bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning to Live with Strange Error: Beyond Trustworthiness in Artificial Intelligence Ethics
Authors: Rathkopf Charles , Heinrichs Bert
Published: January 2023

Position papers on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics are often framed as attempts to work out technical and regulatory strategies for attaining what is commonly called trustworthy AI. In such papers, the technical and regulatory strategies are frequently analyzed in detail, but the concept of trustworthy AI is not. As a result, it remains unclear. This paper lays out a variety of possible interpretations of the concept and concludes that none of them is appropriate. The central problem is that, by framing the ethics of AI in terms of trustworthiness, we reinforce unjustified anthropocentric assumptions that stand in the way of clear analysis. Furthermore, even if we insist on a purely epistemic interpretation of the concept, according to which trustworthiness just means measurable reliability, it turns out that the analysis will, nevertheless, suffer from a subtle form of anthropocentrism. The paper goes on to develop the concept of strange error, which serves both to sharpen the initial diagnosis of the inadequacy of trustworthy AI and to articulate the novel epistemological situation created by the use of AI. The paper concludes with a discussion of how strange error puts pressure on standard practices of assessing moral culpability, particularly in the context of medicine.
Placebo Effects: The Meaning of Care in Medicine by Pekka Louhiala
Authors: Macy Rebecca
Published: January 2023

Pekka Louhiala crosses disciplines and decades to present a remarkably detailed review of the existing literature on placebos, placebo effects, and related concepts. The problem at hand—and Louhiala does aptly frame it as a problem—is a striking lack of consensus among researchers, scholars, and clinicians regarding virtually all aspects of the placebo topic. In capturing the complexity of this problem, Louhiala expertly compiles an extensive catalog of placebo literature that effectively gives the reader both a map of the territory and a legend to decipher it. He does not, however, give us clear directions to find our way out of the conceptual maze. The focus is often more on the problems than their solutions, which is simultaneously the most notable weakness and the greatest strength of the book.
Convergence of blanket times for sequences of random walks on critical random graphs
Authors: Andriopoulos George
Published: January 2023

Under the assumption that sequences of graphs equipped with resistances, associated measures, walks and local times converge in a suitable Gromov-Hausdorff topology, we establish asymptotic bounds on the distribution of the
$\varepsilon$
-blanket times of the random walks in the sequence. The precise nature of these bounds ensures convergence of the
$\varepsilon$
-blanket times of the random walks if the
$\varepsilon$
-blanket time of the limiting diffusion is continuous at
$\varepsilon$
with probability 1. This result enables us to prove annealed convergence in various examples of critical random graphs, including critical Galton-Watson trees and the Erdős-Rényi random graph in the critical window. We highlight that proving continuity of the
$\varepsilon$
-blanket time of the limiting diffusion relies on the scale invariance of a finite measure that gives rise to realizations of the limiting compact random metric space, and therefore we expect our results to hold for other examples of random graphs with a similar scale invariance property.
Off-diagonal book Ramsey numbers
Authors: Conlon David , Fox Jacob , Wigderson Yuval
Published: January 2023

The book graph$B_n ^{(k)}$consists of$n$copies of$K_{k+1}$joined along a common$K_k$. In the prequel to this paper, we studied the diagonal Ramsey number$r(B_n ^{(k)}, B_n ^{(k)})$. Here we consider the natural off-diagonal variant$r(B_{cn} ^{(k)}, B_n^{(k)})$for fixed$c \in (0,1]$. In this more general setting, we show that an interesting dichotomy emerges: for very small$c$, a simple$k$-partite construction dictates the Ramsey function and all nearly-extremal colourings are close to being$k$-partite, while, for$c$bounded away from$0$, random colourings of an appropriate density are asymptotically optimal and all nearly-extremal colourings are quasirandom. Our investigations also open up a range of questions about what happens for intermediate values of$c$.
All-triploid offspring in the yellowtail tetra Astyanax altiparanae Garutti & Britski 2000 (Teleostei, Characidae) derived from female tetraploid × male diploid crosses
Authors: Alves Andreoli Correia , Yasui George Shigueki , do Nascimento Nivaldo Ferreira , Monzani Paulo Sérgio , Senhorini José Augusto , Pereira dos Santos Matheus
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the ploidy and survival of larvae resulting from crosses between tetraploid females and diploid males of yellowtail tetra Astyanax altiparanae, both females (three diploids and three tetraploids) and males (n = 3 diploids). Breeders were subjected to hormonal induction with pituitary gland extract from common carp fish (Cyprinus carpio). Females received two doses at concentrations of 0.3 and 3.0 mg/kg −1 body weight and at intervals of 6 h. Males were induced with a single dose of 3.0 mg/kg −1 applied simultaneously with the second dose in females. Oocytes from each diploid and tetraploid female were fertilized with semen from the same male, resulting in two crosses: cross 1 (diploid male and diploid female) and cross 2 (diploid male and tetraploid female). The procedures were performed with separate females (diploid and tetraploid) and diploid males for each repetition (n = 3). For ploidy determination, 60 larvae from each treatment were analyzed using flow cytometry and cytogenetic analyses. As expected, flow cytometry analysis showed that progenies from crosses 1 and 2 presented diploid and triploid individuals, respectively, with a 100% success rate. The same results were confirmed in the cytogenetic analysis, in which the larvae resulting from cross 1 had 50 metaphase chromosomes and those from cross 2 had 75 chromosomes. The oocytes have a slightly ovoid shape at the time of extrusion. Diploid oocytes had a size of 559 ± 20.62 μm and tetraploid of 1025.33 ± 30.91 μm. Statistical differences were observed between eggs from crosses 1 and 2 (P = 0.0130). No significant differences between treatments were observed for survival at the 2-cell stage (P = 0.6174), blastula (P = 0.9717), gastrula (P = 0.5301), somite (P = 0.3811), and hatching (P = 0.0984) stages. In conclusion, our results showed that tetraploid females of the yellowtail tetra A. altiparanae are fertile, present viable gametes after stripping and fertilization using the ‘dry method’, and may be used for mass production of triploids. This is the first report of these procedures within neotropical characins, and which can be applied in other related species of economic importance.
Effects of epigenetic modifier on the developmental competence and quantitative expression of genes in male and female buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) cloned embryos
Authors: Sandhu Anjit , Mohapatra Sushil K. , Singh Manoj K. , Singla Suresh K. , Chauhan Manmohan S. , Manik Radhey S.
Published: January 2023

Adult male and female Murrah buffalo fibroblast cells were used as donors for the production of embryos using handmade cloning. Both donor cells and reconstructed embryos were treated with 50 nM trichostatin-A (TSA) and 7.5 nM 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). The blastocyst rate of both treated male (40.1% ± 2.05) and female (37.0% ± 0.83) embryos was significantly lower than in untreated control males (49.7% ± 3.80) and females (47.2% ± 2.44) but their apoptotic index was lower (male, control: 5.90 ± 0.48; treated: 4.96 ± 0.31): (female, control: 8.11 ± 0.67; treated: 6.65 ± 0.43) and epigenetic status in terms of global acetylation and methylation of histone was significantly improved. The expression level of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) was higher (P < 0.05) and that of PGK, G6PD, OCT 4, IFN-tau and CASPASE3 was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in treated male blastocyst than control and the expression levels of DNMT1, IGF1R and BCL-XL were not significantly different between the two groups. In the female embryos, the relative mRNA abundance of OCT4 was significantly higher (P < 0.05), and that of XIST and CASPASE3 was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the epigenetic modifier-treated group compared with that of the control group, whereas the expression levels of HPRT, PGK, G6PD, DNMT1, IFN-tau, IGF1R and BCL-XL were not significantly different between the two groups. In both embryos, a similar effect of treatment was observed on genes related to growth and development, but the effect on the expression of X-linked genes varied. These results indicate that not all X-linked genes respond to TSA and 5-aza-dC treatment in the same manner.
Vintage article: the effect of monetary policy shocks in the UK: an external instruments approach
Authors: Görtz Christoph , Li Wei , Tsoukalas John , Zanetti Francesco
Published: January 2023

This paper uses vector autoregression model analysis to identify monetary policy shocks on UK data using surprise changes in the policy rate as external instruments and imposing block exogeneity restrictions on domestic variables to estimate parameters from the viewpoint of the domestic economy. The results show large and persistent effects of monetary policy shocks on the domestic economy and point to the critical role of exchange rates and term premia. The analysis resolves important empirical puzzles of traditional recursive identification methods.
Crisis management: the perspectives of physicians working in family physician teams in Lithuania
Authors: Budrevičiūtė Aida , Raila Gediminas , Paukštaitienė Renata , Valius Leonas
Published: January 2023

Aim:

To assess the opinions of physicians working in family physician teams regarding COVID-19 (threat perception, overall work satisfaction, patient satisfaction with services provided, patient access to services, and the need for new tools for service provision).

Methods:

An anonymous survey of physicians (N = 191) working in family physician teams. Questionnaires were distributed among family physicians with the permission of the managers of their institutions and were collected by the lead researcher within 1–8 weeks. The quantitative study was conducted from 21 June 2021 to 17 September 2021. In total, 398 questionnaires were distributed, yielding a response rate of 48%, or 9% of the total population. Thirty-nine primary health care institutions (PHCIs) were randomly selected for the study: 11 public and 28 private.

Findings:

Older respondents and those with more years of work experience strongly agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic threatened their lives and safety, as well as that of their colleagues. Work satisfaction decreased during the pandemic among older respondents, those with more years of work experience, and those who had been employed at their current institution for longer. Respondents with more work experience believed that patient satisfaction with the services provided by their family medical institution decreased. Older respondents with more work experience asserted that patient access to services decreased during the pandemic. Physicians working further away from urban centers indicated a greater need for new tools in the effort to provide consultations compared to city-based physicians.

Conclusions:

The current health care crisis prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic is defined by the perception of threats to life and safety among physicians, an overall drop in their work satisfaction, decreased patient satisfaction with services provided, reduced patient access to services, and a greater need for new tools for providing consultations.
Identifying practical clinical problems in active euthanasia: A systematic literature review of the findings in countries where euthanasia is legal
Authors: Kono Madoka , Arai Nana , Takimoto Yoshiyuki
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Currently, active euthanasia is legalized in only 7 countries worldwide. These countries have encountered problems in its implementation. The study aims to summarize the practical clinical problems in the literature on active euthanasia.

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted using 140 works consisting of 130 articles from PubMed and EthxWeb and data from 10 euthanasia laws.

Results

After reviewing the specific problems reported to be associated with euthanasia in each country, 5 problems were extracted: many ambiguous conditions with room for interpretation, insufficient assurance of voluntariness, response to requests for euthanasia due to psychological distress, conscientious objection, and noncompliance by medical professionals.

Significance of results

Multiple ambiguous conditions that are open to interpretation can result in a “slippery slope phenomenon.” An insufficient guarantee of voluntariness violates the principle of respect for autonomy, which is the underlying justification for euthanasia. In cases of euthanasia due to mental anguish, a distinction between a desire for death caused by psychological pain alone prompted by mental illness and a desire for death caused by mental symptoms prompted by physical illness is essential. Conscientious objection should remain an option because of the heavy burden placed on doctors who perform euthanasia. Noncompliance by medical professionals due to ignorance and conflicts regarding euthanasia is contrary to procedural justice.
Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Palliative Nursing Care Quality Scale
Authors: Mollaoğlu Mukadder , Boy Yasemin
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Measuring tools are essential in assessing the quality of care. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Palliative Nursing Care Quality Scale (PNCQS-T) and the sociodemographic characteristics affecting the quality of care.

Methods

This methodological study, whose linguistic equivalence was confirmed by the translation/back translation method, was carried out with the participation of 209 nurses. Personal Information Form and PNCQS-T were used as data collection tools. Construct validity was determined by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Reliability was tested with internal consistency and item-total correlation coefficients.

Results

Adaptation results showed that the Turkish version of the scale is adequate for linguistic and content validation. The Turkish adaptation’s original scale of 20 items was reduced to 18. As in the original scale, all items were combined under a single dimension in the Turkish adaptation. Modified CFA indicated a well-fitting model. PNCQS-T explained 42.1% of the total variance. Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.92. The lowest score obtained from the scale is 18; the highest score is 90. Higher scores indicated that the palliative care provided by nurses was of good quality.

Significance of results

The Turkish version of the PNCQS-T is reliable for assessing the quality of palliative care provided by nurses in Turkey.
Sipping tea, plastics performing: representational and materialist politics of boba tea consumption in contemporary China
Authors: Wu Ka-ming
Published: January 2023

In a single serving of boba tea, the non-human actors of the tall plastic cups, plastic dome lids, and the giant plastic straws dominate, but receive little attention. This article uses recent theories and discussions of new materialism to bring together cultural analysis of the boba tea consumption phenomenon that could be relevant for reflecting on a sustainable future. The article contributes to social research of waste by focusing on the mediating functions of plastic before it becomes waste. My central argument is that plastic is not merely a physical and impartial container in the contemporary food and beverage industry. It plays an indispensable role in the visualization, mass mediation, and consumption of the boba tea beverage. While current waste research often focuses on the “afterlife” of plastic waste as it relates to underclass waste workers, recycling economy and global waste trade, this article highlights the performative function of plastic as it changes the way we imagine time, gender, and waste. I show it is the plastic cup that enables boba tea to be so visually and gastronomically satisfying in an age when the photogenicity and “Instagrammability” of food and beverage have become more relevant to taste and distinctions.
The impact of economic institutions on government policy: does contract-intensive economy promote impartial governance?
Authors: Mousseau Demet Yalcin
Published: January 2023

The objective of this study is to show how contract-intensive economic institutions can promote diversity and inclusion of social and political groups in economic and business opportunities provided by governments. Building on the interdisciplinary political economy and governance literatures, two types of economic institutions are identified: rent-seeking and contract-intensive. It is argued that rent-seeking economic activities can reinforce in-group norms, gift-giving practices, and governments' discrimination of groups. However, when contract-intensive activities increase in an economy, they can enhance diversity and inclusion of groups in the marketplace creating opportunity structures outside the state and as businesses press governments toward greater impartiality. Analyses of 165 countries from 1961 to 2011 show that a one standard deviation increase in contract-intensive economic activity is associated with a substantial 18 percent increase in the equality of access to state business opportunities for both social and political groups in the long run.
A 5G rotated frame radiator for ultra wideband microwave communication
Authors: Varun Yadav Manish , Baudha Sudeep , Sanghi Vaibhav
Published: January 2023

A 5G rotated frame radiator for multiple applications is presented in the following paper. The presented geometry is capable of radiating the large frequency band from 2.91 to 12.17 GHz, which covers the 5G-(I) sub-6 GHz band, X-band communication with high efficiency. The impedance bandwidth of the radiator is 128%, with an electrical size of 0.24 λ × 0.24 λ × 0.15 λ in lambda. The antenna is simulated with an FR4 substrate using CST Simulator. 06-stages evolution process is also investigated by simulations, and corresponding S-parameter results are presented. Antenna's design comprises a patch in a rotated square fractal-like frame fed by a microstrip line. The proposed structure also demonstrates stable radiation patterns across the operating bandwidth. The proposed radiator has a high gain of 3.8 dBi, and an efficiency of 85%, which claimed that UWB range of the designed antenna. Therefore, it is useful for 5G-(I) sub-6 GHz band, X-band applications, including mobile, radar, and satellite microwave communication.
Solar Intensity Dispersing (SID) Concept for CubeSat Spectral CLARREO‐Like Radiance Measurements
Authors: Matthews G.
Published: January 2023

NRC Decadal Surveys stated that the most critical goal for orbital climate measurements was improving accuracy. This is so comparisons can be better made with models, tuning theory to match the truth. That gives confidence in model predictions of future global cloud albedo warming signals, estimated to be only 0.8%/decade or less. This work considers goals of a future mission CLARREO, currently in the development phase. CLARREO's Earth viewing optics intend to scan lunar radiance for tracking calibration changes, within both a high wavelength and high spatial resolution spectrometer. The current NASA CLARREO design will attempt absolute calibration from the space station by attenuating known solar flux, using pinholes and time under‐sampling. This study presents a cheaper and potentially more effective alternative, instead using the Sun as a near direct absolute calibration target. It does this spreading sunlight over a large solid angle, before integrating signals taken from a spinning orbiting CubeSat. Additionally, after reviewing actual orbital data comparisons, the realistic accuracy of cross‐orbit satellite to satellite calibration is shown several percent at best, even for a perfect CLARREO device (far short of the desired ±0.3% quoted by NASA). That is compared to the accuracy achievable from an absolute lunar spectral characterization from this CubeSat called “MERBE‐Sat,” acting as a transfer for a climate observation system, perhaps better than ±0.3% error. Although discussed individual components of MERBE‐Sat are mostly of high TRL Level, this work suggests experimentation to raise the net TRL level of the new entire concept.
Synoptic Variability in Satellite Altimeter‐Derived Radar Freeboard of Arctic Sea Ice
Authors: Nab Carmen , Mallett Robbie , Gregory William , Landy Jack , Lawrence Isobel , Willatt Rosemary , Stroeve Julienne , Tsamados Michel
Published: January 2023

Satellite observations of sea ice freeboard are integral to the estimation of sea ice thickness. It is commonly assumed that radar pulses from satellite‐mounted Ku‐band altimeters penetrate through the snow and reflect from the snow‐ice interface. We would therefore expect a negative correlation between snow accumulation and radar freeboard measurements, as increased snow loading weighs the ice floe down. In this study we produce daily resolution radar freeboard products from the CryoSat‐2 and Sentinel‐3 altimeters via a recently developed optimal interpolation scheme. We find statistically significant (p < 0.05) positive correlations between radar freeboard anomalies and modeled snow accumulation. This suggests that, in the period after snowfall, radar pulses are not scattering from the snow‐ice interface as commonly assumed. Our results offer satellite‐based evidence of winter Ku‐band radar scattering above the snow‐ice interface, violating a key assumption in sea ice thickness retrievals.
D Region Electron Density Derived From Sprite Observations
Authors: Stenbaek‐Nielsen H. C. , Liu N. Y. , McHarg M. G. , Harley J.
Published: January 2023

Four upward propagating streamers in two carrot sprites over northwest Texas were recorded at 100,000 frames per second at 07:46:35 UT, 2 June 2019, from the Langmuir Laboratory near Socorro, New Mexico. The streamers reached velocities of 50–80 × 106 m/s with accelerations up to 25 × 1010 m/s/s. The upward motion ended with the top of the streamers near 90 km altitude. At this time, the streamers reached maximum brightness. The streamer head then dissolved and the brightness decayed exponentially with time constants between 0.078 and 0.097 ms. We interpret the dissolution and decay to be the result of interaction with the bottom of the ionosphere. Assuming the decay to be dictated by electric field relaxation, the ambient D region electron density would be 107 to 108 m−3. The analysis suggests that sprite observations can provide multipoint measurements of the D region ionosphere impacted by powerful lightning capable of triggering sprites.
Spectral Wave Dissipation Over a Roughness‐Varying Barrier Reef
Authors: Sous Damien , Martins Kévin , Tissier Marion , Bouchette Frédéric , Meulé Samuel
Published: January 2023

The present paper reports on a field experiment performed over a shallow, roughness‐varying barrier reef at Maupiti island, French Polynesia. The spectral wave energy balance is examined, outside the breaking zone and accounting for non‐linear transfers and mean current, to estimate the wave friction factor. This latter varies from 0.05 to 4, with dependence on the ratio between near‐bed orbital amplitude and roughness height well predicted by an adjusted parameterization from Madsen (1995). The present results are discussed with respect to other field data recovered on coral and rocky grounds.
Quantifying the Effect of Wind on Volcanic Plumes: Implications for Plume Modeling
Authors: Dürig Tobias , Gudmundsson Magnús T. , Dioguardi Fabio , Schmidt Louise Steffensen
Published: January 2023

The considerable effects that wind can have on estimates of mass eruption rates (MERs) in explosive eruptions based on volcanic plume height are well known but difficult to quantify rigorously. Many explicitly wind‐affected plume models have the additional difficulty that they require the use of centerline heights of bent‐over plumes, a parameter not easily obtained directly from observational data. We tested two such models by using the time series of varying plume heights and windspeeds of the 2010 eruption. The mapped fallout and photos taken during this eruption allow us to estimate the plume geometry and to empirically constrain input parameters for the two models tested. Two strategies are presented to correct the difference in maximum plume height and centerline height: (a) based on plume radius, and (b) by using the plume type parameter Π, which quantifies the relative influence of buoyancy and cross‐wind on the plume dynamics, to discriminate weak, intermediate and strong plumes. The results indicate that it may be more appropriate to classify plumes as either wind‐dominated, intermediate or buoyancy‐dominated, where the relative effects of both wind and MER define the type. The analysis of the Eyjafjallajökull data shows that the MER estimates from both models are considerably improved when a plume‐type dependent centerline‐correction is applied. For one model, we varied the wind entrainment coefficient β. For this particular eruption, we find that the best value for β lies between 0.28 and 0.36, unlike previous suggestions that set this parameter to 0.50.
Mars' External Magnetic Field as Seen From the Surface With InSight
Authors: Mittelholz A. , Johnson C. L. , Fillingim M. , Grimm R. E. , Joy S. , Thorne S. N. , Banerdt W. B.
Published: January 2023

The magnetometer of the InSight mission operated on the Martian surface from November 2018 until May 2022. Previously, satellites have provided information on the Martian magnetic field environment from orbit; however, the degree to which external fields penetrate to and interact with the surface could not be studied prior to the InSight landing. Here, we present an overview of the complete surface magnetic field data from InSight sols 14 to 1241 that display different external magnetic field phenomena, transient and periodic. Periodic observations range from short period waves (100–1000s of seconds), diurnal variations, ∼26 sol Carrington rotations, to seasonal fluctuations. Transient events are observed in response to space weather and dust movement. We find that ionospheric variations are the dominant contribution as seen from the surface, while contributions from the undisturbed interplanetary magnetic field are more subtle. We discuss limitations associated with a single point measurement and opportunities that future missions could enable. Including magnetometers on future missions at a variety of locations for long‐duration continuous observations will be of great value in understanding a range of external field phenomena and will enable further investigations in different crustal magnetic field settings.
Response of Shallow Gas‐Charged Holocene Deposits in the Yangtze Delta to Meter‐Scale Erosion Induced by Diminished Sediment Supply: Increasing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Authors: Chen Yufeng , Deng Bing , Zhang Guiling , Zhang Weiguo , Gao Shu
Published: January 2023

River deltas have long been considered important carbon sinks. However, the presence of shallow gas and the processes of delta erosion caused by diminished sediment supplies could reduce the strength of the carbon sink. In this study, based on historical bathymetric data and a data set obtained from a seismic survey, we investigate the response of gas‐charged deposits in the Yangtze subaqueous delta to seabed erosion. A conservative estimate of the total methane reserves of 0.55–4.35 × 1011 mol was obtained in the delineated gassy area of ∼3,800 km2. The seismic and bathymetric data reveal a prominent erosional belt at water depths ranging from 5 to 20 m and extending from the southwestern to northeastern nearshore areas of the Yangtze subaqueous delta. Erosion is severe in the south and slight in the north due to differences in the hydrodynamic conditions, sediment erodibility, and sensitivity to sediment reduction. Seabed erosion reduces the thickness of the cap bed and the overburden pressure at the gas front, making it easier for gas to seep through the sediment column and bypass the anaerobic oxidation of methane. The good agreement between the elevated methane concentrations and the erosional belts and the spatial coincidence between the shallower gas front and pockmarks indicate that seabed erosion accelerates gas seepage activities. In the context of global deltaic degradation, the increasing greenhouse gas emissions from deltaic deposits are worthy of further attention.
Fault‐Driven Differential Exhumation in a Transpressional Tectonic Setting: A Combined Microstructural and Thermochronologic Approach From the Liquiñe‐Ofqui Fault System, Southern Andes (39°S)
Authors: Roquer Tomás , Arancibia Gloria , Seymour Nikki M. , Veloso Eugenio E. , Rowland Julie , Stockli Daniel F. , Jöns Niels , Morata Diego
Published: January 2023

Crustal deformation in transpressive tectonic settings is partitioned across fault‐bounded tectonic blocks whose borders may represent ideal loci for enhanced rock exhumation. Field and petrographic analysis, geothermobarometry, zircon U‐Pb geochronology, and zircon and apatite (U‐Th)/He thermochronology were applied to intrusive and metamorphic rocks to investigate exhumation patterns of fault blocks delimited by the Liquiñe‐Ofqui Fault System (LOFS), Southern Andes (39°S). Our integrated analyses document the relative influences of magmatism, fault‐driven differential exhumation, and fault‐controlled geothermal flow along the LOFS. Magmatism was concentrated in the Early to Late Jurassic (∼182–151 Ma), Early Cretaceous (∼116–104 Ma), and Miocene (∼17–6 Ma). Dextral mylonitic deformation was most likely coeval with the Miocene pulse of magmatism. Tectonic exhumation occurred across a positive flower structure during the Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene (∼6–2 Ma), and affected kilometric‐scale tectonic blocks bound by N‐striking, steeply dipping faults of the LOFS. Fault‐controlled geothermal flow occurred from the Early Pleistocene to the present‐day (∼1.5 Ma‐present). Our results suggest that individual faults not only facilitate exhumation of tectonic blocks but also act as pathways for long‐term hydrothermal fluid flow.
Ribosome biogenesis in disease: new players and therapeutic targets
Authors: Jiao Lijuan , Liu Yuzhe , Yu Xi-Yong , Pan Xiangbin , Zhang Yu , Tu Junchu , Song Yao-Hua , Li Yangxin
Published: January 2023

The ribosome is a multi-unit complex that translates mRNA into protein. Ribosome biogenesis is the process that generates ribosomes and plays an essential role in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, development, and transformation. The mTORC1, Myc, and noncoding RNA signaling pathways are the primary mediators that work jointly with RNA polymerases and ribosome proteins to control ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis. Activation of mTORC1 is required for normal fetal growth and development and tissue regeneration after birth. Myc is implicated in cancer development by enhancing RNA Pol II activity, leading to uncontrolled cancer cell growth. The deregulation of noncoding RNAs such as microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs is involved in developing blood, neurodegenerative diseases, and atherosclerosis. We review the similarities and differences between eukaryotic and bacterial ribosomes and the molecular mechanism of ribosome-targeting antibiotics and bacterial resistance. We also review the most recent findings of ribosome dysfunction in COVID-19 and other conditions and discuss the consequences of ribosome frameshifting, ribosome-stalling, and ribosome-collision. We summarize the role of ribosome biogenesis in the development of various diseases. Furthermore, we review the current clinical trials, prospective vaccines for COVID-19, and therapies targeting ribosome biogenesis in cancer, cardiovascular disease, aging, and neurodegenerative disease.
Inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase impaired tubulin palmitoylation and induced spindle abnormalities
Authors: Fang Chieh-Ting , Kuo Hsiao-Hui , Amartuvshin Oyundari , Hsu Hwei-Jan , Liu Sih-Long , Yao Jhong-Syuan , Yih Ling-Huei
Published: January 2023

Tubulin s-palmitoylation involves the thioesterification of a cysteine residue in tubulin with palmitate. The palmitate moiety is produced by the fatty acid synthesis pathway, which is rate-limited by acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). While it is known that ACC is phosphorylated at serine 79 (pSer79) by AMPK and accumulates at the spindle pole (SP) during mitosis, a functional role for tubulin palmitoylation during mitosis has not been identified. In this study, we found that modulating pSer79-ACC level at the SP using AMPK agonist and inhibitor induced spindle defects. Loss of ACC function induced spindle abnormalities in cell lines and in germ cells of theDrosophilagermarium, and palmitic acid (PA) rescued the spindle defects in the cell line treated transiently with the ACC inhibitor, TOFA. Furthermore, inhibition of protein palmitoylating or depalmitoylating enzymes also induced spindle defects. Together, these data suggested that precisely regulated cellular palmitate level and protein palmitoylation may be required for accurate spindle assembly. We then showed that tubulin was largely palmitoylated in interphase cells but less palmitoylated in mitotic cells. TOFA treatment diminished tubulin palmitoylation at doses that disrupt microtubule (MT) instability and cause spindle defects. Moreover, spindle MTs comprised of α-tubulins mutated at the reported palmitoylation site exhibited disrupted dynamic instability. We also found that TOFA enhanced the MT-targeting drug-induced spindle abnormalities and cytotoxicity. Thus, our study reveals that precise regulation of ACC during mitosis impacts tubulin palmitoylation to delicately control MT dynamic instability and spindle assembly, thereby safeguarding nuclear and cell division.
Providing normative information increases intentions to accept a COVID-19 vaccine
Authors: Moehring Alex , Collis Avinash , Garimella Kiran , Rahimian M. Amin , Aral Sinan , Eckles Dean
Published: January 2023

Despite the availability of multiple safe vaccines, vaccine hesitancy may present a challenge to successful control of the COVID-19 pandemic. As with many human behaviors, people’s vaccine acceptance may be affected by their beliefs about whether others will accept a vaccine (i.e., descriptive norms). However, information about these descriptive norms may have different effects depending on the actual descriptive norm, people’s baseline beliefs, and the relative importance of conformity, social learning, and free-riding. Here, using a pre-registered, randomized experiment (N = 484,239) embedded in an international survey (23 countries), we show that accurate information about descriptive norms can increase intentions to accept a vaccine for COVID-19. We find mixed evidence that information on descriptive norms impacts mask wearing intentions and no statistically significant evidence that it impacts intentions to physically distance. The effects on vaccination intentions are largely consistent across the 23 included countries, but are concentrated among people who were otherwise uncertain about accepting a vaccine. Providing normative information in vaccine communications partially corrects individuals’ underestimation of how many other people will accept a vaccine. These results suggest that presenting people with information about the widespread and growing acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines helps to increase vaccination intentions.
Diagnostic identification of chronic insomnia using ALFF and FC features of resting-state functional MRI and logistic regression approach
Authors: Yang Ning , Yuan Shuyi , Li Chunlong , Xiao Wenqing , Xie Shuangcong , Li Liming , Jiang Guihua , Ma Xiaofen
Published: January 2023

This study investigated whether the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and functional connectivity (FC) features could be used as potentially neurological markers to identify chronic insomnia (CI) using resting-state functional MRI and machine learning method logistic regression (LR). This study included 49 CI patients and 47 healthy controls (HC). Voxel-wise features, including the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and functional connectivity (FC), were extracted from resting-state functional magnetic resonance brain images. Then, we divided the data into two independent cohorts for training (44 CI patients and 42 HC patients), and independent validation (5 CI patients and 5 HC patients) by using logistic regression. The model was evaluated using 20 rounds of fivefold cross‑validation for training. In particular, a two-sample t-test (GRF corrected, p-voxel < 0.001, p-cluster < 0.05) was used for feature selection during the model training. Finally, single‑shot testing of the final model was performed on the independent validation cohort. A correlation analysis (Bonferroni correction, p < 0.05/4) was also conducted to determine whether the features contributing to the prediction were correlated with clinical characteristics, including the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and self-rating depression scale (SDS). Results showed that resting-state features had a discrimination accuracy of 86.40%, with a sensitivity of 93.00% and specificity of 79.80%. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.89 (all $${P}_{\mathrm{permutation}}$$

P
permutation

< 0.001). The ALFF and FC features showed significant differences between the CI patients and HC. The regions contributing to the prediction mainly included the anterior cingulate, prefrontal cortex, orbital part of the frontal lobe, angular gyrus, cingulate gyrus, praecuneus, parietal lobe, temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus. Furthermore, some specific functional connectivity among related regions was positively correlated with the ISI, and also negatively related to the SDS in correlation analysis. Our current study suggested that ALFF and FC in the regions contributing to diagnostic identification might serve as potential neuromarkers for CI.
Data-driven decarbonisation pathways for reducing life cycle GHG emissions from food waste in the hospitality and food service sectors
Authors: Cheng I Kit , Leong Kin K.
Published: January 2023

The Hospitality and Food Service (HaFS) sectors are notoriously known for their contribution to the food waste problem. Hence, there is an urgent need to devise strategies to reduce food waste in the HaFS sectors and to decarbonise their operation to help fight hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and mitigate climate change. This study proposes three streams to decarbonise the staff cafeteria operation in an integrated resort in Macau. These include upstream optimisation to reduce unserved food waste, midstream education to raise awareness amongst staff about the impact of food choices on the climate and health, and finally downstream recognition to reduce edible plate waste using a state-of-the-art computer vision system. Technology can be an effective medium to facilitate desired behavioural change through nudging, much like how speed cameras can cause people to slow down and help save lives. The holistic and data-driven approach taken revealed great potential for organisations or institutions that offer catering services to reduce their food waste and associated carbon footprint whilst educating individuals about the intricate link between food, climate and well-being.
Shortcut to synchronization in classical and quantum systems
Authors: Impens François , Guéry-Odelin David
Published: January 2023

Synchronization is a major concept in nonlinear physics. In a large number of systems, it is observed at long times for a sinusoidal excitation. In this paper, we design a transiently non-sinusoidal driving to reach the synchronization regime more quickly. We exemplify an inverse engineering method to solve this issue on the classical Van der Pol oscillator. This approach cannot be directly transposed to the quantum case as the system is no longer point-like in phase space. We explain how to adapt our method by an iterative procedure to account for the finite-size quantum distribution in phase space. We show that the resulting driving yields a density matrix close to the synchronized one according to the trace distance. Our method provides an example of fast control of a nonlinear quantum system, and raises the question of the quantum speed limit concept in the presence of nonlinearities.
Self-supervised learning for remote sensing scene classification under the few shot scenario
Authors: Alosaimi Najd , Alhichri Haikel , Bazi Yakoub , Ben Youssef Belgacem , Alajlan Naif
Published: January 2023

Scene classification is a crucial research problem in remote sensing (RS) that has attracted many researchers recently. It has many challenges due to multiple issues, such as: the complexity of remote sensing scenes, the classes overlapping (as a scene may contain objects that belong to foreign classes), and the difficulty of gaining sufficient labeled scenes. Deep learning (DL) solutions and in particular convolutional neural networks (CNN) are now state-of-the-art solution in RS scene classification; however, CNN models need huge amounts of annotated data, which can be costly and time-consuming. On the other hand, it is relatively easy to acquire large amounts of unlabeled images. Recently, Self-Supervised Learning (SSL) is proposed as a method that can learn from unlabeled images, potentially reducing the need for labeling. In this work, we propose a deep SSL method, called RS-FewShotSSL, for RS scene classification under the few shot scenario when we only have a few (less than 20) labeled scenes per class. Under this scenario, typical DL solutions that fine-tune CNN models, pre-trained on the ImageNet dataset, fail dramatically. In the SSL paradigm, a DL model is pre-trained from scratch during the pretext task using the large amounts of unlabeled scenes. Then, during the main or the so-called downstream task, the model is fine-tuned on the labeled scenes. Our proposed RS-FewShotSSL solution is composed of an online network and a target network both using the EfficientNet-B3 CNN model as a feature encoder backbone. During the pretext task, RS-FewShotSSL learns discriminative features from the unlabeled images using cross-view contrastive learning. Different views are generated from each image using geometric transformations and passed to the online and target networks. Then, the whole model is optimized by minimizing the cross-view distance between the online and target networks. To address the problem of limited computation resources available to us, our proposed method uses a novel DL architecture that can be trained using both high-resolution and low-resolution images. During the pretext task, RS-FewShotSSL is trained using low-resolution images, thereby, allowing for larger batch sizes which significantly boosts the performance of the proposed pipeline on the task of RS classification. In the downstream task, the target network is discarded, and the online network is fine-tuned using the few labeled shots or scenes. Here, we use smaller batches of both high-resolution and low-resolution images. This architecture allows RS-FewshotSSL to benefit from both large batch sizes and full image sizes, thereby learning from the large amounts of unlabeled data in an effective way. We tested RS-FewShotSSL on three RS public datasets, and it demonstrated a significant improvement compared to other state-of-the-art methods such as: SimCLR, MoCo, BYOL and IDSSL.
Protein KIC5 is a novel regulator of artemisinin stress response in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Simmons Caroline F. , Gibbons Justin , Zhang Min , Oberstaller Jenna , Pires Camilla Valente , Casandra Debora , Wang Chengqi , Seyfang Andreas , Otto Thomas D. , Rayner Julian C. , Adams John H.
Published: January 2023

Artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) have led to a significant decrease in Plasmodium falciparum malaria mortality. This progress is now threatened by emerging artemisinin resistance (ART-R) linked originally in SE Asia to polymorphisms in the Kelch propeller protein (K13) and more recently to several other seemingly unrelated genetic mutations. To better understand the parasite response to ART, we are characterizing a P. falciparum mutant with altered sensitivity to ART that was created via piggyBac transposon mutagenesis. The transposon inserted near the putative transcription start site of a gene defined as a “Plasmodium-conserved gene of unknown function,” now functionally linked to K13 as the Kelch13 Interacting Candidate 5 protein (KIC5). Phenotype analysis of the KIC5 mutant during intraerythrocytic asexual development identified transcriptional changes associated with DNA stress response and altered mitochondrial metabolism, linking dysregulation of the KIC5 gene to the parasite’s ability to respond to ART exposure. Through characterization of the KIC5 transcriptome, we hypothesize that this gene may be essential under ART exposure to manage gene expression of the wild-type stress response at early ring stage, thereby providing a better understanding of the parasite’s processes that can alter ART sensitivity.
Exposure of aquatic organisms to natural radionuclides in irrigation drains, Qena, Egypt
Authors: Din K. Salahel , Ahmed N. K. , Abbady A. , Abdallah F. M.
Published: January 2023

Natural radioactivity in irrigation drains was measured by gamma spectrometry, and the resulting dose rates received by aquatic organisms were estimated. Irrigation water and sediment samples were collected from 5 irrigation drains located in Qena governorate, south of Egypt. The average activity concentrations (Bq L−1) of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40 K in irrigation water were 0.76 ± 0.06, 0.27 ± 0.02, and 8.14 ± 0.71, while in sediment (Bq kg−1) were 24.46 ± 1.84, 20.72 ± 1.45, and 453.00 ± 28.14, respectively. The total dose rate per aquatic organism ranged from 1.94 × 10–04 µGy h−1 in Mollusc to 7.15 × 10–04 µGy h−1 in phytoplankton. These values are far from the international recommended limit 400 µGy h−1 for chronic exposure to aquatic organisms, and the dose rate screening value of 10 µGy h−1 suggested by ERICA tool. Based on these results, it is unlikely that harmful effects will appear on the considered aquatic organisms due to exposure to natural radioactivity in the studied environment.
Genetic variations in patient with Parry–Romberg syndrome
Authors: Yu Bao-Fu , Dong Li-Ping , Dai Chuan-Chang , Wei Jiao
Published: January 2023

Parry–Romberg syndrome is a rare craniofacial disorder which is characterized by progressive facial atrophy. The etiology and pathogenesis of the disease are not known. Herein, we report the genetic variants in patient with this disease. A 25-year-old woman was diagnosed with Parry–Romberg syndrome according to her clinical manifestation, which presented with typical progressive unilateral facial soft tissue atrophy. Using peripheral blood samples, Whole exome sequencing (WES) was conducted on this patient and her parents. Variant loci of the genes were validated by Sanger sequencing in her twin sister who had no Parry–Romberg syndrome. Subsequently, we searched the GeneCards®: the Human Gene Database for variant genes, annotated them and analyzed their functions. The results of WES showed that 2 genes (MTOR, DHX37) were mutated, and the variant loci were MTOR: NM_004958.4: exon31: c.4487A>T: p.Q1496L and DHX37: NM_032656.4: exon17: c.2180C>T: p.T727M, respectively. However, the variant loci were also detected in her twin sister by Sanger sequencing. The Human Gene Database for variant genes shows that the two genes may be associated with craniomaxillofacial developmental abnormalities. Although MTOR and DHX37 genes were tested and found to have mutations in patient with Parry–Romberg syndrome, these variants may not directly determine the clinical phenotype. When studying clinical etiology, other factors, such as the environment, should also be taken into account.