bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gill morphology of two killifish species acclimated to the extreme euryhaline environment: A histological and ultrastructural analysis (Actinopterygii: Aphaniidae)
Authors: Motamedi Mina , Ahmadi Sanaz , Teimori Azad 
Published: December 2024

AbstractKillifishes (family Aphaniidae) in southern Iran demonstrate long‐time acclimation to extreme euryhaline environments. This study provides a detailed histological and ultrastructural characterization of gill morphology in two sympatric endemic aphaniids, Aphaniops furcatus and Aphaniops hormuzensis, inhabiting an ecologically extreme environment in southern Iran. Specimens were collected from the Khurgu hot‐sulphuric spring in the Hormozgan River System which drains into the Persian Gulf, and examined using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both species exhibited gill structures typical of teleosts, with primary and secondary lamellae essential for efficient gas exchange. In A. furcatus, gills displayed variations linked to size and gender, with numerous secondary lamellae and a variety of epithelial cells, including squamous, chloride, mucus, blood, and pillar cells. Air exposure led to interlamellar cell masses (ILCM) growth, reducing the lamellae surface area. In A. hormuzensis, gill arches featured a double row of primary filaments with secondary lamellae facilitating oxygen exchange, supported by pillar cells and dense distribution of mucous cells throughout the epithelium. The study highlights the adaptive mechanisms of A. furcatus in response to fluctuating environmental conditions and underscores the evolutionary conservation of gill morphology among teleosts. These findings provide crucial insights into respiratory efficiency and ecological adaptability, emphasizing eco‐evolutionary acclimation to extreme aquatic habitats.
Addressing the role of technology in internationalization at a distance: Voices of students' in international distance learning from Ghana—sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Kumi‐Yeboah Alex , Kim YangHyun , Mohammed Zacharia , Amponsah Samuel 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe past two decades have witnessed a surge of distance learning in higher education across the world. Scholars have argued that this is due to the increasing use and recognition of technologies to act as a means, channel and source for internationalization of knowledge. Further, internationalization at a distance (IaD) has seen a rapid increase in universities in Ghana, sub‐Saharan Africa, due to increased use of digital technologies and high demand for foreign education. Yet, there remains limited research about the role of technologies in facilitating and mediating IaD in countries in sub‐Saharan Africa. Moreover, few studies have explored students' experiences in IaD regarding prospects and challenges in Ghana, sub‐Saharan Africa. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to explore students' experiences and voices regarding the role of technologies in facilitating and mediating distance learning including students' critical reflections on the technological shift of IaD in higher education (including the COVID‐19 pandemic period) in Ghana. Data were collected following a qualitative research design via an in‐depth semistructured interview of 28 students (16 females and 12 males) enrolled in IaD learning program in three foreign universities (two in the United Kingdom and one in the United States). Data analyses were done via a constant comparative approach. Findings showed that students experienced enhanced quality of learning through the varied use of technologies such as Zoom, Team and Google Hangouts. However, students faced challenges such as unequal access to technologies, intermittent Internet connections/outages, high cost of tuition and lack of social and teaching engagement. These findings in many ways contribute to a new understanding and knowledge building of students' experiences and challenges of IaD in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic?

The number of students in internationalization at a distance (IaD) education programs is increasing alongside the development of digital technologies and the expansion of digital infrastructure.
Increasing demands for higher education in sub‐Saharan Africa have led to an increase in the number of students from Ghana in IaD.
What this paper adds?

Ghanaian students in IaD benefited from the use of various digital technologies, improving their engagement and facilitating the acquisition of digital skills.
They faced barriers in accessing digital technologies and Internet connectivity.
Implications for practice and/or policy

Pretraining programs and workshops to enhance students' digital skills before starting distance education could be beneficial for Global South students in IaD.
Education provider should support the access to digital technologies and Internet connectivity of Global South students in IaD.
Contextualizing prophylactic red blood cell antigen matching in the lifelong care of sickle cell disease and thalassaemia patients
Authors: Gehrie Eric A. , Booth Garrett S. 
Published: December 2024

Alloimmunization to minor red blood cell antigens has been linked to patient morbidity and mortality, especially among people living with sickle cell disease and transfusion‐dependent thalassaemia. Prophylactic antigen matching is commonly used to prevent alloimmunization, but the evidence supporting this common practice is very limited. The report by Wolf et al. summarizes the latest literature on this topic and importantly finds that there is insufficient evidence to recommend prophylactic extended antigen matching (beyond ABO, RhD, RhCcEe and K). In an era of chronic blood shortages, this approach may help to assure patient access to elective surgery and cellular therapies, while preserving the supply of extensively antigen‐matched red cells for patients with specific needs.Commentary on: Wolf et al. Red cell specifications for blood group matching in patients with haemoglobinopathies: An updated systematic review and clinical practice guideline from the International Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine Guidelines. Br J Haematol 2025; 206:94‐108.
The Labour Share and Corporate Financialization: Evidence From Publicly Listed Firms
Authors: Guschanski Alexander , Onaran Özlem 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThis article examines the impact of corporate financialization on the labour share using data for publicly listed non‐financial corporations across 14 European countries. We test hypotheses derived from industrial relations literature on financialization against competing explanations for the labour share decline based on technological change and market concentration. Our findings show that increased dividend and interest payments, as well as financial profits, are associated with a fall in the labour share. These results support theories linking corporate financialization to rising overhead costs, shareholder‐value orientation and increasing exit options for capital. We find no evidence that technological progress drives the decline in the labour share. While market concentration negatively correlates with the labour share, concentration has decreased during our sample period, suggesting that ‘superstar firms’ are also not the primary driver of changes in functional income distribution.
Chronic Leg Ulcerations and Subcutaneous Panniculitis due to Dermal Herpes Zoster in an Immunosuppressed Woman
Authors: Al‐Dojaily Yasir , Omesiete Wilson , Flowers R. Hal , Gradecki Sarah E. , Lim Olivia V. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTHerpes zoster (HZ) is a cutaneous viral disease that typically presents with a dermatomal vesicular eruption. Immunosuppressed patients are more likely to have atypical HZ involving chronic ulceration and disseminated distribution, making diagnosis a challenge. The current report describes a unique case of HZ in a woman with systemic lupus on immunosuppressive therapy manifesting as persistent lower extremity ulceration with diffuse dermal and endothelial infection and secondary panniculitis without epidermal involvement. Other potential etiologies were thoroughly excluded. The ulceration successfully responded to several weeks of valacyclovir. Recognizing atypical clinicopathologic manifestations of HZ in the setting of immune compromise is critical to accurate diagnosis and prompt therapy.
Differences in Tri‐Trophic Community Responses to Temperature‐Dependent Vital Rates, Thermal Niche Mismatches and Temperature‐Size Rule
Authors: Dijoux Samuel , Smalås Aslak , Primicerio Raul , Boukal David S. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTWarming climate impacts aquatic ectotherms by changes in individual vital rates and declines in body size, a phenomenon known as the temperature‐size rule (TSR), and indirectly through altered species interactions and environmental feedbacks. The relative importance of these effects in shaping community responses to environmental change is incompletely understood. We employ a tri‐trophic food chain model with size‐ and temperature‐dependent vital rates and species interaction strengths to explore the role of direct kinetic effects of temperature and TSR on community structure along resource productivity and temperature gradients. We find that community structure, including the propensity for sudden collapse along resource productivity and temperature gradients, is primarily driven by the direct kinetic effects of temperature on vital rates and thermal mismatches between the consumer and predator species, overshadowing the TSR‐mediated effects. Overall, our study enhances the understanding of the complex interplay between temperature, species traits and community dynamics in aquatic ecosystems.
Dysphagia increases the risk of post‐stroke fatigue
Authors: Karisik Anel , Moelgg Kurt , Buergi Lucie , Scherer Lukas , Schneider Theresa , Dejakum Benjamin , Komarek Silvia , Boehme Christian , Toell Thomas , Pechlaner Raimund , Sollereder Simon , Rossi Sonja , Eller Michael Thomas , Schoenherr Gudrun , Lang Wilfried , Kiechl Stefan , Knoflach Michael , Mayer‐Suess Lukas ,   for the STROKE‐CARD study group
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackgroundPost‐stroke dysphagia is known to have a pronounced effect on mortality and quality of life of stroke patients. Here, we investigate whether this extends to post‐stroke fatigue, a major contributor to morbidity after ischemic stroke.MethodsPatients with acute ischemic stroke (recruited consecutively in the STROKE‐CARD Registry from 2020 to 2023 at the study center Innsbruck, Austria) were examined for dysphagia via clinical swallowing examination at hospital admission. Post‐stroke fatigue was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at study specific in person follow‐up visits within the first year after ischemic stroke.ResultsAmong 882 ischemic stroke patients (mean age 72.4 ± 13.5 years, 36.8% females), dysphagia was present in 22.0% at hospital admission and persisted in 16.2% until hospital discharge. Post‐stroke fatigue affected 52.2% of the total cohort during follow‐up and was significantly more prevalent among those with dysphagia (68.4% vs. 49.0%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of fatigue increased with the severity of dysphagia, with the highest proportion (86.7%) in those with severe dysphagia. After multivariable adjustment for other factors associated with post‐stroke fatigue, including age, sex, pre‐stroke disability, cognitive impairment, stroke severity, inability to walk at discharge, and need for antidepressants at discharge, dysphagia remained independently associated with post‐stroke fatigue during the first year after stroke (odds ratio [OR]: 2.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22–3.38).ConclusionsDysphagia is common after ischemic stroke and increases the risk of post‐stroke fatigue. Patient‐tailored measures are warranted to reduce fatigue after stroke and therefore enhance quality of life.
Improving Fatigue Life Prediction of Natural Rubber Using a Physics‐Informed Neural Network Model
Authors: Sun Yingshuai , Liu Xiangnan , Yang Qing , Liu Xuelai , He Kuanfang 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTTraditional physical models and purely data‐driven approaches often struggle with small sample sizes and the complex effects of strain ratios. To overcome these challenges, this study integrates physical principles with machine learning techniques to improve fatigue life predictions for natural rubber (NR). A uniaxial fatigue test on NR was performed, generating data to construct a physical model. A physics‐informed neural network (PINN) model was subsequently developed, utilizing the fatigue life predicted by the physical model, along with engineering strain amplitude and strain ratio as input variables, whereas the experimentally observed fatigue life served as the output variable. The accuracy of the physical model, a data‐driven model, and the proposed PINN model was evaluated by comparing their predictions against measured fatigue life data. The findings demonstrate that the PINN model significantly enhances prediction accuracy, with its fatigue life estimates consistently falling within 1.5 times the measured values.
Habitat Changes at the Local Scale Have Major Impacts on Waterfowl Populations Across a Migratory Flyway
Authors: de Felipe Miguel , Amat Juan A. , Arroyo José Luis , Rodríguez Rubén , Díaz‐Paniagua Carmen 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTMigratory waterbirds are experiencing severe declines worldwide due to habitat loss. Their life cycles often span different countries and continents, highlighting the need for safeguarding wetland networks along migratory flyways. However, there are gaps in understanding how changes in specific sites can impact species at the biogeographical scale. Here we used a wetland of international importance (the Guadalquivir marshes, SW Spain) as a case study to investigate the causes and consequences at the flyway scale of annual changes in wintering waterbird assemblages. To do so, we combined 38 years of local and international waterfowl winter counts, environmental and remote sensing data encompassing 432 Ramsar sites, and a functional approach through structural equation modelling (SEM). We show that the environmental conditions experienced by wintering waterfowl in the study area were correlated with changes in their biogeographical populations in the East Atlantic Flyway. We found that during the last 40 years, the waterfowl assemblage wintering at the Guadalquivir marshes has shifted from a community composed mainly by herbivores and pre‐Saharan dabbling granivores, to the current one dominated by Trans‐Saharan dabbling granivores. Declines in 9/15 of the species studied were associated with the deterioration of the Doñana National Park natural marshes, whereas changes in the remnant six species responded mainly to global factors, such as the increase in winter temperatures in other areas of their distribution range. These results underscore the importance of considering global factors and flyway population data when interpreting regional trends of migratory animals. But also, that changes in specific wetlands can have measurable global impacts. Being that the long‐term persistence of migratory animals in a changing world entails the protection and integrity of migratory flyways beyond national borders.
Defects in the H3t Gene Cause an Increase in Leydig Cells With Impaired Spermatogenesis in Mice
Authors: Wu Qianmei , Ito Miho , Fujii Takeru , Tanaka Kaori , Nakatani Kohta , Izumi Yoshihiro , Bamba Takeshi , Baba Takashi , Maehara Kazumitsu , Tomimatsu Kosuke , Takemoto Tatsuya , Ohkawa Yasuyuki , Harada Akihito 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTAbnormalities in spermatogenesis, a fundamental component of male reproductive function, can cause male infertility. Somatic cells constituting the testis microenvironment are essential for controlling normal spermatogenesis. Although testicular somatic cells are thought to sense and respond to germ cells to ensure proper spermatogenesis, the details of this signaling mechanism are unknown. Here, we investigated somatic cell dynamics in testicular tissue lacking spermatogenesis using the mice with deletion of the testis‐specific histone H3 variant gene H3t. Testicular tissue sections of H3tΔ/Δ mice exhibited an increased interstitial area compared with those of wild‐type mice, which was primarily attributed to an increase in Leydig cell numbers. Furthermore, this increase in Leydig cells led to increased testosterone synthesis, which occurred alongside cellular senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase activity. These findings suggest that Leydig cells monitor the progress of spermatogenesis and possess a mechanism to promote functional germ cell formation.
GBA+ in Canada's immigration system: Opportunities and limitations
Authors: Baglay Sasha 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis exploratory study investigates the use of Gender‐based Analysis Plus (GBA+) in Canada's immigration programme development. The objectives of the article are as follows: first, to provide insight into the structures within the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that support GBA+ and understand how it is applied in practice; second, to evaluate the transformative potential of GBA+ in this context. Drawing on IRCC's policy, guidelines, Annual Reports to Parliament and self‐assessments, the article makes a preliminary finding that GBA+ is unlikely to prompt transformation of key tenets of the immigration system, but it can stimulate incremental changes, particularly in areas that are already more responsive to systemic barriers (such as the refugee class). However, more in‐depth study is needed into the IRCC's culture and attitude towards GBA+ as well as full content analysis of GBA+ of a larger sample of recent initiatives.
Ecohydrological Response of a Tropical Peatland to Rainfall Changes Driven by Intertropical Convergence Zone Variability
Authors: Swindles Graeme T. , Whitney Bronwen S. , Gałka Mariusz , Mullan Donal J. , Low Rob , Gallego‐Sala Angela , Lopez R. Omar , Kilbride Elliot , Graham Conor , Baird Andy J. 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTAimTropical peatlands are globally significant carbon stores, increasingly threatened by human activities and climate change. However, their ecohydrological responses to shifting water availability remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the connections between climate change, hydrology and vegetation dynamics in a coastal tropical peatland in Panama, aiming to understand the effects of future drying on peatland dynamics.LocationBocas del Toro, Panama (9°22′54″N, 82°21′59″W).TaxonAngiosperms.MethodsHigh‐resolution multiproxy palaeoecological data, including pollen and plant macrofossils (vegetation), testate amoebae (water‐table depth) and physical peat properties, are used to explore the relationships between climate change, hydrology and vegetation in a coastal tropical peatland over the past 700 years. Downscaled climate simulations are integrated with this process‐based understanding to project the likely future responses of this coastal peatland to climate change.ResultsWe identify a clear connection between precipitation variability, driven by shifts in the Intertropical Convergence Zone and water‐table dynamics, which subsequently influence changes in the peatland vegetation mosaic. Historical drier periods are marked by the expansion of shrub communities into the open peatland plain.Main ConclusionsPalaeoecological studies incorporating climate and hydrological proxies are essential for understanding both recent and future ecohydrological dynamics of tropical peatlands. Our findings suggest that in response to future climate change, water tables will lower and shrub communities will expand due to rising temperatures and reduced precipitation. Additionally, future sea‐level rise, combined with declining rainfall, may result in seawater intrusion and significant vegetation shifts in coastal tropical peatlands.
Citizen Observations Shed New Light on Geographic Variation in Colour Polymorphism of a Widespread Reptile
Authors: Jansen Niels , Pruijn Nick , Mayer Martin 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTAimColour polymorphism within ectothermic species and populations is shaped by multiple selection pressures that can vary geographically. Here, we tested different hypotheses to better understand this variation in colour polymorphism. The thermal melanism hypothesis predicts that darker colouration is beneficial in colder regions, due to enhanced heat absorption, while the predation pressure hypothesis predicts that melanistic individuals are exposed to a higher predation risk because they are more visible to predators. Additionally, temperature, land cover and predation pressure could interact to influence colour morph frequencies due to trade‐offs regarding thermoregulation and predation risk.LocationEurasia.TaxonEuropean adder (Vipera berus).MethodsWe compiled a dataset of > 7000 citizen observations across the entire distribution of the European adder, scoring adder colouration to test the above‐mentioned hypotheses concerning geographic variation in colour polymorphism, using Bayesian generalised nonlinear regression models.ResultsWe found support for the thermal melanism hypothesis, with the frequency of melanism increasing in colder regions. Moreover, in colder areas, the proportion of melanistic snakes increased with avian predator density, whereas this pattern was weaker in warmer areas, potentially because melanistic snakes spend less time basking and therefore experience reduced predation rates compared to brown and grey snakes. Finally, we found the proportion of melanistic individuals to decline at higher elevations (> 1000 m), potentially due to increased access to basking opportunities or because higher elevations facilitate easier detection of melanistic snakes by predators.Main ConclusionsCombined, our results emphasise the large potential of citizen observations to obtain novel insights concerning biogeographic patterns of morphological divergence in colouration. Our findings increase the understanding of the underlying mechanisms affecting colour polymorphism in ectothermic animals, providing valuable information to predict how species might respond to global change.