bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unravelling the Metabolic Underpinnings of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Comprehensive Mendelian Randomisation Analysis Identifying Causal Metabolites and Biological Pathways
Authors: Shen Min , Shi Lei , Xing Mengzhen , Jiang Hehe , Ma Yuning , Ma Yuxia , Zhang Linlin 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has a strong genetic predisposition. Integrating metabolomics with Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis offers a potent method to uncover the metabolic factors causally linked to GDM pathogenesis.ObjectivesThis study aims to identify specific metabolites and metabolic pathways causally associated with GDM susceptibility through a comprehensive MR analysis. Additionally, it seeks to explore the potential of these identified metabolites as circulating biomarkers for early GDM detection and risk assessment. Furthermore, it aims to evaluate the implicated metabolic pathways as potential therapeutic targets for preventive or interventional strategies against GDM.MethodsA two‐sample MR study was conducted using summary statistics from a metabolite genome‐wide association study (GWAS) of 8299 individuals and a GDM GWAS comprising 13,039 cases and 197,831 controls. Rigorous criteria were applied to select robust genetic instruments for 850 metabolites.ResultsMR analysis revealed 47 metabolites exhibiting putative causal associations with GDM risk. Among these, five metabolites demonstrated statistically significant associations after multiple‐testing correction: Beta‐citrylglutamate, Isobutyrylcarnitine (c4), 1,2‐dilinoleoyl‐GPC (18:2/18:2), Alliin and Cis‐3,4‐methyleneheptanoylcarnitine. Importantly, all these metabolites exhibited protective effects against GDM development. Additionally, metabolic pathway enrichment analysis implicated the methionine metabolism and spermidine and spermine biosynthesis pathways in the pathogenesis of GDM.ConclusionThis comprehensive MR study has robustly identified specific metabolites and metabolic pathways with causal links to GDM susceptibility. These findings provide novel insights into the metabolic underpinnings of GDM aetiology and offer promising translational implications. The identified metabolites could serve as potential circulating biomarkers for early detection and risk stratification, while the implicated metabolic pathways may represent therapeutic targets for preventive or interventional strategies against GDM.
Habitat suitability and protected area coverage for an expanding cougar Puma concolor population in Canada
Authors: Christoff Jennifer A. , Devenish‐Nelson Eleanor S. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractSuccessful conservation of expanding large carnivore populations and management of human–wildlife conflict to promote coexistence requires sufficient spatiotemporal knowledge to inform appropriate action. In Canada, cougars (Puma concolor) are expanding their range eastwards and little research is available for use in decision making by land managers and conservation planners. To inform proactive management regarding expanding populations of cougars in Canada, we utilized open‐source cougar presence and land‐cover data in a maximum entropy habitat suitability model to determine potentially suitable habitat for cougars across the country. We then used a gap analysis to determine the effectiveness of existing formal protected areas to protect potential cougar habitat. Suitable habitat exists for range‐expanding cougars dispersing eastwards through the central and eastern provinces to the Atlantic coast. While the habitat is highly fragmented, the highest suitability occurs in areas of medium road density, indicating that the potential for new human–cougar conflict will likely involve residents of exurban and rural areas. Protected areas offered 16% coverage of suitable habitat, although most protected areas that overlap predicted cougar habitat are not large enough to effectively conserve the large home range requirements of cougars. Synthesis and Applications: High fragmentation of suitable habitat and the potential for human–wildlife conflict requires proactive management to ensure appropriately sized and connected areas are maintained for the establishment of expanding cougar populations. Many of the management actions intended to aid in the conservation of cougars and their habitat can also serve to mitigate potential human–cougar conflict arising as a consequence of an expanding population, such as highway wildlife crossing structures and formal habitat protection.
Toward a comparative framework for studies of altitudinal migration
Authors: Vander Pluym David , Mason Nicholas A. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe study and importance of altitudinal migration has attracted increasing interest among zoologists. Altitudinal migrants are taxonomically widespread and move across altitudinal gradients as partial or complete migrants, subjecting them to a wide array of environments and ecological interactions. Here, we present a brief synthesis of recent developments in the field and suggest future directions toward a more taxonomically inclusive comparative framework for the study of altitudinal migration. Our framework centers on a working definition of altitudinal migration that hinges on its biological relevance, which is scale‐dependent and related to fitness outcomes. We discuss linguistic nuances of altitudinal movements and provide concrete steps to compare altitudinal migration phenomena across traditionally disparate study systems. Together, our comparative framework outlines a “phenotypic space” that contextualizes the biotic and abiotic interactions encountered by altitudinal migrants from divergent lineages and biomes. We also summarize new opportunities, methods, and challenges for the ongoing study of altitudinal migration. A persistent, primary challenge is characterizing the taxonomic extent of altitudinal migration within and among species. Fortunately, a host of new methods have been developed to help researchers assess the taxonomic prevalence of altitudinal migration—each with their own advantages and disadvantages. An improved comparative framework will allow researchers that study disparate disciplines and taxonomic groups to better communicate and to test hypotheses regarding the evolutionary and ecological drivers underlying variation in altitudinal migration among populations and species.
Flower‐Like NiCo/rGO Effective Nanocomposite for High‐Performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Qin Fang , Yan Yuqing 
Published: August 2024

AbstractNovel electrode materials with unique architectures are always favored to improve the capacity and energy density of supercapacitors. Herein, we have designed a composition of transition metal and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as advanced electrode for enhanced‐performance supercapacitors. Particularly, a facile one‐pot hydrothermal approach was applied for in‐situ growth of NiCo/rGO composite. It displayed the best electrochemical performance attributing to the three‐dimensional flower‐like architecture in combination with conductive rGO. Among all the electrodes, NiCo/rGO exhibited impressive areal capacitance of 2565 mF/cm2 at a current density of 1 mA/cm2, and a high energy density of μWh/cm2 at a power density of 200 μW/cm2. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirms feasible charge transfer kinetics at the interface with small internal resistance and rapid diffusion, resulting an improved electrochemical performance.
Copper(II)/Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Three‐Component Sequential Annulation‐Olefination of 2‐Arylquinoxalines
Authors: Chen Yifan , Yin Fucheng , Luo Zhongwen , Li Shang , Zhang Yonglei , Li Xinxin , Wan Siyuan , Kong Lingyi , Wang Xiaobing 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe quinoxaline scaffold occurs in many pharmaceuticals, natural products and organic materials. In this study, a Cu(II)/Rh(III)‐catalyzed regioselective annulation‐olefination sequence for the formation and modification of quinoxalines was developed using ethanol and water as the solvent, with relatively broad substrate scope and functional group tolerance. This protocol has been successfully applied to the derivatization of natural products and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, the derivatives exhibited enhanced antiproliferative activities against A‐2780 and HCT‐116 cell lines, underscoring their potential as promising lead compounds for ovarian cancer and colon cancer treatment.
Examining 1,4,2‐Dioxazol‐5‐One as an Alternative Reagent to Acyl Azides in the Staudinger Reaction
Authors: Zhang Qianlan , Liu Shijie , Xie Yunzhi , Du Tianlei , Wang Shuaihao , Guan Jia , Li Jian , Tang Hao , Zhou Zijun 
Published: August 2024

AbstractIn this study, we explore 1,4,2‐dioxazol‐5‐one as an alternative reagent to acyl azides in the Staudinger reaction, providing a safe and efficient method for synthesizing N‐acyliminophosphoranes under metal‐free conditions. This approach involves a heat‐promoted nucleophilic attack of phosphines on 1,4,2‐dioxazol‐5‐ones, followed by the extrusion of CO2 gas, resulting in the formation of the P−N coupling product. The synthetic utility of this metal‐free imidization of phosphine was demonstrated through a gram‐scale reaction and its suitability for subsequent transformations. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to elucidate the overall reaction pathway leading to the formation of N‐acyliminophosphoranes.
Self‐medication for dental caries‐associated toothache among dental outpatients attended at public health facilities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Sohal Karpal Singh , Jeremiah Linus , Okechi Uchenna , Agbor Ashu Michael 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackground and aimSelf‐medication is a common practice worldwide, and its prevalence ranges between 20% and 80% among patients suffering from dental pain. The socioeconomic status of an individual plays a key role in self‐medication practice, especially sex and education level. This study aims to investigate the extent of self‐medication practice for toothache due to dental caries among adults in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.MethodsThis was an analytical cross‐sectional study carried out over 6 months. It included adult patients presenting with toothache in public dental clinics. A questionnaire captured information on demography, self‐medication practice, the substance used for self‐medication, duration of self‐medication, and reason for self‐medication. Univariate analysis was carried out to assess factors associated with self‐care remedies. The probability level of α < 0.05 was selected for statistical significance.ResultsA total of 420 participants took part in this survey with a majority (54.3%) being females. The ages of the participants ranged between 18 years and 79 years, with a mean age of 33.37 (SD = 12.64) years. Nearly all (98.5%) participants used some sort of self‐prescribed remedies for managing toothache before attending a dental clinic for appropriate treatment. The sociodemographic status of the participants did not influence the practice of self‐medication.ConclusionAbout 98% of patients suffering from toothache in Tanzania practice self‐medication, and it cuts across all social strata of the adult dental populationPatient or Public ContributionPatients with toothache secondary to dental caries participated in the pilot study and were consulted on the suitability of the study tool.
Silencing of KIAA1429, a N6‐methyladenine methyltransferase, inhibits the progression of colon adenocarcinoma via blocking the hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 signalling pathway
Authors: Ouyang Canhui , Xu Guofeng , Xie Jun , Xie Yun , Zhou Yun 
Published: August 2024

AbstractKIAA1429 is an important ‘writer’ of the N6‐methyladenine (m6A) modification, which is involved in tumour progression. This study was conducted to explore the mechanism of action of KIAA1429 in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). KIAA1429‐silenced COAD cell and xenograft tumour models were constructed, and the function of KIAA1429 was explored through a series of in vivo and in vitro assays. The downstream mechanisms of KIAA1429 were explored using transcriptome sequencing. Dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG), an activator of HIF‐1α, was used for feedback verification. The expression of KIAA1429 in COAD tumour tissues and cells was elevated, and KIAA1429 exhibited differential expression at different stages of the tumour. Silencing of KIAA1429 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HT29 and HCT116 cells. The expression levels of NLRP3, GSDMD and Caspase‐1 were decreased in KIAA1429‐silenced HT29 cells, indicating the pyroptotic activity was inhibited. Additionally, KIAA1429 silencing inhibited the growth of tumour xenograft. Transcriptome sequencing and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that after KIAA1429 silencing, the expression of AKR1C1, AKR1C2, AKR1C3 and RDH8 was elevated, and the expression of VIRMA, GINS1, VBP1 and ARF3 was decreased. In HT29 cells, KIAA1429 silencing blocked the HIF‐1 signalling pathway, accompanied by the decrease in AKT1 and HIF‐1α protein levels. The activation of HIF‐1 signalling pathway, mediated by DMOG, reversed the antitumour role of KIAA1429 silencing. KIAA1429 silencing inhibits COAD development by blocking the HIF‐1 signalling pathway.
Organizational resources, burnout, and work engagement of school counselors: The mediating effect of professional identity
Authors: Um Byeolbee , Bardhoshi Gerta 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the influence of organizational resources and professional identity on school counselor burnout and work engagement. We performed structural equation modeling using a sample of 345 practicing school counselors. The results of the analysis showed that organizational resources for school counselors were significantly related to professional identity, burnout, and work engagement, while professional identity significantly mediated the relationship between organizational resources and burnout/work engagement. We provided implications and recommendations for future research on school counselors’ work‐related attitudes and professional identity development.
Ichor: A Python library for computational chemistry data management and machine learning force field development
Authors: Manchev Yulian T. , Burn Matthew J. , Popelier Paul L. A. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractWe present ichor, an open‐source Python library that simplifies data management in computational chemistry and streamlines machine learning force field development. Ichor implements many easily extensible file management tools, in addition to a lazy file reading system, allowing efficient management of hundreds of thousands of computational chemistry files. Data from calculations can be readily stored into databases for easy sharing and post‐processing. Raw data can be directly processed by ichor to create machine learning‐ready datasets. In addition to powerful data‐related capabilities, ichor provides interfaces to popular workload management software employed by High Performance Computing clusters, making for effortless submission of thousands of separate calculations with only a single line of Python code. Furthermore, a simple‐to‐use command line interface has been implemented through a series of menu systems to further increase accessibility and efficiency of common important ichor tasks. Finally, ichor implements general tools for visualization and analysis of datasets and tools for measuring machine‐learning model quality both on test set data and in simulations. With the current functionalities, ichor can serve as an end‐to‐end data procurement, data management, and analysis solution for machine‐learning force‐field development.
Spectroscopic Analysis of the Initial Step of the Maillard Reaction of d‐Fructose and Nα‐Acetyl‐l‐Lysine
Authors: Yang Tsung‐Cheng , Hiramatsu Hirotsugu 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTThe Maillard reaction is a reaction between sugar and the amino group of proteins. Herein, Nα‐acetyl lysine (Ac‐Lys) and fructose were the model compounds. Structural information of the intermediates and products of the reaction at pH 7.4 and 37°C was obtained using UV–Vis absorption, fluorescence, and 785‐nm excited non‐resonance Raman spectroscopy. In the 6‐h reaction, three independent components in the spectroscopic data were attributed to the solvated reactants (A), their complex (B), and a covalent‐bonded product (C). The rate constant of the change in the fraction from A to B and B to C were (9.9 ± 0.1) × 10−3 and (3.3 ± 0.1) × 10−3 min−1, respectively. Polymeric Maillard reaction products were not yet formed. The structures of the solute molecules in each state were discussed based on the spectroscopic data.
Nutrient availability influences the thermal response of marine diatoms
Authors: Pang Mengwen , Liu Kailin , Chen Bingzhang , Zhang Xiaodong , Gao Zuyuan , Xu Zhimeng , Tan Yehui , Yang Jing , Liu Hongbin 
Published: August 2024

AbstractUnderstanding how phytoplankton growth responds to temperature is critical for forecasting marine productivity in a warming ocean. While previous laboratory studies have shown that phytoplankton thermal traits such as optimal temperature (Topt) can be affected by nutrient availability, it is unclear whether this can be extrapolated to natural communities. To address this, we tested the impacts of nutrient availability on the thermal responses of two cosmopolitan diatom genera, Pseudo‐nitzschia and Leptocylindrus, through a series of in situ manipulation experiments on natural phytoplankton communities. Analysis of the thermal performance curves revealed that nutrient limitation during summer not only limited the growth of these two genera but also reduced their Topt and the maximum growth rates (μmax). Topt was close to or lower than in situ temperature under ambient nutrient conditions, suggesting that further warming may have a detrimental effect on their growth. However, increasing nutrient supply could counteract this by enhancing Topt and μmax. To further confirm the interactive effects of nutrients and temperature on diatoms, we analyzed a 20‐yr monitoring dataset on Pseudo‐nitzschia, Leptocylindrus, and the whole diatom assembly in Hong Kong coastal waters. We found that the abundances of marine diatoms were significantly higher at high temperatures under nutrient‐rich environments while relatively low under low nutrient concentrations. Findings on natural diatom cell density align with the growth performance derived from in situ manipulation experiments, suggesting that abundant nutrients bolster marine diatoms in coping with warming. Our results highlight the importance of considering the influence of nutrient availability on thermal response of phytoplankton growth, which sheds light on how marine primary production may change under climate warming.
Nature‐based shoreline protection in newly formed tidal marshes is controlled by tidal inundation and sedimentation rate
Authors: Stoorvogel Marte M. , Temmerman Stijn , Oosterlee Lotte , Schoutens Ken , Maris Tom , van de Koppel Johan , Meire Patrick , Bouma Tjeerd J. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractMany tidal marshes have been lost by past land use changes, but are nowadays increasingly restored and created to provide valuable ecosystem services such as nature‐based flood and erosion protection along estuarine shorelines. To be functional for flood and shoreline erosion protection, restored and created tidal marshes should develop erosion resistant sediment beds. Here, we investigated which factors drive the spatial variations in sediment strength and erosion resistance in a developing tidal marsh restoration site. Our results show that decreasing tidal inundation frequency, decreasing sedimentation rate, and better drainage led to stronger consolidation in deeper sediment layers. This consolidation resulted in greater sediment strength, quantified here by shear strength and penetration resistance. Generally, sediment strength was greater when sediment had higher bulk density, while a higher water and fine fraction (= clay and silt) content decreased sediment strength. Overall, all measurement locations were relatively erosion resistant, likely caused by the dense root network and cohesive sediment. To restore or create resilient tidal marshes for nature‐based flood and shoreline erosion protection, we should thus aim for sites with relatively low tidal inundation frequency, moderate sedimentation rates, and cohesive sediment mixtures of clay, silt, and sand, which are well drained and have potential for vegetation establishment. These conditions have a high likelihood of resulting in restored or created tidal marshes that contribute to nature‐based flood and shoreline erosion protection.
Evaluating O2 : Ar, N2 : Ar, and 29,30N2 using membrane inlet mass spectrometry configured to minimize oxygen interference
Authors: Boedecker Ashlynn R. , Taylor Jason M. , Tappenbeck Tyler H. , Hall Robert O. , Robbins Caleb J. , Scott J. Thad 
Published: August 2024

AbstractMembrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) provides detailed measures of dissolved 28,29,30N2, O2, and argon (Ar) for estimating important gas fluxes and concentrations in aquatic ecosystems. Previous studies demonstrated a large O2 scavenging effect while using a MIMS, where varying concentrations of O2 can affect measured N2 : Ar because O2 interacts with N2 in the ion source to produce NO+ (m/z = 30), potentially decreasing the detected current for 28,29N2 and increasing the detected current for 30N2. A common solution is to use a muffle furnace heated to 600°C with a copper reduction column to reduce the concentration of O2 to minimal levels and accurately measure 28,29,30N2. However, this solution eliminates the detection of O2 in environmental samples, which is a major benefit of using a MIMS. We questioned whether the MIMS was sensitive enough to provide accurate O2 estimates when using the furnace and whether the O2 scavenging effect was real and consistent among MIMS. We conducted four separate experiments on three different MIMS to test the O2 scavenging effect and the potential detection of O2 when using a MIMS with furnace. The furnace removed ~ 99% of O2, and O2 scavenging had little to no detectable effect on N2 : Ar and an unclear effect on 29N2 : 28N2, but increased 30N2 : 28N2. In most cases, accurate O2 data could be retrieved despite using the furnace. The need for O2 reduction may be limited to measuring accurate 30N2 : 28N2 in isotope pairing studies, but without substantial loss of MIMS measurements used to describe O2 dynamics.