bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integrating Environmental Justice into Child-Sensitive Social Protection: The Environmental Roots of Intergenerational Poverty in Amazonia
Authors: de Carvalho Thaís 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Child-sensitive social protection (CSSP) is heralded as an investment in future human capital, based on the premise that changing poor families’ behaviours can interrupt cycles of poverty reproduction. However, funding for CSSP may come from extractive activities with high environmental costs for the same families that social programmes aim to support. Reflecting on this contradiction in Peruvian Amazonia, the study explores the tensions between State and parental understandings of impoverishment in an Indigenous village impacted by oil extraction. The findings are twofold: (i) although families are sceptical of CSSP’s potential to enhance children’s prospects, they embrace it as a form of compensation for resource dispossession. (ii) CSSP may fail to lift children out of poverty if it overlooks how environmental degradation engenders intergenerational impoverishment. The article makes a case for the adoption of an environmental justice lens into CSPP, emphasising the need for a more holistic understanding of intergenerational poverty.
New Invasive and Potential Pests in Sugarcane Agrosystems in Africa: How to Apprehend Them for Better Preparedness and Management?
Authors: Goebel François-Régis 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Africa is a key sugarcane-producing continent, particularly in the eastern and southern regions with South Africa being the first producer of this commodity. However, sugarcane is attacked by insect pests of economic importance such as the stem borers, white grubs, armyworms, and sap-sucking insects and arthropods (e.g., aphids, thrips, scale insects, froghoppers, mites), some of which are vectors of important diseases. The African continent is particularly exposed to insect incursions due to the lack of biosecurity plans, phytosanitary control at the border and awareness. The actions taken by South Africa in terms of biosecurity represent a good example to follow and are comparable to what has been implemented in Australia, a country that is constantly threatened by outside pests and diseases. Several examples are given here to explain how an invasive pest can dramatically threaten small-scale farmers, particularly in resource-poor countries and how it is important to have an efficient biosecurity strategy for emergency response for pest and disease control.

Information
© The Author 2024
Investigation of Left Ventricular Layer-Specific Strain in Patients of Chronic Kidney Disease by 2-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography
Authors: Fu Li-yun , Zhang Qian-yi , Ruan Qin-yun , Huang Hui-mei , Yan Lei , You Zi-ling , Su Hong-da 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the characteristics of left ventricular layer-specific strain in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

METHODS
Eighty-five patients of chronic kidney disease in the Department of Nephrology of our hospital from March 2020 to August 2021 were selected and divided into three groups according to the estimated GFR: Group A (CKD stage 1–2), Group B (CKD stage 3–4), and Group C (CKD stage 5), 40 hypertensive patients without renal insufficiency were gathered as hypertension (HT) group and 40 gender and age-matched healthy volunteers were selected as the control group. Then, (i) Routine echocardiographic parameters: left ventricular diameter, left atrium diameter, wall thickness, LVEF. (ii) Myocardial strain: global longitudinal strain (GLS), longitudinal strain in endocardium (SL-endo), longitudinal strain in average (SL-ave), longitudinal strain in epicardium (SL-epi), global circumferential strain (GCS), global circumferential strain in endocardium (SC-endo), global circumferential strain in average (SC-ave), global circumferential strain in epicardium (SC-epi), and global radial strain (GRS) were analyzed.

RESULTS
(i) Compared with the control group, the structure of the left heart and LVEF in groups A and B had no significant changes, left ventricular remodeling appeared, and diastolic function declined in HT group and group C, LVEF decreased in group C (all P &lt; 0.05). (ii) Only SL-endo decreased in the HT group. All of SL-endo, SL-ave, and SL-epi were reduced in the CKD group and were lowest in group C. Radial strain decreased only in group C (all P &lt; 0.05). (iii) The global and layer-specific longitudinal strain were correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (r = 0.541–0.559, all P &lt; 0.05), LVEF was correlated with longitudinal and circumferential strain (r = 0.406–0.424, all P &lt; 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that longitudinal strain in different layers were independently correlated with different stages of CKD and the occurrence of secondary hypertension or not (β = −0.251 to −0.443, all P &lt; 0.05). Circumferential strain in all layers were independently correlated with the appearance of secondary hypertension or not (β = −0.255 to −0.31, all P &lt; 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
The degree and range of the impairment of left ventricular strain in CKD patients are related to the stage of eGFR and secondary hypertension, which may affect the global systolic pump function by involving the circumferential strain.
The National Health Service 2-week-wait skin cancer referral pathway: analysis and recommendations for process improvement
Authors: Madan Vishal 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Although pressures on the National Health Service skin cancer services pre-dated the COVID pandemic, the 2-week-wait (2WW) skin cancer standards that require hospitals to provide an appointment with a specialist within 2 weeks for anyone with symptoms that may indicate cancer have deteriorated post the pandemic.

Objectives
To undertake process mapping of the current 2WW skin cancer pathways and provide recommendations to streamline and improve the pathway to meet the 2WW standards.

Methods
The 2WW skin cancer pathway is analysed in this report utilizing 4 V typology encompassing the four dimensions of operations: volume, variety, variation and visibility, and a volume–variety matrix. A performance matrix of the 2WW skin cancer pathway and SIPOC (suppliers, inputs, processes, outputs and customers) analysis are also examined.

Results
Process analysis enabled the identification of some of the limitations of the 2WW skin cancer pathway. Following analysis and redesign of the process map of the pathway, recommendations, including lesion assessment using artificial intelligence, single-lesion assessment clinics and direct access skin surgery, all of which aim to expedite patient care and increase capacity in 2WW clinics, are provided.

Conclusions
The process analysis of the 2WW skin cancer pathway provides useful insights and helps identify bottlenecks in the system. Recommendations following remapping the process offer potential solutions to help reduce time to referral and to increase capacity. These recommendations should help reduce waiting times for patients receiving an initial diagnosis and subsequent definitive treatment for suspected skin cancers.
The impact of quality of life on the survival of elderly patients with end-stage renal disease: a prospective multicenter cohort study in Korea
Authors: Chung Yu-Kyung , Lim Jeong-Hoon , Jeon Ye-na , Jeon You Hyun , Jung Hee-Yeon , Choi Ji-Young , Park Sun-Hee , Kim Chan-Duck , Kim Yong-Lim , Cho Jang-Hee 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACT

Background
Quality of life (QOL) is associated with mortality in dialysis patients. However, the impact of QOL index or score on elderly patients undergoing maintenance dialysis is unclear. We analyzed the relationship between QOL domains and survival in elderly end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on dialysis.

Methods
We included 492 incident ESRD patients aged ≥65 years from a Korean nationwide prospective cohort study who were assessed for QOL with a follow-up duration of 67.3 ± 34.6 months after dialysis initiation. Their QOL was evaluated using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL) instrument, and the effect of each QOL domain on mortality was analyzed. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for death after adjusting for confounding factors.

Results
Low physical component summary (PCS) and Short Form-36 score were significantly associated with low survival rate (P &lt; .001 and P = .017, respectively), whereas the mental component summary and ESRD-targeted item scores were not correlated with survival rate. Multivariable Cox regression analysis confirmed that only a high PCS score was associated with better survival (hazard ratio 0.71; 95% confidence interval 0.52–0.97; P = .031). Linear regression analysis revealed that age, sex, modified Charlson comorbidity index, albumin and intact parathyroid hormone were associated with PCS. Among the PCS items, only the physical functioning score was significantly associated with mortality (P = .017).

Conclusion
PCS was an independent risk factor for death in elderly ESRD patients. A higher physical functioning score was associated with a better outcome, suggesting the importance of physical condition in elderly dialysis patients.
Drivers of Intraspecific Variation in Thermal Traits and Their Importance for Resilience to Global Change in Amphibians
Authors: Cocciardi Jennifer M , Ohmer Michel E B 
Published: August 2024

SynopsisIntraspecific variation can be as great as variation across species, but the role of intraspecific variation in driving local and large-scale patterns is often overlooked, particularly in the field of thermal biology. In amphibians, which depend on environmental conditions and behavior to regulate body temperature, recognizing intraspecific thermal trait variation is essential to comprehensively understanding how global change impacts populations. Here, we examine the drivers of micro- and macrogeographical intraspecific thermal trait variation in amphibians. At the local scale, intraspecific variation can arise via changes in ontogeny, body size, and between the sexes, and developmental plasticity, acclimation, and maternal effects may modulate predictions of amphibian performance under future climate scenarios. At the macrogeographic scale, local adaptation in thermal traits may occur along latitudinal and elevational gradients, with seasonality and range-edge dynamics likely playing important roles in patterns that may impact future persistence. We also discuss the importance of considering disease as a factor affecting intraspecific variation in thermal traits and population resilience to climate change, given the impact of pathogens on thermal preferences and critical thermal limits of hosts. Finally, we make recommendations for future work in this area. Ultimately, our goal is to demonstrate why it is important for researchers to consider intraspecific variation to determine the resilience of amphibians to global change.
A Practical Guide to Avoiding Biased Communication in Reproductive Biology
Authors: Baker Zoe , Hayssen Virginia 
Published: August 2024

Synopsis
When cultural biases pervade communication, whether visual or text-based, objectivity is impaired. Anthropocentrism (human-centered bias) and androcentrism (male-centered bias) in particular distort perspectives in mammalian reproductive biology. This paper provides a resource for professionals who understand how cultural biases can be reinforced with language, visuals, and conceptual framing. After brief explanations, we present neutral alternatives to biased terminology as well as ways to avoid bias in illustrations. Since this paper is animal-centric, we hope to inspire the creation of similar resources across a more diverse biota and, thus, move towards a more neutral perspective across reproductive biology.
Analysis of the Borreliaceae Pangenome Reveals a Distinct Genomic Architecture Conserved Across Phylogenetic Scales
Authors: Lemieux Jacob E 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
The family Borreliaceae contains arthropod-borne spirochetes that cause two widespread human diseases, Lyme disease and relapsing fever. Lyme disease is a subacute, progressive illness with variable stage and tissue manifestations. Relapsing fever is an acute febrile illness with prominent bacteremia that may recur and disseminate, particularly to the nervous system. Clinical heterogeneity is a hallmark of both diseases. While human clinical manifestations are influenced by a wide variety of factors, including immune status and host genetic susceptibility, there is evidence that Borreliaceae microbial factors influence the clinical manifestations of human disease caused by this family of spirochetes. Despite these associations, the spirochete genes that influence the severity and manifestations of human disease are, for the most part, unknown. Recent work has identified lineage-specific expansions of lipoproteome-rich accessory genome elements in virulent clones of Borrelia burgdorferi. Using publicly available genome assemblies, it is shown that all Borreliaceae lineages for which sufficient sequence data are available harbor a similar pattern of strongly structured, lineage-specific expansions in their accessory genomes, particularly among lipoproteins, and that this pattern holds across phylogenetic scales including genera, species, and genotypes. The relationships among pangenome elements suggest that infrequent episodes of marked genomic change followed by clonal expansion in geographically and enzootically structured populations may account for the unique lineage structure of Borreliaceae. This analysis informs future genotype–phenotype studies among Borreliaceae and lays a foundation for studies of individual gene function guided by phylogenetic patterns of conservation, diversification, gain, and/or loss.
Liability for AI-related IP infringements in the European Union
Authors: Rački Marinković Ana 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology develops and more AI systems are put on the market, concern about the implications of such AI systems on humans is growing. A particular area of concern is the impact of AI systems on intellectual property rights (IPRs) as infringement might occur in relation to the use of AI systems. IPR infringements can be committed by training an AI system, as well as by using or when operating an AI system. This raises the question of liability for such IPR infringements.
This research covers situations where IPR infringements are committed by training an AI system, as well as those where infringements are committed by using or operating an AI system. One hypothetical situation of an AI system created solely for the purpose of infringing IPRs is investigated, but also includes situations where otherwise legitimate AI systems are misused in criminal activities as tools for the production and sale of infringing goods. These areas are analysed in relation to the proposed AI Liability Directive and other relevant European Union legislation to identify what rules would be applicable to liability for damage in such cases. The research also considers the recently enacted AI Act. In instances where the damage is caused by AI-enabled products and services, the study shows how the ‘rebuttable presumption of causality’ provided for under the AI Liability Directive could be applied.
Is organizational intervention using Layered Voice Analysis effective in addressing operator mental health in call centers? A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tani Naomichi , Takao Yoshihiro , Noro Sakihito , Fujihara Hiroaki , Eguchi Hisashi , Sakai Kazuki , Ebara Takeshi 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Objectives: To verify the effects of organizational interventions on mental health using Layered Voice Analysis (LVA).
Methods: A 12-week single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with call center operators. Sixty-six participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 26), an LVA intervention group (n = 20), or a one-on-one intervention group (n = 20). The control group received general self-care information about preventing mental health problems from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, Japan website. The organizational LVA intervention involved group sessions using participants’ voice calls with customers, whereas the one-on-one intervention consisted of meetings or consultations with participants and their supervisors to discuss preventing mental health issues at work. To verify the effectiveness of the intervention program, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was administered 4 times (baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks) as the primary outcome, and the data were analyzed using a linear mixed model. The intervention of LVA was subdivided and analyzed into LVA ≥5 times and LVA ≤4 times out of the total 6 interventions.
Results: Compared with the control group, a significant CES-D reduction effect was observed at 8/12 weeks for the difference of coefficients (DOC; [βint − βctrl]) for the intervention of LVA ≥5 times (DOC −1.86 and −2.36, respectively). Similarly, even intervention LVA ≤4 times also showed a significant decrease of CES-D scores at 8/12 weeks (DOC −2.20 and −2.38, respectively).
Conclusions: An organizational intervention using LVA has the potential to reduce the risk of depression among call center operators.
A semi-parametric maximum-likelihood analysis of measurement error in population size estimation
Authors: Alaimo Di Loro Pierfrancesco , Maruotti Antonello 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This work addresses the challenge of measurement errors in capture–recapture (CR) studies with covariates. These errors can introduce bias and undermine inference quality. To address this issue, we introduce a nonparametric measurement error model tailored to the ‘repeated counts’ setting, employing EM-type algorithms for parameter estimation. We use the Horvitz–Thompson estimator for population size estimates. Rigorous simulations, covering varying degrees of measurement error reliability, confirm our approach’s effectiveness. Applied to benchmark datasets, it consistently provides more accurate point estimates and robust uncertainty quantification, enhancing the reliability of CR analyses.
Managing Global Transit: International Jewish Aid Organizations and Informal Networks Between Berlin, Harbin, Bombay, and Shanghai, 1938–1939
Authors: Hagmann Sarah 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This article uses the Far Eastern Jewish Central Information Bureau in Harbin, Manchukuo, and its manager Meyer Birman (1891–1955) as a starting point for analysing the management of global transit and Jewish emigration in the years 1938 and 1939. Birman worked with various actors in Europe, such as the Hilfsverein der Juden in Deutschland and Jewish communities, to help Jews in their flight to Harbin or Shanghai. Jews who wanted to leave Europe could apply to the Hilfsverein for help. There, application forms, photographs, curricula vitae, recommendation letters, and other documents were collected and sent to Birman, who tried to select ‘suitable persons’ for emigration, and to help them with visas, local invitation letters, jobs, and accommodation. The article argues that understanding global transit and Jewish emigration requires specific empirical evidence that can be found by placing international Jewish aid organizations and their global networks at the centre of historical research, and combining their sources with materials from Jewish individuals and families. This interplay of the global and the local, of institutions and individuals, sheds light on the managing and building of infrastructure in this liminal time and space of global transit, not only revealing the crucial practices, experiences, and emotions of Jewish refugees, but also making their family histories visible. For this purpose, the article presents two case studies and analyses sources from the Far Eastern Bureau, the Hilfsverein, and individual Jewish refugees.
Molecular traits of MAPK kinases and the regulatory mechanism of GhMAPKK5 alleviating drought/salt stress in cotton
Authors: Ding Rui , Li Junhua , Wang Jie , Li Yan , Ye Wuwei , Yan Gentu , Yin Zujun 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MAPKKs) play a critical role in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, transducing external stimuli into intracellular responses and enabling plant adaptation to environmental challenges. Most research has focused on the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The systematic analysis and characterization of MAPKK genes across different plant species, particularly in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), are somewhat limited. Here, we identified MAPKK family members from 66 different species, which clustered into five different sub-groups, and MAPKKs from four cotton species clustered together. Through further bioinformatic and expression analyses, GhMAPKK5 was identified as the most responsive MAPKK member to salt and drought stress among the 23 MAPKKs identified in Gossypium hirsutum. Silencing GhMAPKK5 in cotton through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) led to quicker wilting under salt and drought conditions, while overexpressing GhMAPKK5 in Arabidopsis enhanced root growth and seed germination under these stresses, demonstrating GhMAPKK5's positive role in stress tolerance. Transcriptomics and Yeast-Two-Hybrid assays revealed a MAPK cascade signal module comprising GhMEKK (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases)3/8/31-GhMAPKK5-GhMAPK11/23. This signaling cascade may play a role in managing drought and salt stress by regulating transcription factor genes, such as WRKYs, which are involved in the biosynthesis and transport pathways of ABA, proline, and RALF. This study is highly important for further understanding the regulatory mechanism of MAPKK in cotton, contributing to its stress tolerance and offering potential in targets for genetic enhancement.
Temporal and spatial frameworks supporting plant responses to vegetation proximity
Authors: Pastor-Andreu Pedro , Moreno-Romero Jordi , Urdin-Bravo Mikel , Palau-Rodriguez Julia , Paulisic Sandi , Kastanaki Elizabeth , Vives-Peris Vicente , Gomez-Cadenas Aurelio , Esteve-Codina Anna , Martín-Mur Beatriz , Rodríguez-Villalón Antía , Martínez-García Jaume F 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
After the perception of vegetation proximity by phytochrome photoreceptors, shade-avoider plants initiate a set of responses known as the shade avoidance syndrome (SAS). Shade perception by the phytochrome B (phyB) photoreceptor unleashes the PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORs and initiates SAS responses. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings, shade perception involves rapid and massive changes in gene expression, increases auxin production, and promotes hypocotyl elongation. Other components, such as phyA and ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5, also participate in the shade regulation of the hypocotyl elongation response by repressing it. However, why and how so many regulators with either positive or negative activities modulate the same response remains unclear. Our physiological, genetic, cellular, and transcriptomic analyses showed that (i) these components are organized into 2 main branches or modules and (ii) the connection between them is dynamic and changes with the time of shade exposure. We propose a model for the regulation of shade-induced hypocotyl elongation in which the temporal and spatial functional importance of the various SAS regulators analyzed here helps to explain the coexistence of differentiated regulatory branches with overlapping activities.