bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Urinary microbiota is associated to clinicopathological features in benign prostatic hyperplasia
Authors: Mariotti Antonio C. H. , Heidrich Vitor , Inoue Lilian T. , Coser Elisangela M. , dos Santos Ernande X. , dos Santos Hugo D. B. , Rocha Carolina B. T. , Asprino Paula F. , Bettoni Fabiana , Bastos Diogo A. , Jardim Denis L. F. , Camargo Anamaria A. , Arap Marco A. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe urinary microbiota of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), however, little is known about urinary microbiota correlations with clinicopathological parameters associated with BPH. Here, we investigate associations between the urinary microbiota and clinical parameters of patients with BPH undergoing surgery.MethodsForty‐one patients with BPH undergoing surgery were recruited from two medical centers. Catheterized urine specimens were collected and the microbiota was characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Patients were segregated into two groups according to each clinical parameter and differences in urinary microbiota diversity and composition were evaluated.ResultsHigher prostate weight and prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels were associated with higher alpha diversity in the urinary microbiota of BPH patients. At the specific microbe level, we found that the greater the prostatic weight, the lower the relative abundance of Streptococcus, while the greater the PSA levels, the higher the abundance of Lactobacillus. Treatment with 5‐α‐reductase inhibitor was associated with overall urinary microbiota composition, in part due to a higher abundance of Corynebacterium and Anaerococcus in this group.ConclusionsWe demonstrated that the urinary microbiota of BPH patients is associated with clinicopathological features, paving the way for larger studies in which causality between urinary microbiota and BPH can be appropriately explored.
An automated apple harvesting robot—From system design to field evaluation
Authors: Zhang Kaixiang , Lammers Kyle , Chu Pengyu , Li Zhaojian , Lu Renfu 
Published: November 2023

AbstractDecreased availability and rising cost in labor poses a serious threat to the long‐term profitability and sustainability of the apple industry in the United States and many other countries. Harvest automation is thus urgently needed. In this paper, we present the unified system design and field evaluation of a new apple harvesting robot. The robot is mainly composed of a specially designed perception component, a four‐degree‐of‐freedom manipulator, an improved vacuum‐based soft end‐effector, and a dropping/catching component to receive and transport picked fruits. Software algorithms are developed to enable synergistic coordination of the hardware components for efficient, automated harvesting of apples in challenging orchard environments. Specifically, by integrating modified triangulation and image processing and analysis algorithms, a novel perception strategy is developed to achieve robust apple detection and precise localization. Improved planning and control algorithms are developed to guide the robot to the target positions. The performance of the robotic system was evaluated through field tests in two apple orchards with different tree architectures and foliage conditions. In the orchard where trees were young and well‐pruned, the robot achieved 82.4% successful harvesting rate. In a second, older orchard with dense, clustered branches and foliage, the robot had 65.2% successful rate. The average cycle time to harvest a fruit was approximately 6 s, which included software algorithm processing and hardware execution. Moreover, through an in‐depth analysis of the obtained results, limitations and planned future works are discussed.
Same owner, different impact: How responses to performance feedback differ across a private equity investor's portfolio firms
Authors: Collewaert Veroniek , Neckebrouck Jeroen , Vanacker Tom , Bourgois Dries , Manigart Sophie 
Published: November 2023

AbstractResearch SummaryPrivate equity (PE) investors invest in a portfolio of firms, setting new, ambitious performance aspirations and providing monitoring and value‐adding services to help management attain these aspirations. Integrating a behavioral theory of the firm and corporate governance perspective, this study investigates how portfolio firms respond to performance feedback, considering heterogeneity in PE investors' incentives and influence toward a given portfolio firm's strategic actions. Using unique data from a PE investor including direct aspirations measures, we find that (1) portfolio firms' performance relative to aspirations, and (2) the PE investor's relative investment amounts and experience of PE‐appointed board members, interact to affect the distinct growth strategies (i.e., internal capital investments or external acquisitions) its portfolio firms pursue.Managerial SummaryA PE investor may guide its portfolio firms differently. Incentives to intervene should be larger in case of larger investments, and influence should be more extensive in case of more senior PE board representatives. In this study, we examine how a PE investor's varying incentives and influence affect how PE‐backed firms strategically react to underperformance and overperformance. We find that a PE investor pushes for capital investments but deters acquisitions as performance shortfalls increase in a portfolio firm, when they have made larger investments and appointed more senior board members. In case of overperformance, a PE investor pushes toward acquisitions (and against capital investments) when they have invested more. Surprisingly, the opposite holds in case of more senior board members.
Accelerating genetic gains for quantitative resistance to verticillium wilt through predictive breeding in strawberry
Authors: Feldmann Mitchell J. , Pincot Dominique D. A. , Vachev Mishi V. , Famula Randi A. , Cole Glenn S. , Knapp Steven J. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractVerticillium wilt (VW), a devastating vascular wilt disease of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa), has caused economic losses for nearly a century. This disease is caused by the soil‐borne pathogen Verticillium dahliae, which occurs nearly worldwide and causes disease in numerous agriculturally important plants. The development of VW‐resistant cultivars is critically important for the sustainability of strawberry production. We previously showed that a preponderance of the genetic resources (asexually propagated hybrid individuals) preserved in public germplasm collections were moderately to highly susceptible and that genetic gains for increased resistance to VW have been negligible over the last 60 years. To more fully understand the challenges associated with breeding for increased quantitative resistance to this pathogen, we developed and phenotyped a training population of hybrids () among elite parents with a wide range of resistance phenotypes. When these data were combined with training data from a population of elite and exotic hybrids (), genomic prediction accuracies of 0.47–0.48 were achieved and were predicted to explain 70%–75% of the additive genetic variance for resistance. We concluded that breeding values for resistance to VW can be predicted with sufficient accuracy for effective genomic selection with routine updating of training populations.
Genetic dissection of domestication traits in interspecific chickpea populations
Authors: Newman Toby E. , Jacques Silke , Grime Christy , Mobegi Fredrick M. , Kamphuis Fiona L. , Khentry Yuphin , Lee Robert , Kamphuis Lars G. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractChickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a pulse crop that provides an integral source of nutrition for human consumption. The close wild relatives Cicer reticulatum and Cicer echinospermum harbor untapped genetic diversity that can be exploited by chickpea breeders to improve domestic varieties. Knowledge of genomic loci that control important chickpea domestication traits will expedite the development of improved chickpea varieties derived from interspecific crosses. Therefore, we set out to identify genomic loci underlying key chickpea domestication traits by both association and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping using interspecific F2 populations. Diverse phenotypes were recorded for various agronomic traits. A total of 11 high‐confidence markers were detected on chromosomes 1, 3, and 7 by both association and QTL mapping; these were associated with growth habit, flowering time, and seed traits. Furthermore, we identified candidate genes linked to these markers, which advanced our understanding of the genetic basis of domestication traits and validated known genes such as the FLOWERING LOCUS gene cluster that regulates flowering time. Collectively, this study has elucidated the genetic basis of chickpea domestication traits, which can facilitate the development of superior chickpea varieties.
Application of cosmic‐ray neutron probes for measuring soil moisture in rocky areas of the Taihang Mountains, North China
Authors: Zhang Zhihua , Ou Huidi , Shi Yuefeng , Ye Youliang , Sang Yuqiang , Zhang Siyi , Zhang Jinsong 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe cosmic‐ray neutron probe (CRNP) is a mesoscale and noninvasive method for measuring soil moisture and has been widely studied and applied. However, studies of its applicability in rocky mountainous areas are still challenging in complex topography and high gravel content. In this study, a field experiment was carried out to assess the applicability of the CRNP for measuring soil moisture in rocky areas of Taihang Mountains of North China. The results showed that the Pearson correlation coefficient and the root mean square error between the soil moisture from CRNP and the drying method are 0.911 and 0.025 m3 m−3, respectively, indicating that the CRNP can estimate the average soil moisture well in the study area. Compared with the capacitive sensor, the CRNP overestimated soil moisture when small rainfall events occurred, which was caused by the interception of canopy and litter. The nonlinear weighting method performed better than the linear weighting method in representing average soil moisture within the CRNP footprint. The high gravel content that contained high lattice water content reduced the penetration depth of CRNP. Biomass reduces the accuracy of the CRNP by affecting the neutron intensity. In summary, CRNP can measure soil moisture accurately in rocky areas of the Taihang Mountains, especially in dry environments with low biomass.
Efficacy of artificial nest shading as a climate change adaptation measure for marine turtles at Ascension Island
Authors: Wiggins Jack , Baum Diane , Broderick Annette C. , Capel Tobias , Colman Liliana P. , Hunt Toby , Simmons Daisy Lomas , McGurk James , Mortlock Lucy , Nightingale Rebecca , Weber Nicola , Weber Sam B. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractSuccessful embryonic development and offspring sex ratios of marine turtles are determined by thermal conditions experienced during incubation, rendering them potentially vulnerable to anthropogenic climate change. With the rate of projected temperature rises likely to outpace the adaptive capacity of long‐lived species such as marine turtles, there is growing interest in management interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change at nesting grounds. In this study, we experimentally tested the impacts of artificial nest shading on the incubation temperature, hatching success, and predicted offspring sex ratio of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) clutches at Ascension Island. Clutches (n = 97) were sampled from 2 nesting beaches with naturally contrasting thermal environments (one hot; one cool) and either left as in situ controls or relocated to shaded or unshaded hatcheries on their beach of origin. Compared to unshaded experimental clutches, shading reduced mean incubation temperatures and sex‐determining temperatures (i.e., middle third of embryonic development) by 0.5–0.9°C and 0.5–1.2°C respectively, with the reduction being greater on the hotter beach. Shading also differentially affected hatchling output across the 2 sites: on the hot beach, shading significantly improved hatching success by ~23% but had minimal effects on offspring sex ratio; whereas on the cooler beach, shading did not impact hatching success but resulted in ~12% more male offspring. Interestingly, mean incubation temperatures of in situ controls did not differ significantly from shaded clutches, and were significantly cooler than unshaded experimental clutches, suggesting relocation may have negated some of the benefits of shading. Our results demonstrated that artificial shading may be a viable approach for partially offsetting climate change impacts on nesting marine turtles; however, scalability will be a major challenge in achieving conservation objectives at high‐density nesting sites like Ascension Island.
Construction of A sqc6 Topology Ni‐Gd Framework Employing 2,2’‐Phosphinico‐dibenzoate and Oxalate: Structure and Magnetic Properties
Authors: Tan Ning , Chen Wen‐Gen , Wu Pengcheng , Wang Zhao‐Xi 
Published: November 2023

AbstractA 3d–4f heterometallic compound, namely [Ni6GdL4(ox)(H2O)12]⋅[NO3]⋅14.5H2O (1) (L=2,2’‐phosphinico‐dibenzoate and ox=oxalate), was obtained by self‐assembly of nickel nitrate, gadolinium nitrate, oxalic acid, and 2,2’‐phosphinico‐dibenzoic acid (H3L). Such compound has been structurally characterized via single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis and infrared spectroscopy. This compound features a basic unit of {Ni4Gd} clusters and 2,2’‐phosphinico‐dibenzoate ligands. Each unit is connected by another Ni2+ through the axial coordination of benzoate oxygen to form a layer. Meanwhile, each oxalate ligand bridges the expanded Ni4Gd‐Ni4 net, constructing a 3‐D framework. From the viewpoint of network topology, this compound can be simplified as a sqc6 topology. Magnetic analysis shows ferromagnetic interactions between the Ni(II) and Gd(III) centers in Ni4Gd nodes and antiferromagnetic coupling with oxalate bridges in this compound.
Precautionary Heuristic Management and Learning for Data-Poor Fisheries
Authors: Murray Jason H. , Carson Richard T. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractFisheries are subject to multiple forms of uncertainty. One of these, parameter uncertainty, has been largely ignored in the fisheries economics literature even though it is known elsewhere (e.g., macroeconomics) to play an important role in models with a similar structure. Parameter uncertainty is particularly important when data series are relatively short. Managing a fishery with incorrect parameter values for the growth function can lead to collapse. The paper models management of a renewable resource with unknown growth parameters and simulates estimation of the key parameters of the growth equation as the amount of data increases. This exercise demonstrates that, when data is sparse, a simple heuristic form of management can result in reasonable rents from the fishery, improve estimation of the growth parameters in future periods, and reduce the probability that the fishery will collapse.
On Being Moved: The Mobility of Inner Landscapes
Authors: Jóhannesdóttir Guðbjörg R. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractHow can we move towards a tourism that focuses on the inner landscape of the guest and the host; on how they are moved from the inside or touched by the tourism experience? What is being moved? Who is being moved? How can both guest and host be moved by the relations created in their encounter? To explore these questions I guide the reader through my own personal journey of being moved by the landscape of Melrakkaslétta, a journey that moved me to think about alternative approaches to tourism where the inner landscapes of guests and hosts are central. The aim of this journey is to highlight how landscapes are not only visual outer phenomena that we look at from a distance but rather whole entanglements of materials, beings, senses and processes that are constantly moving with and being moved by each other.
From Hubble to Bubble
Authors: Kierkla Maciej , Laverda Giorgio , Lewicki Marek , Mantziris Andreas , Piani Matteo , Rubio Javier , Zych Mateusz 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
The detection of a stochastic Gravitational Wave (GW) background sourced by a cosmological phase transition would allow us to see the early Universe from a completely new perspective, illuminating aspects of Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) physics and inflationary cosmology. In this study, we investigate whether the evolution of the scalar potential of a minimal SM extension after inflation can lead to a strong first-order phase transition. In particular, we focus on a BSM spectator scalar field that is non-minimally coupled to gravity and has a dynamical double-well potential. As inflation ends, the potential barrier diminishes due to the evolution of the curvature scalar. Therefore, a phase transition can proceed through the nucleation of true-vacuum bubbles that collide as they fill the Universe and produce GWs. We consider high and low scales of inflation, while also taking into account a kination period between inflation and the onset of radiation domination. With this prescription, we showcase a proof-of-concept study of a new triggering mechanism for BSM phase transitions in the early Universe, whose GW signatures could potentially be probed with future detectors.
Achromatic arboricity on complete graphs
Authors: Araujo-Pardo Gabriela , Rubio-Montiel Christian 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn this paper we study the achromatic arboricity of the complete graph. This parameter arises from the arboricity of a graph as the achromatic index arises from the chromatic index. The achromatic arboricity of a graph G, denoted by $$A_{\alpha }(G)$$

A
α

(
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, is the maximum number of colors that can be used to color the edges of G such that every color class induces a forest but any two color classes contain a cycle. In particular, if G is a complete graph we prove that $$\begin{aligned} \frac{1}{4}n^{\frac{3}{2}}-c_1n \le A_{\alpha }(G)\le \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}n^{\frac{3}{2}}-c_2n \end{aligned}$$

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Quartic surfaces up to volume preserving equivalence
Authors: Ducat Tom 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWe study log Calabi–Yau pairs of the form$$(\mathbb {P}^3,\Delta )$$(P3,Δ), where$$\Delta $$Δis a quartic surface, and classify all such pairs of coregularity less than or equal to one, up to volume preserving equivalence. In particular, if$$(\mathbb {P}^3,\Delta )$$(P3,Δ)is a maximal log Calabi–Yau pair then we show that it has a toric model.
NKLZ 2.0: Die Weiterentwicklung des Nationalen Kompetenzbasierten Lernzielkatalogs Zahnmedizin als Basis für die Ausgestaltung der neuen Approbationsordnung
Authors: Söhnel Andreas , Frankenberger Roland , Kandsperger Lars , Wissing Frank 
Published: November 2023

ZusammenfassungDer Nationale Kompetenzbasierte Lernzielkatalog Zahnmedizin (NKLZ) wurde 2015 verabschiedet und definiert die Lernziele für die zahnmedizinische Ausbildung in Deutschland. Er legt fest, welche Kompetenzen Studierende erwerben sollen, und dient als Grundlage für die curriculare Gestaltung des Studiums, der Prüfungen und der Unterrichtsmaterialien. Der NKLZ fördert eine umfassende Ausbildung, die neben fachlichem Wissen auch klinische Fähigkeiten und Fertigkeiten, professionelles Verhalten und kommunikative Kompetenzen einschließt. Er trägt zur Vorbereitung angehender Zahnmediziner:innen auf ihren Beruf bei und standardisiert die Ausbildung, um Qualität und Vergleichbarkeit sicherzustellen.Der vorliegende Artikel beschreibt Hintergründe, Geschichte, Aufbau und die Weiterentwicklung des NKLZ. Derzeit wird der NKLZ zur Version 2.0 in einem mehrstufigen Prozess weiterentwickelt. Seine Struktur orientiert sich am NKLM 2.0, dem Nationalen Kompetenzbasierten Lernzielkatalog Medizin. Ziel ist es, die Anforderungen für die Zahnärztliche Approbationsordnung umfassend abzubilden.Eine wichtige Voraussetzung für die offizielle Anerkennung des NKLZ als grundlegender Leitfaden für die Ausbildung von Zahnmediziner:innen ist die Verankerung in einer zeitnah zu reformierenden Approbationsordnung Zahnmedizin. Dadurch werden Klarheit und Verbindlichkeit für Lehrende und Studierende geschaffen. Eine solche Verankerung ermöglicht zudem eine bessere Abstimmung zwischen Ausbildungszielen und den Anforderungen der Berufspraxis. Da die Approbationsordnung weniger häufig angepasst wird, bietet die Einbindung des NKLZ die Möglichkeit, Aktualisierungen und Anpassungen des Lernzielkatalogs strukturiert und reguliert vorzunehmen. Dies gewährleistet, dass die Ausbildung den aktuellen Standards und Entwicklungen entspricht.
PCL retained is safe in medial pivot TKA—a prospective randomized trial
Authors: Budhiparama Nicolaas C. , Lumban‐Gaol Imelda , Novito Kiki , Hidayat Hendy , De Meo Federico , Cacciola Giorgio , Cavaliere Pietro 
Published: November 2023

AbstractPurposeMedial pivot (MP) designs resemble native knee kinematics and restore the “natural” kinematics of a knee after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, whether to preserve or resect the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is still under debate. We inquired whether sacrificing the PCL would improve range of motion, functional outcomes, and limb alignment compared to preserving the PCL in TKA using medial pivot implants (MP‐TKA).MethodsThis prospective, double‐blinded, randomized controlled trial consisted of 33 patients (66 knees) undergoing bilateral simultaneous MP‐TKA. In one knee, a PCL preservation technique was performed, and in the contralateral knee, the PCL was resected. The primary outcome was postoperative range of motion (ROM). The secondary outcomes were visual analogue scale (VAS) score for knee pain at walking, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for symptoms (KOOS‐S) and quality of life (KOOS‐QoL), Oxford knee score (OKS), and Forgotten Joint Score (FJS), and measurement of the mechanical femoral‐tibial axis (mFTA) on X‐ray images. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 2 years after surgery.ResultsPatients who underwent MP‐TKA with PCL preservation had a similar ROM at 2 years (125.45 ± 7.00 vs. 126.21 ± 6.73, p = 0.65) as those who underwent MP‐TKAs with PCL resection. There was also no difference in VAS score (1.94 ± 0.79 vs. 2.00 ± 0.71, respectively, p = 0.51), OKS (39.97 ± 2.01 vs. 39.67 ± 2.03, respectively, p = 0.52), KOOS‐S (84.41 ± 3.77 vs. 84.19 ± 3.57, respectively, p = 0.92), KOOS‐QoL (82.94 ± 4.76 vs. 82.75 ± 4.70, respectively, p = 0.84), or FJS (72.66 ± 8.99 vs. 72.35 ± 8.64, respectively, p = 0.76) at the 2‐year follow‐up. No difference in the measurement of the mFTA was found between the two groups (180.27 ± 2.25 vs. 181.30 ± 2.13, respectively, p = 0.59).ConclusionThis study demonstrated that both medial pivot TKA with PCL preservation and PCL resection achieved excellent results. There was no difference at the 2‐year follow‐up in terms of postoperative ROM, patient‐reported outcomes, or radiographic evaluation.Level of EvidenceTherapeutic study, Level I.