bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring the challenges and solutions for river scour in dynamic environments: a comprehensive review
Authors: Rafiqii Muzamil Ahmad , Lone M.A. , Tantray M.A. 
Published: December 2023

Purpose
This study aims to provide a review for scour in complex rivers and streams with coarser bed material, steep longitudinal bed slopes and dynamic environments, in the interest of the safety and the economy of hydraulic structures. The knowledge of scour in such geographical complexities is very crucial for a comprehensive understanding of scour failures and for establishing definitive criteria to bridge this major research gap.

Design/methodology/approach
The existing available literature shows significant work done in case of silt, sand and small sized coarser bed material but any substantial work for bed material of gravel size or above is lacking, resulting in a wide gap. Though some researchers have attempted to explore possibilities of refining the existing models by adding pier size, shape, sediment non-uniformity and armouring effects, which otherwise have been given a miss by the various researchers, including the pioneer in the field Lacey–Inglis (1930). But still, a rational model for scour estimation in such complex conditions for global use is yet to come. This is because all the parameters governing the scour have not been studied properly till date as is evident from the globally available literature and is witnessed in the field too, in recurrent failure of hydraulic structures especially bridges.

Findings
The researchers presume that the finer materials move only as a result of erosion. However, in actual field conditions, it has been observed that the large-sized stones also roll down and cause huge erosion along the river bed and damage the hydraulic structures, especially in the steep river/stream beds along hilly slopes. This fact has been overlooked in the models available globally and has been highlighted only in the current work in an attempt to recognize this major research gap. A study carried out on a number of streams globally and in Jammu and Kashmir, India also, has shown that in steep river and stream beds with bed material consisting of gravel size or greater than gravel, large scour holes ranging from 1 m to 5 m were created by furious floods, and due to other unknown forces along the channel path and near foundations of hydraulic structures.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is purely original.
Testicular fine‐needle aspiration in infertile men with absolute non‐obstructive azoospermia: A single‐centre cohort study
Authors: Sakas Jawad , Radin Orit , Abrahami Noa , Altshuler Osnat , Younis Johnny S. 
Published: December 2023

BackgroundThe methodology of surgically extracted sperm cells in fertility treatments remains debated, mainly due to the lack of data evaluating its predictive value on treatment outcomes.AimTo gain insight into the effectiveness of testicular fine‐needle aspiration (TEFNA) in a cohort of infertile men with absolute non‐obstructive azoospermia and to examine whether the number of retrieved sperm cells affects the fertilisation rate.Materials and MethodsA total of 89 infertile men, aged 26–47, meticulously diagnosed with non‐obstructive azoospermia, participated in the study. All participants underwent TEFNA. The primary outcome measure was the TEFNA success rate in retrieving mature sperm. The secondary outcome measures included fertilisation rate, clinical pregnancy rates, and live births associated with the retrieved sperm.ResultsSperm cells were successfully retrieved from 40 out of 89 patients (45%) with no significant postoperative complications. Retrieval of up to ten sperm cells occurred in 11 procedures (25%); ten procedures (22.7%) resulted in producing dozens of sperm cells, and 100s to 1000s of sperm cells were obtained from the remainder of 23 procedures (52.3%). Patients whose TEFNA resulted in only a few sperm cells had a much lower fertilisation rate (16.6%) than the other two groups (40.1% and 47.2%, respectively, P = 0.003).ConclusionsThe utilisation of TEFNA for sperm extraction in men with non‐obstructive azoospermia is a simple, fast‐learning, effective, and safe treatment option. In cases where sperm retrieval was successful, the fertilisation rate was strongly related to the number of sperm cells obtained.
Confounding mitigation for the exposure‐response relationship of bevacizumab in colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Lobet Sarah , Caulet Morgane , Paintaud Gilles , Azzopardi Nicolas , Desvignes Céline , Chautard Romain , Borg Christophe , Capitain Olivier , Ferru Aurélie , Bouché Olivier , Lecomte Thierry , Ternant David 
Published: December 2023

AimsThe exposure‐response relationship of bevacizumab may be confounded by various factors, including baseline characteristics, time‐dependent target engagement and recursive relationships between exposure and response, requiring effective mitigation. This study aimed to investigate the exposure‐response relationships of bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients while mitigating potential biases.MethodsBevacizumab pharmacokinetics was described using target‐mediated drug disposition modelling. Relationships between target kinetics, progression‐free (PFS) and overall (OS) survivals were assessed using joint pharmacokinetic and parametric hazard function models. Both prognostic‐driven and response‐driven potential biases were mitigated. These models evaluated the impact of increased antigen target levels, clearance and intensified dosing regimen on survival.ResultsEstimated target‐mediated pharmacokinetic parameters in 130 assessed patients were baseline target levels (R0 = 8.4 nM), steady‐state dissociation constant (KSS = 10 nM) and antibody‐target complexes elimination constant (kint = 0.52 day−1). The distribution of R0 was significantly associated with increased baseline concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen, circulating vascular endothelial growth factor and the presence of extrahepatic metastases. Unbound target levels (R) significantly influenced both progression and death hazard functions. Increasing baseline target levels and/or clearance values led to decreased bevacizumab unbound concentrations, increased R levels and shortened PFS and OS, while increasing bevacizumab dose led to decreased R and longer survival.ConclusionThis study is the first to demonstrate the relationship between bevacizumab concentrations, target involvement and clinical efficacy by effectively mitigating potential sources of bias. Most of the target amount may be tumoural in mCRC. Future studies should provide a more in‐depth description of this relationship.
The ethics of expert communication
Authors: Desmond Hugh 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDespite its public visibility and impact on policy, the activity of expert communication rarely receives more than a passing mention in codes of scientific integrity. This paper makes the case for an ethics of expert communication, introducing a framework where expert communication is represented as an intrinsically ethical activity of a deliberative agent. Ethical expert communication cannot be ensured by complying with various requirements, such as restricting communications to one's area of expertise or disclosing conflicts of interest. Expert communication involves morally laden trade‐offs that must be weighed by a deliberative agent. A basic normative framework is introduced, and concrete provisions are proposed for codes of scientific integrity.
Bee species richness through time in an urbanizing landscape of the southeastern United States
Authors: Ruzi Selina A. , Youngsteadt Elsa , Cherveny April Hamblin , Kettenbach Jessica , Levenson Hannah K. , Carley Danesha Seth , Collazo Jaime A. , Irwin Rebecca E. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractCompared to non‐urban environments, cities host ecological communities with altered taxonomic diversity and functional trait composition. However, we know little about how these urban changes take shape over time. Using historical bee (Apoidea: Anthophila) museum specimens supplemented with online repositories and researcher collections, we investigated whether bee species richness tracked urban and human population growth over the past 118 years. We also determined which species were no longer collected, whether those species shared certain traits, and if collector behavior changed over time. We focused on Wake County, North Carolina, United States where human population size has increased over 16 times over the last century along with the urban area within its largest city, Raleigh, which has increased over four times. We estimated bee species richness with occupancy models, and rarefaction and extrapolation curves to account for imperfect detection and sample coverage. To determine if bee traits correlated with when species were collected, we compiled information on native status, nesting habits, diet breadth, and sociality. We used non‐metric multidimensional scaling to determine if individual collectors contributed different bee assemblages over time. In total, there were 328 species collected in Wake County. We found that although bee species richness varied, there was no clear trend in bee species richness over time. However, recent collections (since 2003) were missing 195 species, and there was a shift in trait composition, particularly lost species were below‐ground nesters. The top collectors in the dataset differed in how often they collected bee species, but this was not consistent between historic and contemporary time periods; some contemporary collectors grouped closer together than others, potentially due to focusing on urban habitats. Use of historical collections and complimentary analyses can fill knowledge gaps to help understand temporal patterns of species richness in taxonomic groups that may not have planned long‐term data.
Principle and applications of near‐infrared imaging for fruit quality assessment—An overview
Authors: Patel Krishna Kumar , Pathare Pankaj B. 
Published: December 2023

SummaryThe quality (i.e. the degree of excellence and acceptance to the consumer) evaluation and safety of fruit and other agricultural products is by far the main challenging task in the food industries. Hence, the development of efficient non‐invasive, real‐time and rapid‐quality assessment tools and techniques is the need of the hour. This review paper aims to provide the basic or fundamental knowledge regarding the principle, potential and application of near‐infrared imaging‐based computer vision systems. Non‐invasive technologies, based on optical properties, are the most applicable and important for real‐time quality assessment. Absorption, reflection and scattering before the transmission of incident light are phenomenon properties of biological materials. The principle and application of NIR imaging (i.e. medical imaging) in agriculture for quality detection were studied from various published research papers. Thus, collected pieces of information are summarised, concluded and discussed in a unique way in this report. The NIR spectrum of electromagnetic waves has some basic benefits of light penetration into the upper layer and makes visualisation of the targeted area of objects. Several studies have proved that the non‐destructive system based on visible and non‐visible imaging in combination has a significant role in quality defect detection in fruits. In NIR imaging, the artefacts caused by light illumination can be reduced and it will help in the visualisation of biological tissues and hidden defects just below the peel.
Decline in measured glomerular filtration rate is associated with simple renal cyst in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Qiaoling Fu , Jingyi Lu , Yan Li , Wen Li , Chaoying Yang , Mingliang Zhang , Lei Zhang 
Published: December 2023

AbstractAims/IntroductionSimple renal cysts (SRC) are associated with age, hypertension and hyperuricemia, which are risk factors of renal impairment. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of SRC and its association with measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in China.MethodsA total of 3,552 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted to Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital from January 2012 to December 2016 were investigated. All participants were diagnosed as SRC by color Doppler, and all participants were measured for GFR by using dynamic renal scintigraphy with technetium‐99m‐diethylene triamine peta‐acetic acid.ResultsThe prevalence of SRC was 17.4% (619 cases). Participants with SRC had significantly lower mGFR values than those without SRC (86.16 ± 26.20 vs 94.88 ± 23.98 mL/min/1.73 m2, P < 0.001). In 478 participants with unilateral renal cyst, the mGFR of the kidney affected by SRC was significantly lower than that of the unaffected kidney (43.32 ± 13.74 vs 44.18 ± 13.34 mL/min/1.73 m2, P = 0.014). The participants were divided into four groups according to the quartiles of mGFR level (≥109.50, 93.80–109.49, 76.90–93.79 and <76.90 mL/min/1.73 m2). The prevalence of SRC gradually increased with decreasing mGFR level (12.9, 13.9, 16.6 and 27.8%, respectively; P trend <0.01). After adjusting for age, sex, duration of diabetes, hypertension and other potential confounders, the logistic regression showed that SRC was an independent risk factor for impaired GFR (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2; odds ratio 1.656; 95% confidence interval 1.451–1.890, P < 0.001).ConclusionSRC is an independent risk factor for the decrease of mGFR in Chinese diabetes patients, and could affect the renal GFR measured by dynamic renal scintigraphy on the SRC side.
Epidemiology of mental health comorbidity in patients with atopic dermatitis: An analysis of global trends from 1998 to 2022
Authors: Cai Xiao‐ce , Wang Si‐han , Wang Chun‐xiao , Liu Liu , Wang Jiao , Shen Yu‐hong , Li Xin 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe prevalence rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety and suicide are increasing in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), although no research has systematically examined these trends yet. Here, we explore the prevalence of the occurrence of comorbidities, such as ADHD, depression, anxiety and suicide with AD. We searched seven electronic databases from inception to October 2022 to identify relevant studies, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) tools were used to assess the quality of observational studies. Statistical analysis was performed using R software. Publication bias was evaluated using Egger's and Begg's linear tests. The global prevalence rates of ADHD, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation in patients with AD were 7%, 17%, 21% and 13%, respectively, between 1998 and October 2022. Among children (aged <18 years), North American children with AD had the highest prevalence rates of ADHD (10%), depression (13%) and anxiety (20%). Among the adult (aged ≥18 years) population, patients with AD in Africa had the highest prevalence rates of depression (36%) and anxiety (44%), while Asian adults with AD had the highest prevalence rates of ADHD (7%) and suicidal ideation (20%). These results highlight the high prevalence and comorbidity rates of mental illnesses with AD, which should be brought to the attention of patients with AD and their physicians.
Correspondence: Morphological features of the greater occipital nerve and its possible importance for interventional procedures
Authors: Kaleeny Joseph , Janis Jeffrey 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis response applauds Saglam et al.'s (2023) recent study on the greater occipital nerve's anatomy while urging readers to consider earlier pivotal studies overlooked. It emphasizes how prior research has significantly shaped headache treatments and provides valuable insights for future practices and discussions.
Temperature during embryonic development in brown trout influences juvenile behaviour in encounters with predators
Authors: Filipsson K. , Bergman E. , Erlandsson A. , Greenberg L. , Österling M. , Watz J. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractVariation in thermal conditions during embryogenesis can have far‐reaching impact throughout ontogeny and may give rise to behavioural variation. Many animals, such as salmonids, exhibit behavioural trade‐offs related to foraging and predator avoidance. How embryonic temperature affects these behaviours has remained unexplored. Not only abiotic conditions during embryogenesis but also biotic factors such as predator conditioning may affect fish behaviour, especially anti‐predator responses. We examined how elevated temperatures and predator odours throughout embryogenesis affect the behaviour of 28–37 mm young‐of‐the‐year brown trout (Salmo trutta) in encounters with predators, namely Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar; 20 cm) and burbot (Lota lota; 40 cm). Juvenile brown trout were more active and aggressive if they were incubated in warmer water as eggs than if they were incubated in colder water, and trout remained inactive longer when encountering predators if they were cold incubated. Brown trout were less active and aggressive when an Atlantic salmon was present than when a burbot or no predator was present. Behavioural responses did not differ between trout that had been subjected to water with versus without predator odours during embryogenesis, possibly because brown trout were not subjected to conspecific alarm cues during egg incubation. This study shows that thermal conditions during embryogenesis can influence fish behaviour early in life and thus contribute to behavioural variation, with potential effects on life history. Considering the rapid warming of northern regions, elevated embryonic temperatures may contribute substantially to variation in salmonid behaviour in the near future.
Social jetlag and obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Arab Arman , Karimi Elham , Garaulet Marta , Scheer Frank A. J. L. 
Published: December 2023

SummarySocial jetlag, the weekly variation in sleep timing, is proposed to contribute to increased obesity risk, potentially because of the misalignment of behavioral cycles relative to the endogenous circadian timing system. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aim to determine the association between social jetlag and adiposity‐related measures using observational studies. We reviewed 477 references, of which 43 studies met inclusion criteria with a total sample size of 231,648. There was a positive association between social jetlag and body mass index (correlation coefficient [r]: 0.12; 95%CI, 0.07, 0.17; P < 0.001; I2 = 94.99%), fat mass (r: 0.10; 95%CI, 0.05, 0.15; P < 0.001; I2 = 0.00%), fat mass index (fat mass divided by height in meter squared, β: 0.14 kg/m2; 95%CI, 0.05, 0.23; P < 0.001; I2 = 56.50%), percent of body fat (r: 0.37; 95%CI, 0.33, 0.41; P < 0.001; I2 = 96.17%), waist circumference (r: 0.15; 95%CI, 0.06, 0.24; P = 0.001; I2 = 90.83%), and the risk of having overweight/obesity (odds ratio: 1.20; 95%CI, 1.02, 1.140; P = 0.039; I2 = 98.25%). Social jetlag is positively and consistently associated with multiple obesity‐related anthropometric measures. Further studies are needed to test causality, underlying mechanisms, and whether obesity interventions based on increasing regularity of the sleep/wake cycle can aid in the battle against the obesity pandemic.
Signaling between mammalian adiponectin and a mosquito adiponectin receptor reduces
Plasmodium
transmission
Authors: Chuang Yu-Min , Stone Helen , Abouneameh Selma , Tang Xiaotian , Fikrig Erol 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT

When a female mosquito engorges on a mammalian host, components of the blood meal can affect mosquito fitness and indirectly influence pathogen infectivity. We demonstrate that mammalian adiponectin, ingested during
Anopheles gambiae
blood feeding, co-localizes within mosquito midguts and decreases
Plasmodium
infection in the vector. Transcriptomic and RNAi studies reveal that the
A. gambiae
adiponectin receptor is involved in downregulating lipophorin, a lipid transporter that is important for egg development and
Plasmodium
infection in mosquitoes. These studies characterize a cross-phyla interaction between the mammalian host and
A. gambiae
that negatively impacts
Plasmodium
survival in its arthropod vector.

IMPORTANCE

When a female mosquito takes a blood meal from a mammalian host, components of the blood meal can affect mosquito fitness and indirectly influence pathogen infectivity. We identified a pathway involving an
Anopheles gambiae
adiponectin receptor, which, triggered by adiponectin from an incoming blood meal, decreases
Plasmodium
infection in the mosquito. Activation of this pathway negatively regulates lipophorin expression, an important lipid transporter that both enhances egg development and
Plasmodium
infection. This is an unrecognized cross-phyla interaction between a mosquito and its vertebrate host. These processes are critical to understanding the complex life cycle of mosquitoes and
Plasmodium
following a blood meal and may be applicable to other hematophagous arthropods and vector-borne infectious agents.
Purine and carbohydrate availability drive
Enterococcus faecalis
fitness during wound and urinary tract infections
Authors: Tan Casandra Ai Zhu , Chong Kelvin Kian Long , Yeong Daryl Yu Xuan , Ng Celine Hui Min , Ismail Muhammad Hafiz , Yap Zhei Hwee , Khetrapal Varnica , Tay Vanessa Shi Yun , Drautz-Moses Daniela I. , Ali Yusuf , Chen Swaine L. , Kline Kimberly A. 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT

Enterococcus faecalis
is commonly isolated from a variety of wound types. Despite its prevalence, the pathogenic mechanisms of
E. faecalis
during wound infection are poorly understood. Using a mouse wound infection model, we performed
in vivo E. faecalis
transposon sequencing and RNA sequencing to identify fitness determinants that are crucial for replication and persistence of
E. faecalis
during wound infection. We found that
E. faecalis
purine biosynthesis genes are important for bacterial replication during the early stages of wound infection, a time when purine metabolites are consumed by
E. faecalis
within wounds. We also found that the
E. faecalis
MptABCD phosphotransferase system (PTS), involved in the import of galactose and mannose, is crucial for
E. faecalis
persistence within wounds of both healthy and diabetic mice, especially when carbohydrate availability changes throughout the course of infection. During
in vitro
growth with mannose as the sole carbohydrate source, shikimate and purine biosynthesis genes were downregulated in the OG1RF ∆
mptD
mutant compared to the isogenic wild-type strain, suggesting a link between mannose transport, shikimate, and purine biosynthesis. Together, our results suggest that dynamic and temporal microenvironment changes at the wound site necessitate concomitant responses by
E. faecalis
for successful pathogenesis. Moreover, both
de novo
purine biosynthesis and the MptABCD PTS system also contribute to
E. faecalis
fitness during catheter-associated urinary tract infection, suggesting that these pathways may be central and niche-independent virulence factors of
E. faecalis
and raising the possibility of lowering exogenous purine availability and/or targeting galactose/mannose PTS to control wound infections.

IMPORTANCE

Although
E. faecalis
is a common wound pathogen, its pathogenic mechanisms during wound infection are unexplored. Here, combining a mouse wound infection model with
in vivo
transposon and RNA sequencing approaches, we identified the
E. faecalis
purine biosynthetic pathway and galactose/mannose MptABCD phosphotransferase system as essential for
E. faecalis
acute replication and persistence during wound infection, respectively. The essentiality of purine biosynthesis and the MptABCD PTS is driven by the consumption of purine metabolites by
E. faecalis
during acute replication and changing carbohydrate availability during the course of wound infection. Overall, our findings reveal the importance of the wound microenvironment in
E. faecalis
wound pathogenesis and how these metabolic pathways can be targeted to better control wound infections.