bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Are nitrification inhibitors effective in reducing N2O from farm-scale emission hotspots?
Authors: Marsden Karina A. , dos Santos Camila A. , Friedl Johannes , Rowlings David W. , Chadwick Dave R. , Eckard Richard J. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractLivestock congregation areas are nitrous oxide (N2O) hot-spots and could be key areas to focus mitigation action. We tested whether combined cattle urine and fertiliser N2O-N emission factors (EFs) would be higher from a farm gateway area compared to a standard pasture under sub-tropical conditions, and whether the nitrification inhibitor, dimethyl pyrazole phosphate (DMPP), would lower N2O EFs from the gateway area. Treatments (n = 3) included: (i) fertiliser applied to a standard pasture (50 kg urea-N ha−1), (ii) fertiliser (50 kg urea-N ha−1) + urine (350 kg N ha−1) applied to a standard pasture, (iii) fertiliser (50 kg urea-N ha−1) + urine (350 kg N ha−1) applied to the gateway area, and (iv) fertiliser (50 kg urea-N ha−1) + urine (350 kg N ha−1) + DMPP (1.5 kg ha−1) applied to the gateway area. Emissions were monitored via an automated static chamber-based system and 15N-labelled urine treatments (n = 4) used to assess N2O + N2 emissions, N2O:N2 and 15N recovery from the pasture. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed for EFs between the fertiliser + urine treatment for the standard pasture (1.10 ± 0.17%) or the gateway area (1.46 ± 0.40%). DMPP did not lower the N2O-N EF from the gateway area (1.50 ± 0.22%), where wet and warm conditions may have accelerated DMPP degradation. In the 15N-labelled urine treatments, significantly (p < 0.05) greater N2O + N2 emissions occurred in the gateway compared to the standard pasture, but disaggregating EFs between the contrasting areas was not warranted.
The role of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis in human ejaculated sperm damage under a state of scrotal heat stress
Authors: Budzinska Marta , Kamieniczna Marzena , Wojnar Lukasz , Gill Kamil , Piasecka Malgorzata , Kups Michal , Fraczek Monika 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purpose
The study aimed to determine the associations among standard sperm characteristics and oxidative/apoptotic markers in ejaculated sperm of men exposed to prolonged scrotal hyperthermia of either environmental or clinical origin.

Methods
The original study design included four research groups: professional drivers (n = 54), infertile men with varicocele (n = 78), infertile men not exposed to prolonged genital heat stress (n = 37), and fertile individuals serving as the control group (n = 29). Standard semen analysis was performed according to the 5th WHO laboratory manual. The following oxidative and apoptotic parameters of sperm were investigated: mitochondrial superoxide anion generation (MitoSOX Red dye), phosphatidylserine externalization (Annexin V binding assay), mitochondrial membrane potential (JC-1 dye), DNA fragmentation (TUNEL/PI assay), and membrane fluidity (merocyanine 540 dye).

Results
All the studied groups presented a strong deterioration in routine sperm parameters and a strongly apoptotic phenotype in sperm, characterized by both decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and enhanced DNA fragmentation, regardless of the thermal insult. Significant induction of mitochondrial superoxide anion generation was noted only in the groups exposed to genital heat stress. A positive correlation between the production of superoxide anion in the mitochondrial chain and the level of DNA fragmentation in drivers was also noted.

Conclusion
Long-term exposure to scrotal hyperthermia in real-life situations is sufficient to reduce sperm quality in humans. The thermal stress directly induces the oxidative stress cascade in ejaculated sperm, affecting the plasma membrane fluidity, mitochondrial homeostasis, and sperm DNA integrity.
Fluorine-free superhydrophobic PDMS-coated silica particles for oil–water separation and liquid marbles
Authors: Hanosh Swithin , Unnikrishnan V. K. , George Sajan D. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this paper, we report the fabrication of fluorine-free hydrophobic particles via grafting fluidic polydimethylsiloxane onto silica particles through a facile wet lab technique at room temperature. A cotton fabric coated with the prepared hydrophobic particles shows potential as a membrane to separate oil and water due to hydrophobic behavior (equilibrium water contact angle ~ 145°) and superoleophilicity. The hydrophobic nature of the fabric is varied only slightly after immersing the fabric in 1 M of acidic and basic solution for seven days and thus ensured the chemical stability of the fabric, whereas the physical stability examined via abrasion test elucidates minimal change in wettability even after 50 cycles of abrasion tests. The oil–water separation efficiency of the membrane made from particle-coated cotton fabric is found to be greater than 95% even after 50 cycles of usage for various oils. Further, these particles are used to cover aqueous droplets to create liquid marbles. The stability of the liquid marble is investigated against solution with different surface tension, pH values, and viscosity. The particles demonstrate the potential to create stable liquid marbles even when the surface tension of liquid is as low as ~ 32 mN m−1. In addition, the liquid marbles are created from aqueous solutions having pH values ranging from 1 to 14 and with liquids having viscosity over a wide range. The substrate temperature-dependent evaporation studies of the liquid marbles unambiguously elucidate the porous nature of the surface and manifest a temperature-dependent liquid marble height decrease in evaporation time scale.
Graphical Abstract
The Moral Entitlements of Future Persons: Expectancies and Prospective Beneficiaries
Authors: Campos Andre Santos 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis paper develops a future-oriented and person-centred normative argument based on expectancies that is immune to most of the problems identified in the rights of future persons. The argument unfolds in four parts. The first draws on the notion of expectancies present in inheritance law and maintains that it is possible to formulate a rule of prospective beneficiaries that correlates with entitlements and legitimate claims without necessarily acquiring the status of rights. The second extends expectancies to future persons and concludes that the latter can be considered present holders of such currently binding entitlements. The third section raises the question of whether democracies are bound to a principle of fidelity towards expectancies in such a way that outweighs current people’s rights in cases of conflicts. The response does not prove particularly future-beneficial in such cases. However, section four clarifies why expectancies still carry a crucial moral weight in democracies, one that is not sufficiently established by depersonalised forms of future-oriented ethics.
Trends in Sexual Health of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men, and Transgender Individuals: Apps Driven Testing Program for HIV and Other STIs in Barcelona, Spain (2016–2023)
Authors: Alarcón Gutiérrez Miguel , Palma Díaz David , Forns Cantón Maria Lluïsa , Fernández-López Laura , García de Olalla Patricia , Rius Gibert Cristina 
Published: December 2023

AbstractGay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and transgender individuals face heightened risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Surveillance within these populations is critical, and community testing services play a pivotal role in preventing and controlling HIV and STIs. This study investigates the trends in HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C (HCV) infections among participants in an apps-driven rapid test program from 2016 to 2023 in Barcelona, Spain, examining associated factors. Trend analysis utilized Wilcoxon-type test and associated factors were determined through multivariate logistic analysis. The prevalence of new HIV diagnosis was 1.81% (CI 1.18–2.64), active syphilis was 3.37% (CI 2.46–4.50) and acute HCV was 0.40% (CI 0.11–1.02). While infection rates showed no significant changes, there was significant increasing in sex work and chemsex and decreasing in condom use. Additionally, a peak in dating apps use for sex and a specific reduction in number of sexual partners were observed in 2020. Factors associated with HIV diagnoses included migrant status (aOR = 11.19; CI 2.58–48.53) and inconsistent condom use during the previous 12 months (aOR = 3.12; CI 1.02–9.51). For syphilis, associated factors were migrant status (aOR = 2.46; CI 1.14–5.29), inconsistent condom use (aOR = 3.38; CI 1.37–8.36), and chemsex practice during the previous 12 months (aOR = 2.80; CI 1.24–6.30). Our findings emphasize the need for tailored interventions, including culturally sensitive outreach for migrants and comprehensive strategies addressing substance use in sexual contexts. Technological innovations and targeted educational initiatives could reduce the burden of HIV and STIs within the GBMSM and transgender communities, providing valuable insights for public health strategies.
Mission Alliance Community Engagement Project: Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Social Isolation, Loneliness, Mental Health and Wellbeing in Veterans
Authors: Pratt Beth A. , Krause-Parello Cheryl A. , Nguyen-Feng Viann N. , Giordano Nicholas A. , Basin S. Basilia , Peterson Alan L. , Walsh Patrick , Siebert Aaron Q. , Ruiz Rigoberto , Kirkland David M. , Nolan John Paul 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDuring the Coronavirus disease pandemic, many U.S. veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced increased symptomology and worsened mental health and well-being due in part to social isolation and loneliness. The Mission Alliance project explored these ramifications and prioritized critical issues expressed by U.S. veterans and stakeholders (N = 182) during virtual regional meetings (N = 32). Field notes created specifically for this project were recorded and thematically analyzed. Emerging themes included: (1) social isolation: missed opportunities, collapsed social circles, work-life balance, fostering relationships, and evolving health care delivery; (2) loneliness: deteriorated mental health, suffered with PTSD together but alone, looked out for each other, ambivalence toward technology, and strained and broken systems; (3) mental health: sense of chaos, increased demand and decreased access, aggravation, implementation of tools, innovative solutions, fear and loss, and availability of resources; (4) wellbeing: sense of purpose, holistic perspective on well-being, recognition of balance, persisting stigma, redefined pressures, freedom to direct treatment, and reconnection and disconnection. A PTSD-related patient centered outcomes research (PCOR)/comparative effectiveness research (CER) agenda was developed from these themes. Establishment of a veteran and stakeholder network is suggested to support, facilitate, and promote the PTSD-related PCOR/CER agenda. Furthermore, enhancement of opportunities for veterans with PTSD and stakeholders to partner in PCOR/CER is required to develop and conduct projects that lead to PTSD-related comprehensive care of veterans affected by traumatic events with the potential to translate findings to other populations.
Optimized derivative fast Fourier transform with high resolution and low noise from encoded time signals: Ovarian NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Belkić Dževad , Belkić Karen 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe unfiltered derivative fast Fourier transform (dFFT) of degrees higher than two fails flagrantly for encoded time signals. These data are always dominated by noise at larger times of encodings. Such a breakdown is due to processing the unweighted product of the time signal and the time power function. The latter is generated by the frequency derivative operator applied to the fast Fourier transform (FFT). As a result, the unfiltered dFFT cannot separate the overlapped resonances and it dramatically decreases signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) relative to the FFT. This problem is solved by a derivative-adapted optimization with the properly attenuated filters. The ensuing optimized dFFT achieves the long sought simultaneous enhancement of both resolution and SNR. It uncovers the genuine resonances hidden within overlapping peaks to enable quantitative interpretations. It does not impose any model on the input time signals nor on the output lineshape in the spectra. It is computationally expedient as it uses the Cooley-Tukey fast algorithm. The present applications deal with time signals encoded by in vitro NMR spectroscopy from human malignant ovarian cyst fluid. A remarkably successful performance of the optimized dFFT is demonstrated for reconstructed spectra of potentially added value in clinical decision-making.
Single-cell Analysis Reveals Inter- and Intratumour Heterogeneity in Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Hamelin Baptiste , Obradović Milan M. S. , Sethi Atul , Kloc Michal , Münst Simone , Beisel Christian , Eschbach Katja , Kohler Hubertus , Soysal Savas , Vetter Marcus , Weber Walter P. , Stadler Michael B. , Bentires-Alj Mohamed 
Published: December 2023

AbstractMetastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths of breast cancer patients. Some cancer cells in a tumour go through successive steps, referred to as the metastatic cascade, and give rise to metastases at a distant site. We know that the plasticity and heterogeneity of cancer cells play critical roles in metastasis but the precise underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here we aimed to identify molecular mechanisms of metastasis during colonization, one of the most important yet poorly understood steps of the cascade. We performed single-cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) on tumours and matched lung macrometastases of patient-derived xenografts of breast cancer. After correcting for confounding factors such as the cell cycle and the percentage of detected genes (PDG), we identified cells in three states in both tumours and metastases. Gene-set enrichment analysis revealed biological processes specific to proliferation and invasion in two states. Our findings suggest that these states are a balance between epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transitions (MET) traits that results in so-called partial EMT phenotypes. Analysis of the top differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between these cell states revealed a common set of partial EMT transcription factors (TFs) controlling gene expression, including ZNF750, OVOL2, TP63, TFAP2C and HEY2. Our data suggest that the TFs related to EMT delineate different cell states in tumours and metastases. The results highlight the marked interpatient heterogeneity of breast cancer but identify common features of single cells from five models of metastatic breast cancer.
Alterations of the skeletal muscle contractile apparatus in necrosis induced by myotoxic snake venom phospholipases A2: a mini-review
Authors: López-Dávila Alfredo Jesús , Lomonte Bruno , Gutiérrez José María 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSkeletal muscle necrosis is a common clinical manifestation of snakebite envenoming. The predominant myotoxic components in snake venoms are catalytically-active phospholipases A2 (PLA2) and PLA2 homologs devoid of enzymatic activity, which have been used as models to investigate various aspects of muscle degeneration. This review addresses the changes in the contractile apparatus of skeletal muscle induced by these toxins. Myotoxic components initially disrupt the integrity of sarcolemma, generating a calcium influx that causes various degenerative events, including hypercontraction of myofilaments. There is removal of specific sarcomeric proteins, owing to the hydrolytic action of muscle calpains and proteinases from invading inflammatory cells, causing an initial redistribution followed by widespread degradation of myofibrillar material. Experiments using skinned cardiomyocytes and skeletal muscle fibers show that these myotoxins do not directly affect the contractile apparatus, implying that hypercontraction is due to cytosolic calcium increase secondary to sarcolemmal damage. Such drastic hypercontraction may contribute to muscle damage by generating mechanical stress and further sarcolemmal damage.
On the association between gender-science stereotypes’ endorsement and gender bias attribution
Authors: De Gioannis Elena 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe existence and persistence of stereotypes on gender and science, as well as their influence on attitudes and behaviors, have been largely studied worldwide. Current measures of gender-science stereotypes are mainly descriptive and do not ask respondents their opinions about the perceived cause(s) of these gender differences. However, empirical evidence suggests that gender bias attribution, i.e., the difference in the causes to which gender differences are attributed, has heterogeneous consequences. Here, it was exploited the fact that Project Implicit includes both instruments of gender-science stereotypes and gender bias attribution to test whether and to what extent two components of gender bias attribution, i.e., causes attributed to personal characteristics and those attributed to social/contextual factors, were associated with the endorsement of implicit and explicit gender-science stereotypes. Both an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis tested whether the instrument on gender bias attribution in Project Implicit could be decomposed into two components, while an SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) analysis tested the hypothesized association. The factor analysis confirmed that bias attribution should be decomposed into two distinct components, “internal factors” and “external factors”. Finally, the association between these two components and implicit and explicit gender stereotypes varied depending on the participant's gender. Explicit gender stereotypes' endorsement was positively associated with the external component in the case of women and with the internal component in the case of men. Conversely, the association between attribution and implicit gender stereotypes was null.
What does better look like in individuals with severe neurodevelopmental impairments? A qualitative descriptive study on SCN2A-related developmental and epileptic encephalopathy
Authors: Downs Jenny , Ludwig Natasha N. , Wojnaroski Mary , Keeley Jessica , Schust Myers Leah , Chapman Chere A. T. , Hecker JayEtta , Conecker Gabrielle , Berg Anne T. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purpose
There are limited psychometric data on outcome measures for children with Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs), beyond measuring seizures, and no data to describe meaningful change. This study aimed to explore parent perceptions of important differences in functional abilities that would guide their participation in clinical trials.

Methods
This was a descriptive qualitative study. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted with 10 families (15 parent participants) with a child with a SCN2A-DEE [8 male, median (range) age 7.5 (4.5–21)] years. Questions and probes sought to understand the child’s functioning across four domains: gross motor, fine motor, communication, and activities of daily living. Additional probing questions sought to identify the smallest differences in the child’s functioning for each domain that would be important to achieve, if enrolling in a traditional therapy clinical trial or in a gene therapy trial. Data were analyzed with directed content analysis.

Results
Expressed meaningful differences appeared to describe smaller developmental steps for children with more limited developmental skills and more complex developmental steps for children with less limited skills and were different for different clinical trial scenarios. Individual meaningful changes were described as important for the child’s quality of life and to facilitate day-to-day caring.

Conclusion
Meaningful change thresholds have not been evaluated in the DEE literature. This study was a preliminary qualitative approach to inform future studies that will aim to determine quantitative values of change, applicable to groups and within-person, to inform interpretation of specific clinical outcome assessments in individuals with a DEE.
Methods for studying the writing time-course
Authors: Torrance Mark , Conijn Rianne 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe understanding of the cognitive processes that underlie written composition requires analysis of moment-by-moment fluctuation in the rate of output that go beyond traditional approaches to writing time-course analysis based on, for example, counting pauses. This special issue includes 10 papers that provide important new tools and methods for extracting and analyzing writing timecourse data that go beyond traditional approaches. The papers in this special issue divide into three groups: papers that describe methods for capturing and coding writing timecourse data from writers producing text either by hand or by keyboard, papers that describe new statistical approaches to describing and drawing inferences from these data, and papers that focus on analysis of how a text develops over time as the writer makes changes to what they have already written.
Wellbeing Rankings
Authors: Blanchflower David G. , Bryson Alex 
Published: December 2023

AbstractCombining data on around four million respondents from the Gallup World Poll and the US Daily Tracker Poll we rank 164 countries, the 50 states of the United States and the District of Colombia on eight wellbeing measures. These are four positive wellbeing measures—life satisfaction, enjoyment, smiling and being well-rested—and four negative wellbeing variables—pain, sadness, anger and worry. Pooling the data for 2008–2017 we find country and state rankings differ markedly depending on whether they are ranked using positive or negative affect measures. The United States ranks lower on negative than positive affect, that is, its country wellbeing ranking looks worse using negative affect than it does when using positive affect. Combining rankings on all eight measures into a summary ranking index for 215 geographical locations we find that nine of the top ten and 16 of the top 20 ranked are US states. Only one US state ranks outside the top 100—West Virginia (101). Iraq ranks lowest—just below South Sudan. The Nordic countries that traditionally rank high using life satisfaction do not rank as highly on other measures. Country-level rankings on the summary wellbeing index differ sharply from those reported in the World Happiness Index and are more comparable to those obtained with the Human Development Index. The state level rankings on the summary index look very different from those just based on positive affect measures and look more similar to rankings based on objective wellbeing measures.