bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Application of real-time PCR for the identification of the endangered species Galemys pyrenaicus through faecal samples
Authors: Ripa Adriana , Díaz-Caballero José A. , Palacios-González María Jesús , Espinosa Antonio , García-Zapata Juan Luis , Fernández-Garcia José Luis 
Published: January 2024

Abstract

Background
Currently, many micromammals are important targets for study. The endangered Galemys pyrenaicus is an outstanding example. Globally, their populations have suffered a substantial decline in last 20 years. In the surveyed area, the capture of desman is legally forbidden due to the high conservation concerns. Reason by non-invasive sampling through faeces is proposed for its monitoring. Furthermore, the confusion between faeces from desman and Mediterranean water shrews must be considered. Thus, the aim of this study was focused on developing RT-PCR assays to determine the presence of Galemys pyrenaicus and N. a. anomalus from non-invasive samples.

Methods and results
The study was conducted in the mountains of the System Central of Extremadura (Spain). A total of 186 samples were collected from 2018 to 2021 by experts where historically reported and/or our previous studies confirmed their presence. RT-PCR assays using hydrolysis probes were designed to detect genetic material from both desman and Mediterranean water shrews and its specificity was confirmed. The reliability of the method was further assessed by PCR sequencing of mitochondrial Cyb and d-loop, resulting fully compatible with the RT-PCR approach. Intraspecific phylogenetic relationship was reported to improve knowledge about mtDNA variability in the desman from the Central System.

Conclusions
We demonstrated that RT-PCR gives a gold opportunity to further map the species using faeces which minimizes disturbance and reports both population status and individual presence. Cost-effective RT-PCR combined with field-collected faeces allows us to better investigate the full range of occurrence of the species.
Memories of a Glorious or Difficult Past? Portugal, Padrão dos Descobrimentos and the (Lack of a) 21st Century Reckoning
Authors: Sadowski Mirosław Michał , Rego Rui Maia , Carmo André 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to analyse a particularly influential case of memory continuity in Portugal, that ofPadrão dos Descobrimentos. Spaces of collective memory (such as public monuments) raise questions about what we celebrate, remember or rescue from oblivion, providing an opportunity to rethink the trauma. As such, care for public spaces is associated with ethical and cultural values. One of the difficulties with certain monuments has to do with the fact that they recall actions that today we see as traumatic acts. Thus, it is important to reflect on a critical use of memory. On August 8, 2021,Padrão dos Descobrimentoswas the subject of a graffiti. One of the sides of the monument could read: “Blindly sailing for money, humanity is drowning in a scarlet sea”. A great controversy immediately arose around the meaning of this gesture, as well as the role played by a monument that, after being temporarily built in 1940 for the Portuguese World Exhibition, was, in its current version, inaugurated in 1960, on the occasion of the fifth centenary of the death of Infante D. Henrique. This episode reignited a deeper cleavage around the uses of history and memory, the Portuguese colonial past, and the role of thePadrão dos Descobrimentosas an instrument for the reproduction of nationalism. In this sense, and with the authors proposing a new theoretical frame of reference based on the thought of Arendt and Ricoeur, its critical reading becomes relevant.
What you think is what you feel:
Immigration-related value beliefs predict emotional exhaustion in pre-service
teachers
Authors: Lorusso Sonja , Hachfeld Axinja , Kärner Tobias 
Published: January 2024

AbstractCultural diversity has recently been discussed as a potential stressor for
teachers. The present study contributes to this discussion by examining the role of
cultural diversity in the development of emotional exhaustion among teachers. Using the
teacher stress model as a framework, we investigated if working conditions, such as
cultural diversity (1), value beliefs, such as cultural beliefs or stereotypes towards
students with an immigration background (2), and perceived professional competence, such
as teaching experience and self-efficacy (3), predict emotional exhaustion. The data
comes from a longitudinal study with 291 German pre-service mathematics teachers
(M = 9.5 month). Results from robust multiple
regression analyses showed no relation between cultural diversity and emotional
exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion was significantly predicted by prior emotional
exhaustion, frequent class disruptions, and large classes. Regarding cultural beliefs,
participants with more stereotypes towards students with an immigration background
experienced a higher level of emotional exhaustion, whereas the actual cultural
diversity in their class had no impact. Contrary to our hypotheses, no effect was found
for cultural beliefs. Taken together, our results suggest that it is not cultural
diversity per se that leads to emotional exhaustion but evaluative processes of seeing
students with an immigration background as burden that reflect beginning teachers'
stereotypes. Practical implications are that teacher training should aim to reduce
candidates' stereotypes towards students with an immigration background and allow more
hands-on teaching experience.
NuZZ: Numerical Zig-Zag for general models
Authors: Pagani Filippo , Chevallier Augustin , Power Sam , House Thomas , Cotter Simon 
Published: January 2024

AbstractMarkov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is a key algorithm in computational statistics, and as datasets grow larger and models grow more complex, many popular MCMC algorithms become too computationally expensive to be practical. Recent progress has been made on this problem through development of MCMC algorithms based on Piecewise Deterministic Markov Processes (PDMPs), irreversible processes which can be engineered to converge at a rate which is independent of the size of the dataset. While there has understandably been a surge of theoretical studies following these results, PDMPs have so far only been implemented for models where certain gradients can be bounded in closed form, which is not possible in many relevant statistical problems. Furthermore, there has been substantionally less focus on practical implementation, or the efficiency of PDMP dynamics in exploring challenging densities. Focusing on the Zig-Zag process, we present the Numerical Zig-Zag (NuZZ) algorithm, which is applicable to general statistical models without the need for bounds on the gradient of the log posterior. This allows us to perform numerical experiments on: (i) how the Zig-Zag dynamics behaves on some test problems with common challenging features; and (ii) how the error between the target and sampled distributions evolves as a function of computational effort for different MCMC algorithms including NuZZ. Moreover, due to the specifics of the NuZZ algorithms, we are able to give an explicit bound on the Wasserstein distance between the exact posterior and its numerically perturbed counterpart in terms of the user-specified numerical tolerances of NuZZ.
Serum metabolic signatures for Alzheimer’s Disease reveal alterations in amino acid composition: a validation study
Authors: Nielsen Jonas Ellegaard , Andreassen Trygve , Gotfredsen Charlotte Held , Olsen Dorte Aalund , Vestergaard Karsten , Madsen Jonna Skov , Kristensen Søren Risom , Pedersen Shona 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Introduction
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is complex and novel approaches are urgently needed to aid in diagnosis. Blood is frequently used as a source for biomarkers; however, its complexity prevents proper detection. The analytical power of metabolomics, coupled with statistical tools, can assist in reducing this complexity.

Objectives
Thus, we sought to validate a previously proposed panel of metabolic blood-based biomarkers for AD and expand our understanding of the pathological mechanisms involved in AD that are reflected in the blood.

Methods
In the validation cohort serum and plasma were collected from 25 AD patients and 25 healthy controls. Serum was analysed for metabolites using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, while plasma was tested for markers of neuronal damage and AD hallmark proteins using single molecule array (SIMOA).

Results
The diagnostic performance of the metabolite biomarker panel was confirmed using sparse-partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.73 (95% confidence interval: 0.59–0.87). Pyruvic acid and valine were consistently reduced in the discovery and validation cohorts. Pathway analysis of significantly altered metabolites in the validation set revealed that they are involved in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and energy metabolism (glycolysis and gluconeogenesis). Additionally, strong positive correlations were observed for valine and isoleucine between cerebrospinal fluid p-tau and t-tau.

Conclusions
Our proposed panel of metabolites was successfully validated using a combined approach of NMR and sPLS-DA. It was discovered that cognitive-impairment-related metabolites belong to BCAAs and are involved in energy metabolism.
The effect of continuous positive airway pressure on obstructive sleep apnea in children with syndromic craniosynostosis
Authors: Chang Yuan , Yu Yongbo , Zhang Wei , Gao Yinghui , Feng Junjun , Li Mengjie , Han Fang 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in children with syndromic craniosynostosis (SC). However, objective data on the treatment of OSA in children with SC remain inadequate. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the management of OSA in children with SC.

Methods
A retrospective study was performed in children with SC and OSA diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG), which was defined as an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 1. Patients were included if they were treated with CPAP and had baseline PSG and follow-up sleep studies. Clinical and demographic data were collected from all enrolled subjects.

Results
A total of 45 children with SC and OSA were identified, with an average age of 6.8 ± 4.7 years. Among them, 36 cases had moderate to severe OSA (22 with severe OSA) and received CPAP therapy followed by post-treatment sleep studies. Notably, there was a significant reduction in the AHI observed after CPAP treatment (3.0 [IQR: 1.7, 4.6] versus 38.6 [IQR: 18.2, 53.3] events/h; P < 0.001).

Conclusions
CPAP is effective and acceptable in treating severe OSA in children with SC.
Managing carbon waste in a decarbonized industry: Assessing the potential of concrete mixing storage
Authors: Sousa Vitor , Nogueira Rita , Meireles Inês , Silva André 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe effort towards a greener future will entail a shift to more environmentally friendly alternatives of many human activities. Within this context, the path towards a decarbonized society in general, and industrial decarbonization in particular, will require using low carbon solutions and/or capturing carbon emissions at the source. This flux of captured carbon will then require management and one option is to store it in concrete. The incorporation of the captured CO2 can be done during the mixing and/or curing. While the latter is more efficient and effective in terms of the amount of CO2 incorporated, it is limited to concrete in elements that are compatible with chamber curing. In practice, this would be restricted to the concrete pre-fabrication industry and, most probably, only to small size elements. Despite the lower performance, incorporation of CO2 into concrete during the mixing stage is a relatively universal alternative. The present research effort reveals that the latter solution is beneficial from an environmental point of view, with an estimated yearly carbon storage of 23 million tonnes worldwide against emissions of 2.5 million tonnes to do it.
Baseline and usual triglyceride-glucose index and the risk of chronic kidney disease: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Kunutsor Setor K. , Seidu Samuel , Kurl Sudhir , Laukkanen Jari A. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractTriglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is an emerging marker of adverse cardiometabolic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The long-term relevance of TyG index to chronic kidney disease (CKD) is uncertain. We aimed to assess the association of TyG index with CKD risk and its utility in risk prediction in a prospective study. The TyG index was calculated using fasting triglycerides and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels measured in 2362 men aged 42–61 years with normal kidney function using the formula: Ln (fasting triglycerides [mg/dL] × FPG [mg/dL]/2). Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals, CIs) were estimated for CKD. Correction for within-person variability was made using data from repeat measurements of triglycerides and FPG taken 11 years after baseline. Over a median follow-up duration of 17.5 years, 223 CKD cases were recorded. The age-adjusted regression dilution ratio for the TyG index was 0.54 (95% CI, 0.48–0.60). The risk of CKD increased continuously with increasing TyG index across the range 9.3 to 11.6 (p value for nonlinearity<.001). In analysis adjusted for established risk factors, a unit higher TyG index was associated with an increased risk of CKD (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.24–2.05). Comparing extreme tertiles of the TyG index, the corresponding adjusted HR (95% CI) for CKD was 1.61 (1.15–2.27). Addition of the TyG index to a CKD risk prediction model containing established risk factors improved risk discrimination and reclassification (p value for difference in −2 log likelihood<.001; NRI=47.66%, p=.014; IDI=0.0164, p<.001). Higher TyG index is associated with an increased risk of CKD and improves the prediction and classification of CKD beyond established risk factors. Using single baseline estimations of the TyG index to investigate its association with CKD risk could considerably under-estimate the true association.
Physiological and psychological responses to tended plant communities with varying color characteristics
Authors: Zheng Siyuan , Zhou Yanzhen , Qu Haiyan 
Published: January 2024

AbstractExposure to plants has been reported to promote health and reduce stress, and plant color has direct impacts on physical and mental health. We used images of common types of tended plant communities in Shenyang, China, with combinations of yellow, green, and red foliage, as experimental stimuli. A total of 27 images were used as visual stimuli. We used electroencephalography to measure α wave activity (8–13 Hz) in 40 subjects while they viewed visual stimuli. These data were combined with subjective questionnaire data to analyze the relaxing effect of images of tended plant communities with different color types and proportions on people. The results revealed that, although there were slight differences between the electroencephalography and psychological findings, women were significantly more relaxed than men after viewing the images. Physiological and psychological responses varied with the types and proportions of colors in the tended plant communities: those of foliage with combinations of two or three colors induced stronger responses than images with a single color. Specifically, (1) for one-color plant communities, green or yellow plant communities induced a stronger relaxation effect than red plant communities; (2) for two-color plant communities, the optimal color proportion was 55% + 45%, and the green + yellow and green + red color combinations induced a stronger relaxation effect; (3) for three-color plant communities, the relaxation effect was strongest when the color proportion was 55% green + 25% yellow + 20% red. These data would provide a plant color matching in future plant landscape design, which may be helpful for creating healthy and relaxing environments.
Graphical abstract
Serum and Seminal Plasma Levels of Lead and Arsenic in Cigarette Smokers and Their Relation to the Semen Parameters
Authors: Farag Azza Gaber Antar , Badr Eman Abd-Elfatah , Kholif Alaa Osama Ali , Khalifa Mostafa Nabil , Ghanem Mai Medhat Mohamed 
Published: January 2024

AbstractMale infertility along with altered semen parameters have been related to smoking. Smoking-related elevations in serum and seminal lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) may play a role in mediating the toxic effects of smoking on seminogram. This research aims to determine whether smoking has any significant impact on Pb and As levels in the seminal plasma and serum, as well as on the various semen parameters, when compared to nonsmokers. In total, 80 adult males were included: 60 smokers and 20 age-matched nonsmokers. Based on the number of cigarettes smoked/day (CPD), the smokers were categorized into mild (1–10), moderate (11–20), and severe (> 20). The analysis of semen was conducted in accordance with the 2010 WHO laboratory manual. Using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Pb and As concentrations in the serum and seminal plasma of all groups were determined. Compared to nonsmokers, smokers had a significantly reduced sperm count, motility, and viability, as well as a larger percentage of aberrant forms (P = 0.001, 0.025, 0.034, 0.002 respectively). Smokers had higher Pb concentrations in their serum and seminal fluid than nonsmokers (P = 0.002, 0.001 respectively). Seminal Pb had a significant negative correlation with sperm count (P = 0.004, r = -0.320). Serum Pb levels were found to positively correlate with seminal Pb levels (P 0.001, r = 0.648), and cigarette smokers had substantially greater seminal As levels than nonsmokers (P = 0.024). Sperm viability was strongly inversely related to seminal As (P = 0.042, r = -0.264). Seminal As levels and aberrant sperm shapes were found to be significantly correlated (P = 0.001, r = 0.414). In smokers, a significant positive relationship between seminal As and seminal Pb was observed. Therefore, semen parameters could be adversely affected by smoking through high levels of Pb and As (P = 0.012, r = 0.298).
Fluvoxamine Exerts Sigma-1R to Rescue Autophagy via Pom121-Mediated Nucleocytoplasmic Transport of TFEB
Authors: Lin Chun-Yu , Wu Hsiang-En , Weng Eddie Feng-Ju , Wu Hsuan-Cheng , Su Tsung-Ping , Wang Shao-Ming 
Published: January 2024

AbstractExpansion of the GGGGCC-RNA repeat is a known cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which currently have no cure. Recent studies have indicated the activation of Sigma-1 receptor plays an important role in providing neuroprotection, especially in ALS and Alzheimer’s disease. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying Sigma-1R activation and its effect on (G4C2)n-RNA-induced cell death remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that fluvoxamine is a Sigma-1R agonist that can increase chaperone activity and stabilize the protein expression of Pom121 in (G4C2)31-RNA-expressing NSC34 cells, leading to increased colocalization at the nuclear envelope. Interestingly, fluvoxamine treatment increased Pom121 protein expression without affecting transcription. In C9orf72-ALS, the nuclear translocation of TFEB autophagy factor decreased owing to nucleocytoplasmic transport defects. Our results showed that pretreatment of NSC34 cells with fluvoxamine promoted the shuttling of TFEB into the nucleus and elevated the expression of LC3-II compared to the overexpression of (G4C2)31-RNA alone. Additionally, even when used alone, fluvoxamine increases Pom121 expression and TFEB translocation. To summarize, fluvoxamine may act as a promising repurposed medicine for patients with C9orf72-ALS, as it stabilizes the nucleoporin Pom121 and promotes the translocation of TFEB in (G4C2)31-RNA-expressing NSC34 cells.
Cutoffs to Identify Restricted Life-space Mobility in Older Adults Across Different Contexts: The International Mobility in Aging Study
Authors: Curcio Carmen-Lucia , Pérez-Trujillo Manuel , Gomes Cristiano , Guerra Ricardo , Duque-Méndez Néstor 
Published: January 2024

Abstractdifferent populations have different averages of life-space assessment scores and defining cutoff values of clinical significance by each population should take into consideration. Different cutoffs to define restricted life space have been reported. The most common is a score of 60 points. There are other cutoffs derived from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and used to classify older adults according to their ability in activities of daily living (ADLs) (52.3 points) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) (56 points); other cutoffs are specialized for people with cognitive impairment (26.75 points) or people with spinal cord injury who need mobility aids (78.5 points). The aims were to identify cutoff points of Life Space Assessment (LSA) in older adults in different sites and to determine the relationship of the cutoff scores with mobility disability and depression. The study population was composed of community-dwelling adults aged 65–74 years who were not institutionalized. An ROC analysis was constructed, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to identify the optimal cutoff that discriminates life-space restriction for each city. Logistic regressions were executed by site to comprehend the association among restricted LSA and mobility disability and depression. In total, 1890 participants were included in the analyses (52.38% women, 37.19% mobility disability and 21.32% had depression). Canada cities had the highest cutoff, while Tirana and Natal had the lowest cutoff (< 50). Kingston was the site with the highest association between life-space restriction and mobility disability (OR 5.4, 95% CI 2.9–10). Saint-Hyacinthe, Tirana, and Manizales had significant associations between depression and restricted life space (OR 3.25, 95% CI 1.53–6.89, OR 3.14, 95% CI 1.88–5.24, and OR 3.99, 95% CI 2.28–6.98, respectively). Different cutoffs to define restricted life-space have been identified in elderly people at different sites. The analysis of the relationship between the restricted life space and personal characteristics like depression and mobility disability supported these findings. The groupings produced by the cutoff points for each site showed notable variations. These findings emphasize the importance of population-based cutoffs to improve the general applicability of LSM criteria and take into consideration the importance of site-specific approaches.
User Behavior Mining
Authors: Rehse Jana-Rebecca , Abb Luka , Berg Gregor , Bormann Carsten , Kampik Timotheus , Warmuth Christian 
Published: January 2024

AbstractStudying the behavior of users in software systems has become an essential task for software vendors who want to mitigate usability problems and identify automation potentials, or for researchers who want to test behavioral theories. One approach to studying user behavior in a data-driven way is through the analysis of so-called user interaction (UI) logs, which record the low-level activities that a user performs while executing a task. In the paper, the authors refer to the analysis of UI logs as User Behavior Mining (UBM) and position it as a research topic. UBM is conceptualized by means of a four-component framework that elaborates how UBM data can be captured, which technologies can be applied to analyze it, which objectives UBM can accomplish, and how theories can guide the analytical process. The applicability of the framework is demonstrated by three exemplary applications from an ongoing research project with a partner company. Finally, the paper discusses practical challenges to UBM and derives an agenda for potential future research directions.