bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pressure from insect‐resistant maize on protected butterflies and moths
Authors: Otto Mathias , Papastefanou Phillip , Fahse Lorenz 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIntensification in agriculture affects many insect species, including butterflies. Insect‐resistant crops, such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) maize, which produces a toxin active against Lepidoptera, are an alternative to insecticide sprays. Genetically modified crops are regulated in most countries and require an environmental risk assessment. In the European Union, such assessments include the use of simulation models to predict the effects on nontarget Lepidoptera (NTL). To support the assessment of protected NTL, we extended an individual‐based, stochastic, spatially explicit mathematical model (LepiX) to include a wider range of exposure scenarios, a species‐sensitivity distribution, and an option for repeated exposure of individuals. We applied the model to transgenic maize DAS‐1507, which expresses a high concentration of Bt toxin in pollen that may be consumed by NTL larvae on their host plants nearby. Even in the most conservative scenario without repeated exposure, mortality estimates for highly sensitive species ranged from 41% to 6% at distances of 10–1000 m from the nearest maize field. Repeated exposure can cause additional mortality and thus is relevant for the overall risk assessment. Uncertainties in both exposure and ecotoxicity estimates strongly influenced the predicted mortalities. Care should be taken to include these uncertainties in the model scenarios used for decision‐making. In accordance with other modeling results, our simulations demonstrated that mean mortality may not be safe for protected species. With its high pollen expression, DAS‐1507 maize may pose risks to sensitive and protected butterfly and moth species that may be difficult to manage. High expression of Bt toxin in pollen is unnecessary for controlling target pests. Consequently, we suggest that Bt maize with high pollen expression not be cultivated in regions where protected butterflies are to be conserved.
Assessing the causal association between human blood metabolites and the risk of gout
Authors: Xie Yufeng , Li Yanfang , Zhang Jianmei , Chen Yun , Ren Rong , Xiao Lu , Chen Min 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe occurrence of gout is closely related to metabolism, but there is still a lack of evidence on the causal role of metabolites in promoting or preventing gout.MethodsWe applied a two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the association between 486 serum metabolites and gout using genome‐wide association study statistics. The inverse variance weighting method was used to generate the main results, while sensitivity analyses using MR‐Egger, weighted median, Cochran's Q test, Egger intercept test, and leave‐one‐out analysis, were performed to assess the stability and reliability of the results. We also performed a metabolic pathway analysis to identify potential metabolic pathways.ResultsAfter screening, 486 metabolites were retained for MR analysis. After screening by IVW and sensitivity analysis, 14 metabolites were identified with causal effect on gout (P < 0.05), among which hexadecanedioate was the most significant candidate metabolite associated with a lower risk of gout (IVW OR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.38–0.67; P = 1.65 × 10−6). Metabolic pathway analysis identified one pathway that may be associated with the disease.ConclusionThis MR study combining genomics with metabolomics provides a novel insight into the causal role of blood metabolites in the risk of gout, which implies that examination of certain blood metabolites would be a feasible strategy for screening populations with a higher risk of gout.
Meta‐analytical evidence that males prefer virgin females
Authors: Richardson Jon , Zuk Marlene 
Published: November 2023

AbstractMales are often predicted to prefer virgin over non‐virgin females because of the reduced risk of sperm competition. Does this prediction hold across studies? Our systematic meta‐analysis of 138 studies, mainly conducted in invertebrates, confirms that males generally prefer virgin females. However, males preferred virgin females even in species with last male sperm precedence, suggesting that sperm competition alone does not drive male preferences. Furthermore, our results suggest that males may reject mated females even when no alternative exists. Preference for virgins is unlikely to influence female reproductive success since virginity cannot be selected for, but strong preference for virgin females could swamp or reinforce selection on other traits. Our results add to growing evidence that males are not indiscriminate in mating. However, given the unexplained heterogeneity in effect sizes, we urge caution in assuming that males will prefer virgins and recommend considering the natural context of mating decisions.
Undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea syndrome as a treatable cause of new‐onset sleepiness in some post‐COVID patients
Authors: Menzler Katja , Mayr Petra , Knake Susanne , Cassel Werner , Viniol Christian , Reitz Lena , Tsalouchidou Panagiota‐Eleni , Janzen Annette , Anschuetz Katja , Mross Peter , Koehler Ulrich 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackground and purposeInfection with COVID‐19 can lead to persistent sequelae, such as fatigue, daytime sleepiness or disturbed sleep, that can remain for more than 12 weeks and that are summarized as post‐COVID syndrome. The causes remain unclear. The present study investigated the presence of sleep disorders in patients with post‐COVID syndrome using polysomnography.MethodsThirty‐four patients with post‐COVID syndrome and new‐onset fatigue and sleepiness after a SARS‐CoV2 infection underwent polysomnography in accordance with American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) standards as part of their clinical workup. Analysis was performed visually based on AASM criteria (scoring manual version 2.6, 2020).ResultsPolysomnography revealed a sleep efficiency of <80% in 50% of patients and a mean respiratory disturbance index (RDI) of 9.9 ± 15.4/h. Excluding central apneas, 12 patients (35%) had an RDI of ≥5/h, pointing to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS; AASM 2014). Patients with a high RDI were significantly older (p = 0.01) and showed a trend towards a higher body mass index (p = 0.08) than patients with a normal RDI but had no other risk factors for OSAS. Six patients agreed to long‐term treatment of their OSAS and all reported discontinuation of daytime symptoms.ConclusionsPost‐COVID symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, fatigue and memory and concentration problems may in part be a result of reduced sleep efficiency and sleep apnea in a relevant percentage of patients. This possibly treatable cause of the symptoms should be kept in mind in patients presenting with post‐COVID syndrome.
Spatial and temporal trends in the relative abundance of Caspian sturgeon during 2006–2022
Authors: Fazli Hasan , Abdolmaleki Shahram , Kaymaram Farhad , Khoshghalb Mohammad Reza Behrouz 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWe used the bycatch of Caspian sturgeon to quantify the species composition, length structure, spatial and temporal distribution, temporal dynamics of relative abundance (indexed as catch‐per‐unit‐effort, CPUE), effects of fingerlings released, and to forecast future sturgeon stock status. Dynamic factor analysis of temporal changes in species CPUE was used to quantify relationships to environmental variables (sea surface temperature, chlorophyll‐a, sea surface level, and river discharge) during 2006–2022. We found that the Guilan subarea had the lowest relative abundance and differed from all other subareas. Fish abundance was highest in October and November, particularly in Mazandaran and Golestan coastal waters. Relative fish abundance declined significantly over time. Acipenser persicus was the most abundant species, followed by Aciperser gueldenstaedtii, Aciperser stellatus, Aciperser nudiventris, and Huso huso. The annual number of fingerlings released decreased during 2000–2021. Over the years, environmental variables such as sea surface level, sea surface temperature, and chlorophyll‐a showed different trends, with sea surface temperature generally increasing, chlorophyll‐a generally decreasing, sea surface level decreasing nearly linearly, and river discharge varying erratically without a trend in the southern Caspian Sea during 2006–2022. The relative abundance of all species decreased and was significantly related to sea surface level. Fish abundance was forecasted to decline by 2025, as sea surface temperature increases and sea surface level decreases. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) harvest of sturgeon must be effectively regulated to ensure the survival and recovery of sturgeon populations in the Caspian Sea.
Enhanced growth resistance but no decline in growth resilience under long‐term extreme droughts
Authors: Wang Xiaona , Xu Taoran , Xu Chenxi , Liu Hongyan , Chen Zhenju , Li Zongshan , Li Ximeng , Wu Xiuchen 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme droughts, with devastating impacts on tree growth and survival, have increased with climate change over the past decades. Assessing growth resistance and resilience to drought is a crucial prerequisite for understanding the responses of forest functioning to drought events. However, the responses of growth resistance and resilience to extreme droughts with different durations across different climatic zones remain unclear. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal patterns in growth resistance and resilience in response to extreme droughts with different durations during 1901–2015, relying on tree‐ring chronologies from 2389 forest stands over the mid‐ and high‐latitudinal Northern Hemisphere, species‐specific plant functional traits, and diverse climatic factors. The findings revealed that growth resistance and resilience under 1‐year droughts were higher in humid regions than in arid regions. Significant higher growth resistance was observed under 2‐year droughts than under 1‐year droughts in both arid and humid regions, while growth resilience did not show a significant difference. Temporally, tree growth became less resistant and resilient to 1‐year droughts in 1980–2015 than in 1901–1979 in both arid and humid regions. As drought duration lengthened, the predominant impacts of climatic factors on growth resistance and resilience weakened and instead foliar economic traits, plant hydraulic traits, and soil properties became much more important in both climatic regions; in addition, such trends were also observed temporally. Finally, we found that most of the Earth system models (ESMs) used in this study overestimated growth resistance and underestimated growth resilience under both 1‐year and 2‐year droughts. A comprehensive ecophysiological understanding of tree growth responses to longer and intensified drought events is urgently needed, and a specific emphasis should be placed on improving the performance of ESMs.
China's conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands offset much of the reclamation‐induced blue carbon losses
Authors: Fan Bingxiong , Li Yangfan 
Published: November 2023

AbstractChina's coastal wetlands have experienced large losses and gains with rapid coastal reclamation and restoration since the end of the 20th century. However, owing to the difficulties in mapping soil organic carbon (SOC) in blue carbon stocks of coastal wetlands on a national scale, little is known about the spatial pattern of SOC stock in China's coastal wetlands and the loss and gain of SOC stock following coastal reclamation, conservation, and restoration over the past decades. Here, we developed a SOC stock map in China's coastal wetlands at 30 m spatial resolution, analyzed the spatial variability and driving factors of SOC stocks, and finally estimated SOC losses and gains due to coastal reclamation and wetland management from 1990 to 2020. We found that the total SOC stocks in China's coastal wetlands were 77.8 Tg C by 2020 with 3.6 Tg C in mangroves, 8.8 Tg C in salt marshes, and 65.4 Tg C in mudflats. Temperature, rainfall, and seawater salinity exerted the highest relative contributions to SOC spatial variability. The spatial trend of SOC density gradually decreased from south to north except for Liaoning province, with the lowest density in Shandong province. About 24.9% (19.4 Tg C) of SOC stocks in China's coastal wetlands were lost due to high‐intensity reclamation, but SOC stock gained from conservation and restoration offset the reclamation‐induced losses by 58.2% (11.3 Tg C) over the past three decades. These findings demonstrated the great potential of conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands in reversing the loss trend of blue carbon and contributing to the mitigation of climate change toward carbon neutrality. Our study provides significant spatial insights into the stocks, sequestration, and recovery capacity of blue carbon following rapid urbanization and management actions, which benefit the progress of global blue carbon management.
Climate change and cooling equity: Spatial dynamics of vulnerable populations
Authors: Kim Sungyop , Kim Dohyung 
Published: November 2023

AbstractClimate change disproportionately affects low‐income and minority populations. This study identified vulnerable populations to extreme heat, focusing on home air conditioning. State and municipal laws and regulations usually consider home air conditioning an amenity rather than a requirement for habitability such as heat, water, and electricity. Using the historical census data and the American Housing Survey data, this study identified the vulnerable populations to extreme heat and their spatial dynamic in Los Angeles County, CA. This study found that low‐income minority populations are more likely to live without home air conditioning, and they are more likely to be exposed to extreme heat in the coming years if their residential location patterns continue. Changing spatial patterns of low‐income and minority populations need to be incorporated into urban and regional planning for climate change. State regulations and municipal codes should require air conditioning as a habitability requirement for cooling equity. Also, cooling stations that provide immediate relief for those without home air conditioning need strategic placements based on the locational concentration of the vulnerable populations.
Blockchain technology for enhancing sustainable food systems: A consumer perspective
Authors: Panghal Anupama , Pan Sharmistha , Vern Priyanka , Mor Rahul S. , Jagtap Sandeep 
Published: November 2023

SummaryThis paper explores the potential of blockchain technology (BCT) in promoting sustainable food production and consumption (SFPC) from a consumer perspective. India, a significant global food producer, faces challenges related to affordability and food logistics due to transport and labour constraints. Food safety concerns, that is, foodborne illnesses and quality issues, alongside unexpected events like COVID‐19 and geopolitical conflicts, threaten SFPC. In recent times, consumer focus has shifted a lot towards food safety and security. The study adopted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the factors strengthening consumer trust through BCT. The EFA helped classify the items into five factors, that is, reliability, sustainability, impact on health, trust and switching intentions. The results reveal that these factors are the most significant reasons consumers are willing to accept a blockchain‐enabled food system over a traditional system. The study findings will benefit organisations willing to introduce blockchain within their operations to improve the consumer base. It will also prove to be helpful for researchers and academicians to understand consumer perspectives towards BCT for SFPC.
Machine learning and single‐cell transcriptome profiling reveal regulation of fibroblast activation through THBS2/TGFβ1/P‐Smad2/3 signalling pathway in hypertrophic scar
Authors: Song Binyu , Zhu Yuhan , Zhao Ying , Wang Kai , Peng Yixuan , Chen Lin , Yu Zhou , Song Baoqiang 
Published: November 2023

AbstractHypertrophic scar (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix, and the mechanisms underlying their formation remain poorly understood. We analysed scRNA‐seq data from samples of normal skin and HS. Using the hdWGCNA method, key gene modules of fibroblasts in HS were identified. Non‐negative matrix factorization was employed to perform subtype analysis of HS patients using these gene modules. Multiple machine learning algorithms were applied to screen and validate accurate gene signatures for identifying and predicting HS, and a convolutional neural network (CNN) based on deep learning was established and validated. Quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were performed to measure mRNA and protein expression. Immunofluorescence was used for gene localization analysis, and biological features were assessed through CCK8 and wound healing assay. Single‐cell sequencing revealed distinct subpopulations of fibroblasts in HS. HdWGCNA identified key gene characteristics of this population, and pseudotime analysis was conducted to investigate gene variation during fibroblast differentiation. By employing various machine learning algorithms, the gene range was narrowed down to three key genes. A CNN was trained using the expression of these key genes and immune cell infiltration, enabling diagnosis and prediction of HS. Functional experiments demonstrated that THBS2 is associated with fibroblast proliferation and migration in HS and affects the formation and development of HS through the TGFβ1/P‐Smad2/3 pathway. Our study identifies unique fibroblast subpopulations closely associated with HS and provides biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of HS.
Responsible Investors: Who They Are, What They Want
Authors: Lydenberg Steve 
Published: November 2023

This article by a long‐time partner in Domini Social Investments, a well‐known socially responsible investment firm, begins by describing four different approaches that institutional investors have currently adopted as they account for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in their investment decisions: (1) the incorporation of internationally accepted ESG norms and standards (as set forth in, for example, the FTSE4Good Indexes); (2) the use of industry‐specific ESG ratings and rankings (such as those used for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes); (3) the integration of ESG considerations into stock valuation (as advocated, for example, in the Principles of Responsible Investment); and (4) the identification of companies whose business models successfully address the most pressing societal needs (often referred to as “impact investing”).The article then seeks to answer the question: what corporate ESG programs and policies can be most effectively used by managers seeking to attract institutional investors using these different approaches?The author describes three kinds of corporate ESG programs. In one approach, corporate managers focus on strengthening relations with non‐investor stakeholders, including employees, the environment, and local communities. In the second approach, corporations seek to create “shared value” by emphasizing products and services that help address society's most pressing needs. The third approach focuses on identifying and addressing the firm's industry‐specific ESG performance indicators (KPIs) that are most material to stockholders and other stakeholders.Given institutional investors' growing commitment to the incorporation of ESG concerns, corporate managers should understand the range of investors' approaches to ESG and how to account for them in their strategic planning. At the same time, they are encouraged to develop comprehensive ESG policies and goals, devote adequate resources to their implementation, and communicate efforts effectively to these investors and to the public.
Access to Non‐reimbursed Expensive Cancer Treatments: A Justice Perspective
Authors: Smids Jilles , Bunnik Eline M. 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACTWhen the cost‐effectiveness of newly approved cancer treatments is insufficient or unclear, they may not (immediately) be eligible for reimbursement through basic health insurance in publicly funded healthcare systems. Patients may seek access to non‐reimbursed treatment through other channels, including individual funding requests made to hospitals, health insurers, or pharmaceutical companies. Alternatively, they may try to pay out of pocket for non‐reimbursed treatments. While currently little is known of these practices, they run counter to a deeply held egalitarian ethos that is prevalent in many publicly funded healthcare systems. In this article, we investigate to what extent this ethos can be grounded in theories of justice, notably egalitarianism and prioritarianism. We argue that allowing out‐of‐pocket payments by patients themselves, in principle, is not unjust from the perspective of either of these theories, provided that it does not raise in‐practice justice‐based concerns, for instance by displacing more cost‐effective care, to the detriment of other patients, or by failing to treat patients equally. In contrast, we conclude that the practice of making exceptions for individual patients by health insurers or healthcare providers does run counter to the justice‐based requirements of equal treatment.
FKBP3 aggravates the malignant phenotype of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma by PARK7‐mediated activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling
Authors: Xing Xiaojing , Liu Meichen , Wang Xuguang , Guo Qianxue , Wang Hongyue , Wang Wenxue 
Published: November 2023

AbstractDiffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is difficult to treat due to the high recurrence rate and therapy intolerance, so finding potential therapeutic targets for DLBCL is critical. FK506‐binding protein 3 (FKBP3) contributes to the progression of various cancers and is highly expressed in DLBCL, but the role of FKBP3 in DLBCL and its mechanism are not clear. Our study demonstrated that FKBP3 aggravated the proliferation and stemness of DLBCL cells, and tumour growth in a xenograft mouse model. The interaction between FKBP3 and parkinsonism associated deglycase (PARK7) in DB cells was found using co‐immunoprecipitation assay. Knockdown of FKBP3 enhanced the degradation of PARK7 through increasing its ubiquitination modification. Forkhead Box O3 (FOXO3) belongs to the forkhead family of transcription factors and inhibits DLBCL, but the underlying mechanism has not been reported. We found that FOXO3 bound the promoter of FKBP3 and then suppressed its transcription, eventually weakening DLBCL. Mechanically, FKBP3 activated Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway mediated by PARK7. Together, FKBP3 increased PARK7 and then facilitated the malignant phenotype of DLBCL through activating Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. These results indicated that FKBP3 might be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of DLBCL.