bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Bladder Wash as an Alternative Specimen for Postmortem Toxicology: Comparison to Screening Results of Urine and Kidney Tissue
Authors: Steuer Andrea E. , Brockbals Lana , Poetzsch Sandra N. , Bolliger Stephan A. , Kraemer Thomas 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTUrine specimens represent the gold standard for screening analyses in forensic toxicology, but they are not always available postmortem. In this case, alternative specimens must be considered. The current study aimed to systematically evaluate bladder wash (BW) as an interesting, but largely unexplored specimen for screening in FT, comparing drug detection in BW against urine and kidney tissue (KT) in authentic cases. The study included 60 consecutive postmortem cases. BW was obtained by injecting 10 mL of a 0.9% NaCl solution into the empty bladder and sampling the entire fluid with the same syringe. KT (ca. 5 g, grinded) was placed into a tube of dialysis membrane and left for dialysis against water (3×, 40–80 mL, 24 h), followed by evaporation/reconstitution. All specimens were analyzed by immunoassay, an untargeted LC–MSn screening approach and a targeted LC–MS/MS analysis. In total, 95 different compounds from the drug classes of, among others, stimulants, opiates/opioids, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and antipsychotics could be detected. Sensitivity for drug detection in BW using immunoassay or untargeted MS/MS was lower than for urine but comparable to that of KT, which is in line with much lower drug concentrations in these matrices compared with urine. Applying a targeted LC–MS/MS method or a more concentrated sample preparation workflow could increase detection sensitivity in BW. Given the easier handling of BW in the laboratory (identical to urine), its use proved superior to KT and represents a promising new strategy for cases without available urine samples.
Phylogenetic Relationships of Three Ramaria Species Based on Mitochondrial Genome Analysis
Authors: Wang Xianyi , Guo Zhongyao , Tao Jiawei , Zhang Gongyou , Wang Guoyu , Wang Yaping , Long Yaohang , Liu Hongmei 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTRamaria has been a remarkable genus throughout the history of macrofungi. However, there is a lack of information on this genus of macrofungi. This study determined the order of nucleotides in the mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of three Ramaria species, followed by a detailed investigation of the obtained genetic information. Circular mitogenomes of Ramaria brunnecliacina, R. ichnusensis, and R. flavescens had sizes of 78,960, 61,851, and 81,282 bp, respectively. The genomes exhibited variations in genetic content, gene length, tRNA, and codon usage. Ramaria mitogenomes demonstrated variable evolutionary rates across several protein‐coding genes. The results revealed significant gene rearrangements in Ramaria mitogenomes, including gene displacement and tRNA duplication. Utilizing Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods on a comprehensive set of conserved mitochondrial proteins, we generated a well‐supported phylogenetic tree for Basidiomycota. This analysis revealed that R. brunneciacina and R. flavescens are closely related, while confirming the paraphyletic nature of the Ramaria genus and its genetic affinity with other species of the subclass Phallomycetidae. This study presents a basic structure for understanding the evolutionary dynamics, genetic makeup, and taxonomy categorization of this significant fungal community.
Spatiotemporal Diversification of Global Junipers: Traces of Niche Conservatism and Trait‐Dependent Diversification
Authors: Martínez de León Rodrigo , Moreno‐Letelier Alejandra 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTSpeciation rates differ globally across phylogenies and regions, and the complexity of the speciation process makes it difficult to fully understand these variations. It has been suggested that in conifers, the speciation process is primarily influenced by abiotic factors, operating in a local adaptive dynamic. In this study, we investigate changes in the climatic envelopes of conifer species of the genus Juniperus and test their explanatory power in predicting the distribution of speciation rates in space controlling for other explanatory factors such as topography and morphology. Location: Northern Hemisphere. Taxon: Juniperus. We used phylogenetic comparative methods and macroecological methods to evaluate speciation rate shifts, trait‐speciation correlations, trait‐geography correlations, and areas of phylogenetic endemism. Climatic niches in the juniper species follow bimodal trends in temperature and precipitation variables. These trends imply a strong event of divergence or possible adaptation that is trackable to a specific moment and geography. Additionally, we found significant explanatory power for some climatic variables and a heterogeneous response by continent, with morphological changes being the most important in North America, whereas climate is more relevant in the Tibetan Plateau. Centers of diversity follow different trends in phylogenetic diversity and endemism, suggesting different causes of diversity. Overall, junipers exhibit a conserved climatic niche, and their speciation process is marked by the particular history of their distribution rather than by general trends in climatic evolution. Morphological evolution is more important than previously considered and both accumulation of lineages and rapid speciation are supported for hotspot regions.
Molecular Phylogeny of Uropsilus (Talpidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) With a New Species Described From Henan Province, China
Authors: Jiang Haijun , Yang Yaohua , Zhou Yanyan , Tian Jundong , Lu Jiqi 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTShrew moles (Uropsilus), belonging to subfamily Uropsilinae of family Talpidae, were predominantly found in Myanmar, Vietnam, Bhutan, and Southwestern China. However, the extent distribution range of species within Uropsilus remains unclear. In 2022, we collected 18 specimens of Uropsilus from the western mountains of Henan Province in central China. Based on the mitochondrial (CYT B) and nuclear (RAG1 + RAG2) genes, the phylogenetic relationships, divergence times, and species delimitation of Uropsilus were analyzed. The results showed that the genetic distance of CYT B between new species and other species of Uropsilus ranged from 8.44% to 18.23%; the new species was a distinct valid species and speciated in the early Pleistocene (2.16 Ma, 95% CI = 2.00–2.65) based on phylogenetic analyses. Morphologically, the new species was distinguishable from the other species of Uropsilus by its yellowish–brown dorsum and ash‐black venter, short tail, slender and curved zygomatic arch, upper inward‐curved I1, and lack of a gap between I1 and I2. The combined results of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis indicated that the samples from Henan Province represented a new species—Uropsilus funiushanensis sp. nov. The specimens collected from the mountainous area of western Henan Province and Shennongjia in Hubei Province were identified as the same species. We suggested the evolutionary mechanism of the dental formula of U. funiushanensis and U. soricilus groups should be explored in the future.
Transcriptome‐To‐Phenome Response of Larval Eastern Oysters Under Multiple Drivers of Aragonite Undersaturation
Authors: Gurr Samuel J. , Meseck Shannon L. , Bernatchez Genevieve , Redman Dylan , Dixon Mark S. , Guy Lisa , MacDonald Aaron , Stiles Sheila , McFarland Katherine 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTUnderstanding how interactive environmental challenges affect marine species is critical to long‐term ecological and economic stability under global change. Marine calcifiers are thought to be vulnerable to ocean acidification (OA; elevated pCO2); active dissolution of aragonite (Ωar) is associated with disrupted development, survivorship, and gene expression in bivalve larvae, resulting in an early life‐stage bottleneck. Dynamic carbonate chemistry in coastal systems emphasizes the importance of multiple stressors, e.g., warming and low salinity events may change organismal responses relative to OA alone. We exposed Eastern oyster larvae (Crassostrea virginica) to a full‐factorial experimental design using two temperatures (23°C and 27°C), salinities (17 and 27), and pCO2 levels (~700 μatm and 1850 μatm pCO2), resulting in Ωar conditions 0.3–1.7. Ωar reduced by low salinity, elevated pCO2, and low temperature, each slowed early development and reduced survival. Low salinity × elevated pCO2 was linked to severe Ωar undersaturation (< 0.5) that suppressed expression of bicarbonate transport, biomineralization and augmented expression for ciliary locomotion, proteostasis, and histone modifiers. In isolation and under moderate Ωar intensity (0.5 < Ωar < 1), larvae increased transcription for osmoregulatory activity and endocytosis under low salinity, and suppressed transcription for iron metabolism under elevated pCO2. Although shell growth and survival were affected by Ωar undersaturation, gene expression patterns of D‐stage oyster larvae and oyster juveniles suggests tolerance to dynamic estuarine environments. Genes and expression patterns that confer survival of postmetamorphosed oysters can improve our understanding of environmental‐organismal interactions and improve breeding programs enabling sustainable production.
Genetic Pattern and Demographic History of Orange‐Spotted Grouper (Epinephelus coioides) in the South China Sea by the Influence of Pleistocene Climatic Oscillations
Authors: Chen Yongkun , Luo Zihao , Zhang Zhichao , Luo Zhisen , Ren Manting , He Xiongbo , Lin Hung‐Du , Yan Yunrong 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTOrange‐spotted groupers (Epinephelus coioides) are commercially important fish species that inhabit coral reef areas and are distributed across tropical coastal regions throughout the Indo‐West Pacific Oceans. This study aims to assess the phylogeographic structure of E. coioides by analyzing 180 individuals collected from six locations along the coast of mainland China and Hainan Island, using the mitochondrial Cyt b gene and 17 microsatellite DNA markers. The mitochondrial DNA analysis revealed high haplotype diversity (0.882), while the microsatellite DNA data showed an average of 8.677 alleles among the six populations, indicating that all populations exhibit a high level of genetic diversity. The presence of two distinct evolutionary lineages of E. coioides, along with the lack of significant genealogical structures corresponding to sampling localities, suggests that isolation in marginal seas during glaciation with lower sea levels shaped their phylogeographic distribution patterns. The results from STRUCTURE, PCoA, and pairwise FST revealed significant genetic differentiation in the Lingshui region (LS population) compared to other populations, suggesting that the Lingshui region, adjacent to deep‐sea areas, remained isolated during glacial periods as it was not connected to the continental shelf of mainland China. Analysis of demographic history using ABC revealed that E. coioides experienced historical lineage diversification and admixture due to secondary contact.
New insights into the Scolytus multistriatus, Geosmithia spp., and Ophiostoma novo‐ulmi association
Authors: Pepori Alessia L. , Luchi Nicola , Pecori Francesco , Faccoli Massimo , Santini Alberto 
Published: February 2025

AbstractDutch elm disease (DED) is a destructive tracheomycosis caused by Ophiostoma novo‐ulmi, an ascomycete that is devastating natural elm populations throughout Europe, North America, and part of Asia. The fungus is mainly spread by elm bark beetles (EBBs) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) that complete their life cycle between healthy and diseased elms. It has recently been shown that certain fungi of the genus Geosmithia, vectored by bark beetles, are involved in the DED pathosystem. Not only it has been observed that the two fungi share the same habitat in the host plant and during each developmental stage of the insect, but also there appears to be a parasitic association between them. By analyzing the presence and quantity of the two fungi on the bodies of elm beetles by a qPCR duplex TaqMan assay, this work aimed to explore the dynamic of the relationship among the adults of Scolytus multistriatus, O. novo‐ulmi, and Geosmithia spp. at sites characterized by different DED severity levels during the elm growing season. We observed that, regardless of the epidemiological conditions, both fungi are always present on adult flickering insects. The proportion of the two fungal populations varies among sampling sites, with Geosmithia spp. being predominant in the non‐epidemic sites. The hyperparasitism of Geosmithia toward O. novo‐ulmi within this tri‐trophic system should be investigated further for potential use as biological control agent.
Climate‐induced range expansion of cushion plants promotes functional homogenization of soil nematode communities
Authors: Zhang Anning , Franco André L. C. , Chen Shuyan , Song Hongxian , Liu Ziyang , Jiang Xiaoxuan , Xiao Sa , An Lizhe , Cardoso Pedro 
Published: February 2025

AbstractGlobal climate change is causing plants and other organisms to naturally expand their ranges to higher latitudes or altitudes. This expansion is leading to a strong reshuffling of biotic interactions with consequent ecosystem functions in the new ranges. We report here that soil fauna communities respond strongly to the cushion plants in a large‐scale latitudinal gradient in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Local taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of soil nematodes increased with the presence of cushion plants independently of the latitudinal gradient, but communities became more functionally similar in the presence of cushion plants and with increasing latitude. This functional homogenization was driven by deterministic processes through which the presence of cushion plants favored some functional traits (i.e., nematode trophic groups: herbivores and bacterivores). Our study reveals functional homogenizations of soil fauna communities in response to climate warming‐induced plant range expansion. Given that soil nematodes represent the most abundant and functionally diverse animal communities in terrestrial ecosystems, these findings indicate important changes in the functional dimension of biodiversity and in the delivery of ecosystem functions under climate change.
Urea as an Amine Source to Synthesize Primary Aromatic Amines via Nickel‐Mediated C−H Amination
Authors: Du Jiahui , Yang Xun , Li Haiyan , Xiao Yuxuan , Yin Ying , Wen Junying , Yang Chan , Tan Ze , Yu Lin 
Published: February 2025

AbstractA straightforward and efficient method has been developed for the transformation of aromatic CAr−H bond into CAr−NH₂ via nickel‐mediated C−H activation, eliminating the need for additional protection and deprotection steps. This strategy employs 8‐aminoquinoline as a directing group and urea as the nitrogen source, a non‐toxic, inexpensive, and stable bulk chemical. The reaction exhibits high selectivity, exclusively yielding mono‐aminated primary aromatic amines. Furthermore, the protocol is tolerant of a wide range of substrates with various functional groups, producing the corresponding ortho‐aminobenzamides in yields ranging from 38 % to 73 %. The preliminary results indicate the C−H bond cleavage is likely the rate‐determining step in the reaction.
Bed material facies mapping at braided river scale and evidence for trends in fine sediment
Authors: Rogers Justin M. , Brasington James , Hoyle Jo 
Published: February 2025

AbstractCharacterizing the spatial distribution and dynamic nature of bed facies in gravel‐bed braided rivers is challenging but necessary to understand fluvial and ecological processes. Topographic point cloud and image datasets are increasingly used in fluvial geomorphology to compare riverscapes over time and classify substrate facies. However, repeatable and efficient methods that operate at large spatial scales and also resolve bimodal or fine sediments remain underdeveloped. This study collected high‐resolution lidar and optical imagery over a 56‐km reach of the Rangitata River, New Zealand, generating a variety of multiscale lidar‐derived, optical and local morphological predictors. Ensemble machine learning methods were used to classify facies at a 1 m resolution, and a sensitivity analysis incorporating downscaled and reduced‐fidelity datasets was conducted to understand the importance of data acquisition strategies. We report the predictor importance by class, finding that the key predictors for fine sediment were colour and colour complexity, while lidar predictors including reflectance were key in differentiating shallow water. The classification method was found to be robust with decreasing lidar point density but the performance was degraded if either RGB or lidar datasets were removed entirely.The sole use of spatially local predictors allowed an analysis of trends in fine sediment facies in a large braided river subject to hydrologic pressures. The quantity and proportion of exposed fine sediment increased downstream, indicating a decrease in transport capacity associated with river widening. This new lidar – machine learning – substrate processing pathway offers a synoptic view of river form and composition that can be used to parameterize numerical models and provide distributed insights into sediment transport and sorting processes. The approach is easy to customize and can readily adapted to predict different surface classes, providing a robust basis for change detection in natural scenes.
A New Full‐Scale Method for Ranking Flammability of Ornamental Vegetation
Authors: Muñoz Juan Antonio , Planas Eulàlia , Almeida Miguel , Ribeiro Luís Mário , Vacca Pascale , Pastor Elsa 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTOrnamental vegetation constitutes the main type of natural fuel within the wildland‐urban interface. Its flammability is often the criteria that fire risk managers use to promote certain species against others, with direct repercussions in fire safety. Traditionally, flammability is assessed using four parameters (ignitability, combustibility, sustainability, and consumability), through small‐scale laboratory tests. Although widely used, these techniques fail to reflect the actual burning behaviour of species when they ignite. In our study, we developed an experimental method to classify ornamental vegetation's flammability based on full‐scale burning behaviour. We categorise flammability into three levels: low (resists ignition), medium (acts as ladder fuel), and high (spreads fire). To evaluate this, we model normalised weight loss rate curves as Gaussian functions (flammability bells) and use metrics from these functions (maximum weight loss per second, associated time and standard deviation) as combustibility indicators. Experimental results reveal that these metrics can effectively differentiate between low, medium and high flammability. The method was developed by burning ornamental trees from four typical Mediterranean species (Leyland cypress, Arizona cypress, Northern white‐cedar, and Cherry laurel) with varying spatial configurations, physiological statuses and moisture content. Our method is straightforward, robust, and affordable for implementation in appropriately equipped fire laboratories, offering meaningful insights into vegetation flammability and fire behaviour in the wildland‐urban interface. These experimental results can help reduce fire risk from ornamental vegetation in human settlements.
Skalierungseffekte bei monotoner Scherbeanspruchung von ungebundenen bewehrten Tragschichten
Authors: Bräunig Claudia , Herle Ivo , Schulze Tom , Weisemann Ulrike 
Published: February 2025

AbstractDurch den Einsatz von Geogittern in ungebundenen Tragschichten können die Tragfähigkeits‐ und Gebrauchstauglichkeitseigenschaften verbessert werden. Um die Tragwirkung dieses Verbundsystems zu analysieren, wurden Triaxial‐ und Rahmenscherversuche durchgeführt, in welchen die Auswirkung der Skalierung der Versuchsmaterialien Tragschichtmaterial und Geogitter unter monotoner Scherbeanspruchung untersucht wurde. Bei der Untersuchung des Systems Tragschicht – Geogitter mittels bodenmechanischer Versuche werden aufgrund der begrenzten Probenabmessungen häufig kleinere Öffnungsweiten des Geogitters und kleinere Korngrößen des Tragschichtmaterials gegenüber denen in der Baupraxis verwendet. Bei der Übertragung der Ergebnisse sind Skalierungseffekte zu beachten, welche in der vorliegenden Arbeit untersucht werden. In den Triaxialversuchen wurde das Verhältnis der Öffnungsweite des Geogitters zur Korngröße beibehalten, es wurden zwei Tragschichtmaterialien untersucht. In beiden Skalierungen führte der Einsatz von Geogittern im Tragschichtmaterial zu einer Verbesserung der Tragfähigkeit durch eine Erhöhung der maximal aufnehmbaren Spannung. In den Rahmenscherversuchen wurde das Verhältnis zwischen Öffnungsweite des Geogitters und Korngröße verändert. Die Versuche mit bewehrten Proben führten bei parallel zur Scherrichtung gewählter Anordnung des Geogitters im Scherspalt zu geringeren aufnehmbaren Scherspannungen.
Decoding Parametric Grip‐Force Anticipation From fMRI Data
Authors: Caccialupi Guido , Schmidt Timo Torsten , Nierhaus Till , Wesolek Sara , Esmeyer Marlon , Blankenburg Felix 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTPrevious functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown that activity in premotor and parietal brain‐regions covaries with the intensity of upcoming grip‐force. However, it remains unclear how information about the intended grip‐force intensity is initially represented and subsequently transformed into a motor code before motor execution. In this fMRI study, we used multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to decode where and when information about grip‐force intensities is parametrically coded in the brain. Human participants performed a delayed grip‐force task in which one of four cued levels of grip‐force intensity had to be maintained in working memory (WM) during a 9‐s delay‐period preceding motor execution. Using time‐resolved MVPA with a searchlight approach and support vector regression, we tested which brain regions exhibit multivariate WM codes of anticipated grip‐force intensities. During the early delay period, we observed above‐chance decoding in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). During the late delay period, we found a network of action‐specific brain regions, including the bilateral intraparietal sulcus (IPS), left dorsal premotor cortex (l‐PMd), and supplementary motor areas. Additionally, cross‐regression decoding was employed to test for temporal generalization of activation patterns between early and late delay periods with those during cue presentation and motor execution. Cross‐regression decoding indicated temporal generalization to the cue period in the vmPFC and to motor‐execution in the l‐IPS and l‐PMd. Together, these findings suggest that the WM representation of grip‐force intensities undergoes a transformation where the vmPFC encodes information about the intended grip‐force, which is subsequently converted into a motor code in the l‐IPS and l‐PMd before execution.