bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Drivers of plant diversity, community composition, functional traits, and soil processes along an alpine gradient in the central Chilean Andes
Authors: Schroeder Lucy , Robles Valeria , Jara‐Arancio Paola , Lapadat Cathleen , Hobbie Sarah E. , Arroyo Mary T. K. , Cavender‐Bares Jeannine 
Published: February 2024

AbstractHigh alpine regions are threatened but understudied ecosystems that harbor diverse endemic species, making them an important biome for testing the role of environmental factors in driving functional trait‐mediated community assembly processes. We tested the hypothesis that plant community assembly along a climatic and elevation gradient is influenced by shifts in habitat suitability, which drive plant functional, phylogenetic, and spectral diversity. In a high mountain system (2400–3500 m) Región Metropolitana in the central Chilean Andes (33°S, 70°W). We surveyed vegetation and spectroscopic reflectance (400–2400 nm) to quantify taxonomic, phylogenetic, functional, and spectral diversity at five sites from 2400 to 3500 m elevation. We characterized soil attributes and processes by measuring water content, carbon and nitrogen, and net nitrogen mineralization rates. At high elevation, colder temperatures reduced available soil nitrogen, while at warmer, lower elevations, soil moisture was lower. Metrics of taxonomic, functional, and spectral alpha diversity peaked at mid‐elevations, while phylogenetic species richness was highest at low elevation. Leaf nitrogen increased with elevation at the community level and within individual species, consistent with global patterns of increasing leaf nitrogen with colder temperatures. The increase in leaf nitrogen, coupled with shifts in taxonomic and functional diversity associated with turnover in lineages, indicate that the ability to acquire and retain nitrogen in colder temperatures may be important in plant community assembly in this range. Such environmental filters have important implications for forecasting shifts in alpine plant communities under a warming climate.
Long‐term fertilization and cultivation impacts on nematode abundance and community structure in tall fescue turfgrass
Authors: Waldo Benjamin D. , Shahoveisi Fereshteh , Carroll Mark J. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractImpacts of long‐term fertilization and cultivation were evaluated on nematode communities associated with tall fescue turfgrass following 11 years of treatment applications. Fertilizer treatments of biosolid, synthetic, and plant‐based fertilizers and cultivation treatments of 0×, 1×, and 2× aerification passes were applied to randomized and replicated tall fescue plots at the University of Maryland Paint Branch Turfgrass facility in College Park, Maryland. Free‐living and plant‐parasitic nematodes were identified, enumerated, and categorized into functional groups. Nematode count data were compared using generalized linear mixed modeling with negative binomial distribution and two‐way ANOVA was used to compare nematode ecological indices. Biosolid treatments resulted in lower omnivore‐predator densities than plant‐based fertilizer treatments (p ≤ .001) and significantly greater Hoplolaimus densities than plant‐based fertilizer plots (p ≤ .05). Synthetic fertilizer applications resulted in the greatest Eucephalobus (p ≤ .05) and total bacterivore densities (p ≤ .001) of all fertilizer treatments. Plant‐based fertilizer‐treated plots had the largest Maturity Index cp 2‐5 and Structure Index (p ≤ .05). Cultivation of 1× resulted in fewer total bacterivore densities than 2× (p ≤ .01) while omnivore‐predator densities were greater in 1× than 0× (p ≤ .001). Plant health, as measured by NDVI, was lowest in biosolid‐treated turfgrass (p ≤ .05). These findings suggest that long‐term turfgrass management practices can have variable impacts on nematode abundance and community structure in tall fescue and provide insights into ecological impacts of turfgrass management practices.
Mechanisms, costs, and carry‐over effects of cannibal‐induced developmental plasticity in invasive cane toads
Authors: Crossland Michael R. , Shine Richard , DeVore Jayna L. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractInducible defences can improve survival in variable environments by allowing individuals to produce defences if they detect predators. These defences are often expressed as inter‐related developmental, morphological, and behavioural changes. However, producing defences can incur costs, which may be expressed immediately and/or during subsequent life stages. In Australia, waterborne cues of potentially cannibalistic conspecific tadpoles induce hatchlings of invasive cane toads to accelerate their developmental rate, thereby reducing their window of vulnerability. However, the mechanisms and costs of such accelerated development are poorly understood, and whether cane toad embryos show cannibal‐induced plasticity in other traits is unknown. Here, we found no evidence of altered time of hatching for embryos exposed to non‐feeding conspecific cannibal tadpole cues. Additionally, hatchling dispersal behaviours were not affected by exposure to these cues. However, developmental acceleration of hatchlings induced by exposure to tadpole cues was accompanied by reduced hatchling growth, indicating a trade‐off between these processes. At the conclusion of the hatchling stage, cannibal‐exposed individuals were smaller and morphologically distinct from control siblings. This size reduction affected performance during the subsequent tadpole stage: smaller cannibal‐exposed individuals were more likely to die, and initial size tended to be positively associated with subsequent tadpole growth and development across treatments (respectively, p = .07 and p = .06). However, even accounting for variation in initial size, there was an additional negative effect of cannibal exposure on tadpole growth and development, demonstrating that the fitness costs associated with developmental acceleration are not entirely attributable to size reductions.
Dillenia (Dilleniaceae) pollen heteromorphy and presentation, and implications for pollination by bats
Authors: Petit Sophie , Scanlon Annette T. , Naikatini Alivereti , Pukala Tara 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBat pollination of Dillenia in Fiji, a genus that was presumed to be pollinated by bees, posits that other Dillenia species may be bat‐pollinated, with implications for conservation and the understanding of angiosperm evolution. Botanical descriptions of some corolla behaviours (‘falling as a whole’) suggest bat removal of permanently closed corollas, as in D. biflora. Considering the remoteness of species of interest, we reviewed some Dillenia floral traits to hypothesise what they may mean for bat pollination of the genus. We investigated D. biflora pollen grains apertures and reviewed Dillenia literature concerning corolla behaviour and colour, and pollen apertures and presentation, including pores and staminodes. Our samples had dramatically different ratios of tricolpate to tetracolpate pollen grains, a trait that does not exclude pollination by bees. Petal colour polymorphism occurs, with mixed colours proportionately less common in flowers with corollas that open. The proportion of species with staminodes did not differ between those presumed to be pollinated by bats and others, but anthers of the former were significantly more likely to have apical pores, and stamens all had similar length or were slightly longer in the middle, whereas stamens in two distinct groups occurred in 55% of bee‐pollinated species. Pollen heteromorphy may facilitate pollination by different taxa in tropical environments. However, anther apical pores and stamen uniformity are more likely to be associated with bat‐pollinated species than are other morphologies. Dillenia could be a useful model to examine evolutionary aspects of colour, heteranthery, staminodes and pollen heteromorphy. Only field work will verify bat pollination and the implications of bat dependence for Dillenia species.
Balancing between predation risk and food by boreal breeding ducks
Authors: Holopainen Sari , Miettinen Elmo , Väänänen Veli‐Matti , Nummi Petri , Pöysä Hannu 
Published: February 2024

AbstractWetlands belong to the globally most threatened habitats, and organisms depending on them are of conservation concern. Wetland destruction and quality loss may affect negatively also boreal breeding ducks in which habitat selection often needs balancing between important determinants of habitat suitability. In Finland duck population trajectories are habitat‐specific, while the reasons behind are poorly understood. In this research, we studied the balance of nest predation risk and invertebrate food abundance in boreal breeding ducks in Finland at 45 lakes and ponds in 2017 and 2018. We surveyed duck pairs and broods from these and 18 additional water bodies. We evaluated nest predation by monitoring artificial nests with camera traps over a 7‐day exposure period and sampled invertebrates from water bodies using emergence and activity traps. Camera trap results indicate that predation risk was higher in the water bodies surrounded by agricultural land than in forestland. Ponds (seasonal, beaver, and man‐made) had lower nest predation risk, and they were also more invertebrate‐rich than permanent lakes. In addition, artificial nests further away from water bodies had higher survival than shoreline nests. Habitat use of duck pairs was not associated with invertebrate food, but duck broods preferred habitats rich in food. High nest predation pressure in shorelines of especially agricultural landscapes may contribute to the declining population trends of ducks in Finland. Controlling predators could be an important conservation action to improve duck breeding success. This research underlines the benefits of the availability of different water body types for breeding ducks. There is an urgent need to pay attention to protecting seasonal ponds, while the lack of flooded waters may be mitigated by favouring beavers or creating man‐made ponds.
Effect of hypoxic sprint interval exercise and normoxic recovery on performance and acute physiological responses
Authors: Takei Naoya , Kakehata Gaku , Inaba Takeru , Morita Yuki , Sano Hinata , Girard Olivier , Hatta Hideo 
Published: February 2024

AbstractHypoxic exercise, which can induce arterial and tissue deoxygenation, promotes physiological adaptations. However, reduced oxygen availability can lower the absolute training intensity (i.e., mechanical stress). Adding normoxic recovery to sprint interval exercise (SIE) is one potential approach to strike a balance between providing a hypoxic stimulus and maintaining the absolute training intensity. However, the effects of adding normoxic recovery to SIE on performance and physiological responses are uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that hypoxic SIE with normoxic recovery enhances arterial deoxygenation and muscle deoxygenation levels without impeding performance compared to an entirely normoxic condition. On separate days, seven male sprinters performed 4 × 30‐s ‘all‐out’ cycle sprints with 4.5‐min recovery with hypoxic exposure (FiO2: 12.7%O2) applied continuously (hypoxia, HYP), intermittently during sprint periods only (intermittent, INT), or not at all (normoxia, NOR). Power output, oxygen saturation, muscle oxygenation, surface electromyography (EMG) activity, heart rate, blood lactate concentration, and ratings of perceived exertion were measured. The total work significantly decreased in HYP than NOR (p < 0.05) and INT (p < 0.01). The aTrterial oxygen saturation was lower during HYP than NOR (∼86% vs. ∼97%; p < 0.001), while lower values were also obtained for INT than NOR during sprint periods (∼85% vs. ∼97%; p < 0.001) but not during recovery periods (∼96% vs. ∼97%). The heart rate differed (p < 0.05) between conditions (NOR: ∼164 bpm; INT: ∼160 bpm; HYP: ∼156 bpm). No other variables demonstrated significant differences between conditions. Adding hypoxia during exercise while recovering in normoxia did not compromise exercise capacity during SIE, despite inducing larger arterial deoxygenation levels compared to normoxia.
An overcooled coarse‐grained talus slope at low elevation: New insights on air circulation and environmental impacts, Cannon Cliff, New Hampshire, USA
Authors: Germain Daniel , Milot Jean‐François 
Published: February 2024

AbstractOvercooled talus slopes are generally described as islands of sporadic permafrost below the lower alpine limit of permafrost. The negative thermal anomaly of the ground is mainly consecutive to the internal ventilation of the deposit, but it is also conditioned by multiple factors as topography, slope aspect and incline, openwork structure and coarseness of the deposit, air temperature, solar radiation and wind regime. Therefore, the study of the spatiotemporal dynamics of ventilation processes allows a better understanding of the phenomenon. At Cannon Cliff, New Hampshire (USA), several field visits and environmental monitoring allowed us to describe the varying nature and significance of the ventilation mechanisms that can be observed at the ground surface and associated with both the intensity and direction of the airflows in a talus debris accumulation/protalus rampart system. The thermal negative anomalies are strong enough to lower the ground temperature to the point of preserving ice during the late spring and summer seasons. The monitoring of the gradient between external (air) and internal (talus) temperatures coupled with several dendroecological and geomorphological analyses provided a complete environmental picture of the impacts, feedback and extent of the phenomenon.
Age‐related positive emotional reactivity decline associated with the anterior insula based resting‐state functional connectivity
Authors: Niu Lijing , Song Xiaoqi , Li Qian , Peng Lanxin , Dai Haowei , Zhang Jiayuan , Chen Keyin , Lee Tatia M. C. , Zhang Ruibin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractRecent studies have suggested that emotional reactivity changes with age, but the neural basis is still unclear. The insula may be critical for the emotional reactivity. The current study examined how ageing affects emotional reactivity using the emotional reactivity task data from a human sample (Cambridge Center for Age and Neuroscience, N = 243, age 18–88 years). The resting‐state magnetic resonance measurements from the same sample were used to investigate the potential mechanisms of the insula. In the initial analysis, we conducted partial correlation assessments to examine the associations between emotional reactivity and age, as well as between the gray matter volume (GMV) of the insula and age. Our results revealed that emotional reactivity, especially positive emotional reactivity, decreased with age and that the GMV of the insula was negatively correlated with age. Subsequently, the bilateral insula was divided into six subregions to calculate the whole brain resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC). The mediating effect of the rsFC on age and emotional reactivity was then calculated. The results showed that the rsFC of the left anterior insula (AI) with the right hippocampus, and the rsFCs of the right AI with the striatum and the thalamus were mediated the relationship between positive emotional reactivity and age. Our findings suggest that attenuating emotional reactivity with age may be a strategic adaptation fostering emotional stability and diminishing emotional vulnerability. Meanwhile, the findings implicate a key role for the AI in the changes in positive emotional reactivity with age.
Exiting primary care providers
Authors: Zocher Katrin 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis article studies the impact of primary care providers (PCPs) exit from the local health care system on patients' health care utilization. I compare patients with each other whose physicians have left the local health care system at different points in time due to retirement, relocation, or other reasons. Estimation results indicate that the imminent exit leads soon‐leaving physicians to changing their treatment behavior, which has a significant impact on patients' health care spending. In addition, successors and new PCPs provide significantly more preventive services in the post‐exit‐period and refer patients more often to specialists for further examinations than the physicians who exit later. The increased inpatient expenditures in the post‐exit period are caused by the new PCPs (through referrals). Self‐initiated substitution behavior of patients (e.g., less PCP care, more specialist care) after the exit is observed but is low in magnitude. Although an overall increase in health service utilization is observed, mortality in the post‐exit periods is significantly increased among affected patients. A possible explanation is the low frequency follow‐up care of patients who were referred to hospitals by their former PCP in the notification‐period.
Ovarian cancer survival in sub‐Saharan Africa by human development index and histological subtypes: A population‐based registry study
Authors: Gizaw Muluken , Parkin Donald Maxwell , Stöter Ole , Bukirwa Phiona , Seife Edom , Chesumbai Gladys , Korir Anne , Liu Biying , Manraj Shyam S. , Nda Guy , Somdyala Nontuthuzelo I. M. , Kantelhardt Eva Johanna 
Published: February 2024

AbstractOvarian cancer (OC) is the fourth most common cancer of women in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), although few data have been published on population‐level survival. We estimate ovarian cancer survival in SSA by human development index and histological subtype, using data from seven population‐based cancer registries in six countries: Kenya (Nairobi and Eldoret), Mauritius, Uganda (Kampala), Cote d'Ivoire (Abidjan), Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) and South Africa (Eastern Cape). A total of 644 cases diagnosed during 2008–2014 were included, with 77% being of epithelial subtypes (range 47% [Abidjan]—80% [Mauritius]). The overall observed survival in the study cohort was 73.4% (95% CI: 69.8, 77.0) at 1 year, 54.4% (95% CI: 50.4, 58.7) at 3 years and 45.0% (95% CI: 41.0, 49.4) at 5 years. Relative survival at Year 1 ranged from 44.4% in Kampala to 86.3% in Mauritius, with a mean for the seven series of 67.4%. Relative survival was highest in Mauritius at 72.2% and lowest in Kampala, Uganda at 19.5%, with a mean of 47.8%. There was no difference in survival by age at diagnosis. Patients from high and medium HDI countries had significantly better survival than those from low HDI countries. Women with cancers of epithelial cell origin had much lower survival compared to women with other histological subtypes (p = .02). Adjusted for the young age of the African patients with ovarian cancer (44% aged <50) survival is much lower than in USA or Europe, and underlines the need for improvements in the access to diagnosis and treatment of OC in SSA.
Antenatal steroids and neonatal outcomes in late preterm births with pregestational diabetes
Authors: Khanuja Kavisha , Jayakumaran Jenani , Al‐Kouatly Huda B. , McLaren Rodney A. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate if antenatal steroid use was associated with a lower rate of respiratory complications in neonates born late preterm to patients with pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM).MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of live, singleton, non‐anomalous, late preterm births complicated by PGDM using data from the Centers for Disease Control and National Vital Statistics System from 2017 to 2021. The primary (assisted ventilation use >6 h) and secondary neonatal outcomes (immediate assisted ventilation, Apgar score, neonatal intensive care unit [NICU] admission, and surfactant use) were compared between births that received steroids and those that did not. Multivariable analyses were performed to adjust for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics.ResultsThere were 24 323 late preterm births with PGDM, of which 4613 received antenatal steroids and 19 710 did not receive steroids. After adjusting for the differences among the two groups, the need for assisted neonatal ventilation for more than 6 h (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53–1.86), immediate assisted neonatal ventilation (aOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.55–1.80), NICU admission (aOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.81–2.10), and surfactant use (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.40–2.02) were higher in the births that received steroids compared with those that did not. These findings did not differ when examining outcomes at each gestational week of delivery between 34 weeks 0 days and 36 weeks 6 days.ConclusionsAntenatal steroid use in late preterm births complicated with PGDM was associated with worse immediate respiratory neonatal outcomes. Our findings support current recommendations against the use of steroids in the late preterm period in pregnancies with PGDM.
The expanding role of sonography for the diagnosis of deep infiltrating endometriosis: Results of a large case series
Authors: Fernandez Carlos M. , Levine Elliot M. , Shashoua Abraham , Tam Maria Teresa , Diaz Lucero 
Published: February 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the value of the sonographic identification of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) in women presenting with complaints suggestive of DIE. Sonography findings were correlated with subsequent surgical exploration, and histologic verification.MethodsA retrospective observational case series was investigated to document the ability of the use of sonography to accurately detect the presence of deep infiltrating endometriosis. The clinical observations were performed consistent with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) recommendations for observational studies. Recognizing the real‐world office setting for this may introduce the importance of the practical clinical aspects of diagnostic procedures in general.ResultsThree‐dimensional transvaginal sonography was able to accurately identify deep invasive endometriosis in 92% of the 100 women subjectively complaining of the associated symptoms of endometriosis, who underwent sonography, surgical exploration, and pathologic analysis. Additional sonographic evidence of pelvic pathology was found during the course of this investigation, perhaps complementing other means for diagnosing endometriosis.ConclusionThree‐dimensional transvaginal sonography is a diagnostic tool that can effectively identify deep infiltrating endometriosis, which may otherwise go undetected and untreated. These findings should encourage the use of sonography for the detection of this subtype of endometriosis.
The potential health risks of N,N‐dimethylformamide: An updated review
Authors: Hong Shu‐Jun , Zhang Xiu‐Ning , Sun Zhan , Zeng Tao 
Published: February 2024

AbstractN,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) is a universally used industrial material with exponential growth in production and consumption worldwide. The frequently reported occupational DMF poisoning cases in some countries and the gradually recognized unavoidable health risks to the general population highlight that DMF should still be a matter of concern. Previous studies have demonstrated that the liver is the primary target organ of DMF exposure and multiple mechanisms have been revealed. However, most of these studies investigate the detrimental effects of acute and subacute DMF exposure, while the effects of chronic DMF exposure are rarely studied. Furthermore, the key mechanism for the acute hepatotoxicity of DMF remains to be elucidated. Future research may focus on the identification of efficient preventive measures against the toxicity of DMF to occupational workers, the investigation of the detrimental effects of DMF at environmentally relevant doses, and the studies on the elimination and recycling of DMF in industrial wastes. Herein, we present an updated review of the metabolism of DMF, the biomarker of DMF exposure, underlying molecular mechanisms of DMF‐induced hepatotoxicity, and the toxicity of DMF to both occupational workers and general populations and discuss the possible directions in future studies.