bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fighting for Virtue
Authors: McCargo Duncan
Published: June 2021

This book investigates how Thailand's judges were tasked by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) in 2006 with helping to solve the country's intractable political problems—and what happened next. Across the last decade of Rama IX's rule, the book examines the world of Thai judges: how they were recruited, trained, and promoted, and how they were socialized into a conservative world view that emphasized the proximity between the judiciary and the monarchy. The book delves into three pivotal freedom of expression cases that illuminate Thai legal and cultural understandings of sedition and treason, before examining the ways in which accusations of disloyalty made against controversial former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra came to occupy a central place in the political life of a deeply polarized nation. The book navigates the highly contentious role of the Constitutional Court as a key player in overseeing and regulating Thailand's political order before concluding with reflections on the significance of the Bhumibol era of “judicialization” in Thailand. In the end, under a new king, who appears far less reluctant to assert his own power and authority, the Thai courts may now assume somewhat less significance as a tool of the monarchical network.
Mass Vaccination
Authors: Brazelton Mary Augusta
Published: June 2021

While the eradication of smallpox has long been documented, not many know the Chinese roots of this historic achievement. This book examines the People's Republic of China's public health campaigns of the 1950s to explain just how China managed to inoculate almost six hundred million people against this and other deadly diseases. The book tells the story of the people, materials, and systems that built these campaigns, exposing how, by improving the nation's health, the Chinese Communist Party quickly asserted itself in the daily lives of all citizens. This crusade had deep roots in the Republic of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, when researchers in China's southwest struggled to immunize as many people as possible, both in urban and rural areas. But its legacy was profound, providing a means for the state to develop new forms of control and of engagement. The book considers the implications of vaccination policies for national governance, from rural health care to Cold War-era programs of medical diplomacy. By embedding Chinese medical history within international currents, the book highlights how and why China became an exemplar of primary health care at a crucial moment in global health policy.
Visions of Deliverance
Authors: Green-Mercado Mayte
Published: June 2021

This book traces the circulation of Muslim and crypto-Muslim apocalyptic texts known as joferes through formal and informal networks of merchants, Sufis, and other channels of diffusion among Muslims and Christians across the Mediterranean from Constantinople and Venice to Morisco towns in eastern Spain. The movement of these prophecies from the eastern to the western edges of the Mediterranean illuminates strategies of Morisco cultural and political resistance, reconstructing both productive and oppositional interactions and exchanges between Muslims and Christians in the early modern Mediterranean. Challenging a historiography that has primarily understood Morisco apocalyptic thought as the expression of a defeated group that was conscious of the loss of their culture and identity, this book depicts Moriscos not simply as helpless victims of Christian oppression but as political actors whose use of end-times discourse helped define and construct their society anew. The book helps us understand the implications of confessionalization, forced conversion, and assimilation in the early modern period and the intellectual and theological networks that shaped politics and identity across the Mediterranean in this era.
The Medieval Economy of Salvation
Authors: Davis Adam J.
Published: June 2021

This book shows how the burgeoning commercial economy of western Europe in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, alongside an emerging culture of Christian charity, led to the establishment of hundreds of hospitals and leper houses. Focusing on the county of Champagne, the book looks at the ways in which charitable organizations and individuals saw in these new institutions a means of infusing charitable giving and service with new social significance and heightened expectations of spiritual rewards. Hospitals served as visible symbols of piety and, as a result, were popular objects of benefaction. They also presented lay women and men with new penitential opportunities to personally perform the works of mercy, which many embraced as a way to earn salvation. At the same time, these establishments served a variety of functions beyond caring for the sick and the poor; as benefactors donated lands and money to them, hospitals became increasingly central to local economies, supplying loans, distributing food, and acting as landlords. In tracing the rise of the medieval hospital during a period of intense urbanization and the transition from a gift economy to a commercial one, the book makes clear how embedded this charitable institution was in the wider social, cultural, religious, and economic fabric of medieval life.
Suspect Saints and Holy Heretics
Authors: Peterson Janine Larmon
Published: June 2021

This book investigates regional saints whose holiness was contested. It scrutinizes the papacy's toleration of unofficial saints' cults and its response when their devotees challenged church authority about a cult's merits or the saint's orthodoxy. As the book demonstrates, communities that venerated saints increasingly clashed with popes and inquisitors determined to erode any local claims of religious authority. Local and unsanctioned saints were spiritual and social fixtures in the towns of northern and central Italy in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. In some cases, popes allowed these saints' cults; in others, church officials condemned the saint and/or their followers as heretics. Using a wide range of secular and clerical sources, the book explores who these unofficial saints were, how the phenomenon of disputed sanctity arose, and why communities would be willing to risk punishment by continuing to venerate a local holy man or woman. It argues that the Church increasingly restricted sanctification in the later Middle Ages, which precipitated new debates over who had the authority to recognize sainthood and what evidence should be used to identify holiness and heterodoxy. The case studies presented detail how the political climate of the Italian peninsula allowed Italian communities to use saints' cults as a tool to negotiate religious and political autonomy in opposition to growing papal bureaucratization.
Is Time Out of Joint?
Authors: Assmann Aleida
Published: June 2021

Is, as Hamlet once complained, time out of joint? Have the ways we understand the past and the future—and their relationship to the present—been reordered? The past, it seems, has returned with a vengeance: as aggressive nostalgia, as traumatic memory, or as atavistic origin narratives rooted in nation, race, or tribe. The future, meanwhile, has lost its utopian glamor, with the belief in progress and hope for a better future eroded by fears of ecological collapse. This book argues that the apparently solid moorings of our temporal orientation have collapsed within the span of a generation. To understand this profound cultural crisis, the book reconstructs the rise and fall of what it calls “time regime of modernity” that underpins notions of modernization and progress, a shared understanding that is now under threat. It assesses the deep change in the temporality of modern Western culture as it relates to our historical experience, historical theory, and our life-world of shared experience, explaining what we have both gained and lost during this profound transformation.
Super Bomb
Authors: Young Ken , Chilling Warner R.
Published: June 2021

This book unveils the story of the events leading up to President Harry S. Truman's 1950 decision to develop a “super,” or hydrogen, bomb. That fateful decision and its immediate consequences are detailed in a diverse and complete account built on newly released archives and previously hidden contemporaneous interviews with more than sixty political, military, and scientific figures who were involved in the decision. The book presents the expectations, hopes, and fears of the key individuals who lobbied for and against developing the H-bomb. It portrays the conflicts that arose over the H-bomb as rooted in the distinct interests of the Atomic Energy Commission, the Los Alamos laboratory, the Pentagon and State Department, the Congress, and the White House. But as the book clearly shows, once Truman made his decision in 1950, resistance to the H-bomb opportunistically shifted to new debates about the development of tactical nuclear weapons, continental air defense, and other aspects of nuclear weapons policy. What the book reveals is that in many ways the H-bomb struggle was a proxy battle over the morality and effectiveness of strategic bombardment and the role and doctrine of the U.S. Strategic Air Command.
An Analysis of Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Sand and Silt Deposited Areas of Dhemaji District of Assam
Authors: Sonowal D. , Sarma J. K. , Das P. K. , Barman I. , Deka S. D.
Published: June 2021

The study was undertaken in sand and silt deposited areas of Dhemaji district in Assam, primarily to measure physical and social capitals as livelihood assets, compute Sustainable Rural Livelihood index, study selected personal, socio-economic and psychological attributes of farmer respondents as well as to find out the relationship, if any, between Sustainable Rural Livelihoods and the selected personal, socio-economic and psychological attributes of the respondents. A descriptive research design, following an ex post facto approach was utilized for the study. A multi-stage, purposive cum proportionate random sampling design was adopted for the study in order to select 100 respondents.

With respect to the selected personal, socio-economic and psychological attributes of the respondents, the study revealed that most of the respondents (88%) were young to middle aged and had medium level of formal education (57%). The study revealed that the proportion of farm families belonging to small and medium sized families were almost equal (46% and 43% respectively). Majority (61%) of the respondents was marginal farmers and belonged to the low and medium level of annual income categories (respectively 41% and 46%). On the other hand, a large majority (70%) had low level of annual expenditure pattern, medium level of economic motivation (68%) and risk bearing ability (70%).

The computed Sustainable Rural Livelihood Index score (49.89%) was found to be on the lower side, indicating its relatively low strength based on physical and social capital indices. Correlation analysis of the independent variables of the study with Sustainable Rural Livelihoods revealed that five independent variables, viz., age, education, size of land holding, expenditure pattern and risk bearing ability were positively and significantly correlated with Sustainable Rural Livelihoods.

The study reveals that a productive human capital falling largely in the young to middle age category holds promise for socio-economic development in similar situations. However, illiteracy, coupled with lower formal education would mean that skill development ought to be the focal area for capacity building in the agricultural sector.  . Strategic agricultural technology interventions suited for sand and silt affected areas have to planned keeping in mind seasonal uncertainties and low cost technologies.
Prediction Model suitable for Long-term High Turbidity Events in a Reservoir
Authors: Hong Junyoung , Jeong Seokil , Kim Byunghyun
Published: June 2021

The turbidity events caused by Typhoon “Kong-rey” in 2018 were selected as the measured turbidity data required to build the CE-QUAL-W2 model. The turbidity, water temperature, climate data, and discharge measured in the main dam were used as input data for numerical simulations. To ensure the reliability of the parameters, the turbidity events caused by Typhoon “Mitak” in 2019 were additionally selected, and optimal parameters for water temperature and other parameters were selected using case by case simulation. The analysis showed that the error rate and reliability were relatively good as the turnover phase approached through the turbidity rise and fall periods. The results of the verification of the maximum and average turbidity were better than those of the verification of the period-specific simulation. Thus, the models constructed in this study were determined to be suitable for the flood season.
Analysis of Issues Based on Disaster Type Using Text Mining and a Semantic Network
Authors: Kim Tae Jin , Eum Mi Ryeong , Park Sang Hyun
Published: June 2021

Recently, the government has been increasingly communicating with the public in response to their opinions on state administration and policy projects. To examine the practicality of the public’s suggestions, this study investigated issues by disaster type, based on information from major media channels and comment data from the news. An analysis of the frequency of appearance, text mining (TF-IDF, LDA, and sentiment analysis), and the semantic network was performed by extracting the comment data of articles on the themes of “disaster” and “evacuation,” published from January 2010 to May 2020. The analysis results showed that news articles centered on these themes increased rapidly from 2017. The main disasters in Korea were those of “fire,” “typhoon,” “forest fire,” “radioactivity,” and “earthquake,” in order of enormity. Of the total negative words pertaining to “radioactivity” disasters, 43% were negative-sentiment words, and the semantic network analysis revealed that the terms “typhoon,” “forest fire,” and “earthquake” were connected to “radioactivity” disasters. This study is meaningful as it identifies issues by type of disaster and factors of anxiety expressed by the public using news and comment data, without conducting surveys and interviews.
A Study on Building the Geospatial Data of the Firefighting Area by Applying the 3D Scanning Technology
Authors: Lim Seongbin , So Yoonbeom , Min Sehong
Published: June 2021

The acceleration of the economic growth encourages the construction of high-rise and deep-underground buildings, which increase the possibility of the severe loss of life and property in the country in the event of an unexpected large-scale disaster, such as extreme weather. Therefore, recognizing the prior information of the fire scene in event of a fire disaster becomes an important issue for the prompt response; however, the current fire response system has a difficulty in the initial response because proactive collection of the indoor geospatial information on the building is limited in the event of a disaster. As a result, to present the plan for constructing the 3D geospatial data required for the initial response in a fire disaster scene, this study presented the construction case through 3D site scanning and data post-processing using a sample building. This study was conducted to ensure national safety in complex and large indoor spaces with substantial geospatial information of construction in the firefighting area by proposing both the linkage with the intelligent fire forecasting platform and the plan on introducing untact firefighting training as the plan of using the 3D geospatial data.
Non‐Foster Impedance Matching
Authors: Shih Ting‐Yen , Behdad Nader
Published: June 2021

Non‐Foster impedance‐matching circuits generate negative reactance‐to‐frequency slopes and allow for bypassing the gain‐bandwidth limitations of passive circuits, antennas, and metamaterials. Non‐Foster circuits can be implemented by many different active circuit topologies such as Linvill's negative impedance converters (NICs), Myers' NICs, Yanagisawa's NICs, and Hakim's NICs. The major applications of non‐Foster circuits include power amplifiers and electrically small antennas, where they are employed to provide wide impedance bandwidth. The key parameters to be considered in non‐Foster circuit design include stability, transmission efficiency, power efficiency, linearity, and noise. This article provides an overview of non‐Foster circuits and a design example with simulation and measurement results that validate the design concepts.
Growth of Various Phases of Gallium Oxide
Authors: Bae Si‐Young
Published: June 2021

In this article, we review the growth of various phases of gallium oxides (Ga2O3). There are five polymorphs of Ga2O3, α, β, γ, δ, and ϵ (or κ), of which β‐gallia is the most thermodynamically stable one. In the past decade, remarkable advancements in producing β‐Ga2O3bulk substrates have been made. At present, 4‐inch β‐Ga2O3substrates are commercially available. The other phases of Ga2O3are less thermally stable; however, the material properties of different crystal structures suggest their potential for a broad range of applications. In order to better understand the characteristics of various phases of Ga2O3, growth methods for bulk and epitaxial thin films of Ga2O3and structural properties are reviewed herein.
Multilayer Integration for Organic Thin‐Film Transistors
Authors: Guo Xiaojun , Huang Yukun , Ouyang Bang , Han Lei , Hou Xiao , Tang Wei
Published: June 2021

The organic thin‐film transistor (OTFT) owns advantages of low processing temperature and excellent mechanical flexibility for creating truly flexible or stretchable electronics on arbitrate substrates. Beyond extensive research efforts in organic semiconductor (OSC) materials, stacking of the OSC and other layers for high performance OTFTs and circuit integration in a manufacturable way becomes vital. In this article, the advantages of OTFTs over inorganic counterparts are discussed in details. Then the suitable devices structures and multi‐layer material stacks for integration are introduced. The key processes for OSC deposition, device multi‐layer stacking, and especially OSC patterning are described. Finally, the circuit integration techniques, including not only the process for formation of via interconnection but also the circuit styles and integration architectures, are reviewed.
Quantum‐Dot Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Wu Zhenghui , Sun Xiao Wei
Published: June 2021

The article first introduces the application prospects of quantum‐dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs) in display market by showing some prototype products. Then, it presents the fundamentals and background of colloidal quantum dots (CQDs), the key materials in QLEDs. The concept of quantum confinement effect is introduced. Based on the understanding of quantum confinement effects, the article further explains the band structures of CQDs and their size‐dependent luminescent properties. The history of developing high‐quality CQDs and the core/shell structures of CQDs are also summarized. Then the fundamentals of QLEDs including the device structures and working mechanisms are introduced. The evolution of the device architectures of QLEDs is presented. The explanations on the working mechanisms and device physics are especially focused on how the charge transport layers affect the physical processes, such as charge injection, exciton quenching, and injection balance in QLEDs. The main loss mechanisms in QLEDs understood by the scientific community so far are elaborated, which include Auger recombination, Förster resonance energy transfer, and field‐induced quenching. Finally, the article is concluded with the summary of most urgent challenges in commercialization of QLED‐based display. Some other promising applications based on QLEDs are also mentioned.
Urea Melt Marbles Developed by Enwrapping Urea Melt Droplets with Superhydrophobic Particles: Preparation, Properties, and Application in Large Urea Granule Production
Authors: Deng Xiaoqian , Huang Chunni , Liu Shuyuan , Yang Chao , Wu Pan , He Jian , Jiang Wei
Published: June 2021

Urea melt droplets (UMDs) spontaneously spheronize and form large urea granules after condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces without dust generation. However, they break and coalesce when colliding with each other; moreover, they adhere to the surface and form tails when rolling. These problems limit the practicality of the process using UMDs for large urea granulation directly. Urea melt marbles (UMMs) are introduced to overcome these drawbacks by enwrapping UMDs with superhydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) powder, thus enhancing the elasticity and maintaining the sphericity. A premixing–melting process is developed to obtain UMMs and lower the PTFE powder consumption to half of that required in the traditional liquid marble preparation. The best determined elasticity modulus of UMMs reaches 44.9 ± 3.6 Pa, and the sphericity is 0.9992. No adhering or tailing occurs during rolling granulation. Large urea granules obtained through UMMs meet all requirements for the commercial urea products and exhibit additional advantages of protection against moisture and slow release of fertilizer.
Low‐Density Lipoprotein Receptor‐Related Protein 6 Cell Surface Availability Regulates Fuel Metabolism in Astrocytes
Authors: Chow Hei‐Man , Sun Jacquelyne Ka‐Li , Hart Ronald P. , Cheng Kenneth King‐Yip , Hung Clara H. L. , Lau Tsun‐Ming , Kwan Kin‐Ming
Published: June 2021

Early changes in astrocyte energy metabolism are associated with late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. A previous study suggested an association between a synonymous SNP (rs1012672, C→T) in LRP6 gene and LOAD; and that is indeed correlated with diminished LRP6 gene expression in the frontal cortex region. The authors show that LRP6 is a unique Wnt coreceptor on astrocytes, serving as a bimodal switch that modulates their metabolic landscapes. The Wnt‐LRP6 mediated mTOR‐AKT axis is essential for sustaining glucose metabolism. In its absence, Wnt switches to activate the LRP6‐independent Ca2+‐PKC‐NFAT axis, resulting in a transcription network that favors glutamine and branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) catabolism over glucose metabolism. Exhaustion of these raw materials essential for neurotransmitter biosynthesis and recycling results in compromised synaptic, cognitive, and memory functions; priming for early changes that are frequently found in LOAD. The authors also highlight that intranasal supplementation of glutamine and BCAAs is effective in preserving neuronal integrity and brain functions, proposing a nutrient‐based method for delaying cognitive and memory decline when LRP6 cell surface levels and functions are suboptimal.
Opportunities and constraints in women's resource security amid climate change: A case study of arid‐living Namibian agro‐pastoralists
Authors: Hazel Ashley , Meeks Gillian , Bharti Nita , Jakurama John , Matundu Justy , Jones James Holland
Published: June 2021

Objective

We describe the composition and variation of women's resource strategies in an arid‐living Southern African agro‐pastoralist society to gain insights into adaptation to climate‐change‐induced increased aridity.

Methods

Using cross‐sectional data from 210 women collected in 2009 across 28 agro‐pastoralist villages in Kaokoveld Namibia, we conducted principal‐component (PC) analysis of resource variables and constructed profiles of resource strategies from the major PCs. Next, we explored associations between key resource strategies and demographic measures and fitness proxies.

Results

The first two PCs accounted for 43% of women's overall resource variation. PC1 reflects women's ability to access market resources via livestock trading, while PC2 captured women's direct food access. We found that market strategies were more common among married women and less common among women who have experienced child mortality. Women with higher subsistence security were more likely to be from the OvaHimba tribe and had a higher risk of gonorrhea exposure. We also qualitatively explored drought‐induced pressure on women's livestock. Finally, we show that sexual networks were attenuated during drought, indicating strain on social support.

Conclusions

Our results highlight how agro‐pastoralist women manage critical resources in unpredictable environments, and how resource strategies distribute among the women in our study. Goats as a commodity to obtain critical resources suggests that some women have flexibility during drought when gardens fail and cattle die. However, increased aridity and drought may eventually overwhelm husbandry practices in this region.
Untersuchungen zum Verständnis und zur Kontrolle der Stereoselektivität der Humulen‐Synthase
Authors: Schotte Carsten , Lukat Peer , Deuschmann Adrian , Blankenfeldt Wulf , Cox Russell J.
Published: June 2021

Die nicht‐kanonische Terpencyclase AsR6 ist für die Bildung von 2E,6E,9E‐Humulen während der Biosynthese des Tropolonsesquiterpenoids (TS) Xenovulene A verantwortlich. Die ligandfreie Kristallstruktur von AsR6 und die Struktur im Komplex mit Thiolodiphosphat und dem cyclisierten Reaktionsprodukt offenbaren ein neues Farnesyldiphosphat‐Bindungsmotiv. Dieses besteht aus einem binuklearen Mg2+‐Cluster und der essenziellen Aminosäure K289 und es ist in allen an der TS‐Bildung beteiligten Humulen‐Synthasen konserviert. Struktur‐geleitete ortsgerichtete Mutagenese von AsR6 und dem homologen Enzym EupR3 identifiziert eine einzelne Aminosäure, L285/M261, die die Produktion von entweder 2E,6E,9E‐ oder 2Z,6E,9E‐Humulen bestimmt. Ein möglicher Mechanismus für die beobachtete Stereoselektivität wurde mit verschiedenen Isoprenoiden untersucht und die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass M261 die Kontrolle über die Produktbildung hat.
Remarkable Size Effect on Photophysical and Nonlinear Optical Properties of All‐Carboatomic Rings, Cyclo[18]carbon and Its Analogues
Authors: Liu Zeyu , Lu Tian , Yuan Aihua , Wang Xia , Chen Qinxue , Yan Xiufen
Published: June 2021

Inspired by recent experimental observation of molecular morphology and theoretical predictions of multiple properties of cyclo[18]carbon, we systematically studied the photophysical and nonlinear optical properties of cyclo[2N]carbons (N=3–15) allotropes through density functional theory. This work unveils the unusual optical properties of the sp‐hybridized carbon rings with different sizes. The remarkable size dependence of the optical properties of these systems and their underlying nature are profoundly explored, and the relevance between aromaticity and optical properties are highlighted. The extrapolation curves fitted for energy level of frontier molecular orbitals, maximum absorption wavelength, and (hyper)polarizability of considered carbon rings are presented, which can be used to reliably predict corresponding properties for arbitrarily large carbon rings. The findings in this study will facilitate the exploration of potential application of cyclocarbons in the field of optical materials.
Comparative Performance of Ten Electrodes in Electro‐Fenton Process for Removal of Organic Pollutants from Water
Authors: Oturan Nihal , Bo Jiang , Trellu Clément , Oturan Mehmet A.
Published: June 2021

Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs), based on the in situ generation of the powerful oxidant, hydroxyl radical (.OH), have been developed for effective destruction of recalcitrant organic pollutants. Electrode materials used both as anode and cathode constitute one of the key parameters affecting the process efficiency. The electro‐Fenton (EF) process is one of the most powerful EAOPs in water/wastewater treatment. Inversely to other EAOPs, in the EF process, .OH can be generated both in the bulk solution (from reagents formed at the cathode) and on anode surface. Therefore, the role of anode/cathode couple is of great importance for this process. This study focuses on the comparative performance of ten electrodes (5 anodes, 5 cathodes) through more than fifty combinations during removal of the antibiotic p‐aminosalicylic acid (p‐ASA), taken as target pollutant. The following parameters were chosen for performance assessment: oxidative degradation kinetics, the time needed for complete destruction of p‐ASA, mineralization rate, mineralization current efficiency and energy consumption. The results obtained highlight the following sequence for the performance of anodes: BDD > PbO2 > Ti4O7 > Pt≈DSA, and that of cathodes: carbon sponge ≥ carbon felt > graphite > stainless steel≈titanium.
Advancing the Anode Compartment for Energy Efficient CO2 Reduction at Neutral pH
Authors: Peugeot Adèle , Creissen Charles E. , Schreiber Moritz W. , Fontecave Marc
Published: June 2021

Energy efficient CO2 reduction in neutral pH requires the development of electrochemical devices operating with minimal energy input. To reach this objective, we propose an original approach focused on the anode compartment where the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) takes place. Different anode catalysts, anolytes and membranes were tested, and the components resulting in the most energy efficient and stable CO2 reduction reaction device were selected. A stainless‐steel‐based anode with significant OER activity and stability in a wide pH range was used to compare symmetric (neutral catholyte and anolyte) and asymmetric (neutral catholyte and alkaline anolyte) configurations. The gain in energy efficiency for carbon products of 6–8 % in the asymmetric configuration highlighted the advantages of a pH gradient. Although a Nafion membrane gave the highest energy efficiencies, the pH was unstable. Therefore, bipolar membranes that can maintain a pH gradient emerge as the best option for long‐term electrolysis. This work paves the way for the development of highly energy efficient CO2‐reduction devices with cathodes operating in low pH conditions.
Pervasive inflammatory activation in patients with deficiency in very‐long‐chain acyl‐coA dehydrogenase (VLCADD)
Authors: Vallejo Abbe N , Mroczkowski Henry J , Michel Joshua J , Woolford Michael , Blair Harry C , Griffin Patricia , McCracken Elizabeth , Mihalik Stephanie J , Reyes‐Mugica Miguel , Vockley Jerry
Published: June 2021

Objectives

Very‐long‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCADD) is a disorder of fatty acid oxidation. Symptoms are managed by dietary supplementation with medium‐chain fatty acids that bypass the metabolic block. However, patients remain vulnerable to hospitalisations because of rhabdomyolysis, suggesting pathologic processes other than energy deficit. Since rhabdomyolysis is a self‐destructive process that can signal inflammatory/immune cascades, we tested the hypothesis that inflammation is a physiologic dimension of VLCADD.

Methods

All subjects (n = 18) underwent informed consent/assent. Plasma cytokine and cytometry analyses were performed. A prospective case analysis was carried out on a patient with recurrent hospitalisation. Health data were extracted from patient medical records.

Results

Patients showed systemic upregulation of nine inflammatory mediators during symptomatic and asymptomatic periods. There was also overall abundance of immune cells with high intracellular expression of IFNγ, IL‐6, MIP‐1β (CCL4) and TNFα, and the transcription factors p65‐NFκB and STAT1 linked to inflammatory pathways. A case analysis of a patient exhibited already elevated plasma cytokine levels during diagnosis in early infancy, evolving into sustained high systemic levels during recurrent rhabdomyolysis‐related hospitalisations. There were corresponding activated leukocytes, with higher intracellular stores of inflammatory molecules in monocytes compared to T cells. Exposure of monocytes to long‐chain free fatty acids recapitulated the cytokine signature of patients.

Conclusion

Pervasive plasma cytokine upregulation and pre‐activated immune cells indicate chronic inflammatory state in VLCADD. Thus, there is rationale for practical implementation of clinical assessment of inflammation and/or translational testing, or adoption, of anti‐inflammatory intervention(s) for personalised disease management.
Broadening the ecological mindset
Authors: Ellison Aaron M. , Barker Plotkin Audrey A. , Patel Manisha V. , Record Sydne
Published: June 2021

Over the past three decades, the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology (HF‐SRPE) has been at the forefront of expanding the ecological tent for minoritized or otherwise marginalized students. By broadening the definition of ecology to include fields such as data science, software engineering, and remote sensing, we attract a broader range of students, including those who may not prioritize field experiences or who may feel unsafe working in rural or urban field sites. We also work towards a more resilient society in which minoritized or marginalized students can work safely, in part by building teams of students and mentors. Teams collaborate on projects that require a diversity of approaches and create opportunities for students and mentors alike to support one another and share leadership. Finally, HF‐SRPE promotes an expanded view of what it means to become an ecologist. We value and support diverse career paths for ecologists to work in all parts of society, to diversify the face of ecology, and to bring different perspectives together to ensure innovations in environmental problem solving for our planet.
Underrepresented youth experience barriers prior to field experiences
Authors: Bonfield Susan , Dorta Dalia , Vargas‐Barriga Jorge
Published: June 2021

Environment for the Americas has developed a model internship program that helps to recruit diverse youth for internship positions on federal lands and with non‐governmental organizations. To improve the program, we have conducted almost a decade of surveys to examine the barriers diverse youth may face when applying for these positions and working at sites where staff, visitors, and other interns may be predominantly White. Our model has been very successful in addressing barriers, including those presented by Bowser and Cid within this Forum. Survey responses show that issues of connection, confidence, comfort, and capability can be addressed through considerations of culture, staff awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion, training, communication, and mentorship.
Southern introgression increases adaptive immune gene variability in northern range margin populations of Fire‐bellied toad
Authors: De Cahsan Binia , Kiemel Katrin , Westbury Michael V. , Lauritsen Maike , Autenrieth Marijke , Gollmann Günter , Schweiger Silke , Stenberg Marika , Nyström Per , Drews Hauke , Tiedemann Ralph
Published: June 2021

Northern range margin populations of the European fire‐bellied toad (Bombina bombina) have rapidly declined during recent decades. Extensive agricultural land use has fragmented the landscape, leading to habitat disruption and loss, as well as eutrophication of ponds. In Northern Germany (Schleswig‐Holstein) and Southern Sweden (Skåne), this population decline resulted in decreased gene flow from surrounding populations, low genetic diversity, and a putative reduction in adaptive potential, leaving populations vulnerable to future environmental and climatic changes. Previous studies using mitochondrial control region and nuclear transcriptome‐wide SNP data detected introgressive hybridization in multiple northern B. bombina populations after unreported release of toads from Austria. Here, we determine the impact of this introgression by comparing the body conditions (proxy for fitness) of introgressed and nonintrogressed populations and the genetic consequences in two candidate genes for putative local adaptation (the MHC II gene as part of the adaptive immune system and the stress response gene HSP70 kDa). We detected regional differences in body condition and observed significantly elevated levels of within individual MHC allele counts in introgressed Swedish populations, associated with a tendency toward higher body weight, relative to regional nonintrogressed populations. These differences were not observed among introgressed and nonintrogressed German populations. Genetic diversity in both MHC and HSP was generally lower in northern than Austrian populations. Our study sheds light on the potential benefits of translocations of more distantly related conspecifics as a means to increase adaptive genetic variability and fitness of genetically depauperate range margin populations without distortion of local adaptation.
Non‐stationary frequency analysis of extreme streamflow disturbance in a typical ecological function reserve of China under a changing climate
Authors: Liu Mengyang , Ma Xieyao , Yin Yixing , Zhang Zengxin , Yin Jun , Ullah Irfan , Arshad Muhammad
Published: June 2021

Extreme hydro‐meteorological events occur more frequently with global warming, which have a great impact on ecology, environment and hydrology. Hydro‐meteorological variables often exhibit disturbances of non‐stationary characteristics. In this paper, we take a typical ecological function reserve (Poyang Lake Basin) as an instance to study the trend and probability characters of extreme streamflow based on stationary and non‐stationary generalized extreme value (GEV) models. Time and large‐scale climate factors such as Southern Oscillation (SO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Arctic Oscillation (AO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), NINO3 SST (NINO3) and NINO3.4 SST (NINO3.4) are incorporated as covariates to establish non‐stationary model. The main results are as follows: (1) Downward trends prevail for maximum streamflow series, but upward trends dominate for minimum streamflow series. (2) The tested optimal models of some maximum streamflow series are non‐stationary, while the optimal models of all minimum streamflow series are non‐stationary. In the 1970s and before (1980s and thereafter), the return periods of optimal model are greater (less) than those of stationary model for most minimum series, and the risks of river flooding and drying up without calculating by optimal model are underestimated (overestimated). (3) The estimated quantiles tend to be larger during La Niña than during El Niño in this study area. Other climate indices also have obvious effects on the estimated quantiles. This study indicates that the influence of climate factors on the extreme streamflow should be paid more attention and non‐stationary modelling will benefit ecological management under climate change.
Application of lidar for critical endangered bird species conservation on the island of Kauai, Hawaii
Authors: Fricker Geoffrey A. , Crampton Lisa H. , Gallerani Erica M. , Hite Justin M. , Inman Richard , Gillespie Thomas W.
Published: June 2021

The Akikiki (Oreomystis bairdi) and Akekee (Loxops caeruleirostris) are two honeycreepers endemic to Kauai, Hawaii, that were listed as federally endangered in 2010. Both species are rare, little‐studied, and occur in a remote, roadless area. We analyzed high‐resolution airborne lidar data to identify forest structure and topography metrics associated with Akikiki and Akekee nest locations (88 for Akikiki and 22 for Akekee) and occurrences (3706 for Akikiki and 1581 for Akekee) from 2012 to 2017 on the Alakai Plateau to predict their distribution in unsurveyed areas. Akikiki and Akekee nested in areas with similar forest structure at 10 m resolution, but different maximum tree heights. Akikiki and Akekee foraged in areas with significantly different forest structure (maximum tree height, mean canopy height, relative heights) and topography (slope) based on occurrences. Elevation was consistently one of the most important metrics for predicting both species nest locations and occurrences across scales (10, 100, 250 m) and it appears that both species are at the upper limits of their elevational range. We estimate that the area of suitable nesting habitat for Akikiki is 17.59 km2while the area of suitable nesting habitat for Akekee is 11.10 km2at 10 m resolution. The Akikiki has a potential range of 38 km2while the Akekee has a range of 58 km2at 100 m resolution. We produce predictive nest and occurrence maps at 10 m and 100 m resolutions to spatially target conservation actions. Results suggest that if avian malaria cannot be controlled and both species populations do not stabilize over the coming years, translocation may be needed to insure their viability.
Using bromide data tracer and HYDRUS‐1D to estimate groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration under film‐mulched drip irrigation in an arid Inland Basin, Northwest China
Authors: Chen Wenling , Wang Jianjun , Liu Yanfeng , Jin Menggui , Liang Xing , Wang Zaimin , Ferré Ty P. A.
Published: June 2021

Accurate estimation of groundwater recharge (GR) and evapotranspiration (ET) are essential for sustainable management of groundwater resources, especially in arid and semi‐arid regions. In the Manas River Basin (MRB), water shortage is the main factor restricting sustainable development of irrigated agriculture, which relies heavily on groundwater. Film‐mulched drip irrigation significantly changes the pattern and dominant processes of water flow in the unsaturated zone, which increases the difficulty of GR and ET estimation. To better estimate GR and ET under film‐mulched drip irrigation in the MRB, bromide tracer tests and soil lithologic investigation were conducted at 12 representative sites. A one‐dimensional variably saturated flow model (HYDRUS‐1D) was calibrated at each site using soil evaporation data inferred from the bromide tracer tests. The results showed that average annual soil evaporation in uncultivated lands calculated from bromide trace tests was 25.55 mm. The annual GR ranged from 5.5 to 37.0 mm under film‐mulched drip irrigation. The annual ET ranged from 507.0 to 747.1 mm, with soil evaporation between 35.7 and 117.0 mm and transpiration between 460.9 and 642.3 mm. Soil evaporation represented 7% to 16% of the total ET and more than 70% of precipitation and irrigation water was used by cotton plants. Spatial variations of soil lithology, water table depth and initial soil water content led to the spatial differences of GR and ET in the MRB. Our study indicated that bromide tracer tests are useful for inferring ET in the arid and semi‐arid oases. The combination of bromide tracer tests and HYDRUS‐1D enhances reliability for estimation of GR and ET under film‐mulched drip irrigation in the MRB and shows promise for other similar arid inland basins around the world.
Pooled testing for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in an automated high‐throughput platform
Authors: Dash Girish Chandra , Rout Usha Kiran , Nanda Rashmi Ranjan , Parai Debaprasad , Choudhary Hari Ram , Kanungo Srikanta , Palo Subrata Kumar , Kshatri Jaya Singh , Turuk Jyotirmayee , Mishra Bijaya Kumar , Pati Sanghamitra , Bhattacharya Debdutta
Published: June 2021

Background

Active detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection through testing is elementary for the control of COVID‐19 pandemic. The implementation of large‐scale RT‐PCR testing has led to a rise in the demand for testing kits whose availability is always a concern.

Objective

To find out the feasibility of pooled testing in a high‐throughput platform.

Methodology

Pooled testing was conducted in Roche cobas 6800 in 2 methods. Firstly, the simple two‐stage testing algorithm was conducted for 1410 samples individually and then as pooled samples. Secondly, we evaluated the sensitivity of cobas 6800 for the detection of a single positive sample within a pool of negative samples.

Results

Implementing the five‐sample Dorfman pooling to test 1410 samples, we identified 42 (2.9%) individual SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive samples and 27 (9.5%) positive pool samples. The pooling strategy precisely identified all the positive samples. All individually negative samples were also accurately determined by pooling. There was 100% sensitivity of detecting positive samples in a pool of negative samples even up to 1:64 dilution. There was a threefold increase in total throughput in one‐third of the cost per day.

Conclusion

A high‐throughput platform such as Cobas 6800 can effectively increase the testing capacity by twofold to threefold by adopting the pooled testing strategy for successful management of SARS‐CoV‐2 and helping in the containment of community transmission.
Thrombospondin‐1 mediates Rho‐kinase inhibitor‐induced increase in outflow‐facility
Authors: Shan Sze‐Wan , Do Chi‐Wai , Lam Thomas Chuen , Li Hoi‐Lam , Stamer W. Daniel , To Chi‐Ho
Published: June 2021

Rho‐kinase (ROCK) inhibitors, a novel class of anti‐glaucoma agents, act by increasing the aqueous humor outflow through the conventional trabecular meshwork pathway. However, the downstream signaling consequences of the ROCK inhibitor are not completely understood. Our data show that Y39983, a selective ROCK inhibitor, could induce filamentous actin remodeling, reduced cell motility (as measured by cell migration), and transepithelial resistance in primary human TM (hTM) cells. After 2 days Y39983 treatment of hTM cells, a proteomic study identified 20 proteins whose expression was significantly altered. Pathway analysis of those proteins revealed the involvement of the p53 pathway, integrin signaling pathway, and cytoskeletal pathway regulation by Rho GTPase. Thrombospondin‐1 (TSP1), a matricellular protein that is increased in glaucoma patients, was downregulated fivefold following Y39983 treatment. More importantly, both TSP1 antagonist leucine–serine–lysine–leucine (LSKL) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced TSP1 gene and protein expressions as well as hTM cell migration. In the presence of Y39983, no further inhibition of cell migration resulted after LSKL and TSP1 siRNA knockdown. Likewise, LSKL triggered a dose‐dependent increase in outflow facility in ex vivo mouse eyes, to a similar extent as Y39983 (83.8% increase by Y39983 vs. 71.2% increase by LSKL at 50 µM). There were no additive effects with simultaneous treatment with LSKL and Y39983, supporting the notion that the effects of ROCK inhibition were mediated by TSP1.
Synthesis of non‐toxic anticancer active forskolin‐indole‐triazole conjugates along with their in silico succinate dehydrogenase inhibition studies
Authors: Ponnam Devendar , Arigari Niranjana Kumar , Kalvagunta Venkata Naga Satya Srinivas , Jonnala Kotesh Kumar , Singh Shilpi , Meena Abha , Misra Pallavi , Luqman Suaib
Published: June 2021

Biologically important three different pharmacophores, forskolin, indole and 1,2,3‐triazoles are coupled to obtain a hybrid molecule. Here, we described the synthesis of novel series of forskolin‐indole‐triazole conjugates 5a‐5l by using the Cu(I) catalyzed 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction. Furthermore, the biological significance of the synthesized molecules was assessed by in silico and in vitro modes. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for in vitro anticancer activity against PC‐3, MCF‐7, MDA‐MB‐231, COLO‐205, HeLa, WRL‐68, RAJI, CHANG and RAW‐264.7 cell lines. Compound 5g was found to be the most potent in all the tested cell lines (IC50 range 9.6–21.66 μg/ml, except COLO‐205), 5a, 5b and 5k were observed to exert its effect only against WRL‐68 (IC50 range 27.69–48.18 μg/ml), when compared to parent 3 (IC50 > 100 μg/ml, tested concentrations 10–50 μg/ml) and standard Doxorubicin (IC50 range 0.42–3.16 μg/ml). The most potent compound 5g (MEF50 0.57) was found non‐toxic to human erythrocytes as compared to control (MEF50 0.60) at tested concentration (50 μg/ml). In silico‐based succinate dehydrogenase inhibition showed that the synthesized compounds were having potent binding affinity compared to forskolin. Predictive ADMET and toxicity risk assessment analysis revealed that most of the compounds were complying with the standard limit of Lipinski's rule of five for oral bioavailability.