bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ant's Nest as a microenvironment: Distinct Mucoromycota (Fungi) community of the red wood ants' (Formica polyctena) mounds
Authors: Siedlecki Igor , Kochanowski Michał , Pawłowska Julia , Reszotnik Gabriela , Okrasińska Alicja , Wrzosek Marta 
Published: October 2024

AbstractMany social insect species build nests, which differ from the surrounding environment and are often occupied by specific organismal communities. These organisms may interact mutualistically or parasitically with the nest‐builders, or simply co‐occur, being able to survive in these microenvironments. In temperate forests, red wood ants (e.g. Formica polyctena) are known to create distinct, highly developed nests, which consist of large, above‐ground mounds, built primarily out of plant matter collected from the forest litter. The microorganismal communities of such mounds remain understudied. As representatives of Mucoromycota fungi commonly engage in the decomposition process of the forest litter, they would be expected to occur in the mounds. However, it is still not known whether the Mucoromycota community of these ants' nests differ from the one of the surrounding forest litter. In order to distinguish mound‐associated taxa, we characterized Mucoromycota communities of Formica polyctena mounds and the surrounding forest litter. We sampled four sites, twice in a season. Sampled material was plated on agar media and emerging Mucoromycota colonies were identified based on their morphology. Fungal identification was further confirmed using DNA barcoding. In order to compare described communities, PERMANOVA test and non‐metric multidimensional scaling ordinations were used. To distinguish taxa associated with the mounds, multilevel pattern analysis was performed. Our results show that the Mucoromycota community of Formica polyctena's mound differs from the community of the surrounding forest litter. While representatives of Entomortierella lignicola and Absidia cylindrospora clade were found to be associated with the mound environment, representatives of Umbelopsis curvata and Podila verticillata‐humilis clade were associated with forest litter, and were rarely present in the mounds. Our findings strongly suggest that the red wood ants' nest is a specific microenvironment in the temperate forest floor, which is a preferred microhabitat for the mound‐associated Mucoromycota, possibly adapted to live in proximity to ants.
Incorporating Implicit Information to Disentangle the Impacts of Hydropower Dams and Climate Change on Basin‐Scale Fish Habitat Distribution
Authors: Bai Xiongfeng , Zhang Peng , Cao Xin , Zhang Dongya , Yang Zhi , Dong Xianghong , Wang Siyang , Li Wenbin , Xiong Lihua 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTThe loss of freshwater fish habitats, exacerbated by climate change and dam constructions, poses a critical environmental concern. The upper Yangtze River basin, noted for its abundant fish fauna and concentrated dam development, serves as a crucial locale for investigating the impacts of climate shifts and dam construction. This study aims to disentangle the impacts of hydroelectric dams and climate change on fish habitat distribution by analyzing species presence data across different periods. Species distribution models were constructed using Maxent for Coreius guichenoti (a warm‐water endangered fish) and Schizopygopsis malacanthus (a cold‐water endangered fish). The model accuracy was assessed using the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic. Habitat distribution modeling and prediction for the pre‐dam period (1970–2000) and post‐dam period (2001–2020), as well as future climate change under two shared socioeconomic pathways scenarios, were conducted. The impacts of climate change and dam construction on the habitat suitability of two fish species were quantified. The results revealed dam construction predominantly diminished habitat suitability and range, with high‐suitability habitats in the post‐dam period decreasing by 56.3% (720.18 km) and 67.0% (1665.52 km) for the two fishes, respectively. Climate change would enhance the habitat suitability of Coreius guichenoti, while it would decrease the habitat suitability of Schizopygopsis malacanthus. The impact of dam construction is greater that of climate change for them. This study underscores the profound impacts of dam construction on fish habitats, particularly for cold‐water species, and highlights the critical need for habitat restoration in sustainable hydropower development. Our method of disentangling these factors also provides a new approach to evaluating environmental impacts in large river basins.
An ecological niche model that considers local relationships among variables: The Environmental String Model
Authors: Beaugrand Grégory 
Published: October 2024

AbstractMany methods have been proposed to model the spatial distribution of a species. While some methods have been specifically designed for this purpose, others are well‐known statistical tools that can be used in many scientific fields. In this paper, I propose a new ecological niche model, called the Environmental String Model (ESM), that is based on the concept of environmental string, which is defined as being a combination of environmental variables, with as many nodes as environmental variables. There are two types of environmental strings: (1) the abundance‐known string and (2) the abundance‐unknown string (or target string) for which an estimation of abundance is searched. The novelty of the model is that it assesses the abundance associated with a target string from nearby abundance‐known strings, which preserve the local multidimensional relationships with the target string. The model does not provide an abundance estimate in the absence of data from a similar environment and it can therefore deal with truncated spatial distributions or niches. It is tested in the North Atlantic Ocean on two key copepod species, Calanus finmarchicus and Calanus helgolandicus, which have been monitored by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey for decades. I investigate the influence of variables on model performance. I show that the model reconstructs the mean spatial distribution and seasonal fluctuations in both Calanus well. When compared with generalized linear models (GLMs), generalized additive models (GAMs) and generalized regression neural network (GRNN), the ESM gives the best performance. I propose a number of indicators to evaluate the robustness of estimated abundance in space and time and show how the model may be extended to presence/absence or presence‐only data. I think that the ESM could be used to fill gaps in any sampling program such as the CPR survey and many satellite databases (e.g., ocean color and photosynthetically active radiation).
Vegetation productivity determines the response of butterflies along elevation gradients in the trans‐Himalayas, Nepal
Authors: Shrestha Bimal Raj , Baral Suraj , Budha‐Magar Shanta , Thapa Magar Kiran , Gaudel Prakash , Suwal Sanej Prasad , Tamang Sanjaya Raj , Dewan Ashant , Gurung Min Bahadur , Shrestha Pratichhya 
Published: October 2024

AbstractEnvironmental parameters along elevational gradients affect the number of butterflies and the variety of species. However, which variables play significant roles and how they operate can be difficult to untangle. Here, we examine the relationships between observed butterfly richness (overall and subgroups) at different elevation gradients and remotely sensed environmental variables (vegetation productivity, surface temperature, landscape heterogeneity, and moisture stress) using generalized linear models. We surveyed butterflies with a fixed‐point count method in 19 elevation bands within 1600–5200 m above sea level in Manang district, trans‐Himalayan region, north‐central Nepal. The number of butterflies in each elevation band was studied and estimated, then interpolated across the lowest and highest elevation to estimate butterfly species richness. Then, the selection of models was performed on butterfly richness and elevations to test the best model support based on the lowest value of the Akaike information criterion and a multimodel averaging for other environmental variables. Altogether, 94 butterfly species, representing 20 subfamilies and six families, were recorded throughout the study periods. We obtained cubic model support for overall species richness, Papilionidae, and Hesperiidae, quadratic to Nymphalidae and Pieridae, and the linear model to Lycaenidae. In our study, vegetation productivity was found to have a significant positive impact on butterfly communities. Our study further suggests species richness of Papilionidae and Hesperiidae has a strong positive correlation with surface temperature and landscape heterogeneity and negative associations with moisture stress but other subgroups of butterfly communities including overall species richness showed insignificant relationships with these variables. This study provides significant information related to the responses of montane butterflies to environmental variables along elevational gradients from the Himalayas Nepal. However, further detailed studies on the functional behaviors of butterflies potentially offer more insights into their distribution patterns and ecological relationship in the montane environment.
A New CuI/Oxalamide Catalytic System for the Large‐Scale Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols
Authors: Xing Kexue , Xiang Jicong , Luo Zijin , Liu Guiyuan , Zhang Xianghao , Zhang Guofu , Ding Chengrong 
Published: October 2024

AbstractSince the report of oxamide ligands, they have been widely used for the efficient construction of various types of C−X (such as C, N, O and S) bonds. To evaluate whether the easily tunable electronic properties and unique coordination modes of oxamide ligands can also shine in the field of oxidation, we initiated a study on oxamide ligand/copper/air oxidation and applied it to the oxidation of alcohols to assess its practicality and potential applications. The practicality of this strategy was further verified through scale‐up reactions on a 100 mmol scale and gram‐scale derivatization of pharmaceutical molecules.
Robust 3D multi‐material hydrodynamics using discontinuous Galerkin methods
Authors: Li Weizhao , Pandare Aditya , Luo Hong , Bakosi Jozsef , Waltz Jacob 
Published: October 2024

AbstractA high‐order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is presented for nonequilibrium multi‐material () flow with sharp interfaces. Material interfaces are reconstructed using the algebraic THINC approach, resulting in a sharp interface resolution. The system assumes stiff velocity relaxation and pressure nonequilibrium. The presented DG method uses Dubiner's orthogonal basis functions on tetrahedral elements. This results in a unique combination of sharp multimaterial interfaces and high‐order accurate solutions in smooth single‐material regions. A novel shock indicator based on the interface conservation condition is introduced to mark regions with discontinuities. Slope limiting techniques are applied only in these regions so that nonphysical oscillations are eliminated while maintaining high‐order accuracy in smooth regions. A local projection is applied on the limited solution to ensure discrete closure law preservation. The effectiveness of this novel limiting strategy is demonstrated for complex three‐dimensional multi‐material problems, where robustness of the method is critical. The presented numerical problems demonstrate that more accurate and efficient multi‐material solutions can be obtained by the DG method, as compared to second‐order finite volume methods.
The Influence of Structural Brain Changes on Cognition in the Context of Healthy Aging: Exploring Mediation Effects Through gBAT—The Graphical Brain Association Tool
Authors: Rangus Ida , Teghipco Alex , Newman‐Norlund Sarah , Newman‐Norlund Roger , Rorden Chris , Riccardi Nicholas , Wilson Sarah , Busby Natalie , Wilmskoetter Janina , Nemati Samaneh , Bakos Lumi , Fridriksson Julius , Bonilha Leonardo 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTThe contribution of age‐related structural brain changes to the well‐established link between aging and cognitive decline is not fully defined. While both age‐related regional brain atrophy and cognitive decline have been extensively studied, the specific mediating role of age‐related regional brain atrophy on cognitive functions is unclear. This study introduces an open‐source software tool with a graphical user interface that streamlines advanced whole‐brain mediation analyses, enabling researchers to systematically explore how the brain acts as a mediator in relationships between various behavioral and health outcomes. The tool is showcased by investigating regional brain volume as a mediator to determine the contribution of age‐related brain volume loss toward cognition in healthy aging. We analyzed regional brain volumes and cognitive testing data (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA]) from a cohort of 131 neurologically healthy adult participants (mean age 50 ± 20.8 years, range 20–79, 73% females) drawn from the Aging Brain Cohort Study at the University of South Carolina. Using our open‐source tool developed for evaluating brain‐behavior associations across the brain and optimized for exploring mediation effects, we conducted a series of mediation analyses using participant age as the predictor variable, total MoCA and MoCA subtest scores as the outcome variables, and regional brain volume as potential mediators. Age‐related atrophy within specific anatomical networks was found to mediate the relationship between age and cognition across multiple cognitive domains. Specifically, atrophy in bilateral frontal, parietal, and occipital areas, along with widespread subcortical regions mediated the effect of age on total MoCA scores. Various MoCA subscores were influenced by age through atrophy in distinct brain regions. These involved prefrontal regions, sensorimotor cortex, and parieto‐occipital areas for executive function subscores, prefrontal and temporo‐occipital regions, along with the caudate nucleus for attention and concentration subscores, frontal and parieto‐occipital areas, alongside connecting subcortical areas such as the optic tract for visuospatial subscores and frontoparietal areas for language subscores. Brain‐based mediation analysis offers a causal framework for evaluating the mediating role of brain structure on the relationship between age and cognition and provides a more nuanced understanding of cognitive aging than previously possible. By validating the applicability and effectiveness of this approach and making it openly available to the scientific community, we facilitate the exploration of causal mechanisms between variables mediated by the brain.
Dynamic water‐quality responses to wildfire in Colorado
Authors: Clow David W. , Akie Garrett A. , Murphy Sheila F. , Gohring Evan J. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIn 2020, Colorado experienced the most severe wildfire season in recorded history, with wildfires burning 625 357 acres across the state. Two of the largest fires burned parts of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), and a study was initiated to address concerns about potential effects on drinking water quality from mobilization of ash and sediment. The study took advantage of a wealth of pre‐fire data from adjacent burned and unburned basins in western RMNP. Pre‐ and post‐fire data collection included discrete sample collection and high‐frequency water‐quality measurements using in‐stream sensors. Kruskal–Wallis tests on discrete data indicated that specific conductance, base cations, sulphate, chloride, nitrate, and total dissolved nitrogen concentrations increased post‐fire, whereas silica and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) did not (p ≤ 0.05). In‐stream sensors captured large spikes in concentrations of nutrients, turbidity, and DOC in the burned basin that were missed by discrete sampling. Sensor data indicated nitrate and turbidity increased by up to one and two orders of magnitude, respectively, from pre‐event concentrations during storms, and DOC increased up to 3.5×. Empirical regression equations were developed using pre‐fire data and applied to the post‐fire period to estimate expected stream chemistry in the absence of fire (a ‘no‐fire’ scenario). Overlays of actual post‐fire chemistry showed the timing and magnitude of differences between observed and ‘estimated’ chemistry. For most solutes, observed post‐fire concentrations were notably greater than expected under the ‘no‐fire’ scenario, and differences were greatest during storm events. Comparison of data from the burned and unburned basins indicated DOC concentrations were affected by climate as well as fire. Results from this study demonstrate the importance of both pre‐fire data and high‐frequency data for characterizing dynamic hydrochemical responses in wildfire‐affected areas.
Energy‐Water Asynchrony Principally Determines Water Available for Runoff From Snowmelt in Continental Montane Forests
Authors: Webb Ryan William , Knowles John F. , Fox Alex , Fabricus Alex , Corrie Timothy , Mooney Kori , Gallais Jocelyn , Frimpong Nana Afua Gyau , Akurugu Christopher Akuka , Barron‐Gafford Greg , Blanken Peter D. , Burns Sean P. , Frank John , Litvak Marcy 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTChanges in the volume, rate, and timing of the snowmelt water pulse have profound implications for seasonal soil moisture, evapotranspiration (ET), groundwater recharge, and downstream water availability, especially in the context of climate change. Here, we present an empirical analysis of water available for runoff using five eddy covariance towers located in continental montane forests across a regional gradient of snow depth, precipitation seasonality, and aridity. We specifically investigated how energy‐water asynchrony (i.e., snowmelt timing relative to atmospheric demand), surface water input intensity (rain and snowmelt), and observed winter ET (winter AET) impact multiple water balance metrics that determine water available for runoff (WAfR). Overall, we found that WAfR had the strongest relationship with energy‐water asynchrony (adjusted r2 = 0.52) and that winter AET was correlated to total water year evapotranspiration but not to other water balance metrics. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that none of the tested mechanisms were strongly related to the Budyko‐type runoff anomaly (highest adjusted r2 = 0.21). We, therefore, conclude that WAfR from continental montane forests is most sensitive to the degree of energy‐water asynchrony that occurs. The results of this empirical study identify the physical mechanisms driving variability of WAfR in continental montane forests and are thus broadly relevant to the hydrologic management and modelling communities.
Realizing the Promise of Digital Engineering: Planning, Implementing, and Evolving the Ecosystem
Authors: Schindel William D. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTGaining benefits of digital engineering is not only about implementing digital technologies. An ecosystem for innovation is a system of systems in its own right, only partly engineered, subject to risks and challenges of evolving socio‐technical systems. This paper summarizes an aid to planning, analyzing, implementing, and improving innovation ecosystems. Represented as a configurable model‐based reference pattern used by collaborating INCOSE working groups, it was initially applied in targeted INCOSE case studies, and subsequently elaborated and applied to diverse commercial and defense ecosystems. Explicating the recurrent theme of consistency management underlying all historical engineering, it is revealing of digital engineering's special promise, and enhances understanding of historical as well as future engineering and life cycle management. It includes preparation of human and technical resources to effectively consume and exploit digital information assets, not just create them, capability enhancements over incremental release trains, and evolutionary steering using feedback and group learning.
Requirements Statements Are Transfer Functions: An Insight from Model‐Based Systems Engineering
Authors: Schindel William D. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTTraditional systems engineering pays attention to careful composition of prose requirements statements. Even so, prose appears less than what is needed to advance the art of systems engineering into a theoretically based engineering discipline comparable to electrical, mechanical, or chemical engineering. Ask three people to read a set of prose requirements statements, and a universal experience is that there will be three different impressions of their meaning. The rise of model‐based systems engineering might suggest the demise of prose requirements, but we argue otherwise. This paper shows how prose requirements can be productively embedded in and a valued formal part of requirements models. This leads to the practice‐impacting insight that requirements statements can be non‐linear extensions of linear transfer functions, shows how their ambiguity can be further reduced using ordinary language, how their completeness or overlap more easily audited, and how they can be “understood” more completely by engineering tools.
Feelings and Physics: Emotional, Psychological, and Other Soft Human Requirements, by Model‐Based Systems Engineering
Authors: Schindel William D. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTTraditionally, engineering encourages requirements statements that are objective, testable, quantitative, atomic descriptions of system technical behavior. But what about “soft” requirements? When products deliver psychologically or emotionally based human experiences, subjective descriptions may frustrate engineers. This challenge is important for products appealing to senses of style, enjoyment, fulfillment, stimulation, power, safety, awareness, comfort, or similar emotional or psychological factors. Automobiles, buildings, consumer products, packaging, graphic user interfaces, airline passenger compartments and flight decks, and hospital equipment provide typical examples. This paper shows how model‐based systems engineering helps solve three related problems: (1) integrating models of “soft” human experience with hard technical product requirements, (2) describing how to score traditional “hard” technology products in terms of “fuzzier” business and competitive marketplace issues, and (3) coordinating marketing communication and promotion with the design process. The resulting framework integrates the diverse perspectives of engineers, stylists, industrial designers, human factors experts, and marketing professionals.
Failure Analysis: Insights from Model‐Based Systems Engineering
Authors: Schindel William D. 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACTProcesses for system failure analysis (for example, FMEA) are structured, well‐documented, and supported by tools. Nevertheless, we hear complaints that FMEA work feels (1) too labor intensive to encourage engagement, (2) somewhat arbitrary in identifying issues, (3) overly sensitive to the skills and background of the performing team, and (4) not building enough confidence of fully identifying the risks of system failure. In fairness to experts in the process, perhaps such complaints come from those less experienced — but even so, we should care how to describe this process to encourage better technical and experience outcomes. This paper shows how model‐based systems engineering (MBSE) answers these challenges by deeper and novel integration with requirements and design. Just as MBSE powered the requirements discovery process past its earlier, more subjective performance, so also can MBSE accelerate understanding and performance of failure risk analysis — as a discipline deeply connected within the systems engineering process.