of the Standard Model by solving the dispersion relations associated with the mixing between the neutral states Qq¯ and Q¯q, with Q (q) being a heavy (light) quark. The box diagrams responsible for the mixing, which provide the perturbative inputs to the dispersion relations, involve multiple intermediate channels, i.e., the ut and ct channels, u (c, t) being an up (charm, top) quark, in the b′ case, and the db′, sb′, and bb′ ones, d (s, b) being a down (strange, bottom) quark, in the t′ case. The common solutions for the above channels lead to the masses mb′=(2.7±0.1) and mt′≈200  TeV unambiguously. We show that these superheavy quarks, forming bound states in a Yukawa potential, barely contribute to Higgs boson production via gluon fusion and decay to photon pairs and bypass current experimental constraints. The mass of the b¯′b′ ground state is estimated to be about 3.2 TeV. It is thus worthwhile to continue the search for b′ quarks or b¯′b′ resonances at the (high-luminosity) Large Hadron Collider.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Electroweak corrections to Higgs boson production via Z Z fusion at the future LHeC
Authors: Xiong Hanying , Hou Hongsheng , Qian Zhuoni , Xu Qingjun , Wang Bowen
Published: June 2024

An important mechanism for production of the Higgs boson at the prospective Large Hadron-electron Collider (LHeC) is via neutral current (NC) weak boson fusion (WBF) processes. Aside from its role in measurements of Higgs couplings within the standard model, this production mode is particularly useful in searchings of Higgs decays into invisible particles in various models for the Higg portal dark matter. In this work we compute the electroweak corrections for the NC WBF at the LHeC up to the one-loop level. For a center-of-mass energy of 1.98 TeV, the magnitudes of the relative corrections for the total cross section at next-to-leading (NLO) order are respectively 8% and 17%, in the two renormalization schemes we use. The NLO terms also distort various distributions (notably, those for Higgs and electron observables) computed at the leading order. Along with our previous treatment of the charge current processes, this paper completes the calculation of the NLO electroweak effects for the dominant Higgs production modes at the LHeC.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Coevolutionary dynamics of collective cooperation and dilemma strength in a collective-risk game
Authors: Hua Shijia , Xu Mingquan , Liu Linjie , Chen Xiaojie
Published: June 2024

Human behavioral decision-making influences the gaming environment. In turn, changes in the gaming environmental impact individual strategic choices. However, there is scant exploration into how human behavioral decision-making coevolves with dilemma strength. Here, we propose a coevolutionary game model based on collective-risk social dilemma, where an increase in cooperators within the game group reduces the dilemma strength, and vice versa. Upon examining this coupled system, we find that the system is capable of achieving a relatively optimal state, wherein the population sustains a high level of cooperation and the dilemma strength remains at the lowest level. In addition, we have identified the conditions for the emergence of tristability and bistability in the coupled system and numerically validated our theoretical results. Furthermore, we find that the incorporation of institutional rewards not only promotes the appearance of the system's optimal state, where all individuals choose to cooperate and the dilemma strength is at its lowest level, but it also effectively averts the manifestation of the system's worst state, where all individuals resort to defection and the dilemma strength reaches its highest level. These findings illuminate how cooperation can be sustained when a dynamical coupling exists between individual decision-making and dilemma strength.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
The relationship between self-efficacy and emotional burnout levels of seafarers: the role of individual alienation – the case of Turkey
Authors: Battal Fetullah , Durmuş İbrahim , Çınar Ertuğrul
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The study aims to examine the factors that may affect the burnout levels of ship workers.

Design/methodology/approach

The scope of the research consists of seafarers on ships docking at the ports of Zonguldak, Karadeniz Eregli, Eren and Filyos in the Western Black Sea region of Turkey. The sample consists of officers, engineers, dynamic position operators, electricians, boatswains, able seamans, pumpmans and stewards working on ships. In this respect, a random questionnaire was used in the research method and a questionnaire was sent to 400 of these employees, representing the main sample, and 263 of them fully answered the online questionnaire.

Findings

As a result of the research, first of all, it is seen that the increase in the self-efficacy of the seafarers decreases their emotional burnout levels. In the second step, the strong self-efficacy of the seafarers reduced the level of individual alienation. In the third step, the increase in the individual alienation of the ship workers also caused an increase in the levels of emotional exhaustion.

Originality/value

As a result, it has been seen that there is a partial mediating role of individual alienation in the relationship between the self-efficacy of the seafarers and their emotional exhaustion. In other words, high self-efficacy is not the only reason for the decrease in emotional burnout levels among seafarers. At the same time, self-efficacy has an effect on the individual alienation levels of seafarers.
Managing the future of talents: digital innovation in learning organizations
Authors: Galanti Teresa , Fantinelli Stefania
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the diffusion of digital innovation for talent management in Italian learning organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

It has been implemented a qualitative methodology to collect data, interviewing 16 experts; a mix method analysis was applied to explore thematic categories and to analyze co-occurrences by a quantitative approach analysis using T-Lab software.

Findings

There are some relevant points to underline: digital technologies are meant as a support to human resource management (HRM), and there is often the reference to digital gamification or gamified processes implemented for talent management procedures. Learning is a central element both for employees’ point of view and for HR specialists who feel the need for a major and more specific training on digital technologies.

Research limitations/implications

The limited size and composition of the sample put restrictions on the generalizability of results. The explorative nature of the study provides an in-depth consideration of digital innovation in learning organization, representing a first starting point for future quantitative investigations. From a practical point of view, this study emphasizes a learning organization culture as an essential attitude set to attract, select and retain top talents.

Practical implications

From a practical point of view, this study emphasizes a learning organization culture as an essential attitude set to attract, select and retain top talents.

Originality/value

Giving space and voice to HR and information and communication technologies experts has provided insights regarding the digitalization process in HRM in Italy, in particular, digital learning has been told as a necessary element for the competitiveness of the workforce.
Dermatopathological features and successful treatment with topical antioxidant for ichthyosiform lesions in Mitchell syndrome caused by an ACOX1 variant
Authors: Gong Zhuoqing , Yang Sai , Ling Shiqi , Wang Huijun , Xu Xiukuan , Lin Zhimiao
Published: June 2024

Peroxisomal acyl‐CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1), is a peroxisomal enzyme that catalyzes β‐oxidation of very‐long‐chain fatty acids (VLCFA). The gain‐of‐function variant p.Asn237Ser in ACOX1 has been shown to cause Mitchell syndrome (MITCH), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by episodic demyelination, hearing loss, and polyneuropathy, through the overproduction of hydrogen peroxide. Only eight cases of MITCH have been reported. While all these patients experienced cutaneous abnormalities, detailed skin features and potential treatment have not been documented. Herein, we report two MITCH patients who harbored a de novo heterozygous variant p.Asn237Ser in ACOX1 and experienced progressive ichthyosiform erythroderma. Skin histopathology revealed hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis with focal hypogranulosis as well as dyskeratotic keratinocytes. Lipid accumulation in the epidermis was observed using Oil Red O staining. Both patients exhibited a remarkable response to treatment with the topical antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine (NAC), with Patient 1 achieving complete recovery after 3 months of consistent treatment. This study provides the first comprehensive description of the clinicopathological characteristics and effective treatment of skin lesions in MITCH patients. The successful treatment with topical NAC suggests excessive reactive oxygen species might play a significant role in the pathogenesis of skin lesions in MITCH.
Ecosystem engineers shape ecological network structure and stability: A framework and literature review
Authors: Sanders Dirk , Frago Enric
Published: June 2024

Ecosystem engineering is a ubiquitous process where species influence the physical environment and thereby structure ecological communities. However, there has been little effort to synthesize or predict how ecosystem engineering may impact the structure and stability of interaction networks.

To assess current scientific understanding of ecosystem engineering impacts via habitat forming, habitat modification and bioturbation on interaction networks/food webs, we reviewed the literature covering marine, freshwater and terrestrial food webs, plant‐pollinator networks and theory.

We provide a conceptual framework and identify three major pathways of engineering impact on networks through changes in resource availability and energy flow, habitat heterogeneity and environmental filtering. These three processes often work in concert and most studies report that engineering increases species richness. This is particularly marked for engineers that increase habitat heterogeneity and thereby the number of available niches.

The response of network structure to ecosystem engineering varies, however some patterns emerge from this review. Engineered habitat heterogeneity leads to a higher number of links between species in the networks and increases link density. Connectance can be negatively or positively affected by ecosystem engineer impact, depending on the engineering pathway and the engineer impact of species richness.

We discuss how ecosystem engineers can stabilize or destabilize communities through the changes in niche space, diversity, network structure and the dependency on the engineering impact. Theory and empirical evidence need to inform each other to better integrate ecosystem engineering and ecological networks. A mechanistic understanding how ecosystem engineering traits shape interactions networks and their stability will be important to predict species extinctions and can provide crucial information for conservation and ecosystem restoration.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Early‐Precambrian crystalline basement beneath the Upper Yangtze Block from regional aeromagnetic anomalies: Depth from extreme points approach
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Teng Jiwen , Yang Yushan , Liu Tianyou , Yan Yafen
Published: June 2024

Although the early‐Precambrian crystalline basement is now only sporadically exposed in the northern and south‐western parts of the Yangtze Block, it is supposed to have a widespread distribution beneath its Neoproterozoic and Phanerozoic covers. Here we present results of regional aeromagnetic data processing in consideration of remanent magnetization to investigate the spatial distribution of the early‐Precambrian basement buried deep under the Upper Yangtze Block and surrounding areas. The direct analytic signal amplitude of the aeromagnetic anomalies, which is less affected by the magnetization direction, reveals a broader basement below the Sichuan Basin, extending far north to the Micang Mountain. A comparison between the direct analytic signal amplitude with the reduction to the pole aeromagnetic anomalies indicates that possible remanent magnetization exists beneath the Micang Mountain near the boundary between the Qinling Orogen and Sichuan Basin. The automatic depth from extreme points transform is then performed on the direct analytic signal amplitude to estimate the depth to the early‐Precambrian crystalline basement. A synthetic model of a magnetic interface with remanent magnetization and random noise shows that the depth from extreme points method is able to resolve variable basement depths. Application of the depth from extreme points method to the direct analytic signal amplitude of the Upper Yangtze Block presents meaningful results about the early‐Precambrian crystalline basement undulations. It is shallow and uplifted beneath the Sichuan Basin, extending north to the Qinling‐Dabie Orogen, probably corresponding to the ancient Chuanzhong palaeo‐uplift. Although it gradually deepens to the east, the deepest basement is buried under the Jiangnan Orogen, which is likely associated with the collision‐induced crustal thickening between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks during the assembly of the Columbia supercontinent. Large gas fields around the Sichuan Basin are found at the slopes or depressions between basement uplifts, indicating that the deep marine carbonate rocks in the south and east of Sichuan Basin, particularly those located at the slopes or depressions between ancient basement uplifts, are favourable targets for further petroleum exploration.
Local climate change velocities and evolutionary history explain multidirectional range shifts in a North American butterfly assemblage
Authors: da Silva Carmen R. B. , Diamond Sarah E.
Published: June 2024

Species are often expected to shift their distributions either poleward or upslope to evade warming climates and colonise new suitable climatic niches. However, from 18‐years of fixed transect monitoring data on 88 species of butterfly in the midwestern United States, we show that butterflies are shifting their centroids in all directions, except towards regions that are warming the fastest (southeast).

Butterflies shifted their centroids at a mean rate of 4.87 km year−1. The rate of centroid shift was significantly associated with local climate change velocity (temperature by precipitation interaction), but not with mean climate change velocity throughout the species' ranges.

Species tended to shift their centroids at a faster rate towards regions that are warming at slower velocities but increasing in precipitation velocity.

Surprisingly, species' thermal niche breadth (range of climates butterflies experience throughout their distribution) and wingspan (often used as metric for dispersal capability) were not correlated with the rate at which species shifted their ranges.

We observed high phylogenetic signal in the direction species shifted their centroids. However, we found no phylogenetic signal in the rate species shifted their centroids, suggesting less conserved processes determine the rate of range shift than the direction species shift their ranges.

This research shows important signatures of multidirectional range shifts (latitudinal and longitudinal) and uniquely shows that local climate change velocities are more important in driving range shifts than the mean climate change velocity throughout a species' entire range.
How does geology influence the effect of land use on stream macroinvertebrate communities?
Authors: Hunter Harriet A. , Fuller Ian C. , Death Russell G.
Published: June 2024

Both catchment geology and land use surrounding a stream will affect the degree of fine sediment deposition from erosion and its consequent impacts on stream macroinvertebrate communities. While geology and land use have been shown to impact stream communities individually, their interaction has received less attention.

We investigated the interaction between geology and land use on stream macroinvertebrate communities in the Tairāwhiti Region, New Zealand. The region has streams that drain harder sandstones and softer shales and mudstones, the latter having some of the highest erosion rates in the world. Macroinvertebrates were sampled each year between 2016 and 2018 at 80 sites in exotic forest, indigenous forest and pasture streams that drained hard or soft geology catchments.

Conductivity in pasture and exotic forest streams was nearly twice as high as in indigenous forest streams and higher in soft than hard sediment streams. Deposited sediment cover was greater in soft than hard sediment streams, and greater in pasture and exotic forest streams than in indigenous forest streams. Periphyton cover did not differ between land uses but was higher in soft sediment streams.

Ecological health was higher in the indigenous forest sites, intermediate in exotic forest sites and lowest in pasture streams. Biological indices were also higher within each land use in streams draining hard than soft sediment streams. Invertebrate communities appear to be determined primarily by the amount of deposited fine sediment and conductivity, both of which are higher in soft than in hard bottom streams, and in exotic forest and pasture streams.

Synthesis and applications: Our results illustrate a complex and strong interaction between geology and land use and the consequent impact on stream macroinvertebrate communities. The combination of soft bottom streams with pasture or exotic forest land use is more detrimental than in similar hard bottom streams. Therefore, regulations for the management of any given land use need to be much stricter in catchments dominated by soft sediment geology.
Forest composition shapes seed‐rodent interactions in a gradient of broadleaves and conifers
Authors: Mittelman Pedro , Appleby Scott M. , Balkenhol Niko
Published: June 2024

Non‐native tree species and mixed forests have been increasingly employed in forestry practice as a safeguard against climate change and as a tool to foster biodiversity while providing economic benefits. Though these changes in forest composition may affect animal communities and ecosystem processes, they are seldom studied through a plant–animal interaction perspective.

Here we investigated how forests with varying proportions of a native broadleaf (Fagus sylvatica) and two conifers (introduced Pseudotsuga menziesii and native Picea abies) affect rodents and their interactions with seeds. We surveyed terrestrial small mammal communities, estimated species' densities, assessed seed preference by rodents, collected data on environmental variables (understory density and tree basal area), measured Fagus sylvatica seed production and tracked 1200 seeds of Fagus sylvatica in 20 different forest plots in northern Germany in a mast and non‐mast year for Fagus sylvatica.

Forest composition influenced the interactions between rodents and seeds. In forests with a lower proportion of broadleaves, beech seeds were harvested faster and in greater quantities, had diminished survival and were less often cached. These results are in agreement with three other findings: (a) seed fate responded to the proportion of broadleaves and conifers irrespective of conifer tree identity, (b) rodents preferred nutritious beech seeds over small conifer seeds, and (c) higher proportions of seeds were harvested during the period when beech seeds were scarce (non‐mast year).

Synthesis and applications: This work provides evidence of how forest composition can affect plant–animal interactions without necessarily altering animal communities or population densities. Specifically, we found no differences between forests with native and non‐native conifer trees regarding small mammal community, seed‐rodent interactions or seed fate. Furthermore, rodents may provide a service in mixed forests by primarily preying upon seeds of Fagus sylvatica, a superior‐competitive species, and thus mitigate beech dominance over conifer species.
Female‐biased population sex ratios caused by genetic rather than ecological mechanisms in dwarf willow (Salix herbacea L.)
Authors: Mao Xiaomeng , Cortés Andrés J. , Rixen Christian , Karrenberg Sophie
Published: June 2024

Biased sex ratios among reproductive individuals are common in plants, but the underlying mechanisms, as well as the evolutionary consequences, are not well understood. The classical theory of Düsing and Fisher predicts an equal primary sex ratio at seed production, based on the selective advantage of the rare sex. Biased sex ratios among reproductive plants can arise from sexual dimorphism in survival and flowering. Sex ratio biases can also be present from the seed stage; in these cases, assumptions of Düsing's and Fisher's theory, for example, random mating or demographic equilibrium, are thought to be violated.

We investigated mechanisms leading to female‐biased sex ratios in the arctic‐alpine dwarf willow Salix herbacea L. We studied sex ratios in three natural populations over 3 years as well as in 29 crosses (full‐sib families) under controlled conditions over four growth periods. We tested whether sex ratio was associated with habitat parameters (elevation and snowmelt time), or with germination, survival or flowering, and whether females and males differed in size or flowering that may cause observation bias.

We detected a strong and consistent female bias, both in natural populations (sex ratio [proportion of females]: 0.71–0.82) and in our controlled experiment (overall sex ratio: 0.70–0‐72). Female bias became more pronounced with increasing elevation. Our data did not support sexual dimorphism in size or flowering. Family sex ratios varied largely (from 0.25 to 1), including many female‐biased families, unbiased families and two male‐biased families. Families with lower germination, seedling establishment, survival or flowering did not have stronger female bias, indicating that intrinsically higher survival or flowering in females does not explain overall female bias.

Synthesis. Our results suggest that sex ratio bias in S. herbacea is already present in seeds and does not arise through intrinsic differences between sexes. Candidate mechanisms that can lead to both overall female bias and variation in sex ratio among families are meiotic drive or cyto‐nuclear interactions. The pioneer habit of Salix may lead to non‐equilibrium population dynamics that allow for the long‐term persistence of variable genetic sex ratio distortion systems that arise from genetic conflict.
Reconstructive surgery for women with female genital mutilation: A scoping review
Authors: Almadori Aurora , Palmieri Stefania , Coho Christie , Evans Catrin , Elneil Soheir , Albert Juliet
Published: June 2024

Background

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a global public health concern. However, reconstructive surgery remains unavailable in many countries.

Objectives

This scoping review, guided by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) principles, explores indications, referral routes, eligibility, care pathways and clinical outcomes of reconstructive surgery for FGM.

Search strategy

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and subject headings were searched in EMBASE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science and publicly available trial registers.

Selection criteria

Any primary experimental and quasi‐experimental study addressing reconstructive surgery for FGM, and its impact on women, published before June 2023.

Data collection and analysis

After removing duplicates from the search results, titles and abstracts were screened and data were extracted. Disagreements were resolved through panel discussion. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram depicts the search results and inclusion process.

Main results

A total of 40 studies were included. Multidisciplinary teams were involved in 40% (16/40) of the studies, and psychosexual counselling was offered in 37.5% (15/40) of studies. Clitoral reconstruction using Foldes’ technique was predominant (95%, 38/40). A total of 7274 women underwent some form of reconstruction. Post‐surgery improvement was reported in 94% of the cases (6858/7274). The complication rate was 3% (207/7722 women with reconstruction).

Conclusions

Further research and clinical trials are needed. Although the outcomes suggest improved sexual function and quality of life post‐surgery, the evidence remains limited. Advocating surgical reconstruction for survivors of FGM is vital for addressing health disparities and potential cost‐effectiveness.
The immune microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma featured with ground‐glass nodules
Authors: Zhao Changtai , Xiao Rongxin , Jin Hongming , Li Xiao
Published: June 2024

Early‐stage lung cancer is now more commonly identified in the form of ground‐glass nodules (GGNs). Presently, the treatment of lung cancer with GGNs mainly depends on surgery; however, issues still exist such as overtreatment and delayed treatment due to the nonuniform standard of follow‐up. Therefore, the discovery of a noninvasive treatment could expand the treatment repertoire of ground‐glass nodular lung cancer and benefit the prognosis of patients. Immunotherapy has recently emerged as a new promising approach in the field of lung cancer treatment. Thus, this study presents a comprehensive review of the immune microenvironment of lung cancer with GGNs and describes the functions and characteristics of various immune cells involved, aiming to provide guidance for the clinical identification of novel immunotherapeutic targets.
Quantifying the utilisation of blue, green and brown resources by riparian predators: A combined use of amino acid isotopes and fatty acids
Authors: Saboret Grégoire , Drost Bastiaan J. W. , Kowarik Carmen , Schubert Carsten J. , Gossner Martin M. , Ilić Maja
Published: June 2024

Global change drives multiple facets of biodiversity including interaction diversity, which is fundamental for ecosystem functioning. However, studying trophic interactions is challenging in meta‐ecosystems, that is ecosystems connected by spatial flows of energy, materials and organisms across ecosystem boundaries. While analytical methods based on abundances of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and stable isotopes of amino acids (AAs) are being increasingly used, it has never been explored if both approaches could be: (i) combined in mixing models to enhance precision in dietary inference (ii) compared to disentangle transfers of various PUFAs and proteins in food webs in the wild.

We explore the utility of analytical approaches based on PUFA abundances and AA isotopes to resolve resource transfers in a natural riparian food web. We focus on spiders and their potential prey from blue, green and brown sources to address three important and persisting methodological issues in food‐web ecology, namely whether (i) essential AA carbon isotopes can resolve protein origin from blue, green and brown resources, (ii) PUFA relative abundance and AA isotopes can be combined in a mixing model to provide higher precision estimates (i.e. narrower intervals) and (iii) combining the two approaches can unveil the coupling of protein and PUFA transfers in food webs.

Our research demonstrates the power of AA isotopes and PUFAs to distinguish blue, green, and brown sources and their transfer up to consumers. We show that combining PUFA relative abundance and AA isotopes in a mixing model provides overall estimates similar to the individual estimates but significantly increases precision. In addition, we showcase how combining approaches unveil the coupling of protein and PUFA transfers. For instance, we show that most PUFAs are less concentrated from prey to predators, relative to proteins, highlighting uncoupling of PUFAs and protein transfer along food chains.

We show for the first time the effectiveness of combining AA isotopes and PUFA abundances, particularly relevant for complex trophic interactions in a meta‐ecosystem context. Our study illustrates the trophic uncoupling of proteins and PUFAs, highlighting the necessity in combining both approaches.
Predictability of buprenorphine‐naloxone treatment retention: A multi‐site analysis combining electronic health records and machine learning
Authors: Nateghi Haredasht Fateme , Fouladvand Sajjad , Tate Steven , Chan Min Min , Yeow Joannas Jie Lin , Griffiths Kira , Lopez Ivan , Bertz Jeremiah W. , Miner Adam S. , Hernandez‐Boussard Tina , Chen Chwen‐Yuen Angie , Deng Huiqiong , Humphreys Keith , Lembke Anna , Vance L. Alexander , Chen Jonathan H.
Published: June 2024

Background and aims

Opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid dependence lead to significant morbidity and mortality, yet treatment retention, crucial for the effectiveness of medications like buprenorphine‐naloxone, remains unpredictable. Our objective was to determine the predictability of 6‐month retention in buprenorphine‐naloxone treatment using electronic health record (EHR) data from diverse clinical settings and to identify key predictors.

Design

This retrospective observational study developed and validated machine learning‐based clinical risk prediction models using EHR data.

Setting and cases

Data were sourced from Stanford University's healthcare system and Holmusk's NeuroBlu database, reflecting a wide range of healthcare settings. The study analyzed 1800 Stanford and 7957 NeuroBlu treatment encounters from 2008 to 2023 and from 2003 to 2023, respectively.

Measurements

Predict continuous prescription of buprenorphine‐naloxone for at least 6 months, without a gap of more than 30 days. The performance of machine learning prediction models was assessed by area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC‐AUC) analysis as well as precision, recall and calibration. To further validate our approach's clinical applicability, we conducted two secondary analyses: a time‐to‐event analysis on a single site to estimate the duration of buprenorphine‐naloxone treatment continuity evaluated by the C‐index and a comparative evaluation against predictions made by three human clinical experts.

Findings

Attrition rates at 6 months were 58% (NeuroBlu) and 61% (Stanford). Prediction models trained and internally validated on NeuroBlu data achieved ROC‐AUCs up to 75.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 73.6–78.0). Addiction medicine specialists' predictions show a ROC‐AUC of 67.8 (95% CI = 50.4–85.2). Time‐to‐event analysis on Stanford data indicated a median treatment retention time of 65 days, with random survival forest model achieving an average C‐index of 65.9. The top predictor of treatment retention identified included the diagnosis of opioid dependence.

Conclusions

US patients with opioid use disorder or opioid dependence treated with buprenorphine‐naloxone prescriptions appear to have a high (∼60%) treatment attrition by 6 months. Machine learning models trained on diverse electronic health record datasets appear to be able to predict treatment continuity with accuracy comparable to that of clinical experts.
Estimating potential palliative care needs for residential aged care: A population‐based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Humphrey Greer B. , Inacio Maria C. , Lang Catherine , Churches Owen F. , Sluggett Janet K. , Williams Helena , Morgan Deidre D. , To Timothy H. M. , Kellie Andrew , Wesselingh Steve , Caughey Gillian E.
Published: June 2024

Objective

Population‐based data on the required needs for palliative care in residential aged care have been highlighted as a key information gap. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive estimate of palliative care needs among Australia's residential aged care population using a validated algorithm based on causes of death.

Methods

A population‐based retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the Registry of Senior Australians of non‐Indigenous residents of residential aged care services in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia aged older than 65 years, who died between 2016 and 2017 (n = 71,677). An internationally validated algorithm was used to estimate and characterise potential palliative care needs based on causes of death. This estimate was compared to palliative care needs identified from funding‐based care needs assessment data.

Results

Ninety two per cent (n = 65,949) were estimated to have had potential palliative care needs prior to their death. Of these, 19% (n = 12,467) were assigned an end‐of‐life trajectory related to cancer, 61% (n = 40,511) to organ failure and 20% (n = 12,971) to frailty and dementia. By comparison, only 6% (n = 4430) of residents were assessed as needing palliative care by the funding‐based care needs assessment.

Conclusions

Over 90% of individuals dying in residential aged care may have benefited from a palliative approach to care. This need is substantially underestimated by the funding‐based care needs assessment, which utilises a narrow definition of palliative care when death is imminent. There is a clear imperative to distinguish between palliative and end‐of‐life care needs within residential aged care to ensure appropriate and equitable access to palliative care.
Vision Verbs Emerge First in English Acquisition but Touch, not Audition, Follows Second
Authors: San Roque Lila , Norcliffe Elisabeth , Majid Asifa
Published: June 2024

Words that describe sensory perception give insight into how language mediates human experience, and the acquisition of these words is one way to examine how we learn to categorize and communicate sensation. We examine the differential predictions of the typological prevalence hypothesis and embodiment hypothesis regarding the acquisition of perception verbs. Studies 1 and 2 examine the acquisition trajectories of perception verbs across 12 languages using parent questionnaire responses, while Study 3 examines their relative frequencies in English corpus data. We find the vision verbs see and look are acquired first, consistent with the typological prevalence hypothesis. However, for children at 12–23 months, touch—not audition—verbs take precedence in terms of their age of acquisition, frequency in child‐produced speech, and frequency in child‐directed speech, consistent with the embodiment hypothesis. Later at 24–35 months old, frequency rates are observably different and audition begins to align with what has previously been reported in adult English data. It seems the initial orientation to verbalizing touch over audition in child–caregiver interaction is especially related to the control of physically and socially appropriate behaviors. Taken together, the results indicate children's acquisition of perception verbs arises from the complex interplay of embodiment, language‐specific input, and child‐directed socialization routines.
Aspectual Processing Shifts Visual Event Apprehension
Authors: Vurgun Uğurcan , Ji Yue , Papafragou Anna
Published: June 2024

What is the relationship between language and event cognition? Past work has suggested that linguistic/aspectual distinctions encoding the internal temporal profile of events map onto nonlinguistic event representations. Here, we use a novel visual detection task to directly test the hypothesis that processing telic versus atelic sentences (e.g., “Ebony folded a napkin in 10 seconds” vs. “Ebony did some folding for 10 seconds”) can influence whether the very same visual event is processed as containing distinct temporal stages including a well‐defined endpoint or lacking such structure, respectively. In two experiments, we show that processing (a)telicity in language shifts how people later construe the temporal structure of identical visual stimuli. We conclude that event construals are malleable representations that can align with the linguistic framing of events.
Did COVID‐19 induce a reallocation wave?
Authors: Consolo Agostino , Petroulakis Filippos
Published: June 2024

We critically examine the hypothesis that COVID‐19 has ushered in a large reallocation shock in the USA, beyond typical business cycle patterns. We take a broad perspective, and first consider data from the CPS and JOLTS; there is no noticeable uptick in occupation or sector switches, either at the aggregate level or in the cross‐section. The dispersion of sectoral growth rates over the three years before the pandemic was similar to the previous period. The recovery from the initial shock was characterized by very high quits and low layoffs, patterns indicative of a strong labour market, not excessively high reallocation relative to previous business cycles. High growth of small employers in the recovery, and larger ones once the labour market tightened, is also a common cyclical pattern. We then examine whether mismatch unemployment rose as a result of the pandemic; using an off‐the‐shelf multisector search and matching model, there is little evidence for an important role for mismatch in driving the unemployment rate during the pandemic. Finally, we employ a novel Bayesian Structural Vector Autoregression framework with sign restrictions to identify a reallocation shock; we find that it has played a relatively minor role in explaining labour market patterns in the pandemic, at least relative to earlier episodes.
Adversarial attack vulnerability for multi‐biometric authentication system
Authors: Lee MyeongHoe , Yoon JunHo , Choi Chang
Published: June 2024

Research on multi‐biometric authentication systems using multiple biometric modalities to defend against adversarial attacks is actively being pursued. These systems authenticate users by combining two or more biometric modalities using score or feature‐level fusion. However, research on adversarial attacks and defences against each biometric modality within these authentication systems has not been actively conducted. In this study, we constructed a multi‐biometric authentication system using fingerprint, palmprint, and iris information from CASIA‐BIT by employing score and feature‐level fusion. We verified the system's vulnerability by deploying adversarial attacks on single and multiple biometric modalities based on the FGSM, with epsilon values ranging from 0 to 0.5. The experimental results show that when the epsilon value is 0.5, the accuracy of the multi‐biometric authentication system against adversarial attacks on the palmprint and iris information decreases from 0.995 to 0.018 and 0.003, respectively, and the f1‐score decreases from 0.995 to 0.007 and 0.000, respectively, demonstrating susceptibility to adversarial attacks. In the case of fingerprint data, however, the accuracy and f1‐score decreased from 0.995 to 0.731 and from 0.995 to 0.741, respectively, indicating resilience against adversarial attacks.