bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of coral reef habitat and microbial abundance status on sponge-associated prokaryotic communities
Authors: Cleary D. F. R. , Gomes N. C. M. , Ambo-Rappe R. , de Voogd N. J. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Sponges are one of the oldest lineages of animals on Earth and play key roles in shaping marine ecosystems. They are diverse, with more than 9600 species known to science, and come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colours. Sponges are, furthermore, known to host diverse communities of microbial symbionts, which play important roles in their physiology and ecology. In the present study, we sampled prokaryotic communities from 24 sponge species inhabiting coral reef flat and slope habitats off the coast of SW Celebes (Indonesia) in addition to sediment and seawater. The prokaryotic profiles of several sponge species were characterised for the first time. In line with previous studies, we revealed pronounced variation in diversity and composition among species with high microbial abundance (HMA) or low microbial abundance (LMA) status playing an important role in structuring prokaryotic communities across host sponge species. In addition to this, reef habitat (flat versus slope) also played a significant role in structuring prokaryotic communities. Most species in the reef slope habitat housed prokaryotic communities with a consistent profile of several cyanobacterial and prokaryotic OTUs, whereas these OTUs were largely absent from sponges inhabiting the reef flat habitat. Instead, they tended to house highly abundant bacterial populations related to the Synechococcus spongiarum group. We propose that specific strains of S. spongiarum may play a key role in enabling their host sponges to survive in an, otherwise, inhospitable environment (e.g., high irradiance and temperature) and, thus, help to explain differences in sponge composition between coral reef flat and slope habitats.
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) loss associated with self-perceived anxiety/depression in seropositive rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Rojas-Gualdrón Diego Fernando , Franco-Salazar Carolina , Gómez-Henck Clara Ángela , Manrique-Castrillón Maria Camila , Hoyos-Méndez Yennifer Carime , Vélez-Romero Susana , Díaz-Coronado Juan Camilo 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objective
To analyze the HRQoL loss associated with self-perceived anxiety/depression in patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Method
This secondary data analysis is based on a registry-based retrospective follow-up study of patients with seropositive RA treated between August 2014 and January 2023 in ARTMEDICA, Colombia. HRQoL loss and self-perceived anxiety/depression were defined as outcomes. Disease activity (DAS-28) and other patient data were also gathered. Statistical analyses were performed using the ordinal logistic and generalized linear regression models.

Results
A total of 3579 patients with a mean follow-up of 2.9 (SD 2.4) years, 85.6% women with a median age at diagnosis of 48.1 (IQR 37.8–57.5) years, and a median of 6.5 (IQR 1.9–14.7) years living with RA were included. At program admission, the median DAS-28 score was 2.8 (IQR 2.1–4.2), and 6.6% of patients reported extreme anxiety/depression. The average HRQoL loss was 3.4 months per year lived with seropositive AR. Among patients with no pain or discomfort, moderate and extreme anxiety/depression were associated with mean HRQoL losses of 2.2 (95% CI − 2.3 to − 2.2) and 4.1 (95% CI − 4.3 to − 3.8) months. In patients with extreme pain/discomfort, these estimations were 0.8 (95% CI − 0.9 to − 0.7) and 1.9 (95% CI − 2.1 to − 1.7) months, respectively.

Conclusion
Our study adds to the available body of evidence by clarifying the differential impact of anxiety/depression on HRQoL, depending on the severity of pain. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening mental health care and psychological well-being interventions for patients with RA, regardless of pain or disease activity.

Key Points• The average HRQoL loss was 3.4 months per year lived with seropositive AR.• Pain/discomfort rather than disease activity explained the severity of anxiety/depression as well as its associated HRQoL loss.• For patients with extreme pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression, the average HRQoL loss was 8.1 months per year lived with the disease compared to 0.4 months for patients without those impacts.
Advances on strictly $$\Delta $$-modular IPs
Authors: Nägele Martin , Nöbel Christian , Santiago Richard , Zenklusen Rico 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
There has been significant work recently on integer programs (IPs)

$$\min \{c^\top x :Ax\le b,\,x\in \mathbb {Z}^n\}$$

min
{

c
⊤

x
:
A
x
≤
b
,

x
∈

Z

n

}

with a constraint marix A with bounded subdeterminants. This is motivated by a well-known conjecture claiming that, for any constant

$$\Delta \in \mathbb {Z}_{>0}$$

Δ
∈

Z

>
0

,

$$\Delta $$

Δ

-modular IPs are efficiently solvable, which are IPs where the constraint matrix

$$A\in \mathbb {Z}^{m\times n}$$

A
∈

Z

m
×
n

has full column rank and all

$$n\times n$$

n
×
n

minors of A are within

$$\{-\Delta , \dots , \Delta \}$$

{
-
Δ
,
⋯
,
Δ
}

. Previous progress on this question, in particular for

$$\Delta =2$$

Δ
=
2

, relies on algorithms that solve an important special case, namely strictly

$$\Delta $$

Δ

-modular IPs, which further restrict the

$$n\times n$$

n
×
n

minors of A to be within

$$\{-\Delta , 0, \Delta \}$$

{
-
Δ
,
0
,
Δ
}

. Even for

$$\Delta =2$$

Δ
=
2

, such problems include well-known combinatorial optimization problems like the minimum odd/even cut problem. The conjecture remains open even for strictly

$$\Delta $$

Δ

-modular IPs. Prior advances were restricted to prime

$$\Delta $$

Δ

, which allows for employing strong number-theoretic results. In this work, we make first progress beyond the prime case by presenting techniques not relying on such strong number-theoretic prime results. In particular, our approach implies that there is a randomized algorithm to check feasibility of strictly

$$\Delta $$

Δ

-modular IPs in strongly polynomial time if

$$\Delta \le 4$$

Δ
≤
4

.
Complication avoidance, rehabilitation, pain therapy and palliative care for patients with metastatic spine tumors: WFNS spine committee recommendations
Authors: Pojskic Mirza , Naderi Sait , Vaishya Sandeep , Zileli Mehmet , Costa Francesco , Sharif Salman , Gokaslan Ziya L. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractObjective: This review aims to formulate the most current, evidence-based recommendations regarding complication avoidance, rehabilitation, pain therapy and palliative care for patients with metastatic spine tumors. Methods: A systematic literature search in PubMed and MEDLINE, and was performed from 2013 to 2023 using the search terms “complications” + “spine metastases”, “spine metastases” + + “rehabilitation”, “spine metastases” + “pain therapy” + “palliative care”. Screening criteria resulted in 35, 15 and 56 studies respectively that were analyzed. Using the Delphi method and two rounds of voting at two separate international meetings, nine members of the WFNS (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies) Spine Committee generated nine final consensus statements. Results: Preoperative assessment for complications following surgery in patients with metastatic spine tumors should include estimation of Karnofsky score, site of primary tumor, number of spinal and visceral metastasis, ASA score and preoperative Hb (Hemoglobin) value. Complication risk factors are age > 65 years, preoperative ASA score of 3 and 4 and greater operative blood loss. Pain management using WHO analgesic concept and early mobilization are needed, starting with non-opioids, weak opioids followed by strong opioids. Morphine is the first choice for moderate to severe pain whereas IV-PCA may be used for severe breakthrough pain with monitoring. Use of bisphosphonates is considered in cases of non-localized pain and not accessible radiation therapy. Conclusions: These nine final consensus statements provide current, evidence-based guidelines on complication avoidance, rehabilitation, pain therapy and palliative care for patients with spinal metastases.
Digital accessibility tools and training and the DA4You course: views and experiences of users with disabilities
Authors: Black Sharon , de Pablos-Ortega Carlos 
Published: October 2024

AbstractDigital technologies are now ubiquitous in our lives and it is of critical importance that people with disabilities benefit from full and equitable access to the digital world. However, digital accessibility training for users with disabilities is lacking, and there is little research on developing such training focusing on ways to use the broad and growing range of digital accessibility tools available today. The current study investigates the practices, views and experiences of users with disabilities regarding digital devices, accessibility tools and training. Data were collected from 91 participants with a range of disabilities using a questionnaire and 14 participants took part in a semi-structured interview. The findings confirm that while users with disabilities are making use of a wide variety of technologies and accessibility tools, digital accessibility training for such users is inadequate, with participants experiencing gaps and shortcomings in the training and support provided from their early years onwards, including at school, university and in their adult lives. Such gaps and deficiencies reinforce the digital divide between users with disabilities and non-disabled users. Participants gave several recommendations to improve digital accessibility training. The research informed the design of the training created as part of the DA4You project, presented in this article, which was positively evaluated by participants overall. However, greater efforts are needed to improve digital accessibility training for all users with disabilities, who are keen to have access to more and better training opportunities. The onus is on educators, trainers, administrators and policymakers, etc. to make this a priority.
Sleep-related epilepsies in the course of development in childhood
Authors: Datta Alexandre N. , Bürki Sarah E. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractEpilepsy, as one of the most prevalent neurological diseases in childhood, has a strong reciprocal relationship with sleep. Sleep-associated epilepsy syndromes in childhood are mostly genetic and can be divided into (a) the group of self-limited focal epilepsies of childhood including self-limited epilepsy with autonomic seizures (SeLEAS) and self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) and (b) (non-self-limited) sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (SHE). Sleep-accentuated (developmental and) epileptic encephalopathies (DEE/EE-SWAS, Landau–Kleffner syndrome [LKS]) are either genetic (possible transition from SeLEAS or SeLECTS) or structural, and they are characterized by continuous bilateral focal or generalized epileptic activity throughout the night with a clinical manifestation of stagnation or regression, in particular of cognition (verbal agnosia in LKS). Epilepsy syndromes with increased seizure frequency after sleep deprivation or with seizures in the transition to awakening include juvenile generalized epilepsy syndromes such as epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone (GTCA) or juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), but also SeLECTS. Sleep is a very active process: Regeneration, reorganization, and consolidation of memory facilitate development and cognitive functioning. Epilepsy can alter sleep architecture and vice versa, which can appear as a vicious circle in epilepsies that are sleep related. Macrostructural elements of sleep such as sleep efficiency, sleep onset latency, wakefulness after sleep onset, REM and non-REM sleep fraction, as well as microstructural sleep elements such as slow-wave activity, slope of slow waves, cyclic alternating pattern (CAP), and physiological sleep figures, are important biomarkers with which to understand clinical symptoms such as cognitive stagnation and regression, to monitor treatment, but also to determine prognostic factors and will be an important tool for future studies.
Mortality and the business cycle: evidence from an estimated DSGE model for Germany
Authors: Shamsfakhr Farzaneh 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This study addresses the relationship between transitory macroeconomic conditions and health by analyzing the dynamics of death over business cycle fluctuations in Germany during 1998:Q4–2014:Q4. A dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model with population growth is developed to incorporate demographic shocks including mortality. The estimation results indicate that mortality in Germany is counter-cyclical, suggesting that health in Germany deteriorates during recessions whereas it improves over economic expansions. Moreover, the structure of mortality is found to vary with respect to the business cycles. While for most of the sample period non-working population seems to be more exposed to death during recessionary times, there are evidences of higher fatality of working people in Germany during the recent financial and economic crisis. In the light of the demographic change that Germany is currently experiencing, findings of this study have important implications for health policies concerning aging as well as working-age population.
Labour Market Disadvantages of Citizens with a Migration Background in Belgium: A Systematic Review
Authors: Devos Louise , Lippens Louis , Lens Dries , Rycx François , Volral Mélanie , Baert Stijn 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Labour markets struggle to be inclusive, while diversity is increasing. This literature review examines labour market challenges faced by first- and second-generation migrants in Belgium. We systematically review articles published between 2010 and 2023 in the Web of Science Core Collection to delineate underlying mechanisms, associated solutions, policy recommendations and literature gaps. The literature reveals that individuals with a migration background generally experience poorer labour market outcomes than natives. These outcomes vary based on specific origin and gender and persist from the first into the second generation. The mechanisms underlying these poorer outcomes are discrimination, individual preferences, and human and social capital differences. Recommendations for employers include implementing standardised hiring procedures and fostering awareness of discrimination among recruiters. On the employee side, investing in human capital, increasing labour market knowledge, and having competencies formally recognised can help to narrow employment gaps. Our review also advocates for policy refinement to combat biases and suggests that alternative pathways to attaining employment, such as self-employment and volunteering, are promising areas for future research.
Trace element contamination in three shorebird species migrating through Delaware Bay, New Jersey: arsenic, mercury and selenium are increasing
Authors: Burger Joanna , Feigin Stephanie 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Many shorebird populations are declining, and contaminants may be partly contributing to the decline by interfering with feeding, migration, and breeding success. The goal of our study was to determine whether there was a temporal change in concentrations of trace elements of red knot (Calidris canutus rufa), sanderling (Calidris alba), and ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) during spring migration in Delaware Bay, New Jersey, USA. We sampled blood to 1) determine levels of trace elements in 2019, 2) compare 2019 trace element levels with those from shorebirds in 2011–2012, and 3) examine variability in blood levels of trace elements among species. In 2019: 1) trace element levels were significantly different among species (except cadmium[Cd]), 2) Cd was lowest in all species, and arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) were highest, and 3) sanderlings had the highest levels of As and Se, and knots had the highest levels of chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb). Se was higher in these shorebirds than reported for other shorebirds from elsewhere. As, mercury (Hg), and Se increased significantly between 2011–2012 and 2019 in all three species. There were no significant temporal changes in Cd. Chromium (Cr) decreased in knots and sanderling. The temporal increases in As, Se, and Hg bear watching as they are toxic in vertebrates, and each can decrease the toxicity of the others. The data indicate that shorebirds can be bioindicators of changing trace element levels in estuaries, potentially providing early warning of increasing levels of As, Hg, and Se in the environment.
Assessment of nitrogen and phosphorus losses due to erosion in compost-treated and non-treated vineyard soils: effect of rainfall intensity
Authors: Ramos María Concepción 
Published: October 2024

AbstractVineyards in Mediterranean areas suffer from significant soil degradation through erosion, due to rainfall and soil characteristics, as well as soil management practices. Previous studies pointed out the nutrient losses produced by erosion and the benefits that some management practices could have on reducing erosion. This research tried to evaluate the effect of events of different intensities and to assess whether the beneficial effect of compost amendment may pose a potential risk of nutrient loss and environmental pollution in particular under high-intensity events. The study compared soil and nutrient losses in compost-treated and non-treated vineyard soils after rainfall events of different intensities analyzed over 2 years in two vineyards. Runoff samples were collected by triplicate in treated and non-treated soils. Sediment and nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in the runoff samples were analyzed. The results reveal a reduction in runoff rates and an increase in soil water content in compost-treated soils, which represents a benefit for rainfed vineyards. Both nitrogen and phosphorus losses depended on rainfall characteristics. Although for low intensities there were no significant differences in the amount of nutrient lost by runoff in both treated and non-treated soils, nitrogen and phosphorus losses were higher after high-intensity rainfall events in compost-treated soils. With the expected increase in high-intensity rainfall events associated with climate change in the Mediterranean region, organic amendments should be applied in several splits or incorporated into the soil to avoid increased nutrient loss to water bodies.
Real-time measurement of metals in submicron aerosols with particle-into-liquid sampler combined with micro-discharge optical emission spectroscopy
Authors: Das Sudatta , Teinilä Kimmo , Timonen Hilkka , Ikonen Erkki , Laurila Toni 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThe paper presents a novel technique for quantifying trace metals in aerosol samples in real time. Airborne metals were continuously collected for one week near the Baltic Sea in Finland using a particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS). The collected liquid samples were analyzed for metals using micro-discharge optical emission spectroscopy (µDOES). The micro-discharge analyzer is designed to perform real-time, on-site measurements of metal concentrations in aqueous solutions. Currently, µDOES can provide online measurements of 30 metals, with typical detection limits from 0.01 µg/m3 to 0.06 µg/m3 with a long-term repeatability less than 5%. The novelty of this analyzer lies in its compact design, rapid detection capabilities, and ease of operation and maintenance. Several metals, including potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), and copper (Cu), were measured in the aerosol samples collected using PILS. The results indicate that this approach has significant potential for future automated online monitoring of airborne metal concentrations, facilitating investigations into their sources and daily variations. The development of real-time technologies for rapid, online, and accurate atmospheric aerosol measurements is essential for advancing climate change research. Such advancements allowing for continuous real-time data enhance our understanding of aerosol dynamics, improve source identification, and inform public health and environmental policies, ultimately contributing to more effective climate change monitoring and mitigation.
The Social and Sociological Province of Climate Change: Introduction
Authors: Domingues José Maurício , Teixeira Marco Antonio 
Published: October 2024

AbstractDespite its importance and prominence in public debates, including in many social science-related disciplines such as political science, anthropology, geography, and history, climate change has been unevenly addressed within critical sociology. In the tradition of critical theories, a critical sociology approach could contribute to climate science by discussing, for instance, what it means for societies and individuals to live together in times of ecological crisis and how this interplays with other crises and challenges of our time. As we face various transformations caused by climate change, sociology can inquire about social relations in the Anthropocene, including the critique of this concept and its alternatives, such as Capitalocene. This introductory article explores the intersection of sociology and the climate crisis, examining the sociological significance of the latter. It also discusses the importance for sociology, at both theoretical and empirical levels, to climate-related debates. It highlights the need for pluralistic approaches that can contribute to framing and addressing climate change, encompassing diagnosis, alternatives, science, and politics. The papers in this special issue seek to engage with and contribute to the abovementioned debate by covering theoretical and empirical perspectives on climate crisis, drawing attention to themes such as the relationship between critical theory and climate change, theories of modernity, the notion of (post)sustainability, just transitions, the role of media systems in fostering sustainable transformations, and the contribution of social movements to socioecological transformation, with a particular focus on the 'Global South'.
Investigations into Proof Structures
Authors: Wernhard Christoph , Bibel Wolfgang 
Published: October 2024

AbstractWe introduce and elaborate a novel formalism for the manipulation and analysis of proofs as objects in a global manner. In this first approach the formalism is restricted to first-order problems characterized by condensed detachment. It is applied in an exemplary manner to a coherent and comprehensive formal reconstruction and analysis of historical proofs of a widely-studied problem due to Łukasiewicz. The underlying approach opens the door towards new systematic ways of generating lemmas in the course of proof search to the effects of reducing the search effort and finding shorter proofs. Among the numerous reported experiments along this line, a proof of Łukasiewicz ’s problem was automatically discovered that is much shorter than any proof found before by man or machine.