bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tracking movements of meagre (Argyrosomus regius) during the spawning season: Preliminary indications of off estuary spawning
Authors: Abecasis David , Martínez‐Ramírez Lucas , Gandra Miguel , Winkler Alexander C. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractUnderstanding the spawning behavior of meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is crucial for fisheries management and conservation. Meagre forms large spawning aggregations in estuaries, yet details of its spawning grounds remain elusive. We tagged 41 individuals and monitored their movements throughout several spawning seasons. Detections inside estuaries were limited. Fish detected inside the Tejo estuary during the spawning season performed regular movements toward coastal areas, suggesting potential spawning outside estuaries. Our findings underscore the significance of understanding meagre's migratory patterns for effective fisheries management and conservation strategies, supporting the establishment of spatial and seasonal closures during the spawning season.
Influence of changing dentition on food texture preferences and perception of eating difficulty in Australian children
Authors: Chow Ching Yue , Bech Anne C. , Olsen Annemarie , Keast Russell , Russell Catherine G. , Bredie Wender L. P. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe transition from primary to permanent dentition is an important phase in children's oral development, yet its impact on texture perception and food acceptance are less explored. This study aimed to investigate how changing dentition and tooth loss influence texture preferences and perception of eating difficulty among children aged 5 to 12 years. Children (n = 475) completed a forced‐choice questionnaire featuring drawings of six food pairs, each available in hard or soft texture, and reported whether they had started losing primary teeth and the number of tooth gaps present. They also tasted four samples: chocolate snacks (cake and biscuits) and cheddar cheese (grated and cubes), evaluating their perceived eating difficulty and liking for each sample. Analysis of questionnaire responses showed a general preference for softer food textures among children, with a 36% probability of choosing hard foods. Preferences were not related to child's dental state, including primary teeth loss (p = .13) or number of tooth gaps (p = .45). In the taste test, chocolate biscuits and cheese cubes were perceived as significantly more difficult to eat than chocolate cake and grated cheese, respectively (both p < .0001). Children with more than two tooth gaps reported greater eating difficulty for chocolate biscuits and cheese cubes compared to children with fewer or no tooth gaps. This study demonstrated that children's texture preferences for hardness of foods remained consistent during dentition change, while their perception of eating difficulty could vary based on their dental state at specific points in time.
Construction Parameters Optimization of CO2 Composite Fracturing for Horizontal Shale Wells
Authors: Pan Juncheng , Zhang Qi , Ding Lang , Huang Dongmei , Wu Le , Lu Mingjing 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
To ensure the economic feasibility of shale oil and gas exploitation, large-scale hydraulic fracturing is essential for increasing recovery volumes by creating more efficient conductivity channels. However, China's continental shale reservoirs present complex geological conditions, making optimization through traditional hydraulic fracturing challenging. Thus, substituting CO2 for water in fracturing fluids to enhance shale reservoirs has garnered significant interest. An orthogonal experimental design was implemented to identify the optimal parameters for CO2 composite fracturing. Analysis of single-factor experiments led to the selection of four key variables: slickwater volume, slickwater displacement, preflush liquid CO2 volume, and proppant addition volume, resulting in 16 experimental configurations. Using numerical simulation of tight oil shale reservoirs, the effective stimulated reservoir volume for each parameter combination was calculated. Variance analysis revealed that increased slickwater volume significantly enhances fracture initiation and propagation. While variations in slickwater displacement and preflush liquid CO2 volume influence fracture network morphology and complexity, they have a lesser effect on the stimulated volume compared to slickwater volume. Proppant quantity primarily affects fracture conductivity with minimal impact on stimulated volume. This research underpins the optimization of constructional parameters for CO2 composite fracturing.
Identification of novel bromodomain inhibitors of
Trypanosoma cruzi
bromodomain factor 2 (
Tc
BDF2) using a fluorescence polarization-based high-throughput assay
Authors: Tavernelli Luis E. , Alonso Victoria L. , Peña Imanol , Rodríguez Araya Elvio , Manarin Romina , Cantizani Juan , Martin Julio , Salamanca Juan , Bamborough Paul , Calderón Felix , Gabarro Raquel , Serra Esteban 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

Bromodomains are structural folds present in all eukaryotic cells that bind to other proteins recognizing acetylated lysines. Most proteins with bromodomains are part of nuclear complexes that interact with acetylated histone residues and regulate DNA replication, transcription, and repair through chromatin structure remodeling. Bromodomain inhibitors are small molecules that bind to the hydrophobic pocket of bromodomains, interfering with the interaction with acetylated histones. Using a fluorescent probe, we have developed an assay to select inhibitors of the bromodomain factor 2 of
Trypanosoma cruzi
(
Tc
BDF2) using fluorescence polarization. Initially, a library of 28,251 compounds was screened in an endpoint assay. The top 350-ranked compounds were further analyzed in a dose-response assay. From this analysis, seven compounds were obtained that had not been previously characterized as bromodomain inhibitors. Although these compounds did not exhibit significant trypanocidal activity, all showed
bona fide
interaction with
Tc
BDF2 with dissociation constants between 1 and 3 µM validating these assays to search for bromodomain inhibitors.
Structural determinants of spike infectivity in bat SARS-like coronaviruses RsSHC014 and WIV1
Authors: Qiao Shuyuan , Wang Xinquan 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACT

The recurrent spillovers of coronaviruses (CoVs) have posed severe threats to public health and the global economy. Bat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like CoVs RsSHC014 and WIV1, currently circulating in bat populations, are poised for human emergence. The trimeric spike (S) glycoprotein, responsible for receptor recognition and membrane fusion, plays a critical role in cross-species transmission and infection. Here, we determined the cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structures of the RsSHC014 S protein in the closed state at 2.9 Å, the WIV1 S protein in the closed state at 2.8 Å, and the intermediate state at 4.0 Å. In the intermediate state, one receptor-binding domain (RBD) is in the “down” position, while the other two RBDs exhibit poor density. We also resolved the complex structure of the WIV1 S protein bound to human ACE2 (hACE2) at 4.5 Å, which provides structural basis for the future emergence of WIV1 in humans. Through biochemical experiments, we found that despite strong binding affinities between the RBDs and both human and civet ACE2, the pseudoviruses of RsSHC014, but not WIV1, failed to infect 293T cells overexpressing either human or civet ACE2. Mutagenesis analysis revealed that the Y623H substitution, located in the SD2 region, significantly improved the cell entry efficiency of RsSHC014 pseudoviruses, which is likely accomplished by promoting the open conformation of spike glycoproteins. Our findings emphasize the necessity of both efficient RBD lifting and tight RBD-hACE2 binding for viral infection and underscore the significance of the 623 site of the spike glycoprotein for the infectivity of bat SARS-like CoVs.

IMPORTANCE
The bat SARS-like CoVs RsSHC014 and WIV1 can use hACE2 for cell entry without further adaptation, indicating their potential risk of emergence in human populations. The S glycoprotein, responsible for receptor recognition and membrane fusion, plays a crucial role in cross-species transmission and infection. In this study, we determined the cryo-EM structures of the S glycoproteins of RsSHC014 and WIV1. Detailed comparisons revealed dynamic structural variations within spike proteins. We also elucidated the complex structure of WIV1 S-hACE2, providing structural evidence for the potential emergence of WIV1 in humans. Although RsSHC014 and WIV1 had similar hACE2-binding affinities, they exhibited distinct pseudovirus cell entry behavior. Through mutagenesis and cryo-EM analysis, we revealed that besides the structural variations, the 623 site in the SD2 region is another important structural determinant of spike infectivity.
Physicians’ perspectives on COVID-19 vaccinations for children: a qualitative exploration in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Hodwitz Kathryn , Wigle Jannah , Juando-Prats Clara , Allan Kate , Li Xuedi , Fallon Barbara , Birken Catherine S. , Maguire Jonathon L. , Parsons Janet A. 
Published: July 2024

ObjectivesParents’ decisions to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 are complex and often informed by discussions with primary care physicians. However, little is known about physicians’ perspectives on COVID-19 vaccinations for children or their experiences counselling parents in their decision-making. We explored physicians’ experiences providing COVID-19 vaccination recommendations to parents and their reflections on the contextual factors that shaped these experiences.DesignWe conducted an interpretive qualitative study using in-depth interviews. We analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis and a socioecological framework.SettingThis study involved primary care practices associated with The Applied Research Group for Kids (TARGet Kids!) primary care research network in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada.ParticipantsParticipants were 10 primary care physicians, including family physicians, paediatricians and paediatric subspecialists.ResultsParticipants discussed elements at the individual level (their identity, role, and knowledge), the interpersonal level (their relationships with families, responsiveness to parents’ concerns, and efforts to build trust) and structural level (contextual factors related to the evolving COVID-19 climate, health system pandemic response, and constraints on care delivery) that influenced their experiences providing recommendations to parents. Our findings illustrated that physicians’ interactions with families were shaped by a confluence of their own perspectives, their responses to parents’ perspectives, and the evolving landscape of the broader pandemic.ConclusionsOur study underscores the social and relational nature of vaccination decision-making and highlights the multiple influences on primary care physicians’ experiences providing COVID-19 vaccination recommendations to parents. Our findings offer suggestions for future COVID-19 vaccination programmes for children. Delivery of new COVID-19 vaccinations for children may be well suited within primary care offices, where trusting relationships are established, but physicians need support in staying knowledgeable about emerging information, communicating available evidence to parents to inform their decision-making and dedicating time for vaccination counselling.
Predicting postacute phase anaemia after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: nomogram development and validation
Authors: Wu Fan , Chen Huai , Liu Zongchi , Ye Di , Wang Xiaoyi , Zhou Lihui , Xu Zihan , Wang Duanbu , Shen Jian , Zhan Renya , Zhu Yu 
Published: July 2024

BackgroundAnaemia is a severe and common complication in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH). Early intervention for at-risk patients before anaemia occurs is indicated as potentially beneficial, but no validated method synthesises patients’ complicated clinical features into an instrument. The purpose of the current study was to develop and externally validate a nomogram that predicted postacute phase anaemia after aSAH.MethodsWe developed a novel nomogram for aSAH patients to predict postacute phase anaemia (3 days after occurrence of aSAH, prior to discharge) on the basis of demographic information, imaging, type of treatment, aneurysm features, blood tests and clinical characteristics. We designed the model from a development cohort and tested the nomogram in external and prospective validation cohorts. We included 456 aSAH patients from The First Affiliated Hospital for the development, 220 from Sanmen People’s Hospital for external validation and a prospective validation cohort that included 13 patients from Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital. We assessed the performance of the nomogram via concordance statistics and evaluated the calibration of predicted anaemia outcome with observed anaemia occurrence.ResultsVariables included in the nomogram were age, treatment method (open surgery or endovascular therapy), baseline haemoglobin level, fasting blood glucose level, systemic inflammatory response syndrome score on admission, Glasgow Coma Scale score, aneurysm size, prothrombin time and heart rate. In the validation cohort, the model for prediction of postacute phase anaemia had a c-statistic of 0.910, with satisfactory calibration (judged by eye) for the predicted and reported anaemia outcome. Among forward-looking forecasts, our predictive model achieved an 84% success rate, which showed that it has some clinical practicability.ConclusionsThe developed and validated nomogram can be used to calculate individualised anaemia risk and has the potential to serve as a practical tool for clinicians in devising improved treatment strategies for aSAH.
Examining the impact of age on chemotherapy completion in epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer: a retrospective cohort study in Thailand
Authors: Assavapokee Nicha , Santibenchakul Somsook , Ratree Sasivimon , Lertkhachonsuk Ruangsak , Phoolcharoen Natacha 
Published: July 2024

ObjectiveTo explore the difference in chemotherapy completion and reasons for discontinuation between older (≥70 years) and younger (<70 years) patients.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingSingle tertiary centre in Thailand.ParticipantsThe patients who received chemotherapy from 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2021 were included and followed up until 30 June 2022. Of the 757 patients with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer (EOC), 108 were in the older group and 649 were in the younger group.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe difference in chemotherapy completion, the association between younger and older patients and early discontinuation of chemotherapy.ResultsThe proportion of chemotherapy completion was significantly lower in older versus younger patients (84.3% versus 92.6%, p=0.007). Excluding discontinuation due to disease progression, the chemotherapy completion was comparable (93.5 versus 95.7%, p=0.456). Dose reduction and grade 3–4 hematotoxicity occurred more often in the older group. The univariable logistic regression model showed that older age (≥70 years) was significantly associated with early chemotherapy discontinuation (OR 2.39; 95% CI 1.29–4.24). However, after adjusting for potential confounders, age was not significantly associated with early discontinuation (OR 1.20; 95% CI 0.54–2.66). Multiple comorbidities and types of surgery were identified as independent risk factors for chemotherapy discontinuation.ConclusionThe completion of chemotherapy was observed in a majority of older adults with EOC. Age is not the only determinant of chemotherapy completion. Comorbidity and disease status are crucial for determining chemotherapy discontinuation.
Long-term follow-up in outpatients with mildly elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure on echocardiography: a single-centre retrospective cohort study in Shanghai, China
Authors: Weng Zilong , Zhang Lei , Lin Dawei , Yang Lifan , Jin Qi , Long Yuliang , Li Wei , Pan Wenzhi , Shu Xianhong , Zhou Daxin , Ge Junbo 
Published: July 2024

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation between mildly elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) on echocardiography and mortality, as well as long-term changes in PASP.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingShanghai, China, a single centre.ParticipantsA total of 910 patients were enrolled in this study. From January to June 2016, 1869 patients underwent echocardiography at the Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University. Patients with malignant tumours, previous heart or other solid organ transplantation, previous or scheduled ventricular assist device implantation, severe kidney dysfunction (uraemia and patients on dialysis) and a life expectancy of less than 1 year for any medical condition were excluded.InterventionsNo interventions were done.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe predictors of death in patients with mild echocardiographic pulmonary hypertension were analysed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Paired t-tests were used to calculate changes in the PASP values at baseline and follow-up for different patient groups.ResultsThe 5-year survival of patients was 93.2%. Patients were grouped according to whether they had combined organic heart disease (OHD). The PASP value was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with OHD, with each 1 mm Hg increase associated with an HR of 1.02 (95% CI: 1.01–1.03, p=0.038) but not in patients without OHD. Of the total, 46% (419/910) of the patients with 5–6 years of echocardiography were investigated for changes in the PASP value. We found significant PASP reduction in patients without OHD (42.8±2.4 mm Hg vs 39.3±8.2 mm Hg, p<0.001), but no significant change was observed for patients with OHD (42.8±2.5 mm Hg vs 42.4±8.8 mm Hg, p=0.339).ConclusionsThe PASP was associated with all-cause mortality in patients with OHD and mildly elevated PASP compared with patients without OHD. After 5–6 years of follow-up, the PASP on echocardiography was not further elevated in patients without OHD.
Assessing soil microbial catabolic diversity in alder and oak plantations at varying developmental stages
Authors: Parsapour Mohammad Kazem , Kooch Yahya , Hosseini Seyed Mohsen , Alavi Seyed Jalil 
Published: July 2024

To evaluate the impact of forest plantations on soil microbial catabolic diversity, this study investigated the microbial response to the addition of various carbon-rich substrates in different ages of forest plantations and compared catabolic diversity between a nitrogen-fixing tree species (Alder, Alnus subcordata C. A. M.) and a non-nitrogen-fixing one (Oak, Quercus castaneifolia C. A. M.). The study also analyzed the effects of carbon substrates found in association with roots, such as carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, amino acids, and amine groups, on substrate-induced respiration. The diversity indices (Simpson and Shannon diversity indicies) and Shannon evenness index demonstrated higher values in the oldest plantations than the youngest ones (with an order of 25 > 20 > 15 years). In younger plantations (15 and 20 years old), oak stands exhibited higher microbial diversity compared to alder stands. However, at 25 years old, alder plantation displayed greater diversity than the oak plantation, as indicated by higher values for the Shannon diversity index (2.77), Simpson diversity index (0.93), and Shannon evenness index (0.89). Forest plantations with alder and oak species significantly enhanced catabolic evenness and diversity, thereby increasing the soil capacity to decompose organic matter and the resilience of the soil to disturbance. These findings suggest that both alder and oak plantations can promote soil microbial diversity, but the influence might differ depending on the specific age of the trees. In conclusion, this study highlights the influence of forest plantations on soil microbial catabolic diversity, demonstrating the potential of diverse tree species to promote soil health and resilience through enhanced functional complexity.
PEA-PODs: Perceptual Evaluation of Algorithms for Power Optimization in XR Displays
Authors: Chen Kenneth , Wan Thomas , Matsuda Nathan , Ninan Ajit , Chapiro Alexandre , Sun Qi 
Published: July 2024

Display power consumption is an emerging concern for untethered devices. This goes double for augmented and virtual extended reality (XR) displays, which target high refresh rates and high resolutions while conforming to an ergonomically light form factor. A number of image mapping techniques have been proposed to extend battery usage. However, there is currently no comprehensive quantitative understanding of how the power savings provided by these methods compare to their impact on visual quality. We set out to answer this question.
To this end, we present a perceptual evaluation of algorithms (PEA) for power optimization in XR displays (PODs). Consolidating a portfolio of six power-saving display mapping approaches, we begin by performing a large-scale perceptual study to understand the impact of each method on perceived quality in the wild. This results in a unified quality score for each technique, scaled in just-objectionable-difference (JOD) units. In parallel, each technique is analyzed using hardware-accurate power models.

The resulting JOD-to-Milliwatt transfer function provides a first-of-its-kind look into tradeoffs offered by display mapping techniques, and can be directly employed to make architectural decisions for power budgets on XR displays. Finally, we leverage our study data and power models to address important display power applications like the choice of display primary, power implications of eye tracking, and more
1
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Spin-It Faster: Quadrics Solve All Topology Optimization Problems That Depend Only On Mass Moments
Authors: Hafner Christian , Ly Mickaël , Wojtan Chris 
Published: July 2024

The behavior of a rigid body primarily depends on its mass moments, which consist of the mass, center of mass, and moments of inertia. It is possible to manipulate these quantities without altering the geometric appearance of an object by introducing cavities in its interior. Algorithms that find cavities of suitable shapes and sizes have enabled the computational design of spinning tops, yo-yos, wheels, buoys, and statically balanced objects. Previous work is based, for example, on topology optimization on voxel grids, which introduces a large number of optimization variables and box constraints, or offset surface computation, which cannot guarantee that solutions to a feasible problem will always be found.
In this work, we provide a mathematical analysis of constrained topology optimization problems that depend only on mass moments. This class of problems covers, among others, all applications mentioned above. Our main result is to show that no matter the outer shape of the rigid body to be optimized or the optimization objective and constraints considered, the optimal solution always features a quadric-shaped interface between material and cavities. This proves that optimal interfaces are always ellipsoids, hyperboloids, paraboloids, or one of a few degenerate cases, such as planes.
This insight lets us replace a difficult topology optimization problem with a provably equivalent non-linear equation system in a small number (<10) of variables, which represent the coefficients of the quadric. This system can be solved in a few seconds for most examples, provides insights into the geometric structure of many specific applications, and lets us describe their solution properties. Finally, our method integrates seamlessly into modern fabrication workflows because our solutions are analytical surfaces that are native to the CAD domain.