bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Wildlife mammal communities in post‐war Angola are depleted and simplified: Implications for biodiversity conservation
Authors: Rocha F. , Chicomo M. , Lutondo E. , Monterroso P. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractArmed conflicts are recognized to significantly impact wildlife, as they are particularly prevalent in biodiversity hotspot areas. Understanding these impacts on biodiversity is important for comprehending the indirect consequences for ecosystem processes and promoting their rehabilitation. Although the impact of warfare on protected areas (PAs) has been a target of research, its understanding remains limited. Additionally, the influence of armed conflicts on biodiversity in non‐protected lands has been largely overlooked and underexplored. We aim to assess the impact of almost 40 years of armed conflicts on intermediate‐ and large‐sized mammals in two communities in southern Angola: a National Park with limited management capacity—Bicuar National Park (BNP)—and a recently established private ecotourism reserve, without legal protection—Cuatir Conservation Area (CCA). Specifically, we compared contemporary species richness, occupancy probabilities and evenness‐weighted diversity between the two areas, and contextualize it relative to historical records. Our results reveal a significant loss of species compared to known mammal species richness prior to the civil unrest, with some remaining species persisting at very low occupancy levels. Furthermore, our findings suggest equivalent contemporary biodiversity levels in both study areas, albeit with distinct community compositions and structures. Although both areas retained a relatively intact small‐ and intermediate‐sized mammal community, the PA better conserved the larger species community. Furthermore, occupancy probabilities of endangered and threatened species were higher in the PA than in the non‐PA. Our results underscore the critical role of PAs in conserving threatened species, even amidst limited law enforcement capacity and rehabilitation measures. Additionally, we highlight the significance of the non‐PA in conserving wildlife species and ecological processes on a larger scale. Our results support the idea that well‐preserved non‐PAs often harbor crucial wildlife nuclei and facilitate connectivity between populations, thereby aiding natural recolonizations. As such, these areas should be the focus of policies encouraging restoration and facilitating functional connections with protected areas.
The Family Snapshot–Innovation to integrate family context into daily interactions in the NICU
Authors: Dahan Maya , Rotteau Leahora , Rolnitsky Asaph , Higazi Shelley , Kwakye Ophelia , Lai Giselle W. S. , Moulsdale Wendy , Sampson Lisa , Stannard Jennifer , O'Brien Karel , Church Paige Terrien 
Published: November 2024

AbstractAimCurrent literature favours individualised decision making, an approach that requires understanding patients within their context and tailoring treatment and recommendations to their unique needs. In neonatology, family context becomes synonymous with patient context. In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the team may be challenged to understand the intricacies of the family context, paramount for both families and clinicians. However, a significant gap exists between the intent to share information about the family context and the process of doing so. The transformational goal of this project was to embed an understanding of the family context into all interactions that occur in the NICU between clinicians and families, and between clinicians when discussing patients.MethodsWe designed and implemented the Family Snapshot (FS), an innovation to bridge the gap between the intent and the process to share the family context.ResultsTwo groups of process measures have been collected to understand workflow integration: (1) whether the forms are being used and (2) how the forms are being used. Overall, completion of at least some part of the FS was >90%.ConclusionThis manuscript describes our process, its feasibility and impact and presents two tools, the FS antenatal consultations and the FS tab.
Assessing the role of conspiracy beliefs in oncological treatment decisions: An experimental approach
Authors: Varet Florent , Fournier Valentyn , Delouvée Sylvain 
Published: November 2024

AbstractCancer is an important issue and a model topic for misinformatfion researchers. The present research experimentally investigates the effect of cancer‐related conspiracy beliefs and misinformation on oncology treatment intentions in a cancer‐free population. In three pre‐registered studies (N total = 1020), participants were asked to put themselves in the shoes of a patient recommended for chemotherapy. Study 1 (N = 300) failed to experimentally manipulate cancer‐related conspiracy beliefs with exposure to a health scandal not related to cancer. In Study 2 (N = 258), exposure to a pro‐conspiracy (vs. anti‐conspiracy) content related to cancer treatment was associated with more conspiracy beliefs, less intention to use chemotherapy and more intentions to use unconventional medicines. Exploratory analyses revealed that these effects were conditioned by the credibility of the misinformation. Study 3 (N = 462) replicated these findings using a full experimental design. Exposure (vs. no exposure) to a warning and accuracy prompt, prior to exposure to the pro‐conspiracy content, was found to be effective in reducing its credibility and preventing its detrimental effects. These findings corroborate the existence of an effect of conspiracy beliefs on treatment intentions in oncology and also suggest several ways to mitigate them.
Global Value Chain Linkages and Business Cycle Comovement: Evidence From Cross‐Country Panel Data
Authors: Zhu Shujin , Wang Zixuan 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTWe empirically investigate the impact of global value chain (GVC) linkages on business cycle comovement by using the cross‐country panel data covering 43 developing and developed countries over the period 2000–2014 obtained from the World Input‐Output Database 2016 Release (WIOD 2016). We find that GVC linkages have a positive impact on business cycle comovement. We also find that the impact of GVC linkages in final goods is larger than that of GVC linkages in advanced intermediate goods and then GVC linkages in basic intermediate goods, indicating the moderating effect of the production length. Moreover, the impact of GVC linkages on business cycle comovement between developing and developed countries is highly significant, implying that GVC linkages may narrow the growth gap between developing and developed countries. These findings suggest the importance of the GVC specialization, the South‐North cooperation, and the international risk management.
Effects of statins in patients with coronary artery spasm: A nationwide population‐based study
Authors: Lee Yu‐Ching , Hung Ming‐Jui , Chen Tien‐Hsing , Mao Chun‐Tai , Yeh Chi‐Tai , Kounis Nicholas G. , Chen Ian Y. , Hu Patrick , Hung Ming‐Yow 
Published: November 2024

AbstractControversies regarding the benefits of statin treatment on clinical outcomes in coronary artery spasm (CAS) without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) persist due to limited data. In this retrospective nationwide population‐based cohort study from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database during the period 2000–2012, the matched cohorts consisted of 12,000 patients with CAS. After propensity score matching with 1:1 ratio, 2216 patients were eligible for outcome analysis in either statin or nonstatin group, with the mean follow‐up duration of 4.8 and 4.6 years, respectively. Statin users versus nonusers had a significantly reduced risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) (6.7% vs. 9.5%, hazard ratio [HR] 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55–0.84) and all‐cause mortality (6.0% vs. 7.6%; HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.61–0.96). While the results of MACEs were mainly contributed by cardiovascular death (1.9% vs. 3.2%; HR 0.56; 95% CI 0.38–0.83) and ischemic stroke (3.8% vs. 5.4%; subdistribution HR 0.69; 95% CI 0.52–0.91), they were primarily driven by reductions in ischemic but not hemorrhagic stroke. The benefit of statins was significantly pronounced in patients with hypertension and diabetes. Nevertheless, the effect on MACEs was consistent irrespective of age, sex, dyslipidemia, and mental disorder. Statins significantly reduced the risk of MACEs and all‐cause mortality in CAS patients. The benefit of statin therapy in reducing MACEs appeared to be linear, with greater risk reduction with higher doses and longer duration without upper threshold, reflecting the dose‐dependent relationship of statins with MACEs in CAS patients.
Robots, Labour Market Frictions and Corporate Financial Policy
Authors: Liu Yanguang (Alice) 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTWe construct a novel firm‐level measure of robot exposure using the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) data set and new robot patent data. We find that the use of robots leads to higher leverage and lower cash holdings. Using an instrumental variable based on the comparative advantage of robots in specific tasks, we find that the effect is likely to be causal and driven by the reduced operating leverage. The effect is stronger when firms are hit by negative shocks including minimum wage hikes and foreign competition. Firms with more robots pay out more and use fewer corporate hedging contracts.
Platelet factor 4 immune disease: medical emergencies that look like heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia
Authors: Bennett Ashwini , Choi Phil Y. , Tan Chee Wee 
Published: November 2024

AbstractHeparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious adverse reaction to heparin. Other HIT‐like syndromes are increasingly recognised, mediated by antibodies binding to platelet factor 4, with or without identifiable polyanions. The history of heparin exposure is atypical for classical HIT and standard HIT laboratory tests may be negative. This manuscript describes subtypes of HIT‐like syndromes and highlights practical tips for diagnosis and therapy.
Application of Image‐Based Features and Machine Learning Models to Detect Brick Powder Adulteration in Red Chili Powder
Authors: Brar Dilpreet Singh , Singh Birmohan , Nanda Vikas 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThis study has introduced a novel methodology for detecting brick powder (BP) adulteration in red chili powder (RCP; Variety: Bullet Lanka‐5) by strengthening advanced digital image processing techniques. Specifically, this approach integrated color space histogram and texture features, subsequently refined through Z‐score normalization and followed by the infinite latent feature selection (InLFS) method. By combining these innovative image‐based techniques with machine learning (ML) algorithms, this research sets a standard for ensuring the safety and authenticity of RCP. The digital image‐based dataset consisting of images of pure and adulterated RCP with BP at various concentrations, is used to extract the features for the evaluation of models. Three histograms (i.e., YCbCr, RGB, and Lab) and texture feature models (i.e., GLCM, GLDM, and GLRM) are extracted from each image. Subsequently, the InLFS model is employed to identify the most desirable features for the extracted histogram and texture features, which are further trained on the ML models to evaluate the existence and extent of BP adulteration in RCP. The regression model has given a higher coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.99 when using exponential Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) trained on Lab color space histogram features, with corresponding RMSE, MSE, and MAE values of 2.14, 12.21, and 1.08, respectively. Meanwhile, the subspace KNN classifier, with SF‐C‐Texture‐Lab‐hist, has achieved an accuracy of 99.31%. Therefore, the findings of this study underscore the potential applications of digital image‐based feature extraction in combination with ML models to ensure the safety and authenticity of RCP.
The International Symposium on Avian Endocrinology, 1977–2024: Past, present and future
Authors: Wingfield John C. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe First International Symposium on Avian Endocrinology (ISAE) was held 47 years ago at the Grand Hotel in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. Professor Asok Ghosh organized and convened the symposium, and Professor Donald S. Farner was President. The 1977 ISAE was convened at a time when neuroendocrine cascades were emerging as major pathways by which environmental events are perceived and transduced resulting in endocrine secretions that then orchestrate life history stages. Methods to measure hormone concentrations in blood and other tissues were relatively recent allowing the advance of laboratory and field investigations to explore ecological bases of endocrine control systems. The rise of evolutionary endocrinology and theory in ecological contexts followed—topics that are flourishing today. Studies on poultry continue to play central roles at ISAE meetings. In recent decades, the incorporation of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenetics and other technologies provide us with an unprecedented array of tools to explore endocrinological processes at mechanistic levels we could never have dreamed of in 1977. The future looks to be an era of major advances in neuroendocrinology. What technologies will arise and transform our knowledge further? Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a tool in avian endocrinology in at least research on endocrine disrupting chemicals. Will AI facilitate new advances and research directions across the field? The future of basic research has never been brighter than it is now. As in the past, ISAEs in the next decades will integrate new discoveries across environmental and applied biology. New challenges will doubtless appear.
Land Grab Double Binds: Peasant Farmers and/in the Ecuadorian Mining Boom
Authors: Lyall Angus , Ruales Gabriela 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThe expansion of mining in Ecuador has stirred resistance among some Indigenous peasant communities in the name of territorial rights; others have offered their land and labour to mining companies. In this and similar land grab contexts, Indigenous peasant communities are often broadly represented as natural resisters or as corrupted collaborators, which, we argue, does not account for how peasants with territorial and/or land rights weigh their options. In Napo province, we examine how peasants have adjudicated contradictory socioeconomic pressures and, in turn, opted to work with miners. We highlight the methodological and political implications of centering how local ‘participants’ in land grabs experience untenable choices or ‘double binds’ to understand the efficacy of land grabs and the obstacles to resistance.
Eating Together but Often Feeling Lonely: Residents' Mealtime Experiences in a Nursing Home
Authors: Nielsen Magdalena , Werkander Harstäde Carina , Sandgren Anna 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTAimTo explore residents' experiences of the mealtime environment in nursing home.DesignAn exploratory qualitative design was employed to gain in‐depth insights.MethodsTwenty semi‐structured interviews were conducted with residents at a nursing home. Data were analysed using thematic analysis as outlined by Braun and Clarke. The consolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative research checklist were used to support the research process.ResultsFour main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) The significance of food, emphasising the centrality of food quality and variety in residents' mealtime experiences. (2) Security through routines, illustrating how established mealtime routines provide comfort and predictability. (3) Variability in staff influence, reflecting residents' perceptions of staff competence and their impact on the dining experience. (4) Limited social interactions, highlighting the varied social dynamics and their effects on residents' sense of community and isolation.ConclusionThe study underscores the critical importance of food quality, staff compliance and consistent routines in enhancing mealtime experiences in nursing homes. Additionally, it reveals that the ability to choose social interactions plays a significant role in residents' satisfaction and social well‐being.Implication for Patient CareThis study provides valuable insights for improving mealtime experiences in nursing homes, suggesting that person‐centred care and resident involvement in meal planning can enhance satisfaction and nutritional intake.ImpactThe findings offer practical guidance for healthcare management, emphasising the need to prioritise and personalise mealtime environments to better meet residents' needs and preferences.
166Ho‐RadioEmbolizaTiOn Using personalized prediCtive dosimetry in patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective, single‐centre study (RETOUCH)
Authors: Bucalau Ana‐Maria , Collette Benoît , Tancredi Illario , Vierasu Irina , Tannouri Fadi , Pezzullo Martina , Moreno‐Reyes Rodrigo , Verset Gontran 
Published: November 2024

AbstractBackground and AimsHolmium‐166 (166Ho) radioembolization could offer a more individualized approach in terms of imaging and dosimetry. We aim to evaluate the feasibility and safety of 166Ho selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) using a higher tumour dose than previously administered determined by 166Ho‐scout as a surrogate marker in HCC patients.MethodsThis is an open‐label, prospective, non‐randomized, single‐centre pilot study that included patients with HCC that received 166Ho‐SIRT if the work‐up using 166Ho‐scout showed a tumour‐absorbed dose ≥150 Gy, a non‐tumoural liver absorbed dose less than 60 Gy and a lung absorbed dose less than 30 Gy. Primary endpoints were feasibility and safety–toxicity profiles at 24–48 h and 1 month. Overall response rates (ORR) at 3 months (mRECIST, RECIST 1.1 and metabolic response by FDG and choline PET CT) and time to progression (TTP) represented the secondary endpoints.ResultsFifteen patients with large tumours (mean diameter 55.67 ± 28.42 mm) received 17 166Ho‐SIRT treatments between July 2020 and June 2022. All the attempted treatments were accomplished. Mean administered tumour dose was 183.18 ± 71.71 Gy, while non‐tumour liver dose was 30.29 ± 14.56 Gy. Median time of follow‐up was 12 months (IQR 9–16). Only grade 1–2 clinical and biological AEs were observed. There were no liver decompensations. At 3 months, objective response was achieved for all target lesions (CR 78.57%, PR 21.43% according to mRECIST). Median TTP was 18.8 (range 2.9; n.e.) months.ConclusionPersonalized 166Ho‐SIRT with a tumour delivered dose ≥150 Gy was feasible and safe for HCC patients with promising response rates.
PhNH10 Suppresses Low Temperature Tolerance in Petunia Through the Abscisic Acid‐Dependent Pathway
Authors: Niu Hongzhuang , Liu Xueqi , Li Kexin , Ma Changkun , Li Jiazhe , Li Li , Liu Man , Li Bingjing , Zhang Rui , Li Qian 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTLow‐temperature stress limits plant growth, and reduces aesthetics of many ornamental plants. Plants have developed different adaptive mechanisms to cope with low‐temperature stress, in which NAC transcription factor family members playing an important role in low‐temperature tolerance. However, their roles in petunia in response to low temperature are still largely unknown. Here, we found that a NAC transcription factor, namely, PhNH10, negatively regulates low‐temperature response in petunia. PhNH10‐silenced and ‐CRISPR/Cas9 mutant plants displayed higher survival rate, anthocyanin content and abscisic acid concentration than PhNH10‐overexpression and wild‐type plants under low‐temperature condition. PhNH10 can directly bind to the PhABA8ox promoter to active its expression, which further promotes the abscisic acid catabolism, while silencing of PhABA8ox increased the ABA concentration and low‐temperature tolerance. In addition, PhNH10 interact with a low‐temperature‐related E2 ubiquitin‐conjugating enzyme, PhUBC2‐1, which in turn inhibited the binding capacity of PhNH10 on PhABA8ox promoter. Our research has elucidated an extensive mechanistic network underlying the PhNH10‐mediated regulation of low‐temperature response in petunia. This finding not only presents a new viewpoint in understanding the low‐temperature tolerance mechanisms but also delineates a promising pathway for transgenic petunia with improved low‐temperature resistance.
Imports, FDI Spillovers and Firm Performance
Authors: Adem Anwar S. 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the productivity effects of the number of inputs a firm chooses to import. It also analyses how accounting for the productivity gains from imported inputs affects foreign direct investment (FDI) spillover. The identification of the gains from imports comes from comparing productivity differences among firms that use different numbers of imported inputs, all else being equal. Using a firm‐level dataset, I find a positive gain from imported inputs for both domestic and foreign‐owned firms with the magnitude being larger for the latter. Moreover, I find a positive horizontal FDI spillover; whereas, the results for backward and forward spillovers seem mixed. Finally, I find little evidence suggesting accounting for the productivity effects of imported inputs affects gains from foreign presence. This indicates that productivity gains from imported inputs and FDI spillover are different and unrelated.
Search, transport costs and labour markets in South Africa
Authors: Shah Kishan , Sturzenegger Federico 
Published: November 2024

AbstractSouth Africa's labour market exhibits a unique equilibrium with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world and yet a low level of informal employment. The unemployment rate has remained high and persistent over recent decades, in spite of the formal demise of the apartheid regime and subsequent transition to democracy in 1994. This paper uses a matching model of the labour market to argue that spatial considerations combined with low productivity of informal work may be responsible for such an outcome. Spatial dispersion inherited from the apartheid regime thins the labour market, creating exclusion and perpetuating spatial segregation. In most developing countries, the result would be higher informal employment. However, spatial dispersion also reduces productivity in the informal sector so that workers prefer to look for a low probability job in the formal sector rather than move to informality. This produces high and persistent unemployment rates. As a result, transportation costs and housing deregulation may become the key factors in improving the working of the labour market in South Africa.