bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetically Proxied Phosphodiesterase Type 5 (PDE5) Inhibition and Risk of Dementia: A Drug Target Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Brennan Stephen O. , Tinworth Alexander C.
Published: February 2025

Phosphodiesterase−5 (PDE5) inhibitors have gained interest as a potential treatment for dementia. However, current evidence is limited to observational and pre-clinical studies. We conducted a drug-target Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the on-target effects of pharmacological PDE5 inhibition on dementia subtypes and related phenotypes. We selected variants from around the PDE5A locus associated with diastolic and systolic blood pressure, as well as circulating PDE5A levels, to create three instruments for genetically proxied PDE5A inhibition. Using two-sample MR, we validated the instruments against erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension before assessing their associations with dementia subtypes, dementia-related proteins, and neuroimaging traits. After correcting for multiple comparisons, genetically proxied PDE5 inhibition, per one SD lower in diastolic blood pressure, was associated with higher odds of Alzheimer’s disease (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.07–1.11) and Lewy body dementia (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23–1.41), but a trend towards lower odds of vascular dementia across all instruments. Genetically proxied PDE5 inhibition was associated with both beneficial and adverse effects on brain MRI traits. This included lower volumes of white matter hyperintensities (SD change − 0.035, 95% CI − 0.025, − 0.045), indicating potential benefits, but also reduced volumes of other structures, including the thalamus, suggesting potential adverse effects. PDE5 inhibition was associated with the concentrations of several proteins implicated in dementia pathophysiology. Our findings suggest that while PDE5 inhibition may be associated with a lower risk of vascular dementia, possibly by preventing white matter hyperintensities, it may increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, warranting further investigation before clinical trials.
Left atrial size and echocardiographic diastolic parameters as predictors of incident atrial fibrillation in older hospitalized patients
Authors: Yin Yan , Li Yanguang , Wang Lili , Li Qiaoyuan , Liu Xu , Hu Zhipeng , Zhang Jiawei , Zhang Tao , Liang Zhuo , Chen ShaoMin , Wang Yunlong
Published: February 2025

Background

The associations between left atrial (LA) size, echocardiographic diastolic parameter (E/A ratio), and incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in older inpatients remain underexplored.

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between LA size, E/A ratio, and AF risk in older hospitalized patients.

Methods

Between January 2015 and May 2023, a total of 2,615 older inpatients (aged ≥ 65 years) were enrolled in this retrospective longitudinal study. Left atrial diameter (LAD) and E/A ratio were measured using transthoracic echocardiography.

Results

Over a median follow-up of 844 days (IQR: 331–1355 days), 209 patients (8.0%) experienced at least one incident of AF. After adjusting for covariates, large LA and high E/A ratio were significantly associated with incident AF, with an 11% increase in risk for each 1 mm increase in LAD over 35 mm (adjusted HR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.10–1.13) and a 30% increased risk per standard deviation increase in E/A ratio when E/A ratio exceeded 0.65 (adjusted HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.23–1.37), P < 0.001. The influence of LA size and E/A ratio on incident AF was more pronounced in the younger subgroup of older adults. Incorporating LAD and E/A ratios into the CHA2DS2-VASc score improved its predictive accuracy (AUC increase = 0.168, P < 0.001).

Discussion

This study shows that LA size and E/A ratio are key predictors of AF in hospitalized older patients, with age influencing their predictive value. Incorporating these factors into the CHA2DS2-VASc score enhances risk stratification and highlights the need for early AF screening in this group.

Conclusions

In hospitalized older patients, large LA and high E/A ratio are associated with incident AF, and these associations are more pronounced in younger individuals. LAD and E/A ratios provide incremental predictive value for AF beyond the CHA2DS2-VASc score.

Graphical Abstract

LA, left atrium; ASE: American Society of Echocardiography; E, mitral inflow velocity in the early diastolic phase; A, mitral inflow velocity in the late diastolic phase; AF: Atrial Fibrillation.
The Need to Distinguish between “Lapse” and “Relapse”
Authors: Brown Katherine R.
Published: February 2025

Over the last decade, behavior analysts have become increasingly interested in relapse and have used the term to describe the reemergence of problem behavior following successful reductions achieved during clinical intervention. Nonetheless, some elements of the current terminology may interfere with behavior analysts’ efforts to examine, predict, and mitigate the conditions that lead to the reemergence of severe problem behavior in clinical settings. The current article (1) describes how the term “relapse” has been used in the field of behavior analysis and fails to capture more nuanced effects observed in the reemergence of problem behavior; (2) suggests use of the terms “lapse” and “relapse” to capture these distinct effects; and (3) outlines the positive impact enhanced technological distinction between the concept of “lapse” and “relapse” could have on clinical research and practice.
Developing novel test for allergy diagnostics: using today’s biochemical techniques
Authors: Whitters Eric , Rodems Kelline , Tao Yinglei , de Poorter Tom
Published: February 2025

Background

The key to moving beyond “bucket chemistry” in allergy testing is to tightly control the sourcing, analysis, and performance testing of the extracts used. It is imperative that each allergen extract be scrutinized using today’s biochemical techniques as an active part of the qualification process rather than the ones developed almost 30 years ago for the technologies of the 1990s. Characterization of allergens demystifies the source material and provides results in the clinical lab that are less ambiguous and are more closely related with the clinical status of the patient.

Methods and results

This article delivers a technical overview that outlines the requisite steps for diagnostic companies to characterize, analyze, and qualify allergen extracts, mixtures, and components integrated into their platforms. It also evaluates diverse technologies employed in both singleplex and multiplex diagnostics, highlighting the incorporation of more precisely defined biochemical materials in their product offerings.

Conclusion

The primary goal of this review is to provide laboratory professionals and clinicians with a systematic approach to ensure that extracts meet stringent performance requirements crucial for dependable allergen-specific IgE testing.
Laser powder bed fusion process optimization for the production of high-performance and efficient high-silicon steel electrical motor components
Authors: Zanini Filippo , Bonato Nicolò , Michieletto Daniele , Alberti Luigi , Carmignato Simone
Published: February 2025

The increasing demand for high-performance electrical motor components, together with the need for improved energy efficiency and sustainability, is driving the exploration of advanced materials and manufacturing techniques. Iron–silicon alloys, especially those with high silicon content, exhibit promising electromagnetic properties but pose challenges for conventional manufacturing methods. Consequently, alternative technologies such as metal additive manufacturing, and particularly laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M), are gaining interest in the production of high-silicon steel components for electrical motors. This study focuses on optimizing the PBF-LB/M process for the production of Fe-Si6.5 components for electrical motors, addressing the challenging scenario of machines not equipped with preheatable building plates. First experiments on cubic test samples unveiled significant crack formation under different process settings, highlighting the need to refine the process parameters selection approach through the design, production and assessment of task-specific test specimens. Multiple parameter combinations were tested, leading to the identification of the two best settings in terms of porosity content. X-ray computed tomography provided additional detailed analysis of specimens fabricated under such process conditions, identifying the specific setting yielding the least internal porosity and cracks. The toroidal ferromagnetic core produced with the optimized process parameters displayed enhanced electromagnetic properties, proving the effectiveness of the proposed optimization approach. Furthermore, powder characterization revealed alterations in particle size and sphericity after fabrication, emphasizing the importance of monitoring the powder properties for achieving a sustainable yet reliable process.
Critical Intuitions in Stakeholder Theory and Political CSR: The Effect of Identity Constituting Values on the Dynamics of Business Ethical Debates
Authors: Ziegler Marianne Thejls
Published: February 2025

This article addresses questions of fundamental values of business ethics scholars. By tracing the evolution of debates on stakeholder theory and political corporate social responsibility (PCSR) from their beginnings in 1984 and 2006 until the present day, the article demonstrates how these scholarly debates have followed a similar pattern. In both cases, the initial positions, which are more tolerant toward business interests, face critique through theoretical developments and are ultimately surpassed by arguments favouring the reduction of managerial power and the enhancement of decision-making authority among stakeholders and various non-corporate organisations and agents. Referring to the moral psychological theory of Social Intuitionism, the article suggests that a shared moral intuition of scepticism toward managerial elites is characteristic of scholars in the business ethics community. This intuition, however, appears to hinder a fully articulated and genuine debate between perspectives that confer legitimacy on corporations, managerial elites, and market-based economic systems, and those which advocate for stakeholder influence in managerial decisions and a more inclusive economical democracy. Consequently, this tendency contributes to the stagnation of these debates both within academic circles and in public discussions.
The impact of burnt sawdust ash from timber species as partial cement replacements on the durability properties for sustainable interlocking blocks
Authors: Assiamah Sampson , Kankam Charles K. , Adinkrah-Appiah Kwadwo , Afrifa Russell Owusu , Banahehe Osei Jack , Agyeman Stephen
Published: February 2025

This study investigates the potential of Burnt Sawdust Ash (BSDA) from seven timber species (Wawa, Mansonia, Teak, Odum, Ceiba, Essah and Mahogany) as a partial cement replacement in laterite interlocking blocks (LIBs). Using a replacement level of 0–30 (BSDA) wt% and mix proportion of 1:6 (cement + BSDA: laterite) with a 0.60 water-to-cement ratio, 396 blocks or specimens of size 185 mm × 220 mm × 120 mm were produced and cured at normal temperature and humidity under shady and sunny conditions for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days as per the BS EN 771‑1:2011 + A1:2015. Soil characterization test, particle size distribution, bulk density, water absorption, and erosion resistance were tested. It was observed that, the lateritic soil that passed through 2.36 mm and the fineness of BSDA partially helped in better interlocking and strength gains.While replacing cement with BSDA generally increased erosion rates, wood type influenced both properties, with 10% of Wawa, Mansonia and Odum offering better water absorption and erosion resistance at higher sawdust compositions. A positive finding was the decrease in bulk density with increasing BSDA, making blocks lighter and easier to transport. The research findings have some impacts on environmental sustainability, speed construction, and construction cost reduction.
Individuals’ COVID-19 Awareness and Health Literacy Levels in Eastern Turkey: A Descriptive Correlational Design
Authors: Okten Merve Meral , Yalcinoz Baysal Hasret
Published: February 2025

Objective

Individuals’ COVID-19 protection and awareness could be related to their health literacy levels. This study aims to determine individuals’ COVID-19 awareness and health literacy levels in eastern Turkey and the relationship between them.

Methods

This study utilized a descriptive and correlational design. The target population was individuals aged 18-65 years who sought treatment in the emergency department of a state hospital in Turkey. The sample consisted of 762 individuals who visited the health institution where data were collected between July 15, 2021-December 15, 2021 and agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected through the Personal Information Form, the COVID-19 Awareness Scale, and the Health Literacy Scale. Ethics committee approval and institutional permissions were obtained to conduct the study. Data analysis used arithmetic means, standard deviations, skewness and kurtosis coefficients, t test, ANOVA, Welch ANOVA, Bonferroni tests, and correlation analysis.

Results

The participants’ COVID-19 Awareness Scale total mean score was 50.71 ± 14.93, and the Health Literacy Scale total mean score was 45.03 ± 10.57. A moderate positive correlation was detected between the participants’ health literacy levels and the COVID-19 awareness scale sub-scales and total scores (r = 0.350).

Conclusions

The participants’ health literacy level increased with their COVID-19 awareness level. It is recommended that health literacy levels be increased to help individuals increase their awareness of COVID-19 and to protect and improve their health.
Social Comfort and Attractiveness Perception: Impact of Prosthetics, Physical Disability, and Comfort Distance on Interpersonal Interactions
Authors: Pazhoohi Farid , Wing Samantha , Kingstone Alan
Published: February 2025

Derived from the disease-avoidance model is the hypothesis that people may direct negative cognitive and behavioral responses towards individuals with physical disfiguring conditions, including physical disabilities. Based on this proposal of a behavioural immune system, physical disability, a noncontagious physical disfiguration, may falsely activate cognitive disease-avoidance processes resulting in prejudicial or negative responses against individuals with physical disabilities. For the first time this hypothesis is put to the test by investigating whether ratings of attractiveness and comfort for a social interaction vary systematically with physical disability (Studies 1 and 2). In addition, we tested whether these ratings were associated with individual differences in pathogen disgust, perceived vulnerability to disease, and concern for contracting COVID-19. In Study 3 we overcame possible methodological limitations by employing a virtual reality environment and using both male and female models. A fourth study was conducted to extend the first two studies by using a more diverse set of avatars. Results from Studies 1 and 2 indicated that disability did not significantly impact comfort ratings for social interactions, although nondisabled stimuli were rated as more attractive. However, Study 3 showed that in a VR environment, participants preferred closer proximity to nondisabled avatars, regardless of gender, over disabled ones, a preference not mitigated by the presence of prosthetics. Study 4 replicated these findings with varied 2D avatars, showing that disability significantly affected both comfort and attractiveness ratings, with nondisabled avatars rated highest, followed by those with prosthetics, and finally disabled avatars. Despite these findings, the expected relationship between comfort ratings and individual differences in pathogen disgust or perceived infectability did not emerge, challenging the behavioral immune system hypothesis. The discomfort associated with physical disability may be more related to social stigma or 3 preconceived notions than to an innate disease-avoidance response. In conclusion, this research contributes to understanding how physical disability influences social comfort and attractiveness perceptions, challenging the behavioral immune system hypothesis and highlighting the role of social and cognitive factors in these judgments.
Observational evidence that economic reciprocity pervades self organized food co operatives
Authors: Lange Taylor Z. , Waring Timothy M.
Published: February 2025

Evolutionary scientists argue that prosociality has been central to human ecological success. Theoretical models and behavioral experiments have found that prosociality, and cooperation in particular, is conditional and context dependent, that individuals vary in their propensity to cooperate, and that reciprocity stabilizes these behaviors within groups. Experimental findings have had limited validation with observations of behavior in natural settings, especially in organizational contexts. Here, we report in situ measurements of collective action where reciprocity is abundant in organizations embedded in a cash economy. We study small ‘food clubs’ where members share bulk purchases and are considered to be heavily dependent on cooperation. We take advantage high resolution data of economic interactions for 1,528 individuals across 35 clubs over a combined 107 years of operation. We develop a network method to detect different directional and temporal forms of economic reciprocity, and statistically classify individual behavioral types akin to those in experiments. We find abundant direct reciprocity, supplemented by indirect reciprocity, and that members of most clubs can be identified as consistent reciprocators. This study provides initial observational evidence that economic reciprocity may be more abundant in real world settings, sharpening the findings of the behavioral study of cooperation and contributing to the more naturalistic study of reciprocity and prosociality.
Association of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and Neurogenesis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Au Hezekiah C.T. , Zheng Yang Jing , Le Gia Han , Wong Sabrina , Teopiz Kayla M. , Kwan Angela T.H. , Gill Hartej , Badulescu Sebastian , Valentino Kyle , Rosenblat Joshua D. , Mansur Rodrigo B. , McIntyre Roger S.
Published: February 2025

Objective

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) administration has been associated with neuroproliferative effects and modulatory effects in neuronal pathways. Herein, we conducted a comprehensive synthesis of the effects of GLP-1 and GLP-1 RAs on neurogenesis.

Methods

We examined studies that investigate changes in neurogenesis mediated by GLP-1 and GLP-1 RA administration in both human and animal populations. Relevant articles were retrieved through OVID (MedLine, Embase, AMED, PsychINFO, JBI EBP Database), PubMed, and Web of Science from database inception to July 2nd. Primary studies investigating the role of GLP-1 and GLP-1 RAs on neurogenesis were included for analysis.

Results

GLP-1 and GLP-1 RAs (i.e. exenatide, geniposide, liraglutide, lixisenatide, and semaglutide), increased neurogenesis within the dentate gyrus, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, and the medial striatum in animal models. Additionally, GLP-1 and GLP-1 RAs were associated with modulating changes in multiple apoptotic pathways and upregulating survival pathways.

Discussion

GLP-1 and GLP-1 RAs are positively associated with neurogenesis. This effect may have translational implications insofar as disparate mental disorders that are characterized by neurogenesis defects (e.g. depressive disorders and neurocognitive disorders) may be benefitted by these agents.
What Is the Wrong of Capitalism?
Authors: CORDELLI CHIARA
Published: February 2025

The troubled state of economic life today has prompted a revival of normative critiques of capitalism. According to a prominent critique, radical republicanism, capitalism is defined by its mode of production and the distinctive wrong of capitalism amounts to a structural form of domination. By arguing that radical republicanism fails to provide a satisfactory account of capitalism’s distinctiveness—and of its core wrong—I propose an alternative account focused on the mode of investment. Capitalism’s mode of investment, I assert, entails a loss of collective control over, and involvement in, the valuation and creation of the future. The wrong inhering in this loss is best understood in terms of alienation—an alienated relation between citizens and their sociopolitical order—rather than domination. In turn, socialism should be understood as a project of reconciliation, the point of which is to overcome this form of alienation through the socialization and democratic planning of investment.
Do Citizens Stereotype Muslims as an Illiberal Bogeyman? Evidence from a Double-List Experiment
Authors: Turnbull-Dugarte Stuart J. , López Ortega Alberto , Hunklinger Michael
Published: February 2025

Illiberal actors in Western democracies increasingly exploit the superficial defence of liberal values like gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights to demonize ethnic out-groups, portraying Muslims as inherently opposed to Western values. This paper investigates whether this stereotype reflects widespread public beliefs and asks: is the stereotypical view of the Muslim community as an illiberal ‘bogeyman’ endorsed by citizens? Leveraging an original double-list experiment design that minimizes sensitivity bias, we identify population-level estimates of this stereotype in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA. Our cross-national results reveal a pervasive and ubiquitous stereotype of Muslims as a threat to LGBTQ+ communities across Western democracies. The implications of these findings are concerning as they signal that societal tolerance of ethnic out-groups across liberal democracies remains tainted by prejudicial stereotypes. The results also underscore the alarming electoral potential of far-right parties that exploit homonationalist and femonationalist stereotype-based threat perceptions to their political advantage.
Does the Presence or Absence of Elections Remove Gender Differences in Ambition for Public Service?
Authors: Hassell Hans J.G. , Hollibaugh Gary E. , Miles Matthew R.
Published: February 2025

Perhaps because scholars of political ambition have focused almost entirely on electoral ambition, the presence of elections has been thought to play a major role in shaping who expresses interest in public service. In this article, we examine whether the presence or absence of elections changes women’s political ambition. Using surveys of law students, federal bureaucrats, and the general public, we find the relationship between gender and ambition for elected office is similar to the relationship between gender and ambition for bureaucratic and judicial service. We show that, although women are deterred from public service by the elections that act as gateways to those opportunities, the effects of elections on gendered political ambition duplicate the effects of other components of public service. Rather than unique, elections are duplicative in their effects, reinforcing the relationship between gender and ambition rather than fundamentally changing who expresses ambition for public service.
Liberalism in Two Worlds: José Victorino Lastarria on John Stuart Mill
Authors: Pérez-Muñoz Cristian
Published: February 2025

During the nineteenth century, liberalism played a fundamental role in the newly formed Latin American nation-states. Yet little attention has been paid to how liberal thinkers on the periphery reacted against liberal theories suffused with pro-colonial rhetoric and Eurocentric bias. This study examines the underexplored reaction of José Victorino Lastarria to John Stuart Mill’s liberal project. Lastarria, one of the most influential nineteenth-century Latin American liberals, critically engaged with Mill’s liberalism, discerning there an example of Eurocentrism that missed insights from the republican Latin American experience. This article examines the intellectual connections and disconnections between Mill’s liberalism, representing the imperial metropole, and Lastarria’s thought, a form of liberalism in the newly independent peripheral states. By reconstructing his discussion of Mill, this article presents Lastarria’s main political ideas to a broader audience.
What is Social Media’s Place in Democracy?
Authors: Patberg Markus
Published: February 2025

In his recent analysis of digital platforms as a medium for (democratic) political communication, Jürgen Habermas has proclaimed a constitutional imperative to maintain a functioning public sphere—leaving open, however, what this would require. While a growing literature develops ideas for social media reforms, these models put the cart before the horse. To restructure social media in a targeted manner, one first needs to determine the platforms’ desired contribution to democracy—which is far from obvious. Social media have a plurality of democratic affordances and can thus be assigned different, sometimes competing roles. To determine social media’s place in democracy, we need to do what Habermas has failed to do: locate social media in the center–periphery model of political communication in media society. In doing so, I argue that social media reforms should primarily aim to empower agents in the periphery.
Large Shigella flexneri outbreak linked to a takeaway, South Wales: a case–control study
Authors: Plimmer Amy , Fina Laia , Orife Oghogho , Griggs Beverley , Saavedra-Campos Maria , Forde Donall , Edwards Cerys , Driscoll Louise , Shankar Ananda Giri , Thomas Daniel
Published: February 2025

In February 2023, 52 cases of gastrointestinal illness were reported in customers of Takeaway A, South Wales. Shigella flexneri serotype 2a was the causative organism. An outbreak investigation was conducted to determine the extent and vehicle of the outbreak.

Following descriptive summary and environmental investigations, a case–control study was completed. Participants completed a telephone questionnaire on food, travel, and environmental exposures. A multivariable logistic regression model was built, including exposures with p-values < 0.2 and interactions identified on stratified analysis. Staff faecal samples were screened for Shigella sp.

Thirty-one cases and 29 controls were included in the study. Eighty-seven per cent of cases and 76% of controls ate from Takeaway A on 10 February 2023. Coleslaw was the main factor associated with illness (aOR: 200, 95% CI: 12–3220) and an interaction with cabbage was identified (aOR: 886, 95% CI: 26–30034). Shigella sp. were not detected in any staff samples.

Coleslaw was the most likely vehicle. Though the contamination route is unknown, a food handler is the most likely source. This large outbreak differs from recent European outbreaks, which primarily have been associated with sexual transmission. Although uncommon in the UK, S. flexneri should be considered as a cause of foodborne outbreaks.
Direct Encoding of Declare Constraints in ASP
Authors: CHIARIELLO FRANCESCO , FIONDA VALERIA , IELO ANTONIO , RICCA FRANCESCO
Published: February 2025

Answer set programming (ASP), a well-known declarative logic programming paradigm, has recently found practical application in Process Mining. In particular, ASP has been used to model tasks involving declarative specifications of business processes. In this area, Declare stands out as the most widely adopted declarative process modeling language, offering a means to model processes through sets of constraints valid traces must satisfy, that can be expressed in linear temporal logic over finite traces (LTL$_{\text {f}}$). Existing ASP-based solutions encode Declare constraints by modeling the corresponding LTL$_{\text {f}}$ formula or its equivalent automaton which can be obtained using established techniques. In this paper, we introduce a novel encoding for Declare constraints that directly models their semantics as ASP rules, eliminating the need for intermediate representations. We assess the effectiveness of this novel approach on two Process Mining tasks by comparing it with alternative ASP encodings and a Python library for Declare.
Temporary Measures or Lasting Reform? Examining Gulf States’ Evolving Welfare Policies in Response to the Global Health Crisis
Authors: Ben Brik Anis , Taylor Brown C.
Published: February 2025

The global health crisis prompted Arabian Gulf states to implement extensive social protection measures to address public health and economic challenges. This study critically examines welfare reforms enacted by six Gulf countries – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman – through the theoretical lenses of Welfare Regime Theory and Punctuated Equilibrium Theory. Initially, governments temporarily expanded exclusion-based welfare systems, primarily benefiting citizens, to support broader populations, including migrant workers. However, the long-term sustainability of these expansions remains uncertain. The findings suggest that although the crisis created a temporary policy window for welfare expansion, there was no fundamental reconfiguration of these exclusionary welfare regimes. This study enhances the understanding of the adaptability of Gulf welfare states during global crises and the potential for future policy shifts.
The Federation persuasion: Identity, sovereignty, and decolonisation in the Indies East and West
Authors: Parker Jason
Published: February 2025

Postwar decolonisation in the global South sparked a range of political imaginaries and experiments in postcolonial governance. Among the most prominent and least understood of the roads not ultimately taken was that of federation. The federal model seemed to offer something to almost everyone—Cold War hegemons, metropolitan officials, anticolonial nationalists, ‘pan-’ racial visionaries—and a dozen such unions were proposed or attempted after 1945. Yet almost none lasted even a decade before shrinking or collapsing. Their demise, despite occurring at the height of the Cold War, had little or nothing to do with that conflict. Rather, the concurrent rise and fall of two such unions—the West Indies Federation and Malaysia—demonstrates that they succumbed to a number of fatal flaws, above all one that connects this decolonisation story to the long territorial-imperial era preceding it: the centrifugal force of the ethnopolitical identities embedded within them.
Beyond Group Membership: New Way of Measuring Environmental Interest Group Strength in the American States
Authors: Glasgow Derek , Rai Saatvika , Zhao Shuang , Taylor Jami , Haider-Markel Donald P.
Published: February 2025

Interest groups are an important influence in the subnational policymaking process. Previously, environmental policy scholars measured the strength of environmental groups in the American policymaking subnational process by using proxies like state-level group membership in major nationwide environmental organizations (e.g., Sierra Club). Although these prior measures of group strength have face validity, recent scholarship suggests that the utilization of group financial resources is a better measure of the influence of interest groups in state-level models. We take this approach and provide a new way to measure state-level environmental interests by using aggregated financial information (income and assets) from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data obtained via the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS). This measure provides several advantages over previous approaches because it varies over time, is derived from easily accessible public data, includes a greater diversity of environmental organizations, and it is considered reliable by prior scholars. We demonstrate its empirical value by deploying our measure in a model of state policy adoption. We encourage researchers to further utilize this new measure in their analysis of environmental advocacy at the subnational level.
Hydrogen Diffusion in Garnet: Insights From Atomistic Simulations
Authors: Zhong Xin , Höfling Felix , John Timm
Published: February 2025

Garnet has been widely used to decipher the pressure‐temperature‐time history of rocks, but its physical properties such as elasticity and diffusion are strongly affected by trace amounts of hydrogen. Experimental measurements of H diffusion in garnet are limited to room pressure. We use atomistic simulations to study H diffusion in perfect and defective garnet lattices, focusing on protonation defects at the Si and Mg sites, which are shown to be energetically favored. Transient trapping of H renders ab‐initio simulations of H diffusion computationally challenging, which is overcome with machine learning techniques by training a deep neural network that encodes the interatomic potential. Our results from such deep potential molecular dynamics (DeePMD) simulations show high mobility of hydrogen in defect‐free garnet lattices, whereas H diffusivity is significantly diminished in defective lattices. Tracer simulations focusing on H alone highlight the vital role of atomic vibrations of heavier atoms like Mg on the release of H atoms. Two regimes of H diffusion are identified: a diffuser‐dominated regime at high hydrogen content with low activation energies due to saturation of vacancies by hydrogen, and a vacancy‐dominated regime at low hydrogen content with high activation energies due to trapping of H atoms at vacancy sites. These regimes account for experimental observations, such as a H‐concentration dependent diffusivity and the discrepancy in activation energy between deprotonation and D‐H exchange experiments. This study underpins the crucial role of vacancies in H diffusion and demonstrates the utility of machine‐learned interatomic potentials in studying kinetic processes in the Earth's interior.
On the Definition of Extreme Evaporation Events
Authors: Markonis Yannis
Published: February 2025

Even though evaporation is a crucial component of the energy and water cycles, its extremes remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, this study introduces a statistical framework defining Extreme Evaporation Events (ExEvEs). We investigate their characteristics over Czechia, a country in Central Europe with increasing evaporation and examine their seasonal correlation with radiation and/or precipitation—the main drivers of land evaporation. Despite their statistical definition, ExEvEs are shown to have a physical basis, also evident in their onset and termination. We also observe that ExEvEs fluctuate differently than the average evaporation resulting to significant implications for water availability and regional water cycle's acceleration. The proposed event‐based framework provides a systematic way to detect, characterize, and analyze evaporation extremes, which helps to improve our understanding of their drivers and impacts.
Simulation of Cloud Processes Over Offshore Coastal Antarctica Using the High‐Resolution Regional UK Met Office Unified Model With Interactive Aerosols
Authors: Price R. , Orr A. , Field P. F. , Mace G. , Protat A.
Published: February 2025

The Southern Ocean and offshore coastal Antarctica are key regions for global climate. Low level mixed‐phase clouds strongly control the surface radiation budget of this region but remain challenging for climate models because of the complex processes controlling the sources and sinks of cloud liquid water, including both cloud liquid water and ice crystals. Here, we examine these interactions using the Unified Model (UM) regional climate model, with the Cloud AeroSol Interacting Microphysics (CASIM) and UK Chemistry and Aerosol (UKCA) models included for interactive aerosol and cloud microphysics. We simulate two case studies from the second field campaign of Clouds Aerosols Precipitation Radiation and atmospheric Composition over the Southern Ocean Phase 2 (CAPRICORN‐2), which represent the open ocean and the offshore coastal region of Antarctica. Compared with these observations, we find that the UM underestimates surface aerosol concentration by up to an order of magnitude and investigate the effect of this bias on the simulated cloud microphysical and radiative properties. We find that the cloud liquid water path (LWP) and surface radiative fluxes are also biased in the offshore coastal Antarctic case study, with a 32% mean underestimation of LWP and 76% mean overestimation of downwelling surface shortwave flux. Sensitivity tests show that the cloud liquid water bias is largely caused by deficiencies in the representation of the meteorology, and less by aerosol or cloud microphysical properties. Our results provide key insights on the modeling of cloud processes in high southern latitudes.
On the Geoelectric Field Response to the SSC of the May 2024 Super Storm Over Europe
Authors: Piersanti M. , Oliveira D. M. , D’Angelo G. , Diego P. , Napoletano G. , Zesta E.
Published: February 2025

Solar variability can lead to significant disturbances, such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). A CME impacting the Earth's magnetosphere often causes geomagnetic storms that affect not only the magnetosphere but also the ionosphere, the upper atmosphere, and even the ground. During extreme events, rapidly changing geomagnetic fields can create strong geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) at ground. These GICs can severely impact human technology, causing damage to high‐voltage power transformers and leading to power outages, as well as corrosion in oil and gas pipelines. On 10 May 2024, the most intense geomagnetic storm since the Halloween 2003 storm impacted Earth's environment, causing auroras to appear at much lower latitudes than usual in both the northern and southern hemispheres. This study investigates the effects of geomagnetically induced electric fields (GIEs), and hence GICs, during the sudden storm commencement (SSC) of the geomagnetic storm on 10 May 2024, over Europe, using the European quasi‐Meridional Magnetometer Array ground magnetometers. Despite the magnetometer array being placed in the late afternoon (18:00 LT), the combined influence of a strong solar wind dynamic pressure amplitude and a significant, long‐lasting southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) (nT) resulted in strong SSC amplitudes (nT) at mid‐low latitudes (N). Results suggest that the CME‐driven shock inclination in the meridional plane leads to high GIE driven only at high latitudes. In addition, the decomposition of the SSC disturbance field at ground into ionospheric (DP field) and magnetospheric (DL field) origin contribution should commend input to GIEs (and hence to GICs) from both DL and DP fields, rather than ionospheric current alone.
Observations of Unusual Postsunrise Interhemispheric Geomagnetic Conjugate Super Plasma Depletions at Midlatitudes During the Recovery Phase of the November 2003 Superstorm
Authors: Ye Hailun , Xue Xianghui , Sun Yang‐Yi , Yu Tao , Yi Wen , Wu Jianfei , Yu Bingkun , Wang Jianyuan , Long Chi , Zhou Baozhu , Li Zezhong , Wang Chong , Chen Tingdi , Dou Xiankang
Published: February 2025

This study reports an extreme ionospheric plasma depletion event over the Eastern Pacific from postmidnight to early morning during the superstorm's recovery phase on 21 November 2003 observed by the DMSP F13, ROCSAT‐1, GRACE, and CHAMP satellites, and two ground‐based GPS receivers. The depletion and its interhemispheric geomagnetic conjugate effect occurred between ∼40°S and 40°N geomagnetic latitudes. This suggests a possible extremely long‐range flux tube connection with an apex altitude exceeding 6,000 km over the geomagnetic equator. Notably, the observed altitude for midlatitude depletions of equatorial origin in the morning is the highest ever reported. Previous studies have primarily observed the extension of equatorial plasma bubbles to middle latitudes in the post‐sunset hours. The continuous upward vertical plasma drift, supported by ROCSAT‐1 and TIE‐GCM simulations, may drive the unprecedentedly strong latitudinal extension of these midlatitude plasma depletions in the midnight‐to‐morning sector.
Geologic Mysteries at 8,000 Meters
Authors: Micalizio Caryl-Sue
Published: February 2025

Our March issue takes you on an epic journey with the rocks of Mount Everest, from seafloor to summit.
Creatine transporter (SLC6A8) knockout mice exhibit reduced muscle performance, disrupted mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis, and severe muscle atrophy
Authors: Pertici Irene , D’Angelo Donato , Vecellio Reane Denis , Reconditi Massimo , Morotti Ilaria , Putignano Elena , Napoli Debora , Rastelli Giorgia , Gherardi Gaia , De Mario Agnese , Rizzuto Rosario , Boncompagni Simona , Baroncelli Laura , Linari Marco , Caremani Marco , Raffaello Anna
Published: February 2025

Creatine (Cr) is essential for cellular energy homeostasis, particularly in muscle and brain tissues. Creatine Transporter Deficiency (CTD), an X-linked disorder caused by mutations in the SLC6A8 gene, disrupts Cr transport, leading to intellectual disability, speech delay, autism, epilepsy, and various non-neurological symptoms. In addition to neurological alterations, Creatine Transporter knockout (CrT−/y) mice exhibit severe muscle atrophy and functional impairments. This study provides the first characterization of the skeletal muscle phenotype in CrT−/y mice, revealing profound ultrastructural abnormalities accompanied by reduced fiber cross-sectional area and muscle performance. Notably, mitochondria are involved, as evidenced by disrupted cristae, increased mitochondrial size, impaired Ca2+ uptake, reduced membrane potential and ATP production. Mechanistically, the expression of atrophy-specific E3 ubiquitin ligases and suppression of the IGF1-Akt/PKB pathway, regulated by mitochondrial Ca2+ levels, further support the atrophic phenotype. These findings highlight the profound impact of Cr deficiency on skeletal muscle, emphasizing the need for targeted therapeutic strategies to address both the neurological and peripheral manifestations of CTD. Understanding the underlying mechanisms, particularly mitochondrial dysfunction, could lead to novel interventions for this disorder.
The liver-specific long noncoding RNA FAM99B inhibits ribosome biogenesis and cancer progression through cleavage of dead-box Helicase 21
Authors: He Yifei , Li Hongquan , Shi Qili , Liu Yanfang , Pan Qiaochu , He Xianghuo
Published: February 2025

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are promising targets or agents for the treatment of human cancers. Most liver-specific lncRNAs exhibit loss of expression and act as tumor suppressors in liver cancer. Modulating the expression of these liver-specific lncRNAs is a potential approach for lncRNA-based gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we report that the expression of the liver-specific lncRNA FAM99B is significantly decreased in HCC tissues and that FAM99B suppresses HCC cell proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. FAM99B promotes the nuclear export of DDX21 through XPO1, leading to further cleavage of DDX21 by caspase3/6 in the cytoplasm. FAM99B inhibits ribosome biogenesis by inhibiting ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing and RPS29/RPL38 transcription, thereby reducing global protein synthesis through downregulation of DDX21 in HCC cells. Interestingly, the FAM99B65-146 truncation exhibits tumor-suppressive effects in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, GalNAc-conjugated FAM99B65-146 inhibits the growth and metastasis of orthotopic HCC xenografts, providing a new strategy for the treatment of HCC. This is the first report of the use of a lncRNA as an agent rather than a target in tumor treatment.
The anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody naxitamab plus GM-CSF for relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma: a phase 2 clinical trial
Authors: Mora Jaume , Chan Godfrey C. F. , Morgenstern Daniel A. , Amoroso Loredana , Nysom Karsten , Faber Jörg , Wingerter Arthur , Bear Melissa K. , Rubio-San-Simon Alba , de Las Heras Blanca Martínez , Tornøe Karen , Düring Maria , Kushner Brian H.
Published: February 2025

In this single-arm, non-randomized, phase 2 trial (NCT03363373), 74 patients with relapsed/refractory high-risk neuroblastoma and residual disease in bone/bone marrow (BM) received naxitamab on Days 1, 3, and 5 (3 mg/kg/day) with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (Days -4 to 5) every 4 weeks, until complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) followed by 5 additional cycles every 4 weeks. Primary endpoint in the prespecified interim analysis was overall response (2017 International Neuroblastoma Response Criteria). Among 26 responders (CR + PR) in the efficacy population (N = 52), 58% had refractory disease, and 42% had relapsed disease. Overall response rate (ORR) was 50% (95% CI: 36-64%), and CR and PR were observed in 38% and 12%, respectively. With the 95% CI lower limit for ORR exceeding 20%, the primary endpoint of overall response was met. Patients with evaluable bone disease had a 58% (29/50) bone compartment response (CR, 40%; PR, 18%). BM compartment response was 74% (17/23; CR, 74%). One-year overall survival and progression-free survival (secondary endpoints) were 93% (95% CI: 80-98%) and 35% (95% CI: 16-54%), respectively. Naxitamab-related Grade 3 adverse events included hypotension (58%) and pain (54%). Overall, naxitamab demonstrated clinically meaningful efficacy with manageable safety in patients with residual neuroblastoma in bone/BM.
Robust multi-label surgical tool classification in noisy endoscopic videos
Authors: Qayyum Adnan , Ali Hassan , Caputo Massimo , Vohra Hunaid , Akinosho Taofeek , Abioye Sofiat , Berrou Ilhem , Capik Paweł , Qadir Junaid , Bilal Muhammad
Published: February 2025

Over the past few years, surgical data science has attracted substantial interest from the machine learning (ML) community. Various studies have demonstrated the efficacy of emerging ML techniques in analysing surgical data, particularly recordings of procedures, for digitising clinical and non-clinical functions like preoperative planning, context-aware decision-making, and operating skill assessment. However, this field is still in its infancy and lacks representative, well-annotated datasets for training robust models in intermediate ML tasks. Also, existing datasets suffer from inaccurate labels, hindering the development of reliable models. In this paper, we propose a systematic methodology for developing robust models for surgical tool classification using noisy endoscopic videos. Our methodology introduces two key innovations: (1) an intelligent active learning strategy for minimal dataset identification and label correction by human experts through collective intelligence; and (2) an assembling strategy for a student-teacher model-based self-training framework to achieve the robust classification of 14 surgical tools in a semi-supervised fashion. Furthermore, we employ strategies such as weighted data loaders and label smoothing to enable the models to learn difficult samples and address class imbalance issues. The proposed methodology achieves an average F1-score of 85.88% for the ensemble model-based self-training with class weights, and 80.88% without class weights for noisy tool labels. Also, our proposed method significantly outperforms existing approaches, which effectively demonstrates its effectiveness.