bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How many species will Earth lose to climate change?
Authors: Wiens John J. , Zelinka Joseph 
Published: January 2024

AbstractClimate change may be an important threat to global biodiversity, potentially leading to the extinction of numerous species. But how many? There have been various attempts to answer this question, sometimes yielding strikingly different estimates. Here, we review these estimates, assess their disagreements and methodology, and explore how we might reach better estimates. Large‐scale studies have estimated the extinction of ~1% of sampled species up to ~70%, even when using the same approach (species distribution models; SDMs). Nevertheless, worst‐case estimates often converge near 20%–30% species loss, and many differences shrink when using similar assumptions. We perform a new review of recent SDM studies, which show ~17% loss of species to climate change under worst‐case scenarios. However, this review shows that many SDM studies are biased by excluding the most vulnerable species (those known from few localities), which may lead to underestimating global species loss. Conversely, our analyses of recent climate change responses show that a fundamental assumption of SDM studies, that species' climatic niches do not change over time, may be frequently violated. For example, we find mean rates of positive thermal niche change across species of ~0.02°C/year. Yet, these rates may still be slower than projected climate change by ~3–4 fold. Finally, we explore how global extinction levels can be estimated by combining group‐specific estimates of species loss with recent group‐specific projections of global species richness (including cryptic insect species). These preliminary estimates tentatively forecast climate‐related extinction of 14%–32% of macroscopic species in the next ~50 years, potentially including 3–6 million (or more) animal and plant species, even under intermediate climate change scenarios.
The politics of migration policy implementation in Ghana
Authors: Talleraas Cathrine 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis article dives into the complex web of actors and processes of migration policy implementation in Ghana, revealing political tensions as they play out in this field. The analysis is based on semi‐structured interviews with bureaucrats and practitioners involved in migration governance initiatives in Ghana. The study reveals how institutional power hierarchies and funding structures affect execution processes on the ground. Mapping out observations concerning implementation as it is experienced across the vertical scale of involved actors, the study reveals that politics are engrained in Ghanaian migration policy implementation through experiences of (1) incoherent narratives on policy and migration; (2) local‐level exclusion from policy design; and (3) mismatch between policy targets and local realities. The article concludes by contemplating theoretical needs and proposing avenues for future research.
Structural design and corrosion resistance of hibonite–cordierite saggar composite layer
Authors: Zheng Chongyang , Zhang Han , Zhao Huizhong , Yu Jun , Zhang Yi , Liu Hongbo 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe saggar plays a crucial role as a carrier during the solid‐state sintering process of Li‐ion battery cathode materials. In order to enhance its resistance against alkali erosion, the study utilized hibonite, cordierite, α‐Al2O3, and zirconia as primary raw materials, along with Ca(OH)2 as an additive, to fabricate a composite‐layered hibonite–cordierite saggar. Our investigation delves into the sintering bond formation between the composite layer and the saggar matrix and, more crucially, scrutinizes the saggar's erosion resistance against Li‐ion battery cathode materials. The outcome underscores the groundbreaking impact of a 3% Ca(OH)2 infusion on in situ anorthite formation within the composite layer, ushering in a robust integration between the composite layer and the saggar matrix. Moreover, this unique anorthite formation establishes a dense isolating shield along the periphery of hibonite particles, effectively impeding the corrosive reaction between the cathode material and the saggar, thus enhancing the saggar's resistance to corrosion.
Enhancing semi‐insulating refractory performance with polymeric microspheres and distinct calcium aluminate cements
Authors: Farias Thiago Wisley Barbosa , da Luz Ana Paula 
Published: January 2024

AbstractEnergy‐related expenses represent a significant concern for industries engaged in high‐temperature processes. In this context, macroporous refractories have garnered notable attention for their potential use as thermal insulators, offering the prospect of energy‐savings and decreased production costs across various industrial sectors. This study investigated the physico–thermo–mechanical performance of semi‐insulating refractory compositions containing pre‐expanded polymeric microspheres as pore‐forming additives and different types of calcium aluminate cements (CACs) as binders. Various experimental tests were employed to characterize the prepared samples, including flowability, modulus of rupture, apparent porosity and density, thermal shock resistance, and thermal conductivity measurements, among others. The incorporation of .6 wt.% of polymeric microspheres into the silica‐based refractory resulted in specimens with relatively moderate porosity values (34.70%), decreased density (1.51 g/cm3) and limited modulus of rupture (3.04 MPa) after firing at 815°C. The alumina‐rich CAC (Secar 71) emerged as the most advantageous binder choice, as the resultant specimens presented mechanical strengths of 9.21 and 4.3 MPa after drying (110°C) and firing (815°C), respectively, enhanced thermal shock resistance and reduced thermal conductivity (.66 W/m K at 800°C). Hence, the designed formulations resulted in semi‐insulating ceramic samples with a porous microstructure and favorable attributes for the fabrication of pre‐molded components.
Submodularity and supermodularity in contest games
Authors: Karagözoğlu Emin , Keskin Kerim , Sağlam Çağrı 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis paper presents various examples of two‐player submodular or supermodular contest games. Emphasizing the three main elements of a contest model, our examples revolve around situations where (i) contest success function allows for a draw, (ii) winning prize is not exogenously given but rather jointly produced, or (iii) individual effort cost also depends on the rival's effort. We then illustrate how submodularity and supermodularity can be used to study the existence of equilibrium, the order structure of the equilibrium set, and monotone comparative statics in such contest game examples.
Less attention to emotional faces is associated with low empathy and prosociality in 12‐to 20‐month old infants
Authors: Donohue Meghan Rose , Camacho M. Catalina , Drake Jordan E. , Schwarzlose Rebecca F. , Brady Rebecca G. , Hoyniak Caroline P. , Hennefield Laura , Wakschlag Lauren S. , Rogers Cynthia E. , Barch Deanna M. , Luby Joan 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe development of empathy and prosocial behavior begins in infancy and is likely supported by emotion processing skills. The current study explored whether early emerging deficits in emotion processing are associated with disruptions in the development of empathy and prosociality. We investigated this question in a large, diverse sample of 147, 11‐ to 20‐month‐old infants (42% female; 61% Black; 67% low socioeconomic status). Infants completed two observational tasks assessing prosocial helping and one task assessing empathy and prosocial comforting behavior. Infants also completed an eye‐tracking task assessing engagement and disengagement with negative emotional faces. Infants who attended less to angry, sad, and fearful faces (i.e., by being slower to look at and/or quicker to look away from negative compared to neutral faces) engaged in fewer helping behaviors, and effect sizes were larger when examining infants' attention toward the eye regions of faces. Additionally, infants who were quicker to look away from the eye regions of angry faces, but not the whole face, displayed less empathy and comforting behaviors. Results suggest that as early as 12 months of age, infants' decreased attention toward negative emotional faces, particularly the eye regions, is associated with less empathy and prosociality during a developmental period in which these abilities are rapidly maturing.
Synthesis of (WZrNbTaM)C (M = Cr, Ni, Ti) ceramic powders and the electromagnetic wave absorption in 2–18 GHz
Authors: Zhang Jiatai , Zhan Yuxiang , Ren Zhikun , Wang Weili , Zhang Zhixuan , Zhang Qiang , Han Guifang , Zhang Weibin 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWith the advent of the 5G era, while enjoying the convenience of information in our daily lives, we also face the challenge of dealing with increased and more complex electromagnetic (EM) radiation issues. Therefore, finding EM wave absorbing materials for the operating frequency range (2–18 GHz) of most electronic products has become an important aspect of ensuring human health and environmental safety. In this study, a variety of elements were incorporated into (WZrNbTaM)C powders by calculation and design, where M is Ni, Cr, or Ti. Phase and microstructural analysis demonstrated the successful preparation of a single‐phase solid solution with uniform elements distribution. The magnetic properties of the powders containing Ni and Cr elements exhibited significant improvement. Further analysis revealed that both the impedance matching and EM wave attenuation capabilities of (WZrNbTaCr)C and (WZrNbTaNi)C were enhanced, thereby improving their absorption performance. Compared to (WZrNbTaTi)C, (WZrNbTaCr)C and (WZrNbTaNi)C exhibit a significant improvement in minimum reflection loss (RL), with an increase of 27.1% and 37.2%, reaching −45.21 and −48.79 dB, respectively. The maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) has also increased by 22.9% and 48.6%, reaching 3.44 and 4.16 GHz, respectively. It is noteworthy that (WZrNbTaCr)C and (WZrNbTaNi)C achieved these excellent absorption properties while maintaining a matching thickness of 1.07 and 1.17 mm. This lightweight and thin performance meets the requirements for use in special scenarios while ensuring the outstanding absorption performance.
Morphea‐like discoid lupus erythematosus in a patient with a history of polyacrylamide gel injection: A case report
Authors: Hasanzadeh Saba , Babaie Mahsa , Rakhshan Azadeh , Dadkhahfar Sahar 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundDiscoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is an autoimmune disease with multifactor etiology which develops in genetically susceptible patients. Rarely, DLE lesions can mimic other connective tissue disorders such as morphea. The growing application of soft tissue fillers is associated with increasing complications. Some substances used for soft tissue augmentation such as silicon implants may trigger lupus erythematosus diseases.Case reportHere we report a case of morphea‐like discoid lupus erythematosus developed several years after polyacrylamide dermal filler (PAAG) injection for facial rejuvenation.ConclusionAs noninvasive procedures like dermal filler injections are increasing worldwide, physicians may consider the long‐term probable side effects of these compounds.
Annuity selection in the presence of insurer default risk and government guarantees
Authors: Searle Pamela , Ayton Peter , Clacher Iain 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe investigate whether individuals correctly assess the risk of default of annuity providers and incorporate this information into their decision‐making when purchasing an annuity. To do so, we analyze actual retirement product choices from a large administrative data set from Chile and exploit an exogenous change that decreased the coverage of government guarantees against annuity provider default. If individuals are rational and properly incorporate default risk into their decision process then, before this change, individuals should choose riskier providers that give higher annuity payments. However, we find that individuals' decisions are not influenced by changes in their protection against the risk of provider default. It seems that individuals have been unnecessarily reducing their annuity payments by not incorporating crucial information about their actual risk exposure to default when selecting annuities at retirement.
Sweet resistance against botrytis grey mould in chickpea
Authors: Maurya S. , Arora A. , Chauhan A. , Yadav L. B. , Verma S. K. , Panwar R. K. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractDespite significant nutritional value and vast expanse under chickpea cultivation, fungi‐borne diseases are the main limiting factors to increasing its yield. Botrytis grey mould (BGM) is a major foliar disease knocking chickpeas sideways. Thus, to compensate for economic yield loss, BGM‐resistant lines must be fished through an effective screening technique. In the present study, carbohydrates, mainly callose, were observed as vital actors in conferring varietal resistance. The study was done on disease reaction of BGM through microscopy for callose quantification in nine varieties and a susceptible check. The detection of noticeable callose deposits induced in leaf samples collected from artificially inoculated BGM sick plots was studied under a fluorescent microscope. Quantification of callose deposition was done using 1–5 rating scale where grades show intensity of callose accumulated. It was first report in chickpea to uncover the presence of callose in cellular regions by observing the blue fluorescence produced by aniline dye. Further characterization revealed varietal differences for callose deposits. Variations in endogenous sugar contents in the leaves during infection revealed the presence of complex dynamics of callose as a function of defence and resistance against infection. Based on this, PG 186, PG 5 and PG 6 showed significant amount of callose against the cell wall while H 208 scored minimum, thus in agreement with the use of this variety as a susceptible check.
Antiviral discovery in toxic cyanobacteria: Low hanging fruit in the age of pandemics
Authors: Zheng Sally , Lee Victoria , Meza‐Padilla Isaac , Nissimov Jozef I. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe power of novel vaccination technologies and their rapid development were elucidated clearly during the COVID‐19 pandemic. At the same time, it also became clear that there is an urgent need to discover and manufacture new antivirals that target emerging viral threats. Toxic species of cyanobacteria produce a range of bioactive compounds that makes them good candidates for drug discovery. Nevertheless, few studies demonstrate the antiviral potential of cyanobacteria. This is partly due to the lack of specific and simple protocols designed for the rapid detection of antiviral activity in cyanobacteria and partly because specialized facilities for work with pathogenic viruses are few and far between. We therefore developed an easy method for the screening of cyanobacterial cultures for antiviral activity and used our private culture collection of non‐pathogenic virus isolates to show that antiviral activity is a prominent feature in the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. In this proof‐of‐concept study, we show that M. aeruginosa extracts from three different cyanobacterial strains delay infection of diatom‐infecting single‐stranded DNA and single‐stranded RNA viruses by up to 2 days. Our work shows the ease with which cyanobacteria from culture collections can be screened for antiviral activity and highlights the potential of cyanobacteria as an excellent source for the discovery of novel antiviral compounds, warranting further investigation.
Complexity theory for complexity reduction? Revisiting the ontological and epistemological basis of complexity science with Critical Realism
Authors: Yang Yi 
Published: January 2024

AbstractComplexity theory (CT) identifies our social system as a contingent and emergent product of non‐linear interactions between existing patterns and events. However, CT scholars carrying out various empirical applications have often adopted constructivist positions that disallow the separate existence of social systems and agency, thereby preventing effective analysis of their interactions. Instead, with the help of Critical Realism (CR), we offer a realist complexity approach that sees complexity in terms of the distinction between the domains of the Real, the Actual, and the Empirical, when existing studies of CT still work with a flat ontology that collapses the three domains into one (the Empirical domain). Our non‐conflationary CR‐CT approach thus argues that a satisfactory explanation of social complexity cannot be at the level of agential experience (the Empirical domain) or at the level of human and systematic events (the Actual domain) but needs to identify causal mechanisms (in the Real domain) of such events. It then combines this depth ontology (that distinguishes the three reality domains) with epistemological relativism (that underscores the contingent character of knowledge claims) to argue that though our knowledge and complexity reduction techniques are socially constructed, it hardly follows that the ontological dimension of reality (spreading across the three domains) is always affected by our complexity reduction efforts at the epistemological dimension in the Empirical domain.
Effect of physiological and pharmacological stress on heart rate, blood pressure, and echocardiographic measurements in healthy Warmblood horses
Authors: Dufourni Alexander , Buschmann Eva , Vernemmen Ingrid , Van Steenkiste Glenn , van Loon Gunther , Decloedt Annelies 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundEchocardiographic measurements are important prognostic indicators but might be influenced by heart rate and blood pressure. This is particularly important when comparing repeated examinations.HypothesisTo determine the effect of physiological stress at mildly increased heart rates and pharmacological challenge using IV administration of N‐butylscopolammonium bromide and metamizol sodium on heart rate, blood pressure, and echocardiographic measurements.AnimalsTwenty healthy Warmblood horses.MethodsRandomized crossover study. Horses were examined echocardiographically by 2‐dimensional, M‐mode, pulsed wave (PW) Doppler, and PW tissue Doppler imaging with simultaneous ECG recording and noninvasive blood pressure measurements during rest, physiological stress, and pharmacological challenge. Cardiac dimensions and functions were measured by a blinded observer. Data were analyzed using repeated‐measures analysis of variance.ResultsMean heart rate and arterial blood pressure were significantly higher during physiological stress (46 ± 2 bpm, 93 ± 16 mm Hg) and pharmacological challenge (62 ± 13 bpm, 107 ± 17 mm Hg) compared with rest (34 ± 3 bpm, 86 ± 12 mm Hg; P < .05). Compared with rest, physiological stress resulted in increased left atrial fractional area change (34.3 ± 7.5 vs 27.3 ± 5.1%; P = .01) and left ventricular late diastolic radial wall motion velocity (13 ± 3 vs 10 ± 2 cm/s; P = .01) but had no significant effect on most other echocardiographic variables. Compared with rest, pharmacological challenge led to significantly decreased left atrial and diastolic ventricular dimensions (left ventricular internal diameter: 10.3 ± 0.9 vs 10.7 ± 0.8 cm; P = .01), increased aortic and pulmonary diameters, and ventricular wall thickness.Conclusions and Clinical ImportancePhysiological stress at mildly increased heart rates significantly enhanced atrial pump function. Larger heart rate and blood pressure increases during pharmacological challenge resulted in altered cardiac dimensions. This should be taken into account when evaluating echocardiographic measurements at increased heart rates.
Costs and benefits of solitary living in mammals
Authors: Makuya L. , Schradin C. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWhile for decades behavioural ecologists have studied the costs and benefits of group living, solitary living has received little attention. Instead, it was assumed to be the default stage from which sociality evolved. Mammals underwent around 200 million years of social evolution, with a few species evolving communal or cooperative breeding in harsh environments. Other mammal species are successful with solitary living in exactly the same and many other environments, indicating that solitary living is beneficial under many environmental conditions. Comparative studies on mammals indicate that solitary living might not be the ancestral but a derived state. Solitary living in mammals is less common than previously believed, occurring in 22% of the studied species. Here, we review costs and benefits of solitary living in mammals. We found very few studies that considered solitary living and show important future avenues of research based on the factors that are important for the evolution of group living. We also emphasize that a solitary form of social organization does not imply an unsocial lifestyle: solitary mammals typically have non‐random but individualized social interactions with their neighbours, indicating important social structure.
Supervised training models with or without manual lesion delineation outperform clinicians in distinguishing pulmonary cryptococcosis from lung adenocarcinoma on chest CT
Authors: Li Yun , Chen Deyan , Liu Shuyi , Lin Junfeng , Wang Wei , Huang Jinhai , Tan Lunfang , Liang Lina , Wang Zhufeng , Peng Kang , Li Qiasheng , Jian Wenhua , Zhang Youwen , Peng Chengbao , Chen Huai , Zhang Xia , Zheng Jinping 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the discrimination between pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LA) warrants further research.ObjectivesTo compare the performances of AI models with clinicians in distinguishing PC from LA on chest CT.MethodsPatients diagnosed with confirmed PC or LA were retrospectively recruited from three tertiary hospitals in Guangzhou. A deep learning framework was employed to develop two models: an undelineated supervised training (UST) model utilising original CT images, and a delineated supervised training (DST) model utilising CT images with manual lesion annotations provided by physicians. A subset of 20 cases was randomly selected from the entire dataset and reviewed by clinicians through a network questionnaire. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the models and the clinicians were calculated.ResultsA total of 395 PC cases and 249 LA cases were included in the final analysis. The internal validation results for the UST model showed a sensitivity of 85.3%, specificity of 81.0%, accuracy of 83.6% and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.93. Similarly, the DST model exhibited a sensitivity of 88.2%, specificity of 88.1%, accuracy of 88.2% and an AUC of 0.94. The external validation of the two models yielded AUC values of 0.74 and 0.77, respectively. The average sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 102 clinicians were determined to be 63.1%, 53.7% and 59.3%, respectively.ConclusionsBoth models outperformed the clinicians in distinguishing between PC and LA on chest CT, with the UST model exhibiting comparable performance to the DST model.