bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Increasing biochar diversity promotes the impacts of plant diversity on remediating cadmium in soil
Authors: Yuan Hao-Ming , Xue Wei , Roiloa Sergio , Yao Jun , Yu Fei-Hai 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Biochar is a promising material for soil remediation. However, most studies testing the roles of biochar in soil remediation have considered the use of single types of biochar, and the role of biochar diversity, as well as its interaction with species diversity of plant communities, has rarely been considered. We hypothesize that biochar diversity can influence the impacts of plant diversity on soil remediation. We grew grassland communities consisting of three or six plant species in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil mixed with one, two or four types of biochar, with no grassland community and no biochar addition as the controls. Without plant communities or with communities consisting of three species, total Cd was significantly lower in the soil mixed with four types of biochar than in the soil without biochar or mixed with one or two types of biochar. With communities consisting of six species, total Cd decreased with the increasing number of biochar types. Without biochar addition, soil total Cd was not influenced by species richness, but with biochar addition, it was lower in the presence of communities with six species than in the absence of plant communities irrespective of how many types of biochar were added. Also, soil total Cd was lower in the presence of communities with six than with three plant species when two or four types of biochar were added. Our study indicates that increasing biochar diversity can promote the impact of plant diversity on remediating soil contaminated by heavy metals such as Cd.
Minimally invasive pulmonary valve replacement through a left anterior minithoracotomy in young patients with pectus excavatum. The procedure of choice
Authors: Ioannou Stelios , Shiakos George , Ocker Volker , Rousounides Andreas , Tzanavaros Ioannis 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This case series presents two young patients with severe pulmonary valve regurgitation and pectus excavatum. Both patients underwent surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary valvulotomy, respectively, during infancy and remained under close cardiological monitoring thereafter. After the diagnosis of severe pulmonary regurgitation was confirmed, both were referred to our center for pulmonary valve replacement. Minimally invasive pulmonary valve replacement was performed through a left anterior minithoracotomy. The swift recovery and return to daily activities observed in the presented cases suggest that minimally invasive pulmonary valve replacement through a left anterior minithoracotomy could indeed be considered the procedure of choice for patients with pectus excavatum.
Colonial Anxieties about Meat in Singapore, 1890s–1910s
Authors: Tarulevicz Nicole 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Meat mattered in the British Empire, reflecting both ideas about cultural and nutritional status and anxieties about safety, quality, and supply. Animals and their flesh persevered in various forms, circulated in complicated ways across the empire, as did ideas about meat. Singapore, the tropical Southeast Asian city-state, was an important trading port, and one that relied on global markets for meat supplies and for circulating ideas about food safety. By the early twentieth century, newspaper readers in Singapore were very familiar with international food scandals. The publication of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle in 1905, and the ensuing exposes of the American meat-packing industry, generated hundreds of newspaper columns in Singaporean publications. Canned foods, but especially meat, was at the intersection of anxiety about industrial food production and tropical necessity. The anxiety about the safety of food was discursively globalized, as were the responses, and we can trace elements of both the regulatory and legislative responses in Singapore to The Jungle in some complex ways. Doing so we see that imperial anxieties about food safety reveal influences broader than those of empire, and illustrate how imperialisms are entangled and overlap.
Beyond the Urban Kitchen: Refrigeration and Domesticity across Australia and the Pacific Islands, 1920s–1940s
Authors: Steel Frances 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Histories of the rise of domestic refrigeration conventionally situate the appliance within the urban household. An emphasis on the spread of electrification and notions of idealized femininity, abundance, and scientific home management together attribute an emblematic “Americanness” to the refrigerator. Moving beyond the confines of the urban kitchen to rural and tropical regions of Australia and across the island Pacific, this article examines the appeal and influence of the home appliance in areas remote from reliable or affordable electricity, as well as from accessible supplies of perishable foods produced elsewhere. In such locations the refrigerator was understood differently, centering ideals of white settler self-sufficiency, masculine mastery of the environment, and notions of colonizing capacity. Examining the early history of this appliance in these places also reveals how technological influences and cultural aspirations moved between Australia and the islands and vice versa, intensifying in the immediate aftermath of World War II. In repositioning the refrigerator through such engagements and entanglements, this article offers new insights into patterns and practices of colonial domesticity, provisioning, and consumption.
Food, Empire, and Mobility: An Introduction
Authors: Steel Frances , Lowrie Claire 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Imperial and global histories of commodity and food trades predominantly emphasize a South-to-North orientation. This emphasis has tended to obscure lateral networks between colonies and smaller-scale geographies of exchange, particularly across the tropics. The five articles in this special issue address different ways in which food production, trade, and consumption evolved under colonial influence across Asia, Australia, and the Pacific, and variously through transcolonial and trans-imperial connections. This introduction briefly surveys the historiography, summarizes the articles' connecting themes, and outlines the new angles of vision they offer into histories of commodities and colonial modernity.
Central sensitization symptoms in vulvodynia: exploring the role of temperament, personality traits, childhood adverse events, defense mechanisms, and mental pain on quality of life
Authors: Nimbi Filippo Maria , Renzi Alessia , Mesce Martina , Limoncin Erika , Galli Federica 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Vulvodynia is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by persistent vulvar pain, occurring without clinically identifiable disorders. Central sensitization (CS) is suggested to play a role in the pathophysiology of vulvodynia, as for other nociplastic pain conditions.

Aim
This study delves into the complex interplay between psychosocial factors and CS burden in women with vulvodynia, aiming to identify potential predictors (temperament, personality traits, childhood adverse events, defense mechanisms, and mental pain) and understand their impact on quality of life (QoL).

Methods
A cohort-based cross-sectional web survey of 357 women with vulvodynia.

Outcomes
Outcomes included 8 self-report measures to assess the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) and psychological variables, including sensory processing sensitivity, traumatic experiences, personality traits, defense mechanisms, and mental pain.

Results
Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted in study 1, revealing that the following predicted higher CSI scores in women with vulvodynia: higher emotional overexcitability, decreased low sensory threshold, increased bodily threat experiences, elevated psychoticism, greater use of immature and neurotic defense mechanisms, and heightened mental pain. The final regression model identified the following as the strongest predictors of CS: low sensory threshold (β = 0.316), bodily threat experiences (β = 0.145), neurotic defenses (β = 0.210), and mental pain (β = 0.269). In study 2, the model presented interactions among these psychological factors in predicting CSI values explaining 48.9% of the variance in CS, 30.3% in psychological QoL, and 57.1% in physical QoL.

Clinical Translation
This model opens discussion for tailored psychological interventions aimed to improve overall QoL in women with vulvodynia.

Strengths and Limitations
Strengths of the study include innovative insights into the interplay between psychological variables and the construct of CS and quality of life. As a limitation, the research was conducted as a cross-sectional study with self-reported measures.

Conclusion
The study calls for comprehensive assessments that consider physical and mental aspects, paving the way for holistic health care approaches in the management of vulvodynia.
External quality assurance experience with Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Program at an academic hospital in South Africa
Authors: Mokoka Ngwanatala Sophia , Schapkaitz Elise , Louw Susan 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Laboratories use their performance in external quality assurance (EQA) to establish quality planning strategies and to assess whether testing processes require improvement.

Methods
The EQA performance of the hematology and coagulation test parameters on the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia EQA program was evaluated over a 4-year cycle at an academic hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. The test performance was determined from analytical quality specification (APS) and/or z-scores. Bias and imprecision were used to calculate sigma (σ) metric scores. Specifications from European Federation of Laboratory Medicine and/or biological variation were applied.

Results
The laboratory achieved a mean testing score of 98.7 ± 4.0%. There were 103 (10.7%) unacceptable results. On investigation, root causes included: presurvey issues (83%), transcription errors (9%), random errors (6%), and test performance errors (3%). All test parameters evaluated achieved an acceptable median APS during the study period. The mean z-scores, however, were &gt;2 and unacceptable for mean cell hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit. On investigation, this was attributed to significant delay in transport and storage of full blood count samples. White cell count and d-dimer achieved a σ ≥ 6.

Conclusion
EQA participation assisted the laboratory in maintaining a quality system. Close monitoring is necessary for international laboratories to avoid sample delays that can affect result quality.
Assessment of oxygen kinetic parameters for closely related ammonia-oxidizing bacteria
Authors: Saha Pallabita , Kniggendorf Ann-Kathrin , Pommerening-Röser Andreas , Nogueira Regina 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
The reaction kinetics of lithotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are strongly dependent on dissolved oxygen (DO) as their metabolism is an aerobic process. In this study, we estimate the kinetic parameters, including the oxygen affinity constant (Km[O2]) and the maximum oxygen consumption rate (Vmax[O2]), of different AOB species, by fitting the data to the Michaelis–Menten equation using nonlinear regression analysis. An example for three different species of Nitrosomonas bacteria (N. europaea, N. eutropha, and N. mobilis) in monoculture is given, finding a Km[O2] of 0.25 ± 0.05 mg l−1, 0.47 ± 0.09 mg l−1, and 0.28 ± 0.08 mg l−1, and a Vmax[O2] of 0.07 ± 0.04 pg h−1cell−1, 0.25 ± 0.06 pg h−1cell−1, and 0.02 ± 0.001 pg h−1cell−1 for N. europaea, N. eutropha, and N. mobilis, respectively. This study shows that of the analyzed AOB, N. europaea has the highest affinity towards oxygen and N. eutropha the lowest affinity towards oxygen, indicating that the former can convert ammonia even under low DO conditions. These results improve the understanding of the ecophysiology of AOB in the environment. The accuracy of mathematically modelled ammonia oxidation can be improved, allowing the implementation of better management practices to restore the nitrogen cycle in natural and engineered water systems.
A Concept of Local Coordination Number for the Characterization of Solute Clusters within Atom Probe Tomography Data
Authors: Lazarev Mykola , Banhart John 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Identifying clusters of solute atoms in a matrix of solvent atoms helps to understand precipitation phenomena in alloys, for example, during the age hardening of certain aluminum alloys. Atom probe tomography datasets can deliver such information, provided that appropriate cluster identification routines are available. We investigate algorithms based on the local composition of the neighborhood of solute atoms and compare them with traditional approaches based on the local solute number density, such as the maximum separation distance method. For an ideal solid solution, the pair correlation functions of the kth nearest solute atom in the coordination number representation are derived, and the percolation threshold and the size distribution of clusters are studied. A criterion for selecting optimal control parameters based on maximizing the phase separation by the degree of clustering is proposed for a two-phase system. A map of phase compositions accessible for cluster analysis is constructed. The coordination number approach reduces the influence of density variations commonly observed in atom probe tomography data. Finally, a practical cluster analysis technique applied to the early stages of aluminum alloy aging is described.
High-latitude coronal mass ejections on the young solar-like star AB Dor
Authors: Strickert K M , Evensberget D , Vidotto A A 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACT
AB Dor is a young solar-type star with a surface large-scale magnetic field $10^2$ to $10^3$ times stronger than the that of the Sun. Although strong magnetic fields are thought to inhibit coronal mass ejections (CMEs), dimming signatures typically associated with an eruptive CME were recently observed in AB Dor. The uninterrupted, long-duration dimming signal suggests that a CME took place at a high latitude, where it remained in view as the star rotates. A high-latitude CME is also consistent with observations that indicate that AB Dor hosts polar active regions. To investigate magnetic confinement in AB Dor, we conduct a parametric modelling study of 21 CMEs at latitudes ${\sim} 60^\circ$, varying the location, mass, and magnetic field strength of an injected flux rope. 12 models had the flux rope located in an open magnetic field region, while the remaining nine were in a closed region. Results show that CMEs in open-field regions are in general more likely to erupt. The four eruptive CMEs from closed regions had high free magnetic energies ${\gtrsim} 3\times 10^{35}$ erg, and 10 CMEs predominantly from the closed-field regions (8/10) were confined. CMEs in closed-field regions exhibited lower kinetic energies, since part of the CME energy was expended to overcome magnetic tension and break open the overlying field. In conclusion our work suggests that eruptive CMEs in AB Dor may occur in high-latitude regions of open magnetic field, as the magnetic tension in such regions does not significantly inhibit the eruption.
Why does the Milky Way have a bar?
Authors: Khoperskov Sergey , Minchev Ivan , Steinmetz Matthias , Ratcliffe Bridget , Walcher Jakob C , Libeskind Noam I 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACT
There is no doubt that the Milky Way is a barred galaxy; however, factors that establish its prominent morphology remain largely elusive. In this work, we attempt to constrain the history of the MW by tracing the present-day parameters and evolution of a set of MW and M31 analogues from the TNG50 simulations. We find that the strength of bars at $z=0$ correlates well not only with the stellar mass build-up but also, more crucially, with the time of onset of stellar discs. Discs of strongly barred galaxies form early ($z \gtrsim 2-3$), compared to weakly and non-barred galaxies ($z \approx 1-1.5$). Although we are cautious to draw ultimate conclusions about the governing factor of discs formation due to the complexity and correlations between different phenomena, the observed morphological diversity can be tentatively explained by a substantial variation in the gas angular momentum around proto-galaxies already at $z\approx 3-5$; in such a way, early discs formed from gas with larger angular momentum. By comparing the formation time-scales of discs of barred galaxies in the TNG50 sample, we infer that the MW has a strong bar ($0.35\lt A_2\lt 0.6$), and that its stellar disc started to dominate over the spheroidal component already at $z \approx 2$, with a mass of $\approx 1 \pm 0.5 \times 10^{10} M_\odot$. We conclude that the presence of a strong bar in the MW is a natural manifestation of the early formation of the stellar disc, which made possible bursty but highly efficient star formation at high redshift.
Defective autophagy of pericytes enhances radiation-induced senescence promoting radiation brain injury
Authors: Luo Na , Zhu Wenjun , Li Xiaoyu , Fu Min , Zhang Yuanyuan , Yang Feng , Zhang Yiling , Chen Ziqi , Zhang Qiang , Peng Bi , Li Qianxia , Chen Xin , Liu Yuanhui , Hu Guangyuan , Peng Xiaohong 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Radiation-induced brain injury (RBI) represents a major challenge for cancer patients undergoing cranial radiotherapy. However, the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of RBI remain inconclusive. With the continuous exploration of the mechanisms of RBI, an increasing number of studies have implicated cerebrovascular dysfunction as a key factor in RBI-related cognitive impairment. As pericytes are a component of the neurovascular unit, there is still a lack of understanding in current research about the specific role and function of pericytes in RBI.

Methods
We constructed a mouse model of RBI-associated cognitive dysfunction in vivo and an in vitro radiation-induced pericyte model to explore the effects of senescent pericytes on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and normal central nervous system cells, even glioma cells. To further clarify the effects of pericyte autophagy on senescence, molecular mechanisms were explored at the animal and cellular levels. Finally, we validated the clearance of pericyte senescence by using a senolytic drug and all-trans retinoic acid to investigate the role of radiation-induced pericyte senescence.

Results
Our findings indicated that radiation-induced pericyte senescence plays a key role in BBB dysfunction, leading to RBI and subsequent cognitive decline. Strikingly, pericyte senescence also contributed to the growth and invasion of glioma cells. We further demonstrated that defective autophagy in pericytes is a vital regulatory mechanism for pericyte senescence. Moreover, autophagy activated by rapamycin could reverse pericyte senescence. Notably, the elimination of senescent cells by senolytic drugs significantly mitigated radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction.

Conclusions
Our results demonstrated that pericyte senescence may be a promising therapeutic target for RBI and glioma progression.
Electronic Cigarette and Heated Tobacco Product Use and Their Association With Tobacco Control Factors Among Adults in Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines
Authors: Sreeramareddy Chandrashekhar T , Shu Syuen Matthew Ooi , Hon Muhammad Imaan , Daher Aqil M 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Data on e-cigarette (EC) and heated tobacco product (HTP) use and the reasons for their use are useful for policy making. We report comparable nationally representative estimates of EC and HTP use and their associated factors.

Aims and Methods
Global Adult Tobacco Survey data from Indonesia (2021), Kazakhstan (2019), and the Philippines (2021) were analyzed. The weighted prevalence rates and 95% CI of EC and HTP awareness, current use, and ever use, and their distribution by cigarette smoking status were calculated. Binary logistic regression analyses assessed socioeconomic, and tobacco control factors associated with EC and HTP use.

Results
The prevalence (%) of EC awareness, ever use and current use were 48.7–69.4, 3.6–8.8, and 1.9–3.0, respectively. The prevalence(%) of HTP awareness, ever use and current use were 2.7–21.7, 0.2–2.1, and 0.1–1.2, respectively. The main reasons for EC and HTP use were attractive flavors(45.8%–73.9%), less harmful than smoking(23.0%–70.1%), and enjoyment(40.8%–76.7%). Avoiding going back to smoking(0.9%–54.4%) and quitting smoking(19.4%–49.8%) were less frequently cited reasons (except in the Philippines). EC/HTP use was associated with younger age, higher education and wealth, current/past smoking, exposure to information about the dangers of tobacco use, and advertisements about tobacco products and smoke-free rules at home.

Conclusions
The prevalence of EC and HTP use was higher among younger men with higher education and wealth, and current/past smoking. EC and HTP use should be closely monitored. Regulations to restrict the widespread marketing and sales of EC and HTP are needed to prevent the escalation of their use.

Implications
The population-level data provide the benchmark for future monitoring use of e-cigarettes and HTPs and identify population subgroups for future surveillance in low- and middle-income countries. The association of EC/HTP use with tobacco control-related factors provides leads for policies that should be formulated and implemented to regulate the product contents, marketing, and sales of EC and HTP.
Comparative Effectiveness of Switching to Bictegravir From Dolutegravir-, Efavirenz-, or Raltegravir-Based Antiretroviral Therapy Among Individuals With HIV Who are Virologically Suppressed
Authors: Núñez Isaac , Caro-Vega Yanink , MacDonald Conor , Mosqueda-Gómez Juan Luis , Piñeirúa-Menéndez Alicia , Matthews Anthony A 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
We aimed to determine the effectiveness of switching to bictegravir in maintaining an undetectable viral load (&lt;50 copies/mL) among people with HIV (PWH) as compared with continuing dolutegravir-, efavirenz-, or raltegravir-based antiretroviral therapy using nationwide observational data from Mexico.

Methods
We emulated 3 target trials comparing switching to bictegravir vs continuing with dolutegravir, efavirenz, or raltegravir. Eligibility criteria were PWH aged ≥16 years with a viral load &lt;50 copies/mL and at least 3 months of current antiretroviral therapy (dolutegravir, efavirenz, or raltegravir) between July 2019 and September 2021. Weekly target trials were emulated during the study period, and individuals were included in every emulation if they continued to be eligible. The main outcome was the probability of an undetectable viral load at 3 months, which was estimated via an adjusted logistic regression model. Estimated probabilities were compared via differences, and 95% CIs were calculated via bootstrap. Outcomes were also ascertained at 12 months, and sensitivity analyses were performed to test our analytic choices.

Results
We analyzed data from 3 028 619 PWH (63 581 unique individuals). The probability of an undetectable viral load at 3 months was 2.9% (95% CI, 1.9%–3.8%), 1.3% (95% CI, .9%–1.6%), and 1.2% (95% CI, .8%–1.7%) higher when switching to bictegravir vs continuing with dolutegravir, efavirenz, and raltegravir, respectively. Similar results were observed at 12 months and in other sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions
Our findings suggest that switching to bictegravir could be more effective in maintaining viral suppression than continuing with dolutegravir, efavirenz, or raltegravir.