bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electricity contract design and wholesale market outcomes in Australia's National Electricity Market
Authors: Nelson Tim , Easton Stephanie , Wand Lewis , Gilmore Joel , Nolan Tahlia 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe emergence of variable renewable energy (VRE) technologies has created a range of different energy contracting techniques. Within Australia's National Electricity Market (NEM), Run‐of‐Plant (RoP) Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) became the most common form of contract with purchasers of wind and solar energy agreeing to pay a fixed price for energy irrespective of when it is produced and, therefore, its actual value to the market. In November 2023, the Commonwealth Government adopted a 32 GW RoP PPA Contract‐for‐Difference (CfD) underwriting policy that aims to effectively shield the generator from market price risk. This article discusses different contract structures and their impact on participant behaviour during periods of material oversupply and negative prices. We find that embedded solar PV exports into the distribution network, which are not required to dynamically participate in the wholesale market, have increased wholesale energy supply, enabling profit maximising vertically integrated renewable firms to drive prices lower in a manner that partially strands the output of RoP PPA CfD generators with a $0/MWh price floor. A key conclusion from our analysis is that requiring embedded solar PV to effectively participate in the wholesale market appears to be a pre‐condition for the efficacy of government‐initiated RoP PPA CfDs.
The nexus of foreign aid, institutional quality, and climate‐related financial policies: Evidence from the global database
Authors: Ha Le Thanh 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis article represents the first endeavor to establish a connection between foreign aid and climate‐related financial policies (CRFPs) within the European region. The findings are critical to suggest policy implications for governments in making capital flow effective, especially in mitigating environmental degradation. CRFPs represent the count of climate‐related financial policies implemented by 28 European countries annually from 2010 to 2021. We utilize four distinct indicators to capture foreign aid, namely net foreign aid, net Official Development Assistance (ODA) received development index, net ODA received share, and net ODA received per capita. Our research reveals that foreign aid has an adverse effect on CRFPs, as evidenced across all four measures of foreign aid. Notably, the net ODA received share demonstrates a nonlinear relationship with CRFPs. Additionally, we conducted a study to examine how institutional quality moderates the association between financial aid and the implementation of CRFPs. The findings suggest that good institutional quality amplifies the impact of foreign aid on CRFPs.
Spatial confounding in joint species distribution models
Authors: Hui Francis K. C. , Vu Quan , Hooten Mevin B. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Joint species distribution models (JSDMs) are a popular method for analysing multivariate abundance data, with important applications such as uncovering how species communities are driven by environmental processes, model‐based ordination to visualise community composition patterns across sites and variance partitioning to quantify the relative contributions of different processes in shaping a species community.

One issue that has received relatively little attention in the study of joint species distributions is that of spatial confounding: when one or more of the environmental predictors exhibit spatial correlation, and spatially structured random effects such as spatial factors are also included in the model, then these two components may be collinear with each other.

Through a combination of simulations and case studies, we show that if not managed properly, spatial confounding can result in misleading inference on covariate effects in a spatially structured JSDM, along with difficulties in interpreting ordination results and incorrect attribution of variation to environmental processes in a species community.

We present one approach to treat spatial confounding called restricted spatial factor analysis, which is designed to ensure that the covariate effects retain their full explanatory power, and ordinations constructed using the spatial factors explain species covariation beyond that accounted for by the measured predictors. We encourage ecologists to consider the inferences they seek to make from spatially structured JSDMs and to ensure that the covariate effects and ordinations they estimate and interpret are aligned with their scientific questions of interest.
Where should I perch? The effects of body size, height, and leaf surface on the vertical perching position of dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in an Amazonian area
Authors: de Cerqueira Leonardo Vilas‐Bôas M. P. , Cassiano Liara de Azevedo , Santos Lucas Liesak Sant’ Ana , Noriega Jorge Ari , Cupello Mario , Vaz‐de‐Mello Fernando , Salomão Renato Portela 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAmong dung beetles, ‘sit and wait’ comprise a common strategy, in which individuals perch on leaves. The goal of this study was to assess the spatial dynamics of dung beetle perching in a region of the Amazon. We analysed the intra‐ and interspecific relationships between individual body size, leaf area, leaf shape, and the height at which beetles perched. When analysing intraspecifically, the larger individuals of Canthidium bicolor perched higher than the small ones. When considering the three most abundant species, the smallest species (C. bicolor) perches lower, the intermediate species (Canthidium deyrollei) perches higher, and the largest species (Canthon triangularis) perches at an intermediate height. The leaf area also explained the vertical distribution, both when considering all individuals and intraspecific for C. bicolor, where there is a positive relationship between leaf area and perch height. Our results suggest that intra‐ and interspecific perching dynamics also depend on species life history, which could be further analysed under functional group approaches.
Of gods and men: The gift of bicameral mentality in Lake Atitlán's Mayan oral literature
Authors: Franco Rodríguez José M. , Montoya Daniel 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis study investigates contemporary Mayan oral stories through the lens of Julian Jaynes's theory on the origin of consciousness, aiming to identify a potential connection between the literary elements of these narratives and traits of pre‐consciousness outlined by Jaynes. Jaynes's neuropsychological thesis argues that human consciousness emerged around 3000 years ago after a period of “bicameral mind,” characterized by auditory “hallucinations” that guided non‐habitual behavior. He claims that remnants of bicameral mentality linger to this day in all cultures. While his theoretical framework has been applied to cultures in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, this research uniquely surveys early Mayan texts and focuses on 78 oral narratives from Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. Our findings reveal traces of bicamerality, evident in the gradual fading of inner voices replaced by divination, anomalous mental states, encounters with the supernatural, and spiritual possession. Contrary to pathologizing these phenomena, the narratives often present them as abilities the Maya may not have felt culturally compelled to suppress to the extent presumed in other societies.
Backtracking childhood leukaemia to birth: A battle of addition
Authors: Spector Logan G. , de Smith Adam J. 
Published: September 2024

Paediatric leukaemia has a long tail of driver mutations each of which must be ‘backtracked’ to samples taken at birth to identify the prenatal origin of a subtype. Presently, Bardini et al. describe the first successful backtracking of an NUTM1 rearrangement, which sheds light on the biology of this particular alteration. Continued backtracking of NUTM1 rearrangements, and all leukaemia‐typical somatic alterations, is necessary to fully understand the prenatal origin of these diseases.Commentary on: Bardini et al. Prenatal origin of NUTM1 gene rearrangement in infant B‐cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Br J Haematol 2024; 205:1883‐1888.
Serotonergic transmission plays differentiated roles in the rapid and sustained antidepressant‐like effects of ketamine
Authors: Yin Yong‐Yu , Yan Jiao‐Zhao , Wei Qian‐Qian , Sun Si‐Rui , Ding Yu‐Qiang , Zhang Li‐Ming , Li Yun‐Feng 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackground and PurposeThe emerging antidepressant effects of ketamine have inspired tremendous interest in its underlying neurobiological mechanisms, although the involvement of 5‐HT in the antidepressant effects of ketamine remains unclear.Experimental approachThe chronic restraint stress procedure was performed to induce depression‐like behaviours in mice. OFT, FST, TST, and NSFT tests were used to evaluate the antidepressant‐like effects of ketamine. Tph2 knockout or depletion of 5‐HT by PCPA and 5,7‐DHT were used to manipulate the brain 5‐HT system. ELISA and fibre photometry recordings were used to measure extracellular 5‐HT levels in the brain.Key Results60 min after injection, ketamine (10 mg·kg−1, i.p.) produced rapid antidepressant‐like effects and increased brain 5‐HT levels. After 24 h, ketamine significantly reduced immobility time in TST and FST tests and increased brain 5‐HT levels, as measured by ELISA and fibre photometry recordings. The sustained (24 h) but not rapid (60 min) antidepressant‐like effects of ketamine were abrogated by PCPA and 5,7‐DHT, or by Tph2 knockout. Importantly, NBQX (10 mg·kg−1, i.p.), an AMPA receptor antagonist, significantly inhibited the effect of ketamine on brain 5‐HT levels and abolished the sustained antidepressant‐like effects of ketamine in naïve or CRS‐treated mice.Conclusion and ImplicationsThis study confirms the requirement of serotonergic neurotransmission for the sustained antidepressant‐like effects of ketamine, which appears to involve AMPA receptors, and provides avenues to search for antidepressant pharmacological targets.
Bidirectional negative relation between young children's persistence and cheating
Authors: Zhao Li , Peng Junjie , Lee Kang 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis research examined the link between persistence and cheating in 3‐ to 6‐year‐old children (2021–2022, N = 200, 100 boys; Mage = 4.85 years; all middle‐class Han Chinese). Study 1 used a challenging game to measure whether children would cheat when they were allowed to play the game unsupervised. Results indicated that children's situational, but not trait, persistence negatively correlated with cheating: the higher children's situational persistence, the less likely they cheated. Study 2 not only replicated the results of Study 1 but also discovered that children who cheated became less persistent afterward. Our research reveals a novel bidirectional relation between situational persistence and cheating and underscores the importance of nurturing persistence in early childhood as a strategy to foster honesty.
Why so many Hemiptera invasions?
Authors: Liebhold Andrew M. , Turner Rebecca M. , Bartlett Charles R. , Bertelsmeier Cleo , Blake Rachael E. , Brockerhoff Eckehard G. , Causton Charlotte E. , Matsunaga Janis N. , McKamey Stuart H. , Nahrung Helen F. , Owen Christopher L. , Pureswaran Deepa S. , Roques Alain , Schneider Scott A. , Sanborn Allen F. , Yamanaka Takehiko 
Published: September 2024

AbstractAimThe Hemiptera is the fifth‐largest insect order but among non‐native insect species is approximately tied with the Coleoptera as the most species‐rich insect order (Hemiptera comprise 20% more species than in world fauna). This over‐representation may result from high propagule pressure or from high species invasiveness. Here, we assess the reasons for over‐representation in this group by analysing geographical, temporal and taxonomic variation in numbers of historical invasions.LocationGlobal.MethodWe assembled lists of historical Hemiptera invasions in 12 world regions, countries or islands (Australia, Chile, Europe, New Zealand, North America, South Africa, South Korea, Japan and the Galapagos, Hawaiian, Okinawa and Ogasawara Islands) and border interception data from nine countries (Australia, Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, Hawaii, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, USA mainland and South Africa). Using these data, we identified hemipteran superfamilies that are historically over‐represented among established non‐native species, and superfamilies that are over‐represented among arrivals (proxied by interceptions). We also compared temporal patterns of establishments among hemipteran suborders and among regions.ResultsAcross all regions, patterns of over‐ and under‐representation were similar. The Aphidoidea, Coccoidea, Aleyrodoidea, Cimicoidea and Phylloxeroida were over‐represented among non‐native species. These same superfamilies were not consistently over‐represented among intercepted species indicating that propagule pressure does not completely explain the tendency of some Hemiptera to be over‐represented among invasions. Asexual reproduction is common in most over‐represented superfamilies and this trait may be key to explaining high invasion success in these superfamilies.ConclusionsWe conclude that both propagule pressure and species invasiveness are drivers of high invasion success in the Sternorrhyncha suborder (aphids, scales, whiteflies) and this group plays a major role in the exceptional invasion success of Hemiptera in general. The high historical rates of invasion by Sternorrhyncha species provide justification for biosecurity measure focusing on exclusion of this group.
Evaluating remission of type 2 diabetes using a metabolic intervention including fixed‐ratio insulin degludec and liraglutide: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Punthakee Zubin , Hall Stephanie , McInnes Natalia , Sherifali Diana , Tsiplova Kate , Kirabo Faith R. , Ransom Thomas P. P. , Harris Stewart B. , Lochnan Heather A. , Sigal Ronald J. , Ghosh Mahua , Spaic Tamara , Gerstein Hertzel C. ,   the REMIT‐IDegLira Collaborative Group
Published: September 2024

AbstractAimTo evaluate the effect on type 2 diabetes remission of short‐term intensive metabolic intervention consisting of frequent dietary, exercise and diabetes management coaching, metformin and fixed‐ratio insulin degludec/liraglutide.MethodsIn a multicentre open‐label randomized controlled trial, insulin‐naïve participants within 5 years of diabetes diagnosis were assigned to a 16‐week remission intervention regimen or standard care, and followed for relapse of diabetes and sustained remission for an additional year after stopping glucose‐lowering drugs.ResultsA total of 159 participants aged 57 ± 10 years, with diabetes duration 2.6 ± 1.5 years, body mass index 33.5 ± 6.5 kg/m2, and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level 53 ± 7 mmol/mol were randomized and analysed (79 intervention, 80 control). At the end of the 16‐week intervention period, compared to controls, intervention participants achieved lower HbA1c levels (40 ± 4 vs. 51 ± 7 mmol/mol; p < 0.0001), and lost more weight (3.3 ± 4.4% vs. 1.9 ± 3.0%; p = 0.02). There was a lower hazard of diabetes relapse overall in the intervention group compared to controls (hazard ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45, 0.88; p = 0.007), although this was not sustained over time. Remission rates in the intervention group were not significantly higher than in the control group at 12 weeks (17.7% vs. 12.5%, relative risk [RR] 1.42, 95% CI 0.67, 3.00; p = 0.36) or at 52 weeks (6.3% vs. 3.8%, RR 1.69, 95% CI 0.42, 6.82) following the intervention period.ConclusionsAn intensive remission‐induction intervention including fixed‐ratio insulin degludec/liraglutide reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes relapse within 1 year without sustained remission.
Both low and high body iron stores relate to metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women: Findings from the VIKING Health Study‐Shetland (VIKING I)
Authors: Suárez‐Ortegón Milton Fabian , McLachlan Stela , Fernández‐Real José Manuel , Wilson James F. , Wild Sarah H. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundThere are conflicting results among studies on the association between serum ferritin (SF) and metabolic syndrome (MetS), and by groups of sex/menopausal status. To date, there are no studies on British populations. The SF‐MetS association might be U/J‐shaped. We evaluated whether SF was independently associated with MetS (harmonized definition) in people from Shetland, Scotland.MethodsWe analysed cross‐sectional data from the Viking Health Study‐Shetland (589 premenopausal women [PreMW], 625 postmenopausal women [PostW] and 832 men). Logistic regressions using two approaches, one with the lowest sex and menopausal status‐specific ferritin quartile (Q) as the reference and other using the middle two quartiles combined (2–3) as the reference, were conducted to estimate the SF‐MetS association. The shape of the association was verified via cubic spline analyses. The associations were adjusted for age, inflammatory and hepatic injury markers, alcohol intake, smoking and BMI.ResultsPrevalence of MetS was 18.3%. Among PostMW both low and high SF were associated with MetS (fully adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence interval] compared to the middle two quartiles combined were: 1.99 [1.17–3.38] p =.011 for Q1 and 2.10 [1.27–3.49] p =.004 for Q4) This U‐shaped pattern was confirmed in the cubic spline analysis in PostMW with a ferritin range of 15–200 ug/L. In men, a positive association between ferritin quartiles with Q1 as the reference, did not remain significant after adjustment for BMI.ConclusionExtreme quartiles of iron status were positively associated with MetS in PostMW, while no SF‐MetS associations were found in men or PreMW. The ferritin‐MetS association pattern differs between populations and U/J‐shaped associations may exist.
MyofAPPcial: Construct validity of a novel technological aid for improving clinical reasoning in the management of myofascial pain syndrome
Authors: Valera‐Calero Juan Antonio , Varol Umut , Ortega‐Santiago Ricardo , Navarro‐Santana Marcos José , Díaz‐Arribas María José , Buffet‐García Jorge , Plaza‐Manzano Gustavo 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackgroundPhysiotherapists encounter challenges in diagnosing myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), which are crucial for managing myofascial pain but difficult due to their complex referred pain patterns. We aimed to assess if an interactive software (MyofAPPcial) can enhance the ability of physical therapists specialized in musculoskeletal disorders (as clinicians and as researchers and educators) to identify referred pain patterns associated with specific MTrPs and to explore their opinion about incorporating this technology regularly into their professional setting.MethodsAfter developing the app, a descriptive cross‐sectional survey study was conducted. Participants were asked about their demographic characteristics, professional experience, two knowledge tests (first without and later with MyofAPPcial support) and the 18‐item mHealth app usability questionnaire.ResultsFifty‐nine participants completed the survey (47.5% clinicians and 62.5% researchers/educators). Groups were comparable in terms of age, gender and professional experience (p > .05). However, clinicians coursed shorter specific MPS trainings (p = .007) and handle more cases a week (p < .001). In the first knowledge test, participants in both the groups were more accurate in identifying pain maps of highly prevalent MTrPs than those with a moderate or low prevalence (p < .001), with no differences between the groups for individual items (all, p > .05) nor the total score (p > .05). In the second knowledge test, perfect scores were obtained for all items in both the groups. Finally, MyofAPPcial scored high satisfaction and app usefulness, with no difference between clinicians and researchers/educators (except greater convenience of use for researchers/educators p = .02).ConclusionsMyofAPPcial enhances physiotherapists' ability to accurately identify MTrPs, with a good acceptation among clinicians and researchers/educators.
Impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and COVID‐19 pandemic on the morbidity and mortality of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in Valencia, Spain
Authors: García‐Casanova Pilar H. , Pérez‐Martínez Pablo , Sevilla Teresa , Doménech Rosalía , León Montserrat , Vázquez‐Costa Juan F. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractBackground and purposeThe purpose was to describe the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection, hospitalization for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and related death and to assess the impact of the pandemic in the survival of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.MethodsThe risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, hospitalization for COVID‐19 and related death was assessed in ALS patients alive between March 2020 and July 2022. To evaluate its impact in the overall survival of ALS patients, the survival of patients who died before and during the pandemic was compared.ResultsAmongst 263 ALS patients alive during the pandemic, 62 got infected during the study period (infection rate 14.34 per 100 person‐years). Most infections (68%) occurred during the sixth wave (November 2021 to January 2022) and most patients (67%) were vaccinated at the time of infection. The hospitalization rate due to COVID‐19 was 4.16 per 100 person‐years. The multivariable model confirmed non‐invasive ventilation (NIV) use prior to infection as a risk factor for hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] = 7.96, p = 0.003) and COVID‐19 vaccination as a protective factor (OR = 0.093, p = 0.025) independent of age, sex and gastrostomy. Within 30 days after infection, 7% of non‐ventilated patients started NIV and five patients (8.06%) died, of whom four were previously ventilated. The median survival of ALS patients was similar before and during the pandemic and no effect was found in the Cox regression model (hazard ratio 1.02, p = 0.89).ConclusionsThis study shows a high risk of severe COVID‐19 amongst ALS patients requiring NIV. Nevertheless, the pandemic showed no impact in the overall survival of ALS patients, probably due to a high vaccination rate and an adequate access to healthcare resources.
Biochemical analyses reveal new insights into RCAN1/Rcn1 inhibition of calcineurin
Authors: Ren Yan , Chen Hui , Zhao Shan‐Yue , Ma Lei , He Qing‐Xia , Gong Wei‐Bin , Wu Jia‐Wei , Yao Hong‐Wei , Wang Zhi‐Xin 
Published: September 2024

Calcineurin is a serine/threonine protein phosphatase that is highly conserved from yeast to human and plays a critical role in many physiological processes. Regulators of calcineurin (RCANs) are a family of endogenous calcineurin regulators, which are capable of inhibiting the catalytic activity of calcineurin in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we first characterized the biochemical properties of yeast calcineurin and its endogenous regulator Rcn1, a yeast homolog of RCAN1. Our data show that Rcn1 inhibits yeast calcineurin toward pNPP substrate with a noncompetitive mode; and Rcn1 binds cooperatively to yeast calcineurin through multiple low‐affinity interactions at several docking regions. Next, we reinvestigated the mechanism underlying the inhibition of mammalian calcineurin by RCAN1 using a combination of biochemical, biophysical, and computational methods. In contrast to previous observations, RCAN1 noncompetitively inhibits calcineurin phosphatase activity toward both pNPP and phospho‐RII peptide substrates by targeting the enzyme active site in part. Re‐analysis of previously reported kinetic data reveals that the RCAN1 concentrations used were too low to distinguish between the inhibition mechanisms [Chan B et al. (2005) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102, 13075]. The results presented in this study provide new insights into the interaction between calcineurin and RCAN1/Rcn1.