bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Generalist carabid beetles are more malacophagous than previously recognized and cause diversified types of shell damage
Authors: Němec T. , Horsák M. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAlthough most carabids are carnivorous generalists, some species show dietary specializations such as malacophagy, which is characterized by two main strategies of snail predation: entering the shell or breaking it. The shell‐breaking strategy has been well studied in the malacophagous specialists of the tribe Licinini. However, little is known about the ability of other carabids to feed on snails and, in particular, to use the shell‐breaking strategy. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the ability of various generalist carabid species to feed on snails under laboratory conditions. We recorded 723 instances of predation in 89 of 180 carabid individuals (representing 23 of 33 species); all of them were exclusively shell‐breaking attacks. While carabids mostly favoured individuals <8 mm as prey, they showed no preference for shell shape. Using a subset of 14 carabid species with a high frequency of snail predation, we found significant differences between the predation rates of carabid species depending on their body size using GLMMs. This study revealed that many generalist carabids can indeed feed on snails by breaking the shell, but predation rates were highly inconsistent among individual species. Shell‐breaking patterns of generalists differed markedly from those of malacophagous specialists reported in the literature, as damage parallel to the shell coiling axis occurred more frequently than spiral damage. Our results show that the shell‐breaking predation patterns of carabids are closely related to their degree of dietary specialization on snails and that many generalist carabids frequently accept snails as their prey.
Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) mitochondrial genomes from Senegal reveal geographic structure across the North Atlantic but provide no support for global long‐beaked clade
Authors: Becker Madeleine A. , Murphy Katherine R. , Archer Frederick I. , Jefferson Thomas A. , Keith‐Diagne Lucy W. , Potter Charles W. , Urrutia‐Osorio M. Fernanda , Ndong Ibrahima , McGowen Michael R. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is a widely distributed species exhibiting extensive morphological diversity, with previous taxonomies recognizing multiple Delphinus species primarily based on relative beak length. We sequenced mitochondrial genomes of D. delphis morphotypes from multiple regions, calculated mitogenome nucleotide diversity (π = 0.00504), dated Delphinus mitogenome diversification to 1.27 mya, and conducted phylogenetic and population‐level analyses focusing on morphotype and geographic origin. We present the first Delphinus sequencing data from Senegal, at the edge of where long‐ and short‐beaked dolphins co‐occur in the Atlantic, but only recovering stranded dolphins with long or indeterminate beak lengths. While we detected little genetic structure across most of the North Atlantic, fixation indices demonstrate that Senegalese dolphins are distinct. Geography did not reliably predict phylogeny, with few monophyletic localities, but we do infer a monophyletic group of long‐beaked dolphins from California, Peru, and possibly China. However, neither Senegalese long‐beaked dolphins nor long‐beaked D. d. tropicalis are closely related to Pacific long‐beaked dolphins, providing no support for a worldwide long‐beaked clade (formerly D. capensis). Our findings reveal a distinctive Senegal Delphinus population and provide a foundation for global genomic analyses to further investigate the evolution of Delphinus morphotypes.
Answering the call: Experiences of nurses of color during COVID‐19
Authors: Woodward Kyla F. , Willgerodt Mayumi , Walsh Elaine , Johnson Susan 
Published: June 2024

AbstractIn the years following the COVID‐19 pandemic, issues such as high job demands, burnout, and turnover continue to influence the nursing workforce, with heavier impacts to marginalized groups. Understanding the work and life contexts of nurses of color can help guide strategies for workplace equity and meaningful support. This qualitative study explored the experiences of nurses of color in the United States during the pandemic, focusing on feelings about the profession and job decisions. The overarching theme was “answering the call,” with subthemes of “COVID shone a light,” “being consumed by COVID,” and “is it worth it?” Participants shared how their racial identities shaped their perceptions and job decisions in positive and negative ways, noting how racism impacted many facets of their work and added to the stressors felt in the workplace and the community. Findings provide insight into the underrepresented perspectives of nurses of color and suggest strategies to eliminate racism in nursing.
Uncovering genes involved in pollinator‐driven mating system shifts and selfing syndrome evolution in Brassica rapa
Authors: Kofler Xeniya V. , Grossniklaus Ueli , Schiestl Florian P. , Frachon Léa 
Published: June 2024

Summary

Shifts in pollinator occurrence and their pollen transport effectiveness drive the evolution of mating systems in flowering plants. Understanding the genomic basis of these changes is essential for predicting the persistence of a species under environmental changes. We investigated the genomic changes in Brassica rapa over nine generations of pollination by hoverflies associated with rapid morphological evolution toward the selfing syndrome.

We combined a genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) approach with a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) to identify candidate genes, and assessed their functional role in the observed morphological changes by studying mutations of orthologous genes in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

We found 31 candidate genes involved in a wide range of functions from DNA/RNA binding to transport. Our functional assessment of orthologous genes in A. thaliana revealed that two of the identified genes in B. rapa are involved in regulating the size of floral organs. We found a protein kinase superfamily protein involved in petal width, an important trait in plant attractiveness to pollinators. Moreover, we found a histone lysine methyltransferase (HKMT) associated with stamen length.

Altogether, our study shows that hoverfly pollination leads to rapid evolution toward the selfing syndrome mediated by polygenic changes.
‘Ordered and Placed in a Certain Form’: Kant on the Spatiality of Sensation
Authors: Jankowiak Tim 
Published: June 2024

AbstractKant claims repeatedly that experience involves sensations being ‘ordered and placed’ in space. This paper considers what this surprising claim could possibly mean. After presenting the relevant textual evidence and rejecting two candidate interpretations of it, I defend a qualia or ‘mental paint’ interpretation, according to which experience involves a direct, conscious ‘acquaintance’ with sensations arrayed in a ‘phenomenal space.’ This interpretation allows us to take literally many of Kant's claims about sensation: that it is the matter of both intuition and appearance, that we are conscious of sensation in perception, and that sensible qualities like color are sensations.
The death of the embodied philosopher and the life of the mind: On the literary and poetic features of Plato's Phaedo
Authors: Furtak Rick Anthony 
Published: June 2024

AbstractSocrates is a man of faith whose love and pursuit of the truth is grounded in religious conviction. Faith, whatever else it may be, involves guiding one's life in terms of a transcendent dimension, recognizing a reality lying behind any particular experience. In Plato's Phaedo, a literary and philosophical masterpiece, we enter the narrative of Socrates' trial and execution on the day of his death, examining arguments for the immortality of the psyche. The dialogue combines logical argument and mythological speculation, and presents Socrates simultaneously as an abstract theorist and an unforgettably singular person. Distinct persons, such as Socrates, have an interest in continuing to exist as the individuals that they are. When we cease to exist, we lose the opportunity to engage in any activity that is worth doing, such as—emphatically, for some of us—doing philosophy. What Socrates is presented as having discovered in the Phaedo—with the ostensibly absent Plato lurking behind every line in this literary gem of a text—is a way of transforming oneself with an eye on immortality. That Socrates dies utterly without fear is the supreme vindication of the philosophical life.
The Plague: Modern life
Authors: Fendt Gene 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe social structures and thought patterns of the modern world are the fruits of the Enlightenment, which begins by eliminating final causal explanations in favour of purely material and efficient causes. The development and great technical success of Enlightenment procedures has, however, produced a cultural blindness about the good. Camus's novel shows us this cultural blindness through characters who themselves suffer from it; for modern man, it is almost a natural evil—we are born into it. Camus' hope must have been that the vision of the characters' incapacity might help break us from the same incapacity. What the cured life looks like Camus does not say; in the world of our plague, it appears as either odd or mystery.
The strange thing of which we find ourselves a part: Theodore Dreiser's virus novel
Authors: Brown Curtis 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAn American teacher of literature and poetry living in Montréal, Curtis Brown, recovers Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy (1925) as a ‘virus novel’, venturing an integrated response to two literary questions occasioned by the recent pandemic: What might the contemporary ‘Covid novel’ look like? And how did the Spanish flu of 1918–1919—which infected a third of the world's population and killed 50 million—leave literary traces so few and faint? Brown tracks the genesis of An American Tragedy in Dreiser's personal life, his research in microbiology and his general interest in plagues to show how a form traditionally associated with the ‘individual moral adventure’ was repurposed for an institutional epic of viral contagion and systemic malaise. Charting the vicissitudes of Dreiser's reputation over a century, and presenting his formal innovations as widely assimilated, largely unrecognized, and more relevant than ever, Brown concludes that a writer's influence, like a virus, can disappear into ubiquity.
Characterization of Erwinia amylovora isolates from the northern region of Saudi Arabia, including CRISPR genotyping
Authors: Ibrahim Yasser E. , Rafique Abdurrehman M. , Al‐Masrahi Ali A. , Al‐Saleh Mohammed A. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractFire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, poses a global threat to the pome fruit industry, leading to reduced yields and significant economic losses. A comprehensive countrywide survey was carried out to determine the possible E. amylovora distribution in pome fruit‐growing regions. During the period 2020–2023, 85 isolates characteristic of E. amylovora were obtained from pear across 23 locations in three main pear‐producing regions (Al‐Jouf, Hail and Tabuk) in northern Saudi Arabia (SA). Isolates were identified using biochemical, molecular and pathogenicity assays. Molecular characterization of Saudi strains was achieved using partial 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequencing, rep‐PCR (specifically, BOX‐PCR) and CRISPR array analysis. The CRISPR genotyping in particular, using an existing scheme of three CRISPR arrays, CR1, CR2 and CR3, provided consistent patterns of the Saudi isolates with high similarity to those of E. amylovora strains from the UK and France, hinting at a possible origin of the fire blight infections from these countries. Some variation was observed in patterns between local strains, highlighting the importance of continued surveillance and genetic studies for effective disease management strategies. Identification of fire blight in three regions over several years should serve as a warning to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in Saudi Arabia, prompting the initiation of a more comprehensive survey and an active disease management programme. This programme should include early detection and advice to growers on prevention and control measures. This is the first scientific study on the occurrence and genetic variability of E. amylovora in Saudi Arabia.
Application of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis in the Indian core industries: Towards a greener economy
Authors: Gogoi Nivaj , Hussain Farah 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe study investigates the long‐term effects of two core industries of India, namely crude oil and electricity on the environment by adopting the industry‐specific environmental Kuznets curve (IEKC) hypothesis. While crude oil is high‐polluting, the impact of the electricity industry on the environment is less severe. A traditional EKC hypothesis, described by an inverted U‐shape, demonstrates the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. The study tests IEKC individually for each of the two industries for time series data ranging from 1994 to 2021 for the crude oil industry and from 1994 to 2019 for the electricity industry. Carbon dioxide emission levels and the Index of Eight Core Industries are the indicators used to measure the environmental degradation and industrial growth levels, respectively. The study adopts autoregressive distributed lag approach to test the IEKC hypothesis. The findings suggest rejecting the IEKC hypothesis in the Indian crude oil industry, indicating its long‐term adverse environmental effects. In contrast, acceptance of the hypothesis in the electricity industry confirms that electricity energy can potentially lower the country's pollution level in the long run. The study adds to the existing literature by applying the IEKC hypothesis in the core industries of India to judge their environmental sustainability.
An instructional framework for teaching STEM to students with moderate to severe disabilities
Authors: Wood Leah , Jimenez Bree , Courtade Ginevra 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAnswering questions and solving problems are critical skills that affect the quality of life for all people. The content areas of science and engineering traditionally and most directly address the processes of inquiry and problem‐solving. While there is an increasing body of research surrounding teaching academic content (i.e., mathematics and science) as well as skills that are critical to support student success in these areas (i.e., communication and self‐determination), the research supporting instruction of math, science, and engineering practices and processes are only emerging. The purpose of this article is to provide a research‐based framework for instructional design that provides ideas for cognitive accessibility and supports for students with MSD in STEM. The framework aims to guide teachers in considering why to teach STEM, what to teach, and how to teach it. The framework guides teachers to use evidence‐based practices in special education to teach students to know about STEM (i.e., academic content), do STEM practices and processes (i.e., critical thinking skills combined into routines for asking questions or solving problems), and think in ways that support this learning (i.e., metacognitive behaviors).
Varieties of democracy and life satisfaction: Is there a connection?
Authors: Bromo Francesco , Pacek Alexander C. , Radcliff Benjamin 
Published: June 2024

AbstractObjectiveHow, if at all, do different “varieties” or “principles” of democracy affect human happiness? While the study of democracy's relationship with well‐being is an old one, recent conceptual developments in the study of democracy have not been assessed to a great extent. In this article, we attempt to address this shortcoming.MethodWe examine the relationship between five varieties of democracy (liberal, participatory, deliberative, egalitarian, and polyarchy) and life satisfaction across 103 high‐, middle‐, and low‐income countries in the 2010s.ResultsWe find a modest, positive association between most democratic principles and self‐reported satisfaction. Further exploration indicates that the strongest association is the one between life satisfaction and participatory democracy.ConclusionThis analysis represents an initial attempt at probing the effect of democracy on human happiness by disentangling the heterogeneous impact of different democratic principles. Implications for the study of democracy and subjective well‐being are discussed.
Surveillance for donor‐derived infections in Australia
Authors: Opdam Helen Ingrid , Boan Peter , Barry Lucinda , Chapman Jeremy R 
Published: June 2024

AbstractBackgroundSystems for quality and safety assurance in organ donation and transplantation are vital, especially those that seek to minimize donor disease transmission. Australia has developed a national vigilance and surveillance system to identify, review, and analyze actual and potential donor‐derived infections and other disease transmissions.MethodsThe system involves notification of incidents to the Australian Organ and Tissue Authority for review by a Vigilance and Surveillance Expert Advisory Committee (VSEAC). The VSEAC grades incidents, O makes recommendations, and issues communications both publicly and to the clinical donation and transplant sector.ResultsAnnual notifications have increased since the inception of the system in 2012 until 2022. The vast majority relate to procedural aspects including donor assessment, information/data issues, and the recovery, offer, allocation, preservation and transportation of organs. Possible donor‐derived disease accounted for 19% of all notifications, and those related to possible donor‐derived infection only 12%. The VSEAC, as a result of reviewing these incidents, has made recommendations resulting in revisions to donor screening, organ allocation, packaging and transportation. The review of incidents has led to changes in clinical guidance for increased viral risk donor assessment, testing, and ensuing organ utilization and recipient surveillance. Guidance has also been reviewed for other infectious risks including strongyloides, human T‐lymphotropic virus, and HEV.ConclusionThe Australian vigilance and surveillance system has enabled national retrospective reporting and evaluation of serious adverse events or reactions to identify trends and inform processes and guidelines, therefore improving the safety of donation and transplantation.
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An Experimental Study of Incremental Buckling-Resistant Inchworm-Type Insertion of Microwire Neural Electrodes
Authors: Yi Dongyang , Landry Nathan , Blake Samuel , Baron John , Chen Lei 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
Chronically implanting microelectrodes for high-resolution action potential recording is critical for understanding the brain. The smallest and most flexible electrodes, most suitable for chronic recordings, are also the most difficult to insert due to buckling against the thin but hard-to-penetrate brain meninges. To address such implantation challenges without introducing further damage to the brain, this paper presents our design and prototype of an inchworm-type insertion device that conducts a grip-feed-release incremental motion for planar microelectrode insertion. To optimize the operating parameters of the developed inchworm insertion device, experimental studies were conducted on the polyvinyl chloride-based brain-mimicking phantom to investigate the effects of (1) incremental insertion depth, (2) inserter drive shaft rotary speed, and (3) the resulting inchworm insertion speed, on the phantom (1) penetration rupture force and (2) dimpling depth at rupture. Analysis showed that all three factors had a statistically significant impact on the rupture force and dimpling depth. A moderate level of the resulting insertion speed yielded the lowest rupture force and dimpling depth at rupture. Low insertion speed levels were associated with higher rupture force while high insertion speeds led to a large variance in dimpling depth and potential insertion failure. To achieve such a moderate insertion speed, it would be preferred for both the incremental insertion depth and the drive shaft rotary speed to be at a moderate level. Such findings lay the foundation for enabling previously impossible buckling-free insertion of miniaturized flexible planar microelectrodes deep into the brain.
Towing an Object With a Rover
Authors: Caruso Matteo , Sesto Gorella Nicholas , Gallina Paolo , Seriani Stefano 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
The present study investigates the problem of towing an object that is lying on a surface in a given workspace and the applicability to a planetary rover with four steering wheels. A quasi-static method has been introduced and used for path planning and for the synthesis of both object and rover trajectories. The rover uses a tether as the towing medium, which is modeled as an elastic unilateral constraint. Moreover, a kinematic model of the rover that includes steering asymmetrical joint limits is taken into account. The dynamics model of the overall system is then derived, and a sensitivity analysis is performed over a finite number of different trajectories, in order to evaluate the quasi-static assumption, the effects of the model, and the influence of the elastic constraint. Finally, experiments have been performed using the novel Archimede rover prototype and compared with dynamics simulations; the remarkable adherence shown with the model validates the overall approach.
A simple BLASTn-based approach generates novel insights into the regulation and biological function of type I toxin-antitoxins
Authors: Shore Selene F. H. , Ptacek Michael , Steen Andrew D. , Fozo Elizabeth M. 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT

Bacterial chromosomal type I toxin-antitoxin systems consist of a small protein, typically under 60 amino acids, and a small RNA (sRNA) that represses toxin translation. These gene pairs have gained attention over the last decade for their contribution to antibiotic persistence and phage tolerance in bacteria. However, biological functions for many remain elusive as gene deletions often fail to produce an observable phenotype. For many pairs, it is still unknown when the toxin and/or antitoxin gene are natively expressed within the bacterium. We examined sequence conservation of three type I toxin-antitoxin systems,
tisB/istR-1, shoB/ohsC,
and
zor/orz
, in over 2,000
Escherichia coli
strains, including pathogenic and commensal isolates. Using our custom database, we found that these gene pairs are widespread across
E. coli
and have expression potential via BLASTn. We identified an alternative, dominant sequence variant of TisB and confirmed that it is toxic upon overproduction. Additionally, analyses revealed a highly conserved sequence in the
zorO
mRNA untranslated region that is required for full toxicity. We further noted that over 30% of
E. coli
genomes contain an
orz
antitoxin gene only and confirmed its expression in a representative strain: the first confirmed report of a type I antitoxin without its cognate toxin. Our results add to our understanding of these systems, and our methodology is applicable for other type I loci to identify critical regulatory and functional features.

IMPORTANCE

Chromosomal type I toxin-antitoxins are a class of genes that have gained increasing attention over the last decade for their roles in antibiotic persistence which may contribute to therapeutic failures. However, the control of many of these genes and when they function have remained elusive. We demonstrate that a simple genetic conservation-based approach utilizing free, publicly available data yields known and novel insights into the regulation and function of three chromosomal type I toxin-antitoxins in
Escherichia coli
. This study also provides a framework for how this approach could be applied to other genes of interest.