bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The atmosphere: a transport medium or an active microbial ecosystem?
Authors: Lappan Rachael , Thakar Jordan , Molares Moncayo Laura , Besser Alexi , Bradley James A , Goordial Jacqueline , Trembath-Reichert Elizabeth , Greening Chris 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
The atmosphere may be Earth’s largest microbial ecosystem. It is connected to all of Earth’s surface ecosystems and plays an important role in microbial dispersal on local to global scales. Despite this grand scale, surprisingly little is understood about the atmosphere itself as a habitat. A key question remains unresolved: does the atmosphere simply transport microorganisms from one location to another, or does it harbour adapted, resident, and active microbial communities that overcome the physiological stressors and selection pressures the atmosphere poses to life? Advances in extreme microbiology and astrobiology continue to push our understanding of the limits of life towards ever greater extremes of temperature, pressure, salinity, irradiance, pH, and water availability. Earth’s atmosphere stands as a challenging, but potentially surmountable, extreme environment to harbour living, active, resident microorganisms. Here, we confront the current understanding of the atmosphere as a microbial habitat, highlighting key advances and limitations. We pose major ecological and mechanistic questions about microbial life in the atmosphere that remain unresolved and frame the problems and technical pitfalls that have largely hindered recent developments in this space, providing evidence-based insights to drive future research in this field. New innovations supported by rigorous technical standards are needed to enable progress in understanding atmospheric microorganisms and their influence on global processes of weather, climate, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and microbial connectivity, especially in the context of rapid global change.
Significant UK Environmental Law Cases 2023–24
Authors: Helme Ned , David Stephanie , Leydon Eleanor , Reynolds Celia 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
This case law overview comments on significant UK environmental law cases for the period 1 April 2023–31 March 2024 (with one exception where a High Court decision within that period was overturned on appeal just after it). It begins with an overarching introduction, which draws some general themes from our selection of cases, focussing on the breadth of environmental law and issues of public concern in public and private law disputes. It then addresses 12 significant cases concerning the accrual of causes of action in private nuisance, whether there is power to vary abatement notices in respect of statutory nuisances, climate change, habitats, flooding, cumulative environmental impact assessment, river basin management plans, storm overflow discharge reduction plans, Regulators’ Codes, and public rights on Dartmoor Commons. It ends with some final thoughts on this year’s cases and the year ahead.
Indoor tent management for extending honey bee research season: benefits and caveats
Authors: Bawden Trevor , Dolezal Adam G , Cook Chelsea N 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Honey bees are important organisms for research in many fields, including physiology, behavior, and ecology. Honey bee colonies are relatively easy and affordable to procure, manage, and replace. However, some difficulties still exist in honey bee research, specifically that honey bee colonies have a distinct seasonality, especially in temperate regions. Honey bee colonies transition from a large society in which workers have a strict temporal division of labor in the summer, to a group of behaviorally flexible workers who manage the colony over winter. Furthermore, opening colonies or collecting bees when they are outside has the potential to harm the colony because of the disruption in thermoregulation. Here, we present a simple and affordable indoor management method utilizing a mylar tent and controlled environmental conditions that allows bees to freely fly without access to outdoor space. This technique permits research labs to successfully keep several colonies persistently active during winter at higher latitudes. Having an extended research period is particularly important for training students, allowing preliminary experiments to be performed, and developing methods. However, we find distinct behavioral differences in honey bees managed in this situation. Specifically learning and thermoregulatory behaviors were diminished in the bees managed in the tent. Therefore, we recommend caution in utilizing these winter bees for full experiments until more is known. Overall, this method expands the research potential on honey bees, and calls attention to the additional research that is needed to understand how indoor management might affect honey bees.
Combined treatment with amitraz and thymol to manage Varroa destructor mites (Acari: Varroidae) in Apis mellifera honey bee colonies (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
Authors: Aurell Dan , Wall Clint , Bruckner Selina , Williams Geoffrey R 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
The parasitic mite Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman) is one of the greatest stressors of Apis mellifera (L.) honey bee colonies. When Varroa infestations reach damaging levels during fall, rapid control is necessary to minimize damage to colonies. We performed a field trial in the US Southeast to determine if a combination of registered treatments (Apivar, amitraz-based; and Apiguard, thymol-based) could provide rapid and effective control of Varroa. We compared colonies that received this combination treatment against colonies that received amitraz-based positive control treatments: (i) Apivar alone; or (ii) amitraz emulsifiable concentrate (“amitraz EC”). While not registered, amitraz EC is used by beekeepers in the United States in part because it is thought to control Varroa more rapidly and effectively than registered products. Based on measurements of Varroa infestation rates of colonies after 21 days of treatment, we found that the combination treatment controlled Varroa nearly as rapidly as the amitraz EC treatment: this or other combinations could be useful for Varroa management. At the end of the 42-day trial, colonies in the amitraz EC group had higher bee populations than those in the Apivar group, which suggests that rapid control helps reduce Varroa damage. Colonies in the combination group had lower bee populations than those in the amitraz EC group, which indicates that the combination treatment needs to be optimized to avoid damage to colonies.
Effective pest management approaches can mitigate honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony winter loss across a range of weather conditions in small-scale, stationary apiaries
Authors: Gray Darcy , Goslee Sarah , Kammerer Melanie , Grozinger Christina M 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies in North America and Europe have experienced high losses in recent years, which have been linked to weather conditions, lack of quality forage, and high parasite loads, particularly the obligate brood parasite, Varroa destructor. These factors may interact at various scales to have compounding effects on honey bee health, but few studies have been able to simultaneously investigate the effects of weather conditions, landscape factors, and management of parasites. We analyzed a dataset of 3,210 survey responses from beekeepers in Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2022 and combined these with remotely sensed weather variables and novel datasets about seasonal forage availability into a Random Forest model to investigate drivers of winter loss. We found that beekeepers who used treatment against Varroa had higher colony survival than those who did not treat. Moreover, beekeepers who used multiple types of Varroa treatment had higher colony survival rates than those who used 1 type of treatment. Our models found weather conditions are strongly associated with survival, but multiple-treatment type colonies had higher survival across a broader range of climate conditions. These findings suggest that the integrated pest management approach of combining treatment types can potentially buffer managed honey bee colonies from adverse weather conditions.
Honey bee (Apis mellifera) nurse bee visitation of worker and drone larvae increases Varroa destructor mite cell invasion
Authors: Reams Taylor , Rueppell Olav , Rangel Juliana 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
The life cycle of Varroa destructor, the ectoparasitic mite of honey bees (Apis mellifera), includes a dispersal phase, in which mites attach to adult bees for transport and feeding, and a reproductive phase, in which mites invade worker and drone brood cells just prior to pupation to reproduce while their bee hosts complete development. In this study, we wanted to determine whether increased nurse bee visitations of adjacent drone and worker brood cells would increase the likelihood of Varroa mites invading those cells. We also explored whether temporarily restricting the nurses’ access to sections of worker brood for 2 or 4 h would subsequently cause higher nurse visitations, and thus, higher Varroa cell invasions. Temporarily precluding larvae from being fed by nurses subsequently led to higher Varroa infestation of those sections in some colonies, but this pattern was not consistent across colonies. Therefore, removing highly infested sections of capped worker brood could be further explored as a potential mechanical/cultural method for mite control. Our results provide more information on how nurse visitations affect the patterns of larval cell invasion by Varroa. Given that the mite’s successful reproduction depends on the nurses’ ability to visit and feed developing brood, more studies are needed to understand the patterns of Varroa mite invasion of drone and worker cells to better combat this pervasive honey bee parasite.
Current honey bee stressor investigations and mitigation methods in the United States and Canada
Authors: Walsh Elizabeth M , Simone-Finstrom Michael 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Honey bees are the most important managed insect pollinators in the US and Canadian crop systems. However, the annual mortality of colonies in the past 15 years has been consistently higher than historical records. Because they are eusocial generalist pollinators and amenable to management, honey bees provide a unique opportunity to investigate a wide range of questions at molecular, organismal, and ecological scales. Here, the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA) and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) created 2 collections of articles featuring investigations on micro and macro aspects of honey bee health, sociobiology, and management showcasing new applied research from diverse groups studying honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the United States and Canada. Research presented in this special issue includes examinations of abiotic and biotic stressors of honey bees, and evaluations and introductions of various stress mitigation measures that may be valuable to both scientists and the beekeeping community. These investigations from throughout the United States and Canada showcase the wide breadth of current work done and point out areas that need further research.
Neonicotinoid exposure increases Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) mite parasitism severity in honey bee colonies and is not mitigated by increased colony genetic diversity
Authors: Bartlett Lewis J , Alparslan Suleyman , Bruckner Selina , Delaney Deborah A , Menz John F , Williams Geoffrey R , Delaplane Keith S 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Agrochemical exposure is a major contributor to ecological declines worldwide, including the loss of crucial pollinator species. In addition to direct toxicity, field-relevant doses of pesticides can increase species’ vulnerabilities to other stressors, including parasites. Experimental field demonstrations of potential interactive effects of pesticides and additional stressors are rare, as are tests of mechanisms via which pollinators tolerate pesticides. Here, we controlled honey bee colony exposure to field-relevant concentrations of 2 neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin and thiamethoxam) in pollen and simultaneously manipulated intracolony genetic heterogeneity. We showed that exposure increased rates of Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman) parasitism and that while increased genetic heterogeneity overall improved survivability, it did not reduce the negative effect size of neonicotinoid exposure. This study is, to our knowledge, the first experimental field demonstration of how neonicotinoid exposure can increase V. destructor populations in honey bees and also demonstrates that colony genetic diversity cannot mitigate the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides.
Is Cryocide an Ethically Feasible Alternative to Euthanasia?
Authors: Andrade Gabriel , Campo Redondo Maria 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
While some countries are moving toward legalization, euthanasia is still criticized on various fronts. Most importantly, it is considered a violation of the medical ethics principle of non-maleficence, because it actively seeks a patient’s death. But, medical ethicists should consider an ethical alternative to euthanasia. In this article, we defend cryocide as one such alternative. Under this procedure, with the consent of terminally-ill patients, their clinical death is induced, in order to prevent the further advance of their brain’s deterioration. Their body is then cryogenically preserved, in the hope that in the future, there will be a technology to reanimate it. This prospect is ethically distinct from euthanasia if a different criterion of death is assumed. In the information-theoretic criterion of death, a person is not considered dead when brain and cardiopulmonary functions cease, but rather, when information constituting psychology and memory is lost.
Identifying Prediction Mistakes in Observational Data
Authors: Rambachan Ashesh 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Decision makers, such as doctors, judges, and managers, make consequential choices based on predictions of unknown outcomes. Do these decision makers make systematic prediction mistakes based on the available information? If so, in what ways are their predictions systematically biased? In this article, I characterize conditions under which systematic prediction mistakes can be identified in empirical settings such as hiring, medical diagnosis, and pretrial release. I derive a statistical test for whether the decision maker makes systematic prediction mistakes under these assumptions and provide methods for estimating the ways the decision maker’s predictions are systematically biased. I analyze the pretrial release decisions of judges in New York City, estimating that at least 20% of judges make systematic prediction mistakes about misconduct risk given defendant characteristics. Motivated by this analysis, I estimate the effects of replacing judges with algorithmic decision rules and find that replacing judges with algorithms where systematic prediction mistakes occur dominates the status quo.
A numerical investigation on the vibration of a two-deck euler–bernoulli beam flooded by a potential flow
Authors: Liu Zihua , Gao Tao , Lai Choi-Hong , Guo Wenxing 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
This work concerns the structural vibration of a bladeless wind turbine, modelled by a two-deck Euler–Bernoulli beam, due to a surrounding potential flow. The deflection is governed by the Euler–Bernoulli equation which is studied first by a linear theory and then computed numerically by a finite difference method in space with a collocation method over the arc length, and an implicit Euler method in time. The fluid motion in the presence of gravity is governed by the full Euler equations and solved by the time-dependent conformal mapping technique together with a pseudo-spectral method. Numerical experiments of excitation by a moving disturbance on the fluid surface with/without a stochastic noise are carried out. The random process involved in generating the noise on the water surface is driven by a Wiener Process. A Monte Carlo method is used for stochastic computations. The generated surface waves impinge on the beam causing structural vibration which is presented and discussed in detail. By elementary statistical analysis, the structural response subject to the stochastic hydrodynamic disturbance caused by white noise is found to be Gaussian.
Impact of pancreatic and biliary stent on post-endoscopic papillectomy complications: A single-center retrospective study
Authors: Ru Nan , Chai Ningli , Zhang Bo , Li Longsong , Bi Yawei , Linghu Enqiang 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background:
Endoscopic papillectomy (EP) is recommended as the first-line therapy for ampullary tumors, despite a relatively high incidence of complications. Pancreatic and/or biliary stents are placed at the endoscopist's discretion to prevent post-EP complications. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different stents.

Methods:
A total of 117 patients who underwent EP and met the criteria between June 2006 and October 2022 were enrolled in the study. These patients were divided into a pancreatic stent group (PS group, n = 47), a biliary stent group (BS group, n = 38), and a two-stent group (PBS [PS and BS] group, n = 32). Relevant clinical data were collected and compared among the three groups. Multivariate logistic analyses were performed to explore risk factors for post-EP complications.

Results:
The incidence of all complications was 37.6% (44/117). Pancreatitis and hemorrhage were the two most common complications with incidence rates of 14.5% (17/117) and 17.9% (21/117). The incidence rates of post-EP pancreatitis were 10.6% (5/47), 23.7% (9/38), and 9.4% (3/32) in the PS group, BS group, and PBS group, respectively, with no significant differences. There were also no significant differences in other complications among the three groups. Age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91–0.99; P = 0.022) was independently associated with post-EP pancreatitis while tumor size (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.06–2.60; P = 0.028) was independently associated with post-EP hemorrhage.

Conclusions:
While pancreatic stenting is the first choice to prevent post-EP pancreatitis, biliary stenting could also be considered as a substitute for patients with difficulties in pancreatic cannulation. Two-stent (biliary and pancreatic stent) placement is unnecessary unless it is required due to other concerns.
Initial Experience With Single-Port Robotic Right Colectomies: Results of an Investigator-Initiated Investigational Device Exemption Study Using a Novel Single-Port Robotic Platform
Authors: Sarin Ankit , Barnes Katherine E. , Shui Amy M. , Nakamura Yukino , Hoffman Daniel B. , Romero-Hernandez Fernanda , Chern Hueylan 
Published: May 2024

BACKGROUND:
Minimally invasive surgical techniques have been widely adopted in colorectal surgery. New technological breakthroughs have led to even less invasive alternatives like single-port surgery, but this has been hindered by technical challenges such as the collision of robotic arms within a limited space. The Intuitive da Vinci Single-Port robotic platform is a novel system that overcomes some of these challenges.

IMPACT OF INNOVATION:
This study aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of the Intuitive da Vinci Single-Port robotic platform in right segmental colectomies among adult patients. These findings may set the stage for more widespread use of single-port robotic surgery.

TECHNOLOGY, MATERIALS, AND METHODS:
The Intuitive da Vinci Single-Port robot is a system designed specifically for single-port robotic surgery. This platform enables flexible port location and efficient internal and external range of motion using a single C-shaped arm. In the present study, right colectomies were performed in adult patients using this platform between May 2022 and November 2022, and they were compared to right colectomies in adult patients performed using the standard multiport platform between January 2019 and December 2022. The main outcome measure was safety and quality event rates.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS:
Of 30 patients, 16.7% of patients (n = 5) underwent single-port robotic right colectomy and 83.3% (n = 25) underwent multiport right colectomy. In the single-port group, 40% of patients (n = 2) developed a safety/quality event (postoperative portal vein thrombosis and excessive postoperative pain). In the multiport group, 32% of patients (n = 8) developed 1 safety/quality event and 8% (n = 2) had more than 1 event.

CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS:
This preliminary study, one of the first Food and Drug Administration–approved, investigator-initiated uses of this platform in colorectal surgeries, shows that this platform is a safe and feasible option for right colectomies. On preliminary evaluation, it appears comparable in terms of relevant safety/quality events to the multiport platform.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05321134.
The value of dual time-point fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography imaging in predicting lymph node metastasis in non–small cell lung cancer patients
Authors: Hu Yongquan , Guo Daohua , Zhu Zhigao , Lu LingLing , Jia Zhengong , Li Weipeng , Zhou Xiaojing , Shen Ruyue , Ren Li 
Published: May 2024

Objective
The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between specified dual time-point fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) imaging parameters and pathological characteristics in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods
This study retrospectively analyzed 47 patients with NSCLC. All patients underwent dual time-point 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging. We obtained the metabolic parameters, standardized uptake value (SUV) maximum, SUVmean, delayed standardized uptake value (DSUV) maximum, DSUVmean, delay index standardized uptake value (DISUV) maximum, and DISUVmean, of the primary tumor. The tumor size was measured by CT. All lymph nodes had a definite pathological diagnosis. We next evaluated the status of the lymph node metastases (LNM) and the correlations between metabolic parameters and clinical characteristics. Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn for the prediction of LNM.

Results
We found that the DSUVmax, DISUVmax, DSUVmean, and tumor size were significantly related to LNM (P = 0.036, 0.009, and 0.049, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size and DISUVmax were independent risk factors for LNM in lung cancer patients. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal cutoff values for DISUVmax and tumor size were 0.33 and 2.8 cm, respectively. When these two parameters were combined, the area under the curve for predicting LNM in NSCLC was 0.768, and the sensitivity was 95.7% for predicting LNM in lung cancer patients. We further allocated the patients to three groups: the high-risk group (tumor size ≥ 2.8 cm, DISUVmax ≥ 0.33), the moderate-risk group (tumor size ≥ 2.8 cm, DISUVmax < 0.33, or tumor size < 2.8 cm, DISUVmax ≥ 0.33), and the low-risk group (tumor size < 2.8 cm, DISUVmax < 0.33). The rates of LNM were 70, 50, and 0%, respectively.

Conclusion
Tumor size and DISUVmax are risk factors for predicting LNM, and they are more useful in combination. Compared with standard PET/CT imaging, dual time-point PET/CT imaging has added value in predicting LNM in NSCLC patients.