bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of changing precipitation in different periods on precipitation use efficiency in a semi‐arid grassland
Authors: Wang Hongjiao , He Yuying , Qiao Daiyu , Xiao Rui , Yang Zhongling 
Published: January 2024

AbstractQuestionClimate change intensifies global and regional water cycles, leading to changes in both the magnitude and timing of precipitation. Precipitation use efficiency (PUE) plays a crucial role in measuring the response of above‐ground net primary productivity (ANPP) to precipitation changes. However, little is known about how changes in precipitation during different periods affect PUE.MethodsUsing a manipulation precipitation experiment in a semi‐arid steppe, we simulated a 60% increase and decrease in precipitation during the early (April–June), late (July–September), and entire (April–September) growing seasons across 2015–2021 to examine the effects of changes in precipitation timing on PUE.ResultsThe results showed that: (1) decreased precipitation in the late growing season (DLP) and whole growing season (DWP) stimulated PUE by an average of 0.14 and 0.12 g m−2 mm−1 yr−1 respectively, whereas increased precipitation in the late growing season (ILP) and whole growing season (IWP) suppressed PUE by an average of 0.11 and 0.09 g m−2 mm−1 yr−1 respectively. By contrast, neither decreased nor increased precipitation in the early growing season affected PUE; (2) the increased PUE under DLP was primarily attributed to the increase of PUE in grass (GR) and annuals and biennials (AB), whereas the elevation of PUE under DWP was mainly due to an increase of PUE in AB. By contrast, the reduction of PUE under ILP was mainly caused by a decline of PUE in GR; (3) changes in evapotranspiration and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) explained the variation of PUE in AB while changes of PUE in GR was mainly due to the alteration of soil water content and LDMC.ConclusionsThese results suggest that precipitation during the late growing season has a crucial influence on PUE, highlighting the importance of evapotranspiration and LDMC in regulating ecosystem productivity in the semi‐arid steppe.
Health‐related quality of life with standard and curative therapies in thalassemia: A narrative literature review
Authors: Shah Richa , Badawy Sherif M. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractHealth‐related quality of life (HRQOL) is a patient‐reported outcome that assesses the impact of a disease or illness on different domains of a patient's life. Different general and disease‐specific measures can be used to evaluate HRQOL. This article aimed to summarize the evidence for HRQOL among patients with transfusion‐dependent (TDT) and non‐transfusion‐dependent thalassemia (NTDT). We included HRQOL data related to standard therapy with blood transfusions, iron chelation, and/or luspatercept in TDT and NTDT, as well as curative therapies for TDT, including hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and gene therapy. Patients with thalassemia had worse HRQOL scores compared to the general population, and chronic pain was seen to increase in frequency and severity over time with age. NTDT patients reported worse physical health and functioning, mental health, general health, and vitality than TDT patients. However, TDT patients reported worse pain, change in health, and social support than NTDT. Most therapies improved overall HRQOL among thalassemia patients. Deferasirox, an oral iron chelator, was associated with more HRQOL benefits compared to deferoxamine, an intravenous iron chelator. Luspatercept showed clinically meaningful improvement in physical functioning among TDT and NTDT. Furthermore, HSCT and gene therapy were associated with better physical, emotional, and mental domains scores.
Longitudinal outcomes of a therapist‐supported digital mental health intervention for depression and anxiety symptoms: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Pettitt Adam K. , Nelson Benjamin W. , Forman‐Hoffman Valerie L. , Goldin Philippe R. , Peiper Nicholas C. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractPurposeThis study examined treatment outcomes (depression and anxiety symptoms) up to 24 months after completion of a therapist‐supported digital mental health intervention (DMHI).MethodsThe sample consisted of 380 participants who participated in an eight‐week DMHI from February 6, 2017 to May 20, 2019. Participants reported depression and anxiety symptoms at eight timepoints from baseline to 24 months. Mixed‐effects modelling was used to investigate symptom changes over time. The proportion of participants meeting criteria for treatment response, clinically significant change, and remission of depression and anxiety symptoms were calculated, including proportions demonstrating each outcome sustained up to each timepoint.ResultsMultivariate analyses yielded statistically significant reductions in depression (β = −5.40) and anxiety (β = −3.31) symptoms from baseline to end of treatment (8 weeks). Symptom levels remained significantly reduced from baseline through 24 months. The proportion of participants meeting criteria for clinical treatment outcomes remained constant over 24 months, although there were linear decreases in the proportions experiencing sustained clinical outcomes.ConclusionsTreatment gains were made for depression and anxiety symptoms at the end of treatment and up to 24 months. Future studies should determine the feasibility of integrating post‐treatment programmes into DMHIs to address symptom deterioration.
Urbanization, civil conflict, and the severity of food insecurity in Africa
Authors: Djeufack Dongmo Aristophane , Avom Désiré 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe objective of this article is to examine the impact of urbanization and civil conflicts on the severity of food insecurity for a panel of 43 African countries over the period 2000–2020. Subsequently, the heterogeneous choice models approach was used for the estimations. The results show that urbanization and civil conflict increase food insecurity. The parallel line probability hypothesis results specifically show that a one‐unit increase in urban growth rate increases the probability of belonging to a high‐risk food insecurity category by more than .6 times. Furthermore, the results show that the impacts of urbanization on food insecurity are modulated by civil conflicts in Africa leading to the net effect of .692. This corresponds to the policy threshold of 2.315 when the net positive effect is canceled out. Therefore, this study strongly recommends the need for African economies to develop urban agriculture while controlling the pace of urbanization in order to reduce food insecurity and avoid possible civil wars.Related ArticlesAsare‐Nuamah, Peter, Anthony Amoah, and Simplice A. Asongu. 2023. “Achieving Food Security in Ghana: Does Governance Matter?” Politics & Policy 51(4): 614–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12540.Ayanoore, Ishmael, and Sam Hickey. 2022. “Reframing the Politics of Natural Resource Governance in Africa: Insights from the Local Content Legislation Process in Ghana.” Politics & Policy 50(1): 119–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12449.Oehmke, James F., Sera L. Young, Godfrey Bahiigwa, Boaz Blackie Keizire, and Lori Ann Post. 2018. “The Behavioral‐Economics Basis of Mutual Accountability to Achieve Food Security.” Politics & Policy 46(1): 32–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12244.
A review of data collection methods used to monitor the associations of wild species with marine aquaculture sites
Authors: English Greg , Lawrence Michael J. , McKindsey Christopher W. , Lacoursière‐Roussel Anaïs , Bergeron Hannah , Gauthier Stéphane , Wringe Brendan F. , Trudel Marc 
Published: January 2024

AbstractAquaculture contributes a significant portion of the global aquatic biomass destined for human consumption. Bivalve and marine finfish aquaculture operations require sea‐based farm sites that result in considerable interactions with the natural environment. The addition of feed waste and physical structures (e.g., net pens and longline mussel culture) can provide an attractive artificial reef for many species and studies have shown both positive and negative effects on the surrounding ecosystem due to wild species interactions with aquaculture sites. Assessing these interactions can be complex, depending on the local ecosystem, and several monitoring techniques have been used to accurately determine associations of wild finfish and decapods to marine farms. In this review, we assessed the main methods used to monitor aquaculture‐ecosystem interactions. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are discussed and suggestions to mitigate shortfalls for future studies are outlined. It was evident that combining methodologies should be prioritised to lessen the impact of identified weaknesses of any given approach. Designing studies with complementary approaches may help attain robust data that can be used to further understand aquaculture‐ecosystem interactions and the underlying proximate mechanisms.
Fiscal policy and dimensions of inequality in South Africa: A time‐varying coefficient approach
Authors: Terblanche Jeanne , van Lill Dawie , Hollander Hylton 
Published: January 2024

AbstractSouth Africa continues to face high inequality levels despite its progressive tax and extensive social protection systems. We compare the dynamic impact of fiscal policy on the distribution of incomes, wages and wealth in South Africa from 1993 to 2019. For this purpose, we use a time‐varying parameter vector autoregression to estimate the impact of direct tax revenue and total transfer spending on three distinct inequality datasets. The analysis of various dimensions of inequality is the main contribution of the paper as the literature typically focuses on income inequality. A second contribution lies in the incorporation of time‐varying effects, which enables the analysis of the changing relationship between fiscal policy and inequality. The results suggest that this relationship is indeed time‐varying and that the impact of direct taxes and transfers differs markedly across the inequality dimensions, both in terms of magnitude and sign. Overall, we find that both transfers and direct taxes have not significantly reduced income, wage or wealth inequality in South Africa.
Kidney transplantation in patients on anti‐tubercular therapy: A single centre observational study
Authors: Prasad Pallavi , Bagai Sahil , Prasad Vandana , Grover Rahul , Chhabra Gagandeep , Khullar Dinesh 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundTuberculosis (TB) is a common infection in chronic kidney disease. The prolonged therapy of TB can delay kidney transplantation in patients on antitubercular therapy (ATT).MethodsThis was a retrospective single‐center study to analyze the safety of kidney transplantation and its outcomes in patients undergoing transplantation while on the continuation phase of ATT.ResultsBetween 2013 and 2022, 30 patients underwent kidney transplantation while on ATT. Median age was 38 years and 70% were males. Majority of the patients (86.7%) had extrapulmonary tuberculosis, most common site of involvement being tubercular lymphadenitis. 14/30 patients had microbiological/histopathological diagnosis of TB and the rest were diagnosed by ancillary tests. Patients were treated with 4 drug ATT (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol) before transplantation for aminimum of 2 months. Post‐transplantation fluoroquinolone‐based non‐rifamycin ATT was used (median duration 11 months). All patients completed therapy. At 2 years, there was 100% patient survival and 96.7% graft survival. Median eGFR at 6, 12, and 24 months post‐transplantation was 71.9, 64.7, and 67 mL/min/1.73m2, respectively. The percentage of patients suffering a biopsy proven acute rejection at 6, 12, and 24 months was 3.3%, 6.7%, and 6.7%.ConclusionKidney transplantation can be done in patients with TB who have a satisfactory response to the intensive phase of the ATT. The decision for transplantation while on the continuation phase of ATT should be individualized. In our experience, there is excellent patient and graft survival in these patients with a low risk of failure of ATT or relapse of TB.
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Porcine embryonic stem cells: An alternative solution for the shortage of human islets to treat type 1 diabetes?
Authors: Nottle Mark B. , Vassiliev Ivan , Hawthorne Wayne J. , Cowan Peter J. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractTransplantation of human embryonic stem cell (ESC) derived beta‐like cells and xenotransplantation of porcine islets are two potential cures for type 1 diabetes (T1D). We have previously reported the isolation of porcine ESCs and have also separately shown that islets from genetically modified pigs can effectively cure diabetes in a preclinical baboon model. Here we discuss the possibility of combining these technologies to produce gene‐edited porcine ESC‐derived islets as an alternative for treating T1D, which may offer several advantages compared with these approaches.
Sleep extension and cardiometabolic health: what it is, possible mechanisms and real‐world applications
Authors: Duraccio Kara M. , Kamhout Sarah , Baron Kelly G. , Reutrakul Sirimon , Depner Christopher M. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractShort sleep duration is associated with heightened cardiometabolic disease risk and has reached epidemic proportions among children, adolescents and adults. Potential mechanisms underlying this association are complex and multifaceted, including disturbances in circadian timing, food intake and appetitive hormones, brain regions linked to control of hedonic eating, physical activity, an altered microbiome and impaired insulin sensitivity. Sleep extension, or increasing total sleep duration, is an emerging and ecologically relevant intervention with significant potential to advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the association between short sleep duration and the risk of cardiometabolic disease. If effective, sleep extension interventions have potential to improve cardiometabolic health across the lifespan. Existing data show that sleep extension is feasible and might have potential cardiometabolic health benefits, although there are limitations that the field must overcome. Notably, most existing studies are short term (2–8 weeks), use different sleep extension strategies, analyse a wide array of cardiometabolic health outcomes in different populations and, frequently, lack adequate statistical power, thus limiting robust scientific conclusions. Overcoming these limitations will require fully powered, randomized studies conducted in people with habitual short sleep duration and existing cardiometabolic risk factors. Additionally, randomized controlled trials comparing different sleep extension strategies are essential to determine the most effective interventions. Ongoing and future research should focus on elucidating the potential cardiometabolic health benefits of sleep extension. Such studies have high potential to generate crucial knowledge with potential to improve health and quality of life for those struggling with short sleep duration.
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Derivation of “Double-Loop” Theory and Mechanism of Cavitation-Vortex Interaction in Turbulent Cavitation Boundary Layer
Authors: Jin Weiwei 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
“Double-loop” theory was determined by deriving a correlation between turbulent fluctuating kinetic energy and water vapor volume fraction from the momentum equation, which further logically revealed the mystery of cavitation breaking around a three-dimensional symmetry hydrofoil based on the numerical results of large eddy simulation and Zwart–Gerber–Belamri cavitation model. When the second-order fluctuation moment Vx′Vx′ and the streamwise velocity Vx are depleted, a vortex is generated, leading to alternating cavitation interface fluctuations. In one state, cavitation naturally breaks outward from the inner zone, triggering an up-and-down fluctuation in the normal velocity in the gap vortex and transferring external energy to the inner zone. In another state, cavitation collapse caused by a reentrant jet stagnates the reverse Vx so that Vx′Vx′ tends to zero. It triggers a rise in an upward normal velocity in the attached vortex, creating an exchange of energy through the wake. The pressure implosion resulting from the Shrinkage of the “Like-Rayleigh–Plesset” cavity at the cavitation onset is stronger than the pressure implosion created by the vortex field during cavitation breaking.
Variable Pivot Gait Based a Novel Dynamics Correction Method for Human Lower Limbs Model
Authors: Ai Cunjin , Wei Jun , Zhang Jianjun , Song Jingke , Lv Weilin , Liu Chenglei 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
The rationality of gait analysis directly affects the dynamics of human lower limbs in the sagittal plane, and recent studies on gait stage redivision lack the stage when both feet are not in complete contact with the ground. This paper proposes a novel variable pivot gait, which includes the stage when the heel of one foot and the toe of the other are in contact with the ground and a dynamics correction method based on this gait. First, the relative motion data between the foot and the ground are measured by motion capture experiments, and then a variable pivot gait is proposed in terms of the pivot transformation between the foot and the ground. Second, the dynamics modeling is conducted based on the principle of mechanisms of human lower limbs in each stage of the variable pivot gait. Third, a dynamics correction method is proposed to correct the foot dynamics when the foot is not in complete contact with the ground. The experiment and simulation show that the variable pivot gait is consistent with the actual motion of the foot relative to the ground. The effectiveness of the dynamics correction method is proved by comparing dynamics results (hip, knee, and ankle moments) with previous studies. The variable pivot gait and the dynamics correction method can be applied to the human lower limbs and lower-limb robots, providing a new avenue.
Solutions of Time-Space Fractional Partial Differential Equations Using Picard's Iterative Method
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Jhinga Aman , Majithia J. T. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
In this paper, we present Picard's iterative method (PIM) for solving time–space fractional partial differential equations, where the derivatives are considered in the Caputo sense. We prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions. Additionally, we demonstrate the versatility of our proposed approach by obtaining exact solutions for a diverse set of equations. This method is user-friendly and directly applicable to any computer algebra system. The proposed method avoids intricate computations associated with the Adomian decomposition method, such as calculating Adomian polynomials, or the requirements of other methods like choosing a homotopy in the homotopy perturbation method, identification and manipulation of the invariant subspace in invariant subspace method or constructing a variational function in the variational iteration method. Thus, the proposed method is a versatile and efficient tool for exploring systems that involve both temporal and spatial fractional derivatives.
Vibrio fischeri
: a model for host-associated biofilm formation
Authors: Fung Brittany L. , Esin Jeremy J. , Visick Karen L. 
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT

Multicellular communities of adherent bacteria known as biofilms are often detrimental in the context of a human host, making it important to study their formation and dispersal, especially in animal models. One such model is the symbiosis between the squid
Euprymna scolopes
and the bacterium
Vibrio fischeri
. Juvenile squid hatch aposymbiotically and selectively acquire their symbiont from natural seawater containing diverse environmental microbes. Successful pairing is facilitated by ciliary movements that direct bacteria to quiet zones on the surface of the squid’s symbiotic light organ where
V. fischeri
forms a small aggregate or biofilm. Subsequently, the bacteria disperse from that aggregate to enter the organ, ultimately reaching and colonizing deep crypt spaces. Although transient, aggregate formation is critical for optimal colonization and is tightly controlled.
In vitro
studies have identified a variety of polysaccharides and proteins that comprise the extracellular matrix. Some of the most well-characterized matrix factors include the symbiosis polysaccharide (SYP), cellulose polysaccharide, and LapV adhesin. In this review, we discuss these components, their regulation, and other less understood
V. fischeri
biofilm contributors. We also highlight what is currently known about dispersal from these aggregates and host cues that may promote it. Finally, we briefly describe discoveries gleaned from the study of other
V. fischeri
isolates. By unraveling the complexities involved in
V. fischeri
’s control over matrix components, we may begin to understand how the host environment triggers transient biofilm formation and dispersal to promote this unique symbiotic relationship.
Resolving pressure differences within the Grand Canyon Precambrian basement: Implications for Proterozoic tectonics
Authors: Autrey-Mulligan Suzanne , Bonamici Chloe , Williams Michael L. , Karlstrom Karl , Condit Cailey B. 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Burial pressures (depths) within mountain belts place fundamental constraints on the growth and stabilization of continental crust. We report precise metamorphic pressures for ca. 1.7 Ga rocks from the Upper Granite Gorge (UGG) of the Grand Canyon (southwestern United States) and, for the first time, resolve pressure variations across this continuous exposure of mid-crustal rocks. We applied quartz-in-garnet (QuiG) barometry and pseudosection modeling to determine pressures in domains (“blocks”) with evidence of higher and lower peak metamorphic grades. New pressure-temperature (P-T) paths constructed using this integrated approach show that a hot block sample reached 7 kbar and a cold block sample never surpassed 5 kbar, revealing an ~2 kbar P difference between hot and cold blocks and delineating distinct P-T paths for these domains in the UGG. Our findings suggest that hot and cold blocks were likely metamorphosed at different crustal levels within a pre-Yavapai, Paleoproterozoic orogen and were subsequently juxtaposed during and/or after the Yavapai Orogeny at mid-crustal levels. The deformation that produced differential vertical displacement of crustal blocks post-dated peak metamorphism and could reflect extensional collapse of a large orogen and/or renewed folding and thrusting at the Paleoproterozoic Laurentian plate margin.