bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Flavonoids Mitigate Nanoplastic Stress in Ginkgo biloba
Authors: Cui Jiawen , Li Xiang , Gan Quan , Lu Zhaogeng , Du Yicheng , Noor Iqra , Wang Li , Liu Sian , Jin Biao 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTMicroplastics/nanoplastics are a top global environmental concern and have stimulated surging research into plant–nanoplastic interactions. Previous studies have examined the responses of plants to nanoplastic stress at various levels. Plant‐specialized (secondary) metabolites play crucial roles in plant responses to environmental stress, whereas their roles in response to nanoplastic stress remain unknown. Here, we systematically examined the physiological and biochemical responses of Ginkgo biloba, a species with robust metabolite‐driven defenses, to polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs). PSNPs negatively affected seedling growth and induced phytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and nuclear damage. Notably, PSNPs caused significant flavonoid accumulation, which enhances plant tolerance and detoxification against PSNP stress. To determine whether this finding is universal in plants, we subjected Arabidopsis, poplar, and tomato to PSNP stress and verified the common response of enhanced flavonoids across these species. To further confirm the role of flavonoids, we employed genetic transformation and staining techniques, validating the importance of flavonoids in mitigating excessive oxidative stress induced by NPs. Matrix analysis of transgenic plants with enhanced flavonoids further demonstrated altered downstream pathways, allocating more energy towards resilience against nanoplastic stress. Collectively, our results reveal the flavonoid multifaceted roles in enhancing plant resilience to nanoplastic stress, providing new knowledge about plant responses to nanoplastic contamination.
The Multifunctional Anaphase Promoting Complex 7 (APC7) Gene Is Associated With Increased Plant Growth and Improved Resistance to DNA and RNA Viruses
Authors: Araújo‐Lopes Bruna Gino de , Basso Marcos Fernando , Carvalho Thiago Bretz , Montessoro Patrícia , Carneiro Aline Köhn , Silva Aline Cunha da , Lima Marcelo de Freitas , Eloy Nubia Barbosa , Silva Fabio Nascimento da , Thiebaut Flávia , Bernado Wallace de Paula , Campostrini Eliemar , Engler Janice de Almeida , Santiago‐Fernandes Lygia , Grossi‐de‐Sa Maria Fatima , Hemerly Adriana Silva 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThe anaphase promoting complex 7 (AtAPC7) is an APC/C subunit expressed in different organs of Arabidopsis thaliana and conserved among eukaryotes. A variant of the complete APC7 protein, containing its C‐terminal region (named APC‐CT), shows a high homology with a tobacco viral replication inhibitor (IVR‐like) protein that reduces plant susceptibility to RNA viruses. Here, the role of the AtAPC7 gene was investigated by characterizing Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the full‐length AtAPC7 (APC7OE) and the C‐terminal portion (APC7‐CTOE), by phenotypical, physiological and molecular approaches. APC7OE plants showed improved growth of vegetative organs, earlier flowering and increased photosynthetic efficiency, CO2 assimilation and productivity, compared with Col‐0 control plants. Conversely, APC7‐CTOE plants showed reduced susceptibility to both RNA and DNA viruses, along with an improvement in plant growth, although not surpassing APC7OE plants. Altogether, the data provide evidence for the role of the AtAPC7 in regulating cell division, expansion and differentiation, accompanied by an increase in photosynthetic capacity, resulting in enhanced plant biomass and seed yield. AtAPC7‐CT might reduce growth‐defence trade‐offs, enabling plants to simultaneously defend themselves while promoting better growth. Our findings highlight the multifunctional role of AtAPC7, unveiling the potential of its orthologous genes as valuable biotechnological tools in important crops.
Performance of chatbots in queries concerning fundamental concepts in photochemistry
Authors: Taniguchi Masahiko , Lindsey Jonathan S. 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe advent of chatbots raises the possibility of a paradigm shift across society including the most technical of fields with regard to access to information, generation of knowledge, and dissemination of education and training. Photochemistry is a scientific endeavor with roots in chemistry and physics and branches that encompass diverse disciplines ranging from astronomy to zoology. Here, five chatbots have each been challenged with 13 photochemically relevant queries. The chatbots included ChatGPT 3.5, ChatGPT 4.0, Copilot, Gemini Advanced, and Meta AI. The queries encompassed fundamental concepts (e.g., “Why is the fluorescence spectrum typically the mirror image of the absorption spectrum?”), practical matters (e.g., “What is the inner filter effect and how to avoid it?”), philosophical matters (“Please create the most important photochemistry questions.”), and specific molecular features (e.g., “Why are azo dyes non‐fluorescent?”). The chatbots were moderately effective in answering queries concerning fundamental concepts in photochemistry but were glaringly deficient in specialized queries for dyes and fluorophores. In some instances, a correct response was embedded in verbose scientific nonsense whereas in others the entire response, while grammatically correct, was utterly meaningless. The unreliable accuracy makes present chatbots poorly suited for unaided educational purposes and highlights the importance of domain experts.
‘Sneaky’ Persuasion in Public Health Risk Communication
Authors: Brown Rebecca C. H. 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTThis paper identifies and critiques a tendency for public health risk communication to be ‘sneakily’ persuasive. First, I describe how trends in the social and health sciences have facilitated an approach to public health risk communication which focuses on achieving behaviour change directly, rather than informing people's decisions about their health behaviour. I then consider existing discussions of the merits of informing versus persuading in public health communication, which largely endorse persuasive approaches. I suggest such accounts are unsatisfying insofar as their definitions of persuasion often fail to recognise its directional nature and the distorting effect this has on the total picture of the evidence. I re‐characterise persuasion as directional influence aimed at achieving a particular outcome in the recipient and acknowledge that persuasive influence may also be manipulative. I then contrast this with (non‐directional) information provision. I suggest that much persuasive public health risk communication is ‘sneaky’: it appears to be informative, but in fact presents a distorted picture of the evidence (in accordance with my characterisation of persuasion). I argue that such sneakily persuasive public health risk communication is unethical on the basis that it fails to adhere to the norms of cooperative communication.
Redesigning mineral regimes to strengthen the environmental rule of law: A case study on lithium in brines
Authors: Bastida Ana Elizabeth 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThis article aims to contribute to aligning the legal regimes for energy transition minerals with sustainability and justice. The focus of the article is on effectively embedding the human right to a healthy environment into the design of these regimes. The article distinguishes between two models of legal design for mineral extraction and argues that the present predominant model must evolve towards one that bridges the normative and enforcement gaps for exercising public authority. Legal regimes need therefore to be reorganised to protect the integrity and resilience of ecosystems while upholding the right to a healthy environment and interdependent human rights. The task of redesigning regimes in ways that are embedded in a thicker environmental rule of law is emerging through litigation and policy reform. The complexity of this task must be recognised and upscaled for transformative change. This article is based on a case study focusing on lithium found in brines (highly saline waters), and in the legal regime and judicial decisions in Argentina and policy initiatives in Chile.
Exile in Barbary: English‐speaking expatriates, biblical theology, and mercantile ethics in the seventeenth‐century Maghreb☆
Authors: Cutter Nat 
Published: November 2024

AbstractDuring the seventeenth century, thousands of English‐speaking Protestants went to the Maghreb as captives, diplomats, traders, and travellers. Distant from the guiding and controlling hands of monopoly trading companies and the established churches, and placed under various pressures by non‐Christian neighbours, colleagues, and captors, these Protestants faced the temptation (or opportunity) to compromise or abandon their Christianity and nationality to survive and thrive in their new circumstances. Most English‐speaking residents, whether free expatriates, captives, or converts, felt a tension between attraction to local norms and longing for their lives at home. Using a vast and little‐known collection of merchant correspondence and financial records, this article explores the tension of exile in the professional, material, religious, moral, and ethical lives and views of long‐term free English‐speaking residents (‘expatriates’) in the Maghreb. I argue that the biblical‐theological framework of exile, widespread in contemporary English culture and brought to mind by their circumstances, provided many expatriates with a way of understanding their lives and a set of ethical principles for conducting them appropriately. By considering the ways in which British Protestants made use of this framework, historians can better make sense of their experiences of living in the early modern Islamic world.
Impact of electronic networks on E‐waste trade: Evidence from ASEAN+6 countries
Authors: Lin Chin‐Ho , Chen Yiting , Yang Yiwen 
Published: November 2024

AbstractThe development of electronic networks promotes economic growth and international trade flows. Because of the short life cycle of electrical and electronic equipment, considerable electronic waste (e‐waste) is generated. We identified the determinants of e‐waste trade, focusing on ASEAN+6 countries and their trading partners for the years 2000 to 2018. The empirical results regarding trade value and trade weight revealed that electronic networks significantly promoted the import of e‐waste into ASEAN+6 countries. The results were robust to using different measures of electronic networks and different estimation methods.
Explaining Variation in Decision‐Making Authority for Care Managers in a Decentralised Welfare State
Authors: Wittberg Sara , Kelfve Susanne 
Published: November 2024

ABSTRACTLocal policy documents play a key role in the provision of social services in decentralised welfare systems. Previous Swedish research shows great municipal variation in local policies for delegation, which determines social workers' legal rights to make decisions about the welfare service given to older people. In this paper, we examine the association between local conditions and the variation of restrictiveness in local policies on delegation for elder care services, by combining data on political rule and economic, demographic, and geographic characteristics of all Swedish municipalities (n = 290), with data on delegation policy. Based on logistic regression models, the results indicate that population density, political rule and average income are correlated with the probability of restrictiveness in delegation. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding local conditions while allocating the responsibility for the provision of welfare in decentralised states with varying local prerequisites. They further highlight the need for studies investigating the consequences of varying local political policies on the outcome of the elder care services provided to older adults.
Risk of transfusion‐associated malaria in sub‐Saharan Africa: The case of Mali
Authors: Loua Ouo‐Ouo , Cissoko Yacouba , Chantal Loua Seny , Konaté Issa , Issa Hama Hamidou , Maïga Boubacar , Bouh Aden Ibrahim , Soumaré Mariam , Sogoba Dramane , Magassouba Oumar , Fofana Assétou , Dao Sounkalo 
Published: November 2024

AbstractIntroductionMalaria is a health threat in sub‐Saharan Africa, where Plasmodium is not tested in blood bags. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of plasmodial carriage in blood bags and the associated factors, and the involvement of these bags in the occurrence of malaria in recipients.MethodsFrom 1st April to 30th November, 2020, we conducted a prospective cross‐sectional study of 348 blood bags stored at 4°C in Bamako. Using SPSS 21.0 software, statistical analyses were performed using a binary logistic regression model with a significance threshold of p < 0.05 and the odds ratio (OR) framed by its 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsDuring this period, 348 blood bags were transfused into 108/152 hospitalised patients, generating a transfusion frequency of 71.1%, with a prevalence of plasmodial carriage of 22%. Among the 54 initially malaria‐negative recipients, all 20 (37%) who received malaria‐positive blood bags and slept under long‐acting insecticide‐treated nets (LLINs) developed malaria. We recorded 33.3% deaths. Donor age ≤ 34 years (p = 0.011; OR = 2.55[CI.95% = 1.25–5.23]), replacement donation (p = 0.000; OR = 0.04[CI.95% = 0.0–0.19]) and not regular use of LLINs by donors (p = 0.048; OR = 0.53[CI.95% = 0.29–1]) were factors associated with plasmodial carriage of blood bags. CD4 count<200 cells/mm3 (p = 0.002; OR = 0.2[CI.95% = 0.10–0.52]), severe anaemia (p = 0.034; OR = 0.26[CI.95% = 0.10–0.90]) and decompensated anaemia (p = 0.034; OR = 3.88[CI.95% = 1.11–13.56]) were factors independently associated with recipient death.ConclusionThe prevalence of plasmodial carriage among blood donors is increasing in Mali. Transfusion malaria is a reality to be feared, with the risk increasing with the level of malaria endemicity of the blood donor.
Long‐term effects of non‐pharmacological interventions in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lee DaeEun , Lee Haejung , Lee Misoon , Park Gaeun 
Published: November 2024

AbstractBackgroundConsistent diabetes control is crucial for patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to prevent diabetic complications. Analyzing the long‐term effects of non‐pharmacological interventions can improve diabetes management.AimTo examine the long‐term effects of non‐pharmacological interventions in adolescents and young adults with T1D through a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).MethodsThe searches, without any year limitations, were conducted in seven databases. Two reviewers independently performed data extraction and risk of bias assessments. The meta‐analysis was conducted using the RevMan 5.4 program and R Studio. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024503185).ResultsA total of 40 studies were included in the systematic review, of which 28 were included in the meta‐analysis. Notably, non‐pharmacological interventions were effective in improving glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at 6 months and self‐care at >12 months of follow‐up. Subgroup analyses revealed that combined interventions encompassing self‐care behavior management, education, and psychological interventions could enhance self‐care. Additionally, a combination of face‐to‐face and telephonic communication was effective in improving HbA1c.Linking Evidence to ActionNon‐pharmacological interventions are effective in improving HbA1c levels and self‐care in adolescents and young adults undergoing long‐term treatment. However, few studies have analyzed their effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Future studies should investigate the long‐term effects of non‐pharmacological interventions.
Motor unit adaptation to disuse: crossing the threshold from firing rate suppression to neuromuscular junction transmission
Authors: Piasecki Mathew 
Published: November 2024

AbstractNeural conditioning to scenarios of muscle disuse is undoubtedly a cause of functional decrements that typically exceed losses of muscle size. Yet establishing the relative contribution of neural adaptation and the specific location in the motor pathway remains technically challenging. Several studies of healthy humans have targeted this system and have established that motor unit firing rate is suppressed following disuse, with a number of critical caveats. It is suppressed in the immobilized limb only, at relative and absolute force levels, and preferentially targets lower‐threshold motor units. Concomitantly, electrophysiological investigation of neuromuscular junction transmission (NMJ) stability of lower‐threshold motor units reveals minimal change following disuse. These findings contrast with numerous other methods, which show clear involvement of the NMJ but are unable to characterize the motor unit to which they belong. It is physiologically plausible that decrements observed following disuse are a result of suppressed firing rate of lower‐threshold motor units and impairment of transmission of the NMJ of higher‐threshold motor units. As such, motor units within the pool should be viewed in light of their varying susceptibility to disuse.image
Full-Field Modal Analysis of a Tensegrity Column Using a Three-Dimensional Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer With a Mirror
Authors: Yuan Ke , Yuan Sichen , Zhu Weidong 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Tensegrity structures become important components of various engineering structures due to their high stiffness, light weight, and deployable capability. Existing studies on their dynamic analyses mainly focus on responses of their nodal points while overlook deformations of their cable and strut members. This study proposes a non-contact approach for the experimental modal analysis of a tensegrity structure to identify its three-dimensional (3D) natural frequencies and full-field mode shapes, which include modes with deformations of its cable and strut members. A 3D scanning laser Doppler vibrometer is used with a mirror for extending its field of view to measure full-field vibration of a novel three-strut metal tensegrity column with free boundaries. Tensions and axial stiffnesses of its cable members are determined using natural frequencies of their transverse and longitudinal modes, respectively, to build its theoretical model for dynamic analysis and model validation purposes. Modal assurance criterion (MAC) values between experimental and theoretical mode shapes are used to identify their paired modes. Modal parameters of the first 15 elastic modes of the tensegrity column identified from the experiment, including those of the overall structure and its cable members, can be classified into five mode groups depending on their types. Modes paired between experimental and theoretical results have MAC values larger than 78%. Differences between natural frequencies of paired modes of the tensegrity column are less than 15%. The proposed non-contact 3D vibration measurement approach allows accurate estimation of 3D full-field modal parameters of the tensegrity column.
X-DoF: Automatic Degree-of-Freedom Subset Selection for Inverse Blocked Force Characterization
Authors: Bofinger Philipp E. , Boelens Jelle , Klaassen Steven W. B. , de Klerk Dennis 
Published: November 2024

Abstract
Selecting the proper set of degrees-of-freedom (DoFs) is essential in inverse blocked force calculation. Including too many degrees-of-freedom in the computation can lead to overfitting, resulting in inaccurate force estimations and poor prediction quality. The discrepancy arises from errors within the dataset, such as measurement noise or other artifacts. This article presents a solution to the overfitting problem, introducing the X-DoF procedure to automatically identify the relevant subset of blocked force degrees-of-freedom. Its effectiveness is showed through numerical and experimental validation and compared against regularization techniques.
Spring-Mass Characteristics in Runners Before and After a 56-km Road Ultramarathon
Authors: Burns Geoffrey T. , Tam Nicholas , Langerak Nelleke G. , Zernicke Ronald F. , Lamberts Robert P. 
Published: November 2024

Ultramarathons are a unique model to study the effects of systemic fatigue in athletes. This investigation applied the spring-mass template to study runners before and 2 days after a road ultramarathon to characterize the effects of fatigue on systemic gait patterns. Overground kinetics were captured 7 days before and 2 days after the event in 14 runners. Traditional kinetic and spring-mass parameters were calculated, along with nonlinear regression-derived parameters and spring-mass model fit metrics. After the ultramarathon, vertical force magnitudes and loading rates were unchanged, but impact peaks increased (1.88 ± 0.08–1.95 ± 0.10 bodyweight). Ground contact times were modestly shorter (−3 ± 1 ms), resulting in increased leg stiffness (10.0 ± 0.5–10.3 ± 0.5 kN/m) with equivocal vertical stiffnesses. The deviation from the modeled spring-mass kinetics also increased (171.3 ± 15.0–181.4 ± 16.5 N). Overall, the systemic mechanical behaviors of the runners persisted despite the fatigue and stress induced by a road ultramarathon. These findings support previous observations that runners maintain gross mechanical behavior when fatigued with small compensatory changes in spatiotemporal and traditional spring-mass characteristics. However, these findings also suggest that the variability within that gross behavior may increase after stress, suggesting new opportunities for quantifying those deviations.
Foot–Ankle Mechanical Transmission: Age Effects and the Relation to Ankle Push-Off During Walking
Authors: Gray Aubrey J. , Takahashi Kota Z. , Kashefsky Howard E. , Franz Jason R. 
Published: November 2024

Older adults walk with less push-off power than younger adults. Principally attributed to plantar flexor dysfunction, growing evidence implicates interactions between the foot and ankle as critical for generating effective push-off. Our purposes were to measure age effects on foot–ankle mechanical transmission (FAMT, ie, the ratio between metatarsal phalangeal extension and medial gastrocnemius fascicle length change), and its association with ankle push-off during walking. We hypothesized that (1) FAMT would be lesser in older adults and (2) lesser FAMT would positively correlate with slower preferred speeds and reduced ankle push-off intensity. Fourteen younger adults (25 [6] y) and 15 older adults (71 [5] y) participated. Older adults had 45% to 48% lesser FAMT than younger adults from 0° to 30° metatarsal phalangeal extension—an age-related difference that was not evident from 30° to 60° metatarsal phalangeal extension. However, we did not find any significant correlations with walking outcomes. Assuming our findings can be replicated in future studies and represent a genuine phenomenon of relevance to the biomechanics of aging gait, we suspect that compensations may be discovered in older adults to explain this lack of significance. Future work should include measures of muscle activities and foot mechanics during walking and/or perform more controlled comparisons at fixed speeds.