bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adenine nucleotide translocase 2 (Ant2) is required for individualization of spermatogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: He Zhen , Fang Yang , Zhang Fengchao , Liu Yang , Cheng Xinkai , Wang Jiajia , Li Dechen , Chen Dengsong , Wu Fan 
Published: December 2023

AbstractSuccessful completion of spermatogenesis is crucial for the perpetuation of the species. In Drosophila, spermatid individualization, a process involving changes in mitochondrial structure and function is critical to produce functional mature sperm. Ant2, encoding a mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase, is highly expressed in male testes and plays a role in energy metabolism in the mitochondria. However, its molecular function remains unclear. Here, we identified an important role of Ant2 in spermatid individualization. In Ant2 knockdown testes, spermatid individualization complexes composed of F‐actin cones exhibited a diffuse distribution, and mature sperms were absent in the seminal vesicle, thus leading to male sterility. The most striking effects in Ant2‐knockdown spermatids were decrease in tubulin polyglycylation and disruption of proper mitochondria derivatives function. Excessive apoptotic cells were also observed in Ant2‐knockdown testes. To further investigate the phenotype of Ant2 knockdown in testes at the molecular level, complementary transcriptome and proteome analyses were performed. At the mRNA level, 868 differentially expressed genes were identified, of which 229 genes were upregulated and 639 were downregulated induced via Ant2 knockdown. iTRAQ‐labeling proteome analysis revealed 350 differentially expressed proteins, of which 117 proteins were upregulated and 233 were downregulated. The expression of glutathione transferase (GstD5, GstE5, GstE8, and GstD3), proteins involved in reproduction were significantly regulated at both the mRNA and protein levels. These results indicate that Ant2 is crucial for spermatid maturation by affecting mitochondrial morphogenesis.
The role of nutrient credit trading for total maximum daily load compliance by the urban stormwater sector: Evidence from Virginia's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems
Authors: Ferris William N. , Stephenson Kurt 
Published: December 2023

AbstractWater quality credit trading has been advanced as a cost‐effective means of achieving regulatory compliance. However, the volume of trading activity in operational programs is typically less than estimated by empirical analysis. The compliance behavior of Virginia Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) is studied in response to the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load (TMDL) to understand the circumstances in which trading is adopted, the extent to which trading is adopted, and the factors contributing to trading's use or nonuse. Results indicate that MS4s generally prefer to install their own pollutant control measures rather than trade. Many MS4s, however, rely on trade as a backup compliance option. MS4s favor bay compliance options that help meet other local management objectives (erosion control, infrastructure protection, and reductions toward local water quality objectives) and provide long term pollutant control benefits. Low cost term credits do not provide such benefits. For perpetual credits, MS4s use a variety of strategies to substantially reduce the cost differences between trade and nontrade compliance options.
Provider‐to‐provider telehealth for sepsis patients in a cohort of rural emergency departments
Authors: Mohr Nicholas M. , Young Tracy , Vakkalanka J. Priyanka , Carter Knute D. , Shane Dan M. , Ullrich Fred , Schuette Allison R. , Mack Luke J. , DeJong Katie , Bell Amanda , Pals Mark , Camargo Carlos A. , Zachrison Kori S. , Boggs Krislyn M. , Skibbe Adam , Ward Marcia M. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundTelehealth has been proposed as one strategy to improve the quality of time‐sensitive sepsis care in rural emergency departments (EDs). The purpose of this study was to measure the association between telehealth‐supplemented ED (tele‐ED) care, health care costs, and clinical outcomes among patients with sepsis in rural EDs.MethodsCohort study using Medicare fee‐for‐service claims data for beneficiaries treated for sepsis in rural EDs between February 1, 2017, and September 30, 2019. Our primary hospital‐level analysis used multivariable generalized estimating equations to measure the association between treatment in a tele‐ED–capable hospital and 30‐day total costs of care. In our supporting secondary analysis, we conducted a propensity‐matched analysis of patients who used tele‐ED with matched controls from non–tele‐ED–capable hospitals. Our primary outcome was total health care payments among index hospitalized patients between the index ED visit and 30 days after hospital discharge, and our secondary outcomes included hospital mortality, hospital length of stay, 90‐day mortality, 28‐day hospital‐free days, and 30‐day inpatient readmissions.ResultsIn our primary analysis, sepsis patients in tele‐ED–capable hospitals had 6.7% higher (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1%–11.5%) total health care costs compared to those in non–tele‐ED–capable hospitals. In our propensity‐matched patient‐level analysis, total health care costs were 23% higher (95% CI 16.5%–30.4%) in tele‐ED cases than matched non–tele‐ED controls. Clinical outcomes were similar.ConclusionsTele‐ED capability in a mature rural tele‐ED network was not associated with decreased health care costs or improved clinical outcomes. Future work is needed to reduce rural–urban sepsis care disparities and formalize systems of regionalized care.
A multiple trait assessment provides insights into the short‐time viability of a newly founded population in an endangered island passerine
Authors: Illera Juan Carlos , Delgado Alejandro , Trujillo Domingo , Carrascal Luis M. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDetermining the effectiveness of conservation actions is a priority in conservation biology, especially in island ecosystems which can host large numbers of endemic and often threatened species. In this study, we have brought together a genetic, body condition and breeding success assessment with the aim of evaluating the viability of a newly founded population of the endangered Gran Canaria blue chaffinch (Fringilla polatzeki), the forest passerine species with the most restricted distribution in the Western Palearctic. The species occurs exclusively in the Canary pine forests (Pinus canariensis) of the island of Gran Canaria, with the Inagua nature reserve harbouring the highest number individuals. In 2010, a translocation program was initiated within the same island in the nearby pine forests of La Cumbre with the goal of establishing a viable breeding population. Genetic results revealed that La Cumbre shows genetic parameters (diversity, inbreeding, and relatedness) similar to the core source of Inagua, which contrasts with the reduced genetic diversity expected due to the small size of the newly founded population. The biometric and body condition results (wing and tarsus length, body mass, and length asymmetry of the tail feathers), together with the breeding success (nest survival and number of fledglings per successful breeding attempt), were also similar in both populations. Overall, these findings suggest that the translocation program has been successful and provide insights on the effectiveness of the actions performed. Our evaluation also delivers future avenues for the conservation planning in other upland forest endangered avian species inhabiting island ecosystems, especially those threatened by the effects of global warming.
A systematic review of oculomotor deficits associated with acute and chronic cannabis use
Authors: Manning Brooke , Downey Luke A. , Narayan Andrea , Hayley Amie C. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDriving is a critical everyday task necessitating the rapid and seamless integration of dynamic visually derived information to guide neurobehaviour. Biological markers are frequently employed to detect Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) consumption among drivers during roadside tests, despite not necessarily indicating impairment. Characterising THC‐specific alterations to oculomotor behaviour may offer a more sensitive measure for indexing drug‐related impairment, necessitating discrimination between acute THC effects, chronic use and potential tolerance effects. The present review aims to synthesise current evidence on the acute and chronic effects of THC on driving‐relevant oculomotor behaviour. The review was prospectively registered (10.17605/OSF.IO/A4H9W), and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines informed reporting standards. Overall, 20 included articles comprising 12 experimental acute dosing trials, 5 cross‐sectional chronic use studies and 3 roadside epidemiological studies examined the effects of cannabis/THC on oculomotor parameters including saccadic activity gaze behaviour, nystagmus, smooth pursuit and eyelid/blink characteristics. Acute THC consumption selectively impacts oculomotor control, notably increasing saccadic latency and inaccuracy and impairing inhibitory control. Chronic cannabis users, especially those with early age of use onset, display enduring oculomotor deficits that affect visual scanning efficiency. The presence of eyelid tremors appears to be a reliable indicator of cannabis consumption while remaining distinct from direct impairment associated with visual attention and motor control. Cannabis selectively influences oculomotor activity relevant to driving, highlighting the role of cannabinoid systems in these processes. Defining cannabis/THC‐specific changes in oculomotor control may enhance the precision of roadside impairment assessments and vehicle safety systems to detect drug‐related impairment and assess driving fitness.
Insights into the influence of diet and genetics on feed efficiency and meat production in sheep
Authors: Chacko Kaitholil Steffimol Rose , Mooney Mark H. , Aubry Aurélie , Rezwan Faisal , Shirali Masoud 
Published: December 2023

AbstractFeed costs and carcass yields affect the profitability and sustainability of sheep production. Therefore, it is crucial to select animals with a higher feed efficiency and high‐quality meat production. This study focuses on the impact of dietary and genetic factors on production traits such as feed efficiency, carcass quality, and meat quality. Diets promote optimal sheep growth and development and provide sufficient protein can lead to higher‐quality meat. However, establishing an optimized production system requires careful consideration and balance of dietary parameters. This includes ensuring adequate protein intake and feeding diets with higher intestinal absorption rates to enhance nutrient absorption in the gut. The study identifies specific genes, such as Callipyge, Calpastatin, and Myostatin, and the presence of causal mutations in these genes, as factors influencing animal growth rates, feed efficiency, and meat fatty acid profiles. Additionally, variants of other reported genes, including PIGY, UCP1, MEF2B, TNNC2, FABP4, SCD, FASN, ADCY8, ME1, CA1, GLIS1, IL1RAPL1, SOX5, SOX6, and IGF1, show potential as markers for sheep selection. A meta‐analysis of reported heritability estimates reveals that residual feed intake (0.27 ± 0.07), hot carcass weight (0.26 ± 0.05), dressing percentage (0.23 ± 0.05), and intramuscular fat content (0.45 ± 0.04) are moderately to highly heritable traits. This suggests that these traits are less influenced by environmental factors and could be improved through genetic selection. Additionally, positive genetic correlations exist between body weight and hot carcass weight (0.91 ± 0.06), dressing percentage (0.35 ± 0.15), and shear force (0.27 ± 0.24), indicating that selecting for higher body weight could lead to favorable changes in carcass quality, and meat quality.
Pine plantations and native forest fragments adjacent to intact forests provide surrogate habitats for birds in an Afrotropical forest landscape
Authors: Ogola Simon Peter , Ssekuubwa Enock 
Published: December 2023

AbstractTropical forests harbour 72% of the world's bird species. The changing land uses have fragmented natural forests or replaced them with plantation forests. This sets in an argument as to whether forest fragments and plantations can support birds. We assessed birds in a plantation, fragment and an intact (continuous) Budongo forest, Uganda. We compared bird species composition, diversity and functional traits between the forests and examined their response to habitat characteristics. We sampled birds using 135 point counts along nine transects and assessed habitat characteristics in 90 plots in the fragment and intact forest. We classified bird species according to habitat preference and feeding guild. Bird species composition differed between forests. Bird abundance and richness in plantation and fragment were lower than in intact forest. Forest specialists and insectivores dominated the intact forest. Most birds in the fragment were forest generalists and frugivores. Forest visitors and granivores dominated in the plantation. Trachyphorus purpuratus, Andropadus latirostris and A. curvirostris preferred sites with greater tree height, diameter and many snags, respectively. Bird species abundance and richness declined with increasing tree diameter and increased with snags. Forest specialists preferred sites without climbers. Thus, plantations and fragments close to intact forests provide surrogate habitats for bird conservation.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in obstetric patients: An Israeli nationwide study
Authors: Yahav‐Shafir Dana , Ilgiyaev Eduard , Galante Ori , Gorfil Dan , Statlender Liran , Soroksky Arie , Carmi Uri , Sinai Yitzhak Brzezinski , Iprach Nisim , Haviv‐Yadid Yael , Makhoul Maged , Fatnic Elena , Ginosar Yehuda , Einav Sharon , Helviz Yigal , Fink Daniel , Sternik Leonid , Kogan Alexander 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe leading causes of maternal mortality include respiratory failure, cardiovascular events, infections, and hemorrhages. The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as rescue therapy in the peripartum period for cardiopulmonary failure is expanding in critical care medicine.MethodsThis retrospective observational study was conducted on a nationwide cohort in Israel. During the 3‐year period, between September 1, 2019, and August 31, 2022, all women in the peripartum period who had been supported by ECMO for respiratory or circulatory failure at 10 large Israeli hospitals were identified. Indications for ECMO, maternal and neonatal outcomes, details of ECMO support, and complications were collected.ResultsDuring the 3‐year study period, in Israel, there were 540 234 live births, and 28 obstetric patients were supported by ECMO, with an incidence of 5.2 cases per 100 000 or 1 case per 19 000 births (when excluding patients with COVID‐19, the incidence will be 2.5 cases per 100 000 births). Of these, 25 were during the postpartum period, of which 16 (64%) were connected in the PPD1, and 3 were during pregnancy. Eighteen patients (64.3%) were supported by V‐V ECMO, 9 (32.1%) by V‐A ECMO, and one (3.6%) by a VV‐A configuration. Hypoxic respiratory failure (ARDS) was the most common indication for ECMO, observed in 21 patients (75%). COVID‐19 was the cause of ARDS in 15 (53.7%) patients. The indications for the V‐A configuration were cardiomyopathy (3 patients), amniotic fluid embolism (2 patients), sepsis, and pulmonary hypertension. The maternal and fetal survival rates were 89.3% (n = 25) and 100% (n = 28). The average ECMO duration was 17.6 ± 18.6 days and the ICU stay was 29.8 ± 23.8 days. Major bleeding complications requiring surgical intervention were observed in one patient.ConclusionsThe incidence of using ECMO in the peripartum period is low. The maternal and neonatal survival rates in patients treated with ECMO are high. These results show that ECMO remains an important treatment option for obstetric patients with respiratory and/or cardiopulmonary failure.
Income volatility in adolescence and university enrollment: The case of South Korea
Authors: Kwon Bo‐hui , Jeon Gyeahyung 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis study examines the relationship between parental income volatility and children's university enrollment. It measures parental income instability using the following indicators: (1) transitory income volatility, (2) standard deviation of the arc percent change, and (3) coefficient of variation. These metrics are derived from the total household income data collected from the child's first year of middle school through the third year of high school. Additionally, this study investigates the impact of income trends by analyzing the regression coefficient obtained by regressing total household income against the father's age. An investigation of individuals born between 1986 and 1998, who graduated from general high school, reveals an negative correlation between parental income instability/trends and the likelihood of children enrolling in a 4‐year university. However, this correlation is only statistically significant for low‐income households. These findings imply that despite similar average income levels, households with high income volatility in the lower‐income group are less likely to make adequate educational investments in their children.
Individual tourist expenditures in Japan during the inbound tourism boom period (2015–2017): Empirical evidence from micro survey data
Authors: Matsubayashi Yoichi , Inada Yoshihisa 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThis study empirically examines the characteristics of demand generated by inbound tourism (inbound demand) in Japan in the 2010s using individual data from the Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan. This is the first study to investigate the detailed characteristics of inbound consumption during Japan's inbound boom period using individual micro survey data. One of the main findings is that household income and the exchange rate significantly affect inbound demand. This is especially true for inbound demand by visitors from Asian countries, whose main purpose for visiting Japan is shopping. Another main finding is that visa relaxation effectively increases the number of tourists from China. The third finding is that the payment environment in Japan, including the use of credit cards, has a significant impact on inbound demand. These findings provide an in‐depth insight into inbound demand as a potential engine for future economic growth in Japan.
Does outward foreign direct investment improve the performance of domestic firms? Case of Korea
Authors: Han Soomin , Kim Sunghyun 
Published: December 2023

AbstractIn this article, we use firm‐level data in Korea from 2010 to 2019 to analyze whether outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) affects the productivity of domestic firms, known as reverse knowledge spillovers. Using propensity score matching and difference‐in‐difference regressions, we verify that OFDI improves the productivity of parent companies. Considering the characteristics of OFDI and the parent company, these positive effects become greater when (1) parent company's absorptive capacity (technology level) is high, (2) OFDI is in the M&A form, and (3) OFDI is toward developed countries. In addition to these direct effects, we investigate whether OFDI improves the productivity of other domestic firms within and across industries, known as horizontal and vertical spillovers. The results demonstrate strong evidence of positive vertical spillovers but not horizontal spillovers. These evidence provide important policy implications about the specifics of outward direct investment that are beneficial to capital‐exporting countries.
Social valuation of biodiversity relative to other types of assets at risk in wildfire
Authors: Woinarski John C. Z. , Garnett Stephen T. , Zander Kerstin K. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractEnvironmental crises, such as wildfires, can cause major losses of human life, infrastructure, biodiversity, and cultural values. In many such situations, incident controllers must make fateful choices about what to protect—and hence what to abandon. With an online representative survey of >2000 adult Australians, we investigated social attitudes to this dilemma. We used best–worst scaling to assess preferences across a set of 11 assets representing human life, infrastructure, biodiversity, and cultural values. Survey respondents overwhelmingly prioritized a single human life (best–worst score of 6647 out of possible score ranging from −10695 to 10695), even if that choice resulted in extinction of other species. Inanimate (replaceable) objects were accorded lowest priority (best–worst scores of −4655 for a shed and −3242 for a house). Among biodiversity assets, respondents prioritized protecting a population of the iconic koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) (best–worst score of 1913) ahead of preventing the extinction of a snail (score −329) and a plant species (−226). These results variably support current policy in that they emphasize the importance the community places on protection of human life, but results diverged from conventional practice in rating some biodiversity assets ahead of infrastructure. The preference for protecting a population of koalas ahead of action taken to prevent the extinction of an invertebrate and plant species corroborates previous research reporting biases in the way people value nature. If noncharismatic species are not to be treated as expendable, then the case for preventing their extinction needs to be better made to the community. Given the increasing global incidence of high‐severity wildfires, further sampling of societal preferences among diverse asset types is needed to inform planning, policy, and practice relating to wildfire. Other preemptive targeted management actions (such as translocations) are needed to conserve biodiversity, especially noniconic species, likely to be imperiled by catastrophic events.
Experimentally testing animal responses to prescribed fire size and severity
Authors: Doherty Tim S. , Bohórquez Fandiño Daniel F. , Watchorn Darcy J. , Legge Sarah M. , Dickman Chris R. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractDeserts are often highly biodiverse and provide important habitats for many threatened species. Fire is a dominant disturbance in deserts, and prescribed burning is increasingly being used by conservation managers and Indigenous peoples to mitigate the damaging effects of climate change, invasive plants, and land‐use change. The size, severity, and patchiness of fires can affect how animals respond to fire. However, there are almost no studies examining such burn characteristics in desert environments, which precludes the use of such information in conservation planning. Using a before‐after control‐impact approach with 20 sampling sites, we studied the outcomes of 10 prescribed burns of varying size (5–267 ha), severity, and patchiness to identify which variables best predicted changes in small mammal and reptile species richness and abundance. Three of the 13 species showed a clear response to fire. Captures increased for 2 species (1 mammal, 1 reptile) and decreased for 1 species (a reptile) as the proportional area burned around traps increased. Two other mammal species showed weaker positive responses to fire. Total burn size and burn patchiness were not influential predictors for any species. Changes in capture rates occurred only at sites with the largest and most severe burns. No fire‐related changes in capture rates were observed where fires were small and very patchy. Our results suggest that there may be thresholds of fire size or fire severity that trigger responses to fire, which has consequences for management programs underpinned by the patch mosaic burning paradigm. The prescribed burns we studied, which are typical in scale and intensity across many desert regions, facilitated the presence of some taxa and are unlikely to have widespread or persistent negative impacts on small mammal or reptile communities in this ecosystem provided that long unburned habitat harboring threatened species is protected.