bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
NDVI as a potential tool for forecasting changes in geographical range of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.)
Authors: Konatowska Monika , Młynarczyk Adam , Kowalewski Wojciech , Rutkowski Paweł 
Published: November 2023

AbstractDetermining the natural range of Acer pseudoplatanus and the future directions of its spread is not clear. Modern technological achievements, including tools related to remote sensing, provide new opportunities to assess the degree of spread and adaptation of species to a changing climate. The aim of the work was to demonstrate the possibility of using NDVI to assess the habitat conditions of sycamore in Poland and the possibility of its natural expansion. The data analysis was divided into 2 parts. The first covered the characteristics of all sycamore stands occurring in Poland. In the second part, the analysis of sycamore stands using NDVI was made. The results of the study show that the highest average NDVI values are found in sycamore stands in the northern part of Poland, which has so far been considered less favorable for sycamore. This may suggest the potential for an increase in the share of sycamore towards the north. The results also confirm the forecasts given in the literature regarding the spread of sycamore towards Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The results also point to Denmark and the western part of the British Isles as potentially favorable habitats for sycamore.
Modelling of transverse vibration of conveyor belt in aspect of the trough angle
Authors: Bortnowski Piotr , Król Robert , Ozdoba Maksymilian 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe transverse vibration of conveyor belts is a crucial aspect in their proper and safe design, as the correct determination of vibration frequencies is essential to avoid unsafe operating conditions and premature wear of components. This study presents the Moving Compressed Beam (MCB) transverse vibration model, that is based on the interpretation of a conveyor belt as a beam known from the literature. This approach allows you to include in the model the transverse flexural rigidity of a troughed belt-a parameter that is closely related to the belt geometry. While not commonly used in engineering practice, the MSB model was compared with other models during the laboratory tests based on changing of trough geometry. This study emphasizes the significance of considering the transverse flexural rigidity of conveyor belts during the design process, and the MCB model which offers a promising approach in aspect of vibration control.
Diagnostic value of three-dimensional neuroretinal rim thickness for differentiation of superior segmental optic nerve hypoplasia
Authors: Choe Sooyeon , Jang Mirinae , Kim Young Kook , Park Ki Ho , Jeoung Jin Wook 
Published: November 2023

AbstractLittle is known about the diagnostic utility of three-dimensional neuroretinal rim thickness (3D-NRRT) for differentiating patients with superior segmental optic nerve hypoplasia (SSOH) from normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). Since SSOH is defined by characteristic optic nerve head features, investigation of diagnostic usefulness of 3D-NRRT is necessary. In this cross-sectional study, 49 SSOH eyes, 52 NTG eyes, and 41 normal eyes were enrolled. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and 3D-NRRT values, as obtained in the right-eye orientation by optical coherence tomography (OCT), were recorded. On RNFLT clock-hour comparison, the 11–3 clock-hour sectors were significantly thinner for SSOH than for NTG (all P < 0.01). As for 3D-NRRT, whereas the 1 and 2 sectors were significantly thinner for SSOH (P < 0.001, P = 0.004), the 6–11 sectors were significantly thinner for NTG (all P < 0.01). The area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves of the superior and nasal quadrants of RNFLT (0.838, 0.729) were significantly greater than those of 3D-NRRT (0.518, 0.588; P < 0.001, P = 0.043). However, the AUROCs of the inferior and temporal quadrants were significantly greater for 3D-NRRT (0.728, 0.760) than for RNFLT (0.527, 0.550; P = 0.008, P = 0.019). The appropriate use of 3D-NRRT can be useful in differentiating SSOH from NTG.
Eliciting transcriptomic and antioxidant defensive responses against Rhizoctonia root rot of sorghum using the endophyte Aspergillus oryzae YRA3
Authors: Rashad Younes M. , Al Tami Mona S. , Abdalla Sara A. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractEnvironmental pollution due to the improper use of the chemical fungicides represents a vital ecological problem, which affects human and animal health, as well as the microbial biodiversity and abundance in the soil. In this study, an endophytic fungus Aspergillus oryzae YRA3, isolated from the wild plant Atractylis carduus (Forssk.) C.Chr, was tested for its biocontrol activity against Rhizoctonia root rot of sorghum. The antagonistic potential of A. oryzae YRA3 was tested against Rhizoctonia solani in vitro. A full inhibition in the growth of R. solani was recorded indicating a strong antagonistic potential for this endophyte. To investigate the chemical composition of its metabolites, GC/MS analysis was used and thirty-two compounds in its culture filtrate were identified. Among these metabolites, some compounds with an antifungal background were detected including palmitic acid, 2-heptanone, and 2,3-butanediol. To these antifungal metabolites the antagonistic activity of A. oryzae YRA3 can be attributed. In the greenhouse experiment, treating of the infected sorghum plants with A. oryzae YRA3 significantly reduced severity of the Rhizoctonia root rot by 73.4%. An upregulation of the defensive genes (JERF3), (POD) and (CHI II) was recorded in sorghum roots when were inoculated with A. oryzae YRA3. In addition, an increment in the activity of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase, as well as the total phenolic content in the sorghum roots was also recorded. Furthermore, the results obtained from the greenhouse experiment revealed a growth-promoting effect for inoculating the sorghum plants with A. oryzae YRA3. It can be concluded that A. oryzae YRA3 can be a probable biological agent to control this disease in sorghum. However, its evaluation under field conditions is highly needed in the future studies.
Node embedding-based graph autoencoder outlier detection for adverse pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Khan Wasif , Zaki Nazar , Ahmad Amir , Masud Mohammad M. , Govender Romana , Rojas-Perilla Natalia , Ali Luqman , Ghenimi Nadirah , Ahmed Luai A. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractAdverse pregnancy outcomes, such as low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB), can have serious consequences for both the mother and infant. Early prediction of such outcomes is important for their prevention. Previous studies using traditional machine learning (ML) models for predicting PTB and LBW have encountered two important limitations: extreme class imbalance in medical datasets and the inability to account for complex relational structures between entities. To address these limitations, we propose a node embedding-based graph outlier detection algorithm to predict adverse pregnancy outcomes. We developed a knowledge graph using a well-curated representative dataset of the Emirati population and two node embedding algorithms. The graph autoencoder (GAE) was trained by applying a combination of original risk factors and node embedding features. Samples that were difficult to reconstruct at the output of GAE were identified as outliers considered representing PTB and LBW samples. Our experiments using LBW, PTB, and very PTB datasets demonstrated that incorporating node embedding considerably improved performance, achieving a 12% higher AUC-ROC compared to traditional GAE. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of node embedding and graph outlier detection in improving the prediction performance of adverse pregnancy outcomes in well-curated population datasets.
Effects of lithium on locomotor activity and circadian rhythm of honey bees
Authors: Erdem Babur , Arslan Okan Can , Sevin Sedat , Gozen Ayse Gul , Agosto-Rivera Jose L. , Giray Tugrul , Alemdar Hande 
Published: November 2023

AbstractLithium has been considered a potential acaricidal agent against the honey bee (Apis mellifera) parasite Varroa. It is known that lithium suppresses elevated activity and regulates circadian rhythms and light response when administered to humans as a primary therapeutic chemical for bipolar disorder and to other bipolar syndrome model organisms, given the crucial role of timing in the bee's foraging activity and the alternating sunlight vs dark colony environment bees are exposed, we explored the influence of lithium on locomotor activity (LMA) and circadian rhythm of honey bees. We conducted acute and chronic lithium administration experiments, altering light conditions and lithium doses to assess LMA and circadian rhythm changes. We fed bees one time 10 μl sucrose solution with 0, 50, 150, and 450 mM LiCl in the acute application experiment and 0, 1, 5, and 10 mmol/kg LiCl ad libitum in bee candy in the chronic application experiment. Both acute and chronic lithium treatments significantly decreased the induced LMA under constant light. Chronic lithium treatment disrupted circadian rhythmicity in constant darkness. The circadian period was lengthened by lithium treatment under constant light. We discuss the results in the context of Varroa control and lithium's effect on bipolar disorder.
Rapid encapsulation of true ferns and arborane/fernane compounds fossilised in siderite concretions supports analytical distinction of plant fossils
Authors: Tripp Madison , Schwark Lorenz , Brocks Jochen J. , Mayer Paul , Whiteside Jessica H. , Rickard William , Greenwood Paul. F. , Grice Kliti 
Published: November 2023

AbstractFossilised true ferns (Pecopteris sp.) preserved in siderite concretions from the Mazon Creek Lagerstätte (Illinois) presented a unique opportunity to characterise the organic signatures of these late Carboniferous plants. Localised analyses of true fern fossils showed several highly abundant phytohopanoids and fernane/arborane derived aromatic products, which were present only negligibly within their siderite matrix, as well as from other types of fossilised plants. These terpenoids had been recognised in some extant ferns, but scarcely in sedimentary organic matter and their exact source remained ambiguous. The present fossil biomarker data confirms an ancient true fern origin. Furthermore, the excellent concretion preservation of a series of related terpenoid products provided a rare insight into their diagenetic formation. The benign properties of carbonate concretions could be exploited further for biomarker evidence of other fossilised organisms, with one important caveat being that biomarker signals attributed to isolated fossils be significantly distinct from background organic matter pervading the concretion matrix. For instance, hydrocarbon profiles of seed ferns (pteridosperms) and articulates (horsetails) also preserved in Mazon Creek concretions were indistinguishable from separate analysis of their concretion matrix, preventing biomarker recognition.
Assessing multiple free-roaming dog control strategies in a flexible agent-based model
Authors: Yoak A. J. , Calinger K. M. , Hiby E. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractManagement of free-roaming dog populations is required to mitigate the threat of pathogens like rabies, minimize conflict with people, wildlife, and livestock and improve dog welfare however there are multiple strategies currently employed including sterilization, vaccination, and lethal removal. This work describes an agent-based stochastic model, ‘StreetDogSim’ that can be used as a planning tool to investigate the predicted impact of different strategies with variable implementation approaches and adjustable parameters to match local conditions. Here, we explore the effects of different management strategies with additional variation in their duration, intensity, and vaccine quality on important population metrics such as overall size, demographics, vaccination coverage, time until effective population suppression, and duration of suppression. Under most model parameterizations, a strategy that targets females for sterilization with vaccination outperforms all other options with respect to population control and demographic changes.
Changes in the gene expression and methylation in chicken cecal tonsils after in ovo administration of bioactive substances
Authors: Dunislawska Aleksandra , Gryzinska Magdalena , Siwek Maria 
Published: November 2023

AbstractCecal tonsils are the main organs which generate an immune response and also the part of the GALT, thus they are in the close proximity of the intestinal microbiota and continuously exposed to microbe-associated molecular patterns. GALT developed regulatory and anti-inflammatory mechanisms which eliminate or tolerate microbiota. Bioactive substances in ovo administration ensures an early contact between the GALT and beneficial bacteria, which greatly promotes the development of tolerance. Our previous studies have shown that the administration of bioactive substances in ovo silences gene expression in the cecal tonsils. The research hypothesis assumes that negative silencing of expression is correlated with the level of methylation in the tonsils. Therefore the current study aimed to analyze the global and gene-specific DNA methylation profiles in the cecal tonsils of two distinct chicken genotypes administered in ovo with bioactive substances. Eggs of Ross 308 and Green-legged Partridgelike were stimulated on day 12 of incubation. The injected compounds were: probiotic—Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, prebiotic—galactooligosaccharides, and synbiotic—combination of both. Chickens were sacrificed on d 42 post-hatching. Cecal tonsils was collected, RNA and DNA were isolated and intended to gene expression, gene methylation and global methylation analysis. Cecal tonsils changes were observed in the methylation of 6 genes: SYK, ANGPTL4, TNFRSF14, IKZF1, CYR61, SERPING. Analyzes showed that the suppression of gene expression is related to the level of methylation of individual genes. Based on the results obtained in the cecal tonsils, it can be concluded that the silencing of gene expression is of an epigenetic nature. This is another study aimed at analyzing the relationship between the host, its intestinal microbiota and the possibilities of its programming.
Functional diversity and spatial association analyses at different spatial scales reveal no changes in community assembly processes along an aridity gradient in the Atacama Desert
Authors: Carvajal Danny E. , Loayza Andrea P. , Squeo Francisco A. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe structuring of plant assemblages along environmental gradients is typically explained by shifts from competition (limiting similarity) to environmental filtering as the environment becomes more stressful. However, facilitation, weaker-competitor exclusion, environmental heterogeneity, and the colonization-competition tradeoff can also structure plant assemblages along gradients. These assembly processes act on different plant traits and organs, and their prevalence varies with respect to the spatial scale. Using patterns of functional diversity, coupled with patterns of species association at two spatial scales, here we discern the assembly processes that structure shrub communities in four localities along an aridity gradient of the Atacama Desert. At each site, we calculated functional dispersion indexes for above- and below-ground traits, and patterns of species association at a patch and neighborhood scale. Our results revealed that at the patch scale in intermediate levels of aridity, the dominant assembly process was within-site environmental heterogeneity. At the neighborhood scale, communities are assembled mainly through random processes. Nonetheless, in some communities, the dominant assembly process was competition via limiting similarity or exclusion of the weaker competitor, and these did not change along the gradient. Together, these results reveal that environmental heterogeneity and competition are the main drivers of plant community assembly in a hyper-arid environment.
Leveraging homologous hypotheses for increased efficiency in tumor growth curve testing
Authors: Hutson Alan D. , Yu Han , Attwood Kristopher 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn this note, we present an innovative approach called “homologous hypothesis tests” that focuses on cross-sectional comparisons of average tumor volumes at different time-points. By leveraging the correlation structure between time-points, our method enables highly efficient per time-point comparisons, providing inferences that are highly efficient as compared to those obtained from a standard two-sample t test. The key advantage of this approach lies in its user-friendliness and accessibility, as it can be easily employed by the broader scientific community through standard statistical software packages.
Enhanced CO2 capture potential of UiO-66-NH2 synthesized by sonochemical method: experimental findings and performance evaluation
Authors: Kazemi Amir , Moghadaskhou Fatemeh , Pordsari Mahyar Ashourzadeh , Manteghi Faranak , Tadjarodi Azadeh , Ghaemi Ahad 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe excessive release of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution, has resulted in significant environmental problems all over the world. CO2 capture technologies offer a very effective means of combating global warming, climate change, and promoting sustainable economic growth. In this work, UiO-66-NH2 was synthesized by the novel sonochemical method in only one hour. This material was characterized through PXRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDX, BET, and TGA methods. The CO2 capture potential of the presented material was investigated through the analysis of gas isotherms under varying pressure conditions, encompassing both low and high-pressure regions. Remarkably, this adsorbent manifested a notable augmentation in CO2 adsorption capacity (3.2 mmol/g), achieving an approximate enhancement of 0.9 mmol/g, when compared to conventional solvothermal techniques (2.3 mmol/g) at 25 °C and 1 bar. To accurately represent the experimental findings, three isotherm, and kinetic models were used to fit the experimental data in which the Langmuir model and the Elovich model exhibited the best fit with R2 values of 0.999 and 0.981, respectively. Isosteric heat evaluation showed values higher than 80 kJ/mol which indicates chemisorption between the adsorbent surface and the adsorbate. Furthermore, the selectivity of the adsorbent was examined using the Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST), which showed a high value of 202 towards CO2 adsorption under simulated flue gas conditions. To evaluate the durability and performance of the material over consecutive adsorption–desorption processes, cyclic tests were conducted. Interestingly, these tests demonstrated only 0.6 mmol/g capacity decrease for sonochemical UiO-66-NH2 throughout 8 consecutive cycles.
Environmental impact of the explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines
Authors: Sanderson Hans , Czub Michał , Jakacki Jaromir , Koschinski Sven , Tougaard Jakob , Sveegaard Signe , Frey Torsten , Fauser Patrik , Bełdowski Jacek , Beck Aaron J. , Przyborska Anna , Olejnik Adam , Szturomski Bogdan , Kicinski Radoslaw 
Published: November 2023

AbstractArmed conflicts have, in addition to severe impacts on human lives and infrastructure, also impacts on the environment, which needs to be assessed and documented. On September the 26th 2022, unknown perpetrators deliberately ruptured the two gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2 with four coordinated explosions near a major chemical munition dump site near the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. While the massive release of natural gas into atmosphere raised serious concerns concerning the contribution to climate change—this paper assesses the overlooked direct impact of the explosions on the marine ecosystem. Seals and porpoises within a radius of four km would be at high risk of being killed by the shockwave, while temporary impact on hearing would be expected up to 50 km away. As the Baltic Proper population of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) is critically endangered, the loss or serious injury of even a single individual is considered a significant impact on the population. The rupture moreover resulted in the resuspension of 250000 metric tons of heavily contaminated sediment from deep-sea sedimentary basin for over a week, resulting in unacceptable toxicological risks towards fish and other biota in 11 km3 water in the area for more than a month.
Attenuation of irradiated choroid and its regional vortex veins in central serous chorioretinopathy after photodynamic therapy
Authors: Matsumoto Hidetaka , Hoshino Junki , Nakamura Kosuke , Kishi Shoji , Akiyama Hideo 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWe retrospectively studied 12 eyes of 12 patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) to investigate choroidal thickness changes following half-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) using widefield choroidal thickness maps obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Additionally, we assessed the relationship between choroidal thickness changes and the regional vortex veins as visualized on widefield en face OCT of the choroid. Pre-treatment en face images of the choroidal vasculature were superimposed on subtracted choroidal thickness maps before and 3 months after half-fluence PDT. The choroidal thickness decreased mainly in the irradiated macular area and in the region of vortex veins which function as drainage for the macula in all eyes. Eleven eyes (91.7%) showed choroidal thinning in the nasal area which overlapped with the nasal vortex vein distribution. Moreover, in 10 (90.9%) of those eyes, we observed intervortex venous anastomosis across the vertical watershed zone. Quantitative analysis revealed that the reduction in choroidal thickness was most pronounced in the macular area. Furthermore, the choroidal thickness reduction in the area with macular drainage vortex veins was significantly greater than that in the area without such vortex veins. These results suggest that half-fluence PDT might decrease choroidal thickness due to choriocapillaris occlusion in the irradiated macula, possibly leading to diminished venous drainage from the macula to regional vortex veins. Moreover, venous blood flow through the anastomotic vessels from the macular drainage vortex veins into the nasal vortex veins might be reduced post-treatment.
Projective spacetime symmetry of spacetime crystals
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Chen Z. Y. , Zhao Y. X. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWigner’s seminal work on the Poincaré group revealed one of the fundamental principles of quantum theory: symmetry groups are projectively represented. The condensed-matter counterparts of the Poincaré group could be the spacetime groups of periodically driven crystals or spacetime crystals featuring spacetime periodicity. In this study, we establish the general theory of projective spacetime symmetry algebras of spacetime crystals and reveal their intrinsic connections to gauge structures. As important applications, we exhaustively classify (1,1)D projective symmetry algebras and systematically construct spacetime lattice models for them all. Additionally, we present three consequences of projective spacetime symmetry that surpass ordinary theory: the electric Floquet-Bloch theorem, Kramers-like degeneracy of spinless Floquet crystals, and symmetry-enforced crossings in the Hamiltonian spectral flows. Our work provides both theoretical and experimental foundations to explore novel physics protected by projective spacetime symmetry of spacetime crystals.
An ultrasound-controllable ROS-responsive nanoplatform for O2 and NO generation to enhance sonodynamic therapy against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections
Authors: Zhang Jingyi , Zhang Lin , Zhang Yuhan , Ju Rong , Wei Guoqing 
Published: November 2023

FOT/Fe3O4@Lipo-ICG could effectively eradicate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-induced local infection during ultrasound activation, offering a promising strategy for enhancing and synergizing SDT for eradicating MDR bacterial infections.