bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Leptin and Associated Neural Pathways Underlying Obesity‐Induced Hypertension
Authors: Laule Connor , Rahmouni Kamal 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTObesity rates have surged to pandemic levels, placing tremendous burden on our society. This chronic and complex disease is related to the development of many life‐threatening illnesses including cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension caused by obesity increases the risk for cardiovascular mortality and morbidity by promoting stroke, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and end‐stage renal disease. Overwhelming evidence supports neural origins for obesity‐induced hypertension and pinpoints the adipose‐derived hormone, leptin, and the sympathetic nervous system as major causal factors. Hyperleptinemia in obesity is associated with selective leptin resistance where leptin's renal sympathoexcitatory and pressor effects are preserved while the metabolic actions are impaired. Understanding the mechanisms driving this phenomenon is critical for developing effective therapeutics. This review describes the neural mechanisms of obesity‐induced hypertension with a focus on the molecular and neuronal substrates of leptin action.
Enhanced Simulation of Complicated MXene Materials with Graph Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Chen Xin , Wan Zicheng , Lao Sisi , Tian Ziqi 
Published: December 2024

AbstractMXene, a notable two‐dimensional transition metal carbide, has attracted increasing attention in materials science due to its unique attributes, driving innovations in energy storage, sensors, catalysts, and electromagnetic shielding. The property and application performance are determined by the electronic structure, which can be described based on the density of states (DOS). The conventional density functional theory (DFT) calculation is able to provide the DOS spectrum of a specific atomic structure. However, for complicated composition, such as the recently reported high entropy MXene, the DFT calculations in exhaustive structure space are resource‐intensive. In this study, machine learning (ML) technique, specifically the crystal graph convolutional neural networks (CGCNN) model, is applied to generate DOS of these MXene models with complex compositions. By using calculations on M3C2 and M4C3 structures as training sets, the DOS of the complex high entropy MXene is well reproduced according to the atomic structure. Moreover, the adsorption energy of lithium is precisely predicted based on the DOS, which can be further employed to screen the potential electrode materials for lithium batteries. Herein, ML method not only streamlines predictions but also enhances the understanding of MXene's intrinsic properties.
Foxing of Watercolor Paper and Environmental Control as Preventive Actions
Authors: Ng Woon Lam , Hu Huanlong , Zhuang Zeyan 
Published: December 2024

AbstractIn Singapore's hot and humid climate, watercolor papers are particularly prone to a paper oxidation issue known as foxing, which refers to the discoloration forming yellowish‐brown stains on paper, changing the visual outcome of the watercolor artworks. This research investigates two most popular types of watercolor paper, made from 100 % cotton and cotton‐wood‐pulp mixture. Foxing was generally categorized into two types: biotic and abiotic foxing caused by fungi activities and the presence of metallic contaminants catalytic fungi growth. However, recent hypotheses further relate it to heterogeneous cellulose structures. Watercolor paper is typically produced in a well‐controlled environment, which should theoretically reduce the occurrence of foxing, catalyzed by metallic contaminants. The research involved a comprehensive analysis of aged samples, from old watercolors, dating back to the 1990s and fresh watercolor paper samples. focusing on understanding the origin and causes of watercolor paper foxing based on cellulose content & structures. By comparing 100 % cotton and cotton wood‐pulp blended watercolor paper, the susceptivity of foxing was hinted to be related to cellulose packing density. These findings will support further research in developing strategies for the conservation and storage of watercolor artworks.
Purple Bacteria Reaction Center Based Solid State Bio‐Solar Cell With a Large Open Circuit Voltage
Authors: Tulus Tulus , Friebe Vincent Morris , Peukert Andreas , Muscarella Loreta A. , Jones Michael R. , Frese Raoul N. , von Hauff Elizabeth 
Published: December 2024

AbstractA novel solid state bio‐solar cell is demonstrated based on a purple bacterial reaction center‐light harvesting 1 complex (RC‐LH1) that exhibits high quantum efficiency and long carrier lifetimes. We demonstrate that careful choice of transport layers enables a high open circuit voltage of up to 0.3 V in these solid state biophotovoltaic devices. Electronic processes were investigated with impedance spectroscopy. Equivalent circuit modelling of impedance spectra obtained under illumination at DC offset voltages between open circuit and short circuit conditions revealed two relaxations on microsecond and millisecond time scales that are attributed to the charge transit time and carrier recombination processes, respectively. The operational stability of the solar cells was examined under constant illumination for over 3 hours and a burn‐in time of several minutes was observed, after which operational parameters stabilized. This work is the largest voltage reported for RC‐LH1 based solid state biophotovoltaic devices to date.
Aprotic Electrolytes Beyond Organic Carbonates: Transport Properties of LiTFSI Solutions in S‐Based Solvents
Authors: Piacentini Vanessa , Simari Cataldo , Mangiacapre Emanuela , Pierini Adriano , Gentile Antonio , Marchionna Stefano , Nicotera Isabella , Brutti Sergio , Bodo Enrico 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis work illustrates a physico‐chemical study of the structural, dynamic, and transport properties of electrolytes made of LiTFSI solutions in sulphoxide and sulphone solvent mixtures. Experimental measurements, by Raman and NMR spectroscopies, as well as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, reveal the formation of a variety of ionic aggregates depending on the solvent composition that significantly affect the ion mobility and conductivity of the electrolyte. Mixtures containing tetrahydrothiophene‐1‐oxide exhibit a larger ion mobility due to a rapid exchange mechanism between solvent molecules, whereas the use of tetramethylene sulphone favors the formation of ionic aggregates due to the strong dipolar interactions between solvent molecules.
Acid‐Catalyzed Redox Isomerizations of 6,8‐Dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan‐4‐ols Provide Mechanistic Insights for Levoglucosenone Formation
Authors: Lamb Oscar , Puschnig Johannes , Glover Stephen , Greatrex Ben W. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractLevoglucosenone is an important platform chemical and the principal product of acid‐catalyzed cellulose pyrolysis, formed through several intermediates including levoglucosan. An acid‐catalyzed redox isomerization of substituted 6,8‐dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan‐4‐ols, which could be considered levoglucosan analogues, has been developed using HBr giving (S)‐6‐hydroxymethyl‐dihydro‐2H‐pyran‐3(4H)‐ones. Higher yields were obtained when 3,3‐disubstitution was present on the ring‐system, and reactions were faster in acetonitrile. Inclusion of ethylene glycol in the reaction mixture led to the in‐situ formation of a ketal adduct, which improved the yield for the parent system. A secondary kinetic isotope effect kH/kD of 1.23 for the 3,3‐dibenzylated substrate suggested that the mechanism involved elimination rather than hydride transfer, and that ring‐opening is the rate‐limiting step for the reaction. The facile nature of this transformation further supports a redox‐isomerization leading to a glucopyran‐2‐ulose intermediate in the mechanism leading to levoglucosenone from levoglucosan and cellulose, and may have implications for other acid catalyzed reactions of carbohydrates.
Topological Information Embedded Convolution Neural Network–Dependent Energy Alert‐Cluster Head Selection in WSN
Authors: Elumalai Sivanantham , Mani Senthil Vadivu , Govinda Swamy Bhuvaneswari , Gnanasundaram Manikandan 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTEnergy efficiency is a major challenge in developing wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The cluster head (CH) can be selected at random or depending on one or more criteria that leads to increase the network lifespan directly. Nevertheless, the CH selection creates an optimization problem. For this purpose, a number of researches have been presented so far to select the optimum CH with the help of various optimization methods, but none of them effectively solves this problem. Therefore, a topological information embedded convolution neural network based energy alert‐cluster head selection in wireless sensor network (TIECNN‐EAC‐WSN) is proposed in this paper. In this method, cluster formation and CH selection is performed by topological information embedded convolution neural network (TIECNN). The CH selection is carried out by three features: energy stabilization, minimization of distance among nodes, and minimization of delay during data transmission. Then, the optimal route is selected by using improved manta ray foraging optimization (IMFO). The TIECNN‐EAC‐WSN approach is evaluated with some metrics, such as network lifetime, number of alive sensor node, and energy consumption with different scenrios. The stimulation results show that the proposed TIECNN‐EAC‐WSN method attains 23.20%, 27.22%, and 26.28% higher number of alive sensor node when compared with the existing models: energy‐aware optimization clustering for hierarchical routing in WSN (EAC‐HR‐WSN), energy‐aware clustering depending on fuzzy modeling in WSN utilizing modified invasive weed optimization (FMEAC‐WSN‐IWO), and quantum tunicate swarm approach–dependent energy‐aware clustering mode for WSN (QTSA‐EAC‐WSN), respectively.
Nocturnal Cleaning Interactions Between the Giant Moray (Gymnothorax javanicus) and the Clear Cleaner Shrimp (Urocaridella antonbruunii)
Authors: Cryan Daniel M. , Vaughn Kelsey M. , Caves Eleanor M. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTWe observed a novel, nocturnal cleaning interaction between a cleaner shrimp (Genus Urocaridella) and the giant moray eel (Gymnothorax javanicus) on a lagoonal patch reef in Moorea, French Polynesia. Over the course of an 85‐min foraging bout (recorded on video by a snorkeler), we observed three separate, stereotyped cleaning interactions between G. javanicus and a cleaner shrimp in the genus Urocaridella (which surveys of Moorea biodiversity previously visually identified as Urocaridella antonbruunii). During these interactions, the shrimp would slowly crawl along one of the eel's flanks towards its head, enter its mouth, emerge on the other side of its head, then crawl back towards the reef along the eel's opposite flank, often causing it to jolt in response. On each of the visits, the moray spent roughly 9–12 min at the cleaning station and was observed being cleaned for a total of 62 s. Although this was a chance observation of only a few instances of cleaning, it may have several important implications for our understanding of the behavioral ecology of cleaning mutualisms, including (1) indicating potential temporal trade‐offs between being cleaned and foraging in eels, (2) suggesting a degree of temporal niche partitioning among sympatric cleaner species and (3) updating our understanding of cleaner‐client communication, given the nocturnal nature of our observations.
Substygophily in Dinaric Karst: A Model Case of Locally Endemic Minnows Phoxinellus (Leuciscinae)
Authors: Palandačić Anja , Reier Susanne , Diripasko Oleg A. , Jelić Dušan , Stroj Andrej , Wanka Alexandra , Marić Dario , Bogutskaya Nina G. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThe Dinaric Karst extends along the Adriatic coast of the Western Balkan Peninsula and is home to a group of “karst minnows” of the genera Delminichthys, Phoxinellus, and Telestes, which have adapted to the highly variable water conditions in the karst by spending up to several months underground, but require surface habitats for spawning, defining them as substygophiles. The three species of the genus Phoxinellus, P. alepidotus, P. pseudalepidotus, and P. dalmaticus, are defined by restricted ranges, making them vulnerable to pollution and extended draughts caused by the climate change. In this study, the phylogeny of Leusciscinae was reconstructed using 15 Phoxinellus and one Delminichthys adspersus, one Pelasgus epiroticus, and one Telestes polylepis complete mitochondrial genomes and the position of the genus Phoxinellus within the subfamily as sister species to the Chondrostoma clade was confirmed. The inter‐ and intrapopulation structure of the genus Phoxinellus was inferred using molecular (nuclear and mitochondrial data) and morphological analyses. For the molecular analysis, more than 150 historical specimens were analyzed for a short fragment of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcoding region and 15 Phoxinellus specimens were subjected to single nucleotide polymorphism analysis. For morphological analysis, 121 Phoxinellus specimens were analyzed for 51 measurements and 8 counts. All analyses confirmed the clear delimitation of the three Phoxinellus species, but were insufficient to fully resolve the intrapopulation structure within the species. This study also included data from field surveys of Phoxinellus collected over the past 20 years, which showed that abundance is declining and ranges are shrinking. Phoxinellus are also threatened by invasive/introduced species. Based on cave observations/occurrence and morphological analysis, P. dalmaticus was classified as an advanced substygophile and P. alepidotus and P. pseudalepidotus were classified as basic stygophiles.
Repeated Copulation and Guarding, and Their Relationship With Male and Female Morphological Traits in the Water Scorpion Nepa hoffmanni
Authors: Hyun Hyoseul , Lee Byeongho , Han Chang S. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTInsects copulate multiple times not only with different mates but also with the same mate, which is called repeated copulation. It occurs as a repeated alternation between copulation and mate‐guarding, leading to the prolonged physical attachment between males and females. Particularly, in species where males forcefully grasp females, attempt to mate without courtship and exhibit repeated copulations, male and female morphological traits are expected to be associated with mating characteristics. In this study, we describe for the first time the detailed mating behaviour and patterns of repeated copulations in the water scorpion Nepa hoffmanni (Nepidae, Hemiptera). Nepa hoffmanni repeated copulation and guarding approximately 10 times on average. Over repeated copulations, copulation duration decreased while guarding duration increased, potentially due to decreased male sperm reserves and increased female mating reluctance. Additionally, we found that average guarding duration was positively associated with male leg length and negatively associated with female leg length. This suggests that shorter male legs may enhance courtship efficiency or intensity, while shorter female legs may be less effective at resisting male mating attempts, leading to a quicker initiation of subsequent copulations with the same partner. This indicates that the evolution of repeated copulations may be linked to the evolution of morphological characteristics. Therefore, our study provides novel insights into the evolution of the mating behaviour of water scorpions.
Preliminary Ecological Data on the Cocco's Lanternfish Lobianchia gemellarii (Cocco, 1838) (Osteichthyes: Myctophidae) in Mediterranean With New Records in the Northern Ionian Sea
Authors: Turco Cristina , Sion Letizia , Galasso Gabriele , D'Onghia Gianfranco , Capezzuto Francesca 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThis paper presents preliminary ecological data on the Cocco's lanternfish Lobianchia gemellarii (Cocco, 1838) (Osteichthyes: Myctophidae) in the Central Mediterranean and its first records from the northern Ionian Sea. A total of 28 specimens of lantern fish were collected using an experimental trawl net between August and September 2023 in a depth range of 500–701 m in the northern Ionian Sea (central Mediterranean), as part of the MEDITS project. Their morphological traits, the presence and arrangement of photophores together with the otolith characteristics allowed the identification of these specimens as L. gemellarii. In the study area, the standard length of individuals was up to a maximum of 109 mm, which is the largest size ever found for the species. A length‐age key was estimated through otoliths reading. The stomach content analysis for all individuals is also reported. Plastic fibers were found in the gut contents of two individuals. This study not only represents the first record of the species in the northern Ionian Sea but also provides information and a new contribution to the knowledge on the role of the species in the Mediterranean marine food web.
Cameras or Camus? Comparing Snow Track Surveys and Camera Traps to Estimate Densities of Unmarked Wildlife Populations
Authors: Waller Scott J. , Hebblewhite Mark , Brodie Jedediah F. , Soutyrina Svetlana V. , Miquelle Dale G. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTPopulation density is a valuable metric used to manage wildlife populations. In the Russian Far East, managers use the Formozov‐ Malyushev‐Pereleshin (FMP) snow tracking method to estimate densities of ungulates for hunting management. The FMP also informs Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) conservation since estimates of prey density and biomass help inform conservation interventions. Yet, climate change and challenges with survey design call into question the reliability of the FMP. Camera traps offer a promising alternative, but they remain unexplored for monitoring tiger prey density. Over three years (2020‐2022), we used the FMP and camera‐based methods to estimate densities of four prey species of the Amur tiger in the Sikhote‐ Alin Biosphere Reserve, Russian Far East: wild boar (Sus scrofa), red deer (Cervus canadensis), roe deer (Capreolus pygargus), and sika deer (Cervus nippon). We compared FMP results from snow track survey routes either along trails, or along routes representative of the study area, and estimates derived from camera data using the random encounter model (REM), space‐to‐event model (STE), and time‐to‐event model (TTE). We found that density estimates from representative routes were typically lower than routes along trails and indicated different relative densities of prey. Density estimates from camera traps and representative track surveys were generally similar with no significant relative bias, but precision was poor for all methods. Differences between estimates were amplified when converted to prey biomass, particularly with larger, more abundant prey, which poses a challenge for their utility for tiger managers. We conclude camera traps can offer an alternative to snow track surveys when monitoring unmarked prey, but we caution that they require considerably more resources to implement. Tiger managers should be especially cautious when extrapolating density to estimates of prey biomass, and we encourage future research to develop more robust methods for doing so.
Some Like It Cold: Long‐Term Assessment of a Near‐Global Invader
Authors: Guareschi S. , Cancellario T. , Oficialdegui F. J. , Laini A. , Clavero M. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTLong‐term studies depicting the multicontinental invasion trajectories of species are often constrained by the scarcity of documented records, especially for invertebrates. The red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Decapoda: Cambaridae), stands out as an uncommon example of hypersuccessful invasive species with a well‐known invasion history at both regional and global levels. This allows for the use of its records to track distribution dynamics and bioclimatic preferences over time. Through multiple temporal comparisons, the global bioclimatic tendencies of the species have been explored over a period exceeding a century (1854–2023) using linear models with generalized least squares estimation and two‐sample t‐tests. This specific setup provides a rare focus on biological invasions at both broad temporal and spatial scales. The results highlight climatic trends in the invasion process of the species, including decreases in the values of bioclimatic variables associated with temperature and precipitation. This trend encompasses not only mean values but also both extreme (minimum and maximum) and is coupled with increases in elevation and aridity values in the areas with the presence of the species. The findings indicate that the species can engage in new ecological interactions and further affect range‐restricted species in climatic refuges once considered protected. These findings help anticipate changes in the species' invasion trajectory, suggesting possible expansions into colder, less humid climates and higher altitudes. This knowledge supports effective monitoring and early detection for management and conservation efforts.
Complex multivariate model predictions for coral diversity with climatic change
Authors: McClanahan Tim R. , Azali Maxwell K. , Muthiga Nyawira A. , Porter Sean N. , Schleyer Michael H. , Guillaume Mireille M. M. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractModels of the future of coral reefs are potentially sensitive to theoretical assumptions, variable selectivity, interactions, and scales. A number of these aspects were evaluated using boosted regression tree models of numbers of coral taxa trained on ~1000 field surveys and 35 spatially complete influential environmental proxies at moderate scales (~6.25 km2). Models explored influences of climate change, water quality, direct human‐resource extraction, and variable selection processes. We examined the predictions for numbers of coral taxa using all variables and compared them to models based on variables commonly used to predict climate change and human influences (eight and nine variables). Results indicated individual temperature variables alone had lower predictive ability (R2 < 2%–7%) compared to human influence variables (6%–18%) but overall climate had a higher training–testing fit (70%) than the human influence (63%) model. The full variable model had the highest fit to the full data (27 variables; R2 = 85%) and indicated the strongly interactive and complex role of environmental and human influence variables when making moderate‐scale biodiversity predictions. Projecting changes using Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) 2050 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6 and 8.5) water temperature predictions indicated high local variability and fewer negative effects than predictions made by coarse scale threshold and niche models. The persistence of coral reefs over periods of rapid climate change is likely to be caused by smaller scale variability that is poorly simulated with coarse scale modeled predictions.