bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Seasonal dynamics of sand flies in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park: a tourist destination and endemic area for leishmaniasis
Authors: Rebêlo José Manuel Macário , Bandeira Maria da Conceição Abreu , Moraes Jorge Luiz Pinto , Boas Itapotiara Vilas , Fonteles Raquel Silva , Dominici Cruz Leonardo , Rodrigues Bruno Leite 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Numerous sand fly species have been reported in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (LMNP) in Northeast Brazil, including important Leishmania vectors, making the park an endemic area for tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis. We evaluated sand fly abundance monthly over 7 years, correlating it with environmental variables and monthly tourist numbers in LMNP. Sand fly species were observed throughout the year, with Lutzomyia longipalpis Lutz & Neiva and Nyssomyia whitmani Antunes and Coutinho (Diptera: Psychodidae) being the most abundant species, especially from April to June. In addition to seasonal abundance patterns, Lu. longipalpis showed increasing abundance throughout 2013 until April 2014, whereas Ny. whitmani exhibited a consistent increase throughout the study period. Redundancy analysis indicated that monthly sand fly abundances increased with humidity but decreased with mean temperature and wind speed. Ecotourists mainly visit the park from May to September when interdune lagoons are full, coinciding with high-frequency vector activity during the rainy months (May–June). Tourists also visit in January and February during school holidays, when the rains begin and sand fly abundance increases, and in July, when sand fly abundance decreases. To date, no instances of infected tourists have been recorded, likely because visits to LMNP occur during the day when sand flies are inactive. However, there is a potential risk of vector exposure if tourists engage in nighttime cultural visits to villages around the park, where leishmaniasis cases occur annually.
Public service users’ responses to performance information: Bayesian learning or motivated reasoning?
Authors: Damgaard Peter Rasmussen , James Oliver 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Although performance information is widely promoted to improve the accountability of public service provision, behavioral research has revealed that motivated reasoning leads recipients to update their beliefs inaccurately. However, the reasoning processes of service users have been largely neglected. We develop a theory of public service users’ motivated reasoning about performance information stemming from their identification with the organization providing their services. We address a significant challenge to studying motivated reasoning—that widely used existing research designs cannot rule out alternative cognitive explanations, especially Bayesian learning, such that existing findings could be driven by strong prior beliefs rather than biased processing of new information. We use a research design incorporating Bayesian learning as a benchmark to identify departures from accuracy motivated reasoning process. We assess the empirical implications of the theory using a preregistered information provision experiment among parents with children using public schools. To assess their identity-based motivated reasoning, we provide them with noisy, but true, performance information about their school. Overall, we find no evidence of directionally motivated reasoning. Instead, parents change their beliefs in response to performance feedback in a way that largely reflects conservative Bayesian learning. Performance reporting to service users is less vulnerable to motivational biases in this context than suggested by the general literature on motivated reasoning. Furthermore, exploratory findings show that performance information can correct erroneous beliefs among misinformed service users, suggesting that investment in reporting performance to service users is worthwhile to inform their beliefs and improve accountability.
Multivariate, heteroscedastic empirical Bayes via nonparametric maximum likelihood
Authors: Soloff Jake A , Guntuboyina Adityanand , Sen Bodhisattva 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Multivariate, heteroscedastic errors complicate statistical inference in many large-scale denoizing problems. Empirical Bayes is attractive in such settings, but standard parametric approaches rest on assumptions about the form of the prior distribution which can be hard to justify and which introduce unnecessary tuning parameters. We extend the nonparametric maximum-likelihood estimator (NPMLE) for Gaussian location mixture densities to allow for multivariate, heteroscedastic errors. NPMLEs estimate an arbitrary prior by solving an infinite-dimensional, convex optimization problem; we show that this convex optimization problem can be tractably approximated by a finite-dimensional version. The empirical Bayes posterior means based on an NPMLE have low regret, meaning they closely target the oracle posterior means one would compute with the true prior in hand. We prove an oracle inequality implying that the empirical Bayes estimator performs at nearly the optimal level (up to logarithmic factors) for denoizing without prior knowledge. We provide finite-sample bounds on the average Hellinger accuracy of an NPMLE for estimating the marginal densities of the observations. We also demonstrate the adaptive and nearly optimal properties of NPMLEs for deconvolution. We apply our method to two denoizing problems in astronomy and to two hierarchical linear modelling problems in social science and biology.
Usefulness of aircraft and airport wastewater for monitoring multiple pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 variants
Authors: Tay Martin , Lee Benjamin , Ismail Muhammad Hafiz , Yam Jerald , Maliki Dzulkhairul , Gin Karina Yew-Hoong , Chae Sae-Rom , Ho Zheng Jie Marc , Teoh Yee Leong , Ng Lee Ching , Wong Judith Chui Ching 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
As global travel resumed in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) endemicity, the potential of aircraft wastewater monitoring to provide early warning of disease trends for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants and other infectious diseases, particularly at international air travel hubs, was recognized. We therefore assessed and compared the feasibility of testing wastewater from inbound aircraft and airport terminals for 18 pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 in Singapore, a popular travel hub in Asia.

Methods
Wastewater samples collected from inbound medium- and long-haul flights and airport terminals were tested for SARS-CoV-2. Next Generation Sequencing was carried out on positive samples to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants. Airport and aircraft samples were further tested for 17 other pathogens through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results
The proportion of SARS-CoV-2-positive samples and the average virus load was higher for wastewater samples from aircraft as compared with airport terminals. Cross-correlation analyses indicated that viral load trends from airport wastewater led local COVID-19 case trends by 2–5 days. A total of 10 variants (44 sub-lineages) were successfully identified from aircraft wastewater and airport terminals, and four variants of interest and one variant under monitoring were detected in aircraft and airport wastewater 18–31 days prior to detection in local clinical cases. The detection of five respiratory and four enteric viruses in aircraft wastewater samples further underscores the potential to expand aircraft wastewater to monitoring pathogens beyond SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion
Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of aircraft wastewater testing for monitoring infectious diseases threats, potentially detecting signals before clinical cases are reported. The triangulation of similar datapoints from aircraft wastewater of international travel nodes could therefore serve as a useful early warning system for global health threats.
Rhythmic lipid and gene expression responses to chilling in panicoid grasses
Authors: Kenchanmane Raju Sunil K , Zhang Yang , Mahboub Samira , Ngu Daniel W , Qiu Yumou , Harmon Frank G , Schnable James C , Roston Rebecca L 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Chilling stress threatens plant growth and development, particularly affecting membrane fluidity and cellular integrity. Understanding plant membrane responses to chilling stress is important for unraveling the molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance. Whereas core transcriptional responses to chilling stress and stress tolerance are conserved across species, the associated changes in membrane lipids appear to be less conserved, as which lipids are affected by chilling stress varies by species. Here, we investigated changes in gene expression and membrane lipids in response to chilling stress during one 24 h cycle in chilling-tolerant foxtail millet (Setaria italica), and chilling-sensitive sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and Urochloa (browntop signal grass, Urochloa fusca, lipids only), leveraging their evolutionary relatedness and differing levels of chilling stress tolerance. We show that most chilling-induced lipid changes are conserved across the three species, while we observed distinct, time-specific responses in chilling-tolerant foxtail millet, indicating the presence of a finely orchestrated adaptive mechanism. We detected rhythmicity in lipid responses to chilling stress in the three grasses, which were also present in Arabidopsis thaliana, suggesting the conservation of rhythmic patterns across species and highlighting the importance of accounting for time of day. When integrating lipid datasets with gene expression profiles, we identified potential candidate genes that showed corresponding transcriptional changes in response to chilling stress, providing insights into the differences in regulatory mechanisms between chilling-sensitive sorghum and chilling-tolerant foxtail millet.
Dust reverberation mapping of 0.3 ≤ z ≤ 0.8 AGN with UltraVISTA: lessons for future large surveys
Authors: Lira P , Sánchez-Sáez P , Arévalo P , Tristram K , De Cicco D , Milvang-Jensen B , Dunlop J S 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT
In this work we used a sample of 20 variable active galactic nuclei at 0.3 &lt; z &lt; 0.8 from the Ultra-VISTA survey to test whether their emission in the near-infrared (NIR) is consistent with emission from the dusty torus or the accretion disc, and whether the radius–luminosity relation found for local sources, is also seen when we consider sources from our sample. We carried out a spectral energy distribution analysis and conclude that 14 of the 20 sources have a variable component dominated by the dusty torus, and four have a variable component dominated by the accretion disc and two sources give uncertain results. Correcting for the disc contamination in the observed-frame Ks band, however, allowed us to determine dust lags for 13 sources after performing cross-correlation analysis. Special care was taken to consider lags that were not biased by seasonal gaps. Our determined lags are systematically found below the radius–luminosity relationship determined for local sources. Following previous works, we introduce an empirical relation that corrects lags by the rest-frame wavelength of the band that samples the dust emission, as shorter wavelengths arise from hotter regions of the torus. When the correction is introduced, our results are consistent with previous findings. We finally discuss whether other intrinsic parameters might also contribute to this effect and how these corrections will impact future large optical and NIR surveys.
Phase curve wavelength dependency as revealed by shape- and geometry- corrected asteroid phase curves
Authors: Wilawer E , Muinonen K , Oszkiewicz D , Kryszczyńska A , Colazo M 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT
We investigate the photometric properties of 35 well-observed asteroids using dense ground-based and sparse ATLAS survey data. Focusing on two-colour photometric phase functions, derived using inverse methods, we explore the wavelength dependence. Our study reveals distinct (G1, G2) domains for cyan and orange filters, especially among some S-complex asteroids. For other asteroids, substantial uncertainties prevail, or their distributions of phase curve parameters overlap, precluding definitive conclusions on wavelength dependence. Notably, for S-complex objects, the effect appears systematic, characterized by lower G2 values in the cyan filter. The effect can be explained by considering the known geometric albedo correlation: higher albedo corresponds to flatter, whereas lower albedo corresponds to steeper phase curves. In the case of equal albedo, asteroids with red spectral slopes have a more pronounced opposition effect in red and asteroids with blue spectral slopes in blue filters. We explore the variation of slope differences of orange and cyan phase curves with phase angle. For most asteroids, the largest nominal variation is observed at phase angles &lt; 10°. This suggests that the phase colouring for the orange–cyan colour slope is more pronounced at small phase angles. Through meticulous analysis of the opposition effect amplitudes, we also pinpoint preferred rotational pole solutions. We identify inconsistencies between phase curve parameters and spectral types in specific cases. The shape- and geometry-corrected phase curves signify an important advancement in studying asteroid photometric behaviour and may offer a deeper understanding of surface and regolith properties previously obscured by these effects, such as surface roughness.
Dynamics of the Herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase holoenzyme during DNA synthesis and proof-reading revealed by Cryo-EM
Authors: Gustavsson Emil , Grünewald Kay , Elias Per , Hällberg B Martin 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), a double-stranded DNA virus, replicates using seven essential proteins encoded by its genome. Among these, the UL30 DNA polymerase, complexed with the UL42 processivity factor, orchestrates leading and lagging strand replication of the 152 kb viral genome. UL30 polymerase is a prime target for antiviral therapy, and resistance to current drugs can arise in immunocompromised individuals. Using electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM), we unveil the dynamic changes of the UL30/UL42 complex with DNA in three distinct states. First, a pre-translocation state with an open fingers domain ready for nucleotide incorporation. Second, a halted elongation state where the fingers close, trapping dATP in the dNTP pocket. Third, a DNA-editing state involving significant conformational changes to allow DNA realignment for exonuclease activity. Additionally, the flexible UL30 C-terminal domain interacts with UL42, forming an extended positively charged surface binding to DNA, thereby enhancing processive synthesis. These findings highlight substantial structural shifts in the polymerase and its DNA interactions during replication, offering insights for future antiviral drug development.
U6 snRNA m6A modification is required for accurate and efficient splicing of C. elegans and human pre-mRNAs
Authors: Shen Aykut , Hencel Katarzyna , Parker Matthew T , Scott Robyn , Skukan Roberta , Adesina Aduragbemi S , Metheringham Carey L , Miska Eric A , Nam Yunsun , Haerty Wilfried , Simpson Gordon G , Akay Alper 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
pre-mRNA splicing is a critical feature of eukaryotic gene expression. Both cis- and trans-splicing rely on accurately recognising splice site sequences by spliceosomal U snRNAs and associated proteins. Spliceosomal snRNAs carry multiple RNA modifications with the potential to affect different stages of pre-mRNA splicing. Here, we show that the conserved U6 snRNA m6A methyltransferase METT-10 is required for accurate and efficient cis- and trans-splicing of C. elegans pre-mRNAs. The absence of METT-10 in C. elegans and METTL16 in humans primarily leads to alternative splicing at 5′ splice sites with an adenosine at +4 position. In addition, METT-10 is required for splicing of weak 3′ cis- and trans-splice sites. We identified a significant overlap between METT-10 and the conserved splicing factor SNRNP27K in regulating 5′ splice sites with +4A. Finally, we show that editing endogenous 5′ splice site +4A positions to +4U restores splicing to wild-type positions in a mett-10 mutant background, supporting a direct role for U6 snRNA m6A modification in 5′ splice site recognition. We conclude that the U6 snRNA m6A modification is important for accurate and efficient pre-mRNA splicing.
Amplifiable protein identification via residue-resolved barcoding and composition code counting
Authors: Guo Weiming , Liu Yuan , Han Yu , Tang Huan , Fan Xinyuan , Wang Chu , Chen Peng R 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT
Ultrasensitive protein identification is of paramount importance in basic research and clinical diagnostics but remains extremely challenging. A key bottleneck in preventing single-molecule protein sequencing is that, unlike the revolutionary nucleic acid sequencing methods that rely on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA and RNA molecules, protein molecules cannot be directly amplified. Decoding the proteins via amplification of certain fingerprints rather than the intact protein sequence thus represents an appealing alternative choice to address this formidable challenge. Herein, we report a proof-of-concept method that relies on residue-resolved DNA barcoding and composition code counting for amplifiable protein fingerprinting (AmproCode). In AmproCode, selective types of residues on peptides or proteins are chemically labeled with a DNA barcode, which can be amplified and quantified via quantitative PCR. The operation generates a relative ratio as the residue-resolved ‘composition code’ for each target protein that can be utilized as the fingerprint to determine its identity from the proteome database. We developed a database searching algorithm and applied it to assess the coverage of the whole proteome and secretome via computational simulations, proving the theoretical feasibility of AmproCode. We then designed the residue-specific DNA barcoding and amplification workflow, and identified different synthetic model peptides found in the secretome at as low as the fmol/L level for demonstration. These results build the foundation for an unprecedented amplifiable protein fingerprinting method. We believe that, in the future, AmproCode could ultimately realize single-molecule amplifiable identification of trace complex samples without further purification, and it may open a new avenue in the development of next-generation protein sequencing techniques.
Cardiovascular and lifestyle risk factors of mild cognitive impairment in UK veterans and non-veterans
Authors: Akhanemhe R , Stevelink S A M , Corbett A , Ballard C , Brooker H , Creese B , Aarsland Dag , Hampshire Adam , Greenberg Neil 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
The link between poor cardiovascular health (CVH), lifestyle and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been well established in the general population. However, there is limited research exploring these associations in ageing UK veterans.

Aims
This study explored the risk of MCI and its association with nine CVH and lifestyle risk factors (including diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, physical inactivity, the frequency of alcohol consumption and smoking) in UK veterans and non-veterans.

Methods
This prospective cohort study comprised data from the PROTECT study between 2014 and 2022. Participants comprised of UK military veterans and non-veterans aged ≥50 years at baseline. Veteran status was defined using the Military Service History Questionnaire. CVH and lifestyle risk factors were defined using a combination of self-report measures, medication history or physical measurements. MCI was defined as the presence of subjective and objective cognitive impairment.

Results
Based on a sample of 9378 veterans (n = 488) and non-veterans (n = 8890), the findings showed the risk of MCI significantly reduced in veterans with obesity, those who frequently consumed alcohol and were physically inactive compared to non-veterans. The risk of MCI significantly increased in veterans with diabetes (hazards ratio [HR] = 2.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–4.75, P ≤ 0.05) or high cholesterol (HR = 3.11, 95% CI 1.64–5.87, P ≤ 0.05) compared to veterans without.

Conclusions
This study identified CVH and lifestyle factors of MCI in UK veterans and non-veterans. Further work is needed to understand these associations and the underpinning mechanisms which could determine intervention strategies to reduce the risk of MCI.
Work-Related Fatigue Among Indonesian Offshore Oil and Gas Workers
Authors: Aria M , Khazim I , Ilyas M , Kekalih A , Fuady A 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Work-related fatigue, combined with shift work and prolonged work hours, has a significant effect, contributing to increasing accident rate by 50–100%.

Aims
To assess the level of work-related fatigue over a 4-week work period among offshore rig oil and gas workers in Indonesia.

Methods
This cohort study evaluated acute fatigue, chronic fatigue, and intershift recovery scores among offshore oil and gas rig workers using the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery 15 (OFER15) questionnaire. Fatigue levels were assessed weekly throughout the study duration, which was 4-week work period. Additionally, at the fourth week, participants were asked about psychosocial factors that could be potentially related to fatigue.

Results
Of 67 participants, the average scores of acute and chronic fatigue were 30.0 and 33.3, and the scores had significantly increased over 4 weeks (P &lt; 0.001). The intershift recovery scores statistically significantly decreased over 4 weeks (P &lt; 0.001), and the differences between weeks (Week 1 versus 2, Week 1 versus 3 and Week 1 versus 4) were also statistically significant (P &lt; 0.001). Acute and chronic fatigue scores had a significant positive correlation with psychological job demands and negatively correlated with influence at work and job satisfaction. Over 4 weeks, acute fatigue augmented chronic fatigue, while acute and chronic fatigue demanded a longer recovery.

Conclusions
Workers at the offshore rig experienced work fatigue during their on-duty periods, with the level of fatigue significantly increasing over the 4 weeks. Comprehensive fatigue management at offshore rigs is vital to mitigate work fatigue and minimize the risk of work-related accidents.