bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Local political representation as a pathway to power: A natural experiment in India
Authors: Goyal Tanushree 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWhat drives the career advancement of female politicians in opaque selection environments where party activists hold sway? I argue that women's higher presence in local politics not only improves party elite responsiveness to greater talent supply (top‐down mechanism) but also expands women's capacity to organize grassroots activist networks to influence party‐nomination decisions (bottom‐up mechanism). Using the natural experiment of gender quotas in Delhi, which cause as‐if‐random variation in the number of local reserved seats within state constituencies, I estimate a novel effect of gender quotas. In state constituencies with women's higher presence in local politics, local female politicians are more likely to be promoted, and senior female politicians are more likely to get renominated. Qualitative evidence shows how women leverage grassroots networks and forge informal connections across party hierarchies. The findings emphasize the pivotal role of women's strategic political networks and grassroots organizing in shaping their political careers.
Encouraging politicians to act on climate: A field experiment with local officials in six countries
Authors: Pereira Miguel M. , Giger Nathalie , Perez Maria D. , Axelsson Kaya 
Published: March 2024

AbstractLocal governments play an important role in addressing the climate crisis. However, despite public support for climate action, local policy responses have been limited. We argue that (1) biased beliefs about voter preferences, (2) the time horizon for credit claiming, and (3) source credibility are barriers for legislators to learn and adopt new environmental policies. We test these arguments in a real policy‐learning context. Representatives from six Western countries received customized invitations to a webinar on climate solutions for local governments. We find that constituency opinion on climate issues made local office‐holders more responsive to public preferences. Invitations sent by a climate scientist and emphasizing shorter term policy effects increased interest in the webinar, but did not boost the likelihood of policy commitments. Only US officials responded negatively to climate scientists. The results reveal concrete steps to induce climate action and contribute to scholarship on policy learning.
Sentiment analysis incorporating convolutional neural network into hiddenMarkovmodel
Authors: Najafabadi Maryam Khanian 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe analysis of sentiments and mining of opinions have become more and more important in years because of the development of social media technologies. The methods that utilize natural language processing and lexicon‐based sentiment analysis techniques to analyze people's opinions in texts require the proper extraction of sentiment words to ensure accuracy. The current issue is tackled with a novel perspective in this paper by introducing a hybrid sentiment analysis technique. This technique brings together Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), to accurately categorize text data and pinpoint feelings. The proposed method involves 1D convolutional‐layer CNN to extract hidden features from comments and applying HMMs on a feature‐sentence matrix, allowing for the utilization of word sequences in extracting opinions. The method effectively captures diverse text patterns by extracting a range of features from texts using CNN. Text patterns are learned using text HMM by calculating the probabilities between sequences of feature vectors and clustering feature vectors. The paper's experimental evaluation employs benchmark datasets such as CR, MR, Subj, and SST2, demonstrating that the proposed method surpasses existing sentiment analysis techniques and traditional HMMs. One of its strengths is to analyze a range of text patterns and identify crucial features that recognize the emotion of different pieces of a sentence. Additionally, the research findings highlight the improved performance of sentiment analysis tasks through the strategic use of zero padding in conjunction with the masking technique.
The absence of mandatory pregnancy warning labels in online alcohol purchasing contexts
Authors: Pettigrew Simone , Davies Tazman , O'Brien Paula , Sträuli Bella , Petticrew Mark , Bowden Jacquie 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIntroductionAs people increasingly migrate to online shopping platforms, hard‐won improvements in requirements for consumer information provision at the point of sale are being eroded. An example is the alcohol pregnancy warning label for packaged alcoholic beverages that has been recently introduced in Australia and New Zealand. The aim of the present study was to assess the extent to which the pregnancy warning was visible at the online point of sale when the requirement became mandatory in August 2023.MethodsData for alcohol products sold on the websites of the two largest alcohol retailers in Australia were web‐scraped from 1 to 3 August 2023. The captured data for 8343 alcoholic beverages were inspected to determine whether the pregnancy warning was visible.ResultsVirtually no products (0.1%) had the mandatory warning visible on the main sales page, and only 7% enabled visibility of the warning via optional product image rotation functionality.Discussion and ConclusionsThe almost complete absence of the mandatory pregnancy warnings on the main product pages of major alcohol retailers' websites highlights the regulatory problems posed by the emerging shift to online shopping. The very low prevalence of visible pregnancy warnings is likely to be an overestimate of the extent to which consumers would be exposed to warnings due to images being counted as being present regardless of their quality or readability. New regulation is needed to ensure that mandatory information requirements for harmful products are applied to online shopping contexts.
Shift in piscivory by salmonids following invasion of a minnow in an oligotrophic reservoir
Authors: Johnson Rachelle C. , Hoy Marshal S. , Stenberg Karl D. , Mclean Jonathan H. , Jensen Benjamin L. , Code Tessa J. , Ostberg Carl O. , Beauchamp David A. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractPredation can play an important role in structuring ecological communities, and predator–prey dynamics can be altered following the introduction of new species. An unauthorized introduction of redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus) into reservoirs in the Upper Skagit River, Washington, USA created concern that a consequent shift in predator–prey dynamics in the reservoirs could reduce recruitment and production of native salmonids in the basin. We estimated predation mortality in Ross Lake on nonnative redside shiner and juvenile native salmonids to evaluate the potential role of predation in regulating these populations and limiting survival of native species of concern. We used bioenergetics modelling and stable isotope analysis combined with directed field measurements of growth, seasonal diet and thermal experience of piscivorous salmonids to quantify their consumption demand on prey fishes to evaluate the relative magnitude of predation mortality on invasive redside shiners and native salmonids. While redside shiner are the dominant prey fish species in Ross Lake, the modest biomass of native salmonids consumed could translate into substantial mortality, the magnitude of which depended on the timing and size at which prey fishes were eaten. This information provides important context for how nonnative species may indirectly impact native species through shared predation (apparent competition) and can inform conservation decisions surrounding nonnative species control, sustainability of native salmonids and introductions of anadromous fishes.
The presence and burden of cognitive issues: discordance between the perception of neurologists and people living with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Penner Iris‐Katharina , Heras Virginia De Las , Jones Eddie , Hetherington Suzannah , Karu Himanshu , Chetlangia Rahul , Biswas Sourav , Castro Patricia Dominguez , Lines Carol 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackground and purposeCognitive impairment is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) and occurs in more than 40% of people living with MS (plwMS). No real‐world study has assessed the perception of neurologists and plwMS on cognitive issues.MethodsUsing data from the 2011–2019 Adelphi MS Disease Specific Programme database, this real‐world, retrospective, cross‐sectional multi‐cohort study included people aged ≥18 years with relapsing–remitting MS and secondary progressive MS from the United States, UK and the EU. Neurologists provided data on the patient record form for plwMS, with the same plwMS invited to voluntarily complete a patient self‐completion form: a questionnaire about their experiences with MS.ResultsOf 25,374 plwMS, 4817 who provided information on cognitive and mood symptoms were included in the analysis. Of the plwMS, 68% and 59% reported feeling ‘mentally fatigued’ and having ‘difficulty concentrating’, respectively. Neurologists reported only 27% of plwMS as having ‘difficulty concentrating’ and 15% of plwMS as having ‘short‐/long‐term memory problems’. Neurologists reported cognitive or mood symptoms as ‘not experienced’ by a higher percentage of participants with relapsing–remitting MS than secondary progressive MS. Of the plwMS who experienced ‘difficulty concentrating’, most had a concomitant feeling of being ‘mentally fatigued’ (52%), followed by ‘feeling anxious or tense’ (49%) and ‘feeling depressed’ (44%). In plwMS, caregivers reported ‘difficulty concentrating’ (16%) as the most common cognitive issue.ConclusionA clear discordance was observed between neurologists and plwMS regarding the perception of the cognitive and neuropsychiatric issues. These results underline the under‐perception of cognitive and emotional affective symptoms in plwMS during neurological consultations.
Over‐ and underreporting of seizures: How big is the problem?
Authors: Hannon Timothy , Fernandes Kiran M. , Wong Victoria , Nurse Ewan S. , Cook Mark J. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractObjectiveClinical decisions on managing epilepsy patients rely on patient accuracy regarding seizure reporting. Studies have noted disparities between patient‐reported seizures and electroencephalographic (EEG) findings during video‐EEG monitoring periods, chiefly highlighting underreporting of seizures, a well‐recognized phenomenon. However, seizure overreporting is a significant problem discussed within the literature, although not in such a large cohort. Our aim is to quantify the over‐ and underreporting of seizures in a large cohort of ambulatory EEG patients.MethodsWe performed a retrospective data analysis on 3407 patients referred to a diagnostic service for ambulatory video‐EEG between 2020 and 2022. Both patient‐reported events and events discovered on review of the video‐EEG were analyzed and classified as epileptic, psychogenic (typically clinical motor events, without accompanying EEG change), or noncorrelated events (NCEs; without perceivable clinical or EEG change). Events were analyzed by state of arousal and indication for referral. Subgroup analysis was performed in patients with focal and generalized epilepsies.ResultsA total of 21 024 events were recorded by 3407 patients. Fifty‐eight percent of reported events were NCEs, whereas 27% of all events were epileptic. Sixty‐four percent of epileptic seizures were not reported by the patient but discovered by the clinical service on review of the recording. NCEs were in the highest proportion in the awake and drowsy arousal states and were the most common event type for the majority of referral indications. Subgroup analysis found a significantly higher proportion of NCEs in the patients with focal epilepsy (23%) compared to generalized epilepsy (10%; p < .001, chi‐squared proportion test).SignificanceOur results reaffirm the phenomenon of underreporting and highlight the prevalence of overreporting. Overreporting likely represents irrelevant symptoms or electrographic discharges not represented on scalp electrodes, identification of which has important clinical relevance. Future studies should analyze events by risk factors to elucidate relationships clinicians can use and investigate the etiology of NCEs.
Should radiographs of the thoracolumbar spine remain part of the pre‐purchase examination?
Authors: Looijen Maty G. P. , Morgan Rhiannon E. 
Published: March 2024

SummaryThe inclusion of thoracolumbar radiographs in a pre‐purchase examination (PPE) is a topic of current and intense debate, subsequent to a statement from the Federation of European Equine Veterinary Associations (FEEVA) advocating the exclusion of spinous process radiography from the PPE. This review will consider the reasons behind the addition of such radiographs into PPEs, the limitations of radiography in ambulatory practice and therefore, the diagnostic limitations to the practitioner, the diagnostic benefit of a complete radiographic examination, and discussion of common and less‐frequent thoracolumbar pathologies. We will focus on laterolateral radiographs of the spinous processes as these are most commonly acquired during the PPE. The lack of consistent and repeatable grading systems highlights the subjective nature and variability in assessing this region radiographically. Coupled with the sparse scientific evidence of correlation between clinical signs of primary back pain, future performance in different levels and disciplines of equine athletes and radiographic abnormalities of the thoracolumbar spine leads us to conclude that taking radiographs of the back during PPEs should not be performed unless the clinical examination indicates otherwise.
AI‐driven IoT‐fog analytics interactive smart system with data protection
Authors: Haseeb Khalid , Saba Tanzila , Rehman Amjad , Abbas Naveed , Kim Pyoung Won 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn recent decades, fog computing has contributed significantly to the expansion of smart cities. It generated numerous real‐time data and coped with time‐constraint applications. They use sensors, physical objects, and network standards to monitor health imaging, traffic surveillance, industrial management, and so forth. Interactive applications have been proposed for the Internet of Things (IoT) to control wireless channels and improve communication. However, most of the existing lack of handing network interference and a reliable monitoring process. Moreover, many solutions are vulnerable to external threats, resulting in inconsistent and untrustworthy information for end users. Thus, this article proposes a framework that considers possible shortest paths to provide the most reliable and low‐latency healthcare decision system using Q‐learning. In addition, fog devices offer a trusted transmission interference system and are kept secure. The proposed framework is specially designed for rapid real‐time medical data processing while enforcing robust security throughout the IoT‐based transmission process. To identify the health sensors in pairwise objects with the initial computing cost, the proposed framework applies graph theory. It also extracts the most effective and least loaded communication edges by examining the behaviour of devices. Moreover, the identities of devices are verified using lightweight timestamps and secret information, accordingly, it decreases the privacy threats.
The dual roles of dissimilatory iron reduction in the carbon cycle: The “iron mesh” effect can increase inorganic carbon sequestration
Authors: Zhao Cheng , Xun Fan , Li Biao , Han Xiaotong , Liu Huan , Du Yingxun , Wu Qinglong L. , Xing Peng 
Published: March 2024

AbstractDissimilatory iron reduction (DIR) can drive the release of organic carbon (OC) as carbon dioxide (CO2) by mediating electron transfer between organic compounds and microbes. However, DIR is also crucial for carbon sequestration, which can affect inorganic‐carbon redistribution via iron abiotic–phase transformation. The formation conditions of modern carbonate‐bearing iron minerals (ICFe) and their potential as a CO2 sink are still unclear. A natural environment with modern ICFe, such as karst lake sediment, could be a good analog to explore the regulation of microbial iron reduction and sequential mineral formation. We find that high porosity is conducive to electron transport and dissimilatory iron‐reducing bacteria activity, which can increase the iron reduction rate. The iron‐rich environment with high calcium and OC can form a large sediment pore structure to support rapid DIR, which is conducive to the formation and growth of ICFe. Our results further demonstrate that the minimum DIR threshold suitable for ICFe formation is 6.65 μmol g−1 dw day−1. DIR is the dominant pathway (average 66.93%) of organic anaerobic mineralization, and the abiotic‐phase transformation of Fe2+ reduces CO2 emissions by ~41.79%. Our findings indicate that as part of the carbon cycle, DIR not only drives mineralization reactions but also traps carbon, increasing the stability of carbon sinks. Considering the wide geographic distribution of DIR and ICFe, our findings suggest that the “iron mesh” effect may become an increasingly important vector of carbon sequestration.
Canopy nitrogen deposition enhances soil ecosystem multifunctionality in a temperate forest
Authors: Yang An , Zhu Dong , Zhang Weixin , Shao Yuanhu , Shi Yu , Liu Xu , Lu Ziluo , Zhu Yong‐Guan , Wang Hongtao , Fu Shenglei 
Published: March 2024

AbstractNitrogen (N) deposition affects ecosystem functions crucial to human health and well‐being. However, the consequences of this scenario for soil ecosystem multifunctionality (SMF) in forests are poorly understood. Here, we conducted a long‐term field experiment in a temperate forest in China, where N deposition was simulated by adding N above and under the canopies. We discover that canopy N addition promotes SMF expression, whereas understory N addition suppresses it. SMF was regulated by fungal diversity in canopy N addition treatments, which is largely due to the strong resistance to soil acidification and efficient resource utilization characteristics of fungi. While in understory N addition treatments, SMF is regulated by bacterial diversity, which is mainly because of the strong resilience to disturbances and fast turnover of bacteria. Furthermore, rare microbial taxa may play a more important role in the maintenance of the SMF. This study provides the first evidence that N deposition enhanced SMF in temperate forests and enriches the knowledge on enhanced N deposition affecting forest ecosystems. Given the divergent results from two N addition approaches, an innovative perspective of canopy N addition on soil microbial diversity‐multifunctionality relationships is crucial to policy‐making for the conservation of soil microbial diversity and sustainable ecosystem management under enhanced N deposition. In future research, the consideration of canopy N processes is essential for more realistic assessments of the effects of atmospheric N deposition in forests.
Positive effects of tree species diversity on productivity switch to negative after severe drought mortality in a temperate forest experiment
Authors: Shovon Tanvir Ahmed , Auge Harald , Haase Josephine , Nock Charles A. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe synthesis of a large body of evidence from field experiments suggests more diverse plant communities are more productive as well as more resistant to the effects of climatic extremes like drought. However, this view is strongly based on data from grasslands due to the limited empirical evidence from tree diversity experiments. Here we report on the relationship between tree diversity and productivity over 10 years in a field experiment established in 2005 that was then affected by the 2018 mega‐drought in central Europe. Across a number of years, tree species diversity and productivity were significantly positively related; however, the slope switched to negative in the year of the drought. Net diversity effects increased through time, with complementarity effects making greater contributions to the net diversity effect than selection effects. Complementarity effects were clearly positive in three‐ and five‐species mixtures before the drought (2012–2016) but were found to decrease in the year of the drought. Selection effects were clearly positive in 2016 and remained positive in the drought year 2018 in two‐, three‐, and five‐species mixtures. The survival of Norway spruce (Picea abies) plummeted in response to the drought, and a negative relationship between species diversity and spruce survival was found. Taken together, our findings suggest that tree diversity per se may not buffer communities against the impacts of extreme drought and that tree species composition and the drought tolerance of tree species (i.e., species identity) will be important determinants of community productivity as the prevalence of drought increases.
Hyperspectral imaging and deep learning for detection and quantification of germination in Bacillus cereus spores
Authors: Soni Aswathi , Dixit Yash , Brightwell Gale , Reis Marlon M. 
Published: March 2024

SummaryGermination of Bacillus cereus spores followed by growth and replication of the vegetative cells in food can result in food poisoning and therefore significant economic and health impacts. This study explores a novel approach to detect and differentiate spores and germinated B. cereus cells using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in combination with machine learning using three different germination triggers. HSI could successfully differentiate between dormant spores, germinated cells and structural controls (non‐spores). The spectral data in the visible‐near‐infrared range are sensitive to unique structural and chemical characteristics specific to spores, setting them apart from their vegetative counterparts and non‐biological controls. This non‐destructive and robust approach shows significant potential for detection and assessment of the physiological state (dormant or germinated). Therefore, HSI is a potential method for the detection of germination in B. cereus spores and merits further research and validation.
Potential of barley straw pretreated with a lignin inhibitor as an adjunct during beer production
Authors: Machado Filho Evandro Ribeiro , Lazzari Anderson , Saraiva Bianka Rocha , Gonzaga Diego Eduardo Romero , Gibin Mariana Sversut , dos Santos Wanderley Dantas , Sato Francielle , Matumoto Pintro Paula Toshimi 
Published: March 2024

SummaryBarley straw is an agricultural residue of low added value used for alcohol production through chemical pretreatments. However, chemical pretreatments are expensive and generate residues, preventing the possible application of this product in the food. This study aims to use piperonylic acid as a lignin inhibitor applied in a barley field to obtain a pretreated straw more accessible to structural carbohydrates, releasing fermentable sugars and partially replacing malt in beer. Straws showed structural and chemical changes with SEM, FTIR and compositional analysis. These changes enabled the fermentable sugars release when inserted in wort with 2.5% of barley straw, using cellulase isolated or a xylanase and cellulase mixture in 1:2 proportion, maintaining a final enzyme concentration of 16 U mL−1. Barley straw pretreated with lignin inhibitor can be used as a brewing adjunct, increasing the release of fermentable sugars and bioactive compounds.