bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bundling and Pricing Strategies in Crowdfunding
Authors: Wang Lu , Wang Xue , Wei Hang 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTAs an effective financing tool, crowdfunding helps entrepreneurs raise funds from the crowd and start innovative projects. Creators must carefully choose the mechanism and pricing strategy to maximize expected profit. When promoting multiple products, they shall decide whether to run a single bundled campaign (bundle funding) or two separate campaigns, each focusing on one product (separate funding). A two‐period model has been used to compare two mechanisms and several pricing policies for all‐or‐nothing (AoN) reward‐based crowdfunding campaigns. Separate funding leverages the advantage of spreading risk among multiple projects, especially if the distribution of backers' valuations is skewed. The bundling strategy can capture a more significant return if the fractions of different backers are balanced. However, in crowdfunding, creators often offer multiple price options to match different buyer preferences and boost the success rate. The menu pricing strategy of separate funding achieves a higher expected profit than bundle funding in significant parameter subspaces by spreading the risk and stimulating each project's pledging. For asymmetric bundling, separate funding may not be optimal if product heterogeneity is high. However, if the firm can adopt different pricing strategies for different products in separate funding, separate funding weakly dominates bundle funding. This study compares social welfare across different mechanisms and pricing strategies, explores the impact of complements and substitutes, and incorporates intertemporal pricing to reinforce the robustness of the findings.
Association between maternal history of mental illness and neurodevelopment of children during the first 3 years: The Japan Environment and Children's Study
Authors: Ohara Nobuki , Mitsuda Naomi , Yamasaki Keiko , Eitoku Masamitsu , Suganuma Narufumi , Komatsu Shizuka , Kazui Hiroaki , Takahashi Hidetoshi ,   and the Japan Environment and Children's Study
Published: February 2025

AbstractAimThe impact of maternal mental illness on children's neurodevelopment has been insufficiently investigated, particularly in large populations. In this study, we examined the association between maternal mental health history and child neurodevelopment during the first 3 years postpartum, using large‐scale data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).MethodsWe analyzed data from 64,389 mother–offspring pairs enrolled in JECS. Maternal history of mental illness was assessed using questionnaires administered during early pregnancy. Child neurodevelopment was assessed at ages 1, 2, and 3 years by mothers or guardians using the Japanese version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, 3rd Edition (J‐ASQ‐3), across five domains. In this study, we employed multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsChildren whose mothers have a history of mental illness exhibited significantly higher risks of developmental delays in gross motor skills and problem‐solving domains at age 1, and across all J‐ASQ‐3 domains at ages 2 and 3, compared to those whose mothers do not have such a history.ConclusionOur findings indicate that children born to mothers with a history of mental illness may exhibit early neurodevelopmental delays in gross motor skills and problem‐solving as early as age 1 year, potentially leading to broader neurodevelopmental impairments observed in later childhood. Additionally, childcare support aimed at enhancing neurodevelopment may be essential for mothers with a history of mental illness within the first year postpartum.
Metaheuristic multi‐objective optimization for ring‐opening branched copolymerization of L‐lactide
Authors: Paul Geetu P. , Nagajyothi Virivinti , Mitra Kishalay 
Published: February 2025

AbstractPolylactide (PLA) synthesis plays a pivotal role in promoting sustainability through its applications in biodegradable packaging and medical devices. However, optimizing PLA production is a multi‐objective NP‐hard problem, requiring a delicate balance between conflicting objective functions such as maximizing average molecular weight, conversion rate, and degree of branching, while minimizing the monomer/inimer ratio, monomer/catalyst ratio, polydispersity index, and processing time. Therefore, this study addresses these challenges by utilizing the Elitist Non‐dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA‐II) to optimize the ring‐opening copolymerization of L‐lactide with 5‐hydroxymethyl‐1,4‐dioxane‐2‐one (5HDON) within the constraints. The optimization formulation yielded significant improvements in key parameters through four distinct case studies, achieving maximum values of Mn, Mw, conversion, and DB at 2800, 5630, 0.95, and 0.29, respectively, surpassing experimental results. Similarly, the minimization process effectively reduced M/C, M/I, and PDI to 4500, 70/30, and 1.35, respectively, within a reaction time of 0.2 hours. The results underscore the potential of this approach to enhance process efficiency and product performance, contributing to more sustainable consumption and production practices.Highlights
Optimized branched L‐lactide/5HDON copolymer for diverse case studies
NSGA‐II optimizes polymer properties for improved performance.
Resultant Pareto Front presents the associated values of each decision variable.
The Pareto front is categorized by specific processing parameter ranges.
The obtained pareto optimal solution is compared with model result.
RNA‐Seq and ChIP‐Seq Identification of Unique and Overlapping Target Genes and Pathways Regulated by TBX4 in Human Pulmonary Fibroblasts and Pericytes
Authors: Cai Ying , Yan Ling , Cogan Joy D. , Hedges Lora K. , Nunley Bethany , Negretti Nick , Sucre Jennifer M. S. , West James , Austin Eric D. , Hamid Rizwan 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTTranscription factor TBX4 rare variants associate with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), particularly in children, and are the second most common cause of heritable PAH. However, TBX4's down‐stream targets and the molecular and cellular pathways these targets regulate remain largely unknown in PAH. We combined RNA‐seq and ChIP‐seq results to identify TBX4 direct targets in lung fibroblasts and pericytes, respectively. There were 555 genes with altered expression with TBX4 knockdown in both fibroblasts and pericytes by RNA‐seq, and which also were found to be bound by TBX4 by ChIP‐seq. Gene ontology analysis found that these were dominated by genes related to extracellular matrix, actin organization, and migration guidance, although there were also significant groups related to serine/threonine kinase signaling, GTPase mediated signaling, and glycoprotein metabolism. Migration and proliferation studies using TBX4 knockdown fibroblasts confirmed functional effects. These studies provide the first insights into how genes and pathways regulated by TBX4 are impacted and inform future studies about the key biological processes that lead to PAH in patients who carry pathologic TBX4 rare variants.
Identification and Estimation of the Average Causal Effects Under Dietary Substitution Strategies
Authors: Chiu Yu‐Han , Wen Lan 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThe 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines suggest that most people can improve their diet by making some changes to what they eat and drink. In many cases, these changes involve simple substitutions. For instance, the Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing chicken instead of processed red meat to reduce sodium intake and switching from refined grains to whole grains to increase dietary fiber intake. The question about such dietary substitution strategies seeks to estimate the average counterfactual outcome under a hypothetical intervention that replaces a food an individual would have consumed in the absence of intervention with a healthier substitute. In this work, we will show the conditions under which the average causal effects of substitution strategies can be non‐parametrically identified, and provide efficient estimators for our proposed dietary substitution strategies. We evaluate the performance of our proposed methods via simulation studies and apply them to estimate the effect of substituting processed red meat with chicken on mortality, using data from the Nurses' Health Study.
A Comparison of Statistical Methods for Time‐To‐Event Analyses in Randomized Controlled Trials Under Non‐Proportional Hazards
Authors: Klinglmüller Florian , Fellinger Tobias , König Franz , Friede Tim , Hooker Andrew C. , Heinzl Harald , Mittlböck Martina , Brugger Jonas , Bardo Maximilian , Huber Cynthia , Benda Norbert , Posch Martin , Ristl Robin 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTWhile well‐established methods for time‐to‐event data are available when the proportional hazards assumption holds, there is no consensus on the best inferential approach under non‐proportional hazards (NPH). However, a wide range of parametric and non‐parametric methods for testing and estimation in this scenario have been proposed. To provide recommendations on the statistical analysis of clinical trials where non‐proportional hazards are expected, we conducted a simulation study under different scenarios of non‐proportional hazards, including delayed onset of treatment effect, crossing hazard curves, subgroups with different treatment effects, and changing hazards after disease progression. We assessed type I error rate control, power, and confidence interval coverage, where applicable, for a wide range of methods, including weighted log‐rank tests, the MaxCombo test, summary measures such as the restricted mean survival time (RMST), average hazard ratios, and milestone survival probabilities, as well as accelerated failure time regression models. We found a trade‐off between interpretability and power when choosing an analysis strategy under NPH scenarios. While analysis methods based on weighted logrank tests typically were favorable in terms of power, they do not provide an easily interpretable treatment effect estimate. Also, depending on the weight function, they test a narrow null hypothesis of equal hazard functions, and rejection of this null hypothesis may not allow for a direct conclusion of treatment benefit in terms of the survival function. In contrast, non‐parametric procedures based on well‐interpretable measures like the RMST difference had lower power in most scenarios. Model‐based methods based on specific survival distributions had larger power; however, often gave biased estimates and lower than nominal confidence interval coverage. The application of the studied methods is illustrated in a case study with reconstructed data from a phase III oncologic trial.
Recent Advances on Porous Biochar: From Production to Remediation of Organic Pollutants from Water and Future Perspectives
Authors: Wang Dongchenyi , Li Haixia , Zuo Junyuan , Li Xintong , Liu Xiao , Cai Jinjun 
Published: February 2025

AbstractOrganic pollutants in aqueous pose a serious threat toward ecosystems and human health, marking them as a pressing global environmental issue. In response to this urgent challenge, scientists have been pursuing efficient methods to minimize their presence, and biochar has been regarded as a promising material. Although some studies have been reported by using biochar to address a specific pollutant, they still lack systematic analysis for biochar synthesis and removal mechanisms for a broad spectrum of pollutants. This paper aims to present a review on recent advances in biochar synthesis and removal of dyes, antibiotics, and pesticides via adsorption and oxidative degradation. The focus is to rationalize factors that control pore size, functional groups, and removal ability as function of feedstocks and synthetic conditions, and temperature is identified as the most critical factor. Modifications, such as doping heteroatoms and metals, are important to enhance the removal ability of biochar. The challenges and opportunities for future biochar exploration are discussed, hoping to inspire more researchers to participate in this fascinating area.
High‐Efficiency Photocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Production on BiOCl/BiOBr Heterojunction
Authors: Zhang Qing , Xie Yan , Fu Hanping , Ren Shufen , Cheng Jiayun , Liang Qingshuang , Xiao Xiufeng 
Published: February 2025

AbstractPhotocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production is considered an important technology for alleviating environmental problems and energy scarcity at present. In this work, a series of BiOCl/BiOBr Z‐type heterojunctions were successfully synthesized by a facile one‐step method. The successful formation of the heterostructure was confirmed through techniques such as XRD, SEM, HRTEM, FTIR, and XPS. Notably, the heterojunction exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance in hydrogen peroxide production. The best performing sample (BiOCl/BiOBr 2:8) showed the highest hydrogen peroxide concentration of 10.8 mmol/L. PL and EIS results demonstrated the crucial role of the heterojunction in promoting charge transfer and separation during the photocatalytic process, and retaining the strong redox ability of electrons/holes on different active sites. The free radical trapping experiments results and electron spin resonance spectra demonstrated that photocatalytic pathway of the as‐prepared heterojunctions was in the dual‐channel route, from both oxygen reduction and water oxidation. This work might provide a reliable strategy for photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production via photocatalysis.
Modulating Band Offset through Interface Engineering of Cu2SnSe3‐Based Heterojunctions for Efficient Charge Separation and Collection
Authors: Borkar Durgesh R. , Mandal Animesh , Jadhav Yogesh. A. , Eya Henry I. , Kolekar Sadhu , Kahaly Mousumi Upadhyay , Samu Gergely Ferenc , Gouda Girish M. , Rondiya Sachin R. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractCu₂SnSe₃ (CTSe) shows promise due to its wide solar absorption and tunable band gap, though low efficiency caused by interface recombination and crystallinity issues remains a challenge. In this study, a systematic and facile synthesis method for CTSe nanoparticles (NPs) is demonstrated, accompanied by an in‐depth analysis of their growth mechanisms. A comprehensive experimental and theoretical investigation is conducted to explore the structural, compositional, optoelectronic, and band alignment properties of p‐type CTSe NPs as a solar absorber, along with n‐type CdSe and ZnSe NPs as buffer layers. Additionally, the band edge positions of the synthesized NPs are estimated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and density functional theory (DFT), enabling the modulation of band offsets through interface engineering. The investigation revealed a staggered type‐II band alignment at the CTSe/CdSe heterojunction, characterized by a minimal conduction band offset (CBO) of 0.06 eV. The findings from CV and UPS measurement supported by density functional theory‐based calculations, suggests effective charge carrier separation and transport at the interface. The CTSe/CdSe heterojunction exhibited Schottky I–V characteristics, demonstrating a current of 1 mA in dark conditions. These findings demonstrate CTSe NPs' potential as an efficient absorber in thin‐film solar cells, addressing interface recombination losses and improving performance.
Potential Use of Yam Starch: Thermal Protection of Tea Tree Essential Oil Encapsulated by Electrospinning
Authors: Souza Estefania Júlia Dierings de , Santos Felipe Nardo dos , Pires Juliani Buchveitz , Cruz Elder Pacheco da , Fonseca Laura Martins , Gandra Eliezer Avila , Dias Alvaro Renato Guerra , Zavareze Elessandra da Rosa 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTEncapsulation of essential oils may broaden their application in the food chain by promoting their protection. Thus, starch ultrafine fibers are effective green vehicles to increase the thermal stability of bioactive compounds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of tea tree essential oil (TTEO) and perform its encapsulation in yam starch ultrafine fibers by electrospinning. The TTEO was evaluated by chemical composition, thermal properties, and antimicrobial action against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The ultrafine fibers containing TTEO were evaluated by morphology, size distribution, water contact angle, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, thermal properties, and loading capacity (LC). The main compounds of TTEO were 4‐terpineol (49.13%) and α‐terpineol (11.46%). The free TTEO presented inhibition zones ranging from approximately 5 to 20 mm for E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. The polymeric solutions presented a maximum electrical conductivity of 3.44 mS·cm−1 and pseudoplastic behavior by rheological measurements. The ultrafine fibers containing TTEO displayed continuous morphology, mean diameters ranging from 187 to 231 nm, and LC ranging from 12.1% to 13.4%. The increase in TTEO concentration in the ultrafine fibers promoted an increase in the contact angle with water, reducing its hydrophilicity. Yam starch ultrafine fibers are a promising structure for the encapsulation of TTEO, increasing its thermal stability for future applications in the food chain.
Quantifying and characterizing major DOC fractions in water treatment processes: A simplified SPE method without recovering sorbed compounds
Authors: Mirzaei Saeideh , Gorczyca Beata 
Published: February 2025

AbstractPractitioners often use specific UV254 absorption (SUVA) as an indicator of hydrophobic (HPO) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to evaluate removal efficiency and estimate trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP). However, current fractionation methods, such as solid‐phase extraction (SPE), primarily focus on recovering sorbed compounds, and assume that treatment impacts only the quantity, not the characteristics, of DOC fractions. Additionally, varying recovery rates and inconsistent fractionation pH definitions complicate cross‐study comparisons of hydrophilic and HPO DOC composition. To address these issues, we tested three pH fractionation approaches (pH 3, pH 7, and sequential adjustment) and observed significant differences in DOC content, SUVA, and specific THMFP (STHMFP) between SPE filtrates at pH 3 and pH 7, which were most likely because of ionizable acidic DOC compounds becoming HPO at lower pH levels.Based on these findings, we developed a new fractionation method to estimate the quantity and characteristics of major DOC fractions—hydrophilic neutral (HPIN), total acidic (TA = HPOA + HPIA), and hydrophobic neutral (HPON)—without the need to recover sorbed fractions. Applying this method in a conventional coagulation/softening plant revealed HPON decreased while the relative amounts of HPI and TA increased after the treatment. However, the treated water HPI exhibited significantly higher STHMFP and contained approximately twice the proportion of low‐molecular‐weight compounds than raw water HPI, highlighting significant changes in both the content and properties of DOC fractions throughout the treatment process. Our study indicates that the contribution of HPI DOC fraction to SUVA and STHMFP in treated water is greater than that of HPO DOC.Practitioner Points
A two‐stage ENV to estimate major DOC fractions without recovering sorbed compounds.
One ENV cartridge at pH 3 can effectively isolate HPI DOC, replacing sequential ENV.
Coagulation and lime/soda softening altered characteristics of DOC fractions.
HPI DOC in treated water contributes to SUVA and STHMFP more than HPO fraction.
Ernährungskonzepte für Säuglinge, Kinder und Jugendliche: Entwicklung und Bedeutung
Authors: Kalhoff Hermann , Kersting Mathilde , Lücke Thomas 
Published: February 2025

Zusammenfassung
Eine gesunde Ernährung von Anfang an ist eine wichtige Voraussetzung für Gesundheit, Wachstum, Entwicklung und Leistungsfähigkeit. Gesunde Ernährung im Kindes- und Jugendalter kann darüber hinaus zur Prävention weit verbreiteter Krankheiten im Erwachsenenalter beitragen. Mit den am Forschungsdepartment für Kinderernährung (FKE) entwickelten lebensmittel- und mahlzeitenbasierten Ernährungskonzepten, dem Ernährungsplan für das 1. Lebensjahr und der sich nahtlos anschließenden Optimierten Mischkost für Kinder und Jugendliche (einschließlich entsprechender Speisepläne), liegen wissenschaftlich basierte, international publizierte, praktisch bewährte, einfach vermittelbare und nachhaltige Ernährungskonzepte für das gesamte Wachstumsalter vor. Die leicht verständlichen semiquantitativen Empfehlungen und grafischen Darstellungen der Ernährungskonzepte erleichtern den Transfer der Empfehlungen in die Bevölkerung; darüber hinaus richten die Konzepte sich an Entscheidungsträger. Diese Konzepte bilden die Grundlage zur Beratung der Familien durch Kinder- und Jugendärzt:innen und Ernährungsfachkräfte.
Presence of Nematodes, Mercury Concentrations, and Liver Pathology in Carnivorous Freshwater Fish from La Mojana, Sucre, Colombia: Assessing Fish Health and Potential Human Health Risks
Authors: Fuentes-Lopez Katerin , Olivero-Verbel Jesus , Caballero-Gallardo Karina 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Fish provide high-quality protein and essential nutrients. However, environmental pollution can lead to the accumulation of toxic substances such as mercury (Hg), with known negative impacts on human consumers. The aim of this study was to assess fish health and potential human health risks by analyzing the presence of nematodes, Hg concentrations, and liver pathology in freshwater fish from La Mojana, Colombia. For this purpose, 326 specimens were collected. Parasitic infection was evaluated using parasitological indices. Total Hg (T-Hg) was quantified using a direct mercury analyzer. Liver pathology was assessed through histopathological examination. Risk-based fish consumption limits were established by calculating the hazard quotient (HQ) and safe consumption limits. The overall prevalence and abundance of nematodes (Contracaecum sp.) were 46% and 2.72 ± 0.47 parasites/fish, respectively. Sternopygus macrurus exhibited the highest prevalence (100%) and parasite abundance (13.5 parasites/fish) during the rainy season, whereas Hoplias malabaricus demonstrated the greatest prevalence (100%) and abundance (14.8 parasites/fish) in the dry season. The average T-Hg was 0.31 ± 0.01 µg/g ww. During the rainy season, S. macrurus had the highest T-Hg levels (0.46 ± 0.08 µg/g ww); in the dry season, Cynopotamus magdalenae showed the highest T-Hg concentration (0.54 ± 0.03 µg/g ww). Significant positive relationships were recorded between T-Hg and parasite abundance, while these were negative with the condition factor. All specimens exhibited hepatic alterations. The HQ and Hg values suggest potential health risks from frequent fish consumption, especially in fish-dependent communities. These findings highlight the need for precautionary measures by health and environmental authorities to safeguard human and ecosystem health.