bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diurnal versus nocturnal surveys for foothill yellow‐legged frogs
Authors: Alvarez Jeff A. , Schmieg Jesse H. , Wilcox Jeffery T. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractFoothill yellow‐legged frogs (Rana boylii) are a declining species, and methodologies for assessing population occupancy have been associated with only diurnal work on the species. Diurnal visual encounter surveys are typically used to determine presence within suitable habitat; however, studies of ecologically similar species indicate a potential advantage of nocturnal surveys. At 5 sites in 4 counties in California, USA, we compared diurnal and nocturnal surveys (n = 53 paired surveys) for foothill yellow‐legged frogs, conducted 2016‐2023, to determine the value of each survey period. Generally, occupancy probabilities increased 1–22 times, detection probabilities 1–69 times, and estimated abundances 3–12 times during nocturnal versus diurnal surveys. Associated standard errors were also lower in nocturnal versus diurnal surveys. However, we noted 2 locations where diurnal surveys yielded higher detection probability or higher estimates densities compared to nocturnal surveys. We suggest that both diurnal and nocturnal surveys be required when assessing occupancy of foothill yellow‐legged frogs.
Grassland bird responses to bison and prescribed fire in restored tallgrass prairies
Authors: Del Vallé Antonio , Guiden Peter W. , Jones Holly P. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractGrazing from megaherbivores such as bison (Bison bison) and periodic fire are 2 important disturbance regimes in grassland ecosystems. In restored tallgrass prairies where these processes were previously removed, prescribed fire application and bison reintroduction are tools used by managers to recreate habitat heterogeneity formed by these disturbances. Tallgrass prairie bird communities may be indirectly affected by these disturbances, as bison and prescribed fire alter the structure of critical breeding habitat for grassland birds. The objectives of this research were to determine the effects of bison and prescribed fire on grassland breeding birds in 2 tallgrass prairie preserves in the Midwest region of the United States. We surveyed bird communities, vegetation structure, and bison activity at an Illinois preserve (n = 20 sites) and an Indiana preserve (n = 27 sites) in 2020 and 2021 and compiled a history of restoration activities (e.g., prescribed fire, planting year) at these sites. Grazing and fire disturbances affected grassland bird diversity and abundances, whereas we found little to no evidence that restoration planting age and spatiotemporal factors affected grassland bird populations. Disturbance effects often corresponded to species‐specific responses to changes in vegetation structure. Grassland‐obligate bird diversity was lower in recently burned and ungrazed management units, in comparison to unburned‐ungrazed and unburned‐grazed sites. Henslow's sparrow (Centronyx henslowii), a species known to be sensitive to recent prescribed fire, exhibited increased abundance with time since fire, an increase that was further amplified with bison presence. These results highlight the importance of applying varying levels of grazing and fire disturbance to provide variable vegetation structure to accommodate the habitat preferences of a diversity of grassland bird species. Moreover, our results indicate that bison may play a role in mediating the differing effects of variable prescribed fire frequencies on grassland bird species of concern.
A hybrid network for fiber orientation distribution reconstruction employing multi‐scale information
Authors: Yu Hanyang , Ai Lingmei , Yao Ruoxia , Li Jiahao 
Published: November 2024

AbstractBackgroundAccurate fiber orientation distribution (FOD) is crucial for resolving complex neural fiber structures. However, existing reconstruction methods often fail to integrate both global and local FOD information, as well as the directional information of fixels, which limits reconstruction accuracy. Additionally, these methods overlook the spatial positional relationships between voxels, resulting in extracted features that lack continuity. In regions with signal distortion, many methods also exhibit issues with reconstruction artifacts.PurposeThis study addresses these challenges by introducing a new neural network called Fusion‐Net.MethodsFusion‐Net comprises both the FOD reconstruction network and the peak direction estimation network. The FOD reconstruction network efficiently fuses the global and local features of the FOD, providing these features with spatial positional information through a competitive coordinate attention mechanism and a progressive updating mechanism, thus ensuring feature continuity. The peak direction estimation network redefines the task of estimating fixel peak directions as a multi‐class classification problem. It uses a direction‐aware loss function to supply directional information to the FOD reconstruction network. Additionally, we introduce a larger input scale for Fusion‐Net to compensate for local signal distortion by incorporating more global information.ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that the rich FOD features contribute to promising performance in Fusion‐Net. The network effectively utilizes these features to enhance reconstruction accuracy while incorporating more global information, effectively mitigating the issue of local signal distortion.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the feasibility of Fusion‐Net for reconstructing FOD, providing reliable references for clinical applications.
Unraveling the Intricacies of Curiosity: A Comprehensive Study of Its Measures in the Chinese Context
Authors: Tian Yan , Huang Qi , Liu Xianqing , Zhang Jiamin , Ye Yanghua , Wu Haiyan 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTCuriosity, as the strong desire to acquire new information, plays a crucial role in human behaviors. While recent research has delved into the effects, behavioral manifestations, and neural underpinnings of curiosity, the absence of standardized assessment tools for measuring curiosity may hinder advancements in this field. Here, we translated different curiosity scales into Chinese and tested each translated scale by examining its reliability and structural validity. Our results showed that the scores derived from these scales have comparable reliability to those original versions. The confirmatory factor analysis results of the curiosity scales were consistent with previous results. We also found significant associations between different types of curiosity within taxonomy and demonstrated that personality traits such as impulsive sensation seeking, intolerance of uncertainty, and openness can jointly predict trait curiosity. Additionally, we confirmed the social dimension of curiosity, showing that loneliness partially mediates the relationship between social anxiety and social curiosity. This study provides validated Chinese versions of curiosity scales and elucidates the mechanisms of curiosity from multiple perspectives, potentially advancing curiosity research in the Chinese and cross‐cultural contexts.
The disordered negatively charged C‐terminus of the large HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase HERC2 provides structural and thermal stability to the HECTC‐lobe
Authors: Waters Kelly L. , Rich Kayla J. , Schwaegerle Noah D. , Yang Tianyi , Huo Shuanghong , Spratt Donald E. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractHomologous to the C‐terminus of E6AP (HECT) and RCC1‐like domain (RLD)‐containing protein 2 (HERC2) is a large, 528 kDa E3 ubiquitin ligase that is associated with cancer, oculocutaneous albanism type 2, Prader‐Willi syndrome, and other neurological diseases. HERC2 has been found to contribute to double‐stranded DNA break repairs, tumor suppression, maintaining centrosome architecture, and ubiquitylation. The C‐terminal portion of the HECT domain (C‐lobe) of HERC2 is responsible for transferring ubiquitin to a substrate but the precise function of the other eight domains in HERC2 are unknown. Interestingly, HERC2 contains a unique and negatively charged C‐terminal tail adjoined to the C‐lobe that is predicted to act as a linker to promote interactions between HERC2 and its binding partners. This study aims to better understand the function and relevance of HERC2 in disease by investigating the structural aspects of the HERC2 C‐lobe and HERC2 C‐terminal tail using AlphaFold followed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and circular dichroism (CD). Secondary structure content analysis from MD simulations and the fully resonance assigned 1H‐15N HSQC spectra of the HERC2 C‐lobe and the isolated C‐terminal tail confirm that the C‐lobe is well‐folded but the C‐terminal tail is disordered. CD melting curves indicate that the flexible C‐terminal tail provides improved stability to the C‐lobe. Additionally, MD simulations have identified that the interaction between residues D4829 and R4728 is prevalent among the non‐bonded contacts between the tail and the C‐lobe. Overall, our results demonstrate that the negatively charged C‐terminal tail is disordered, provides stability to the C‐lobe, and may act as a flexible scaffold for protein–protein interactions.
Natural UV protectants and humectants to improve the efficiency of Steinernema carpocapsae in controlling foliar pests
Authors: Ha Bingjun , Wei Xianqin , Lu Peiyu , Qing Hui , Guo Jinxuan , Zhang Renjia , Chen Lei , Li Xingyue , Hu Bin , Wang Shuaiyu , Xu Yang , Fu Zhen , Shapiro‐Ilan David , Ruan Weibin 
Published: November 2024

AbstractBACKGROUNDEntomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are recognized as effective biocontrol agents against various soil‐dwelling pests. However, their efficacy in managing leaf pests is often constrained by factors such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation and desiccation.RESULTSWe evaluated the protective effects of five plant‐derived substances, including grape seed extract, sodium copper chlorophyllin, vitamin C, β‐carotene and lutein, on Steinernema carpocapsae upon exposure to three wavelengths of artificial ultraviolet radiation (UVA, UVB, UVC). The five protectants showed efficient protective effects. Notably, grape seed extract, sodium copper chlorophyllin and vitamin C exhibited significant protective effects on infective juveniles (IJs) even after exposure to UVC for 4, 8 and 12 h. Under natural sunlight conditions, we combined these UV protectants with three humectants and evaluated their effects on IJ viability. Orthogonal experiments revealed that the combination treatment of 0.2% grape seed extract and 0.1% fire blocking gel yielded the highest IJ survival rate. This foliar formulation was tested in the field, leading to significantly higher mortality of Tuta absoluta compared with EPNs only.CONCLUSIONOur findings suggest that the formulation containing UV protectants and humectants effectively overcome the limitations encountered in the foliar application of EPNs, thereby enhancing their potential for pest management in agricultural contexts. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
The versatility of peptide hydrogels: From self‐assembly to drug delivery applications
Authors: Heremans Julie , Ballet Steven , Martin Charlotte 
Published: November 2024

Pharmaceuticals often suffer from limitations such as low solubility, low stability, and short half‐life. To address these challenges and reduce the need for frequent drug administrations, a more efficient delivery is required. In this context, the development of controlled drug delivery systems, acting as a protective depot for the drug, has expanded significantly over the last decades. Among these, injectable hydrogels have emerged as a promising platform, especially in view of the rise of biologicals as therapeutics. Hydrogels are functional, solid‐like biomaterials, composed of cross‐linked hydrophilic polymers and high water content. Their physical properties, which closely mimic the extracellular matrix, make them suitable for various biomedical applications. This review discusses the different types of hydrogel systems and their self‐assembly process, with an emphasis on peptide‐based hydrogels. Due to their structural and functional diversity, biocompatibility, synthetic accessibility, and tunability, peptides are regarded as promising and versatile building blocks. A comprehensive overview of the variety of peptide hydrogels is outlined, with β‐sheet forming sequences being highlighted. Key factors to consider when using peptide hydrogels as a controlled drug delivery system are reviewed, along with a discussion of the main drug release mechanisms and the emerging trend towards affinity‐based systems to further refine drug release profiles.
Decentralized Robust Tracking Control of Interconnected Nonlinear‐Constrained Systems: A Dynamic Event‐Sampled Method
Authors: Zheng Wenqian , Yang Xiong 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a decentralized robust dynamic event‐sampled tracking (EST) control law for interconnected nonlinear‐constrained systems. The core of developing such a control law is to convert the original EST control problem into the event‐sampled decentralized stabilization problem of augmented interconnected systems. To address the transformed decentralized stabilization problem, an indirect approach relying on the optimal control methodology is proposed. Initially, a group of cost functions are constructed for the nominal subsystems related to the augmented interconnected systems. Then, the dynamic event‐sampling mechanisms are introduced for lessening the computational burden. Meanwhile, the event‐sampled Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equations (ES‐HJBEs) are proposed for the augmented interconnected systems. To approximately solve the ES‐HJBEs, the critic approximators are used with their parameters tuned under the reinforcement learning framework. After that, the uniform ultimate boundedness of the tracking errors and the approximators' parameter estimation errors are assured based on the Lyapunov theorem. Finally, a nonlinear plant is provided to validate the decentralized robust dynamic EST control law.
Does financial inclusion enhance farmers' resilience to climate change? Evidence from rural Ethiopia
Authors: Negera Mebratu , Alemu Tekie , Hagos Fitsum , Haileslassie Amare 
Published: November 2024

AbstractFinancial inclusion is recognized as a vital driver of sustainable development and serves as a fundamental pillar of climate action. It is crucial to enhance the climate resilience of smallholder farmers in the face of severe and unpredictable climate shocks, which disproportionately affect them. However, the level of financial inclusion in Ethiopia remains low, and its impact on the climate resilience of smallholder farmers has not been thoroughly examined using rigorous model and comprehensive dataset. This study investigates the impact of financial inclusion on the climate resilience of rural households, using a large data set from the Ethiopian Socio‐Economic Survey. The principal component analysis was applied to construct a climate resilience index. The financial inclusion was measured using an index that encompasses three dimensions: penetration, availability, and usage. In order to address the endogenous nature of financial inclusion, an instrumental variable approach was employed, using the distance to the nearest financial institution and religion as instrumental variables. The results demonstrated a positive and significant impact of financial inclusion on the climate resilience of rural households. Therefore, the government should strengthen the provision of essential financial and related infrastructures in rural Ethiopia to improve access to financial products and services. Furthermore, it is essential for policymakers to initiate and implement financial sector reforms that ensure the availability of affordable and tailored financial services. These reforms should also prioritize the development of climate‐resilient agricultural finance, thereby contributing to the achievement of climate action goal of sustainable development.
Ranking Quality of Life Index in Indonesian Provinces: A Multicriteria Approach for Sustainable Regional Development
Authors: Muthia Dita , Zahedi  , Nusantara Badai Charamsar 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThis study aims to assess and rank the quality of life across 34 provinces in Indonesia using Multi‐Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) with the Organization, Rangement Et Synthèse De Données Relationnelles (ORESTE) method. The assessment was conducted based on seven main domains of quality of life: emotional well‐being, health, employment and productive activities, material well‐being, community participation, personal safety, and environmental quality. The results show that DKI Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bali ranked the highest with scores of 1748, 2164, and 2195, respectively. In contrast, Papua, West Papua, and West Sulawesi ranked at the bottom with scores of 5375, 4790, and 4573.5, respectively. The ORESTE method also successfully identified situations of incomparability between some provinces, confirming that not all provinces can be directly compared due to their unique characteristics. Sensitivity analysis reveals that changes in criteria weights do not significantly affect the ranking results, indicating that the outcomes are stable and robust. This study makes a significant contribution by providing a foundation for policymakers to formulate more equitable and inclusive development strategies aimed at reducing disparities in quality of life across provinces in Indonesia.
Catalytic Conversion of 2‐Phenethyl Phenyl Ether and 2‐Phenoxy‐1‐Phenyl Ethanol Over ZSM‐5, Y and Beta Zeolites
Authors: Le Tan Minh , Pham Xuan‐Tien , Ho Phuoc Hoang , Pham Thong Le Minh , Cao Xuan Thang , Nguyen Thanh Ngoc , Giang Ha Ngoc , Phung Thanh Khoa 
Published: November 2024

AbstractCatalytic conversion of 2‐phenoxy‐1‐phenyl ethanol (PPE‐OH) and 2‐phenethyl phenyl ether (PPE) was conducted in an autoclave reactor using Faujasite zeolite (HY), Beta zeolite (HBEA), and Zeolite Socony Mobil‐5 (HZSM‐5) with medium and large pore channels. All catalysts were thoroughly analyzed using various techniques like FT‐IR, N2 physisorption, XRD, SEM‐EDX, NH3‐TPD, ICP spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that HBEA and HY catalysts, with their larger pore channels and sizes, exhibited excellent activity in breaking the ether bond of PPE‐OH. HBEA and HY zeolites exhibited almost full conversion of PPE‐OH at 240 °C and 1 h, and HZSM‐5 zeolite obtained only 47% conversion of PPE‐OH at the same condition. The cleavage of the ether bond of β‐O‐4 linkage was performed over HBEA and HY zeolites better than HZSM‐5 zeolite. Moreover, high‐strong acid sites of HBEA zeolite favored breaking PPE at 240 °C and 1 h, and PPE did not convert over HY and HZSM‐5 zeolites at the same condition. These findings highlight the crucial role of pore size and channels and the acidity of catalysts for converting large molecules like lignin. This study provides valuable insights into using zeolite catalysts for breaking down the β‐O‐4 linkage in lignin.
Highly Water‐Stable 2D MOF as Dual Sensor for the Ultra‐Sensitive Aqueous Phase Detection of Nitrofuran Antibiotics and Organochlorine Pesticides
Authors: Mondal Supriya , Sahoo Rupam , Das Madhab C. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractMisuse of antibiotics and pesticides has led to hazardous effects on human health, livestock, agriculture, and aquaculture, which urges researchers to find simple, rapid, efficient, and cost‐effective methods for quick on‐site analysis of these organic pollutants with functional materials. Herein, a 2D chemically robust MOF: IITKGP‐71, {[Cd(MBPz)(2,6‐NDC)]·2H2O}n is strategically developed with ease in scalability and exploited as dual sensors toward the toxic antibiotic and pesticide detection via luminescence quenching in aqueous medium. The framework displays exceptional chemical robustness in water for 3 months, in an open atmosphere over 2 months, and wide range of aqueous pH solution (pH = 3–12) for a day. IITKGP‐71 can selectively quench the nitrofuran antibiotics (NFZ and NFT) and organochlorine pesticide DCN while remaining unaffected by other interfering antibiotics and pesticides, respectively. An excellent trade‐off between high effectivity (high Ksv) and high sensitivity (low LOD) was achieved for the targeted analytes. The easy scalability, high chemical stability, fast responsivity, multi‐responsive nature, recyclability with outstanding structural stability made this framework viable in playing a crucial role in safeguarding aquatic ecosystems and public health from the hazardous effects of antibiotics and pesticides.
A Near‐Infrared II Photo‐Triggered Multifunctional Plasmonic Hyperthermia Immunomodulator for SERS‐Guided Combination Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Li Linhu , Jiang Renting , Yu Jin‐Feng , Li Ming 
Published: November 2024

AbstractImmunotherapy represents a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment, but its clinical applications are currently hindered by insufficient therapeutic potency, nonspecific delivery, and adverse side effects. Herein, a novel near‐infrared II (NIR‐II) photo‐triggered plasmonic hyperthermia immunomodulator (RP@IR‐pcNS@HA nanoparticles (NPs)) for anticancer treatment of both primary and distant cancers is reported. This immunomodulator comprises an IR‐1061 dye‐encoded NIR‐II porous cubic AuAg nanoshell (pcNS) loaded with a Toll‐like receptor 7 agonist – R837 in phase change materials (PCMs), further modified with hyaluronic acid (HA). In response to NIR‐II photoirradiation, the RP@IR‐pcNS@HA NPs controllably deliver and release R837 to tumor sites, subsequently perform plasmonic hyperthermia therapy for direct ablation of primary tumors, and elicit robust anticancer immune responses. It is demonstrated that upon NIR‐II irradiation, such a plasmonic hyperthermia immunomodulator combined with anti‐programmed death 1 antibody (αPD‐1) completely eradicates both primary and distant cancers. In addition, this combination treatment successfully elicits robust immune memory responses for effective suppression of recurrence and distant metastasis of cancer. With the excellent NIR‐II surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection ability, the RP@IR‐pcNS@HA NPs combined with αPD‐1 represent an efficient way to develop high‐performance theranostic agents for SERS‐guided combination cancer photoimmunotherapy.
Hair growth effect of Sasa veitchii extract in mice
Authors: Kitaoka Satoshi , Kusunoki Yoshiki , Sugiyama Kiyoshi 
Published: November 2024

AbstractAimKumazasa leaves have long been used in Japan as a folk remedy to treat anorexia, fatigue, bad breath, body odor, and stomatitis. In this study, we investigated whether kumazasa extract has a hair growth effect.MethodsUsing human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPC), we investigated the cell proliferation effect of kumazasa extract and the expression induction effect of aquaporin 1 (AQP1). We also used minoxidil as a positive control, applied kumazasa extract to mice that had been depilated, and investigated whether it had a hair growth effect and a side effect of causing inflammation.ResultsKumazasa extract was found to promote HFDPC proliferation and increase AQP1 expression per cell. This effect was similar to that of epidermal growth factor (EGF). When kumazasa extract was applied to a mouse model, it showed a hair growth effect equivalent to that of minoxidil. Meanwhile, an inflammatory response was observed in the minoxidil group but not in the kumazasa group.ConclusionKumazasaKumazasa extract has a hair growth effect without causing inflammation. It was suggested that this effect may be related to the proliferation‐promoting effect of kumazasa extract on HFDPC. The causal relationship between the proliferation‐promoting effect of kumazasa extract on HFDPC and the AQP1 expression‐enhancing effect could not be clarified in this study.