bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water-saving techniques: physiological responses and regulatory mechanisms of crops
Authors: Chen Yu , Leng Ya-Nan , Zhu Fu-Yuan , Li Si-En , Song Tao , Zhang Jianhua
Published: October 2023

Water-saving irrigation techniques play a crucial role in addressing water scarcity challenges and promoting sustainable agriculture. However, the selection of appropriate water-saving irrigation methods remains a challenge in agricultural production. Additionally, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of crops under water-saving irrigation are not yet clear. This review summarizes the latest research developments in the application of different water-saving irrigation technologies to five important crops (rice, wheat, soybeans, maize, and cotton). It provides an overview of the impact of different irrigation techniques on crop yield, water use efficiency (WUE), physiology, growth, and environmental effects. Additionally, the review compares and contrasts the molecular regulatory mechanisms of crops under water-saving irrigation techniques with those under traditional drought stress, emphasizing the significance of combining irrigation technologies with genetic engineering for developing drought-resistant varieties and improving WUE. Furthermore, the integration of various technologies can stimulate new management strategies, optimize water resource utilization, and enhance sustainability, representing a major focus for future research. In conclusion, this review underscores the importance of water-saving irrigation technologies, especially when combined with genetic engineering, in addressing water resource scarcity, increasing crop yields, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Optimization of central carbon metabolism by Warburg effect of human cancer cell improves triterpenes biosynthesis in yeast
Authors: Lin Xiaona , An Tianyue , Fu Danni , Duan Sujuan , Jin Hong-Lei , Wang Hong-Bin
Published: October 2023

Optimizing central carbon metabolism (CCM) represents an attractive and challenging strategy to improve the biosynthesis of valuable chemicals due to the complex regulation of the CCM in yeast. In this study, we triggered the similar Warburg effect of cancer cells in yeast strains by introducing the human hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) complex, which regulated the expression of numerous enzymes involved in CCM and redirected the metabolic flux from glycolysis to tricarboxylic acid cycle. This redirection promoted the production of squalene to a 2.7-fold increase than the control strain BY4741. Furthermore, the HIF-1 complex boosted the production of represented endogenous triterpenoid ergosterol to 1145.95 mg/L, and exogenous triterpenoid lupeol to 236.35 mg/L in shake flask cultivation, 10.5-fold and 9.2-fold increase than engineered strains without HIF-1 complex integration, respectively. This study provides a novel strategy for optimizing CCM by HIF-1 mediated Warburg effect of cancer cells to improve biosynthesis of triterpenoids in yeast.
The Micro-Sociology of Peace and Conflict
Authors: Bramsen Isabel
Published: October 2023

How do micro-interactions of resistance, fighting and dialogue shape larger patterns of peace and conflict? How can nonviolent resistance, conflict transformation and diplomacy be analyzed in micro-detail? Exploring these questions, Isabel Bramsen introduces micro-sociology to Peace Research and International Relations. Breaking new methodological, empirical and theoretical ground, Bramsen develops a novel theoretical and analytical framework for analyzing micro-dynamics of peace and conflict. The book features chapters on the methods of micro-sociology (including Video Data Analysis) as well as analytical chapters on violence, nonviolence, conflict transformation, peace talks and international meetings. It is at once broad and specific, analyzing a wide variety of phenomena and cases, while also introducing very specific lenses to analyzing peace and conflict. Presenting a highly practical and micro-detailed approach, The Micro-Sociology of Peace and Conflict will be of use to students, researchers, practitioners, activists and diplomats interested in understanding and addressing contemporary conflicts. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.
Prophets and Prophecy in the Late Antique Near East
Authors: Han Jae Hee
Published: October 2023

In this volume, Jae Han investigates how various Late Antique Near Eastern communities – Jews, Christians, Manichaeans, and philosophers -- discussed prophets and revelation, among themselves and against each other. Bringing an interdisciplinary, historical approach to the topic, he interrogates how these communities used discourses of prophethood and revelation to negotiate their place in the world. Han tracks the shifting contours of prophecy and contextualizes the emergence of orality as the privileged medium among rabbis, Manichaeans, and 'Jewish Christian' communities. He also explores the contemporary interest in divinatory knowledge among Neoplatonists. Offering a critical re-reading of key Manichaean texts, Han shows how Manichaeans used concepts of prophethood and revelation within specific rhetorical agendas to address urgent issues facing their communities. His book highlights the contingent production of discourse and shows how contemporary theories of rhetoric and textuality can be applied to the study of ancient texts.
Hate Speech Frontiers
Authors: Brown Alexander , Sinclair Adriana
Published: October 2023

No serious attempt to answer the question 'What is hate speech?' would be complete without an exploration of the outer limits of the concept(s). This book critically examines both the ordinary and legal concepts of hate speech, contrasting social media platform content policies with national and international laws. It also explores a range of controversial grey area examples of hate speech. Part I focuses on the ordinary concept and looks at hybrid attacks, selective attacks, reverse attacks, righteous attacks, indirect attacks, identity attacks, existential denials, identity denials, identity miscategorisations, and identity appropriations. Part II concentrates on the legal concept. It considers how to distinguish between hate speech and hate crime, and examines the precarious position of denialism laws in national and international law. Together, the authors draw on conceptual analysis, doctrinal analysis, linguistic analysis, critical analysis, and diachronic analysis to map the new frontiers of the concepts of hate speech.
Brexit, Union, and Disunion
Authors: Douglas-Scott Sionaidh
Published: October 2023

This book provides a critical analysis of Brexit, placing it in the broader context of the historical development of the British Constitution and earlier disputes as to the meaning of statehood, sovereignty, and territorial boundaries. Some of the greatest challenges posed by the UK's withdrawal from the EU are those it places on the British Constitution, which is already 'unsettled' and under strain. This book investigates this impact, but also uniquely locates Brexit in the broader context of historically significant British 'acts of union or disunion' – such as the loss of former US colonies and British Empire, and the place of Scotland and Ireland in the Union. These precedents help us understand how a British constitutional identity has been shaped or dismantled by legal concepts of union or sovereignty.
The Use of Force and International Law
Authors: Henderson Christian
Published: October 2023

Newly revised, this textbook provides an authoritative conceptual and practical overview of international law governing the resort to force. Following an introductory chapter, with a section on the key issues in identifying the law and actual and potential changes to it, the book addresses the breadth and scope of the prohibition of the threat or use of force and the meaning of 'force' as the focus of this. The book proceeds to address the use of force through the United Nations and regional organisations, the use of force in peacekeeping operations, the right of self-defence and the customary limitations upon this right, the controversial right of humanitarian intervention, and forcible interventions in civil conflicts. Updated to include greater focus on aspects such as cyber operations, the threat of force, and the 'human element' to the use force, as well as the inclusion of recent developments such as the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it seeks to address the contemporary legal framework through the prism of contemporary challenges that it currently faces.
ArchaeoSRP
Authors: Bergin Sean , Snitker Grant
Published: October 2023

For much of its history, archaeological research has relied on site-specific projects, regional comparisons, and theory building from case studies. However, recent research themes concerning the emergence of complex social-ecological systems and long-term land-use legacies require a new approach to archaeological data. Large-scale syntheses of archaeological data provide an effective way forward to address these new research themes. In more concise terms, “big questions” require “big data” to help answer them. The archaeological information collected by the USDA Forest Service is one such “big dataset” and represents an incalculable investment in time, resources, and expertise. This article explores this concept and presents an R package (ArchaeoSRP) designed to extract archaeological information from USDA Forest Service site record files. We demonstrate the functionality of this R package through a case study examining the archaeological data for the Cle Elum Ranger District, within Central Washington's Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Our results reveal the efficiency of using automated methods to extract, organize, and synthesize district-level archaeological data, which, in turn, reveal patterns of precontact and historic land use that were otherwise not distinguishable.
Modelling repetition in zDM: A single population of repeating fast radio bursts can explain CHIME data
Authors: James C.W.
Published: October 2023

Regardless of whether or not all fast radio bursts (FRBs) repeat, those that do form a population with a distribution of rates. This work considers a power-law model of this population, with rate distribution$\Phi_r \sim R^{{\gamma_r}}$between${R_{\rm min}}$and${R_{\rm max}}$. ThezDMcode is used to model the probability of detecting this population as either apparently once-off or repeat events as a function of redshift,z, and dispersion measure, DM. I demonstrate that in the nearby Universe, repeating sources can contribute significantly to the total burst rate. This causes an apparent deficit in the total number of observed sources (once-off and repeaters) relative to the distant Universe that will cause a bias in FRB population models. Thus instruments with long exposure times should explicitly take repetition into account when fitting the FRB population. I then fit data from The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME). The relative number of repeat and apparently once-off FRBs, and their DM, declination, and burst rate distributions, can be well explained by 50–100% of CHIME single FRBs being due to repeaters, with${R_{\rm max}} > 0.75$d$^{-1}$above$10^{39}$erg, and${{\gamma_r}} = -2.2_{-0.8}^{+0.6}$. This result is surprisingly consistent with follow-up studies of FRBs detected by the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). Thus the evidence suggests that CHIME and ASKAP view the same repeating FRB population, which is responsible not just for repeating FRBs, but the majority of apparently once-off bursts. For greater quantitative accuracy, non-Poissonian arrival times, second-order effects in the CHIME response, and a simultaneous fit to the total FRB population parameters, should be treated in more detail in future studies.
Judge, landlord, broker, watchman: assessing variation in chiefly duties and authority in the Ghana–Togo Borderlands
Authors: Wilfahrt Martha , Letsa Natalie Wenzell
Published: October 2023

abstract

This paper seeks to broaden the framework for understanding the many different roles that traditional leaders play in their communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from an original public opinion survey along the Ghana–Togo border, we find that one of the most important roles of the chieftaincy is to maintain law and order: resolving disputes and keeping the community safe from crime. However, we also find considerable variation in what chiefs are expected to do, how effective they are performing their various tasks, and how much authority they wield in doing so – both over their own subjects as well as over local government officials. We explore several potential sources for this variation, finding that chiefs in Ghana, a former British colony, are expected to do more jobs, are perceived to be more effective, and hold more upward power over local state officials compared with their counterparts in Togo, a former French colony.
‘Unprecedented injustice’: Digitalisation and the perceived accessibility of childcare benefits
Authors: Hummel Bryn , Yerkes Mara A. , Bal Michèlle
Published: October 2023

The Netherlands recently experienced a crisis in childcare benefits, leading to ‘unprecedented injustice’ for many parents falsely accused of defrauding the childcare benefit system. This crisis highlights multiple barriers in parents’ ability to access childcare already evident prior to the crisis, including the far-reaching digitalisation of social policies and childcare benefits in particular. Digitalisation can make parents feel childcare services are less accessible, thereby creating or exacerbating existing inequalities in childcare use. Parents may also lack the skills needed to navigate complex application procedures, which can affect their perceived access to childcare benefits, particularly in market-led systems with greater reliance on government benefits to cover the high costs of childcare. Extending recent research on childcare capabilities, we investigate the extent to which digital and functional literacy affect parents’ perceived access to childcare benefits in the Netherlands. The results from our exploratory quantitative analysis provide a starting point for understanding the understudied relationships between digitalisation, parents’ abilities to navigate complex childcare or other policy systems, and their (perceived) ability to access childcare benefits. We use these findings to develop multiple future research recommendations in the childcare policy literature.
Tilt Wing Aircraft in comparison with other VTOL and STOL Systems
Authors: Stepniewski W Z
Published: October 2023

The CHAIRMAN, in introducing the Author, said that although it had in the past been the main concern of the Association to discuss the problems of the conventional helicopter, it was now proposed to include systems allied to it, and convertiplanes and other powered lift systems would be considered at this and future meetings of the Association There was now a whole spectrum of proposed direct lift aircraft ranging from the conventional helicopter of a few pounds per sq ft disc loading, to jet lift aircraft of hundreds of pounds per sq ft of jet area Between these two extremes there was a variety of convertiplanes and jet wing systems

The Author had been working on rotorcraft for a long time He had been Chief Aerodynamicist of the Vertol Aircraft Corporation and Director of Aeronautical Research there, he had written many papers relating to the helicopter especially on aerodynamics, and his books on the subject published by the Rotorcraft Publishing Committee had been very widely read, even on this side of the Atlantic
Boost Systems for Helicopter Gas Turbines
Authors: Morley A W
Published: October 2023

The CHAIRMAN, in introducing the Author, said that Dr Morley had been for 16 years on the scientific staff of the Engine Department of the Royal Aircraft Establishment and, at the end of the war, was Deputy Head of the Gas Dynamics Division which subsequently became the Supersonics Division Three years after that he was senior lecturer of aircraft propulsion at Cranfield In his present position as Forward Projects Engineer for the Napier Company he was engaged on technical investigations into developments in aeronautics

The recent years have seen a tremendous increase in the importance of the helicopter both as a defence aircraft, for anti mine, anti submarine and assault purposes and as a civil transport between busy centres, and it has been overwhelmingly successful in a multitude of special duties from rescue work to crop spraying, some impossible with fixed wing aircraft The wider application of the helicopter in these many roles has directed increased attention towards the enhanced engine performance possible with the gas turbine, and to the more difficult problems of coupling the greater potential output of this form of engine with the inherent safety features of the aircraft
“Some Engineering Aspects of Helicopter Assessment Trials”
Authors: Webb H J
Published: October 2023

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the meeting, said he had much pleasure in introducing tonight's lecturer Mr Webb had been in the aviation field for 29 years In 1930, he joined the Air Ministry and in the pre-war years he worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in the Departments of Airworthiness and Aerodynamics At the beginning of the war, he was appointed Resident Technical Officer, firstly at Armstrong Whitworths and later at the Bristol Aeroplane Company It was during this period that he became associated with the helicopter work when the Bristol Company started to develop helicopters in 1944 He remained there until 1950 and during that time he was responsible to the Ministry of Supply for the early development of the Sycamore and the Bristol tandem rotor types
Some Design Aspects of Tandem Rotor Helicopters
Authors: Sibley J D , Jones C H
Published: October 2023

The Chairman, in opening the meeting, said that the first part of the Paper would be presented by Mr J D Sibley, who for the past 10 years had been Chief Aerodynamicist at the Helicopter Division, Bristol Aircraft Ltd, Weston-Super-Mare Mr Sibley would discuss the aerodynamic aspects The second part, relating to the dynamical aspects, would be presented by Mr C H Jones, who had been Dynamics Engineer at the Helicopter Division, Bristol Aircraft Ltd, since 1955 Afterwards there would be a short film

The paper discusses a number of aerodynamic aspects which have appeared during the development of the Bristol Helicopters I have deliberately avoided excessive comparisons of the advantages and disadvantages of tandem helicopters versus the single main rotor helicopters, as this subject has been covered by numerous authors

The subject matter covers information on performance, control and stability, which has been obtained in the course of development work on Bristol Tandem Helicopters Some of this information is directly applicable to other types of helicopter
Assessing Multi‐Dimensional Impacts of Achieving Sustainability Goals by Projecting the Sustainable Agriculture Matrix Into the Future
Authors: Kyle Page , Ollenburger Mary , Zhang Xin , Niazi Hassan , Durga Siddarth , Ou Yang
Published: October 2023

The concept of sustainability inherently spans multiple spatial scales, sectors, variables, and time horizons. This study links a recently developed method of assessing present‐day agricultural sustainability across environmental, economic, and social dimensions with a process‐based integrated assessment model, in order to allow forward‐looking analysis of sustainability by region and scenario. The sustainable agriculture matrix estimates present‐day agricultural sustainability at the national level using 18 indicator variables, of which this study estimates nine to the year 2100, using an enhanced version of the Global Change Analysis Model. Scenarios include a reference scenario, and scenarios that apply the following measures, both individually and in combination, that are thought to improve sustainability: yield intensification, transition toward more plant‐based (“flexitarian”) diets, and economy‐wide greenhouse gas emissions mitigation. The scenarios illustrate considerable complexity and tradeoffs inherent to efforts to improve agricultural sustainability in all regions globally. For example, yield intensification typically increases nitrogen pollution, flexitarian diets can reduce agricultural output, and greenhouse gas mitigation efforts may either increase deforestation or crowd out crop and livestock production due to consequent bioenergy demands. However, there is considerable inter‐regional heterogeneity in the responses, and the importance of such secondary responses also differs by region. The analysis and post‐processing methods developed in this study allow quantification and visualization of the absolute and relative magnitude of the tradeoffs between agricultural sustainability indicator variables across regions, time periods, and scenarios.
Efficient Optimization of a Regional Water Elevation Model With an Automatically Generated Adjoint
Authors: Kärnä Tuomas , Wallwork Joseph G. , Kramer Stephan C.
Published: October 2023

Calibration of unknown model parameters is a common task in many ocean model applications. We present an adjoint‐based optimization of an unstructured mesh shallow water model for the Baltic Sea. Spatially varying bottom friction parameter is tuned to minimize the misfit with respect to tide gauge sea surface height (SSH) observations. A key benefit of adjoint‐based optimization is that computational cost does not depend on the number of unknown variables. Adjoint models are, however, typically very laborious to implement. In this work, we leverage a domain specific language framework in which the discrete adjoint model can be obtained automatically. The adjoint model is both exactly compatible with the discrete forward model and computationally efficient. A gradient‐based quasi‐Newton method is used to minimize the misfit. Optimizing spatially‐variable parameters is typically an under‐determined problem and can lead to over‐fitting. We employ Hessian‐based regularization to penalize the spatial curvature of the friction field to overcome this problem. The SSH dynamics in the Baltic Sea are simulated for a 3‐month period. Optimization of the bottom friction parameter results in significant improvement of the model performance. The results are especially encouraging in the complex Danish Straits region, highlighting the benefit of unstructured meshes. Domain specific language frameworks enable automated model analysis and provide easy access to adjoint modeling. Our application shows that this capability can be enabled with few efforts, and the optimization procedure is robust and computationally efficient.
Macroecology Differentiation Between Bacteria and Fungi in Topsoil Across the United States
Authors: He Liyuan , Viovy Nicolas , Xu Xiaofeng
Published: October 2023

Bacteria and fungi possess distinct physiological traits. Their macroecology is vital for ecosystem functioning such as carbon cycling. However, bacterial and fungal biogeography and underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we investigated bacterial versus fungal macroecology by integrating a microbial‐explicit model—CLM‐Microbe—with measured fungal (FBC) and bacterial biomass carbon (BBC) from 34 NEON sites. The distribution of FBC, BBC, and FBC: BBC (F:B) ratio was well simulated across sites, with variations in 99% (P < 0.001), 97% (P < 0.001), and 99% (P < 0.001) being explained by the CLM‐Microbe model, respectively. We found stronger biogeographic patterns of FBC relative to BBC across the United States. Fungal and bacterial turnover rates showed similar trends along latitude. However, latitudinal trends of their component fluxes (carbon assimilation, respiration, and necromass production) were distinct between bacteria and fungi, with those latitudinal trends following inverse unimodal patterns for fungi and showing exponential declining responses for bacteria. Carbon assimilation was dominated by vegetation productivity, and respiration was dominated by mean annual temperature for bacteria and fungi. The dominant factor for their necromass production differs, with edaphic factors controlling fungal and mean annual temperature controlling bacterial processes. The understanding of fungal and bacterial macroecology is an important step toward linking microbial metabolism and soil biogeochemical processes. Distinct fungal and bacterial macroecology contributes to the microbial ecology, particularly on microbial community structure and its association with ecosystem carbon cycling across space.
Revisiting a Constraint on Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity From a Last Millennium Perspective
Authors: Cropper S. , Thackeray C. W. , Emile‐Geay J.
Published: October 2023

Despite decades of effort to constrain equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS), current best estimates still exhibit a large spread. Past studies have sought to reduce ECS uncertainty through a variety of methods including emergent constraints. One example uses global temperature variability over the past century to constrain ECS. While this method shows promise, it has been criticized for its susceptibility to the influence of anthropogenic forcing and the limited length of the instrumental record used to compute temperature variability. Here, we investigate the emergent relationship between ECS and two metrics of global temperature variability using model simulations and paleoclimate reconstructions over the last millennium (850–1999). We find empirical evidence in support of these emergent relationships. Observational constraints suggest a central ECS estimate of 2.5–2.7 K, consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's consensus estimate of 3K. Moreover, they suggest ECS “likely” ranges of 1.7–3.3 K and 1.9–3.5 K.
Ionospheric and Atmospheric Response to Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Nida of 29 July–02 August 2016
Authors: Kumar Sanjay , Chen Wu , Louis Osei‐Poku
Published: October 2023

Tropical cyclones are one of the biggest threats to life and property. During cyclone period storm surge, flooding, extreme winds, tornadoes and lighting cause significant impacts on life and property and hence affects life of human being to a great extent. Nida was the third tropical cyclone requiring the issuance of tropical cyclone warning signals by the Hong Kong Observatory in 2016 and maximum hourly mean winds of 158 km/hr was recorded in Hong Kong. It affected many cities of China and about 500,000 people, more than 300 houses collapsed and made economic loss of about 500 million RMB. Investigation of lightning discharges around the cyclone track line revealed that the strong lightning activity is noticed during the cyclone period with a super lightning maxima on 30 July and 01 August. The effect of this typhoon on the ionosphere is studied using the TEC data from GPS measurements taken around the cyclone track and satellite based COSMIC measurements. Strong convective activity which is driver for the thunderstorm and gravity waves activity noticed from the negative cloud top temperature as low as −50°C observed from AIRS satellite during the cyclone period. Significant enhancement is atmospheric ozone is observed during the cyclone period which could be attributed to thunderstorm activity present during the cyclone period. The analysis found decrease in GPS‐TEC data at stations around Hong Kong region during the landfall of the cyclone. The magnitude of perturbation in TEC is found larger at stations lying toward right/eastward of the cyclone track as compared to those in the left/westward from the cyclone track. In addition, periodic signatures in ionospheric TEC data were also detected. Continuous wavelet transform to DTEC data has been made to estimate period and found the periodic structure in ionospheric TEC belongs to AGWs with period 9–20 min and frequency 1–2 mHz. Strong scintillation activity as high as S4‐index 1.35 from GPS measurements has been noticed at Sanya station during cyclone period on 02 August which is further confirmed by satellite based measurements from COSMIC. Both measurements show maximum scintillation activity during 1400–1600 UT. The strong scintillation activity as compared to normal days observed during the cyclone period is attributed to lightning induced electric filed as well as generation of AGWs due to deep convection which could act as seed perturbation for generation of ionospheric irregularities by Rayleigh‐Taylor instability mechanism.
Plagioclase Lherzolite Melting: Experimental Constraints on a Primary, High‐Alumina MORB From the Southwest Indian Ridge
Authors: Beaudry Patrick , Krein Stephanie B. , Grove Timothy L.
Published: October 2023

We experimentally investigated the phase relations of a primary basaltic glass erupted on the 10–15°E ultraslow spreading (∼0.4 cm/yr) oblique amagmatic segment of the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). Piston‐cylinder experiments were conducted at 9–13 kbar and 1270–1310°C, in accordance with the predicted pressure and temperature (9.5 ± 0.8 kbar and 1290 ± 12°C) of saturation with a mantle lherzolite assemblage using the recently developed multiphase reverse fractional crystallization model ReversePetrogen (RevPet, Krein et al., 2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JB021292). The experiments were multiply saturated with a plagioclase lherzolite assemblage (olivine + augite + orthopyroxene + plagioclase) at 10 kbar and 1290°C, within the uncertainty of the RevPet prediction. We use the forward model Petrogen (Krein et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JB019612) to find the best fitting mantle composition and melting conditions that could produce glass KN162‐9 48‐21. This model independently finds a melting pressure and temperature of 9.5 kbar and 1285°C, which agree remarkably well with the RevPet predictions and our experiments. This sample is also significantly more depleted in incompatible trace elements than other glasses from the same ridge segment, suggesting its mantle source experienced prior episodes of depletion. This is consistent with previous work suggesting that ultraslow spreading at the SWIR preserves heterogeneities on a local scale. The variability of erupted compositions largely reflects aggregation and mixing of heterogeneous near‐fractional melts produced in the spinel and plagioclase stability fields along similar melting paths and their fractional crystallization products. More generally, plagioclase‐field mantle melting does occur at mid‐ocean ridges and is preserved in some melting environments.
Impact of Updating Vegetation Information on Land Surface Model Performance
Authors: Ruiz‐Vásquez Melissa , O Sungmin , Arduini Gabriele , Boussetta Souhail , Brenning Alexander , Bastos Ana , Koirala Sujan , Balsamo Gianpaolo , Reichstein Markus , Orth René
Published: October 2023

Vegetation plays a fundamental role in modulating the exchange of water, energy, and carbon fluxes between the land and the atmosphere. These exchanges are modeled by Land Surface Models (LSMs), which are an essential part of numerical weather prediction and data assimilation. However, most current LSMs implemented specifically in weather forecasting systems use climatological vegetation indices, and land use/land cover data sets in these models are often outdated. In this study, we update land surface data in the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) land surface modeling system (ECLand) using Earth observation‐based time varying leaf area index and land use/land cover data, and evaluate the impact of vegetation dynamics on model performance. The performance of the simulated latent heat flux and soil moisture is then evaluated against global gridded observation‐based data sets. Updating the vegetation information does not always yield better model performances because the model's parameters are adapted to the previously employed land surface information. Therefore we recalibrate key soil and vegetation‐related parameters at individual grid cells to adjust the model parameterizations to the new land surface information. This substantially improves model performance and demonstrates the benefits of updated vegetation information. Interestingly, we find that a regional parameter calibration outperforms a globally uniform adjustment of parameters, indicating that parameters should sufficiently reflect spatial variability in the land surface. Our results highlight that newly available Earth‐observation products of vegetation dynamics and land cover changes can improve land surface model performances, which in turn can contribute to more accurate weather forecasts.
Glycobiology in osteoclast differentiation and function
Authors: Yang Shufa , He Ziyi , Wu Tuo , Wang Shunlei , Dai Hui
Published: October 2023

Glycans, either alone or in complex with glycan-binding proteins, are essential structures that can regulate cell biology by mediating protein stability or receptor dimerization under physiological and pathological conditions. Certain glycans are ligands for lectins, which are carbohydrate-specific receptors. Bone is a complex tissue that provides mechanical support for muscles and joints, and the regulation of bone mass in mammals is governed by complex interplay between bone-forming cells, called osteoblasts, and bone-resorbing cells, called osteoclasts. Bone erosion occurs when bone resorption notably exceeds bone formation. Osteoclasts may be activated during cancer, leading to a range of symptoms, including bone pain, fracture, and spinal cord compression. Our understanding of the role of protein glycosylation in cells and tissues involved in osteoclastogenesis suggests that glycosylation-based treatments can be used in the management of diseases. The aims of this review are to clarify the process of bone resorption and investigate the signaling pathways mediated by glycosylation and their roles in osteoclast biology. Moreover, we aim to outline how the lessons learned about these approaches are paving the way for future glycobiology-focused therapeutics.
Genetic interactions between polycystin-1 and Wwtr1 in osteoblasts define a novel mechanosensing mechanism regulating bone formation in mice
Authors: Xiao Zhousheng , Cao Li , Smith Micholas Dean , Li Hanxuan , Li Wei , Smith Jeremy C. , Quarles Leigh Darryl
Published: October 2023

Molecular mechanisms transducing physical forces in the bone microenvironment to regulate bone mass are poorly understood. Here, we used mouse genetics, mechanical loading, and pharmacological approaches to test the possibility that polycystin-1 and Wwtr1 have interdependent mechanosensing functions in osteoblasts. We created and compared the skeletal phenotypes of control Pkd1flox/+;Wwtr1flox/+, Pkd1Oc-cKO, Wwtr1Oc-cKO, and Pkd1/Wwtr1Oc-cKO mice to investigate genetic interactions. Consistent with an interaction between polycystins and Wwtr1 in bone in vivo, Pkd1/Wwtr1Oc-cKO mice exhibited greater reductions of BMD and periosteal MAR than either Wwtr1Oc-cKO or Pkd1Oc-cKO mice. Micro-CT 3D image analysis indicated that the reduction in bone mass was due to greater loss in both trabecular bone volume and cortical bone thickness in Pkd1/Wwtr1Oc-cKO mice compared to either Pkd1Oc-cKO or Wwtr1Oc-cKO mice. Pkd1/Wwtr1Oc-cKO mice also displayed additive reductions in mechanosensing and osteogenic gene expression profiles in bone compared to Pkd1Oc-cKO or Wwtr1Oc-cKO mice. Moreover, we found that Pkd1/Wwtr1Oc-cKO mice exhibited impaired responses to tibia mechanical loading in vivo and attenuation of load-induced mechanosensing gene expression compared to control mice. Finally, control mice treated with a small molecule mechanomimetic, MS2 that activates the polycystin complex resulted in marked increases in femoral BMD and periosteal MAR compared to vehicle control. In contrast, Pkd1/Wwtr1Oc-cKO mice were resistant to the anabolic effects of MS2. These findings suggest that PC1 and Wwtr1 form an anabolic mechanotransduction signaling complex that mediates mechanical loading responses and serves as a potential novel therapeutic target for treating osteoporosis.
Trim21 depletion alleviates bone loss in osteoporosis via activation of YAP1/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Liu Ri-Xu , Gu Rong-He , Li Zhi-Peng , Hao Zhi-Quan , Hu Qin-Xiao , Li Zhen-Yan , Wang Xiao-Gang , Tang Wang , Wang Xiao-He , Zeng Yu-Kai , Li Zhen-Wei , Dong Qiu , Zhu Xiao-Feng , Chen Di , Zhao Ke-Wei , Zhang Rong-Hua , Zha Zhen-Gang , Zhang Huan-Tian
Published: October 2023

Despite the diverse roles of tripartite motif (Trim)-containing proteins in the regulation of autophagy, the innate immune response, and cell differentiation, their roles in skeletal diseases are largely unknown. We recently demonstrated that Trim21 plays a crucial role in regulating osteoblast (OB) differentiation in osteosarcoma. However, how Trim21 contributes to skeletal degenerative disorders, including osteoporosis, remains unknown. First, human and mouse bone specimens were evaluated, and the results showed that Trim21 expression was significantly elevated in bone tissues obtained from osteoporosis patients. Next, we found that global knockout of the Trim21 gene (KO, Trim21−/−) resulted in higher bone mass compared to that of the control littermates. We further demonstrated that loss of Trim21 promoted bone formation by enhancing the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and elevating the activity of OBs; moreover, Trim21 depletion suppressed osteoclast (OC) formation of RAW264.7 cells. In addition, the differentiation of OCs from bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) isolated from Trim21−/− and Ctsk-cre; Trim21f/f mice was largely compromised compared to that of the littermate control mice. Mechanistically, YAP1/β-catenin signaling was identified and demonstrated to be required for the Trim21-mediated osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. More importantly, the loss of Trim21 prevented ovariectomy (OVX)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced bone loss in vivo by orchestrating the coupling of OBs and OCs through YAP1 signaling. Our current study demonstrated that Trim21 is crucial for regulating OB-mediated bone formation and OC-mediated bone resorption, thereby providing a basis for exploring Trim21 as a novel dual-targeting approach for treating osteoporosis and pathological bone loss.
Urban land patterns can moderate population exposures to climate extremes over the 21st century
Authors: Gao Jing , Bukovsky Melissa S.
Published: October 2023

Climate change and global urbanization have often been anticipated to increase future population exposure (frequency and intensity) to extreme weather over the coming decades. Here we examine how changes in urban land extent, population, and climate will respectively and collectively affect spatial patterns of future population exposures to climate extremes (including hot days, cold days, heavy rainfalls, and severe thunderstorm environments) across the continental U.S. at the end of the 21st century. Different from common impressions, we find that urban land patterns can sometimes reduce rather than increase population exposures to climate extremes, even heat extremes, and that spatial patterns instead of total quantities of urban land are more influential to population exposures. Our findings lead to preliminary suggestions for embedding long-term climate resilience in urban and regional land-use system designs, and strongly motivate searches for optimal spatial urban land patterns that can robustly moderate population exposures to climate extremes throughout the 21st century.
Antibody-directed extracellular proximity biotinylation reveals that Contactin-1 regulates axo-axonic innervation of axon initial segments
Authors: Ogawa Yuki , Lim Brian C. , George Shanu , Oses-Prieto Juan A. , Rasband Joshua M. , Eshed-Eisenbach Yael , Hamdan Hamdan , Nair Supna , Boato Francesco , Peles Elior , Burlingame Alma L. , Van Aelst Linda , Rasband Matthew N.
Published: October 2023

Axon initial segment (AIS) cell surface proteins mediate key biological processes in neurons including action potential initiation and axo-axonic synapse formation. However, few AIS cell surface proteins have been identified. Here, we use antibody-directed proximity biotinylation to define the cell surface proteins in close proximity to the AIS cell adhesion molecule Neurofascin. To determine the distributions of the identified proteins, we use CRISPR-mediated genome editing for insertion of epitope tags in the endogenous proteins. We identify Contactin-1 (Cntn1) as an AIS cell surface protein. Cntn1 is enriched at the AIS through interactions with Neurofascin and NrCAM. We further show that Cntn1 contributes to assembly of the AIS extracellular matrix, and regulates AIS axo-axonic innervation by inhibitory basket cells in the cerebellum and inhibitory chandelier cells in the cortex.
Microwave-induced conductance replicas in hybrid Josephson junctions without Floquet—Andreev states
Authors: Haxell Daniel Z. , Coraiola Marco , Sabonis Deividas , Hinderling Manuel , ten Kate Sofieke C. , Cheah Erik , Krizek Filip , Schott Rüdiger , Wegscheider Werner , Belzig Wolfgang , Cuevas Juan Carlos , Nichele Fabrizio
Published: October 2023

Light–matter coupling allows control and engineering of complex quantum states. Here we investigate a hybrid superconducting–semiconducting Josephson junction subject to microwave irradiation by means of tunnelling spectroscopy of the Andreev bound state spectrum and measurements of the current–phase relation. For increasing microwave power, discrete levels in the tunnelling conductance develop into a series of equally spaced replicas, while the current–phase relation changes amplitude and skewness, and develops dips. Quantitative analysis of our results indicates that conductance replicas originate from photon assisted tunnelling of quasiparticles into Andreev bound states through the tunnelling barrier. Despite strong qualitative similarities with proposed signatures of Floquet–Andreev states, our study rules out this scenario. The distortion of the current–phase relation is explained by the interaction of Andreev bound states with microwave photons, including a non-equilibrium Andreev bound state occupation. The techniques outlined here establish a baseline to study light–matter coupling in hybrid nanostructures and distinguish photon assisted tunnelling from Floquet–Andreev states in mesoscopic devices.
Food amyloid fibrils are safe nutrition ingredients based on in-vitro and in-vivo assessment
Authors: Xu Dan , Zhou Jiangtao , Soon Wei Long , Kutzli Ines , Molière Adrian , Diedrich Sabine , Radiom Milad , Handschin Stephan , Li Bing , Li Lin , Sturla Shana J. , Ewald Collin Y. , Mezzenga Raffaele
Published: October 2023

Food protein amyloid fibrils have superior technological, nutritional, sensorial, and physical properties compared to native monomers, but there is as yet insufficient understanding of their digestive fate and safety for wide consumption. By combining SDS-PAGE, ELISA, fluorescence, AFM, MALDI-MS, CD, microfluidics, and SAXS techniques for the characterization of β-lactoglobulin and lysozyme amyloid fibrils subjected to in-vitro gastrointestinal digestion, here we show that either no noticeable conformational differences exist between amyloid aggregates and their monomer counterparts after the gastrointestinal digestion process (as in β-lactoglobulin), or that amyloid fibrils are digested significantly better than monomers (as in lysozyme). Moreover, in-vitro exposure of human cell lines and in-vivo studies with C. elegans and mouse models, indicate that the digested fibrils present no observable cytotoxicity, physiological abnormalities in health-span, nor accumulation of fibril-induced plaques in brain nor other organs. These extensive in-vitro and in-vivo studies together suggest that the digested food amyloids are at least equally as safe as those obtained from the digestion of corresponding native monomers, pointing to food amyloid fibrils as potential ingredients for human nutrition.
Enabling giant thermopower by heterostructure engineering of hydrated vanadium pentoxide for zinc ion thermal charging cells
Authors: Li Zhiwei , Xu Yinghong , Wu Langyuan , Cui Jiaxin , Dou Hui , Zhang Xiaogang
Published: October 2023

Flexible power supply devices provide possibilities for wearable electronics in the Internet of Things. However, unsatisfying capacity or lifetime of typical batteries or capacitors seriously limit their practical applications. Different from conventional heat-to-electricity generators, zinc ion thermal charging cells has been a competitive candidate for the self-power supply solution, but the lack of promising cathode materials has restricted the achievement of promising performances. Herein, we propose an attractive cathode material by rational heterostructure engineering of hydrated vanadium pentoxide. Owing to the integration of thermodiffusion and thermoextraction effects, the thermopower is significantly improved from 7.8 ± 2.6 mV K−1 to 23.4 ± 1.5 mV K−1. Moreover, an impressive normalized power density of 1.9 mW m−2 K−2 is achieved in the quasi-solid-state cells. In addition, a wearable power supply constructed by three units can drive the commercial health monitoring system by harvesting body heat. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of electrodes design for wearable thermoelectric applications.
Dynamic characterization and interpretation for protein-RNA interactions across diverse cellular conditions using HDRNet
Authors: Zhu Haoran , Yang Yuning , Wang Yunhe , Wang Fuzhou , Huang Yujian , Chang Yi , Wong Ka-chun , Li Xiangtao
Published: October 2023

RNA-binding proteins play crucial roles in the regulation of gene expression, and understanding the interactions between RNAs and RBPs in distinct cellular conditions forms the basis for comprehending the underlying RNA function. However, current computational methods pose challenges to the cross-prediction of RNA-protein binding events across diverse cell lines and tissue contexts. Here, we develop HDRNet, an end-to-end deep learning-based framework to precisely predict dynamic RBP binding events under diverse cellular conditions. Our results demonstrate that HDRNet can accurately and efficiently identify binding sites, particularly for dynamic prediction, outperforming other state-of-the-art models on 261 linear RNA datasets from both eCLIP and CLIP-seq, supplemented with additional tissue data. Moreover, we conduct motif and interpretation analyses to provide fresh insights into the pathological mechanisms underlying RNA-RBP interactions from various perspectives. Our functional genomic analysis further explores the gene-human disease associations, uncovering previously uncharacterized observations for a broad range of genetic disorders.
Sensorimotor transformation underlying odor-modulated locomotion in walking Drosophila
Authors: Tao Liangyu , Wechsler Samuel P. , Bhandawat Vikas
Published: October 2023

Most real-world behaviors – such as odor-guided locomotion - are performed with incomplete information. Activity in olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) classes provides information about odor identity but not the location of its source. In this study, we investigate the sensorimotor transformation that relates ORN activation to locomotion changes in Drosophila by optogenetically activating different combinations of ORN classes and measuring the resulting changes in locomotion. Three features describe this sensorimotor transformation: First, locomotion depends on both the instantaneous firing frequency (f) and its change (df); the two together serve as a short-term memory that allows the fly to adapt its motor program to sensory context automatically. Second, the mapping between (f, df) and locomotor parameters such as speed or curvature is distinct for each pattern of activated ORNs. Finally, the sensorimotor mapping changes with time after odor exposure, allowing information integration over a longer timescale.