bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Recovery in soil carbon stocks but reduced carbon stabilization after near-natural restoration in degraded alpine meadows
Authors: He Guoxing , Liu Xiaoni , Li Yali , Xu Heguang , Ji Tong , Yang Zhuoli , Qi Hao , Ma Chenglong , Wang Yunjun , Zhang Degang , Lin Dong , Shi Yafei , Jiang Jiachang 
Published: December 2024

AbstractNear-natural restoration is acknowledged as an effective strategy for enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in degraded grasslands. However, the alterations in SOC fractions, stability, and relative sequestration capacity after restoration of degraded alpine meadows remain uncertain. In this study, we utilized the degraded alpine meadows on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau as a research area, with grazing as the control (CK) and restoration of 20 years of banned grazing (BG) and growing season resting grazing (RG). We analyzed the characteristics of SOC, SOC fractions, recalcitrant index (RI), and relative capacity of soil C sequestration (SCScapacity) under near-natural restoration measures. The objective of this study was to assess the recovery of SOC following near-natural restoration. The results showed that soil water content (SWC), SOC, soil total nitrogen (TN), and soil total phosphorus (TP) increased, while bulk density (BD) decreased in the degraded alpine meadow after near-natural restoration. In addition, near-natural restoration led to significant increases in particulate organic carbon (POC), readily oxidizable carbon (ROC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content (P < 0.05). The SOC stock significantly increased, while the RI decreased. Compared to RG, BG had a greater increase in SOC stock. The study showed that 20 years of near-natural restoration in degraded alpine meadows mainly enhanced soil active carbon pools, while short-term restoration did not increase soil carbon stability. Therefore, avoiding re-exposure to overgrazing is essential to maintaining the restoration effect.
Comparative soil bacterial metabarcoding after aboveground vs. subsurface decomposition of Mus musculus
Authors: Bisker Chawki , Taylor Gillian , Carney Helen , Orr Caroline H. , Javan Gulnaz T. , Ralebitso-Senior Theresia Komang 
Published: December 2024

AbstractOutdoor microcosms, metabarcoding with next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene, total body score (TBS) and physicochemical analyses were used to monitor Mus musculus decomposition aboveground (A) and in the subsurface (S), and compared to soil-only controls (C). As determined by MaAsLin2 analysis, significant shifts in bacterial communities at 30 cm depths within the A, S and C treatments distinguished control from experimental soils, and between aboveground and subsurface deposition, demonstrating the potential for gravesoil discrimination during the first 90 days. For example, Dokdonella (p = 0.0002), Edaphobaculum (p = 0.0004) and Lacibacter (p = 0.0034) recorded significant shifts relative to sampling time. Furthermore, Massilia (p = 0.0005), Mycobacterium (p = 0.0006) and Sandaracinus (p = 0.0007) increased in abundance for the aboveground mice treatments. This was confirmed with ANOSIM where p = 0.0082 showed statistically significant difference between the aboveground and subsurface deposition. TBS and physicochemical analyses suggested that nutrient release into the soils occurred during active decay and skin rapture on days 7–13 in the subsurface and days 13–20 aboveground, with a particular increase in soil potassium concentration on day 15. Significant differences in soil temperatures resulted between A and S vs. C microcosms, aligning with atmospheric temperature changes. In summary, complementary application of metabarcoding, total body score, exogenous and physicochemical methods for postmortem interval estimation and clandestine grave location highlighted the feasibility of using temperature records downloaded from meteorological stations and portable X-ray fluorescence as indicators for various phases of decomposition.
Temporal-thermal enhancement of porous cooking burners
Authors: Soltanian Hossein , Targhi Mohammad Zabetian , Maerefat Mehdi 
Published: December 2024

AbstractPorous combustion has drawn vast attention over the last few decades leading to a variety of progressing applications particularly in industrial kitchens and household appliances that require time sensitive heating. The present study experimentally investigates the relationship between cooking duration and the thermal efficiency of a cooking pot heated on a porous burner providing a valuable insights into the effectiveness of the heating process in terms of both time and fuel consumption. To facilitate this investigation, a dedicated test bench is designed and constructed, equipped with thermometers and timer to effectively monitor the temporal/thermal behavior of the heating process. A mixed temporal/thermal metric is utilized to evaluate a premixed natural gas fueled porous burner with a typical cooking firing rate (FR) ranging from 800 to 2050 kW/m2. The results show that the optimal burner-pot distance is D = 1.5 cm, minimizing the load-averaged time to thermal efficiency (TT) to 19.5 s. Compared to D = 3 cm with FR = 800 kW/m2, thermal efficiency improves by 5.5%, heating time shortens by 120 s, and average firing rates save 51 s overall. An open conventional burner is also explored to show that by shifting towards temporally promoted porous burners, up to 2 minutes of cooking time could be saved.
Trains scheduling problem with multiple lines
Authors: Danavulapadu Venkata Prathap , Singamsetty Purusotham 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis study explores the problem of train scheduling (or) train timetabling and its impact on the administration of railway management. This is a highly dependable and effective public transportation system. The problem considers both single and multiple tracks along with multiple platforms with varying train capacities (like speed, passengers, and so on). Let the tracks link two major stations source and destination with intermediate stations. A subset of intermediate stations will function as junctions. A finite number of trains be available at the source for the passengers/cargo transit movements. The profit which is generated from the shipment of passengers between a pair of stations is known in advance. The train’s travel time between the stations and halting time at the stations are predefined. The arrival and departure times at the stations are calculated through the travel time and halting time. All the trains should starts from the source station and continue the journey through the intermediate stations to reach the destination station. Overtaking of the trains is permitted only at the intermediate stations. The trains must make a halt at one or more intermediate stations before reaching the destination. Now the objective is to find the best train operating schedule that maximizes the profit within the admissible travel time threshold. A zero–one integer linear programming is used to model this problem mathematically. For a better understanding of this problem, a case study is considered from the Indian railway network with two major stations Chennai and Hyderabad. A branch and bound $$(B\&B)$$ algorithm is proposed to determine an optimal operating schedule. In addition, the experiments are carried out on a wide range of randomly generated instances of small and medium sizes, to test the efficiency of the algorithm. The computational results indicate that the algorithm is capable of finding the optimal schedules within a reasonable amount of time.
Inhibiting CFTR through inh-172 in primary neutrophils reveals CFTR-specific functional defects
Authors: Da Silva Cunha Ana Lúcia , Blanter Marfa , Renders Janne , Gouwy Mieke , Lorent Natalie , Boon Mieke , Struyf Sofie , Carlon Marianne S. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF) are characterized by recurrent bacterial infections and inflammation. Infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) are left unresolved despite excessive neutrophil infiltration. The role of CFTR in neutrophils is not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to assess which antimicrobial functions are directly impaired by loss of CFTR function in neutrophils. In order to do so, we used a specific inhibitor of CFTR ion channel activity, inh-172. CF neutrophils from PwCF harboring severe CFTR mutations were additionally isolated to further discern CFTR-specific functional defects. We evaluated phagocytosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, neutrophil elastase (NE) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) exocytosis and bacterial killing. The inh-172 model identified decreased acidification of the phagosome, increased bacterial survival and decreased ROS production upon stimulation. In PwCF neutrophils, we observed reduced degranulation of both NE and MPO. When co-culturing neutrophils with CF sputum supernatant and airway epithelial cells, the extent of phagocytosis was reduced, underscoring the importance of recreating an inflammatory environment as seen in PwCF lungs to model immune responses in vitro. Despite low CFTR expression in blood neutrophils, functional defects were found in inh-172-treated and CF neutrophils. The inh-172 model disregards donor variability and allows pinpointing neutrophil functions directly impaired by dysfunctional CFTR.
Forgetting is comparable between healthy young and old people
Authors: Studer Martina , Heinemann Dörthe , Gutbrod Klemens , Henke Katharina 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAging is typically associated with declines in episodic memory, executive functions, and sleep quality. Therefore, the sleep-dependent stabilization of episodic memory is suspected to decline during aging. This might reflect in accelerated long-term forgetting, which refers to normal learning and retention over hours, yet an abnormal retention over nights and days. Accelerated long-term forgetting has been observed in dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and in people with memory complaints. Here, we explored whether accelerated long-term forgetting also manifests in healthy aging. We investigated verbal episodic memory in 236 healthy men and women between 18 and 77 years of age. All participants were mentally intact in terms of executive functions, working memory, episodic memory, verbal intelligence, and mood. We related their forgetting rates over one week following learning to their subjective sleep quality and executive functions. Fifteen words were freely recalled and then recognized among 30 distractor words at 30 min and again at one week following learning. Although the healthy older adults compared to the healthy younger adults reported a diminished sleep efficiency and learned fewer words, they exhibited no disproportionate forgetting over days. Hence, accelerated long-term forgetting is not present in healthy aging but might be a first sign of memory dysfunction due to neuropathology.
Aero-TiO2 three-dimensional nanoarchitecture for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline
Authors: Ciobanu Vladimir , Galatonova Tatiana , Braniste Tudor , Urbanek Pavel , Lehmann Sebastian , Hanulikova Barbora , Nielsch Kornelius , Kuritka Ivo , Sedlarik Vladimir , Tiginyanu Ion 
Published: December 2024

AbstractOne of the biggest issues of wide bandgap semiconductor use in photocatalytic wastewater treatment is the reusability of the material and avoiding the contamination of water with the material itself. In this paper, we report on a novel TiO2 aeromaterial (aero-TiO2) consisting of hollow microtetrapods with Zn2Ti3O8 inclusions. Atomic layer deposition has been used to obtain particles of unique shape allowing them to interlock thereby protecting the photocatalyst from erosion and damage when incorporated in active filters. The performance of the aero-TiO2 material was investigated regarding photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline under UV and visible light irradiation. Upon irradiation with a 3.4 mW/cm2 UV source, the tetracycline concentration decreases by about 90% during 150 min, while upon irradiation with a Solar Simulator (87.5 mW/cm2) the concentration of antibiotic decreases by about 75% during 180 min. The experiments conducted under liquid flow conditions over a photocatalyst fixed in a testing cell have demonstrated the proper reusability of the material.
Nutrient loading as a key cause of short- and long-term anthropogenic ecological degradation of the Salton Sea
Authors: Hung Caroline , Diamond Charles , Sinclair Ryan , Lee Meng-Chen , Stenstrom Michael , Freilich Mara A. , Montgomery Quinn , Marquez Consuelo , Lyons Timothy W. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe Salton Sea (SS), California’s largest inland lake at 816 square kilometers, formed in 1905 from a levee breach in an area historically characterized by natural wet-dry cycles as Lake Cahuilla. Despite more than a century of untreated agricultural drainage inputs, there has not been a systematic assessment of nutrient loading, cycling, and associated ecological impacts at this iconic waterbody. The lake is now experiencing unprecedented degradation, particularly following the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement—the largest agricultural-to-urban water transfer in the United States. Combined with high evaporation rates, reduced inflows have led to rapid lake shrinkage, with current maximum depths of only 10 m. Here we report distinct temporal and spatial patterns for nutrient dynamics at the SS for two decades spanning the period before and after major water transfer agreement. While external nutrient loading remains relatively consistent year-round, internal cycling varies seasonally. Winter exhibits high total phosphates and nitrate levels due to reduced primary productivity, with lower ammonium concentrations from increased oxygenation. Summer conditions shift to decreased phosphate and nitrate levels from enhanced primary production, sustained partly by internal phosphorus release from sediments during anoxic periods. Although N:P molar ratios can exceed 50:1 to 100:1 (far above the Redfield ratio of 16:1), phosphorus consistently remains at hypereutrophic levels (> 0.05 mg/L) challenging previous assumptions of phosphorus limitation. Post-2020 data show disrupted stratification patterns. Despite higher oxygen levels in bottom waters compared to 2004–2009, overall water column oxygenation has declined, reflecting altered hydrodynamics in the shallowing lake. These changes have intensified environmental challenges stemming from cultural eutrophication including harmful algal blooms, threatening both ecosystem and public health. Effective remediation will require significant reduction in external nutrient loading through constructed wetlands and/or treatment facilities at tributary mouths to reduce the lake’s overall nutrient inventory over time.
Assessing COVID-19 transmission through school and family networks using population-level registry data from the Netherlands
Authors: Garcia-Bernardo Javier , Hedde-von Westernhagen Christine , Emery Tom , van Hoek Albert Jan 
Published: December 2024

AbstractUnderstanding the impact of different types of social interactions is key to improving epidemic models. Here, we use extensive registry data—including PCR test results and population-level networks—to investigate the impact of school, family, and other social contacts on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the Netherlands (June 2020–October 2021). We isolate and compare different contexts of potential SARS-CoV-2 transmission by matching pairs of students based on their attendance at the same or different primary school (in 2020) and secondary school (in 2021) and their geographic proximity. We then calculate the probability of temporally associated infections—i.e. the probability of both students testing positive within a 14-day period. Our results highlight the relative importance of household and family transmission in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 compared to school settings. The probability of temporally associated infections for siblings and parent-child pairs living in the same household ranged from 22.6–23.2%. Interestingly, a high probability (4.7–7.9%) was found even when family members lived in different households, underscoring the persistent risk of transmission within family networks. In contrast, the probability of temporally associated infections was 0.52% for pairs of students living nearby but not attending the same primary or secondary school, 0.66% for pairs attending different secondary schools but having attended the same primary school, and 1.65% for pairs attending the same secondary school. It is worth noting, however, that even small increases in school-related infection probabilities can trigger large-scale outbreaks due to the dense network of interactions in these settings. Finally, we used multilevel regression analyses to examine how individual, school, and geographic factors contribute to transmission risk. We found that the largest differences in transmission probabilities were due to unobserved individual (60%) and school-level (35%) factors. Only a small proportion (3%) could be attributed to geographic proximity of students or to school size, denomination, or the median income of the school area.
Age-specific vulnerability and high prevalence of delirium in pediatric intensive care based on a prospective cohort study
Authors: AlDaithan AbdulRahman , Shaheen Naila , Alahmari Eidah , Smari Abeer Al , Al Ahmadi Arwa , Almalahi Abdulaziz , Alotaibi Msaed , AlGhuraibi Abdullah , Alhusaini Abdulaziz , Bin Shaman Abdullah , Hazwani Tarek 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Background
Delirium, a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by acute disruptions in attention and awareness, significantly impacts children in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs), leading to prolonged hospitalization, increased infection risk, and dependence on mechanical ventilation. Despite growing recognition, its true burden and risk factors in children remain poorly understood. This prospective cohort study investigated the prevalence, characteristics, and potential therapeutic targets for delirium in 890 children admitted to a tertiary PICU between January and December 2022. Delirium was screened every 12 hours using the validated Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium (CAPD). We analyzed data on demographics, comorbidities, medications, interventions, and clinical outcomes to identify associations with the development of delirium. Our study revealed a high prevalence of delirium, affecting 69.4% (95% CI: 66.33–72.3) of admitted children. Notably, infants were disproportionately affected, accounting for 33.5% of delirium cases. Respiratory diagnoses were significantly associated with delirium (78.6%), while oncology cases had the lowest prevalence (29.4%). Opioid use was identified as a risk factor, increasing the risk of delirium by 45.2%. Furthermore, 97.6% of children with withdrawal syndrome also experienced delirium, highlighting a strong association between these conditions. Delirium was significantly associated with longer PICU stays, and all 20 mortalities during the study period occurred in delirious patients. The adjusted odds ratios from multi-level regression modeling further elucidated the risk factors associated with the development of delirium. This study demonstrates a high prevalence of delirium in PICUs, with infants and those with respiratory diagnoses being particularly vulnerable. Opioid use and withdrawal syndrome emerged as risk factors. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these associations and develop targeted interventions to prevent, manage, and improve outcomes for children suffering from delirium in critical care settings.
Multi-label classification to predict antibiotic resistance from raw clinical MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry data
Authors: Astudillo César A. , López-Cortés Xaviera A. , Ocque Elias , Manríquez-Troncoso José M. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating advanced predictive models to support clinical decision-making. In this study, we explore multi-label classification as a novel approach to predict antibiotic resistance across four clinically relevant bacteria: E. coli, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa. Using multiple datasets from the DRIAMS repository, we evaluated the performance of four algorithms – Multi-Layer Perceptron, Support Vector Classifier, Random Forest, and Extreme Gradient Boosting – under both single-label and multi-label frameworks. Our results demonstrate that the multi-label approach delivers competitive performance compared to traditional single-label models, with no statistically significant differences in most cases. The multi-label framework naturally captures the complex, interconnected nature of AMR data, reflecting real-world scenarios more accurately. We further validated the models on external datasets (DRIAMS B and C), confirming their generalizability and robustness. Additionally, we investigated the impact of oversampling techniques and provided a reproducible methodology for handling MALDI-TOF data, ensuring scalability for future studies. These findings underscore the potential of multi-label classification to enhance predictive accuracy in AMR research, offering valuable insights for developing diagnostic tools and guiding clinical interventions.
Structural MRI study of Pareidolia and Visual Hallucinations in Drug–Naïve Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Ozawa Masakazu , Shiraishi Tomotaka , Murakami Hidetomo , Yoshimaru Daisuke , Onda Asako , Matsuno Hiromasa , Komatsu Teppei , Sakuta Kenichi , Sakai Kenichiro , Umehara Tadashi , Mitsumura Hidetaka , Okano Hirotaka James , Iguchi Yasuyuki 
Published: December 2024

AbstractVisual hallucinations (VH) and pareidolia, a type of minor hallucination, share common underlying mechanisms. However, the similarities and differences in their brain regions remain poorly understood in Parkinson’s disease (PD). A total of 104 drug-naïve PD patients underwent structural MRI and were assessed for pareidolia using the Noise Pareidolia Test (NPT) were enrolled. Subcortical gray matter volume and cortical surface volume were analyzed using the FreeSurfer software. Structural analyses revealed associations between NPT scores and atrophy in the right thalamus, right hippocampus, right temporal cortex, and right orbitofrontal cortex in all PD participants. These results were almost the same after adjusting for right-handed 97 patients with PD. It is considered that hallucinations in patients with PD are related to altered integration of sensory input (bottom-up) and prior knowledge (top-down) within the visual system. Our findings indicate that pareidolia in PD involves both bottom-up (thalamus and temporal cortex) and top-down (orbitofrontal cortex) processing disturbances; in contrast, VH predominantly involves bottom-up but not top-down regions. Understanding these distinctions could aid in the development of targeted interventions for hallucinations in patients with PD.
Survey evidence on public support for AI safety oversight
Authors: Vesely Stepan , Kim Byungdoo 
Published: December 2024

AbstractA number of AI safety concerns are being increasingly discussed by experts, including misinformation, invasion of privacy, job displacement, and criminal misuse. Two exploratory studies conducted in Germany and Spain (combined n = 2864) provide evidence that the general public largely supports strict oversight over safety of commercial artificial intelligence research. Among the factors that are associated with preferences for strict oversight are age, anticipated job displacement, innovativeness, and risk, time and altruistic preferences.