bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Palaeogeography and tectono‐stratigraphic evolution of the Aptian Ezanga‐Loémé evaporites along the proximal domain of the south Gabon‐Congo‐Cabinda margin
Authors: Pichat Alexandre , Delhaye‐Prat Vincent , Guiraud Michel , Gindre‐Chanu Laurent , Gaucher Eric C. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractDuring the Early Cretaceous, massive evaporite accumulations formed in the opening South Atlantic. However, the depositional model of these salts is still poorly constrained at the scale of the West African margin. The present study focuses along the proximal domain of the south Gabon‐Congo‐Cabinda margin and is based on (i) log interpretations of 246 wells crossing undeformed to weakly deformed evaporite intervals and (ii) a structural characterization of the basement. The evaporites show 11 regional evaporite depositional cycles (CI–CXI) bounded by meter‐thick shale beds. The cycles display alternating meter‐scale carnallite‐halite beds that can be correlated over several hundred kilometres, and CVI, CVII, CVIIIa and CX culminate in localized tachyhydrite accumulations. Cross section correlations and isopach maps help to understand the palaeogeographical evolution of each cycle and depositional environments that evolved from relatively deep at the base of cycles, to very shallow at their top. CI formed a mosaic of halite‐prone depocenters deposited in pre‐salt topographic relief. CII and CIII were deposited uniformly over a flattened basin in a highly extended brine pond. From CIV to CVIIIa, the stratigraphic architecture of the salts was shaped by freshwater inflow sourced from the north and possible basement movements. This setting, together with an increased confinement of the proximal domain from the distal one with basin drawdown, favoured the development of depocenters with perennial subaqueous conditions and extreme salinities, in which more than 70 m of tachyhydrite accumulation could locally be preserved. From CVIIIb to CXI, the basin returned to a flat depositional setting without well‐developed depocenters and with increasing subsidence westwards. Marine influx increased starting from CX, allowing the deposition of sulphate beds. The salt section is capped by anhydrite deposits interbedded with clastic and dolomite, before the final marine invasion of the basin. For the first time, this study provides a large‐scale depositional tectonostratigraphic setting of the Aptian salts in the proximal domain of the West African margin. The results are of interest for K‐Mg salts exploration resources in the Aptian and pave the way for further investigation of the salt depositional environment in the distal domain of the margin.
Pain perception, aqueous humour cytokines, and miosis response following first and second eye femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery: A randomised, prospective, intraindividual study
Authors: Yu Yinhui , Wang Lixia , Qiao Yue , Ye Yang , Zhong Yueyang , Song Xiaohui , Yao Ke , Yu Yibo 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackgroundTo compare pain perception, pupil behaviours, and cytokine levels during first‐eye and second‐eye femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and determine which is better regarding a short or long interval for bilateral FLACS.MethodsNotably, 96 eyes of 48 patients with bilateral cataracts underwent the first surgeries in the left or right eye, according to a random sequence. They were further randomised into 2‐ and 6‐week subgroups based on surgery intervals. Pupil size was measured from captured images, and pain perception was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). Aqueous humour prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), interleukin (IL)‐6, and IL‐8 levels were also quantitatively analysed. All patients were followed for 1 week to evaluate changes in endothelial cell density (ECD), central corneal thickness (CCT), and macular central subfield thickness (CST).ResultsOcular pain was significantly higher in patients who underwent second‐eye FLACS. First tear break‐up time was negatively correlated with VAS score. MCP‐1 levels were significantly higher in patients who underwent second‐eye FLACS, and VAS scores were positively correlated with MCP‐1 levels across all patients. There were no differences between sequential FLACS in miosis, PGE2, IL‐6, IL‐8 levels and changes in postoperative ECD, CCT, and CST. Patients who underwent second‐eye FLACS after 6 weeks showed more CCT, CST, and MCP‐1 changes than baseline.ConclusionSecond‐eye FLACS causes more pain and upregulated MCP‐1. There was no difference between sequential FLACS in PGE2 levels, miosis, and postoperative inflammation. Furthermore, first‐eye FLACS triggered a sympathetic irritation, particularly after a 6‐week interval.
Stational liturgy and the minority right to the city
Authors: Sheklian Christopher 
Published: August 2024

AbstractArmenian Apostolic Christians in Istanbul implicitly assert their “right to the city” through the liturgical itinerary that moves around the megalopolis of Istanbul. Though the right to the city has been taken up in a plethora of ways, its applicability to religion and religious practices is underexplored. While many Armenians in the Republic of Turkey explicitly take up the language of rights, the urban liturgical movements described in this article do not sit easily with either ideas of universal human rights or the minority rights framework operative in the Republic of Turkey. The concept of the right to the city, which already sits at the limits of conventional notions of rights, helps articulate how these religious practices claim an urban minority presence. By considering Armenian Christian liturgical practice in Istanbul simultaneously as “stational liturgy” and as a claim to the “right to the city,” this article offers an ethnographic account of urban minority presence‐making that encounters the legal strictures of rights discourse without being fully enmeshed in them. In so doing, the article uses the ethnography to make a broader argument about the limits of rights discourse to account fully for forms of presence‐making that are grounded in minority traditions.
Circular RNA NFIX Functions as an Oncogene in Non‐Small Cell Lung Cancer by Modulating the miR‐214‐3p/TRIAP1 Axis
Authors: Liu Guohua , Shi Hanbing , Zheng Hongyan , Kong Weili , Cheng Xinyue , Deng Liling 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundcircRNA NFIX has been shown to exist as an oncogene in glioma. But its expression and role in NSCLC (non‐small cell lung cancer) are still unclear. This research aimed to discover the expression and function of circRNA NFIX in NSCLC.MethodsIn this research, qRT‐PCR was utilized to investigate the expression levels of circRNA NFIX, miRNA‐214‐3p, and TRIAP1 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The binding sites between circRNA NFIX/TRIAP1 and miRNA‐214‐3p were predicted using the Starbase. These interactions were further validated using a double luciferase reporter assay. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed through MTT and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of apoptosis‐related proteins was measured by western blot assay.ResultsmiRNA‐214‐3p could link with circRNA NFIX. circRNA NFIX was upregulated, while miRNA‐214‐3p was downregulated in NSCLC cell lines and clinical samples. Besides, suppression of circRNA NFIX repressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells by upregulating miRNA‐214‐3p expression. Besides, the data indicated that TRIAP1 was a target of miRNA‐214‐3p, and it was negatively regulated by miRNA‐214‐3p in NSCLC cells. The excessive expression of miRNA‐214‐3p suppressed NSCLC cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. In addition, overexpression of TRIAP1 significantly reversed the effects on NSCLC cells caused by miRNA‐214‐3p mimic.ConclusioncircRNA NFIX silencing repressed the proliferation of NSCLC cells and induced cell apoptosis by regulating the miR‐214‐3p/TRIAP1 axis, which was a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for NSCLC.
Co‐occurrence of surf breaks and carbon‐dense ecosystems suggests opportunities for coastal conservation
Authors: Bukoski Jacob J. , Atkinson Scott R. , Miller Marissa Anne S. , Sancho‐Gallegos Diego A. , Arroyo Mara , Koenig Kellee , Reineman Dan R. , Kittinger John N. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractSurf breaks are increasingly recognized as socio‐environmental phenomena that provide opportunities for biodiversity conservation and sustained benefits for local communities. Here, we examine an additional benefit from improved conservation of the ecosystems that host and surround surf breaks—their coincidence with carbon dense coastal ecosystems. Using global spatial datasets of irrecoverable carbon (defined as carbon stocks that, if lost today, could not be recovered within 30 years' time), surf break locations, ecosystem types, protected areas, and Key Biodiversity Areas, we identified 88.3 million tonnes of irrecoverable carbon held in surf ecosystems. Of this total, 17.2 million tonnes are found in Key Biodiversity Areas without formal measures of protection. These results highlight surf conservation as a potential avenue to simultaneously mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable development in coastal communities.
The effect of Mankai plant consumption on postprandial glycaemic response among patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized crossover trial
Authors: Tsaban Gal , Aharon‐Hananel Genya , Shalem Shiran , Zelicha Hila , Yaskolka Meir Anat , Pachter Dafna , Goldberg Dana Tamar , Kamer Omer , Alufer Liav , Stampfer Meir J. , Wang Dong D. , Qi Lu , Blüher Matthias , Stumvoll Michael , Hu Frank B. , Shai Iris , Tirosh Amir 
Published: August 2024

AbstractAimTo explore the effect of Mankai, a cultivated aquatic duckweed green plant, on postprandial glucose (PG) excursions in type 2 diabetes (T2D).MethodsIn a 4‐week, randomized crossover‐controlled trial, we enrolled 45 adults with T2D (HbA1c range: 6.5%‐8.5%) from two sites in Israel. Participants were randomized to drink Mankai (200 mL of raw‐fresh‐aquatic plant + 100 mL of water, 40 kcal, ~10 g of dry matter equivalent) or water (300 mL) following dinner, for 2 weeks each, with a 4‐day washout interval, without dietary, physical activity or pharmacotherapy alterations. We used continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices.ResultsForty patients (adherence rate = 88.5%; 743 person‐intervention‐days, 68.9% men, age = 64 years, HbA1c = 6.8%) completed the study with a consistent diet and complete CGM reads. Only two‐thirds of the individuals responded beneficially to Mankai. Overall, Mankai significantly lowered the PG peak by 19.3% (∆peak = 24.3 ± 16.8 vs. 30.1 ± 18.5 mg/dL; P < .001) and delayed the time‐to‐peak by 20.0% (112.5 [interquartile range: 75‐135] vs. 90 [60‐105] min; P < .001) compared with water. The PG incline and decline slopes were shallower following postdinner Mankai (incline slope: 16.8 vs. water: 29.9 mg/[dL h]; P < .001; decline slope: −6.1 vs. water: −7.9 mg/[dL h]; P < .01). Mean postprandial net incremental area‐under‐the‐glucose‐curve was lowered by 20.1% with Mankai compared with water (P = .03). Results were consistent across several sensitivity and subgroup analyses, including across antidiabetic pharmacotherapy treatment groups. Within 2 weeks, the triglycerides/high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio in the Mankai group (−0.5 ± 1.3) decreased versus water (+0.3 ± 1.5, P = .05).ConclusionsMankai consumption may mitigate the PG response in people with T2D with an ~20% improvement in glycaemic values. These findings provide case‐study evidence for plant‐based treatments in T2D to complement a healthy lifestyle and pharmacotherapy.
What characterizes device‐related thrombosis following LAAC, if ejection fraction fails to shine?
Authors: Kerkhof Peter L. M. , Osto Elena , Handly Neal 
Published: August 2024

AbstractCardiac compartmental size depends on sex, with smaller values found in (healthy) women compared to a matched group of men. Various types of heart disease may cause dilation of the affected chamber. For example, atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with enlarged left atrial (LA) size, often also implying increased left ventricular (LV) size. Sex‐specific differences appear to persist during disease states. Thus, chamber volumes depend on both sex and the severity of the underlying disorder, and require quantification to evaluate the effect of interventions. Often, we rely on the popular performance metric ejection fraction (EF) which refers to the ratio of the minimum and maximum LV or LA volumetric values observed during the cardiac cycle. Here we discuss a sex stratified analysis of LVEF and LAEF in AF patients as treated by LA appendage closure, while comparing those with or without device‐related thrombosis. Also, an alternative analysis based on primary data is presented while emphasizing its attractiveness. In any event, age‐ and sex‐specific reference values as broadly documented for various imaging modalities should be applied to LA and LV.
Triglyceride‐glycaemic index: Insights into predicting fetal macrosomia and its interaction with gestational diabetes mellitus: A cohort study of Chinese pregnant women
Authors: Zhao Dan , Chai Sanbao , Yuan Ning , Sun Jianbin , Zhao Xin , Zhang Xiaomei 
Published: August 2024

AbstractObjectiveThis study investigates the association between a new insulin resistance indicator, the triglyceride‐glucose (TyG) index, and the risk of macrosomia.DesignThis is a prospective cohort study.MethodsThis study included 1332 women who delivered at Peking University International Hospital between October 2017 and August 2019. Participants were divided equally into three groups based on the TyG index. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between the TyG index and macrosomia and conducted subgroup analyses. The TyG index's ability to predict macrosomia was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.ResultsMultivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the TyG index is an independent risk factor for macrosomia (Odds ratio [OR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–3.30, p < .05). RCS analysis indicates that the risk of macrosomia increases with the rise of the TyG index (p for nonlinearity <.001) when the TyG index is >6.53. Subgroup analysis showed a synergistic additive interaction between the TyG index and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) of macrosomia. The area under the ROC curve for the predictive model was 0.733 (95% CI 0.684, 0.781), with a sensitivity of 76.4% and specificity of 66.9%. Incorporating the TyG index alongside traditional risk factors notably enhances macrosomia prediction (p < .05).ConclusionsThe TyG index independently predicts macrosomia, and exhibits an additive interaction with GDM in its occurrence. Integrating the TyG index with traditional risk factors improves the prediction of macrosomia.Trial RegistryClinical trials. gov [NCT02966405].
Refracting lecturers' digital identity through the lens of policy reform of technological universities in Ireland
Authors: Finnegan Clare , Murphy Regina 
Published: August 2024

AbstractThe Irish higher education sector is undergoing transformation as many Institutes of Technology (IoTs) become Technology Universities (TUs). This paper aims to explore lecturer identity in higher education in the context of recent contract structure recommendations by the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) for lecturers in the emerging TU sector. This study is of significant relevance as the OECD recommendations are being used to inform future lecturer contracts. First, theoretical perspectives on identity development are explored, focussing on teacher identity, professionality, professionalism and ideal online teacher identity. Using this theoretical framework, lecturer identity as presented by TU lecturers of education in their public, online biographies is deconstructed. Qualitative, desk‐based analysis of these biographies explores (i) lecturers' imagined audience for their online identity; (ii) projected, ideal lecturer identity, including representations of professionality; and (iii) teaching and research values. By aligning lecturer identity portraits to proposed OECD contract structures, the discussion considers how well‐positioned TU lecturers are to changes across the IoT/TU sector nationally and implications for the sector.
Spinal nerve transection‐induced upregulation of KDM4A in the dorsal root ganglia contributes to the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain via promoting CCL2 expression in rats
Authors: Li Liren , Ding Zheng , Ma Fang , Zhang Kai , Lu Dan , Wang Hongmin , Yang Kangli 
Published: August 2024

AbstractStudies indicate that the lysine‐specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A), acts as a key player in neuropathic pain, driving the process through its involvement in promoting neuroinflammation. Emerging evidence reveals that C‐C Motif Chemokine Ligand 2 (CCL2) participates in neuroinflammation, which plays an important role in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. However, it remains unclear if KDM4A plays a role in regulating CCL2 in neuropathic pain. This study found that following spinal nerve transection (SNT) of the lumbar 5 nerve root in rats, the expression of KDM4A and CCL2 increased in the ipsilateral L4/5 dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Injecting KDM4A siRNA into the DRGs of rats post‐SNT resulted in a higher paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw‐withdrawal latency (PWL) compared to the KDM4A scRNA group. In addition, prior microinjection of AAV‐EGFP‐KDM4A shRNA also alleviates the decrease in PWT and PWL caused by SNT. Correspondingly, microinjection of AAV‐EGFP‐KDM4A shRNA subsequent to SNT reduced the established mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. Furthermore, AAV‐EGFP‐KDM4A shRNA injection decreased the expression of CCL2 in DRGs. ChIP‐PCR analysis revealed that increased binding of p‐STAT1 with the CCL2 promoter induced by SNT was inhibited by AAV‐EGFP‐KDM4A shRNA treatment. These findings suggest that KDM4A potentially influences neuropathic pain by regulating CCL2 expression in DRGs.
Walk or swim: The substrate for movement affects female treefrog mate choice behaviors but has little effect on their preferences
Authors: Warner Hannah , Höbel Gerlinde 
Published: August 2024

AbstractSemiaquatic animals breed in environments with a mix of aquatic and terrestrial features, each requiring appropriate types of locomotion with differential energetic demands and containing different suits of predators. We surveyed calling locations of male Eastern Gray Treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) at our study pond to assess average composition of land/water substrates available to females during mate choice. We also conducted acoustic playback trials to examine whether the mate choice behavior of females was affected by approach substrate; that is, whether females had to swim or walk towards a potential mate. We found that mate preferences were not strongly affected by the substrate of movement: the preferred call duration (“peak preference”) was similar in both treatments, but females showed somewhat stronger discrimination against values deviating from their peak preference (higher “preference selectivity”) in the water treatment. By contrast, other aspects of phonotaxis behavior were clearly different and consistent with females perceiving water as a more dangerous environment: in the water treatment, females took longer to leave the dry release point, jumped further when leaving the release point, and took advantage of features of the playback setup (i.e., the aquatic arena was surrounded by walls) to leave the water and approach the speaker “on land”. This suggests that females do not compromise mate preferences but adjust associated behaviors to minimize risk, and that environmental heterogeneity has little influence on sexual selection regimes.
Global distribution pattern of soil phosphorus‐cycling microbes under the influence of human activities
Authors: Wang Jichen , Zhu Yong‐Guan , Ge Yuan 
Published: August 2024

AbstractHuman activities have profoundly altered the Earth's phosphorus (P) cycling process and its associated microbial communities, yet their global distribution pattern and response to human influences remain unclear. Here, we estimated the abundances of P‐cycling genes from 3321 global soil metagenomic samples and mapped the global distribution of five key P‐cycling processes, that is, organic phosphoester hydrolysis, inorganic phosphorus solubilization, two‐component system, phosphotransferase system, and transporters. Structural equation modeling and random forest analysis were employed to assess the impact of anthropogenic and environmental factors on the abundance of P‐cycling genes. Our findings suggest that although less significant than the climate and soil profile, human‐related factors, such as economic activities and population, are important drivers for the variations in P‐cycling gene abundance. Notably, the gene abundances were increased parallel to the extent of human intervention, but generally at low and moderate levels of human activities. Furthermore, we identified critical genera, such as Pseudomonas and Lysobacter, which were sensitive to the changes in human activities. This study provides insights into the responses of P‐cycling microbes to human activities at a global scale, enhancing our understanding of soil microbial P cycling and underscoring the importance of sustainable human activities in the Earth's biogeochemical cycle.
Utility of an Instantaneous Salt Dilution Method for Measuring Streamflow in Headwater Streams
Authors: Rogers Karli M. , Fair Jennifer B. , Hitt Nathaniel P. , Kessler Karmann G. , Kelly Zachary A. , Briggs Martin 
Published: August 2024

AbstractStreamflow records are biased toward large streams and rivers, yet small headwater streams are often the focus of ecological research in response to climate change. Conventional flow measurement instruments such as acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADVs) do not perform well during low‐flow conditions in small streams, truncating the development of rating curves during critical baseflow conditions dominated by groundwater inflow. We revisited an instantaneous solute tracer injection method as an alternative to ADVs based on paired measurements to compare their precision, efficiency, and feasibility within headwater streams across a range of flow conditions. We show that the precision of discharge measurements using salt dilution by slug injection and ADV methods were comparable overall, but salt dilution was more precise during the lowest flows and required less time to implement. Often, headwater streams were at or below the depth threshold where ADV measurements could even be attempted and transects were complicated by coarse bed material and cobbles. We discuss the methodological benefits and limitations of salt dilution by slug injection and conclude that the method could facilitate a proliferation of streamflow observation across headwater stream networks that are highly undersampled compared to larger streams.