bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Stream sediment pollution: a compositional baseline assessment
Authors: Albuquerque Teresa , Fonseca Rita , Araújo Joana , Silva Natália , Araújo António 
Published: March 2024

AbstractA high concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) can affect ecosystem health in many ways. It is therefore essential that spatial trends in pollutants are assessed and monitored. Two questions must be addressed when quantifying pollution: how to define a non-polluted sample and how to reduce the problem’s dimensionality. A geochemical dataset is a composition of variables (chemical elements), where the components represent the relative importance of each part of the whole. Therefore, to comply with the compositional constraints, a compositional approach was used. A novel compositional pollution indicator (CPI) based on compositional data (CoDa) principles such as the properties of sparsity and simplicity was computed. A dataset of 12 chemical elements in 33 stream-sediment samples were collected from depths of 0–10 cm in a grid of 1 km × 1 km and analyzed. Maximum concentrations of 3.8% Pb, 750 µg g−1 As, and 340 µg g–1 Hg were obtained near the mine tailings. The methodological approach involved geological background selection in terms of a trimmed subsample that could be assumed to contain only non-pollutants (Al and Fe) and the selection of a list of pollutants (As, Zn, Pb, and Hg) based on expert knowledge criteria and previous studies. Finally, a stochastic sequential Gaussian simulation of the new CPI was performed. The results of the hundred simulations performed were summarized through the mean image map and maps of the probability of exceeding a given statistical threshold, allowing the characterization of the spatial distribution and the associated variability of the CPI. A high risk of contamination along the Grândola River was observed. As the main economic activities in this area are agricultural and involve animal stocks, it is crucial to establish two lines of intervention: the installation of a surveillance network for continuous control in all areas and the definition of mitigation actions for the northern area with high levels of contamination.
Graphical Abstract
Evaluation of cell-free supernatants from the symbiotic bacteria of entomopathogenic nematodes for controlling the colorado potato beetle [Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)]
Authors: Erdem Esengül , Yüksel Ebubekir , Canhilal Ramazan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata, poses a significant threat to potato crops globally and has developed resistance to numerous insecticides. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), from the genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis, are promising biocontrol agents. This study aimed to identify the bacterial symbionts of ten native EPN isolates, evaluate the efficiency of cell free supernatants (CFSs) from their symbiotic bacteria against different developmental stages of CPB, and determine the effect of these CFSs on CPB developmental stages and lifespan. The recA gene region was utilized to determine the symbiotic bacteria of ten local EPNs. CFSs from these bacteria were applied orally and through contact to CPB’s various developmental stages (L1/L2, L3/L4 larval stages, and adults). Mortalities, developmental transition times, and lifespans of adults were observed. The CFSs showed significant toxicity to CPB, with higher efficiency against young larvae. The CFSs exhibited cumulatively lethal effects over time, particularly on L1/L2 larval stages. CFSs from X. bovienii exhibited the highest efficacy. In all cases, where larvae received CFSs orally or by contact, they failed to develop into pupae and adults. In contrast, the transition periods of old larvae to pupal and adult stages were comparable to those of the control group. Lifespans of adults differed based on bacterial isolates and application methods. This study shows the potential efficacy of CFSs from Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus as biocontrol agents against CPB, particularly in its young larval stages. Further research is needed to unravel the mechanisms behind these effects and examine the impact on CPB mating and oviposition behaviors.
A pandemic of delirium: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of occurrence of delirium in older adults with COVID-19
Authors: Zazzara Maria Beatrice , Ornago Alice Margherita , Cocchi Camilla , Serafini Elisabetta , Bellelli Giuseppe , Onder Graziano 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Delirium has been recognized as an atypical presenting feature of COVID-19 in older adults and is independently associated with mortality. We aimed to perform an updated systematic review of the literature and proportional meta-analysis to assess prevalence and incidence of delirium in older adults with COVID-19, addressing differences according to sex, frailty status, and settings.

Methods
We searched databases for English-language articles on prevalence and incidence of delirium in older adults with COVID-19, published between March 2020 and January 2023.

Results
Of the 1171 articles identified, 66 met selection criteria and were included in the meta-analysis (n = 35,035 participants, age-range 66–90 years old, 46.6% females). We observed similar pooled prevalence (20.6% [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 17.8–23.8%]) and incidence (21.3% [95% CI 14.7–30%]) of delirium. Pooled occurrence (both prevalence and incidence) of delirium was similar according to sex (females 21.3% [95% CI 16–27.5%] vs. males 23.8%% [95% CI 18.2–30.4%], p-value = 0.55) and study setting (nursing homes 22.5% [95% CI 14.2–33.6%] vs. hospital 20.3% [95% CI 17–24%], p = 0.68), but it was significantly higher in frail versus non-frail patients (37% [95% CI 26.6–48.8%] vs. 12.5% [95% CI 7.8–19.6%], p-value < 0.01). Delirium definitions and assessment tools largely varied across studies.

Conclusion
This review delineates delirium as a common feature of COVID-19, particularly in frail older adults, and supports its formal inclusion among COVID-19 symptoms. The considerable heterogeneity in delirium assessment highlights the need for an operational strategy to standardize definitions and tools utilization in the management of frail older adults.
Society with Indian Characteristics: Caste, Class, and Species in Contemporary Retellings of the Rāmāyaṇa
Authors: Oliveira João Pedro 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis paper analyzes the construction of Indian society in retellings of the Rāmāyaṇa published in India between 2010 and 2020. I focus on the concepts of caste, class, and mythological species. Through discourse analysis of a corpus of retellings, nonfiction works by the same authors, and comparisons with secondary literature, I show how specific castes, classes, and species are assimilated to one another and contrasted with competing identities. I also show how such representations define positive traits of Indianness and contrast them with the opposite negative traits of Otherness. I conclude that, despite differences in style, the retellers imagine an ancient pre-colonial India imbued with the modern neoliberal values of freedom of choice and social mobility.
Land grabbing, CSR, and the (de)mobilization of resistance
Authors: Sändig Jan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAs large-scale agricultural investment has been rising, scholars have much investigated the factors that shape contestations against land grabbing. This literature, however, has hardly focused on the role of investing agricultural companies and their corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices so far. Vice versa, there is extensive research on the CSR-contention nexus for mining and other sectors, albeit with contested findings. To contribute to these debates, I apply the opportunities and threats framework from social movement studies to examine how CSR affects local and transnational contention. This is studied in the comparison of two major European agricultural companies that operate in Cameroon (and beyond). The analysis shows a demobilizing effect of timely and substantial CSR practices.
A sensitive one-pot ROA assay for rapid miRNA detection
Authors: Hou Zhihao , Deng Wenpeng , Li Alun , Zhang Ya , Chang Jianye , Guan Xinyue , Chang Yuxiao , Wang Kaile , Wang Xinjie , Ruan Jue 
Published: March 2024

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) and short RNA fragments (18–25 nt) are crucial biomarkers in biological research and disease diagnostics. However, their accurate and rapid detection remains a challenge, largely due to their low abundance, short length, and sequence similarities. In this study, we report on a highly sensitive, one-step RNA O-circle amplification (ROA) assay for rapid and accurate miRNA detection. The ROA assay commences with the hybridization of a circular probe with the test RNA, followed by a linear rolling circle amplification (RCA) using dUTP. This amplification process is facilitated by U-nick reactions, which lead to an exponential amplification for readout. Under optimized conditions, assays can be completed within an hour, producing an amplification yield up to the microgram level, with a detection limit as low as 0.15 fmol (6 pM). Notably, the ROA assay requires only one step, and the results can be easily read visually, making it user-friendly. This ROA assay has proven effective in detecting various miRNAs and phage ssRNA. Overall, the ROA assay offers a user-friendly, rapid, and accurate solution for miRNA detection.
The RUBY reporter for visual selection in soybean genome editing
Authors: Chen Li , Cai Yupeng , Liu Xiaoqian , Yao Weiwei , Wu Shuiqing , Hou Wensheng 
Published: March 2024

AbstractCurrent systems to screen for transgenic soybeans (Glycine max) involve laborious molecular assays or the expression of fluorescent markers that are difficult to see in soybean plants. Therefore, a visual system for early screening of transgenic plants would increase the efficiency of crop improvement by genome editing. The RUBY reporter system, which consists of three genes encoding betalain biosynthetic enzymes, leading to the accumulation of purple pigment in transgenic tissue, has been employed in some plants and dikaryon fungi. Here, we assessed the RUBY reporter for visual verification during soybean transformation. We show that RUBY can be expressed in soybean, allowing for visual confirmation of transgenic events without the need for specialized equipment. Plants with visible accumulation of purple pigment in any tissue were successfully transformed, confirming the accuracy of the RUBY system as a visual indicator. We also assessed the genetic stability of the transgene across generations, which can be performed very early, using the cotyledons of the progeny. Transgene-free seedlings have a distinct green color, facilitating the selection of genome-edited but transgene-free soybean seedlings for harvest. Using the RUBY system, we quickly identified a transgene-free Gmwaxy mutant in the T1 generation. This system thus provides an efficient and convenient tool for soybean genome editing.
Ethical and preventive legal technology
Authors: Stathis Georgios , van den Herik Jaap 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPreventive Legal Technology (PLT) is a new field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) investigating theintelligent prevention of disputes. The concept integrates the theories ofpreventive lawandlegal technology. Our goal is to give ethics a place in the new technology. Byexplainingthe decisions of PLT, we aim to achieve a higher degree oftrustworthinessbecause explicit explanations are expected to improve the level oftransparencyandaccountability. Trustworthiness is an urgent topic in the discussion on doing AI research ethically and accounting for the regulations. For this purpose, we examine the limitations of rule-based explainability for PLT. Hence, our Problem Statement reads:to what extent is it possible to develop an explainable and trustworthy Preventive Legal Technology?After an insightful literature review, we focus on case studies with applications. The results describe (1) the effectivity of PLT and (2) its responsibility. The discussion is challenging and multivariate, investigating deeply the relevance of PLT for LegalTech applications in light of the development of the AI Act (currently still in its final phase of process) and the work of the High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) on AI. On the ethical side, explaining AI decisions for small PLT domains is clearly possible, with direct effects on trustworthiness due to increased transparency and accountability.
AI empowered Auslan learning for parents of deaf children and children of deaf adults
Authors: Sheng Hongwei , Shen Xin , Du Heming , Zhang Hu , Huang Zi , Yu Xin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Communication poses a challenge for the deaf and hearing loss community. This difficulty is even more pronounced in the families of Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs) and Parents of Deaf Children (PODCs). To help these families overcome this challenge, we design an AI-empowered interactive bi-directional Australian Sign Language (i.e., Auslan) dictionary application to facilitate communication within a household. Technically, our APP can not only look up sign gestures for the given English words but also translate isolated Auslan gestures into English. Through an inviting user interface and experience design, we can further improve engagement within the CODA and PODC families while enabling Auslan education at home. The positive user experience underscores the success of our APP not only in leveraging AI to revolutionise Auslan education but also in promoting cross-generational language acquisition and communication.
Navigating the impact: a study of editors’ and proofreaders’ perceptions of AI tools in editing and proofreading
Authors: Al Sawi Islam , Alaa Ahmed 
Published: March 2024

AbstractHuman editors and proofreaders now face a new, and possibly serious, challenge: the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that some consider to be as efficient and precise as experts in editing/proofreading. This research aims to investigate editors’ and proofreaders’ perceptions of current AI tools. It examines whether editors/proofreaders view AI as an opportunity or a threat and considers their insights into the future of AI tools for them. The study collected qualitative data through email questionnaires from 17 professional editors and proofreaders purposively appointed from a society of professional editors and proofreaders in Egypt. The results revealed that the responses regarding AI for editors and proofreaders are generally mixed, with a range of both positive and negative perspectives. Some responses highlight the opportunities and benefits that AI tools can bring, such as increased efficiency, time-saving, and improved productivity. Others express concerns about potential threats, such as the possibility of AI replacing humans, ethical considerations, and the need for continued human involvement in the editing/proofreading process. Overall, the attitudes toward AI tools for editing and proofreading reflect a paradoxical view of the technology’s impact on the field. The active engagement and participation of editors and proofreaders are essential for the successful implementation of AI technologies in editorial contexts.
Prevalence of Functional Disabilities and Associations Among Disabilities, Violence, and HIV Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Lesotho
Authors: Massetti Greta M. , Stamatakis Caroline , Charania Sana , Annor Francis B. , Rice Catherine E. , Hegle Jennifer , Ramphalla Puleng , Sechache Masechache , Motheo Mookho 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Introduction
Lesotho has the second-highest prevalence of HIV. Despite progress in achieving HIV epidemic control targets, inequities persist among certain groups, particularly associations between disability, HIV, and violence. We assessed the prevalence of disability and examined associations between disability and HIV and violence using data from the 2018 Lesotho Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS).

Methods
Lesotho VACS was a nationally representative survey of females and males ages 13–24. We assessed the associations between disability status and HIV, sexual risk behaviours, and violence using logistic regression, incorporating survey weights.

Results
Weighted functional disability prevalence was 14.1% for females (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.7–15.4) and 7.3% for males (5.3–9.2). Compared with females with no disabilities, females with disabilities had higher odds of being HIV positive (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.92, 1.34–2.76), having transactional sex (aOR 1.79, 1.09–2.95), and experiencing any lifetime violence (aOR 2.20, 1.82–2.65), sexual violence (aOR 1.77, 1.36–2.31), emotional violence (2.02. 1.61–2.53), physical violence (aOR 1.85, 1.54–2.24), witnessing interparental violence (aOR 1.71, 1.46–2.01), and witnessing community violence (aOR 1.52, 1.26–1.84). Males with disabilities had higher odds of having transactional sex (aOR 4.30, 1.35–13.73), having recent multiple sex partners (aOR 2.31, 1.13–4.75), experiencing emotional violence (aOR 2.85, 1.39–5.82), and witnessing interparental violence (aOR 1.78, 1.12–2.84). HIV models for males did not converge due to low numbers.

Conclusion
Findings emphasize the importance of inclusion and accessibility for adolescents and young adults with disabilities in prevention and services for violence and HIV. Ending HIV in Lesotho depends on addressing the vulnerabilities that lead to potential infection including violence and ensuring equitable services for all.
Crop diversification and income of agricultural households in India: an empirical analysis
Authors: Basantaray A. K. , Acharya Shailesh , Patra Tophan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe present study empirically tests the relationship between crop diversification and farm income. The study area is India, the fifth largest economy of the world, and the units of study are its households which dominates India’s labor force. The propensity score matching technique is applied on the two waves of nationally representative data on agricultural households pertaining to agricultural year 2012–13 & 2018–19 to test the relationship between crop diversification and farm income. We find a strong and positive impact of crop diversification on farm income as farm income increases by around 13 per cent if non-diversified households opt for crop diversification. Furthermore, important factors such as literacy, access to market, access to irrigation, agricultural training, farming experience, and household size positively affects crop diversification at the household level. However, recent decline in the extent of diversification in India is a cause for concern. Promotion of cultivation of HVCs by giving them such institutional supports as initial capital required for switch to HVCs and other steps that insulates them from higher risks is the need of the hour in Indian agriculture.
Image and audio characterization of electromagnetic signals in cable defect detection
Authors: Jiang Xueli , Wang Jishuo , Zhao Chaoyang , Yuan Weifeng 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPower cables play a very important role in urban development. On the other hand, the integrity and the safe operation of power cables are crucial as even a minor potential mishap can result in serious loss of life and property. Hence, early diagnosis and warning of cable faults are imperative. Addressing the current lack of practical detection technologies, this study proposes a non-destructive testing method based on electromagnetic field principles. Through scanning the power-on power cables with probes, the electric field intensity around the cables can be measured, and the weak anomaly caused by structural and material defects can be detected using Superlets transformation. Additionally, to gain a better characterization of the faults, a digital post-processing approach consisting of imaging and sonification algorithms is developed to aid in pinpointing the location of the faults. Both numerical simulation and experimental test indicate that the proposed non-destructive detection method is feasible and can achieve good accuracy in locating cable faults. With image and audio characterization, the present method has great potential applications in ensuring the safety of power cables.
Complex trajectories in higher education students: online and face-to-face universities
Authors: Villar-Aguilés Alícia , Muñoz-Rodríguez David 
Published: March 2024

AbstractExpansion in higher education and changes in student profiles have led to an increase in non-linear trajectories that do not fit into a time frame considered standard. However, universities continue to establish success and failure parameters relating to performance indicators that do not consider the heterogeneity of trajectories. The theoretical perspective on which we base our work is the complexity approach, which resituates what we understand as a trajectory of success (and failure), incorporating a broader view to better understand how students navigate through higher education. Based on research on university dropout and changes of trajectory, we present the results of a study carried out using sequence analysis in face-to-face and online universities. The research question on which this study focuses is whether, given the context of greater heterogeneity and complexity, there could be a greater similarity between the students’ trajectories in face-to-face and online modalities in relation to complex trajectories. The results show that complex trajectories are very present in both modalities, and differences are observed according to students’ gender and age. A key conclusion is the discussion on how we consider success and failure student trajectories in the contemporary university taking into account the perspective of complexity.
Tycoon candidates, electoral strategies, and voter support: a survey experiment in South Africa
Authors: Justesen Mogens K. , Markus Stanislav 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWhy do voters shun some business tycoons yet elect others into power? As structural conditions facilitate the entry of super-wealthy actors into politics, the differential electoral support across business elites suggests a puzzle. We conceptualize four mechanisms behind the popular support for “tycoon candidates”: competence signaling, framing, fame, and clientelism. To test their relative efficacy, we leverage an experiment embedded in a nationally representative survey in South Africa, an important developing democracy where certain tycoons are successfully running for office. We find that, across distinct electoral appeals by tycoon candidates, clientelism is particularly effective, especially for mobilizing support from the less affluent voters. Racial framing significantly decreases support among white voters. Meanwhile, tycoons’ competence signaling or fame do not help them at the ballot box. By identifying the micro-level underpinnings of voter support across tycoon candidates, our study contributes to the literatures on business and politics, voting behavior, and clientelism.
Polypositroids
Authors: Lam Thomas , Postnikov Alexander 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
We initiate the study of a class of polytopes, which we coin polypositroids, defined to be those polytopes that are simultaneously generalized permutohedra (or polymatroids) and alcoved polytopes. Whereas positroids are the matroids arising from the totally nonnegative Grassmannian, polypositroids are “positive” polymatroids. We parametrize polypositroids using Coxeter necklaces and balanced graphs, and describe the cone of polypositroids by extremal rays and facet inequalities. We introduce a notion of

$(W,c)$

-polypositroid for a finite Weyl group W and a choice of Coxeter element c. We connect the theory of

$(W,c)$

-polypositroids to cluster algebras of finite type and to generalized associahedra. We discuss membranes, which are certain triangulated 2-dimensional surfaces inside polypositroids. Membranes extend the notion of plabic graphs from positroids to polypositroids.