bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Methane and nitrous oxide emissions during biochar‐composting are driven by biochar application rate and aggregate formation
Authors: Harrison Brendan P. , Gao Si , Thao Touyee , Gonzales Melinda L. , Williams Kennedy L. , Scott Natalie , Hale Lauren , Ghezzehei Teamrat , Diaz Gerardo , Ryals Rebecca A. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractManure is a leading source of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia (NH3) emissions, and alternative manure management practices can help society meet climate goals and mitigate air pollution. Recent studies show that biochar‐composting can substantially reduce emissions from manure. However, most studies test only one type of biochar applied at a single application rate, leading to high variation in emission reductions between studies. Here, we measured greenhouse gas and NH3 emissions during biochar‐composting of dairy manure with biochar applied at 5% or 20%, by mass, and made from walnut shells, almond shells, or almond clippings. We found little difference in emissions between biochar type. However, we found that the 20% application rates increased CH4 emissions and decreased N2O and NH3 emissions, resulting in a net reduction in global warming potential (GWP). We attribute this result to biochar increasing the formation of compost aggregates, which likely acted as anaerobic reactors for methanogenesis and complete denitrification. Biochar may have further fueled CH4 production and N2O consumption by acting as an electron shuttle within aggregates. We recommend lower application rates, as we found that the 5% treatments in our study led to a similar reduction in GWP without increasing CH4 emissions.
Exploring associations of greenery, air pollution and walkability with cardiometabolic health in people at midlife and beyond
Authors: Carver Alison , Beare Richard , Knibbs Luke D , Mavoa Suzanne , Grocott Kaya , Wheeler Amanda J , Srikanth Velandai , Andrew Nadine E 
Published: December 2023

AimTo examine associations of neighborhood greenery, air pollution and walkability with cardiometabolic disease in adults aged ≥45 years in the Frankston–Mornington Peninsula region, Victoria, Australia.MethodsA cross‐sectional, ecological study design was used. We assessed mean annual neighborhood greenery using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index; air pollution (fine particulate matter of diameter ≤2.5 μm [PM2.5] and NO2) using land‐use regression models; and walkability using Walk Score (possible values 0–100). Medically diagnosed diabetes (~95% type‐2), heart disease and stroke were self‐reported in the Australian Census (2021). Multivariable regression was used to model associations between environmental exposures and area‐level (neighborhood) cardiometabolic disease prevalence (age group ≥45 years), with socioeconomic status, age and sex as covariates. Air pollution was examined as a mediator of associations between greenery and disease prevalence.ResultsOur sample comprised 699 neighborhoods with the following mean (SD) values: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index 0.47 (0.09), PM2.5, 8.5 (0.6) μg/m3 and NO2, 5.2 (1.6) ppb. Disease prevalences were: heart disease, mean 8.9% (4.5%); diabetes, mean 10.3% (4.7%); and stroke, median 1.2% (range 0–10.9%). Greenery was negatively associated with diabetes (β = −5.85, 95% CI −9.53, −2.17) and stroke prevalence (β = −1.26, 95% CI −2.11, −0.42). PM2.5 and NO2 were positively associated with diabetes (β = 1.59, 95% CI 1.00, 2.18; β = 0.42, 95% CI 0.22, 0.62) and stroke prevalence (β = 0.15, 95% CI 0.01, 0.29; β = 0.06, 95% CI 0.01, 0.10). The association between greenery and diabetes was partially mediated by PM2.5 (mediated effect −5.38, 95% CI −7.84, −3.03).ConclusionsGreenery and air pollutants were associated with lower and higher prevalence, respectively, of self‐reported diabetes and, to a lesser extent, stroke. These ecological findings require further exploration with stronger, longitudinal study designs to inform public health policy and directions. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 208–214.
Understanding very early onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEOIBD) in relation to inborn errors of immunity
Authors: Hall Caroline H. T. , de Zoeten Edwin F. 
Published: December 2023

SummaryInflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are multifactorial diseases which are caused by the combination of genetic predisposition, exposure factors (environmental and dietary), immune status, and dysbiosis. IBD is a disease which presents at any age, ranging from newborns to the elderly. The youngest of the pediatric IBD population have a more unique presentation and clinical course and may have a different etiology. Very early onset IBD (VEOIBD) patients, designated as those diagnosed prior the age of 6, have distinct features which are more frequent in this patient population including increased incidence of monogenetic causes for IBD (0%–33% depending on the study). This proportion is increased in the youngest subsets, which is diagnosed prior to the age of 2. To date, there are approximately 80 monogenic causes of VEOIBD that have been identified and published. Many of these monogenic causes are inborn errors of immunity yet the majority of VEOIBD patients do not have an identifiable genetic cause for their disease. In this review, we will focus on the clinical presentation, evaluation, and monogenic categories which have been associated with VEOIBD including (1) Epithelial cell defects (2) Adaptive immune defects, (3) Innate Immune/Bacterial Clearance and Recognition defects, and (4) Hyperinflammatory and autoinflammatory disorders. We will highlight differential diagnosis of VEOIBD presentations, as well as evaluation and treatment, which will be helpful for those who study and care for VEOIBD patients outside of the pediatric gastroenterology field. This is a fast‐moving field of research which has grown significantly based on knowledge that we gain from our patients. These scientific findings have identified novel mucosal biology pathways and will continue to inform our understanding of gastrointestinal biology.
It takes a safe village to raise a child—a commentary on Dana McCoy et al. (2023)
Authors: Stams Geert Jan , van der Helm Peer 
Published: December 2023

This commentary on the study by McCoy et al. (2023) examining the negative effects of neighborhood violence on the development of toddlers growing up in the city of São Paulo (Brazil) interprets these outcomes from the perspective of ecological system theory, modern brain research, and the prospect of resilience. We argue that societies should give children the opportunity to grow up in a safe and sufficiently affluent social environment in order to give them a chance to achieve their full developmental potential. Governments and the health care system should, therefore, first and foremost invest in safe and stimulating child‐rearing environments, informed by scientific research.
Removing home hazards for older adults living in affordable housing: A stepped‐wedge cluster‐randomized trial
Authors: Krauss Melissa J. , Somerville Emily , Bollinger Rebecca M. , Chen Szu‐Wei , Kehrer‐Dunlap Abigail L. , Haxton Meghan , Yan Yan , Stark Susan L. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundFalls are the leading cause of injury, disability, premature institutionalization, and injury‐related mortality among older adults. Home hazard removal can effectively reduce falls in this population but is not implemented as standard practice. This study translated an evidence‐based home hazard removal program (HARP) for delivery in low‐income senior apartments to test whether the intervention would work in the “real world.”MethodsFrom May 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020, a stepped‐wedge cluster‐randomized trial was used to implement the evidence‐based HARP among residents with high fall risk in 11 low‐income senior apartment buildings. Five clusters of buildings were randomly assigned an intervention allocation sequence. Three‐level negative‐binomial models (repeated measures nested within individuals, individuals nested within buildings) were used to compare fall rates between treatment and control conditions (excluding a crossover period), controlling for demographic characteristics, fall risk, and time period.ResultsAmong 656 residents, 548 agreed to screening, 435 were eligible (high fall risk), and 291 agreed to participate and received HARP. Participants were, on average, 72 years, 67% female, and 76% Black. Approximately 95.4% of fall prevention strategies and modifications implemented were still used 3 months later. The fall rate (per 1000 participant‐days) was 4.87 during the control period and 4.31 during the posttreatment period. After adjusting for covariates and secular trend, there was no significant difference in fall rate (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.97, 95% CI 0.66–1.42). After excluding data collected during a hiatus in the intervention due to COVID‐19, the reduction in fall rate was not significant (IRR 0.93, 95% CI 0.62–1.40).ConclusionsAlthough HARP did not significantly reduce the rate of falls, this pragmatic study showed that the program was feasible to deliver in low‐income senior housing and was acceptable among residents. There was effective collaboration between researchers and community agency staff.
Reactive oxygen species: Multidimensional regulators of plant adaptation to abiotic stress and development
Authors: Wang Pengtao , Liu Wen‐Cheng , Han Chao , Wang Situ , Bai Ming‐Yi , Song Chun‐Peng 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACTReactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced as undesirable by‐products of metabolism in various cellular compartments, especially in response to unfavorable environmental conditions, throughout the life cycle of plants. Stress‐induced ROS production disrupts normal cellular function and leads to oxidative damage. To cope with excessive ROS, plants are equipped with a sophisticated antioxidative defense system consisting of enzymatic and non‐enzymatic components that scavenge ROS or inhibit their harmful effects on biomolecules. Nonetheless, when maintained at relatively low levels, ROS act as signaling molecules that regulate plant growth, development, and adaptation to adverse conditions. Here, we provide an overview of current approaches for detecting ROS. We also discuss recent advances in understanding ROS signaling, ROS metabolism, and the roles of ROS in plant growth and responses to various abiotic stresses.
The 3D muscle morphology and intramuscular innervation of the digital bellies of flexor digitorum profundus: Clinical implications for botulinum toxin injection sites
Authors: Campisi Emma S. , Tran John , Amara Catherine E. , Switzer‐McIntyre Sharon , Agur Anne M. R. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSpasticity of flexor digitorum profundus is frequently managed with botulinum toxin injections. Knowledge of the 3D morphology and intramuscular innervation of the digital bellies of flexor digitorum profundus is necessary to optimize the injections. The purpose of this study was to digitize and model in 3D the contractile and connective tissue elements of flexor digitorum profundus to determine muscle morphology, model and map the intramuscular innervation and propose sites for botulinum toxin injection. Fiber bundles (FBs)/aponeuroses and intramuscular nerve branches were dissected and digitized in 12 formalin embalmed cadaveric specimens. Cartesian coordinate data were reconstructed into 3D models as in situ to visualize and compare the muscle morphology and intramuscular innervation patterns of the bellies of flexor digitorum profundus. The 3rd, 4th and 5th digital bellies were superficial to the 2nd digital belly and located adjacent to each other in all specimens. Each digital belly had distinct intramuscular innervation patterns. The 2nd digital belly received intramuscular branches from the anterior interosseus nerve (AIN). The superior half of the 3rd digital belly was innervated intramuscularly by the ulnar nerve (n = 4) or by both the anterior interosseus and ulnar nerves (n = 1). The inferior half of the belly received dual innervation from the anterior interosseus and ulnar nerves in 2 specimens, or exclusively from the AIN (n = 2) or the ulnar nerve (n = 1). The 4th digital belly was innervated by intramuscular branches of the ulnar nerve. One main branch, after coursing through the 4th digital belly, entered the lateral aspect of the 5th digital belly and arborized intramuscularly. The morphology of the FBs, aponeuroses and intramuscular innervation of the digital bellies of FDP were mapped and modelled volumetrically in 3D as in situ. Previous studies were not volumetric nor identified the course of the intramuscular nerve branches within each digital belly. Based on the intramuscular innervation of each of the digital bellies, one possible optimized botulinum toxin injection location was proposed. This injection location, at the junction of the superior and middle thirds of the forearm, would be located in dense nerve terminal zones of the anterior interosseus and ulnar nerves. Future anatomical and clinical investigations are necessary to evaluate the efficacy of these anatomical findings in the management of spasticity.
A dermocosmetic regimen is able to mitigate skin sensitivity induced by a retinoid‐based fixed combination treatment for acne: Results of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Khammari Amir , Kerob Delphine , Demessant Ann’ Laure , Nioré Margot , Dréno Brigitte 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIntroductionTopical retinoids cause retinoid‐induced skin discomfort (RISD) mainly during the first weeks of use leading to noncompliance and premature treatment discontinuation. A dermocosmetic (DC) may help to reduce treatment‐related signs and symptoms and improve adherence.ObjectivesTo assess the benefit of a DC regimen compared to a routine skin care regimen (RC) by reducing RISD signs and symptoms induced by a retinoid/benzoyl peroxide fixed‐drug combination in subjects with acne.Materials and MethodsDouble‐blind, randomized, comparative study in subjects ≥16 years with mild to moderate acne candidates to a topical adapalene/BPO fixed drug combination (A/BPO). Evaluations took place at Day 0, 7, 14, 28, and 84 and included erythema, desquamation, burning, itching and stinging and RISD (SD, a composite score of local treatment‐related signs and symptoms and acne severity. Subjects used daily the DC or RC together with the fixed combination for 84 days.ResultsEighty‐eight subjects were included, the mean age was 21 years; 84% were females. At Day 0 the SD score was 0.8 in both groups. A statistically significant difference in terms of skin sensitivity with DC compared to RC (1.6 points, vs. 2.4 points p < 0.05) was observed at Day 14. Clinical sign and symptom scores were more reduced with DC than with RC at all time points. Acne severity improved in both groups.ConclusionDC significantly reduces A/BPO‐related RISD compared to RC, especially during the first 14 days of treatment, without interfering with the clinical efficacy of the treatment, thus helping to maintain treatment adherence.
A Mendelian randomization study between chronic periodontitis and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Tan Li , He Yunbo , Wang Tianyi , Gao Xianhua , Fan Wei , Fan Bing 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackground and ObjectiveObservational studies have suggested a potential association between non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic periodontitis (CP). However, these studies are prone to confounding factors. The aim of this study was to assess the causal relationship between NAFLD and CP using a two‐sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis method.MethodsDatasets of CP and NAFLD were retrieved from the European database, and instrumental variables (IVs) related to exposure were selected for the MR analysis. Sensitivity tests, including heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy tests, were conducted to ensure the consistency of the selected IVs, following which the analysis results were visualized.ResultsGenetic variants associated with CP and NAFLD were identified as IVs, and the MR assessment was performed using the summary data (CP: 3046 cases and 195 395 controls; NAFLD: 894 cases and 217 898 controls). CP increased the risk of NAFLD (inverse variance weighted [IVW], b = 0.132 > 0, p = .006 < .05), whereas the reverse was not observed (IVW, b = −0.024 < 0, p = .081 > .05). The sensitivity analysis indicated no heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy.ConclusionThe MR analysis suggested that CP could increase the risk of NAFLD among European populations.
Allometry, asymmetry and sexual dimorphism in blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
Authors: Merchant H. N. , Knapp A. , Knell R. J. , Hone D. W. E. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractHyper‐allometry, whereby an anatomical unit increases in size at a faster rate than other structures of the same organism, is considered to be an important feature of many sexually selected structures, with large ‘high‐quality’ animals carrying a feature that is proportionally larger than smaller, ‘low‐quality’ animals. When these structures are bilaterally symmetrical, it has been suggested that the degree of fluctuating asymmetry (deviation from perfect symmetry) acts as an indicator of the quality of the bearer. Bovids are useful models for testing sexual selection hypotheses due to their large horns and variety of reproductive systems. Here we use male and female specimens of the southern African blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) to assess the levels of allometry and fluctuating asymmetry in morphological features of the horns and skull. Males were found to be significantly larger than females for overall horn size, horn length and horn circumference and the horns were found to be isometric in both sexes. Directional asymmetry was found for horn length and horn circumference with the right being longer than the left side. These findings suggest that in C. taurinus the horns follow predicted patterns of variation for sexually selected traits, but that here fluctuating asymmetry may not be as important in sexual selection as previously suggested. Additionally, females did not differ greatly from males in variation and asymmetry and allometry, indicating their horns could be under sexual selection as a result of male choice, or that like males, they also engage in intraspecific combat as well.
Investigating the impact of x‐ray computed tomography imaging on soluble organic matter in the Murchison meteorite: Implications for Bennu sample analyses
Authors: Glavin Daniel P. , Eckley Scott A. , Aponte José C. , Berger Eve L. , Burton Aaron S. , Dworkin Jason P. , Elsila Jamie E. , Ferguson Frank T. , Furukawa Yoshihiro , Graham Heather V. , Koga Toshiki , Liss Michael , McLain Hannah L. , Naraoka Hiroshi , Oba Yasuhiro , Parker Eric T. , Righter Kevin , Schmitt‐Kopplin Philippe , Simkus Danielle N. , Takano Yoshinori , Connolly Harold C. , Lauretta Dante S. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractX‐ray computed tomography (XCT) is a valuable reconnaissance tool for three‐dimensional imaging and identification of distinct lithologies in extraterrestrial samples. It will be used as part of the preliminary examination of samples returned from asteroid (101955) Bennu by the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS‐REx) mission. However, it must first be established whether x‐rays generated during XCT could degrade or alter the organic composition of the returned samples by radiolysis. To test this, we split a crushed sample of the Murchison CM2 meteorite, kept one portion as a control, and irradiated the other portion up to the maximum x‐ray dosage (~180 Gy) that a Bennu sample would experience during an XCT imaging experiment. We then extracted organic compounds from both splits and conducted (i) nontargeted soluble organic analyses to compare the chemical distributions of C‐, H‐, O‐, N‐, and S‐bearing species and (ii) targeted measurements to quantify the abundances of 96 individual soluble organic molecules that included protein amino acids, amines, carboxylic acids, hydroxy acids, carbonyl compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, sugars, and N‐heterocycles. We found that XCT imaging of the Murchison meteorite had no measurable impact on the relative abundances or enantiomeric compositions of most of the soluble organic compounds targeted in this study. Elevated total abundances of several soluble organic compound classes were observed in the XCT‐scanned Murchison sample relative to the control. This is likely related to particle size heterogeneity and specific surface area differences between the sample aliquots used for the extractions, rather than a result of the x‐ray exposure. Assuming the samples returned from asteroid Bennu by OSIRIS‐REx have a similar composition to carbonaceous chondrites, these data provide confidence that XCT will not significantly alter their soluble organic compositions.
Digital worker inquiry and the critical potential of participatory worker data science for on‐demand platform workers
Authors: Gallagher Cailean , Gregory Karen , Karabaliev Boyan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe knowledge that workers have of the systems they work under is an outcome of strategic choices by platforms and by workers themselves. Based on three initiatives undertaken by food distribution workers in Scotland, this article explores the obstacles that platform workers face when conducting inquiries into their systems of control, and investigates the potential for workers to overcome these obstacles through collaborative research projects. By drawing analogies from the history of workers' inquiries into changing labour processes, the article evaluates these three initiatives in light of previous efforts by workers to monitor complex and concealed management structures. It offers a new concept of ‘worker data science’ to describe the techniques, skills and methods that workers require to arrive at answers to questions that emerge through their inquiries, and concludes that such purposive science has the potential to equip workers to support one another and to resist and challenge some of the commands and calculations that emerge from platforms' hidden algorithmic systems.
The degenerate spouse: Eugenics and divorce in Arabella Kenealy's The Marriage Yoke (1904) and Gabriele Reuter's ‘Eines Toten Wiederkehr’ (1901)
Authors: Borrmann Fatima 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDuring the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, eugenics emphasised human intervention to rectify a perceived distortion of the ‘natural’ evolutionary progress. One of the interventions advocated by eugenicists was the prevention of marriages that were deemed incompatible. The union between the ‘fit’ and the ‘unfit’ was constantly propagated as the reason behind the degeneration of the race, especially in the wake of the rediscovery of Mendel's theories on heredity and the repudiation of Lamarckism. Both Arabella Kenealy's The Marriage Yoke (1904) and Gabriela Reuter's ‘Eines Toten Wiederkehr’ (1908) portray the tragedy of such a marriage to a ‘defective’ partner. Moreover, they emphasise the lost potential of this marriage, both for the individual and the nation, by also introducing healthier characters with whom a better eugenic match could have been made. Instead, the healthy partners are burdened by the care and nursing of their mentally and physically defective partners and children. In this article I will not only show how scientific discourses are echoed and mediated within the narrative, but also how they are used to advocate for social change.