bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A holistic approach to assessing REDD+ forest loss baselines through ex post analysis
Authors: Pauly Maren , Crosse William , Moore Colin , Brown Kevin , Griffin Oliver , Mitchard Edward T A , Freund Jeremy , Tosteson Joshua
Published: July 2024

The implementation of REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) projects has become a key Nature Based Solutions strategy to protect at-risk forests using the sale of verified emission reductions (carbon credits) as financing, generated by reducing forest loss against counterfactual baseline scenarios. Controversy over the reasonableness of such baseline scenarios has thrown this nascent market mechanism into disarray. While new technical approaches to baseline-setting that promise wider market acceptance are set to roll out in the coming years, existing projects are becoming unviable, as carbon credit buyers reduce investment due to lost confidence in the integrity of emissions reduction claims. Transparent, reproducible methods to assess existing REDD+ project baselines are needed in order to provide a clearer picture of the real impact of projects, and provide an objective basis on which investment decisions can be made today. Here we introduce such a method. In contrast to existing studies which utilize only one method to create a single ‘control,’ we integrate actual forest loss rates from a variety of control sites to establish a ‘zone of reasonable accuracy (or ZORA)’. Application of our method in Cambodia, using two geospatial datasets (one global and one locally calibrated), shows that all three project baselines fall within or below ZORA. This approach is fully reproducible, and provides a transparent way for analysts to assess REDD+ baselines during this critical time when investment in forest protection must increase dramatically and without delay.
Detection of ethanol gas at room temperature by In2O3-based screen-printed films fabricated through particle-free aqueous solution combustible inks
Authors: Vardhan Robbi Vivek , Praveen Lakkimsetti Lakshmi , Manjunath G , Nagaraju P , Seikh Asiful Hossain , Alnaser Ibrahim A , Mandal Saumen
Published: July 2024

The current work investigates the room temperature ethanol gas detection capabilities of pristine, Sn-doped, Zn-doped, Sn & Zn co-doped In2O3-based screen-printed films, fabricated using particle-free aqueous solution combustible inks on glass substrates. The fabricated films were pure, polycrystalline with cubic bixbyite crystal structure, porous, and transparent (∼75 to 95%) in the visible range. Relatively high surface roughness was detected in pristine film than in doped films. Ethanol gas was detected by all the films at room temperature. Among all, the pristine film showed a relatively greater gas response at all concentrations of ethanol gas ranging from 25 ppm to 100 ppm. This superior gas response was attributed to comparatively greater oxygen vacancy concentration (OV/OL), relative area fraction of surface adsorbed oxygen (% of OA), and high surface roughness with porosity. The maximum ethanol gas response attained was ∼17 at 100 ppm concentration by the pristine film, which also demonstrated high selectivity to ethanol gas.
The divergence and driving factors of corporate environmental information disclosure in China
Authors: Shen Liwen , Qian Wenchu , Yang Yongliang
Published: July 2024

Corporate environmental information disclosure (EID) has been a widely acknowledged issue in the field of ecological environment research. This paper explores the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of EID in China from 2008 to 2022, and discusses the industry and regional heterogeneity. It reveals significant differences in EID between heavy and non-heavy polluting industries, as well as among different economic regions, revealing that there is still significant potential for improvement in corporate environmental governance. Further, this paper establishes a two-way fixed effects model and empirically investigates the effects of internal and external driving factors on EID. In addition, Lasso regression model is used to screen the vital driving factors and analyze their relative importance. The empirical results show that enterprise size, management age, operating capacity, supervisory board size, and debt capacity have relatively more substantial explanations for changes in EID, which are more critical driving factors. The contribution of the study is to provide valuable reference for constructing corporate EID indicator system, and to points out the direction for the sustainable development of enterprises in different industries and regions. At the same time, it has theoretical guiding significance for finding the factors that promote EID and strengthening regional environmental governance.
Top three intelligent algorithms for OAM mode recognitions in optical communications
Authors: Wang Binbin , Zhang Xizheng , Shah Syed Afaq Ali , Merabet Badreddine , Kovalev Alexey A , Stafeev Sergey S , Kozlova Elena S , Kotlyar Victor V , Guo Zhongyi
Published: July 2024

Vortex optical communication employing orbital angular momentum (OAM) has been a hot research field in recent years. Thanks to the orthogonality of the OAM, several multiplexing and modulation techniques have been developed that can effectively improve communication capacity. However, to achieve this, accurate mode recognition in the OAM-based free-space optical (FSO) communication system is essential. Generally, perturbations in the free space link significantly affect the transmission efficiency and distort the helical phase-front of OAM beams, which will result in intermodal crosstalk and poses a critical challenge in the recognition of OAM modes. To date, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have been widely applied to address the aforementioned bottleneck of insufficient accuracy of existing techniques for OAM mode detection. Therefore, a review paper that discusses the recent developments and challenges of the most widely used AI algorithms for OAM mode recognition schemes, i.e., feedforward neural network (FNN), convolutional neural network (CNN), and diffractive deep neural networks (D2NN) is urgently required. By elaborating on the principles of these algorithms and analyzing recent reports, encompassing both experimental and simulated results, we established their profound importance in enhancing the accuracy of OAM mode recognition. Moreover, this work provides an outlook on the recent trends in this newly developed field and the critical challenges faced in effectively using AI for improving the reliability of the OAM-based FSO communication system in near future.
The RNA-binding protein Nab2 regulates levels of the RhoGEF Trio to govern axon and dendrite morphology
Authors: Lancaster Carly L. , Yalamanchili Pranav S. , Goldy Jordan N. , Leung Sara W. , Corbett Anita H. , Moberg Kenneth H.
Published: July 2024

The Drosophila RNA-binding protein (RBP) Nab2 acts in neurons to regulate neurodevelopment and is orthologous to the human intellectual disability-linked RBP, ZC3H14. Nab2 governs axon projection in mushroom body neurons and limits dendritic arborization of class IV sensory neurons in part by regulating splicing events in ∼150 mRNAs. Analysis of the Sex-lethal ( Sxl) mRNA revealed that Nab2 promotes an exon-skipping event and regulates m6A methylation on Sxl pre-mRNA by the Mettl3 methyltransferase. Mettl3 heterozygosity broadly rescues Nab2null phenotypes implying that Nab2 acts through similar mechanisms on other RNAs, including unidentified targets involved in neurodevelopment. Here, we show that Nab2 and Mettl3 regulate the removal of a 5′UTR (untranslated region) intron in the trio pre-mRNA. Trio utilizes two GEF domains to balance Rac and RhoGTPase activity. Intriguingly, an isoform of Trio containing only the RhoGEF domain, GEF2, is depleted in Nab2null nervous tissue. Expression of Trio-GEF2 rescues projection defects in Nab2null axons and dendrites, while the GEF1 Rac1-regulatory domain exacerbates these defects, suggesting Nab2-mediated regulation Trio-GEF activities. Collectively, these data indicate that Nab2-regulated processing of trio is critical for balancing Trio-GEF1 and -GEF2 activity and show that Nab2, Mettl3, and Trio function in a common pathway that shapes axon and dendrite morphology.
What Logical Consequence Could, Could Not, Should, and Should Not Be
Authors: Uckelman Sara L
Published: July 2024

In ‘Logical Consequence (Slight Return)’, Gillian Russell asks ‘What is logical consequence?’, a question which has vexed logicians since at least the twelfth century, when people first began to wonder what it meant for one sentence (or proposition) to follow from another sentence (or proposition, or set of sentences, or set of propositions), or whether it was possible to put down rules determining when the relation of ‘follows from’ (or ‘is antecedent to’) holds. Her aim is threefold: (1) to explain what an answer to the question ‘What is logical consequence?’ would need to be able to do in order to be a satisfying answer; (2) to identify previous answers to the question; and (3) to demonstrate why these previous answers are inadequate to do what the answer needs to be able to do, and to offer a new answer. In the present paper, I respond to these aims in two ways. The first is to say something about where Russell’s central question even comes from, because this is not a topic that is often discussed by twentieth- and twenty-first-century logicians, and even historians of logic tend to not have had much to say about when—and why—this question even comes about in the first place. The second is to evaluate the accounts proposed and discussed by Russell, including her new proposal. In the end, I will argue that she has reached the right account of the nature of logical consequence, but not necessarily for the right reasons.
Logical Consequence (Slight Return)
Authors: Russell Gillian
Published: July 2024

In this paper I ask what logical consequence is, and give an answer that is somewhat different from the usual ones. It isn’t clear why anyone would need a new approach to logical consequence, so I begin by explaining the work that I need the answer to do and why the standard conceptions aren’t adequate. Then I articulate a replacement view which is.
T cells immune imbalance presents in patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms
Authors: Tao Chuming , Liu Chenglong , Ge Peicong , Chan Liujia , Pang Yuheng , Li Junsheng , He Qiheng , Liu Wei , Mou Siqi , Zheng Zhiyao , Zhang Bojian , Zhao Zhikang , Sun Wei , Zhang Qian , Wang Rong , Zhang Yan , Wang Wenjing , Zhang Dong , Zhao Jizong
Published: July 2024

Growing evidence suggests that systemic immune and inflammatory responses may play a critical role in the formation and development of aneurysms. Exploring the differences between single intracranial aneurysm (SIA) and multiple IAs (MIAs) could provide insights for targeted therapies. However, there is a lack of comprehensive and detailed characterization of changes in circulating immune cells in MIAs. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from patients with SIA (n = 16) or MIAs (n = 6) were analyzed using high-dimensional mass cytometry to evaluate the frequency and phenotype of immune cell subtypes. A total of 25 cell clusters were identified, revealing that the immune signature of MIAs included cluster changes. Compared to patients with SIA, patients with MIAs exhibited immune dysfunction and regulatory imbalance in T-cell clusters. They also had reduced numbers of CD8+ T cells and their subgroups CD8+ Te and CD8+ Tem cells, as well as reduced numbers of the CD4+ T-cell subgroup CD27−CD4+ Tem cells. Furthermore, compared to SIA, MIAs were associated with enhanced T-cell immune activation, with elevated expression levels of CD3, CD25, CD27, CCR7, GP130, and interleukin 10. This study provides insights into the circulating immune cell profiles in patients with MIAs, highlighting the similarities and differences between patients with SIA and those with MIAs. Furthermore, the study suggests that circulating immune dysfunction may contribute to the development of MIAs.
Transfers from home to facility-based dialysis: comparisons of HHD, assisted PD and autonomous PD
Authors: Lanot Antoine , Bechade Clémence , Couchoud Cécile , Lassalle Mathilde , Chantrel François , Sarraj Ayman , Ficheux Maxence , Boyer Annabel , Lobbedez Thierry
Published: July 2024

Background

Home dialysis therapies such as peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home hemodialysis (HHD) are beneficial for quality of life and patient empowerment. The short technique survival time partly explains their low prevalence. We aimed to assess the risk of transfer to facility-based hemodialysis in patients treated with autonomous PD, assisted PD and HHD.

Methods

This was a retrospective study using data from the REIN registry of patients starting home dialysis in France from 2002 to 2019. The risks of transfer to facility-based hemodialysis (HD) were compared between three modalities of home dialysis (HHD, nurse-assisted PD, autonomous PD) using survival models with a propensity score (PS)-matched and unmatched cohort of patients.

Results

The study included 17 909 patients: 628 in the HHD group, 10 214 in the autonomous PD group, and 7067 in the assisted PD group. During the follow-up period, there were 5347 transfers to facility-based HD. The observed number of transfers was 2458 (13.7%) at 1 year and 5069 (28.3) at 5 years after the start of home dialysis, including 3272 (32%) on autonomous PD, 1648 (23.3%) on assisted PD, and 149 (23.7) on HHD. Owing to clinical characteristics differences, only 38% of HHD patients could be matched to patients from the others group. In the PS-matched cohort, the adjusted Cox model showed no difference in the risk of transfer for assisted PD (cs-HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.75–1.44) or HHD (cs-HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.77–1.48) compared with autonomous PD.

Conclusions

Unlike results from other countries, where nurse assistance is not fully available for PD-associated care, there was no difference in technique survival between autonomous PD, nurse-assisted PD, and HHD in France. This discrepancy may be attributed to our inclusion of a broader spectrum of patients who derive significant benefits from assisted PD.
The validity of pathology codes for biopsy-confirmed kidney disease in the Danish National Patobank
Authors: Møller Marie , Bressendorff Iain , Borg Rikke , Dieperink Hans , Gregersen Jon W , Hansen Helle , Hommel Kristine , Hornum Mads , Ivarsen Per , Jensen Karina H , Jørgensen Morten B , Kristensen Tilde , Krustrup Dorrit , Mose Frank H , Rossing Peter , Otte Kjeld E , Persson Frederik , Schandorff Kristine D , Hansen Ditte
Published: July 2024

Background

This study validates the application of Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine second edition (SNOMED II) codes used to describe medical kidney biopsies in Denmark in encoded form, aiming to support robust epidemiological research on the causes, treatments and prognosis of kidney diseases.

Methods

Kidney biopsy reports from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2018 were randomly extracted from the Danish National Patobank, using SNOMED codes. A 5% sample was selected, and nephrologists assessed the corresponding medical records, assigning each case the applied clinical diagnoses. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values and Cohen's kappa coefficient for the retrieved SNOMED codes were calculated.

Results

A total of 613 kidney biopsies were included. The primary clinical disease groups were glomerular disease (n = 368), tubulointerstitial disease (n = 67), renal vascular disease (n = 51), diabetic nephropathy (n = 51) and various renal disorders (n = 40). Several SNOMED codes were used to describe each clinical disease group and PPV for the combined SNOMED codes were high for glomerular disease (94%), diabetic nephropathy (85%) and systemic diseases affecting the kidney (96%). Conversely, tubulointerstitial disease (62%), renal vascular disease (60%) and other renal disorders (17%) showed lower PPV.

Conclusions

SNOMED codes have a high PPV for glomerular diseases, diabetic nephropathy and systemic diseases affecting the kidney, in which they could be applied for future epidemiological research.
Thermal profiles of Cicindelidia haemorrhagica (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) activity in hot springs in Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Bowley John L , Heveran Chelsea , Weaver David K , Adams Braymond , Rohwer Monica , Willemssens Kelly , Oberg Erik , Higley Leon G , Peterson Robert K D
Published: July 2024

The wetsalts tiger beetle, Cicindelidia haemorrhagica (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), is found in several active thermal hot spring areas in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) where substrate surface temperatures can exceed 50 °C. However, relationships between surface temperatures and the time adults spend on them remain poorly understood. Therefore, we characterized thermal profiles of Dragon Spring and Rabbit Creek, 2 thermally active research sites containing C. haemorrhagica in YNP, to quantify the time adults spend at different surface temperatures. We took 58 thermal video recordings of adults over 6 total days of observation ranging from 10 to 15 min for each adult. Thermal video analysis results indicated a positive relationship between the total time adult beetles spent on surface temperatures from Dragon Spring and Rabbit Creek as temperatures increased from 20 °C. Once surface temperatures exceeded 40 °C, the total time spent at those surface temperatures declined. Adults were recorded on substrates exceeding 50 °C at one of the 2 research locations. Rabbit Creek had substantially more instances of adults present with surface temperatures exceeding 40 °C, including one individual on a surface temperature of 61.5 °C. There were 3 instances of beetles spending more than 4 min at a particular surface temperature, all within the preferred range of 30–40 °C. Our thermal profile results and previous behavioral observations suggest that adults may be resistant to the heat produced from the thermal waters that influence the substrate temperatures but may not be subject to high surface temperatures as previously reported.
Prognostic implications and alterations in left atrial deformation following transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Butcher Steele C , Hirasawa Kensuke , Meucci Maria Chiara , Stassen Jan , Kuneman Jurrien H , Pereira Ana Rita , van der Kley Frank , de Weger Arend , van Rosendael Philippe J , Marsan Nina Ajmone , Playford David , Delgado Victoria , Bax Jeroen J
Published: July 2024

Aims

To evaluate the prognostic implications of the left atrial reservoir strain–defined diastolic dysfunction (LARS-DD) grade in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for severe aortic stenosis (AS) and to determine whether post-TAVI LARS was more closely associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation than pre-TAVI LARS.

Methods and results

Pre-TAVI LARS-DD was evaluated by speckle-tracking echocardiography and was assigned as Grade 0 to 1 (LARS ≥24%), Grade 2 (LARS 19–24%), and Grade 3 (LARS <19%). Patients were followed up for the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality from the date of TAVI. For the secondary endpoint, patients with pre- and post-TAVI LARS measurements and no history of atrial fibrillation were evaluated for the occurrence of new-onset atrial fibrillation. A total of 601 patients [median age 81 (76–85) years, 53% males] were included. Overall, 169 patients (28%) were LARS-DD Grade 0/1, 96 patients (16%) were LARS-DD Grade 2, and 336 (56%) were LARS-DD Grade 3. Over a median follow-up of 40 (interquartile range 26–58) months, a total of 258 (43%) patients died. In a comprehensive multivariable Cox regression model, the LARS-DD grade was independently associated with all-cause mortality [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.28 per one-grade increase, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–1.53, P = 0.007]. For the secondary endpoint of new-onset atrial fibrillation, a total of 285 patients were evaluated. Post-TAVI LARS (subdistributional HR 1.14 per 1% <20%, 95% CI 1.05–1.23, P = 0.0009), but not pre-TAVI LARS (P = 0.93), was independently associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation.

Conclusion

An increased LARS-DD grade was independently associated with long-term post-TAVI survival in patients with severe AS. Post-TAVI LARS was closely related to the occurrence of new-onset atrial fibrillation.
New ways of mitigating aldosterone in cardiorenal disease
Authors: Götzinger Felix , Kunz Michael , Lauder Lucas , Böhm Michael , Mahfoud Felix
Published: July 2024

Steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) bind to the mineralocorticoid receptor and antagonize the effects of aldosterone, which contributes to the development and progression of cardio- and renovascular diseases. Guidelines recommend steroidal MRAs in patients with heart failure with reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction, as they reduce morbidity and mortality. In heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, MRAs have not convincingly shown to improve prognosis. Steroidal MRAs delay the progression of chronic kidney disease, reduce proteinuria and lower blood pressure in resistant hypertension but can induce hyperkalaemia. Due to their limited selectivity to the mineralocorticoid receptor, steroidal MRAs can cause significant adverse effects, i.e. libido loss, erectile dysfunction, gynaecomastia, and amenorrhoea, leading to low rates of persistance. Against this background, new avenues for developing non-steroidal, selective (ns)MRAs and aldosterone-synthase inhibitors have been taken. Finerenone has been shown to delay the progression of diabetic nephropathy and lower the incidence of heart failure hospitalizations in patients with chronic kidney disease and diabetes compared with placebo. Finerenone has therefore been recommended by the 2023 European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for the management of diabetes in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Further randomized controlled trials assessing the safety and effectiveness of finerenone in patients with heart failure are currently ongoing. Esaxerenone provides antihypertensive effects and has been approved for the treatment of hypertension in Japan. Baxdrostat and lorundostat, novel selective aldosterone-synthase inhibitors, are currently under investigation. In phase II trials, baxdrostat and lorundostat were safe and effective in lowering blood pressure in resistant hypertension. In this review, we summarize and critically discuss the evidence for new drugs mitigating aldosterone in heart failure, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease.
Social selection analysis reveals limited effect of neighbors’ traits in Tree swallows
Authors: Labonté-Dupras Marie-Ève , Houle Carolyne , Pelletier Fanie , Garant Dany
Published: July 2024

Social interactions are ubiquitous in nature and can shape the fitness of individuals through social selection. This type of selection arises when phenotypes of neighbors influence the fitness of a focal individual. Quantifying social selection is crucial to better characterize the overall selective landscape. For example, if intraspecific competition is strong, traits that are beneficial for an individual could be detrimental to competitors. In this study, we quantified social selection acting on three key ecological traits (body mass, wing length, and laying date) in wild Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) females. We used reproductive success measured at three stages throughout the breeding season as fitness proxies to assess selection acting at those decisive moments. We also quantified the effects of environment on selection using measures of conspecifics’ density, type of agricultural landscape, and presence of interspecific competitors. Overall, we found no strong evidence of social selection on these traits in our study system, although there were marginally nonsignificant selection gradients suggesting the positive effect of larger neighbors. Environmental variables affected reproductive success but did not strongly affect social selection gradients. Our study calls for more social selection estimates to be reported across environments to better understand its importance in wild populations.
On the evolutionary origin of discrete phenotypic plasticity
Authors: Sakamoto Takahiro , Innan Hideki
Published: July 2024

Phenotypic plasticity provides an attractive strategy for adapting to various environments, but the evolutionary mechanism of the underlying genetic system is poorly understood. We use a simple gene regulatory network model to explore how a species acquires phenotypic plasticity, particularly focusing on discrete phenotypic plasticity, which has been difficult to explain by quantitative genetic models. Our approach employs a population genetic framework that integrates the developmental process, where each individual undergoes growth to develop its phenotype, which subsequently becomes subject to selection pressures. Our model considers two alternative types of environments, with the gene regulatory network including a sensor gene that turns on and off depending on the type of environment. With this assumption, we demonstrate that the system gradually adapts by acquiring the ability to produce two distinct optimum phenotypes under two types of environments without changing genotype, resulting in phenotypic plasticity. We find that the resulting plasticity is often discrete after a lengthy period of evolution. Our results suggest that gene regulatory networks have a notable capacity to flexibly produce various phenotypes in response to environmental changes. This study also shows that the evolutionary dynamics of phenotype may differ significantly between mechanistic-based developmental models and quantitative genetics models, suggesting the utility of incorporating gene regulatory networks into evolutionary models.
The politicization of diplomacy: a comparative study of ambassador appointments
Authors: Niklasson Birgitta , Jezierska Katarzyna
Published: July 2024

A politicization of diplomacy weakens the professionalism of the foreign service and arguably endangers the external relations of states. Yet, this phenomenon has largely escaped scholarly scrutiny. Public administration research on politicization usually overlooks the foreign service, whereas diplomacy scholars have focused almost exclusively on the United States. Our exploratory study of ambassador appointments compares the levels and modes of politicization (through politically connected professionals, or political appointees) of 669 ambassadors in 2019, across seven countries and three administrative traditions. The analysis is guided by three expectations: 1) countries that are more politicized overall appoint more non-career ambassadors; 2) patronage recruitment of political appointees focuses on low-hardship postings; and 3) politically connected professionals are used to control politically important foreign missions. We find that states politicize their foreign services to a varied degree and in different ways. Appointing politically connected professionals instead of political appointees is the most common way of politicization among our cases. In this regard, the US is an outlier, which also points to the need of studying politicization of diplomacy comparatively. This article thus makes an important contribution by setting the agenda for future research on this hitherto underexplored topic.
The rise of Mali's ‘videomen’ as cybercombatants in global crisis ecologies
Authors: Cold-Ravnkilde Signe Marie , Sylla Almamy
Published: July 2024

This article examines the geopolitical shifts in Mali following its rejection of western intervention and subsequent partnerships with Russia. Mali is used as a case-study to explore the role of digital connectivity within global crisis ecologies. It challenges the narrative attributing Mali's coup solely to external influences, emphasizing the agency of local actors and new digital practices. Focusing on the role of ‘videomen’ in disseminating the narratives of Yèrèwolo, Mali's foremost anti-French and pro-Russian political movement, it examines how these actors shape public perceptions of Mali's new military leaders and their international partners. Using an assemblage framework to analyse smartphones' affordances, the nuanced dynamics shaping political legitimacy are elucidated, emphasizing the performative nature of authority in the digital age. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and quantitative analysis of online content, the article highlights how smartphones empower users like videomen to influence political dynamics amid crisis and geopolitical tensions. By reconstructing past events and reclaiming patriotism, videomen strategically use the political transition to outcompete traditional media professionals. The study underscores the need for understanding how localized dynamics shape broader political developments and international relations, offering insights into similar trends in other west African nations facing military coups and increased Russian involvement.
The Russian factor: emotions, narratives and reshaping China's norms in international conflicts
Authors: Lu Xiaoyu , Zhang Tinghao
Published: July 2024

How did Russia, despite being in a weaker position, exercise a continuous and resilient influence on China's normative approach to international conflicts from Syria to Ukraine? This article proposes a theoretical framework that connects the affective turn and norm studies in International Relations. It conceptualizes emotions as the affective infrastructure of norm scripts: shared political feelings create resonance, based on which persuasive narratives work to maintain solidarity and institutionalize normative changes. Drawing on primary Russian and Chinese resources and using process tracing to identify critical junctures in the partnership and institutional channels for Russian campaigns, this article demonstrates how China's alignment with Russia is not solely based on geopolitical interests or constructed identities but rather a result of feelings of isolation and marginalization that firstly resonated with and then exploited by Russian actors. Furthermore, this article identifies three types of persuasive narratives used to construct continuity, analogy and identification in consolidating emotional resonance around the threat of a homogenous West and inducing normative convergence. This drives China to adopt policies in conflict with national interests and norms on sovereignty and territorial integrity that trigger a reflective assessment of the Russian influence, while underlining the growing importance of emotion diplomacy.
Xerox soldiers, YouTube commanders and Twitter brigades: information warfare in eastern Congo
Authors: Vogel Christoph N , Musamba Josaphat
Published: July 2024

Researching contemporary warfare requires attention to digital connectivity in contexts of crisis and conflict. This article traces the evolution of information warfare with a focus on the digitization, democratization and polarization of conflict-related communication and discourse. We argue that information warfare amplifies with the advent of social media—multiplying the scales for the conduct of hostilities, reducing distance and duration, and democratizing participation—notably in Africa, a continent often considered a trailblazer of digital innovation. Orthodox scholarship, however, tends to focus disproportionately on cases relevant to the global North. Examples include the global ‘war on terror’ or the Russian war against Ukraine. Investigating protracted violent conflict in the global South instead, our analysis fills an important gap in this literature. Through the prism of the African Great Lakes region, the world's deadliest contemporary war zone, we leverage a counterintuitive perspective of a conflict considered backwards in mainstream analysis. Drawing from long-term field research and digital ethnography, we propose the notion of ‘reciprocal warscapes’, where not only do battlefield events influence the underlying politics of conflict but where, reciprocally, digital warfare increasingly shapes the conduct of war itself.
Let’s Talk About Sex: Instructor Views and Hesitancies Related to Sex and Gender in the Biology Classroom
Authors: Lewis A Kelsey , Josefson Chloe C , Orr Teri J , Harris Breanna N
Published: July 2024

Synopsis

There is much current debate in the United States regarding how sex and gender are approached in science and medical classrooms. There does not seem to be sufficient consensus around why it must be taught and how it should be implemented. State-enacted restrictions to both education and healthcare in recent years demonstrate the relevance and importance of sex and gender in the college classroom, not only including but especially in the biology classroom. Given the areas comprising the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), these topics of sex and gender in biology instruction are incredibly salient to our members. Thus, this survey aimed to determine instructors’ views of and experiences with sex-diverse gender-inclusive biology. College-level biology instructors who are members of SICB were surveyed about their views of science, views of sex and gender, teaching philosophy, and their experiences with inclusive teaching and with sex-diverse gender-inclusive teaching. The resulting data lead us to implore academic biology to provide more sex-diverse and gender-inclusive teaching tools and resources to educators, while minimizing potential fear of retaliation and backlash to instructors who utilize these teaching methods.
Wax “Tails” Enable Planthopper Nymphs to Self-Right Midair and Land on Their Feet
Authors: McDonald Christina L , Alcalde Gerwin T , Jones Thomas C , Laude Ruby Ana P , Yap Sheryl A , Bhamla Saad
Published: July 2024

Synopsis

The striking appearance of wax ‘tails’—posterior wax projections on planthopper nymphs—has captivated entomologists and naturalists alike. Despite their intriguing presence, the functional roles of these formations remain largely unexplored. This study leverages high-speed imaging to uncover the biomechanical implications of wax structures in the aerial dynamics of planthopper nymphs (Ricania sp.). We quantitatively demonstrate that removing wax tails significantly increases body rotations during jumps. Specifically, nymphs without wax undergo continuous rotations, averaging 4.2 ± 1.8 per jump, in contrast to wax-intact nymphs, who do not complete a full rotation, averaging only 0.7 ± 0.2 per jump. This along with significant reductions in angular and translational velocity from takeoff to landing suggest that aerodynamic drag forces on wax structures effectively counteract rotation. These stark differences in body rotation correlate with landing success: Nymphs with wax intact achieve a near perfect landing rate of 98.5%, while those without wax manage only a 35.5% success rate. Jump trajectory analysis reveals that wax-intact jumps transition from parabolic to asymmetric shapes at higher takeoff velocities and show a significantly greater reduction in velocity from takeoff to landing compared to wax-removed jumps, demonstrating how wax structures help nymphs achieve more stable and controlled descents. Our findings confirm the aerodynamic self-righting functionality of wax tails in stabilizing planthopper nymph landings, advancing our understanding of the complex relationship between wax morphology and aerial maneuverability, with broader implications for wingless insect aerial adaptations and bioinspired robotics.
Developing-Country Representation and Public Attitudes toward International Organizations: The Case of IMF Governance Reform
Authors: McDowell Daniel , Steinberg David , Aytaç S Erdem , Gueorguiev Dimitar
Published: July 2024

Several prominent international organizations (IOs) maintain decision-making structures that under-represent developing countries. This paper argues that individuals in developing countries are more supportive of engaging with IOs that give a greater voice to fellow developing countries. We posit that the balance of decision-making power influences support for IOs by improving perceptions of both input legitimacy and output legitimacy. Empirically, we focus on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and draw on original survey experiments in four developing countries: Argentina, China, South Africa, and Turkey. Results reveal that increased representation of developing countries increases public support for IMF participation. We also find consistent evidence that this effect works through an input legitimacy mechanism, specifically by improving perceptions of procedural fairness. These findings suggest that public support for IOs is affected by the balance of decision-making power within these organizations.
Caregivers and Clinic Providers View Soft Casts for Pediatric Hand Burns as Acceptable and Feasible: A Mixed Methods Survey
Authors: Schuh Jennifer M , Linzell Leanna L , Abebrese Emmanuel L , Flynn-O’Brien Katherine T
Published: July 2024

Soft casts have been introduced as an efficacious strategy to manage hand burns that simplifies wound care for families. We hypothesized that the outpatient use of soft casts in pediatric hand burns would be viewed as acceptable by patient caregivers and providers, logistically feasible, and result in satisfactory clinical outcomes. A review was performed of pediatric clinic patients managed with soft casts since implementation (9/2022-9/2023). Patient caregivers and providers were surveyed. The primary outcome was the acceptability of soft casts as a management strategy (questions targeted care burden, overall satisfaction, comfort, pragmatism, and healing concerns). The secondary outcome was feasibility (effect on clinic workflow, and efficiency). Survey responses were collected from 70% of caregivers and 95% of providers. Responses overwhelmingly favored soft cast acceptability. Among providers, 84% agreed that “the soft cast method simplified the hand burn care experience in our clinic” and 100% indicated “the soft cast was easy for parents to manage at home” (Likert range 7-10, mode 10). Thirty-three English-speaking patients with partial and full-thickness hand burns were managed with soft casts. A mean of 1.8 reapplications (mode 1, range 1-5) was required with a median healing time of 13 days. No infections were attributed to the use of soft casting, and only 1 patient ultimately required grafting. Overall, the introduction of soft casts as a management strategy for pediatric hand burns was acceptable and feasible. The clinical outcomes assessed suggest soft casts are associated with good wound healing with minimal wound care responsibilities for patients and families.
A new genus and species of mantis shrimp from Australia and Japan (Stomatopoda: Tetrasquillidae), with a revised diagnosis of Tetrasquillidae and a key to its genera
Authors: Ahyong Shane T , Nakajima Hiroki , Naruse Tohru
Published: July 2024

A new genus and species of lysiosquilloid mantis shrimp is described from Australia and Japan. It is unique in Stomatopoda by its unusual telson ornamentation in which the short intermediate and lateral primary teeth, accompanied by a row of short, graded serrations inward of the intermediate teeth, partially overhang a row of minute submarginal denticles. Although distinctive as a new genus and species, Incertasquilla chimeragen. et sp. nov. does not fit clearly into existing lysiosquilloid families as currently diagnosed and, in some respects, shares a mosaic of features present in several families. Incertasquilla chimeragen. et sp. nov., however, currently fits best into Tetrasquillidae, where it is tentatively placed, although further phylogenetic study may show it belongs in a separate family altogether. In the light of the new character combinations presented by the discovery of Incertasquilla chimeragen. et sp. nov., a revised diagnosis for Tetrasquillidae and updated key to the genera are provided. The discovery of Incertasquilla chimeragen. et sp. nov. expands the described lysiosquilloid fauna to 14 genera and 30 species in Australia, and 10 and 16 in Japan, respectively.
Continued decline in sublethal effects of Bt toxins on Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in field corn
Authors: Bryant Tim B , Greene Jeremy K , Reisig Dominic , Reay-Jones Francis P F
Published: July 2024

The majority of field corn, Zea mays L., in the southeastern United States has been genetically engineered to express insecticidal toxins produced by the soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Field corn is the most important mid-season host for corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which has developed resistance to all Cry toxins in Bt corn. From 2020 to 2023, corn earworm pupae were collected from early- and late-planted pyramided hybrids expressing Bt toxins and non-Bt near-isolines in North and South Carolina (16 trials). A total of 5,856 pupae were collected across all trials, with 55 and 88% more pupae collected in later-planted trials relative to early plantings in North and South Carolina, respectively. Only 20 pupae were collected from hybrids expressing Cry1F + Cry1Ab + Vip3A20 across all trials. Averaged across trials, Cry1A.105 + Cry2Ab2 hybrids reduced pupal weight by 6 and 9% in North and South Carolina, respectively, relative to the non-Bt near-isoline. Cry1F + Cry1Ab hybrids reduced pupal weight on average by 3 and 8% in North and South Carolina, respectively, relative to the non-Bt near-isoline. The impact of the Bt toxins on pupal weight varied among trials. When combined with data from 2014 to 2019 from previous studies, a significant decline in the percent reduction in pupal weight over time was found in both states and hybrid families. This study demonstrates a continued decline in the sublethal impacts of Bt toxins on corn earworm, emphasizing the importance of insect resistance management practices.
Major merger fraction along the massive galaxy-quenching channel at 0.2 < z < 0.7
Authors: Inoue Shin , Ohta Kouji , Asada Yoshihisa , Sawicki Marcin , Desprez Guillaume , Gwyn Stephen , Picouet Vincent
Published: July 2024

We study the major merger fraction along the massive galaxy-quenching channel (traced with rest-frame $\mathrm{NUV}-r$ color) at z = 0.2–0.7, aiming to examine the cosmic web detachment (CWD) scenario of galaxy quenching. In this scenario, the major merger fraction is expected to be high in green-valley galaxies as compared with those in star-forming and quiescent galaxies of similar stellar mass. We used photometry in the E-COSMOS field to select 1491 (2334) massive ($M_\ast \\gt 10^{9.5}\, M_{\odot }$) galaxies with $m_i\\lt 22$ mag ($m_z\\lt 22$ mag) at z = 0.2–0.4 (z = 0.4–0.7) in the rest-frame color range of $0.8\\lt r-K_{\rm s}\\lt 1.3$. We define a major galaxy–galaxy merger as a galaxy pair of comparable angular size and luminosity with tidal tails or bridges, and we identified such major mergers through visual inspection of Subaru HSC-SSP PDR 2 i- and z-band images. We classify 92 (123) galaxies as major merger galaxies at z = 0.2–0.4 (z = 0.4–0.7). The resulting major merger fraction is 5%–6% and this fraction does not change with galaxy color along the massive galaxy-quenching channel. The result is not consistent with the expectation based of the CWD scenario as the dominant mechanism of massive galaxy quenching. However, there are some caveats such as (i) the mergers that cause quenching may lose their visible merger signatures rapidly before they enter the green valley, (ii) our method may not trace the cosmic web sufficiently well, and (iii) because of our mass limit, most of the galaxies in our sample may have already experienced CWD events at higher redshifts than those studied here. Further studies with deeper data are desirable in the future.
CALPAGAN: Calorimetry for Particles Using Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Simsek Ebru , Isildak Bora , Dogru Anil , Aydogan Reyhan , Bayrak Burak , Ertekin Seyda
Published: July 2024

In this study, a novel approach is demonstrated for converting calorimeter images from fast simulations to those akin to comprehensive full simulations, utilizing conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). The concept of Pix2pix is tailored for CALPAGAN, where images from fast simulations serve as the basis (condition) for generating outputs that closely resemble those from detailed simulations. The findings indicate a strong correlation between the generated images and those from full simulations, especially in terms of key observables like jet transverse momentum distribution, jet mass, jet subjettiness, and jet girth. Additionally, the paper explores the efficacy of this method and its intrinsic limitations. This research marks a significant step towards exploring more efficient simulation methodologies in high-energy particle physics.
Seeking help for perinatal depression and anxiety: a systematic review of systematic reviews from an interdependent perspective
Authors: Bina Rena , Uka Ana , Costa Raquel , Tuval-Mashiach Rivka
Published: July 2024

Background

Seeking help for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders is crucial for women’s mental health and babies’ development, yet many women do not seek help for their condition and remain undiagnosed and untreated. This systematic review of systematic reviews aimed at summarizing and synthesizing findings from all systematic reviews on seeking help for PMAD in the context of interdependence theory, highlighting the interdependent relationship between women and healthcare providers and how it may impact women’s seeking-help process.

Methods

Four electronic databases were searched, and 18 studies published up to 2023 met inclusion criteria for review.

Results

The capability, opportunity and motivation model of behavior was used as a framework for organizing and presenting the results. Results demonstrate that seeking help for PMAD is a function of the interdependent relationship between perinatal women’s and healthcare providers’ psychological and physical capabilities, social and physical opportunities, and their reflective and automatic motivation.

Conclusions

Unmet needs in perinatal mental healthcare is an important public health problem. This systematic review of systematic reviews highlights key factors for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to consider to optimize healthcare systems and interventions in a way that enhances perinatal women’s treatment whenever necessary.
Job insecurity as a predictor of gray divorce: a gendered dyadic analysis
Authors: Donnelly Rachel
Published: July 2024

Divorce among older adults—known as gray divorce—is increasingly common; however, we have a relative gap in knowledge about predictors of gray divorce. Job insecurity, a pervasive and disruptive work-related exposure, may be a salient predictor of divorce among older couples for whom job loss can be particularly detrimental. Using longitudinal dyadic data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998–2020), the present study examined whether labor force status and job insecurity were prospectively associated with the risk of divorce in mid to later life, with attention to differences based on gender (n = 10,446 couples). Discrete-time event history models linked husbands’ and wives’ labor force status and job insecurity with subsequent odds of divorce in mid to later life. Findings show that husbands’ part-time employment, unemployment, and disability status were risk factors for divorce. Wives’ work disability also increased the risk of divorce, whereas wives’ retirement and exclusion from the labor force were protective against divorce. Husbands’ exposure to objective job insecurity (shorter job tenure) and perceived job insecurity were associated with divorce in mid to later life, whereas the adverse consequence of wives’ exposure to shorter job tenure reduced to non-significance with the inclusion of covariates. The present study documents previously untested predictors of gray divorce, finding that work-related factors may be an area of vulnerability for marriages in later life. Understanding the linkages between job insecurity and divorce is important because job insecurity is pervasive and divorce can contribute to declines in health and well-being.