bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatio‐temporal occupancy models with INLA
Authors: Belmont Jafet , Martino Sara , Illian Janine , Rue Håvard 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Modern methods for quantifying, predicting and mapping species distributions have played a crucial part in biodiversity conservation. Occupancy models have become a popular choice for analysing species occurrence data due to their ability to separate out the observational error induced by imperfect detection of a species, and the sources of bias affecting the occupancy process. However, the spatial and temporal variation in occupancy that is not accounted for by environmental covariates is often ignored or modelled through simple spatial structures as the computational costs of fitting explicit spatio‐temporal models is too high. In this work, we demonstrate how Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) may be used to fit complex spatio‐temporal occupancy models and how the R‐INLA package can provide a user‐friendly interface to make such complex models available to users.

We show how occupancy models, provided some simplification on the detection process is assumed, can be framed as latent Gaussian models and, as such, benefit from the powerful INLA framework. A large selection of complex modelling features, and random effect models, including spatio‐temporal models, have already been implemented in R‐INLA. These also become available for occupancy models, providing the user with an efficient, reliable and flexible toolbox.

We illustrate how INLA provides a flexible and computationally efficient framework for developing and fitting complex occupancy models using two complex case studies. Through these, we show how different spatio‐temporal models that include spatial‐varying trends, smooth terms and spatio‐temporal random effects can be fitted to aggregated detection/non‐detection data. At the cost of limiting the complexity of the detection model structure, INLA can incorporate a range of rather complex structures in the ecological process of interest and hence, extend the functionality of occupancy models.

The limitations of occupancy models in terms of scalability for large spatio‐temporal data sets remain a challenge and an active area of research. INLA‐based occupancy models provide an alternative inferential and computational framework to fit complex spatio‐temporal occupancy models. The need for new and more flexible computationally efficient approaches to fit such models makes INLA an attractive option for addressing complex ecological problems, and a promising area of research.
An ultraviolet light data logger for studies of organismal ecology and physiology
Authors: Lattanzio Matthew S. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Monitoring environmental conditions over time is essential for understanding how species regulate those conditions to satisfy their physiological needs. Variation in ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, for instance, is crucial for numerous taxa, influencing behaviour as well as essential physiological processes like vitamin D3 synthesis. Yet, despite these considerations, no commercially available data loggers exist to record UV exposures over time, preventing inquiry into this important but neglected fitness demand.

To overcome this challenge, I designed the first UV data logger, custom built on the open‐source Arduino platform. This device logs UV exposures (in voltage or converted to UV index) and date‐time information for each UV reading, at user‐defined intervals. The integration of a low‐power timer into the assembly, and its weather‐resistant housing, enables long‐term use (at least several months). The cost of one device (including housing) is under £45/$55 USD.

Calibration and performance tests reveal that this device is reliable under various weather conditions and produces accurate UV readings under both artificial lighting and sunlight. Both the device and its customised housing can be easily replicated and expanded upon (e.g. inclusion of additional sensors).

Overall, this device represents a crucial first step in our ability to better characterise UV exposure patterns in habitats for physiological ecology studies. Exposure to UV light is adaptive for many types of organisms, both in the wild and in captivity (e.g. zoos and private hobbyists), and so I expect a broad array of scientific and public users alike to benefit from using this device.
CASIN exerts anti‐aging effects through RPL4 on the skin of naturally aging mice
Authors: Zhang Yijia , Wang Xueer , Huang Jianyuan , Zhang Xinyue , Bu Lingwei , Zhang Yarui , Liang Fengting , Wu Shenhua , Zhang Min , Zhang Lu , Zhang Lin 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSkin aging has been associated with the onset of various skin issues, and recent studies have identified an increase in Cdc42 activity in naturally aging mice. While previous literature has suggested that CASIN, a specific inhibitor of Cdc42 activity, may possess anti‐aging properties, its specific effects on the epidermis and dermis, as well as the underlying mechanisms in naturally aging mice, remain unclear. Our study revealed that CASIN demonstrated the ability to increase epidermal and dermal thickness, enhance dermal‐epidermal junction, and stimulate collagen and elastic fiber synthesis in 9‐, 15‐, and 24‐month‐old C57BL/6 mice in vivo. Moreover, CASIN was found to enhance the proliferation, differentiation, and colony formation and restore the cytoskeletal morphology of primary keratinocytes in naturally aging skin in vitro. Furthermore, the anti‐aging properties of CASIN on primary fibroblasts in aging mice were mediated by the ribosomal protein RPL4 using proteomic sequencing, influencing collagen synthesis and cytoskeletal morphology both in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, both subcutaneous injection and topical application exhibited anti‐aging effects for a duration of 21 days. Additionally, CASIN exhibited anti‐inflammatory properties, while reduced expression of RPL4 was associated with increased inflammation in the skin of naturally aging mice. Taken together, our results unveil a novel function of RPL4 in skin aging, providing a foundational basis for future investigations into ribosomal proteins. And CASIN shows promise as a potential anti‐aging agent for naturally aging mouse skin, suggesting potential applications in the field.
Optimizing β‐lactam‐containing antibiotic combination therapy for the treatment of Buruli ulcer
Authors: D'Agate Salvatore , Velickovic Peter , García‐Barrios Noelia , Ramón‐García Santiago , Della Pasqua Oscar 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAimsThe current treatment for Buruli ulcer is based on empirical evidence of efficacy. However, there is an opportunity for shortening its duration and improving response rates. Evolving understanding of the pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic relationships provides the basis for a stronger dose rationale for antibiotics. In conjunction with modelling and simulation, it is possible to identify dosing regimens with the highest probability of target attainment (PTA). This investigation aims to: (i) assess the dose rationale for a new combination therapy including amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMX/CLV) currently in clinical trials; and (ii) compare its performance with alternative dosing regimens including rifampicin, clarithromycin and AMX/CLV.MethodsIn vitro estimates of the minimum inhibitory (MIC) concentration were selected as a measure of the antibacterial activity of different drug combinations. Clinical trial simulations were used to characterize the concentration vs. time profiles of rifampicin, clarithromycin and amoxicillin in a virtual cohort of adult and paediatric patients, considering the effect of baseline covariates on disposition parameters and interindividual variability in exposure. The PTA of each regimen was then assessed using different thresholds of the time above MIC.ResultsA weight‐banded dosing regimen including 150–600 mg rifampicin once daily, 250–1000 mg clarithromycin and AMX/CLV 22.5 mg/kg /1000 mg twice daily ensures higher PTA than the standard of care with AMX/CLV 45 mg/kg/2000 mg once daily.ConclusionThe higher PTA values support the proposed 4‐drug combination (rifampicin, clarithromycin, AMX/CLV) currently under clinical investigation. Our findings also suggest that higher rifampicin doses might contribute to enhanced treatment efficacy.
Finger counting training enhances addition performance in kindergarteners
Authors: Poletti Céline , Krenger Marie , Létang Marie , Hennequin Brune , Thevenot Catherine 
Published: September 2024

AbstractOur study on 328 five‐ to six‐year‐old kindergarteners (mainly White European living in France, 152 girls) shows that children who do not count on their fingers and undergo finger counting training exhibit drastic improvement in their addition skills from pre‐test to post‐test (i.e., accuracy from 37.3% to 77.1%) compared to a passive control group (39.6% to 47.8%) (p < .001,  = .15). This result was replicated on a much smaller scale (37 five‐ to six‐year‐olds, mainly White European, 22 girls) but in more controlled setup and was further replicated with an active control group (84 five‐ to six‐year‐olds, mainly White European, 37 girls). Therefore, we demonstrate here for the first time that training finger counting constitutes a highly effective method to improve kindergarteners' arithmetic performance.
Diagnostic testing and treatment in Japanese patients with a diagnosis code for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: A claims database analysis
Authors: Kuwahara Motoi , Kusunoki Susumu , Igarashi Ataru , Akiyama Satoshi , Fukushima Taku , Doi Mamoru 
Published: September 2024

AbstractObjectivesReports of real‐world data concerning chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) are limited in Japan. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic testing and treatment performed in patients diagnosed with CIDP in Japan.MethodsUsing a Japanese commercial medical information database, we analyzed diagnostic tests, differential diseases, and treatments for patients with a diagnosis code for CIDP between April 13, 2008 and August 31, 2018.ResultsOf the 4564 patients with a diagnosis code for CIDP, 1658 patients were confirmed as newly assigned with the diagnosis code during the study period. Diagnostic tests performed before assignment of the diagnosis code for CIDP included nerve conduction studies in 48.1%, magnetic resonance imaging in 40.5%, and cerebrospinal fluid tests in 38.4%. Other diseases with codes that were assigned at the time of the CIDP diagnosis included Guillain–Barré syndrome in 8.1%, Sjögren syndrome in 4.4%, and systemic lupus erythematosus in 3.7%. Initial treatments performed after the assignment of the new diagnosis code for CIDP were intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in 54.3%, corticosteroids (CS) in 45.4%, and plasmapheresis in 2.3%. The event‐free survival rates for predefined specific safety‐related events at 1000 d were 90.0% for any event in patients receiving IVIg monotherapy and 71.7% for any event in patients receiving CS monotherapy.ConclusionDiagnostic testing and treatment performed in clinical practice was shown through the analysis of real‐world data of Japanese patients with a diagnosis code for CIDP. These findings might contribute to developments in clinical practice for Japanese CIDP patients.
Structured training pathway for robotic colorectal surgery: Short‐term outcomes from five UK centres
Authors: Koc Mehmet Ali , Thomas Maria Sofia , Mavrantonis Sofoklis , Panteleimonitis Sofoklis , Harper Mick , Sanjay Chaudri , Tou Samson , Shakil Ahmed , Farooq Golam , Ahmad Mukhtar , Qureshi Tahseen , Parvaiz Amjad 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to assess the short‐term outcomes of robotic colorectal surgery implemented through a structured, standardized training pathway in five colorectal centres in the United Kingdom.MethodA multicentre retrospective observational study was conducted, involving 523 consecutive patients who underwent robotic colorectal resection between 2015 and 2019. All participating centres followed the European Academy of Robotic Colorectal Surgery training pathway. Patient data, including demographics, operative details, postoperative outcomes and pathology results, were collected and analysed.ResultsThe study included 447 rectal resections and 76 colonic operations. The median age of the patients was 64.7 years, with the majority of patients (70%) being men. The mean body mass index was 27.4 kg/m2, and 89.7% of the patients underwent surgery for malignancy. The overall conversion rate to open surgery was 4.2%. The median length of stay was 6 days and there was no 30‐day mortality. The readmission and reoperation rates were 8.8% and 7.3%, respectively. The anastomotic leak rate was 4.1% for rectal resections and 3.9% for colonic resections. Pathological examination showed a positive circumferential resection margin rate of 2.6%.ConclusionThrough the implementation of a structured, standardized training pathway, the participating colorectal centres in the UK achieved safe and effective robotic colorectal surgery pathways with favourable short‐term oncological and clinical outcomes. Further studies examining long‐term and functional outcomes are needed to assess the broader impact of robotic surgery in colorectal procedures.
Detection of aberration in human behavior using shallow neural network over smartphone inertial sensors data
Authors: Sakshi  , Bhatia M. P. S. , Chakraborty Pinaki 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe integration of different Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) applications has significantly enhanced the realm of security and surveillance, with Human Activity Recognition (HAR) standing out as a crucial application. The diverse sensors found in smartphones have made it convenient for monitoring applications to gather and analyze data, rendering them valuable for HAR purposes. Moreover, MEC can be employed to automate surveillance, allowing intelligent monitoring of restricted areas to identify and respond to unwanted or suspicious activities. This research develops a system using motion sensors in smartphones to identify unusual human activities. People's smartphones were employed to monitor both suspicious and regular activities. Information was collected for various actions categorized as either suspicious or regular. When a person performs a certain action, the smartphone records a series of sensory data, analyse important patterns from the basic data, and then determines what the person is doing by combining information from different sensors. To prepare the data, information from different sensors was aligned to a shared timeline. In this study, we used a sliding window approach on synchronized data to feed sequences into LSTM and CNN models. These models, which include initial layers of LSTM and CNN, automatically find important patterns in the order of human activities. We combined SVM with the features extracted by the shallow Neural Network to make a mixed model that predicts suspicious activities. Lastly, we compared LSTM, CNN, and our new shallow mixed neural network using a new real‐time dataset. The mixed model of CNN and SVM achieved an accuracy of 94.43%. Additionally, the sliding window method's effectiveness was confirmed with a 4.28% improvement in accuracy.
Localization and developmentality: Policy pragmatism in pandemic times
Authors: Lie Jon Harald Sande 
Published: September 2024

AbstractMotivationLocalization is increasingly invoked in debates about how to reform international aid: to improve aid effectiveness and address ethical concerns by turning hierarchical aid relations on their head. This has proved to be easier said than done. The COVID‐19 pandemic produced logistical impediments to aid practitioners, which translated into a renewed, if temporary, interest in localization.PurposeThe initial scope of the research engaged with the notion of partnership during COVID‐19, but almost all informants drew attention to the concept of localization. The article maps and analyses the challenges and advantages of localization, as seen from the practitioners' perspective.Approach and methodsThe article draws on 24 interviews conducted in Oslo with representatives of various Norwegian development and humanitarian non‐governmental organizations and government agencies, in addition to policy and grey literature review.FindingsThe article shows that the re‐emergence of the localization debate during COVID‐19 occurred not because of any ambition to reform aid, but as a pragmatic and temporary response to the logistical impediments caused by the pandemic. Reflections from the interviewees on the pros and cons offer more substantial insights into why localization fails to change practice, while at the same time localization enables a form of indirect governance related to accountability regimes. This is analysed as developmentality, reflecting the logic that localization takes place when recipients do as donors want, but they do so voluntarily, which suggests that localization counterintuitively may reinforce existing power structures.Policy implicationsLocalization is poorly conceptualized. While a definition could be helpful in practice, one that is too rigid could undermine the diversity of actors and knowledge that localization aims to advance. At the operational level, localization requires greater flexibility and slack throughout the aid chain, especially in the audit and accountability regimes of donor and funding authorities, which permeate and uphold lopsided aid relations.
Longitudinal associations of spousal support and strain with health and well‐being: An outcome‐wide study of married older U.S. Adults
Authors: de la Rosa Pedro Antonio , Nakamura Julia , Cowden Richard G. , Kim Eric , Osorio Alfonso , VanderWeele Tyler J. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn the present study, we examined the prospective associations of both spousal support and spousal strain with a wide range of health and well‐being outcomes in married older adults. Applying the analytic template for outcome‐wide designs, three waves of longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 7788, Mage = 64.2 years) were analyzed using linear regression, logistic regression, and generalized linear models. A set of models was performed for spousal support and another set of models for spousal strain (2010/2012, t1). Outcomes included 35 different aspects of physical health, health behaviors, psychological well‐being, psychological distress, and social factors (2014/2016, t2). All models adjusted for pre‐baseline levels of sociodemographic covariates and all outcomes (2006/2008, t0). Spousal support evidenced positive associations with five psychological well‐being outcomes, as well as negative associations with five psychological distress outcomes and loneliness. Conversely, spousal strain evidenced negative associations with three psychological well‐being outcomes, in addition to positive associations with three psychological distress outcomes and loneliness. The magnitude of these associations was generally small, although some effect estimates were somewhat larger. Associations of both spousal support and strain with other social and health‐related outcomes were more negligible. Both support and strain within a marital relationship have the potential to impact various aspects of psychological well‐being, psychological distress, and loneliness in the aging population.
High serum growth differentiation factor 15 is a risk factor for the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B patients treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs
Authors: Sometani Emi , Hikita Hayato , Murai Kazuhiro , Toyoda Hidenori , Tanaka Satoshi , Oze Tsugiko , Sung Jihyun , Shimoda Akiyoshi , Fukuoka Makoto , Shigeno Satoshi , Fukutomi Keisuke , Shirai Kumiko , Tahata Yuki , Saito Yoshinobu , Nishio Akira , Furuta Kunimaro , Kodama Takahiro , Sakamori Ryotaro , Tatsumi Tomohide , Mita Eiji , Umezawa Akihiro , Tanaka Yasuhito , Takehara Tetsuo 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAimPatients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remain at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) even with nucleos(t)ide analog therapy. We evaluated risk factors for HCC development, including serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA, hepatitis B core‐related antigen level, and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) level, a predictor of HCC development in patients with chronic hepatitis C.MethodsWe collected clinical data and stored serum from CHB patients without a history of HCC who were receiving nucleos(t)ide analog treatment for more than 1 year and whose HBV DNA level was less than 3.0 log IU/mL. We measured the serum levels of HBV RNA and GDF15.ResultsAmong 242 CHB patients, 57 had detectable HBV RNA, and GDF15 was quantified in all patients. The median GDF15 level was 0.86 ng/mL. Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that male sex and higher GDF15, FIB‐4 index, alpha‐fetoprotein and gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase were independent risk factors for HCC. The presence of HBV RNA above the lower limit of quantification was not a risk factor. When we set cutoff values based on the Youden index, the cumulative incidence of HCC was significantly higher in the male, AFP ≥3.0 ng/mL, gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase ≥22 U/L, FIB‐4 index ≥1.93, and GDF‐15 ≥1.17 ng/mL groups. In patients with no or more than three of these five risk factors, the 10‐year HCC cumulative incidence rates were 0% and 41.0%, respectively.ConclusionsHigh serum GDF15 is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of HCC in CHB patients treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs.
‘Voto Preso’: Prisoners’ enfranchisement in Chile
Authors: Marshall Pablo , Rochow Diego , Faúndez Sergio 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis article analyses the enfranchisement process of the prison population in Chile. Although institutions were reluctant to grant the vote to this group for several years, in 2022, new policies allowed prisoners to suffrage for the first time. The Voto Preso movement, a set of organisations struggling for prisoners’ political participation, played a fundamental role in this transformation. However, incarcerated people's participation in constructing the movement's demands and strategies was scarce. Drawing on eleven interviews with key movement actors, the article sheds light on the main discourses by which it promoted the materialisation of Chilean prisoners’ voting rights. The article also critically scrutinises the consequences of prisoners’ limited inclusion in the Voto Preso movement. Finally, the article discusses how its analytical approach may open new avenues for studying prisoner dis/enfranchisement as a situated boundary issue.
Production and characterisation of protein isolates from Chilean granado beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Authors: Anih Christiana E. , Kumar Priyanka , Chen Bih‐King , Dueik Veronica , Carré David , Diosady Levente L. 
Published: September 2024

SummaryGranado beans, widely cultivated in Chile, offer plant‐based proteins with functional benefits for healthier food formulations. These legumes have a 28% protein content (dry basis) with peptides called lectins that have the potential of reducing type‐II diabetes. Our lab has developed a membrane‐based method to produce protein isolates from oilseeds. This method was adapted for granado beans. The process involves alkaline extraction at pH 10, followed by ultrafiltration, diafiltration, acid precipitation at pH 4 and freeze‐drying. The resulting precipitated protein isolate contains 81% protein, comparable to other legumes. However, the acid‐soluble protein isolate (SPI) has a protein content of only 53% due to co‐recovery of high molecular weight carbohydrates. The total phenolic compound contents of the protein products were low resulting in both products having an attractive light colour with no astringent taste. The characterisation of the SPI by High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography found that it contained about 40% starch and other carbohydrates. To increase the protein content of SPI to ~90%, further purification steps to remove the carbohydrates are necessary.