bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Theoretical simulation study of laser-induced plasma bombardment on bacteria
Authors: WANG 王 Junxiao 俊霄 , ZHANG 张 Yan 岩 , ZHANG 张 Wanfei 婉飞 , GUO 郭 Yong 勇 , ZHANG 张 Lei 雷 , YE 叶 Zefu 泽甫 , ZHU 朱 Zhujun 竹军 , YIN 尹 Wangbao 王保 , JIA 贾 Suotang 锁堂 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
With the rapid advancement of laser decontamination technology and growing awareness of microbial hazards, it becomes crucial to employ theoretical model to simulate and evaluate decontamination processes by laser-induced plasma. This study employs a two-dimensional axisymmetric fluid dynamics model to simulate the power density of plasma bombardment on bacteria and access its decontamination effects. The model considers the transport processes of vapor plasma and background gas molecules. Based on the destructive impact of high-speed moving particles in the plasma on bacteria, we investigate the bombardment power density under various conditions, including different laser spot sizes, wavelengths, plate’s tilt angles, and plate-target spacing. The results reveal that the bombardment power density increases with a decrease in laser spot size and wavelength. For instance, when the plate is parallel to the target surface with a 1 mm spacing, the bombardment power density triples as the laser spot size decreases from 0.8 mm to 0.5 mm and quadruples as the wavelength decreases from 1064 nm to 266 nm. Notably, when the plate is parallel to the target with a relatively close spacing of 0.5 mm, the bombardment power density at 0° inclination increases sevenfold compared to 45°. This simulation study is essential for optimizing optical parameters and designing component layouts in decontamination devices using laser-induced plasma. The reduction of laser spot size, wavelength, plate-target spacing and aligning the plate parallel to the target, collectively contribute to achieving precise and effective decontamination.
Umbilical cord blood as a substitute for neonatal blood in measuring serum albumin and immunoglobulin G levels
Authors: Ikuta Toshihiko , Iwatani Sota , Yoshimoto Seiji 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Objectives
In this study, we investigated the clinical feasibility of using umbilical cord blood as an alternative to neonatal blood for measuring serum albumin and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in newborns, including preterm newborns.

Methods
Serum levels of albumin and IgG were measured in cord and neonatal blood from singleton newborns. We analyzed correlations and systematic errors between cord and neonatal blood measurements, stratifying the results for very preterm newborns (VPNs) born at a gestational age of less than 32 weeks and non-VPNs born at a gestational age of 32 weeks or later.

Results
Among all 494 newborns (78 VPNs and 416 non-VPNs), serum albumin and IgG levels were determined for 95.7% and 88.7% of them, respectively. Strong correlations between cord and neonatal blood were observed for the serum albumin and IgG levels (rs = 0.864 and 0.966, respectively). Moreover, the measurement errors between cord and neonatal blood were small for all newborns (0.2 g/dL and 65 mg/dL, respectively). These findings were consistent with both VPNs and non-VPNs.

Conclusions
Umbilical cord blood is a suitable substitute for neonatal blood in measuring serum albumin and IgG levels in newborns, even in premature newborns.
Comparing traditional and causal inference methodologies for evaluating impacts of long-term air pollution exposure on hospitalization with Alzheimer disease and related dementias
Authors: Qin Michelle Miao , Khoshnevis Naeem , Dominici Francesca , Braun Danielle , Zanobetti Antonella , Mork Daniel 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRDs) present a growing public health burden in the United States. One actionable risk factor for ADRDs is air pollution: multiple studies have found associations between air pollution and exacerbation of ADRDs. Our study builds on previous studies by applying modern statistical causal inference methodologies—generalized propensity score (GPS) weighting and matching—on a large, longitudinal data set. We follow 50 million Medicare enrollees to investigate impacts of 3 air pollutants—fine particular matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and summer ozone (O3)—on elderly patients’ rate of first hospitalization with an ADRD diagnosis. Similar to previous studies using traditional statistical models, our results found increased hospitalization risks due to increased PM2.5 and NO2 exposure, with less conclusive results for O3. In particular, our GPS weighting analysis finds IQR increases in PM2.5, NO2, or O3 exposure result in hazard ratios of 1.108 (95% CI, 1.097, 1.119), 1.058 (1.049-1.067), or 1.045 (1.036-1.054), respectively. GPS matching results are similar for PM2.5 and NO2 with attenuated effects for O3. Our results strengthen arguments that long-term PM2.5 and NO2 exposure increases risk of hospitalization with an ADRD diagnosis. Additionally, we highlight strengths and limitations of causal inference methodologies in observational studies with continuous treatments.
This article is part of a Special Collection on Environmental Epidemiology.
Phylogenetics and biogeography of the olive family (Oleaceae)
Authors: Dupin Julia , Hong-Wa Cynthia , Gaudeul Myriam , Besnard Guillaume 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background and Aims
Progress in the systematic studies of the olive family (Oleaceae) during the last two decades provides the opportunity to update its backbone phylogeny and to investigate its historical biogeography. We also aimed to understand the factors underlying the disjunct distribution pattern between East Asia and both West Asia and Europe that is found more commonly in this family than in any other woody plant family.

Methods
Using a sampling of 298 species out of ~750, the largest in a phylogenetic study of Oleaceae thus far, with a set of 36 plastid and nuclear markers, we reconstructed and dated a new phylogenetic tree based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods and checked for any reticulation events. We also assessed the relative support of four competing hypotheses [Qinghai–Tibet Plateau uplift (QTP-only hypothesis); climatic fluctuations (climate-only hypothesis); combined effects of QTP uplift and climate (QTP–climate hypothesis); and no effects (null hypothesis)] in explaining these disjunct distributions.

Key Results
We recovered all tribes and subtribes within Oleaceae as monophyletic, but uncertainty in the position of tribe Forsythieae remains. Based on this dataset, no reticulation event was detected. Our biogeographical analyses support the QTP–climate hypothesis as the likely main explanation for the East–West Eurasian disjunctions in Oleaceae. Our results also show an earlier origin of Oleaceae at ~86 Mya and the role of Tropical Asia as a main source of species dispersals.

Conclusion
Our new family-wide and extensive phylogenetic tree highlights both the stable relationships within Oleaceae, including the polyphyly of the genus Chionanthus, and the need for further systematic studies within the largest and most undersampled genera of the family (Chionanthus and Jasminum). Increased sampling will also help to fine-tune biogeographical analyses across spatial scales and geological times.
Developmental instability, body mass, and reproduction predict immunological response in short-tailed bats
Authors: Mellado Breno , Carneiro Lucas de O , Nogueira Marcelo R , Herrera M L Gerardo , Cruz-Neto Ariovaldo P , Monteiro Leandro R 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Developmental instability (DI) is a phenomenon whereby organisms are unable to buffer developmental disturbances, resulting in asymmetric variation of paired traits. Previous research has demonstrated a negative relationship between DI, measured as forearm asymmetry, and survival in the bat Carollia perspicillata. This study aims to test the hypothesis that individuals with higher DI exhibit a lower immune response. We measured a delayed-type hypersensitivity to the antigen phytohemagglutinin (PHA) on 74 males and 65 females of C. perspicillata before and after the breeding season (BS). Linear models were used to predict the immunological response based on body mass (BM), forearm asymmetry, sex, BS, and testicle length. The best-fitting model accounted for 29% of the variation in immune response and included asymmetry, BM, sex, and BS as predictors. The immune response was negatively associated with asymmetry and testicle length in males but positively related to asymmetry in females. Both sexes showed a reduced immune response in the late BS. Additionally, the association between immune response and BM changed direction seasonally, with heavier individuals showing weaker responses early in the BS and stronger responses later. Individual variation in male immunity was predicted by individual attributes, whereas variation in immune response in females was mostly seasonal. Our results support the link between DI, survival, and immune response in short-tailed bats, and suggest that the immunological component measured by the PHA response may be under finer selection in males due to its stronger correlation with individual traits.
Chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of the black sea urchin Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Galià-Camps Carles , Carreras Carlos , Pascual Marta , Greve Carola , Schell Tilman , Turon Xavier , Palacín Creu , Pérez-Portela Rocío , Wangensteen Owen S , Pegueroles Cinta 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
The black sea urchin (Arbacia lixula) is a keystone species inhabiting the coastal shallow waters of the Mediterranean Sea, which is a key driver of littoral communities’ structure. Here, we present the first genome assembly and annotation of this species, standing as the first Arbacioida genome, including both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. To obtain a chromosome-level assembly, we used a combination of PacBio high fidelity (HiFi) reads and chromatin capture reads (Omni-C). In addition, we generated a high-quality nuclear annotation of both coding and non-coding genes, by using published RNA-Seq data from several individuals of A. lixula and gene models from closely related species. The nuclear genome assembly has a total span of 607.91 Mb, being consistent with its experimentally estimated genome size. The assembly contains 22 chromosome-scale scaffolds (96.52% of the total length), which coincides with its known karyotype. A total of 72,767 transcripts were predicted from the nuclear genome, 24,171 coding, and 48,596 non-coding that included lncRNA, snoRNA, and tRNAs. The circularized mitochondrial genome had 15,740 bp comprising 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA, and 22 tRNA. This reference genome will enhance ongoing A. lixula studies and benefit the wider sea urchin scientific community.
Research progress on the role of mitochondria in the process of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury
Authors: Zhou Yujie , Qiu Tao , Wang Tianyu , Yu Bo , Xia Kang , Guo Jiayu , Liu Yiting , Ma Xiaoxiong , Zhang Long , Zou Jilin , Chen Zhongbao , Zhou Jiangqiao 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
During liver ischemia-reperfusion injury, existing mechanisms involved oxidative stress, calcium overload, and the activation of inflammatory responses involve mitochondrial injury. Mitochondrial autophagy, a process that maintains the normal physiological activity of mitochondria, promotes cellular metabolism, improves cellular function, and facilitates organelle renewal. Mitochondrial autophagy is involved in oxidative stress and apoptosis, of which the PINK1-Parkin pathway is a major regulatory pathway, and the deletion of PINK1 and Parkin increases mitochondrial damage, reactive oxygen species production, and inflammatory response, playing an important role in mitochondrial quality regulation. In addition, proper mitochondrial permeability translational cycle regulation can help maintain mitochondrial stability and mitigate hepatocyte death during ischemia-reperfusion injury. This mechanism is also closely related to oxidative stress, calcium overload, and the aforementioned autophagy pathway, all of which leads to the augmentation of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore opening and cause apoptosis. Moreover, the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) due to oxidative stress further aggravates mitochondrial function impairment. Mitochondrial fission and fusion are non-negligible processes required to maintain the dynamic renewal of mitochondria and are essential to the dynamic stability of these organelles. The Bcl-2 protein family also plays an important regulatory role in the mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway. A series of complex mechanisms work together to cause hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI). This article reviews the role of mitochondria in HIRI, hoping to provide new therapeutic clues for alleviating HIRI in clinical practice.
Balance, Strength, and Risk of Dementia: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Authors: Stephan Yannick , Sutin Angelina R , Luchetti Martina , Aschwanden Damaris , Karakose Selin , Terracciano Antonio 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Background
Slow gait speed has been consistently associated with an increased risk of dementia. This study examined whether measures of balance and lower limb strength are similarly related to the risk of developing dementia.

Methods
Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N = 5 658, mean age = 73.23, standard deviation [SD] = 6.22) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, N = 3667, mean age = 69.90, SD = 7.02) completed measures of gait speed, semi-tandem balance, chair stand (ELSA only), and cognitive status at baseline. Cognitive status was assessed over up to 15 years.

Results
Baseline slower gait speed (hazard ratio [HR]HRS = 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32–1.75, p &lt; .001; HRELSA = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.37–2.18, p &lt; .001); and balance impairment (HRHRS = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.26–1.96, p &lt; .001; HRELSA = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.24–3.14, p &lt; .01) were related to a higher risk of incident dementia, adjusting for demographic factors. The combination of slower gait and impaired balance was associated with a two-to-three times higher risk of dementia in HRS and ELSA. Worse performance on the chair stand at baseline was associated with a higher risk of dementia in ELSA (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.23–1.99, p &lt; .001). All performance measures remained significant when entered simultaneously and accounted for obesity, diabetes, blood pressure, physical activity, smoking, and depressive symptoms. There was little evidence that age, sex, or APOE ε4 moderated the association.

Conclusions
Similar to gait speed, measures of balance and strength are associated with a higher risk of incident dementia. The findings have implications for clinical practice, given that these routinely used geriatric assessment tools are similarly related to dementia risk.
A Regulatory Governance Perspective on IP and Access to Medicines – A Fresh Look Into the TRIPS Agreement
Authors: Ghidini Gustavo , Piselli Riccardo 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
As concerns the relationship between the Global South and the developed countries, the TRIPS Agreement provides a robust protection of IP. This might result in a weaker protection of fundamental rights, such as health, in those countries that do not possess the necessary know-how and industrial capacity to manufacture essential medicines. The recent Decision adopted at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference provides the opportunity to focus again on the topic and deal with the issue of the clash between IP and the national interests of the least developed countries. Instead of addressing the problem by looking at the well-known flexibilities/inflexibilities of the Agreement, this paper proposes a different methodological approach that builds on the flourishing literature on regulatory governance. To this end, a multi-dimensional regulatory approach is suggested that simultaneously exploits a matrix of normative, market-based and cooperative instruments. While we wait for a more structural normative reform, a similar perspective not only proves to be useful from a theoretical perspective, but could also contribute to shedding a new light on the TRIPS Agreement.
The Interplay of Binary and Quantitative Structure on the Stability of Mutualistic Networks
Authors: Anderson Christopher R , Curtsdotter Alva R K , Staniczenko Phillip P A , Valdovinos Fernanda S , Brosi Berry J 
Published: June 2024

Synopsis
Understanding how the structure of biological systems impacts their resilience (broadly defined) is a recurring question across multiple levels of biological organization. In ecology, considerable effort has been devoted to understanding how the structure of interactions between species in ecological networks is linked to different broad resilience outcomes, especially local stability. Still, nearly all of that work has focused on interaction structure in presence-absence terms and has not investigated quantitative structure, i.e., the arrangement of interaction strengths in ecological networks. We investigated how the interplay between binary and quantitative structure impacts stability in mutualistic interaction networks (those in which species interactions are mutually beneficial), using community matrix approaches. We additionally examined the effects of network complexity and within-guild competition for context. In terms of structure, we focused on understanding the stability impacts of nestedness, a structure in which more-specialized species interact with smaller subsets of the same species that more-generalized species interact with. Most mutualistic networks in nature display binary nestedness, which is puzzling because both binary and quantitative nestedness are known to be destabilizing on their own. We found that quantitative network structure has important consequences for local stability. In more-complex networks, binary-nested structures were the most stable configurations, depending on the quantitative structures, but which quantitative structure was stabilizing depended on network complexity and competitive context. As complexity increases and in the absence of within-guild competition, the most stable configurations have a nested binary structure with a complementary (i.e., anti-nested) quantitative structure. In the presence of within-guild competition, however, the most stable networks are those with a nested binary structure and a nested quantitative structure. In other words, the impact of interaction overlap on community persistence is dependent on the competitive context. These results help to explain the prevalence of binary-nested structures in nature and underscore the need for future empirical work on quantitative structure.
Seeking systems-based facilitators of safety and healthcare resilience: a thematic review of incident reports
Authors: Leon Catherine , Hogan Helen , Jani Yogini H 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Patient safety incident reports are a key source of safety intelligence. This study aimed to explore whether information contained in such reports can elicit facilitators of safety, including responding, anticipating, monitoring, learning, and other mechanisms by which safety is maintained. The review further explored whether, if found, this information could be used to inform safety interventions. Anonymized incident reports submitted between August and October 2020 were obtained from two large teaching hospitals. The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) tool and the resilience potentials (responding, anticipating, monitoring, and learning) frameworks guided thematic analysis. SEIPS was used to explore the components of people, tools, tasks, and environments, as well as the interactions between them, which contribute to safety. The resilience potentials provided insight into healthcare resilience at individual, team, and organizational levels. Sixty incident reports were analysed. These included descriptions of all the SEIPS framework components. People used tools such as electronic prescribing systems to perform tasks within different healthcare environments that facilitated safety. All four resilient capacities were identified, with mostly individuals and teams responding to events; however, monitoring, anticipation, and learning were described for individuals, teams, and organizations. Incident reports contain information about safety practices, much of which is not identified by traditional approaches such as root cause analysis. This information can be used to enhance safety enablers and encourage greater proactive anticipation and system-level learning.
Securitization of Energy Transitions in Estonia, Finland and Norway
Authors: Sivonen Marja Helena , Kivimaa Paula 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
This paper analyses the extent to which zero-carbon energy transitions are a securitized phenomenon in selected countries and what that means for sustainability transitions more broadly. Without taking a normative stance on securitization, we focus on the ways in which security is constructed through in-depth interviews with experts in the energy, security, and defense sectors in Estonia, Finland, and Norway. We use a securitization framework to study how securitization as a process is discussed by identifying “securitization moves.” The analysis is also connected to the literature on sustainability transitions: the zero-carbon energy transition can be depicted as a large-scale socio-technical transition related to environmental sustainability. Our findings suggest that energy transitions are securitized to an extent because we were able to detect all “securitization moves” in the interview data. The interviews showed different ways in which security is interpreted and what is achieved by its construction in specific contexts. For example, the identified threats were connected to preserving sovereignty in Estonia, the inability to openly discuss threats related to energy transitions created new concerns in Finland, and the connections between the two sectors were urgently and inescapably addressed in Norway only after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Theorizing Interreligious Relations
Authors: Khan Adil Hussain 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
This article is an attempt to think through how interreligious relations might be theorized. It will show how conventional assumptions about interreligious relations can be traced to colonial understandings of the category religion, which determine what we classify as interreligious. I argue that interreligious relations, as we understand it today, developed through the rise of secular nationalism, when religion and politics were purportedly separated as a means of reordering European power structures aligned with Christianity during the formation of the modern nation-state. This rearrangement of power gave rise to Christian ecumenism, which helped pave the way for an evolving secular governance that eventually developed into multicultural pluralist societies in a postcolonial world. This article shall demonstrate how the assumptions that underlie contemporary interreligious relations have little to do with the relationships of people with different religious identities, as one might expect, but instead serve to promote national narratives of pluralism that uphold the liberal ideologies authorizing Western multicultural societies today.