bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integrated community models: A framework combining multispecies data sources to estimate the status, trends and dynamics of biodiversity
Authors: Zipkin Elise F. , Doser Jeffrey W. , Davis Courtney L. , Leuenberger Wendy , Ayebare Samuel , Davis Kayla L. 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Data deficiencies among rare or cryptic species preclude assessment of community‐level processes using many existing approaches, limiting our understanding of the trends and stressors for large numbers of species. Yet evaluating the dynamics of whole communities, not just common or charismatic species, is critical to understanding and the responses of biodiversity to ongoing environmental pressures.

A recent surge in both public science and government‐funded data collection efforts has led to a wealth of biodiversity data. However, these data collection programmes use a wide range of sampling protocols (from unstructured, opportunistic observations of wildlife to well‐structured, design‐based programmes) and record information at a variety of spatiotemporal scales. As a result, available biodiversity data vary substantially in quantity and information content, which must be carefully reconciled for meaningful ecological analysis.

Hierarchical modelling, including single‐species integrated models and hierarchical community models, has improved our ability to assess and predict biodiversity trends and processes. Here, we highlight the emerging ‘integrated community modelling’ framework that combines both data integration and community modelling to improve inferences on species‐ and community‐level dynamics.

We illustrate the framework with a series of worked examples. Our three case studies demonstrate how integrated community models can be used to extend the geographic scope when evaluating species distributions and community‐level richness patterns; discern population and community trends over time; and estimate demographic rates and population growth for communities of sympatric species. We implemented these worked examples using multiple software methods through the R platform via packages with formula‐based interfaces and through development of custom code in JAGS, NIMBLE and Stan.

Integrated community models provide an exciting approach to model biological and observational processes for multiple species using multiple data types and sources simultaneously, thus accounting for uncertainty and sampling error within a unified framework. By leveraging the combined benefits of both data integration and community modelling, integrated community models can produce valuable information about both common and rare species as well as community‐level dynamics, allowing for holistic evaluation of the effects of global change on biodiversity.
Technological innovations in environmental sustainability: A quantitative exploration of their impact on carbon dioxide emissions
Authors: Bozkaya Şeyma , Duran Mahmut Sami , Awan Ashar 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe increasing concerns about climate change demand a more profound understanding of the elements influencing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, particularly in nations with high carbon footprints. This study embarks on a quantitative exploration of how renewable energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental technologies impact CO2 emissions across eight nations with the highest carbon emission levels. Leveraging annual data from the period 1990–2019, we undertake a meticulous empirical analysis to unearth the factors shaping the environmental quality in these countries. Our findings reveal that per capita income and environmental technologies wield a significant influence on CO2 emission levels. Delving further into causality relationships, we discern a fascinating bidirectional causal link between CO2 emissions and renewable energy consumption. In parallel, a similar bidirectional causality is spotted between renewable energy consumption and environmental technology. From CO2 emissions to environmental technology and GDP per capita to CO2 emissions and environmental technology, unidirectional causal links are also perceived. In light of these compelling results, we propose several policy recommendations aimed at promoting sustainability and fostering a healthier environmental future. Our research underscores the potential of renewable energy consumption and environmental technologies in mitigating carbon emissions and spurring a greener economy.
Combining multi‐omics analysis to identify host‐targeted targets for the control of Brucella infection
Authors: Yu Jiuwang , Yuan Hongwei , Guo Jiarong , Dong Zhiheng , Li Sha , Fu Quan , Aode Bilige , Baoyin Sachula , Bao Lidao , Wu Lan 
Published: October 2023

AbstractHuman infections caused by Brucella (called brucellosis) are among the most common zoonoses worldwide with an estimated 500,000 cases each year. Since chronic Brucella infections are extremely difficult to treat, there is an urgent need for more effective therapeutics. As a facultative intracellular bacterium, Brucella is strictly parasitic in the host cell. Here, we performed proteomic and transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses on Brucella infected patients, mice and cells that provided an extensive “map” of physiological changes in brucellosis patients and characterized the metabolic pathways essential to the response to infection, as well as the associated cellular response and molecular mechanisms. This is the first report utilizing multi‐omics analysis to investigate the global response of proteins and metabolites associated with Brucella infection, and the data can provide a comprehensive insight to understand the mechanism of Brucella infection. We demonstrated that Brucella increased nucleotide synthesis in the host, consistent with increased biomass requirement. We also identified IMPDH2, a key regulatory complex that controls nucleotide synthesis during Brucella infection. Pharmacological targeting of IMPDH2, the rate‐limiting enzyme in guanine nucleotide biosynthesis, efficiently inhibits B. abortus growth both in vitro and in vivo. Through screening a library of natural products, we identified oxymatrine, an alkaloid obtained primarily from Sophora roots, is a novel and selective IMPDH2 inhibitor. In further in vitro bacterial inhibition assays, oxymatrine effectively inhibited the growth of B. abortus, which was impaired by exogenous supplementation of guanosine, a salvage pathway of purine nucleotides. This moderately potent, structurally novel compound may provide clues for further design and development of efficient IMPDH2 inhibitors and also demonstrates the potential of natural compounds from plants against Brucella.
Qatar's foreign aid and political strategies in the Horn of Africa: The case of Somalia
Authors: Pericoli Altea , Donelli Federico 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to analyse the relationship between Qatar's foreign policy and foreign aid in the Horn of Africa (HoA), with a particular focus on Somalia. Since the 2017 blockade, the HoA has become increasingly important to Qatar's foreign policy and aid efforts, intensifying political and economic competition with other Gulf players. This research describes Qatar's foreign policy strategies and tools in the HoA from 2011 to 2021, observing the evolution of humanitarian aid interventions in Somalia and the impact of Gulf competition in the country. The research aims to combine neoclassical realism with small‐state theory in the analysis of foreign aid, examining Qatari foreign aid interventions in Somalia as a foreign policy tool for exercising autonomy and as an outcome of the Qatari elites' decision‐making process.
Prenatal alcohol exposure promotes NLRP3 inflammasome‐dependent immune actions following morphine treatment and paradoxically prolongs nerve injury‐induced pathological pain in female mice
Authors: Noor Shahani , Sun Melody S. , Pasmay Andrea A. , Pritha Ariana N. , Ruffaner‐Hanson Chaselyn D. , Nysus Monique V. , Jimenez Diane C. , Murphy Minerva , Savage Daniel D. , Valenzuela C. Fernando , Milligan Erin D. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackgroundNeuroimmune dysregulation from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) may contribute to neurological deficits associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). PAE is a risk factor for developing peripheral immune and spinal glial sensitization and release of the proinflammatory cytokine IL‐1β, which lead to neuropathic pain (allodynia) from minor nerve injury. Although morphine acts on μ‐opioid receptors, it also activates immune receptors, TLR4, and the NLRP3 inflammasome that induces IL‐1β. We hypothesized that PAE induces NLRP3 sensitization by morphine following nerve injury in adult mice.MethodsWe used an established moderate PAE paradigm, in which adult PAE and non‐PAE control female mice were exposed to a minor sciatic nerve injury, and subsequent allodynia was measured using the von Frey fiber test. In control mice with standard sciatic damage or PAE mice with minor sciatic damage, the effects of the NLRP3 inhibitor, MCC950, were examined during chronic allodynia. Additionally, minor nerve‐injured mice were treated with morphine, with or without MCC950. In vitro studies examined the TLR4‐NLRP3‐dependent proinflammatory response of peripheral macrophages to morphine and/or lipopolysaccharide, with or without MCC950.ResultsMice with standard sciatic damage or PAE mice with minor sciatic damage developed robust allodynia. Blocking NLRP3 activation fully reversed allodynia in both control and PAE mice. Morphine paradoxically prolonged allodynia in PAE mice, while control mice with minor nerve injury remained stably non‐allodynic. Allodynia resolved sooner in nerve‐injured PAE mice without morphine treatment than in morphine‐treated mice. MCC950 treatment significantly shortened allodynia in morphine‐treated PAE mice. Morphine potentiated IL‐1β release from TLR4‐activated PAE immune cells, while MCC950 treatment greatly reduced it.ConclusionsIn female mice, PAE prolongs allodynia following morphine treatment through NLRP3 activation. TLR4‐activated PAE immune cells showed enhanced IL‐1β release with morphine via NLRP3 actions. Similar studies are needed to examine the adverse impact of morphine in males with PAE. These results are predictive of adverse responses to opioid pain therapeutics in individuals with FASD.
Drivers of post‐fire resprouting success in restored Banksia woodlands
Authors: Cowan Ebony L. , Fontaine Joseph B. , Standish Rachel J. , Miller Ben P. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDisturbances can alter persistence trajectories of restored ecosystems. Resprouting is a common response of plants to disturbances such as fire or herbivory. Therefore, understanding a plant's resprouting response can inform successful restoration. We investigated patterns and drivers of resprouting following fire in fire‐prone Banksia woodlands restored after sand mining in the Mediterranean‐climate region of Western Australia. We applied experimental fire to samples of nine species with different resprouting types (rhizome, root crown, root sucker and lignotuber) across a 4‐ to 27‐year‐old restoration chronosequence. We investigated the influence of pre‐fire plant size, restoration age and soil conditions on resprouting success, defined by: (i) the probability of resprouting (measured ~5 months after fire), (ii) the probability of surviving the first summer and, (iii) vigour (both measured ~12 months post‐fire). We found that the probability of initial resprouting was high across most species, but summer survival was lower but comparable to that in other post‐mining restored ecosystems following fire. Generally, pre‐fire plant size did not influence probability of resprouting, while size and soil conditions were important for two species survival. Pre‐fire plant size was a significant predictor of vigour for all species with soil conditions influencing four species. Restoration age significantly influenced survival of three species. However, as our models explained low amounts of variation in probabilities of resprouting and survival (R2 = <0.11), other factors influencing resprouting success remain unidentified. Resprouting response to fire disturbance in restored Banksia woodlands are species and resprouter type specific, with plant size and soil conditions potentially more informative for understanding responses to disturbances than restoration age alone.
Can switches in disturbance type improve habitat for grassland birds in semi‐arid grasslands of South‐Eastern Australia?
Authors: Nugent Daniel T. , Baker‐Gabb David J. , Morgan John W. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractGrasslands are one of the most endangered and degraded ecosystems globally. Switches in disturbance type can restore grassland function and improve conservation outcomes for fauna, but land‐use legacies can limit the capacity of biota to respond positively to shifts in disturbance type, making it difficult to predict ecological outcomes. In semi‐arid grasslands of South‐Eastern Australia, habitat for grassland birds is managed using livestock grazing, a practice that has continued for >150 years. It is unknown if outcomes for birds can be improved by a switch in disturbance type as alternatives to livestock grazing have not been explored. We compare the effects of status‐quo livestock grazing with alternative biomass management tools (no management, ‘crash’ grazing, planned fire) on birds, vegetation structure, and food resources using a BACI design across 3 years (2017–2019). We found crash grazing and fire produced more open, shorter grassy swards, with less exotic grass cover, compared to status‐quo grazing or disturbance exclusion. Preferred habitat structure for the critically endangered plains‐wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) was maximized by status‐quo grazing. Grassland birds responded in opposing ways to a disturbance switch. Brown songlarks (Megalurus cruralis) and Horsfield's bushlarks (Mirafra javanica) responded positively to disturbance exclusion, while stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis) responded negatively to crash grazing. Australasian pipits (Anthus novaeseelandiae) were more frequent in response to status‐quo grazing. Our findings suggest that multiple disturbance types should be used if the aim is to promote the spectrum of vegetation structures and food sources required to support a diverse grassland bird community in semi‐arid grasslands of Australia.
Australia offers unique insight into the ecology of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: An opportunity not to be lost
Authors: Frew Adam , Aguilar‐Trigueros Carlos A. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractTypified by ancient soils and unique assemblages of flora, Australia provides opportunities to expand our understanding of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Despite their ubiquity, key aspects of Australian AM fungal ecology remain buried due to our limited knowledge of their biogeography and their potential adaptation to Australia's environmental conditions. This knowledge gap is particularly extraordinary given that the characteristics of the Australian environment are likely to provide unique insights into AM fungal ecology and evolution. Extensive exploration of the diversity and distribution of AM fungi across the continent is overdue. In pursuit of this goal, ecologists should employ the most effective and pragmatic molecular approaches, while making use of well‐curated databases. We urge researchers to examine the biogeography of Australian AM fungi meaningfully, leveraging the distinctive attributes of Australian landscapes, such as the demographics of plant mycorrhizal types and the characteristic interplay with fire. Documenting AM fungal communities across Australia will not only provide unique insights into their ecology but is also pivotal to being able to incorporate these organisms into land management for conservation, restoration and sustainable agriculture.
Sonographer‐guided frozen embryo transfer vs ultrasound‐assisted frozen embryo transfer – A randomised controlled study
Authors: Koch Juliette , Redden Rebecca , Homan Gillian , Roberts Bronwen , Pacella‐Ince Leanne 
Published: October 2023

BackgroundThe use of ultrasound to guide placement of the embryo during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is important, but there are times where a good image cannot be obtained. Having a trained sonographer perform the ultrasound may therefore improve the success of embryo transfer.AimTo determine whether the routine use of a sonographer to guide embryo transfer is superior to standard care.Materials and MethodsRandomised, controlled, prospective clinical study in a private infertility clinic. There were 113 women aged <38 years undergoing frozen embryo transfer (donor egg/embryo excluded) who were randomised to sonographer‐guided embryo transfer or standard care (the doctor performs an ultrasound prior to embryo transfer and the patient holds the ultrasound probe). The primary outcome was visualisation of the air bubble, and secondary outcomes were distance of the air bubble from the fundal endometrium, pregnancy rate (gestational sac on ultrasound at seven weeks) and live birth rate.ResultsThe bubble was visualised in 100% of embryo transfers with a sonographer compared to 83% in the ultrasound‐assisted group, and this was statistically significant (P < 0.01). No statistically significant differences were found in terms of distance from the fundal endometrium or in pregnancy rate and live birth rate.ConclusionSonographer‐guided embryo transfer leads to statistically higher rates of visualisation of the air bubble compared to ultrasound‐assisted transfer.
Establishment of a children's Drugs and Therapeutics Committee to ensure evidence‐based and cost‐effective medical treatment for children
Authors: Holst Sara Sommer , Møller Camilla Holten , Vermehren Charlotte , Trolle Stine , Hansen Bente , Kirkedal Ann‐Britt Kiholm , Christensen Hanne Rolighed , Jacobsen Thorkild , Mathiasen René , Andersen Jón Þór Traerup , Gade Christina 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe prevalence of undocumented medical treatments among children is a significant issue, as well as many EU countries lack access to newly developed children‐friendly medicines. Consequently, there is a pressing need for supplementary resources that can facilitate informed decision‐making regarding children's medication. We therefore aim to describe the process of establishing a children's Drug and Therapeutics Committee (cDTC), as well as the preparing and implementation of recommendations for children in the capital region of Denmark. Following the guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization, we established a cDTC, and recommendations for paediatric medication practice were constructed from assessments of medication use patterns among children in the capital region between 2019 and 2021. The recommendations were meticulously crafted based on evaluation of the current marketing authorization landscape and existing best available evidence. In 2019, the capital region established the first cDTC supported by expert councils and an editorial board. A total of 2429 purchase item numbers covering 1 222 846 defined daily doses and 592 088 purchased packages covering 10 200 000 defined daily doses were identified in the secondary and primary sectors, respectively. Three comprehensive lists covering recommendations for newborns and children were published between 2021 and 2020 totaling 331 recommended pharmaceutical products. The recommendations primarily intended for use in the secondary healthcare sector were implemented through the revision of 38 paediatric‐ and six neonatal product ranges throughout capital region. In conclusion, recommendation lists for children governed by a cDTC provide a rational auxiliary tool that can be immediately implemented in the clinic.
Phospholipid metabolic adaptation promotes survival of IDH2 mutant acute myeloid leukemia cells
Authors: Morishima Tatsuya , Takahashi Koichi , Chin Desmond Wai Loon , Wang Yuxin , Tokunaga Kenji , Arima Yuichiro , Matsuoka Masao , Suda Toshio , Takizawa Hitoshi 
Published: October 2023

AbstractGenetic mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) gene that result in a pathological enzymatic activity to produce oncometabolite have been detected in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. While specific inhibitors that target mutant IDH enzymes and normalize intracellular oncometabolite level have been developed, refractoriness and resistance has been reported. Since acquisition of pathological enzymatic activity is accompanied by the abrogation of the crucial WT IDH enzymatic activity in IDH mutant cells, aberrant metabolism in IDH mutant cells can potentially persist even after the normalization of intracellular oncometabolite level. Comparisons of isogenic AML cell lines with and without IDH2 gene mutations revealed two mutually exclusive signalings for growth advantage of IDH2 mutant cells, STAT phosphorylation associated with intracellular oncometabolite level and phospholipid metabolic adaptation. The latter came to light after the oncometabolite normalization and increased the resistance of IDH2 mutant cells to arachidonic acid‐mediated apoptosis. The release of this metabolic adaptation by FDA‐approved anti‐inflammatory drugs targeting the metabolism of arachidonic acid could sensitize IDH2 mutant cells to apoptosis, resulting in their eradication in vitro and in vivo. Our findings will contribute to the development of alternative therapeutic options for IDH2 mutant AML patients who do not tolerate currently available therapies.
Millennial managers
Authors: Luu Ellie , Rubio Silvina 
Published: October 2023

AbstractResearch Question/IssueThis paper investigates whether and how millennial mutual fund managers differ from managers born in other generations in terms of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) orientation in portfolio choices and voting decisions.Research Findings/InsightsWe find that millennial mutual fund managers hold portfolios that are more ESG oriented than do managers from other generations, consistent with anecdotal evidence suggesting that millennials are more driven by purpose than profits. Our findings suggest that the observed relationship is stronger when managers have more discretion over portfolio choices, that is, in active funds and funds with lower flow‐performance sensitivity. Furthermore, we find that millennial managers respond more strongly to social movements by reallocating assets into more socially conscious firms. We also find that millennial managers are more supportive of environmental proposals when their outcome is contested.Theoretical/Academic ImplicationsOur paper shows how cultural, political, and economic events, including social movements experienced by people of the same age cohort, shape preferences and beliefs and result in different investment strategies and voting among mutual fund managers. We also show how institutional constraints might limit managers' ability to impose their own preferences when investing or voting their shares.Practitioner/Policy ImplicationsMillennials are increasingly replacing older generations in managerial roles and investing in the stock market due to wealth transfers from their parents. This study offers insights to policymakers and investors interested in understanding the drivers of ESG investment.
1070. Corydalispseudobarbisepala Fedde: Papaveraceae
Authors: Rankin David W. H. , Macartney Nicola 
Published: October 2023

SummaryCorydalis pseudobarbisepalaFedde is described and illustrated. The species is at present known only from two mountains in west central Sichuan Province in the Republic of China, and has not been reported from its type location for 100 years.