bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Repeat photography reveals long‐term climate change impacts on sub‐Antarctic tundra vegetation
Authors: van der Merwe Stephni , Greve Michelle , Hoffman Michael Timm , Skowno Andrew Luke , Pallett Nita , Terauds Aleks , Chown Steven Louden , Cramer Michael Denis 
Published: December 2024

AbstractQuestionsAt high latitudes, anthropogenic climate change and invasive species threaten biodiversity, often with interacting effects. Climate change not only impacts native plant species directly by driving distribution and abundance of species, but indirectly through the influence on community dynamics and habitat suitability to invasive species. A key obstacle to quantifying vegetation change in the sub‐Antarctic is the scarcity of cloud‐free satellite imagery in a region with near‐permanent cloud cover and lack of long‐term plot data. In this paper, we aim to address the following questions: how has vegetation in the sub‐Antarctic changed between 1965 and 2020? What are the roles of climate change and invasive species in driving these changes?LocationThe study was conducted on Marion Island in the sub‐Antarctica.MethodsWe quantified vegetation change by analysing repeat ground photography between 1965 and 2020, accompanied by an analysis of climate trends and invasive plant species’ cover changes over the same period.ResultsTotal vegetation cover was significantly higher in 2020 than in 1965 in all habitats other than in the coastal saltspray habitat, indicating an increase in overall biomass on the island. The more responsive ‘generalist’ plant species have expanded across the island, whilst the more ‘specialised’ plant species have not significantly changed in cover, with the exception of the mire graminoids, which have declined. Marion Island has thus undergone significant vegetation change, showing a greening trend across most habitats in the last five decades. This has been accompanied by aridification, an increase in mean air temperature, changes in wind direction and wind speed, and an increase in invasive mouse populations. The three most widespread invasive plant species have also expanded their ranges, especially in areas influenced by animal disturbance and nutrient input.ConclusionsIn congruence with research from Northern‐hemisphere tundra and other islands in the sub‐Antarctic, these results provide substantive empirical evidence for the interacting effects of climate change and invasive species on sub‐Antarctic tundra vegetation, as has long been predicted.
Using a systems thinking approach to map the global rise of ultra‐processed foods in population diets
Authors: Wood Benjamin , Garton Kelly , Milsom Penelope , Baker Phillip , Anastasiou Kim , Clark Joshua , Swinburn Boyd , Sacks Gary 
Published: December 2024

SummaryA key driver of obesity and diet‐related illness globally has been the increased consumption of ultra‐processed foods (UPFs). This paper aimed to identify the key actors, structures, incentives, and dynamics that characterize the global UPF system and have led to the dominance of UPFs in population diets. Based on a narrative review and using a systems thinking approach, we developed a causal loop diagram (CLD) of the global UPF system. The CLD comprises nine reinforcing loops: the commodification of diets; increasing market concentration; increasing UPF levels in food retail environments; the financialization of diets; direct corporate political influence; increasing capture of science, public opinion, and policy narratives; shifts from private to public food governance; state accommodation of corporate power; and an “agricultural regime” promoting the production of relatively cheap UPF inputs. The CLD also contains two balancing loops relating to market saturation and public health policies that curb UPF consumption and a countervailing reinforcing loop depicting other forms of food systems in tension with the UPF system. This study suggests the need for innovative and expansive government policies to protect and promote healthy, sustainable diets and coordinated advocacy efforts among those seeking to challenge the exploitative aspects of corporate food systems.
Taste Perception and Saliva Composition Are Not Altered in Burning Mouth Syndrome
Authors: Kolkka Marina , Jääskeläinen Satu , Forssell Heli , Suominen Auli , Teerijoki‐Oksa Tuija , Loimaranta Vuokko , Laine Merja A. , Sandell Mari 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo study the connections between burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and taste perception and saliva, and interactions between saliva and taste in BMS patients compared to age‐ and gender‐matched control subjects.Materials and MethodsA total of 31 BMS patients (43–82 years) and 20 age‐ and gender‐matched volunteers (44–78 years) participated. The taste sensation for six tastants was measured using both the taste strips protocol and the whole‐mouth evaluation method. Stimulated saliva was collected for 5 min. Salivary flow rate, pH, electrolyte concentrations (sodium, potassium, and calcium), MUC5B, MUC7, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and total protein were measured.ResultsNo differences were found between the groups in taste, salivary flow rate, or composition. A weak association between saliva composition and taste modalities was found within both groups. Metallic taste phantom was reported only by BMS patients (p = 0.03).ConclusionsIn contrast to most previous reports, BMS patients did not differ from control subjects in any of the six taste modalities tested nor did the salivary variables differ between the groups. The relationship between salivary variables and total taste score was weak but similar in both groups. Further research with larger study samples is needed to confirm these results.
A Narrative Review of the Impact of Public Family Planning Policies and Programs on the Contraceptive Transition in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries
Authors: Finlay Jocelyn E. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractIn this paper, I provide a narrative review of the literature addressing the contribution of public family planning programs and policies to the contraceptive transition in low‐ and middle‐income countries. I address the long‐running debate between economists and demographers who examine the relative contribution of preferences compared to programs to fertility decline, but I steer the paper towards a deeper discussion of the kinds of programs that have been effective in shaping contraceptive use (not necessarily fertility). I will discuss why public family planning programs and policies are needed, and the differing motivations of governments, implementers, and program designers are also discussed. Specific country‐level policy examples are given for Peru, Rwanda, and Vietnam to illustrate how public programs affected contractive use in these cases. A variety of programs are reviewed for relative success (e.g., mass media, or postpartum family planning programs). The success (and failure) stories highlight the need to be attentive to context and external validity when scaling up or adapting programs to national‐level policies. The review highlights the types of programs and policies that have been successful and the context in which the successes occurred.
Duration of food protein‐induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP) and the role of intestinal microbiota
Authors: Vallianatou G. N. , Douladiris N. , Mageiros L. , Manousakis E. , Zisaki V. , Galani M. , Xepapadaki P. , Taka S. , Papadopoulos N. G. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackgroundFood protein‐induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP) is the leading cause of rectal bleeding in infants. Tolerance is presumed to develop until the first year of age, although natural history studies are scarce, making the determination of the ideal duration for any intervention, challenging. Intestinal microbiota (IM) is crucial in food allergy development; however, data for FPIAP remain limited. This study aimed to assess FPIAP remission after 3 months of milk avoidance and its correlation with IM longitudinal changes.MethodsA prospective observational study of infants aged ≤6 months with a diagnosis of FPIAP. After 3 months of management according to a clinical algorithm, infants were subjected to a milk challenge using either a cow (CM) or a goat (GM) milk formula in a random order. Stool samples were collected longitudinally for microbiome analysis.ResultsOut of 61 infants, 57 were challenged (29 with CM, 28 with GM). Of these, 55 (96.5%) achieved tolerance, with no difference in tolerance rates between CM (28/29) and GM (27/28). The average age of tolerance development was 6.3 months. Enterobacteriaceae clusters (Klebsiella‐ and Shigella‐dominated) were most often represented in samples from symptomatic infants. In contrast, Bacteroides and Bifidobacteria clusters emerged later, in apparently healthy infants.ConclusionA 3‐month intervention was sufficient for almost all infants to achieve tolerance. GM was tolerated equally well to CM. Symptomatic FPIAP is associated with immature enterotypes, while disease remission coincides with microbiome changes in time.
Single‐cell RNA sequencing reveals a key regulator ZmEREB14 affecting shoot apex development and yield formation in maize
Authors: Ma Langlang , Zhang Na , Liu Peng , Liang Yuru , Li Ran , Yuan Guangsheng , Zou Chaoying , Chen Zhong , Lübberstedt Thomas , Pan Guangtang , Shen Yaou 
Published: December 2024

SummaryShoot apical meristem (SAM) is the origin of aerial structure formation in the plant life cycle. However, the mechanisms underlying the maize SAM development are still obscure. Here, approximately 12 700 cells were captured from the 5‐day‐old shoot apex of maize using a high‐throughput single‐cell transcriptome sequencing. According to the gene expression patterns, we partitioned the cells into 8 cell types with 13 transcriptionally distinct cell clusters and traced the developmental trajectory of shoot apex. Regulatory network analysis of transcription factors (TFs) showed that three core TFs, AP2‐EREBP‐transcription factor 14 (ZmEREB14, Zm00001d052087), MYB histone 4 (ZmMYB4) and HSF‐transcription factor 8 (ZmHSF8) potentially regulated the SAM development. Functional validation revealed that ZmEREB14 affected the SAM development and thereby regulated the maize yield formation. Our results characterised the inherent heterogeneity of SAM at single‐cell resolution and provided new insights into the mechanisms of SAM development.
Mapping the integration of adult friends into the study of close relationships and health
Authors: Vieth Grace , Rothman Alexander J. , Simpson Jeffry A. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractClose relationships are associated with many positive outcomes throughout life, including improved physical health and well‐being. Traditionally, theory and research on the health benefits of close relationships have focused on either the total amount of support perceived available within a person's entire social network or the support provided by romantic partners (Shankar et al. in Psychology and Health, 30(6), 686–698; 2015). Limited work has examined the impact of distinct relationship types, particularly friends. In this article, we address this critical gap in our current knowledge. First, we identify the features of friends and friendship networks that distinguish them from other types of adult relationships, especially romantic relationships. Second, we use the strength and strain model (Slatcher & Selcuk in Current Directions in Psychological Science, 26(1), 16–21; 2017) as a framework to consider how adult friendships might impact physical health in ways similar to but also distinct from romantic partners. Utilizing this specific model, we identify features of friendships—the size and structure of friendship networks, the norms that define friendships, and the levels of interdependence in friendships—and discuss how each feature can amplify or blunt the strengths and strains afforded by friends, including their impact on health. Finally, we provide a roadmap and identify priorities to advance research on friendships and physical health.
Far‐red light acclimation in Phaeophila dendroides (Ulvales, Ulvophyceae) isolated from a coral skeleton
Authors: Onami Chieko , Nishibori Yohei , Suda Shoichiro , Kamikawa Ryoma , Miyashita Hideaki 
Published: December 2024

SUMMARYThe light environment within a coral skeleton is rich in far‐red light (FRL) but lacks photosynthetically active radiation. Nevertheless, various algal species have been detected in these photosynthetically severe environments. We isolated the filamentous green alga Phaeophila dendroides strain Sa‐1 (Ulvales, Ulvophyceae) from a coral skeleton (Porites sp.) off Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Japan. This is the first Phaeophila strain to have been isolated from a coral skeleton. The strain grew under far‐red light‐emitting diodes (FRL‐LED) as a sole light source, as well as under white light, demonstrating that it can acclimate to FRL. We experimentally determined that cells grown under FRL‐LED alone absorbed the light by red‐shifted chlorophyll a associating with newly induced or modified light‐harvesting antenna complexes. This ability allows P. dendroides strain Sa‐1 to inhabit environments where FRL is dominant, such as the interior of coral skeletons or the surface of seaweed.
A digital therapy targeting anxiety in pulmonary fibrosis: A decentralized randomized controlled trial
Authors: Solomon Joshua J. , Hallowell Robert W. , Ganslandt Cecilia , Shull Jessica G. , Bengtsson Thomas , Ganslandt Jakob , Horton Maureen R. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackground and ObjectivePulmonary fibrosis, a manifestation of interstitial lung disease, is frequently associated with anxiety. The objective of this study, COMPANION, was to assess the anxiolytic efficacy of Almee, a digital cognitive behavioural therapy for patients with pulmonary fibrosis, compared to treatment as usual.MethodsCOMPANION was a randomized, controlled, open‐label and partly reader‐blinded, decentralized, clinical trial conducted in the United States. Eligible patients had radiology‐confirmed pulmonary fibrosis and a Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7‐item (GAD‐7) score of ≥5 (possible range 0–21). Participants were randomized 1:1 to Almee or no intervention for 9 weeks, with block stratification by anxiety severity. The primary endpoint was change in GAD‐7 score from baseline to week 9. Between 20 December 2022 and 14 August 2023, 108 participants were randomized, 54 to Almee and 54 to treatment as usual.ResultsIn each arm, 46 participants completed the study; 108 cases were analysed as intention‐to‐treat. By week 9, average GAD‐7 score had improved by 1.8 points (SEM = 2.1) in the Almee group (n = 54) and deteriorated by 0.9 points (SEM = 2.2) in the control group (n = 54), a 2.7‐point difference (95% confidence interval: 1.2–4.2, p = 0.0006).ConclusionTreatment with Almee was well‐tolerated and showed clinically meaningful improvement in pulmonary fibrosis‐related anxiety. Almee shows promise as a personalized intervention for management of the psychological burden related to living with pulmonary fibrosis.
Contraceptive Care Visit Objectives and Outcomes: Evidence From Burkina Faso, Pakistan, and Tanzania
Authors: Moucheraud Corrina , Wollum Alexandra , Brooks Mohamad , Shah Manisha , Gipson Jessica , Wagner Zachary 
Published: December 2024

AbstractGlobally, care experiences of the growing population of contraceptive users are not well‐understood. We leverage a large client dataset (n = 71,602) from three countries (Burkina Faso, Pakistan, and Tanzania) to characterize contraceptive services sought (visit objective and method preference), assess whether these visit objectives were met and for whom, and explore if visit objective fulfillment was associated with care quality. Most people in all three countries said they were seeking to continue their current method or adopt a method for the first time. Clients seeking to change their method were least likely to have their objective met: 63.7 percent of clients in Burkina Faso, 73.3 percent in Pakistan, and 61.1 percent in Tanzania who wanted to switch actually achieved this during the visit. In Burkina Faso, people with lower socioeconomic standing, lower educational attainment, and lower parity less commonly had their switching objective, fulfilled. Method preference fulfillment was generally high, although approximately 15 percent of Tanzanian clients were given implants despite wanting another method. Among those seeking to adopt or restart a method in Pakistan and Tanzania, having this visit objective fulfilled, was correlated with better perceived treatment and higher person‐centeredness of care.
Is the estimation of soil organic carbon using the colour space model, based on visible spectroscopy range, a reliable approach?
Authors: Biney James Kobina Mensah , Houška Jakub , Badreldin Nasem 
Published: December 2024

AbstractTraditionally, soil colour attributes have been determined using the Munsell Colour Chart (MCC). However, the lack of standardization with this method has made it more difficult to assess soil properties, particularly soil organic carbon (SOC). In contrast, reflectance spectroscopy (RS) across the visible (Vis, 400–800 nm), near‐infrared (NIR, 800–2500 nm) and Vis–NIR (350–2500 nm) spectral regions has been recognized as a more reliable approach for predicting SOC. As a result, soil scientists have increasingly adopted RS to obtain soil colour parameters, addressing the limitations of the MCC. However, because RS techniques for soil colour analysis is typically limited to the VIS range, key information from the NIR and Vis–NIR regions are often neglected or eliminated. This study examined the effectiveness of the VIS‐based colour approach in estimating SOC compared with spectroscopy in the VIS, NIR and Vis–NIR ranges. Fifteen soil colour parameters were derived from the VIS spectrum, and 12 colour indices were calculated from these parameters. Three multivariate models such as random forest (RF), Cubist and support vector machine regression (SVMR) were used for prediction, along with various preprocessing algorithms to remove artefacts. The results indicated that, compared with VIS spectroscopy (R2 = .54) and the VIS‐based colour method (R2 = .45), the pre‐processed Vis–NIR data produced the most accurate results (R2 = .72). This suggests that the VIS range alone lacks adequate information, likely affecting the accuracy of the VIS‐based colour dataset, as it is derived solely from this region. Although the introduction of colour indices slightly improved the VIS‐based colour approach (R2 = .47), the results were still less accurate than those obtained using both the Vis–NIR and NIR spectroscopy ranges or even the VIS range alone (R2 = .54). The findings of this study highlight the need for caution when using VIS‐based colour methods for SOC estimation, as high SOC levels information is not necessarily restricted to the VIS region.
Does Linus' Law Apply to Data Quality in Volunteered Street View Imagery (VSVI)? Mechanisms Contributing to VSVI Data Quality Improvement for Environmental Audits
Authors: Zheng Xinrui , Amemiya Mamoru 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTStreet View Imagery (SVI) is crucial for urban environmental audits. Although Volunteered Street View Imagery (VSVI) has the potential to provide higher spatial and temporal resolution than traditional SVI, the use of such user‐generated data is currently limited by the inherent spatial heterogeneity in contributions and unclear quality control. To explore the underlying mechanisms, this study focused on the validity of Linus’ law in VSVI quality improvement in terms of spatial and temporal qualities related to environmental audits, using Mapillary as an example. It is assumed that as the number of street revisits for a road increases, so does the level of data quality. Results from regression and correlation analyses show that Linus’ law applies to VSVI quality improvement with different relationships depending on quality elements and road types. Furthermore, this study determines the number of revisits required to exceed the traditional SVI or achieve a higher quality level.
Sporothrix brasiliensis as the major causative species of the zoonotic outbreak of human sporotrichosis in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: de Souza Guilherme Caldas , de Brito Euzenio Moreira , de Lima Fernandes Débora Cristina , Frota Maria Zeli Moreira , de Araújo Santos Felipe Jules , de Oliveira Ferreira Cynthia , dos Santos Silva Camila Gurgel , Nakajima Silvia Rocha , Pennini Silmara Navarro , Talhari Sinesio , Pedrosa Valderiza Lourenço , Mira Marcelo , Miot Helio Amante , Talhari Carolina , Leturiondo André Luiz 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackgroundSporotrichosis is a neglected tropical disease and the most common subcutaneous mycosis, mainly caused by Sporothrix species, particularly S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii and S. globosa, which exhibit varying biological behaviours and virulence. The epidemic of sporotrichosis in Brazil, initiated in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1990s, rapidly spread to other states, including Amazonas in 2021. This study aimed to identify the specific Sporothrix species responsible for the human sporotrichosis outbreak in the Brazilian Amazon.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted by enrolling clinically suspected cases of sporotrichosis attended at a reference dermatologic centre, in Manaus (Brazil). Biological material was collected from their skin lesions for culture (Mycosel) and for species identification (qPCR).ResultsSporothrix cultures were obtained from 150 cases. Sporotrichosis predominantly affected females (67.3%), aged 44.5 years on average, with lymphocutaneous lesions (72.7%). Sporothrix brasiliensis was identified in 89.3% of patients. Up to 83.3% of these patients reported contact with cats previously to the skin lesion, and the time‐spatial progression of the human cases followed the notification of cases in cats, in the metropolitan region of Manaus.ConclusionSporothrix brasiliensis is the dominant species in the zoonotic outbreak of human sporotrichosis in the Brazilian Amazon, with cats identified as the primary vectors. Effective sanitary control measures, education and responsible pet ownership are crucial to mitigating zoonotic sporotrichosis' impact in Brazil and preventing its spread to neighbouring Latin American cities.
On the smooth Whitney fibering conjecture
Authors: Murolo C. , du Plessis A. , Trotman D. J. A. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractWe improve upon the first Thom–Mather isotopy theorem for Whitney stratified sets. In particular, for the more general Bekka stratified sets we show that there is a local foliated structure with continuously varying tangent spaces, thus proving the smooth version of the Whitney fibering conjecture. A regular wing structure is also shown to exist locally, for Bekka stratifications. The proofs involve integrating carefully chosen controlled distributions of vector fields. As an application of our main theorem, we show the density of the subset of strongly topologically stable mappings in the space of all smooth quasi‐proper mappings between smooth manifolds, an improvement of a theorem of Mather.
Nonabelian basechange theorems and étale homotopy theory
Authors: Haine Peter J. , Holzschuh Tim , Wolf Sebastian 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis paper has two main goals. First, we prove nonabelian refinements of basechange theorems in étale cohomology (i.e., prove analogues of the classical statements for sheaves of spaces). Second, we apply these theorems to prove a number of results about the étale homotopy type. Specifically, we prove nonabelian refinements of the smooth basechange theorem, Huber–Gabber affine analogue of the proper basechange theorem, and Fujiwara–Gabber rigidity theorem. Our methods also recover Chough's nonabelian refinement of the proper basechange theorem. Transporting an argument of Bhatt–Mathew to the nonabelian setting, we apply nonabelian proper basechange to show that the profinite étale homotopy type satisfies arc‐descent. Using nonabelian smooth and proper basechange and descent, we give rather soft proofs of a number of Künneth formulas for the étale homotopy type.