bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The association of appendicular lean mass and grip strength with low-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein particle diameter: a Mendelian randomization study of the UK Biobank cohort
Authors: Kirwan Richard , Mazidi Mohsen , Butler Tom , Perez de Heredia Fatima , Lip Gregory Y H , Davies Ian G 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Aims
Reduced muscle mass and reduced strength are frequently associated with both alterations in blood lipids and poorer cardiometabolic outcomes in epidemiological studies; however, a causal association cannot be determined from such observations. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was applied to assess the association of genetically determined appendicular lean mass (ALM) and handgrip strength (HGS) with serum lipid particle diameter.

Methods and results
Mendelian randomization was implemented using summary-level data from the largest genome-wide association studies on ALM (n = 450 243), HGS (n = 223 315), and lipoprotein [low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very LDL (VLDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)] particle diameters (n = 115 078). Inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method was used to calculate the causal estimates. Weighted median-based method, MR-Egger, and leave-one-out method were applied as sensitivity analysis. Greater ALM had a statistically significant positive effect on HDL particle diameter (MR-Egger: β = 0.055, SE = 0.031, P = 0.081; IVW: β = 0.068, SE = 0.014, P &lt; 0.001) and a statistically significant negative effect on VLDL particle diameter (MR-Egger: β = −0.114, SE = 0.039, P = 0.003; IVW: β = −0.081, SE = 0.017, P &lt; 0.001). Similarly, greater HGS had a statistically significant positive effect on HDL particle diameter (MR-Egger: β = 0.433, SE = 0.184, P = 0.019; IVW: β = 0.121, SE = 0.052, P = 0.021) and a statistically significant negative effect on VLDL particle diameter (MR-Egger: β = −0.416, SE = 0.163, P = 0.011; IVW: β = −0.122, SE = 0.046, P = 0.009). There was no statistically significant effect of either ALM or HGS on LDL particle diameter.

Conclusion
There were potentially causal associations between both increasing ALM and HGS and increasing HDL particle size and decreasing VLDL particle size. These causal associations may offer possibilities for interventions aimed at improving cardiovascular disease risk profile.
Diploid genome assembly of the Malbec grapevine cultivar enables haplotype-aware analysis of transcriptomic differences underlying clonal phenotypic variation
Authors: Calderón Luciano , Carbonell-Bejerano Pablo , Muñoz Claudio , Bree Laura , Sola Cristobal , Bergamin Daniel , Tulle Walter , Gomez-Talquenca Sebastian , Lanz Christa , Royo Carolina , Ibáñez Javier , Martinez-Zapater José Miguel , Weigel Detlef , Lijavetzky Diego 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
To preserve their varietal attributes, established grapevine cultivars (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. vinifera) must be clonally propagated, due to their highly heterozygous genomes. Malbec is a France-originated cultivar appreciated for producing high-quality wines and is the offspring of cultivars Prunelard and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. Here, we have built a diploid genome assembly of Malbec, after trio binning of PacBio long reads into the two haploid complements inherited from either parent. After haplotype-aware deduplication and corrections, complete assemblies for the two haplophases were obtained with a very low haplotype switch-error rate (&lt;0.025). The haplophase alignment identified &gt; 25% of polymorphic regions. Gene annotation including RNA-seq transcriptome assembly and ab initio prediction evidence resulted in similar gene model numbers for both haplophases. The annotated diploid assembly was exploited in the transcriptomic comparison of four clonal accessions of Malbec that exhibited variation in berry composition traits. Analysis of the ripening pericarp transcriptome using either haplophases as a reference yielded similar results, although some differences were observed. Particularly, among the differentially expressed genes identified only with the Magdeleine-inherited haplotype as reference, we observed an over-representation of hypothetically hemizygous genes. The higher berry anthocyanin content of clonal accession 595 was associated with increased abscisic acid responses, possibly leading to the observed overexpression of phenylpropanoid metabolism genes and deregulation of genes associated with abiotic stress response. Overall, the results highlight the importance of producing diploid assemblies to fully represent the genomic diversity of highly heterozygous woody crop cultivars and unveil the molecular bases of clonal phenotypic variation.
Research on the current situation and countermeasures of low-carbon ecological urban development: a case study of Guangdong Province
Authors: Lyu Shun , Zhang Junting , Xu Zihua 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Current global climate change, increasing energy depletion, and continuous environmental degradation have made it crucial to transform the economic development model into a low-carbon economy. Urban development, being one of the major sources of carbon emissions, has made low-carbon and ecological urban development an important topic on the international agenda. This article uses principal component analysis and the entropy weight method to quantitatively evaluate the development of low-carbon ecological cities in Guangdong Province from three aspects: economic and social factors, living environment, and resource and environmental factors. Based on the current situation, it proposes development strategies to provide references and guidance for further low-carbon ecological economic development in Guangdong Province. In the current world situation, with global climate warming, increasing energy depletion, and continuous environmental deterioration, the transformation of the economic development model into a low-carbon economy is of great significance. Urban development, being a major source of carbon emissions, makes low-carbon and ecological urban development an increasingly prominent topic in international societal development. This paper quantitatively evaluates the development of low-carbon and ecological cities in Guangdong Province using principal component analysis (PCA) and the entropy weight method. The results indicate that economic and social development plays a decisive role in the development of low-carbon cities. Strategies for development are proposed in response to the current situation, providing guidance and reference for further progress toward a low-carbon and ecological economy in Guangdong Province.
A low-carbon polygeneration system based on a waste heat recovery system, a LNG cold energy process, and a CO2 liquefaction and separation unit
Authors: Ghasemi Amir , Rad Hima Nikafshan , Golizadeh Farid 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Expanding energy conversion plants that simultaneously produce water and energy can address multiple issues in these two major fields. Additionally, utilizing waste heat energy from fossil fuel-driven plants rather than releasing it into the atmosphere can provide both thermodynamic and environmental benefits. A new polygeneration plant that integrates a waste heat recovery process and a CO2 liquefaction and separation process is developed and analyzed through a multi-criteria assessment (thermodynamic, economic, and environmental). The plant is capable of producing several advantageous products, including power, natural gas, desalinated water, and liquefied CO2. The polygeneration plant employs cold energy of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for condensation processes, a novel approach. Results indicate a net power rate of ~41.96 MW, with 166.8, 4912.8, and 972.6 mol/s for liquefied CO2, natural gas, and desalinated water, sequentially. The plant exhibits energy efficiency and exergy efficiency of ~31.6% and ~86.5%, respectively. The cost feasibility shows that electricity production carries a unit cost of 0.0474 US$/kWh, while liquefied CO2 production cost was about 0.0742 US$/kgCO2. The plant is estimated to emit roughly 0.0343 kg/kWh of carbon dioxide. The energy and exergy efficiencies decrease by ~9% and 2%, respectively, as the seawater feed rate increases from 13 to 23 kg/s. A comprehensive comparison indicates that the studied polygeneration plant yields superior economic, thermodynamic, and environmental performance compared to similar facilities. Furthermore, the proposed plant is capable of meeting its own power demands and does not require electricity from the grid.
Hybrid energy storage system control strategy to smooth power fluctuations in microgrids containing photovoltaics
Authors: Ye Gaoxiang , Yang Jie , Xia Fangzhou , Shao Feifan , Xu Jingyou , Yang Zili , Peng Wenyan , Zheng Zijian 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The use of a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) consisting of lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors (SCs) to smooth the power imbalance between the photovoltaics and the load is a widespread solution, and a reasonable probabilistic allocation of the batteries and SCs affects the performance of the HESS. This paper focuses on developing a simple and effective power allocation strategy for the HESS. The moving average filtering (MAF) is considered to effectively decompose the low-frequency components as well as the high-frequency components in the signal and is simple to implement, and we spoil the low-frequency components decomposed by MAF several times to obtain more excellent low-frequency components; moreover, during HESS charging, when the state of charge (SOC) of the SC is high, we reduce the SC’s charging power by decreasing the number of times of MAF usage while ensuring the performance. During the HESS discharging, when the SOC of the SC is low, this strategy is also used to reduce the SC’s discharging power to ensure the SC’s safe operation. The proposed approach is fully validated, and it has excellent performance.
Egg-Clutch Biomechanics Affect Escape-Hatching Behavior and Performance
Authors: Güell B A , McDaniel J G , Warkentin K M 
Published: March 2024

Synopsis
Arboreal embryos of phyllomedusine treefrogs hatch prematurely to escape snake predation, cued by vibrations in their egg clutches during attacks. However, escape success varies between species, from ∼77% in Agalychnis callidryas to just ∼9% in A. spurrelli at 1 day premature. Both species begin responding to snake attacks at similar developmental stages, when vestibular mechanosensory function begins, suggesting that sensory ability does not limit the hatching response in A. spurrelli. Agalychnis callidryas clutches are thick and gelatinous, while A. spurrelli clutches are thinner and stiffer. We hypothesized that this structural difference alters the egg motion excited by attacks. Since vibrations excited by snakes must propagate through clutches to reach embryos, we hypothesized that the species difference in attack-induced hatching may reflect effects of clutch biomechanics on the cues available to embryos. Mechanics predicts that thinner, stiffer structures have higher free vibration frequencies, greater spatial attenuation, and faster vibration damping than thicker, more flexible structures. We assessed clutch biomechanics by embedding small accelerometers in clutches of both species and recording vibrations during standardized excitation tests at two distances from the accelerometer. Analyses of recorded vibrations showed that A. spurrelli clutches have higher free vibration frequencies and greater vibration damping than A. callidryas clutches. Higher frequencies elicit less hatching in A. callidryas, and greater damping could reduce the amount of vibration embryos can perceive. To directly test if clutch structure affects escape success in snake attacks, we transplanted A. spurrelli eggs into A. callidryas clutches and compared their escape rates with untransplanted, age-matched conspecific controls. We also performed reciprocal transplantation of eggs between pairs of A. callidryas clutches as a method control. Transplanting A. spurrelli embryos into A. callidryas clutches nearly tripled their escape success (44%) compared to conspecific controls (15%), whereas transplanting A. callidryas embryos into different A. callidryas clutches only increased escape success by 10%. At hatching competence, A. callidryas eggs are no longer jelly-encapsulated, while A. spurrelli eggs retain their jelly coat. Therefore, we compared the hatching response and latency of A. spurrelli in de-jellied eggs and their control, jelly-encapsulated siblings using manual egg-jiggling to simulate predation cues. Embryos in de-jellied eggs were more likely to hatch and hatched faster than control siblings. Together, our results suggest that the properties of parentally produced egg-clutch structures, including their vibration biomechanics, constrain the information available to A. spurrelli embryos and contribute to interspecific differences in hatching responses to predator attacks.
Intraspecific Variation in the Placement of Campaniform Sensilla on the Wings of the Hawkmoth Manduca Sexta
Authors: Stanchak K E , Deora T , Weber A I , Hickner M K , Moalin A , Abdalla L , Daniel T L , Brunton B W 
Published: March 2024

Synopsis
Flight control requires active sensory feedback, and insects have many sensors that help them estimate their current locomotor state, including campaniform sensilla (CS), which are mechanoreceptors that sense strain resulting from deformation of the cuticle. CS on the wing detect bending and torsional forces encountered during flight, providing input to the flight feedback control system. During flight, wings experience complex spatio-temporal strain patterns. Because CS detect only local strain, their placement on the wing is presumably critical for determining the overall representation of wing deformation; however, how these sensilla are distributed across wings is largely unknown. Here, we test the hypothesis that CS are found in stereotyped locations across individuals of Manduca sexta, a hawkmoth. We found that although CS are consistently found on the same veins or in the same regions of the wings, their total number and distribution can vary extensively. This suggests that there is some robustness to variation in sensory feedback in the insect flight control system. The regions where CS are consistently found provide clues to their functional roles, although some patterns might be reflective of developmental processes. Collectively, our results on intraspecific variation in CS placement on insect wings will help reshape our thinking on the utility of mechanosensory feedback for insect flight control and guide further experimental and comparative studies.
The Vagueness of Religion
Authors: Dole Andrew C 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
A concept is vague if it admits of borderline cases—cases in which it is not clear whether the concept applies. Thus vague concepts are concepts without sharp boundaries. I argue that religion is vague, and I draw conclusions from this claim for both framing up conceptions of religion and studying it. One result will be to undermine arguments to the effect that any account of religion that does not sharply demarcate the religious from the nonreligious is somehow defective. Another will be that admitting the existence of borderline cases relieves us of the obligation to seek high levels of precision in our various usages of the term. And a third will be that is it not at all clear that any periods of human history can be characterized as times “before religion” on any but the narrowest of definitions.
GPU parallel computation strategy for electrothermal coupling problems using improved assembly-free FEM
Authors: Wu Shaowen , Wang Youyuan , Hou Jinhong , Meng Ruixiao 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The analysis of electrothermal coupling problems finds extensive application in engineering. However, for large-scale electrothermal coupling problems, the time cost and storage requirements for solving them using the finite element method (FEM) are substantial. We optimize the finite element electrothermal coupling computation from two aspects: computational speed and storage usage. Based on the assembly-free FEM, we explore the symmetry of element matrices to reduce storage for second-order tetrahedral elements and propose a graphics processing unit (GPU) parallel algorithm to improve computational speed. At the same time, we allocate the parallel parts of an electrothermal coupling problem to two GPUs to improve the speed further. In addition, for the three types of boundary conditions in electrothermal coupling problems, we design parallel application methods suitable for assembly-free FEM. Finally, we compare our strategy with methods from other literature through the numerical experiment. Our method reduces the element matrices’ storage by 45%. Compared with the solution process using the element level method and degree of freedom level method, our strategy achieves average acceleration ratios of 5.83 and 1.38, respectively.
Sexual dimorphism in subterranean amphipod crustaceans covaries with subterranean habitat type
Authors: Premate Ester , Fišer Žiga , Biró Anna , Copilaş-Ciocianu Denis , Fromhage Lutz , Jennions Michael , Borko Špela , Herczeg Gábor , Balázs Gergely , Kralj-Fišer Simona , Fišer Cene 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Sexual dimorphism can evolve in response to sex-specific selection pressures that vary across habitats. We studied sexual differences in subterranean amphipods Niphargus living in shallow subterranean habitats (close to the surface), cave streams (intermediate), and cave lakes (deepest and most isolated). These three habitats differ because at greater depths there is lower food availability, reduced predation, and weaker seasonality. Additionally, species near the surface have a near-even adult sex ratio (ASR), whereas species from cave lakes have a female-biased ASR. We hypothesized (a) a decrease in sexual dimorphism from shallow subterranean habitats to cave lake species because of weaker sexual selection derived from changes in the ASR and (b) an increase in female body size in cave lakes because of stronger fecundity selection on account of oligotrophy, reduced predation, and weaker seasonality. We measured body size and two sexually dimorphic abdominal appendages for all 31 species and several behaviours related to male competition (activity, risk-taking, exploration) for 12 species. Species with an equal ASR that live close to the surface exhibited sexual dimorphism in all three morphological traits, but not in behaviour. The body size of females increased from the surface to cave lakes, but no such trend was observed in males. In cave lake species, males and females differed neither morphologically nor behaviourally. Our results are consistent with the possibility that sexual and fecundity selection covary across the three habitats, which indirectly and directly, respectively, shape the degree of sexual dimorphism in Niphargus species.
Regulating Platform Fees under Price Parity
Authors: Gomes Renato , Mantovani Andrea 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Online intermediaries greatly expand consumer information, but also raise sellers’ marginal costs by charging high commissions. To prevent disintermediation, some platforms adopted price parity and anti-steering provisions, which restrict sellers’ ability to use alternative sales channels. Whether to uphold, reform, or ban these provisions has been at the center of the policy debate, but, so far, little consensus has emerged. As an alternative, this paper studies how to cap platforms’ commissions. The utilitarian cap reflects the Pigouvian precept according to which the platform should charge net fees no greater than the informational externality it exerts on other market participants.
Music Therapy to Facilitate Relationship Completion at the End of Life: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Hsieh Fu-Nien , Shoemark Helen , Magee Wendy L 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The concept of relationship completion is embodied as the core belief for end-of-life care in Taiwan, known as the Four Expressions in Life. No studies have been published investigating and trying to understand how music therapy facilitates the Four Expressions in Life. This convergent mixed-methods study examined the effects of music therapy to facilitate relationship completion for patients at the end of life and their families in Taiwan, and explored their personal experiences in music therapy sessions. Thirty-four patients at end-of-life care and 36 of their family members participated in a single music therapy session with a one-group pretest-posttest design using standardized quality-of-life measures for patients at the end of life and families. A nested sample of 5 patients and 9 family members completed semi-structured interviews. Significant differences between the pre and post session scores were revealed for patients in the Life Completion subscale of the QUAL-E (p &lt; .001), and the global QoL Indicator (p &lt; .001), and for families in the Completion subscale of the QUAL-E (Fam) (p &lt; .001), and the Overall Quality of Life (p &lt; .001). Four themes around opportunities emerged from the interviews: the opportunity for exploration, for connection, for expression, and for healing. The integrated findings suggest that music therapy facilitated relationship completion and improved quality of life for both patients and their families. Furthermore, this study supports that the transformative level of music therapy practice within a single session for end-of-life care is attainable.
Bilateral carotid body tumours: a case report from surgeon’s perspective
Authors: Chandra Sakaran Kishen Raj , Tiew Toot , Kamil Khidhir , Habeebullah Khan Hisham Arshad , Idris Mohamad Azim , Safri Lenny Suryani 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Carotid body tumour (CBT) is the most common paraganglioma of the head and neck and may compromise neurovascular structures such as carotid vessels, and cranial nerves. Intracranial extension from the mass is possible if left untreated. The main treatment for CBT is surgical resection albeit extremely challenging due to tumour hypervascularity and its relationship to the carotid artery. A bilateral CBT, however, is a rare occurrence. Herein, we present a case of a man who presented to us with bilateral painless and palpable neck mass. He underwent staged bilateral CBT excision and it was complicated with left hypoglossal nerve palsy, which recovered over time.
Iatrogenic eventration of the hemidiaphragm in a post-bariatric surgery patient
Authors: Long Leonora E , Alhayo Sam Tharwat , Talbot Michael 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
The aim of this report is to describe the management of an iatrogenic diaphragmatic eventration following surgery to relieve neurogenic symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome in a patient with a prior history of sleeve gastrectomy. We discuss the case of a 46-year-old woman with a 6-month history of gastro-oesophageal reflux and dyspnoea. Imaging demonstrated a left hemidiaphragm eventration and hiatus hernia. The patient underwent laparoscopic plication of the left hemidiaphragm, repair of the hiatus hernia, and an omega loop gastric bypass, with satisfactory resolution of her symptoms. This demonstrates that surgical diaphragmatic plication has good outcomes in cases where the abdominal anatomy is already altered as a result of previous bariatric surgery, and that concurrent hiatus hernia repair, plication of iatrogenic diaphragm eventration, and sleeve to gastric bypass conversion satisfactorily relieve reflux and dyspnoea in a morbidly obese patient.