bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bayesian analysis of biodiversity patterns via beam trawl versus video transect—a comparative case study of Svalbard rhodolith beds
Authors: Straube Eileen , Neumann Hermann , Wisshak Max , Mathes Gregor , Teichert Sebastian 
Published: March 2024

AbstractKnowledge of spatial biodiversity patterns is important for ecosystem assessment. Rhodoliths, free-living calcareous algae, are biotic components that structure the sea floor through their complex calcareous skeletons and their tendency to accumulate in an area to form rhodolith beds. Thereby, rhodoliths are considered to act as ecosystem engineers promoting local biodiversity. In this study, the biodiversity of rhodolith beds in Mosselbukta, Svalbard, was investigated to analyse the proposed link between local biodiversity and the presence of rhodoliths by evaluating beam trawl and underwater video transect data. The comparative analysis of two sampling methods addressing the same research question allowed us to assess the suitability of these two methods. To test our hypothesis and the utility of the two methods, evaluations of the two data sets were carried out separately by using Bayesian statistics. The results confirm a positive relationship between the presence of rhodoliths and local biodiversity with a posterior probability of 70% for the video transects and 85% for the beam trawl data. The similarity of the results of the two methods suggests that both methods are well-suited for the analysis of local biodiversity patterns. The combination of the two methods, with their individual strengths and weaknesses, has provided stronger support for the results and a broader view on different components of the biodiversity in the Svalbard rhodolith beds.
Active Flux Methods for Hyperbolic Systems Using the Method of Bicharacteristics
Authors: Chudzik Erik , Helzel Christiane , Lukáčová-Medvid’ová Mária 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe Active Flux method is a third order accurate finite volume method for hyperbolic conservation laws, which is based on the use of point values as well as cell average values of the conserved quantities. The resulting method is fully discrete and has a compact stencil in space and time. An important component of Active Flux methods is the evolution formula for the update of the point values. A previously proposed exact evolution formula for acoustics is reviewed and used to construct an Active Flux method for the two-dimensional Maxwell’s equation. Furthermore, the method of bicharacteristics is discussed as a methodology for the derivation of truly multidimensional approximative evolution operators that can be used for the evolution of point values in Active Flux methods. We study accuracy and stability of the resulting methods for acoustics and compare with the Active Flux method that uses the exact evolution operator. Finally, we used the method of bicharacteristics to derive Cartesian grid Active Flux methods for the linearised and nonlinear Euler equations. Numerous test computations illustrate the performance of these new Active Flux methods.
Assessing the applicability of binary land-cover variables to species distribution models across multiple grains
Authors: Gábor Lukáš , Cohen Jeremy , Moudrý Vítězslav , Jetz Walter 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Context
Species distribution models are widely used in ecology. The selection of environmental variables is a critical step in SDMs, nowadays compounded by the increasing availability of environmental data.

Objectives
To evaluate the interaction between the grain size and the binary (presence or absence of water) or proportional (proportion of water within the cell) representation of the water cover variable when modeling water bird species distribution.

Methods
eBird occurrence data with an average number of records of 880,270 per species across the North American continent were used for analysis. Models (via Random Forest) were fitted for 57 water bird species, for two seasons (breeding vs. non-breeding), at four grains (1 km2 to 2500 km2) and using water cover as a proportional or binary variable.

Results
The models’ performances were not affected by the type of the adopted water cover variable (proportional or binary) but a significant decrease was observed in the importance of the water cover variable when used in a binary form. This was especially pronounced at coarser grains and during the breeding season. Binary representation of water cover is useful at finer grain sizes (i.e., 1 km2).

Conclusions
At more detailed grains (i.e., 1 km2), the simple presence or absence of a certain land-cover type can be a realistic descriptor of species occurrence. This is particularly advantageous when collecting habitat data in the field as simply recording the presence of a habitat is significantly less time-consuming than recording its total area. For models using coarser grains, we recommend using proportional land-cover variables.
The impact of energy transition on distribution network costs and effectiveness of yardstick competition: an empirical analysis for the Netherlands
Authors: van Montfoort Floris , Dijkstra Peter T. , Mulder Machiel 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWe assess the impact of regional differences related to energy transition on average costs and allowed revenues for a panel of Dutch electricity distribution system operators (DSOs) subject to yardstick competition. Yardstick competition entails that the allowed revenues of DSOs are based on the average costs of the entire industry, which requires that these DSOs are comparable. This comparability requirement is challenged by the penetration of distributed generation and other distributed energy resources, which may cause regional differences among DSOs. Estimating an average-cost function for the entire population of Dutch DSOs for the period 2012–2020, we find that the installed capacity of solar PV, installed capacity of on-shore wind and number of public electric-vehicle charging points have a significant effect on unit costs of DSOs. If yardstick competition does not take these effects into account, the allowed revenues for some DSOs (having above-average shares of energy-transition variables) are too low, whereas allowed revenues for other DSOs (having below-average shares of energy-transition variables) are too high. We find that taking the impact into account can change the price caps of individual DSOs with a percentage up to around 20%.
Establishing a probability sample in a crisis context: the example of Ukrainian refugees in Germany in 2022
Authors: Steinhauer Hans Walter , Décieux Jean Philippe , Siegert Manuel , Ette Andreas , Zinn Sabine 
Published: March 2024

AbstractFollowing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, more than one million refugees have arrived in Germany. These Ukrainian refugees differ in many aspects from Germany’s past forced migration experiences and there exists an urgent need for sound data and information for politics, practitioners, and academics. In response, the IAB-BiB/FReDA-BAMF-SOEP study was established to provide high-quality longitudinal data following a register-based probability sample. We detail on an approach for sampling refugees in brief time, making use of two different registers—the German population register and the central register of foreigners—and discuss the quality of the final sample with respect to potential selectivity of participation in the panel. Overall, we demonstrate the benefits and feasibility of establishing register-based samples even in the context of a geopolitical crisis and the necessity of sound data within brief time horizons. We provide guidance that can be followed for similar events in the future.
Optimization of Synthesis Reaction Parameters of AgNPs Derived from Laser trilobum Plant for Foodborne Pathogens
Authors: Soyucok Ali , Kabak Burcu , Tosun Bekir 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn this study, the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs L21, AgNPs L22) produced using aqueous extracts of the Laser trilobum harvested in 2021 and 2022 was optimized. The experimental design and optimization of antimicrobial activity were performed using the response surface method (RSM). Using RSM, independent variables, such as silver concentration, extraction time, and synthesis temperature, were optimized as a result of the inhibition zone diameter against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes. Based on the optimization results, the extraction time, silver concentration, and temperature for AgNP L21 and L22 synthesis were determined to be 60 min, 5 mM, and 25 °C, respectively. When the XRD and TEM results of the nanoparticles synthesized under optimal conditions were evaluated, it was determined that the AgNPs were spherical in shape and had an average size of 30 ± 12 nm. Our study revealed that the year of harvest is unimportant for nanoparticles synthesized from L. trilobum, using a cheap and simple method that does not require toxic substances. Owing to the antimicrobial activity of nanoparticles produced under optimal conditions, it is possible to biocontrol and prevent contamination by these bacteria in food science and industry.
The Influence of Lactobacillus spp. Secondary Metabolites Isolated from Immature Egyptian Honey on Human Pathogens, Transcription of Virulence Genes and Lung Cancer
Authors: Elsayed Tarek R. , Nour Eman , Hamed Ahmed A. , Hassan Ashwak Abdel-Moneim , Elenany Yasser Essam 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis work aimed to isolate, and identify Lactic Acid Bacteria LAB from Egyptian immature citrus honey, and characterize their secondary metabolites, as well as determine the antibacterial activities and transcription of virulence genes (stx1, stx2, and eae) influenced by these bacterial secondary metabolites. From twenty hives, twenty immature citrus bee honey samples were taken. Traditional cultural and biochemical testing were used, followed by molecular confirmation. Further, LAB isolates' antibacterial and cytotoxic properties were investigated. 16S rRNA gene sequencing were assessed and, two lactic acid bacterial isolates were identified as Lactobacillus acidophilus Ch2 and Levilactobacillus brevis Ch1. Both isolates have good antagonistic action against clinical pathogens, with Levilactobacillus brevis Ch1 exhibiting the best antibacterial activity against all indicator pathogens examined. When compared to untreated cancer cells, the isolates demonstrated significant cytotoxic activity. Ch1 and Ch2 cell viability percentages were 39.5% and 18.76%, respectively. Furthermore, when exposed to Levilactobacillus brevis Ch1 metabolites, Shiga-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) virulence gene expression was suppressed. To identify bacterial secondary metabolites, a high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF) approach was developed. Twenty-seven metabolites from diverse chemical classes were discovered in the crude extracts with antibacterial and anticancer characteristics. This is the first thorough investigation on the metabolic profile of LAB isolated from immature Egyptian honey and the findings suggested that isolates or their secondary metabolites could be used in the food sector as medicinal alternatives or as a biocontrol agent.
The nexus of women and ‘Clan Crime’: unravelling the dynamics and constraints
Authors: Jaraba Mahmoud 
Published: March 2024

AbstractDespite its prominence in public debate, scholars have given little attention to women’s roles in ‘clan crime’ in Germany. This article aims to bridge this gap through in-depth ethnographic fieldwork and 18 interviews conducted with women from various ‘clans’ throughout the country. These women are part of the al-Rashidiyya community with origins in Mardin, Turkey. Adopting an anthropological perspective, I seek to uncover the underlying historical, cultural, social, and contextual factors shaping women’s participation in ‘clan crime’, whether through indirect support or direct involvement. My findings reveal that women play a crucial, albeit often hidden, role in ‘clan’ dynamics and criminal activities, which frequently go unrecorded by the police. Although they are unlikely to hold leadership positions, women exert their influence through other means, such as shaping their children’s behavior, actively encouraging their sons to engage in criminal activities, or transmitting criminal norms and roles through socialization. Women themselves may also engage in crimes such as money laundering and financial fraud. By shedding light on these dynamics and emphasizing the importance of gender dynamics in the broader study of criminal groups, I expand our understanding of organized crime and similar clan-like mafia structures.
Trastuzumab deruxtecan for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-low advanced or metastatic breast cancer: recommendations from the Japanese Breast Cancer Society Clinical Practice Guidelines
Authors: Hattori Masaya , Honma Naoko , Nagai Shigenori , Narui Kazutaka , Shigechi Tomoko , Ozaki Yukinori , Yoshida Masayuki , Sakatani Takashi , Sasaki Eiichi , Tanabe Yuko , Tsurutani Junji , Takano Toshimi , Saji Shigehira , Masuda Shinobu , Horii Rie , Tsuda Hitoshi , Yamaguchi Rin , Toyama Tatsuya , Yamauchi Chikako , Toi Masakazu , Yamamoto Yutaka 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe Japanese Breast Cancer Society Clinical Practice Guidelines are published as timely guidance on clinical issues in breast cancer treatment in Japan. In the recent edition of these guidelines, we addressed a new clinical question 34 (CQ 34, systemic treatment part) “Is trastuzumab deruxtecan recommended for patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-low breast cancer?” and a new future research question 7 (FRQ 7, pathological diagnosis part) “How is HER2-low breast cancer diagnosed for the indication of trastuzumab deruxtecan?”. These questions address use of trastuzumab deruxtecan in patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-low breast cancer who have previously received chemotherapy for metastatic disease. The strengths of evidence and recommendation were determined through a quantitative and qualitative systematic review using multiple outcomes, including efficacy and safety. We conclude that trastuzumab deruxtecan is recommended for this patient population (strength of recommendation: 1; strength of evidence: moderate; CQ34) and that HER2-low expression for the indication of trastuzumab deruxtecan should be diagnosed using companion diagnostics based on appropriate criteria (FRQ7).
“The Yoga of ‘You Go’”: Meher Baba’s “Ascendant Path” to Nonduality
Authors: Beldio Patrick M. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis comparative theological article explores Meher Baba’s written Vedāntic teaching he once called “the yoga of ‘you go’” within a cosmological scheme he named “The Divine Theme,” which features in his books God Speaks and The Nothing and the Everything. Following his Vedāntic master, Upasni Maharaj and Sri Rāmakṛṣṇa, Meher Baba innovated on what scholars call the Yoga Advaita traditions. The important features of these lineages that impact his version are mental annihilation or manonāśa and the destruction of impressions or vāsanākṣaya (what he called “unwinding saṃskāras”) in order to liberate the soul while living in a body or jīvanmukti. Further, I map the total arc of Meher Baba’s work and how it fits historically within the Yoga Advaita lineages as they developed from the tenth century CE to the present. There are two basic sides to his work: his written teaching, which consolidates what one commentator calls “the ascendant path of return” to the nondual Self, and his active ministry, which I can only introduce here, which charts new territory for the future in what this commentator calls “the descendant path” of God-realization. I also constructively explore the ways that in The Nothing and the Everything the story of Gaṇeśa’s decapitation and recapitation is used to express, in narrative form, the philosophical treatment in God Speaks. In terms of salvation, Meher Baba’s teaching yields a theology of religious diversity I call “exhaustivism.” This refers to an “exhaustive” scope of learning literally all there is to learn in creation as each form in creation, including every kind of religious possibility in the human phase of reincarnation, a use of energy in each stage of the cosmic growth process that is “exhausting,” and finally, it refers to a difficult final stage of return to the divine that is marked by safely disposing of the saṃskāric “exhaust” generated in this evolution. Lastly, I offer some topics for further study in his Divine Theme that include the nature of human life and death, as well as the role of religions, God-realized masters or “Man-Gods,” and Meher Baba himself as the “God-Man” or Avatāra.
Engineering experimental study on mechanical and durability properties of banana leaves ash as partial cement replacement in hollow concrete blocks
Authors: Yayena Esubalew , Hareru Werku Koshe 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis engineering study investigates the mechanical properties and durability of Hollow Concrete Blocks (HCBs) made with banana leave-ash-replaced cement. This study focused on analyzing the physiochemical composition of banana leaf ashes (BLAs) and their impact on the mechanical and durability properties of these blocks. HCB production requires binding materials such as cement, and BLAs, a byproduct of agricultural waste containing Pozzolana, serve as an alternative. This study experimented with alternative mixtures to evaluate the influence of BLAs on the strength and durability of blocks, particularly their resistance to acid and sulfate attacks. The test was conducted by partial replacement of Dangote Ordinary Portland cement 42.5R with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% BLAs for Class “A,” “B” and “C” HCBs. The test results indicated that HCBs produced by BLAs can replace cement HCBs to achieve better strength and durability properties with respect to standards. Statistical results show that BLAs have a significant effect on the compressive strength of HCBs. Chemically acidic and sulfate-attack-resistant HCBs were examined, and the results showed that HCBs with BLAs had good resistance. The results of an experimental study on the mechanical and durability properties of BLAs blended with cement HCBs showed that replacing BLAs by up to 20% improves the durability and strength of blocks, resulting in better performance than the standards. The optimum percentage of partial replacement of BLAs with cement to produce HCBs is 20%.
Investigation of debinding sintering strategy and analysis of different structure properties of printed ceramic clay materials based on liquid deposition molding technology
Authors: Chen Shenggui , Xiao Chuang , Liu Kejiang , Li Nan , Khan Sadaf Bashir , Wu Junchao , Su Chengdong 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe emergence of additive manufacturing (AM) technology for ceramic clay materials has greatly impacted the traditional pottery manufacturing industry. However, there are still limitations in post-processing and structural design for ceramic clay materials in the current field. To address these challenges, in this study, we first used orthogonal experiments to investigate the impact of the heating rate during debinding, the final sintering point, and the insulation time at the sintering point on the performance of the fabricated parts. It was further concluded that the optimal debinding sintering strategy consisted of a debinding heating rate of 0.5 °C/min, a final sintering point of 1300 °C, and a sintering point insulation time of 3 h. Under these conditions, the compressive strength of the specimens reached a maximum of 38.75 ± 4.57 MPa. Herein, we accomplished the printing of two different structures based on liquid deposition molding (LDM) technology. Through comparative analysis of the experimental results, the research solved the buckling phenomenon of flexural specimens and concluded that the octet structure exhibited superior performance. Additionally, we successfully prepared various pottery specimens, further demonstrating this study's application prospects.
Comprehensive analysis of Seriphidium kurramense: GC/MS profiling, antibacterial and antibiofilm activities, molecular docking study and in-silico ADME profiling
Authors: Khatoon Narjis , Alam Zubair , Hussain Imtiaz , Khubaib Bushra , Javed Muhammad Arshad , Ali Qurban 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe emergence of drug-resistant bacteria poses a substantial threat to global healthcare, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Seriphidium kurramense, a well-known aromatic, medicinal, and culinary herb, has garnered attention due to its potential medicinal properties. In this study, we investigated the chemical composition, antibacterial, and antibiofilm activities of Seriphidium kurramense plant extract. The coupled analysis of GC/MS (Gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry) has identified seventeen components in the extract, with major constituents including α-santonin (42.2%), eucalyptol (3.04%), and bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-3-one (10.1%). The research encompassed four bacterial strains (E. coli, Bacillus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella), all involved in biofilm formation. The results indicated that the plant extract exhibited varying efficacy against the tested bacterial strains. Additionally, the ADME profiling of the identified phytocompounds supported their potential as drug candidates with promising pharmacokinetic properties. In-silico molecular docking studies revealed that among the 17 identified phytocompounds, lumisantonin displayed the highest effectiveness as an antibiofilm and antibacterial agent. It was closely followed by n-Hexadecanoic acid, ß-Copaene, and other compounds examined in the docking studies. These compounds exhibited high binding scores with target proteins, suggesting their potential as therapeutic agents. This comprehensive investigation not only sheds light on the chemical composition and pharmacological properties of Seriphidium kurramense compound but also presents a promising avenue for developing innovative drugs against drug-resistant bacterial strains. The results of this investigation provide valuable insights to the ongoing efforts in addressing the pressing issue of drug-resistant bacteria in global healthcare.