bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Stable oxygen isotopes reveal different thermal regimes during the Early Pliocene in the southern North Sea Basin: a multi-species approach
Authors: Cudennec Jean-François , Schöne Bernd R , Leng Melanie , Harper Elizabeth M , Gofas Serge , Wesselingh Frank P , Johnson Andrew L A 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACT
Oxygen stable isotope (δ18O) analysis of marine biogenic carbonates is widely used to study the temperature at which the hard parts precipitated. This technique enables investigation of the environmental conditions experienced by carbonate-shelled organisms throughout their life. We used this approach on four bivalve species from the Coralline Crag Formation (Early Pliocene; UK), where warm- and cold-associated species co-occur in the Ramsholt Member. Our results reveal species-specific differences in reconstructed temperature. Two distinct climatic settings were identified: a cold setting with seafloor temperatures of 7.3 °C in winter and 12.4 °C in summer, and a warm one with seafloor temperatures of 10.4 °C in winter to above 14 °C in summer. These absolute temperatures were calculated using a modelled value of seawater δ18O (+0.1‰) that is open to question, but the disparity in temperatures exists whatever value is used. Interestingly, the reconstructed temperatures for some of the studied species align with those of their modern relatives: Arctica islandica records the coldest temperatures in this dataset, while Centrocardita squamulosa ampla indicates warmer conditions. Aequipecten opercularis, a eurythermal pectinid, exhibited the broadest range of temperatures. The interval during which the Coralline Crag was deposited (c. 4.4‒3.8 Ma) is generally regarded as relatively warm. However, the presence of A. islandica and the absolute seawater temperatures derived from shell δ18O suggest the occurrence of sufficiently long cool periods for the establishment and survival of this long-lived species. Data from specimens of C. squamulosa ampla and A. islandica collected from a single bed point to glacial/interglacial-type climate fluctuation. These results confirm that the presence of A. islandica is a marker for cold temperate environments. These results also confirm that assemblage information is not sufficient to determine palaeoclimatic conditions, and that reconstructed temperatures from shell δ18O can reveal time-averaging in fossil shell beds.
Presidential legislative initiatives under semi-presidentialism: What accounts for their success and failure?
Authors: Jastramskis Mažvydas , Pukelis Lukas , Palujanskaitė Miglė 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Few presidents in Europe have the power to propose legislation directly to Parliament. Accordingly, presidential legal initiatives in Europe are not very well researched or understood. This paper seeks to address this research gap by providing an analysis of presidential legal initiatives in Lithuania. We have assembled a dataset of all the presidential legal initiatives proposed in Lithuania since 1993. Using this dataset, we find that factors in the political environment significantly affect the success of presidential legislative initiatives. Additionally, we find that the success of these initiatives partly depends on policy content, as initiatives in foreign and defense policy, on average, tend to be more successful. Lastly, non-partisan presidents in Lithuania become more successful over time; our results suggest a consolidation of consultation mechanisms between the presidents and the legislature.
Accumulation of acyl plastoquinol and triacylglycerol in six cyanobacterial species with different sets of genes encoding type-2 diacylglycerol acyltransferase-like proteins
Authors: Tanikawa Riko , Sakaguchi Haruna , Ishikawa Toshiki , Hihara Yukako 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Recently, acyl plastoquinol (APQ) and plastoquinone-B (PQ-B), which are fatty acid esters of plastoquinol and plastoquinone-C respectively, have been identified as the major neutral lipids in cyanobacteria. In Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Slr2103 having homology with the eukaryotic enzyme for triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis, diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2), was identified as responsible for the synthesis of these plastoquinone-related lipids. On the other hand, TAG synthesis in cyanobacteria remains controversial due to the low accumulation level within cyanobacterial cells together with the high contamination level from the environment. In this study, to quantify more precisely and elucidate the relationship between the accumulation of neutral lipids and the presence or absence of DGAT2-like genes, plastoquinone-related lipids and TAG were analyzed directly from total lipids of six cyanobacterial species with different sets of genes encoding DGAT2-like proteins belonging to two distinct subclades. The results showed that the synthesis of these neutral lipids is highly dependent on clade A DGAT2-like proteins under the culture conditions used in this study, although accumulation level of TAG was quite low. In contrast to APQ highly abundant in saturated fatty acids, the fatty acid composition of TAG was species-specific and partly reflected the total lipid composition. Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421, which lacks a DGAT2-like gene, accumulated APQ with a high proportion of C18:0, suggesting APQ synthesis by an unidentified acyltransferase.
Protein translation can fluidize bacterial cytoplasm
Authors: Bera Palash , Wasim Abdul , Bakshi Somenath , Mondal Jagannath 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
The cytoplasm of bacterial cells is densely packed with highly polydisperse macromolecules that exhibit size-dependent glassy dynamics. Recent research has revealed that metabolic activities in living cells can counteract the glassy nature of these macromolecules, allowing the cell to maintain critical fluidity for its growth and function. While it has been proposed that the crowded cytoplasm is responsible for this glassy behavior, a detailed analysis of the size-dependent nature of the glassy dynamics and an explanation for how cellular activity induces its fluidization remains elusive. Here, we use a combination of computational models and targeted experiments to show that entropic segregation of the protein synthesis machinery from the chromosomal DNA causes size-dependent spatial organization of molecules within the cell, and the resultant crowding leads to size-dependent glassy dynamics. Furthermore, Brownian dynamics simulations of this in silico system supports a new hypothesis: protein synthesis in living cells contributes to the metabolism-dependent fluidization of the cytoplasm. The main protein synthesis machinery, ribosomes, frequently shift between fast and slow diffusive states. These states correspond to the independent movement of ribosomal subunits and the actively translating ribosome chains called polysomes, respectively. Our simulations demonstrate that the frequent transitions of the numerous ribosomes, which constitute a significant portion of the cell proteome, greatly enhance the mobility of other macromolecules within the bacterial cytoplasm. Considering that ribosomal protein synthesis is the largest consumer of ATP in growing bacterial cells, the translation process can serve as the primary mechanism for fluidizing the cytoplasm in metabolically active cells.
Insights into the regulation of CHIP E3 ligase-mediated ubiquitination of neuronal protein BNIP-H
Authors: Shankar Srihari , Liu Yaochen , Tulsian Nikhil Kumar , Low Boon C , Lin Qingsong , Sivaraman J 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19-kDa protein-interacting protein 2 homolog (BNIP-H or Caytaxin), a pivotal adaptor protein that facilitates cerebellar cortex growth and synaptic transmission, is posttranslationally modified to regulate neuronal function. This study reports the ubiquitination of BNIP-H by Carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-Interacting Protein (CHIP), a U-box containing E3 ligase that is also regulated via autoubiquitination. Specifically, it was observed that CHIP autoubiquitinated itself primarily at Lys23 and Lys31 in vitro. Mutation of these residues shows the autoubiquitination of successive lysines of CHIP. In total, nine lysines on CHIP were identified as the autoubiquitination sites, the collective mutation of which almost completely terminated its autoubiquitination. Additionally, CHIP-mediated ubiquitination of BNIP-H is completely inhibited when BNIP-H bears arginine mutations at four key lysine residues. Next, using hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, a model of a plausible mechanism was proposed. The model suggests transient N-terminal interactions between the CHIP and BNIP-H which allows for the swinging of U-box domain of CHIP to ubiquitinate BNIP-H. Following complex dissociation, BNIP-H population is regulated via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Collectively, these results aid in our understanding of CHIP-mediated BNIP-H ubiquitination and provide further insight into the roles of these proteins in neuritogenesis and neurotransmission.
Optimizing the Accuracy and Precision of the Minimal Detectable Change Statistic: Secondary Analysis of Test-retest Data From the NIH Toolbox Study
Authors: Graber Jeremy , Loyd Brian J , Hoogeboom Thomas J , Miller Caitlin J , Kittelson Andrew J 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Objective
The minimal detectable change (MDC) statistic is often used by clinicians to monitor change in patients. However, the way in which the MDC is traditionally calculated might be suboptimal in terms of accuracy and precision, potentially resulting in erroneous clinical decisions. This study compared the performance of the MDC statistic as traditionally calculated to that of 2 regression-based alternatives.

Methods
This analysis used test-retest data from adults who participated in usual walking speed (n = 169) or grip strength (n = 178) assessments as part of the NIH Toolbox Study. Three approaches for MDC calculation were compared: the traditional approach (MDCTrad), simple linear regression (MDCSLR), and generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (MDCGAMLSS). These approaches were compared in terms of accuracy and precision across all levels of measurement and separately for initial test values above and below the median.

Results
Each of the 3 approaches accurately modeled detectable change thresholds when performance was averaged across all test values. However, MDCTrad demonstrated inaccuracies when performance was considered separately for initial test values below or above the median. For walking speed, average precision improved by 12% with MDCSLR and 16% with MDCGAMLSS, compared to MDCTrad. For grip strength, average precision improved by 3% with MDCSLR and 21% with MDCGAMLSS, compared to MDCTrad.

Conclusion
MDCSLR and MDCGAMLSS appeared to more accurately and precisely model detectable change thresholds, compared to MDCTRAD. In general, MDCGAMLSS demonstrated the best overall performance in this within-sample analysis.

Impact
Improved precision and accuracy in detectable change thresholds for walking speed or grip strength might facilitate clinicians’ ability to promptly detect a decline in function and intervene and to confidently detect improvements in function over time.

Lay Summary
This study compared the performance of the MDC statistic as traditionally calculated to 2 regression-based alternatives.
68Ga-FAPI and 18F-NaF PET/CT in psoriatic arthritis: a comparative study
Authors: Yang Fan , Lu Chaofan , Pan Qingqing , Zhang Rui , Yang Meng , Wang Qian , Li Mengtao , Zeng Xiaofeng , Luo Yaping , Leng Xiaomei 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Objectives
As fibroblast-like synoviocyte activation and bone formation are associated with PsA, PET using the tracers of 68Ga-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) and 18F-sodium fluoride (NaF) may sensitively detect the disease. In this prospective study, we aimed to evaluate the performance of 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT in PsA and to compare it with 18F-NaF PET/CT.

Methods
Sixteen participants (female 7/16, age 42.31 ± 10.66 years) with PsA were prospectively enrolled and underwent dual-tracer PET/CT, clinical assessment and ultrasonography. PET/CT images were scored for PET-positive lesions at the peripheral joints, entheses, and axial joints.

Results
The positivity rate of 68Ga-FAPI in peripheral joints was higher than that in entheses and axial joints (21.84% vs 12.15% vs 0%), whereas high positivity rates of 18F-NaF in peripheral joints, entheses, and axial joints were observed (85.23%, 78.13% and 75%, respectively). The DAS 28 was higher in the PET-positive than in the PET-negative group with 68Ga-FAPI (5.25 ± 1.84 vs 2.55 ± 0.94, P = 0.037), but not with 18F-NaF. In addition, the PET joint count at 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT was positively correlated with the tender joint count (r = 0.604, P = 0.017), swollen joint count (r = 0.773, P = 0.001), DAS28-CRP (r = 0.556, P = 0.032), Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Activity Score (PASDAS) (r = 0.540, P = 0.038) and PsASon13 (r = 0.701, P = 0.005), while no correlation was observed in 18F-NaF PET/CT.

Conclusion
The positivity rates of 68Ga-FAPI- and 18F-NaF PET/CT were different in patients with PsA in peripheral joints, entheses, and axial joints. The extent of joint involvement as shown in 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT correlated with clinical and US variables as well as with disease activity.

Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, http://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05686876.
Pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis: can sex play a role?
Authors: Koletsos Nikolaos , Kaltsonoudis Evripidis , Trentzidis Konstantinos , Pelechas Elftherios , Gerolymatou Nafsika , Memi Tereza , Voulgari Paraskevi V 
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare and complex autoimmune disease with significant complications. During the past few years, research interest has focused on the differences between female and male patients. However, there is a lack of data regarding the role of sex in the presence of small airway disease (SAD). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of sex on pulmonary involvement in a cohort of SSc patients, focusing primarily on small airways.

Methods
For this retrospective study, consecutive patients with a diagnosis of SSc that visited our department up to January 2024 were recruited. Demographic data, disease manifestations, serological profile and internal organ involvement were compared between the two groups.

Results
In total, 393 patients (female-to-male ratio 6:1) were included. Median time to diagnosis after the onset of Raynaud’s was significantly longer for female patients. Electrocardiogram abnormalities were more common in male patients, while telangiectasias, calcinosis and arthralgias were more common in female individuals. Moreover, male SSc patients exhibited a higher prevalence of ILD and shorter time until the diagnosis of ILD. However, female individuals demonstrated a lower maximal-mid expiratory flow rate (MMEF) and higher ratio of residual volume to total lung capacity. Interestingly, sex remained an independent predictor of MMEF, in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusion
Our results showed that, although ILD is more common in male SSc patients, SAD was more prevalent among female individuals. Importantly, female sex remained an independent predictor of SAD. This study further supports the presence of sex-related differences in SSc, with important implications in disease course and management.
The politics of missions: a gloomy perspective
Authors: Molica Francesco 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
This article discusses the so far understudied role of politics in the development of transformative innovation policies (TIPs) and mission-oriented innovation policies (MOIPs). The topic is explored through four dimensions foreshadowing critical bottlenecks and obstacles which are somewhat neglected by the current scholarly discussion around TIPs and MOIPs. The first dimension concerns the relationship to the historical time of different political visions, affecting their inclination towards the transformative ambition of TIPs and MOIPs. The second pertains to the exercise of power and its relation to TIPs and MOIPs’ emphasis on distributed agency and participation. The third addresses the capacity to deliver policy changes, a key precondition for TIPs and MOIPs. Finally, the fourth dimension relates to how political systems deal with diverse values and beliefs, essential for the experimental nature of TIPs and MOIPs. The article concludes that the current trend towards conservatism, centralization, and political polarization in many advanced economies challenges the effective adoption and deployment of TIPs and MOIPs.
Status Threat, Meritocracy, and the Politics of Solidarity in the Seoul Subway
Authors: Kang Youbin 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
How do educational credentials, status beliefs, and the labor process influence solidarity? In response to pro-labor employment policies that aimed at reversing precarious outsourcing contracts in the Seoul Subway, a cohort of younger, educated workers organized in opposition. Although their efforts were unsuccessful, the opposition marks a surprising shift in trade unionism. Drawing from archival research, ethnographic observations, and 60 interviews, I find that status anxieties were key drivers of the countermovement. This group of workers rejected the traditional “solidarity” approach in favor of a “skills” approach, citing the violation of meritocratic ideals habituated in educational systems and enabled in smaller, more independent work settings. Using employment data from the transit authority, I show how the resulting politics of skills classifications reiterates and reproduces extant gender and age inequalities of the workplace. This paper provides a workplace-specific case study of the conditions under which cultural beliefs about stratification take hold and raises questions about the fairness and effectiveness of relying on credentialing and education as tools for social mobility, given their role in perpetuating structural inequalities.
Are Modern Cryptic Species Detectable in the Fossil Record? A Case Study on Agamid Lizards
Authors: Ramm Till , Gray Jaimi A , Hipsley Christy A , Hocknull Scott , Melville Jane , Müller Johannes 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Comparisons of extant and extinct biodiversity are often dependent on objective morphology-based identifications of fossils and assume a well-established and comparable taxonomy for both fossil and modern taxa. However, since many modern (cryptic) species are delimitated mainly via external morphology and/or molecular data, it is often unclear to what degree fossilized (osteological) remains allow classification to a similar level. When intraspecific morphological variation in extant taxa is poorly known, the definition of extinct species as well as the referral of fossils to extant species can be heavily biased, particularly if fossils are represented by incomplete isolated skeletal elements. This problem is especially pronounced in squamates (lizards and snakes) owing to a lack of osteological comparative knowledge for many lower taxonomic groups, concomitant with a recent increase of molecular studies revealing great cryptic diversity. Here, we apply a quantitative approach using 3D geometric morphometrics on 238 individuals of 14 genera of extant Australian and Papua New Guinean agamid lizards to test the value of 2 isolated skull bones (frontals and maxillae) for inferring taxonomic and ecological affinities. We further test for the consistency of intra- and interspecific morphological variability of these elements as a proxy for extinct taxonomic richness. We show that both bones are diagnostic at the generic level, and both can infer microhabitat and are of paleoecological utility. However, species-level diversity is likely underestimated by both elements, with ~30–40% of species pairs showing no significant differences in shape. Mean intraspecific morphological variability is largely consistent across species and bones and thus a useful proxy for extinct species diversity. Reducing sample size and landmark completeness to approximate fossil specimens led to decreased classification accuracy and increased variance of morphological disparity, raising further doubts on the transferability of modern species borders to the fossil record of agamids. Our results highlight the need to establish appropriate levels of morphology-based taxonomic or ecological groupings prior to comparing extant and extinct biodiversity.
Phylogenetic analysis of Neotropical Dryinus using morphological characters: new proposed classification for species groups and description of a new genus (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae)
Authors: Martins André L , Melo Gabriel A R 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Dryinus is a cosmopolitan genus and the most diverse group within Dryininae. Herein, we present the first phylogenetic analyses for species groups of Dryinus from the Neotropical region, including three extant genera of Dryininae, one fossil, and a rich taxon sampling of extant species. A total of 116 characters were coded to 42 terminal taxa, including 28 species representing Dryinus of the Neotropics. Our analyses showed that Dryinus is paraphyletic, with the two species D. caraibicus (Olmi) and D. lamellatus (Olmi) coming out separately from the remaining species. A new genus, Dirrhinodryinus, is here described to accommodate them. Based on the phylogeny, Dryinus s.s. is divided into six species groups: autumnalis, catarinae, constans, fiorii, ruficeps, and magnificus. Of the four previously recognized species groups, only two were recovered here: autumnalis and constans. Additionally, we corroborated the synonym of Megadryinus under Dryinus. Considering the evidence that the Neotropical Dryinus form an independent clade, our expectation is that the new classification proposed here will not be applicable to the fauna of other biogeographic regions.
A Typology for Rural Residency Training
Authors: Longenecker Randall , Bell Darin , Patterson Davis G. 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Until rural track program definitions were recently established in regulation and accreditation,1 there was no widely accepted classification system for rural graduate medical education (GME), making it difficult to conduct educational research, compare published results, or navigate the maze of options available to residency applicants. This typology for rural residency training, refined in use by rural medical educators, student applicants, and researchers2,3 over the past 2 decades, addresses varying degrees of required rurally located training, rural focus, and rural graduate placement outcomes. Acknowledging the range and differences across rural and frontier communities, this typology considers to be rural a geographic location that is rural by any 2 of the more than 75 federal definitions that exist (e.g., Core-Based Statistical Areas, Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes). For 8 common federal definitions, see RHIhub’s “Am I Rural?” Tool at https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/am-i-rural.