bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Small‐scale fires interact with herbivore feedbacks to create persistent grazing lawn environments
Authors: Singh Jenia , Donaldson Jason E. , Archibald Sally , Parr Catherine L. , Voysey Michael D. , Davies Andrew B. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract

Fire‐herbivory feedbacks strongly influence the formation of grazing lawns in savanna ecosystems. Preliminary findings suggest that small‐scale (<25 ha) fires can engineer grazing lawns by concentrating herbivores on the post‐burn green flush; however, the persistence of such grazing lawns over the longer term and without repeated fire is unknown.

We used high‐resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to investigate the long‐term effects of fire manipulation on short grass structure (height, cover, volume and spatial continuity) and grazing lawn establishment in Kruger National Park, South Africa. We analysed the effects of fire exclusion and experimental burns applied over a 7‐year period (2013–2019) followed by a 1‐year cessation of burning at varying spatial scales during the early and late dry seasons.

Fires contributed a fourfold increase in short grass cover, regardless of fire season or size. The distribution of grass height differed significantly between fire‐induced grazing lawns and recently unburnt parts of the landscape where controlled fires were excluded over the experimental period. The volume (corresponding to bulk density) of short grass on the landscape responded strongly to fires, with grass volume <20 cm in height increasing with both early and late dry season fires.

Early dry season fires caused larger and more homogeneous short grass patches. Furthermore, early dry season fires were more influential in increasing the cover of the shortest grass height class (1–5 cm).

Synthesis and applications. Our results demonstrate that fire‐induced grazing lawns can persist over the longer term, even when fires are no longer applied, leading to the creation of vertical and horizontal heterogeneity in the grass layer. Small‐scale fires, therefore, represent a feasible management approach to expanding grazing lawn extent, potentially benefiting grazer coexistence and diversity.
Microbiome of laboratory‐reared and environmentally collected cockroaches
Authors: Yun Sohyeon , Choi Jun Ho , Oh Singeun , Kim Myungjun , Yi Myung‐hee , Kang Dongjun , Jang Yun Soo , Lee In‐Yong , Yong Tai‐Soon , Kim Juan , Kim Heung Chul , Lee Jae Rok , Kim Ju Yeong 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCockroaches are insects found in almost all habitats, including unsanitary environments. Understanding their microbial communities is crucial for assessing the potential risks they pose as vectors of pathogens. In this study, we assessed the microbial communities of omnivorous cockroaches collected from external environments and those reared in a clean laboratory for extended periods (5–20 years). Using the iSeq 100 system, we examined the relative abundance of microbial communities at the phylum, family and genus levels. Our results revealed that the predominant taxa in these cockroaches were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Interestingly, the bacterial communities of samples from the same cockroach species, regardless of their living conditions, clustered together, indicating species‐specific similarities in microbiomes. The symbiont genus Blattabacterium was consistently present in all samples, delivering nutrients to the host. Pathogen detection at the genus level indicated a higher prevalence of potential pathogens in cockroaches collected from field environments, compared with those from laboratory‐reared cockroaches. These findings underscore the importance of cockroaches as pathogen reservoirs and vectors of opportunistic infections, emphasizing the need for further studies to identify specific microorganisms and confirm their pathogenicity. As cockroaches inhabit human environments, their potential to spread harmful bacteria through defecation warrants attention and underscores the significance of understanding their microbial ecology for public health implications.
The role of T cell stimulated agonistic autoantibodies to the angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1‐AA) in mediating multiorgan dysfunction in IL‐17 induced hypertension during pregnancy
Authors: Hogg James P. , Campbell Nathan , Deer Evangeline , Fitzgerald Sarah , Cornelius Denise , Hoang Ngoc , Turner Ty , Amaral Lorena , Lemon James P. , Ibrahim Tarek , LaMarca Babbette 
Published: April 2024

AbstractProblemPreeclampsia (PE), new‐onset hypertension during pregnancy accompanied by organ dysfunction, is associated with chronic inflammation including elevated IL‐17, CD4+ T cells, B cells and natural killer (NK) cells. IL‐17 can serve as a signal for either the adaptive or innate immune activation. We have previously shown that IL‐17 contributes to increased blood pressure in association with elevated TH17 cells, NK cells and B cells secreting angiotensin II type 1 receptor agonistic autoantibodies (AT1‐AA) during pregnancy. Moreover, we have shown an important role for CD4+T cells and AT1‐AA in multiorgan dysfunction as measured by mitochondrial oxidative stress (mt ROS). However, we do not know the role of adaptive immune cells such as T cells or B cells secreting AT1‐AA in mediating the PE phenotype in response to elevated IL‐17.Method of studyIn order to answer this question, we infused IL‐17 (150 pg/day i.p.) into either Sprague Dawley (SD) or athymic nude rats via mini‐osmotic pump from gestational day (GD) 14–19 of pregnancy. On GD 19, blood pressure was determined and NK cells, mtROS and respiration and AT1‐AA production from B cells were measured.ResultsInfusion of IL‐17 increased blood pressure in the presence or absence of T cells. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) increased with IL‐17 from 98 ± 2 mm Hg (n = 12) to 114 ± 2 (n = 12) in SD rats and from 99 ± 4 mm Hg (n = 7) versus 115 ± 2 mm Hg (n = 7) in athymic nude rats. Similar trends were seen in NK cells and placental mt ROS. Knowing that IL‐17 stimulates AT1‐AA in SD pregnant rats, we included a group of SD and athymic nude pregnant rats infused with IL‐17 and the AT1‐AA inhibitor peptide (‘n7AAc’). The inhibitor attenuated blood pressure (104.9 ± 3.2, p = .0001) and normalized NK cells and mt function in SD pregnant rats. Importantly, the AT1‐AA was not produced in pregnant nude IL‐17 treated rats, nor did ‘n7AAc’ effect MAP, in nude athymic rats.ConclusionThese findings suggest two conclusions; one is that IL‐17 causes hypertension and multiorgan dysfunction in the absence of T cells and AT1‐AA, possibly through its activation of innate cells and secondly, in the presence of T cells, blockade of the AT1‐AA attenuates the effect of IL‐17. This study indicates the critical effects of elevated IL‐17 during pregnancy and suggest treatment modalities to consider for PE women.
Beyond open access: Book publishing in a metric culture
Authors: Wilmott Clancy 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis short commentary responds to Gandy's (2023) piece ‘Books under threat: Open access publishing and the neo‐liberal academy’. It argues that the requirement for open access in UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) grants does not mark a major turning point in academic publishing, but rather is simply the latest trend in a series of changes which have seen academic inequalities redistributed under a metric culture.
From mutation to management: Advancing Langerhans cell histiocytosis treatment through combination therapies
Authors: Diamond Akiva 
Published: April 2024

The treatment landscape for relapsed Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is fraught with uncertainty due to a scarcity of data. Karri et al.'s study provides promising evidence that combining MAPK pathway inhibitors with chemotherapy could improve outcomes, even for patients with multiple relapses. Although larger studies are needed, this approach suggests a shift towards more aggressive, potentially curative strategies in the management of LCH.Commentary on: Karri et al. Clinical, radiological and molecular responses to combination chemotherapy with MAPK pathway inhibition in relapsed and refractory Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Br J Haematol 2024;204:1882‐1887.
Severe manifestation of Rauch‐Azzarello syndrome associated with biallelic deletion of CTNND2
Authors: Pauly Melissa , Krumbiegel Mandy , Trumpp Sandra , Braig Sonja , Rupprecht Thomas , Kraus Cornelia , Uebe Steffen , Reis André , Vasileiou Georgia 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCTNND2 encodes δ‐catenin, a component of an adherens junction complex, and plays an important role in neuronal structure and function. To date, only heterozygous loss‐of‐function CTNND2 variants have been associated with mild neurodevelopmental delay and behavioral anomalies, a condition, which we named Rauch‐Azzarello syndrome. Here, we report three siblings of a consanguineous family of Syrian descent with a homozygous deletion encompassing the last 19 exons of CTNND2 predicted to disrupt the transcript. All presented with severe neurodevelopmental delay with absent speech, profound motor delay, stereotypic behavior, microcephaly, short stature, muscular hypotonia with lower limb hypertonia, and variable eye anomalies. The parents and the fourth sibling were heterozygous carriers of the deletion and exhibited mild neurodevelopmental impairment resembling that of the previously described heterozygous individuals. The present study unveils a severe manifestation of CTNND2‐associated Rauch‐Azzarello syndrome attributed to biallelic loss‐of‐function aberrations, clinically distinct from the already described mild presentation of heterozygous individuals. Furthermore, we demonstrate novel clinical features in homozygous individuals that have not been reported in heterozygous cases to date.
The Role of Attention in Category Representation
Authors: Gao Mengcun , Turner Brandon M. , Sloutsky Vladimir M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractNumerous studies have found that selective attention affects category learning. However, previous research did not distinguish between the contribution of focusing and filtering components of selective attention. This study addresses this issue by examining how components of selective attention affect category representation. Participants first learned a rule‐plus‐similarity category structure, and then were presented with category priming followed by categorization and recognition tests. Additionally, to evaluate the involvement of focusing and filtering, we fit models with different attentional mechanisms to the data. In Experiment 1, participants received rule‐based category training, with specific emphasis on a single deterministic feature (D feature). Experiment 2 added a recognition test to examine participants’ memory for features. Both experiments indicated that participants categorized items based solely on the D feature, showed greater memory for the D feature, were primed exclusively by the D feature without interference from probabilistic features (P features), and were better fit by models with focusing and at least one type of filtering mechanism. The results indicated that selective attention distorted category representation by highlighting the D feature and attenuating P features. To examine whether the distorted representation was specific to rule‐based training, Experiment 3 introduced training, emphasizing all features. Under such training, participants were no longer primed by the D feature, they remembered all features well, and they were better fit by the model assuming only focusing but no filtering process. The results coupled with modeling provide novel evidence that while both focusing and filtering contribute to category representation, filtering can also result in representational distortion.
Valence‐Dependent Implicit Action Generalization Among Group Members
Authors: Huangliang Jiecheng , Hu Yinfeng , Zheng Xutao , Xu Zikai , Zhou Wenying , Yin Jun 
Published: April 2024

AbstractPeople implicitly generalize the actions of known individuals in a social group to unknown members. However, actions have social goals and evaluative valences, and the extent to which actions with different valences (helpful and harmful) are implicitly generalized among group members remains unclear. We used computer animations to simulate social group actions, where helping and hindering actions were represented by aiding and obstructing another's climb up a hill. Study 1 found that helpful actions are implicitly expected to be shared among members of the same group but not among members of different groups, but no such effect was found for harmful actions. This suggests that helpful actions are more likely than harmful actions to be implicitly generalized to group members. This finding was replicated in Study 2 by increasing the group size from three to five. Study 3 found that the null effect for generalizing harmful actions among group members is not due to the difficulty of detecting action generalization, as both helpful and harmful actions are similarly generalized within particular individuals. Moreover, Study 4 demonstrated that weakening social group information resulted in the absence of implicit generalization for helpful actions, suggesting the specificity of group membership. Study 5 revealed that the generalization of helping actions occurred when actions were performed by multiple group members rather than being repeated by one group member, showing group‐based inductive generalization. Overall, these findings support valence‐dependent implicit action generalization among group members. This implies that people may possess different knowledge regarding valenced actions on category‐based generalization.
Cutaneous crystal storing histiocytosis: A case series with review of literature
Authors: Homsi Haya A. , Knapp Calvin , Agrawal Shruti , Bhavsar Shweta , Ko Jennifer S. , Billings Steven D. , Ronen Shira 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCrystal‐storing histiocytosis (CSH) is a rare condition in which crystals accumulate in the cytoplasm of histiocytes and is usually associated with a lymphoplasmacytic neoplasm. Cutaneous CSH is extraordinarily rare and limited to case reports in the literature. We report two cases of this disease with cutaneous involvement. Case 1 was a 65‐year‐old male with a 4‐month history of a pruritic eruption that started as a solitary pink to skin‐colored indurated plaque on the anterior neck before progressing to involve the whole neck, chest wall, and face. Case 2 was a 54‐year‐old woman with a history of unspecified “lymphoma” who presented with a soft nodule on the forearm. Biopsies from both cases had similar findings and showed a proliferation of epithelioid cells with pink cytoplasm and intracellular crystalline structures infiltrating the dermis and subcutaneous fat. In the first case, the cells were positive for CD43, CD45, CD68, and IgG kappa, and in the second case, the crystals were positive for IgG lambda. Based on these findings, the patients were diagnosed with cutaneous CSH. We highlight this rare diagnosis and the importance of investigating an underlying lymphoplasmacytic neoplasm.
Treatment of post‐treatment Lyme disease symptoms—a systematic review
Authors: Dersch Rick , Torbahn Gabriel , Rauer Sebastian 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackground and purposeResidual symptoms after treatment of Lyme disease, sometimes called post‐treatment Lyme disease symptoms (PTLDs), are a matter of ongoing controversy. To guide treatment recommendations, a systematic review was performed of the available literature on specific treatment for PTLDs.MethodsA systematic literature search of MEDLINE and CENTRAL was performed. No restrictions on case definitions, study types or specific interventions were applied to enable a comprehensive overview of the available literature. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tools for randomized controlled trials. Certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Outcomes of interest were quality of life, fatigue, depression and cognition as well as adverse events.ResultsAfter screening 1274 records, eight eligible randomized controlled trials were included. Heterogeneity was observed regarding inclusion criteria, intervention, length of treatment and outcome measures. For efficacy outcomes, results are presented narratively due to heterogeneity. Eligible studies show no statistically significant difference between antibiotics and placebo regarding quality of life, cognition and depression. Results for fatigue were inconsistent whilst studies with low risk of bias showed no statistically significant difference between antibiotics and placebo. Meta‐analysis of safety outcomes showed statistically significantly more adverse events for antibiotics compared to placebo.ConclusionsAvailable literature on treatment of PTLDs is heterogeneous, but overall shows evidence of no effect of antibiotics regarding quality of life, depression, cognition and fatigue whilst showing more adverse events. Patients with suspected PTLDs should not be treated with antibiotics.
Genetic consequences of improved river connectivity in brown trout (Salmo trutta L.)
Authors: Moccetti Paolo , Dodd Jamie R. , Joyce Domino A. , Nunn Andy D. , Gillespie Ben , Bolland Jonathan D. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractFragmentation of watercourses poses a significant threat to biodiversity, particularly for migratory fish species. Mitigation measures such as fishways, have been increasingly implemented to restore river connectivity and support fish migration. The effects of such restoration efforts are typically tested using telemetry and fisheries methods, which do not fully capture the broader population movements that may have important consequences for population viability. We performed a before‐and‐after control‐impact (BACI) study using genetic tools (SNPs) to investigate the effect of a newly implemented fishway, aiming to enhance upstream spawning migration of brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus) in a reservoir with two headwater tributaries fragmented by man‐made weirs. Another reservoir with two barrier‐free tributaries was also analysed as a control. Our results showed that the isolated brown trout population was spawning in the reservoir before the installation of the fishway, and we found genetic structuring and differentiation between fragmented headwater tributaries before the fishway construction, but not in the control reservoir. Unexpectedly, after the fishway construction we observed signals consistent with increased genetic differentiation between populations of newly recruited juvenile fish in the reservoir tributary and fish in the reservoir. We propose this was caused by newly enabled philopatric behaviour of brown trout to their natal spawning tributary. In contrast, we did not find any genetic changes in the tributary without a fishway or in the barrier‐free reservoir system. Given the scarcity of similar studies, we advocate for an increased use of genetic analyses in BACI studies to monitor and evaluate the effect of efforts to restore habitat connectivity and inform future management strategies.
Cultural adaptation of an intervention for caregivers of young autistic children: Community members' perspectives
Authors: Terol Adriana Kaori , Meadan Hedda , Gómez Laura R. , Magaña Sandy 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCaregivers of autistic children in low‐to‐middle‐income countries experience many barriers to access resources to support their child's development. Caregiver training is considered an evidence‐based practice and may be a cost‐effective way to support caregivers of autistic children in such settings. This study focuses on the cultural adaptation of Parents Taking Action (PTA; Magaña et al., Family Process, 56, 57–74, 2017) to support caregivers of autistic children in Paraguay. We conducted focus groups and individual interviews with 28 caregivers, autistic individuals, and professionals in Paraguay to understand caregivers' needs and to explore needed cultural adaptations of PTA to achieve contextual fit. Participants identified caregivers' need for accurate and reliable information, strategies to support children's growth, and emotional support and strategies to manage stress. Additionally, participants provided recommendations for adapting PTA considering the dimensions within the Cultural Adaptation Checklist (Lee et al., International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 2023). This study is the first step in the iterative process of culturally adapting an intervention and the process described in this study may be appropriate for culturally adapting other interventions.
Thermophysical–mechanical properties evaluations of porous geomaterials by CT images and digital–virtual modeling
Authors: Zhao Zhi , Berto Filippo , Zou Yu‐Lin , Li Zheng , Zhou Xiao‐Ping 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn this work, the color difference phase separation (CDPS) approach is proposed to segment the solid and pore phases. Pore‐scale variables are defined to describe the microstructural characteristics. Novel relations to quickly determine the deformation moduli and thermal conductivity are established. Digital–virtual modeling to investigate the mechanical and thermal properties is addressed. The correlation between pore‐scale variables and the mechanical and thermal properties is investigated. Results show that the calculated shear and Young's moduli decrease and the computed Poisson's ratio increases as porosity increases. The deformation moduli and thermal conductivity increase with increasing pore radius for different types of rocks. Excellent consistencies are found between the digital–virtual and realistic experimental results. The proposed method provides useful tools to fast and accurately determine the deformation moduli and thermal conductivity, which is helpful for the underground space and deep energy resource explorations.
EVERYDAY UTOPIAS: RE‐NEGOTIATIONS OF BELONGING AND IDENTITY IN TOMER GARDI'S BROKEN GERMAN AND SASHA MARIANNA SALZMANN'S AUßER SICH
Authors: Jochens Vivian 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTThis article explores the concept of utopia in the context of current re‐negotiations of belonging and identity in Germany. Examining Tomer Gardi's broken german (2016) and Sasha Marianna Salzmann's novel Außer sich (2017), I explore how and to what extent literature can help us to develop new frameworks for negotiating difference and diversity. I argue that the texts complicate ideas of linguistic and gendered belonging and monolithic identity, and demonstrate how they imagine everyday utopias that represent alternative approaches to community and subjectivity.