bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Interpersonal Violence Reported by Autistic Adults: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gibbs Vicki , Gallagher Emma , Hudson Jennie , Pellicano Elizabeth
Published: January 2024

This article provides a systematic review of the prevalence and risk factors associated with interpersonal violence reported by autistic adults. A systematic search of electronic data bases for peer-reviewed journal articles in English was conducted. The search identified 16 studies that addressed rates and/or risk factors for interpersonal violence. There was wide variation in prevalence rates which was attributed to differences in types of violence being investigated, definitions and measures used, age range and gender of participants and time-frame covered. Overall results indicated that rates may be higher than in the general population. Twelve studies reported on possible risk factors with both individual and broader social factors identified. Further research utilising longitudinal design and validated measures is needed.
Multi-objective non-linear programming problem with rough interval parameters: an application in municipal solid waste management
Authors: Shivani  , Rani Deepika , Ebrahimnejad Ali , Gupta Gourav
Published: January 2024

In dealing with the real-world optimization problems, a decision-maker has to frequently face the ambiguity and hesitancy due to various uncontrollable circumstances. Rough set theory has emerged as an indispensable tool for representing this ambiguity because of its characteristic of incorporating agreement and understanding of all the involved specialists and producing more realistic conclusions. This paper studies an application of the rough set theory for a multi-objective non-linear programming problem that originates for the management of solid wastes. Municipal solid waste management is a global problem that affects every country. Because of the poor waste management system in many nations, the bulk of municipal solid waste is disposed of in open landfills with no recovery mechanism. Hence, an effective and long term waste management strategy is the demand of the day. This research offers an incinerating, composting, recycling, and disposing system for the long-term management of the municipal solid waste. A model for the municipal solid waste management with the goal of minimizing the cost of waste transportation, cost of waste treatment and maximizing the revenue generated from various treatment facilities is developed under rough interval environment. To tackle the conflicting nature of different objectives, an approach is proposed that gives the optimistic and pessimistic views of the decision-maker for optimizing the proposed model. Also, the biasness/preference of the decision-maker for a specific objective is handled by establishing the respective non-linear membership and non-membership functions instead of the linear ones. Finally, to demonstrates the practicality of the proposed methodology, a case study is solved and the obtained Pareto-optimal solution has been compared to those obtained by the existing approaches.
A remark on generalized abundance for surfaces
Authors: Fontanari Claudio
Published: January 2024

Let $$(X, \Delta )$$

(
X
,
Δ
)

be a projective klt pair of dimension 2 and let L be a nef Cartier divisor on X such that $$K_X + \Delta + L$$

K
X

+
Δ
+
L

is nef. As a complement to the Generalized Abundance Conjecture by Lazić and Peternell, we prove that if $$K_X + \Delta $$

K
X

+
Δ

and L are not proportional modulo numerical equivalence, then $$K_X + \Delta + L$$

K
X

+
Δ
+
L

is semiample. An example due to Lazić shows that this is no longer true in any dimension $$n \geqslant 3$$

n
⩾
3

.
Groundwater exploration in a granite aquifer using the telluric electric frequency selection method (TEFSM) in Eswatini, Southern Africa
Authors: Gomo Modreck , Ngobe Thandeka
Published: January 2024

Recent technology development has enabled the use of electric potential difference (EPD) in the telluric electric frequency selection method (TEFSM) geophysical approach for groundwater exploration. As a new approach, there is a need to build knowledge and experience in the application of the TEFSM geophysical approach in groundwater exploration in different hydrogeological settings. Hard rock granite aquifers are one of those aquifers where the TEFSM geophysical approach to exploring groundwater is yet to be investigated. In this study, a geophysical survey to identify four drilling sites for community boreholes was first conducted using the TEFSM approach. Vertical electrical profiles (VEP) of EPD up to 120 m per station were analyzed and interpreted to identify the depths of potential aquifers prior to drilling. The EPD VEP was then corroborated with borehole lithology data collected from the drilling to provide hydrogeophysical meaning to the data. The results show that groundwater occurs in the weathered granite layers. However, the water strikes appear to occur at the contact plane between the overlying weathered granite and the underlying fresh amphibolite. This suggests that the groundwater is stored in the weathered granite while the contact plane at fresh amphibolite is a preferential flow path. The granite aquifer at the study site is characterized by the EPD ranging from 0.018 to 0.068 mV. However, not all geological materials in this EPD range had water, some were just a reflection of weathering. The TEFSM geophysical approach was able to delineate layers of weathered granite aquifers and impermeable amphibolite based on low and high EPD contrasts, respectively. The findings assist in improving the practical understanding of the application of TEFSM to delineate aquifers and site boreholes in granite aquifers.
Formative Assessment Strategies by Monitoring Science Students’ Problem-Solving Skill Development
Authors: Pals Frits F. B. , Tolboom Jos L. J. , Suhre Cor J. M.
Published: January 2024

To be able to support students’ competence development in solving physics problems over the course of a lesson series effectively, teachers need a proper appreciation of students’ deficiencies. As teachers commonly assess students’ competence by means of written tests, teachers are challenged to interpret students’ work on these tests and to intervene when some students fail to understand the proper application of solution methods in different contexts. This paper evaluates a formative assessment practice where teachers have been instructed to pinpoint students’ level of understanding of kinematics problems by means of a cognitive diagnostic instrument and to provide personalized hints that match students’ current level of understanding. The study is novel in this sense that the assessment of written tests results of students’ problem solving is not expressed in grades and pass rates, but in terms of cognitive level of understanding. The results show that teachers can determine and monitor shifts of performance of students’ cognitive level of understanding by using this instrument. Second, the results indicate that among students with low initial results, the group that received sufficient feedback via sticky notes made significantly more progress in solving problems than the group that did not receive feed forward on sticky notes. Third, the timing of feedback in the form of sticky notes did not affect on students’ progress in achieving mastery at the end of the instruction period. Our conclusion of this study is: Cognition develops through levels and tiers and support is essential to move to the Zone of Proximal Development. Subsequently, we evaluate group and subgroup implications for didactic interventions and propose suggestions for further investigations.
Contribution of changes in the orexin system and energy sensors in the brain in depressive disorder - a study in an animal model
Authors: Głombik Katarzyna , Kukla-Bartoszek Magdalena , Curzytek Katarzyna , Basta-Kaim Agnieszka , Budziszewska Bogusława
Published: January 2024

Background

Maternal elevated glucocorticoid levels during pregnancy can affect the developing fetus, permanently altering the structure and function of its brain throughout life. Excessive action of these hormones is known to contribute to psychiatric disorders, including depression.

Materials

The study was performed in a rat model of depression based on prenatal administration of dexamethasone (DEX) in late pregnancy (0.1 mg/kg, days 14–21). We evaluated the effects of prenatal DEX treatment on the cognition and bioenergetic signaling pathways in the brain of adult male rats, in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, and in response to stress in adulthood, using behavioral and biochemical test batteries.

Results

We revealed cognitive deficits in rats prenatally treated with DEX. At the molecular level, a decrease in the orexin A and orexin B levels and downregulation of the AMPK-SIRT1-PGC1α transduction pathway in the frontal cortex of these animals were observed. In the hippocampus, a decreased expression of orexin B was found and changes in the MR/GR ratio were demonstrated. Furthermore, an increase in HDAC5 level triggered by the prenatal DEX treatment in both brain structures and a decrease in MeCP2 level in the hippocampus were reported.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that prenatal DEX treatment is associated with cognitive dysfunction and alterations in various proteins leading to metabolic changes in the frontal cortex, while in the hippocampus adaptation mechanisms were activated. The presented results imply that different pathophysiological metabolic processes may be involved in depression development, which may be useful in the search for novel therapies.
Between artificial intelligence and customer experience: a literature review on the intersection
Authors: Peruchini Melise , da Silva Gustavo Modena , Teixeira Julio Monteiro
Published: January 2024

This paper is a literature review of the intersection field between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Customer Experience (CX). We analyzed and synthesized the most recent and prominent literature on the subject, providing an overview of the state of the art, through articles found in the Scopus database. Among the main findings, it is noteworthy that this intersection appears as an interdisciplinary topic of interest in the fields of Computer Science, Business and Management, and Engineering. Additionally, studies often examine conversational agents such as chatbots and voicebots, as well as machine learning prediction models and recommendation systems as a way to improve the Customer Experience. The most common sectors in the review are tourism, banking and e-commerce. Other segments and technologies appear less and may be underrepresented, thus a scope for future research agenda. Despite the existing literature, it is observed that there is still substantial space for expansion and exploration, especially considering the emergence of new generative Artificial Intelligence models.
Propagating speedups during quiescence escalate to the 2020–2021 surge of Sít’ Kusá, southeast Alaska
Authors: Liu Jukes , Enderlin Ellyn M. , Bartholomaus Timothy C. , Terleth Yoram , Mikesell Thomas Dylan , Beaud Flavien
Published: January 2024

We use satellite image processing techniques to measure surface elevation and velocity changes on a temperate surging glacier, Sít’ Kusá, throughout its entire 2013–2021 surge cycle. We present detailed records of its dynamic changes during quiescence (2013–2019) and its surge progression (2020–2021). Throughout quiescence, we observe order-of-magnitude speedups that propagate down-glacier seasonally from the glacier's upper northern tributary, above a steep icefall, into the reservoir zone for the surging portion of the glacier. The speedups initiate in fall and gradually accelerate through winter until they peak in late spring, ~1 − 2 months after the onset of melt. Propagation distance of the speedups controls the distribution of mass accumulation in the reservoir zone prior to the surge. Furthermore, the intensity and propagation distance of each year's speedup is correlated with the positive degree day sum from the preceding melt season, suggesting that winter melt storage drives the seasonal speedups. We demonstrate that the speedups are kinematically similar to the 2020–2021 surge, differing mainly in that the surge propagates past the dynamic balance line at the lower limit of the reservoir zone, likely triggered by the exceedance of a tipping point in mass accumulation and basal enthalpy in the reservoir zone.
Revisiting the punitiveness of deportation
Authors: Spalding Amanda
Published: January 2024

Immigration measures such as deportation are currently not regarded as punitive and there has been little exploration of this from a legal perspective. This paper will consider this issue in depth, covering little discussed case law from the European Court of Human Rights. It will also explore how this legal position on deportation does not reflect the findings of other disciplines such as criminology and sociology on how immigration measures are used and experienced as punitive. This paper will build on existing literature by demonstrating the significance of a recent development in UK law to this debate. Section 47 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NBA 2022) introduced a ‘stop the clock’ provision into the Early Removal Scheme for foreign national prisoners. This new provision may prompt the judiciary to revisit the question of whether deportation is punitive in some contexts.
The depletion of star-forming gas by AGN activity in radio sources
Authors: Curran S. J.
Published: January 2024

Cold, neutral interstellar gas, the reservoir for star formation, is traced through the absorption of the 21-cm continuum radiation by neutral hydrogen (Hi). Although detected in one hundred cases in the host galaxies of distant radio sources, only recently have column densities approaching the maximum value observed in Lyman-$\alpha$absorption systems ($N_{{\textrm{H}\,\scriptsize{\textrm{I}}}}\sim 10^{22}$$\textrm{cm}^{-2}$) been found. Here, we explore the implications these have for the hypothesis that the detection rate of Hiabsorption is dominated by photo-ionisation from the active galactic nucleus (AGN). We find, with the addition all of the current searches for Hiabsorption at$z\geq0.1$, a strong correlation between the Hiabsorption strength and the ionising photon rate, with the maximum value at which Hiis detected remaining close to the theoretical value in which all of the neutral gas would be ionised in a large spiral galaxy ($Q_{{\textrm{H}\,\scriptsize{\textrm{I}}}} = 2.9\times10^{56}$ionising photons s$^{-1}$). We also rule out other effects (excitation by the radio continuum and changing gas properties) as the dominant cause for the decrease in the detection rate with redshift. Furthermore, from the maximum theoretical column density, we find that the five high column density systems have spin temperatures close to those of the Milky Way ($T_{\textrm{spin}} \lesssim 300$K), whereas, from our model of a gaseous galactic disc, the Hidetection at$Q_{{\textrm{H}\,\scriptsize{\textrm{I}}}} =2.9\times10^{56}$ s$^{-1}$yields$T_{\textrm{spin}}\sim10\,000$K, consistent with the gas being highly ionised.
Le Bloc québécois et la souveraineté : une analyse des communiqués de presse de 2002 à 2021
Authors: Duval Dominic , Villeneuve-Siconnelly Katryne
Published: January 2024

Comme l'illustrent Bélanger et Nadeau (2009), l'axe identitaire traditionnel au Québec apparait de moins en moins prédominant sur la scène politique québécoise. Cette situation impose l'adoption d'une stratégie différente de la part des divers partis dits souverainistes. Comment se sont articulées ces tentatives de repositionnement au sein du Bloc québécois? Afin d'explorer cette question, nous avons amassé plus de 7500 communiqués de presse diffusés par le parti entre 2002 et 2021. À l'aide de méthodes d'analyse automatisées et une approche deLatent Semantic Scalingdéveloppée par Watanabe (2020), nous illustrons et discutons de la prédominance de l'enjeu souverainiste à travers cette période, ainsi que le ton du parti quant à cet enjeu. Les résultats indiquent que les élections et les résultats de celles-ci jouent un rôle crucial dans la stratégie communicationnelle du Bloc québécois à l’égard de la souveraineté. De façon plus générale, nous observons certaines fluctuations importantes de l'attention accordée à cet enjeu et des variations importantes quant au cadrage de cet enjeu autour des élections. Cette note de recherche apporte un éclairage méthodologique nouveau quant aux théories entourant le réalignement politique en cours au Québec et la saillance qu'occupe le clivage de la souveraineté.
Effects of natamycin, hexanoic acid and Lactobacillus plantarum on fermentation, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of an ensiled total mixed ration containing water bamboo sheath leaves
Authors: Li Xinbao , Liu Haopeng , Dai Tongtong , Dong Dong , Xu Guofeng , Jia Yushan , Shao Tao
Published: January 2024

The work aimed to evaluate the effect of lactic acid bacteria, natamycin and hexanoic acid on the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of total mixed ration (TMR) silages containing water bamboo sheath leaves. The treatments were as follows: (1) no additives (control, C), (2) lactic acid bacteria (L), (3) natamycin (N), (4) hexanoic acid (H), (5) lactic acid bacteria + natamycin (LN), (6) lactic acid bacteria + hexanoic acid (LH). Silos were opened and silages were evaluated to assess fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility. All TMR silages were well-preserved as indicated by dominant lactic acid content, low ammonia nitrogen/total nitrogen, trace propionic acid and negligible butyric acid contents. All additives improved the fermentation quality and in vitro digestibility, evidenced by higher lactic acid/acetic acid ratio, lactic acid, acetic acid, water-soluble carbohydrate contents and lactic acid bacteria count, and lower pH, aerobic bacteria and yeast counts. The LN had the highest lactic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid/acetic acid ratio, in vitro gas production and in vitro digestibility. During aerobic exposure, the LN silage had the highest lactic acid and acetic acid contents, and the lowest pH among all TMR silages. The LN and LH prolonged aerobic stability, reaching 85.5 and 81.5 h, respectively. The LN is recommended to improve the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of TMR prepared with water bamboo sheath leaves.
Household Financial Decision-Making After Natural Disasters: Evidence from Hurricane Harvey
Authors: del Valle Alejandro , Scharlemann Therese , Shore Stephen
Published: January 2024

We study household credit responses to Hurricane Harvey using new, geographically granular data on credit cards, mortgages, and flooding. Estimates from a differences-in-differences design that exploits the flooding gradient show that affected households only borrow at low-interest rates, often using promotional (zero interest) cards and that they quickly pay down balances. We also document that take-up of forbearance (borrowing by missing mortgage payments without penalty) increases with flooding. These results are attenuated in floodplains, particularly in structures subject by code to physical hardening. Our results indicate that credit acts as a substitute for the lack of physical hardening.
Eunuchs in Burmese history: An overview
Authors: Bowie Katherine A.
Published: January 2024

Despite the fact that Burmese courts had sizeable harems and that eunuchs are typically associated with harems, little attention has been paid to the presence of eunuchs in Burmese courts. This essay provides an overview of the existing English-language literature on eunuchs in Burmese courts, focusing on the three Burmese courts for which mention of eunuchs has survived in the historical record, namely the court at Pegu of the Taungoo dynasty (1486–1599), the court of Mrauk U of the Arakan kingdom (1429–1785), and the so-called ‘Court of Ava’ of the Konbaung dynasty (1765–1885). Noting the descriptions of eunuchs as Muslim, the essay considers the evidence regarding their numbers, their functions, and their possible origins.
Spectres of a dictatorship: Law's limit concepts in Lino Brocka's Orapronobis
Authors: Bagulaya José Duke
Published: January 2024

This article reads Filipino director Lino Brocka's film Orapronobis (1989) as a commentary on the 1987 Philippine Constitution, a post-dictatorship document which the director helped draft as a member of the Philippine Constitutional Commission. Using a ‘law and film’ approach, the article argues that the film visualises law's limit concepts such as the state of exception, hostis generis humani, and constituent power. The film depicts the failure of words to control the political world that results in a dystopian constitutional order where human rights monsters and revolutionaries contend. Through an exploration of law's limit concepts, Brocka's Orapronobis represents the limits of Philippine constitutionalism.
Comparative advantage, specialized viticulture, and the economic development of Gallia Narbonensis
Authors: Rice Candace M.
Published: January 2024

This paper explores the processes of specialized viticulture in the province of Gallia Narbonensis over the first three centuries CE and brings this evidence to bear on broader economic questions, particularly as they relate to the effects of connectivity and globalization on Roman economic development. Evidence from small farms to sprawling villas suggests that specialized production stretched across multiple strata of society in Narbonensis, from so-called peasants to the wealthiest elites. The existence of specialized agricultural production at the scale documented in Narbonensis required significant demand, well-connected and integrated markets, sustained trade, and an awareness of these economic factors by the residents of the province. The evidence presented here demonstrates that the residents of Narbonensis recognized that they were part of an economic environment in which high levels of connectivity and integrated markets allowed them to pursue more profitable production strategies and that they pursued these opportunities.
RT-SCNNs: real-time spiking convolutional neural networks for a novel hand gesture recognition using time-domain mm-wave radar data
Authors: Shaaban Ahmed , Strobel Maximilian , Furtner Wolfgang , Weigel Robert , Lurz Fabian
Published: January 2024

This study introduces a novel approach to radar-based hand gesture recognition (HGR), addressing the challenges of energy efficiency and reliability by employing real-time gesture recognition at the frame level. Our solution bypasses the computationally expensive preprocessing steps, such as 2D fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), traditionally employed for range-Doppler information generation. Instead, we capitalize on time-domain radar data and harness the energy-efficient capabilities of spiking neural networks (SNNs) models, recognized for their sparsity and spikes-based communication, thus optimizing the overall energy efficiency of our proposed solution. Experimental results affirm the effectiveness of our approach, showcasing significant classification accuracy on the test dataset, with peak performance achieving a mean accuracy of 99.75%. To further validate the reliability of our solution, individuals who have not participated in the dataset collection conduct real-time live testing, demonstrating the consistency of our theoretical findings. Real-time inference reveals a substantial degree of spikes sparsity, ranging from 75% to 97%, depending on the presence or absence of a performed gesture. By eliminating the computational burden of preprocessing steps and leveraging the power of (SNNs), our solution presents a promising alternative that enhances the performance and usability of radar-based (HGR) systems.
Seaweed as a Resilient Food Solution After a Nuclear War
Authors: Jehn Florian Ulrich , Dingal Farrah Jasmine , Mill Aron , Harrison Cheryl , Ilin Ekaterina , Roleda Michael Y. , James Scott C. , Denkenberger David
Published: January 2024

Abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios such as a nuclear winter caused by the burning of cities in a nuclear war, an asteroid/comet impact or an eruption of a large volcano inject large amounts of particles in the atmosphere, which limit sunlight. This could decimate agriculture as it is practiced today. We therefore need resilient food sources for such an event. One promising candidate is seaweed, as it can grow quickly in a wide range of environmental conditions. To explore the feasibility of seaweed after nuclear war, we simulate the growth of seaweed on a global scale using an empirical model based on Gracilaria tikvahiae forced by nuclear winter climate simulations. We assess how quickly global seaweed production could be scaled to provide a significant fraction of global food demand. We find seaweed can be grown in tropical oceans, even after nuclear war. The simulated growth is high enough to allow a scale up to an equivalent of 45% of the global human food demand (spread among food, animal feed, and biofuels) in around 9–14 months, while only using a small fraction of the global ocean area. The main limiting factor being the speed at which new seaweed farms can be built. The results also show that the growth of seaweed increases with the severity of the nuclear war, as more nutrients become available due to increased vertical mixing. This means that seaweed has the potential to be a viable resilient food source for abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios.
Probabilistic Assessment of Global Drought Recovery and Its Response to Precipitation Changes
Authors: Zhang Limin , Yuan Fei , He Xiaogang
Published: January 2024

Accurate assessment of drought recovery probability is crucial for proactive strategies in cost‐effective water resource allocation, resilient agriculture management, and sustainable energy planning. However, there has been a notable gap in assessing drought recovery from a probabilistic and multi‐variate perspective. Here, we develop a Vine Copula‐based framework to quantify global drought recovery probability and explore its elasticity to precipitation changes. Compared to the historical period (1951–1983), 51% of global land has become increasingly difficult to recover from extreme droughts over 1984–2016 within 8–14 days during growing seasons. Furthermore, the response of global drought recovery to precipitation changes depends on the background climate and varies asymmetrically between wet and dry conditions. Under an extremely wet climate, a 1% historical precipitation increase yields a mere 0.5% increase in global median drought recovery probability during June‐July‐August, but can lead to a pronounced 6.6% increase if climate gets extremely drier.
Integration of a Deep‐Learning‐Based Fire Model Into a Global Land Surface Model
Authors: Son Rackhun , Stacke Tobias , Gayler Veronika , Nabel Julia E. M. S. , Schnur Reiner , Alonso Lazaro , Requena‐Mesa Christian , Winkler Alexander J. , Hantson Stijn , Zaehle Sönke , Weber Ulrich , Carvalhais Nuno
Published: January 2024

Fire is a crucial factor in terrestrial ecosystems playing a role in disturbance for vegetation dynamics. Process‐based fire models quantify fire disturbance effects in stand‐alone dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) and their advances have incorporated both descriptions of natural processes and anthropogenic drivers. Nevertheless, these models show limited skill in modeling fire events at the global scale, due to stochastic characteristics of fire occurrence and behavior as well as the limits in empirical parameterizations in process‐based models. As an alternative, machine learning has shown the capability of providing robust diagnostics of fire regimes. Here, we develop a deep‐learning‐based fire model (DL‐fire) to estimate daily burnt area fraction at the global scale and couple it within JSBACH4, the land surface model used in the ICON‐ESM. The stand‐alone DL‐fire model forced with meteorological, terrestrial and socio‐economic variables is able to simulate global total burnt area, showing 0.8 of monthly correlation (rm) with GFED4 during the evaluation period (2011–2015). The performance remains similar with the hybrid modeling approach JSB4‐DL‐fire (rm = 0.79) outperforming the currently used uncalibrated standard fire model in JSBACH4 (rm = −0.07). We further quantify the importance of each predictor by applying layer‐wise relevance propagation (LRP). Overall, land properties, such as fuel amount and water content in soil layers, stand out as the major factors determining burnt fraction in DL‐fire, paralleled by meteorological conditions over tropical and high latitude regions. Our study demonstrates the potential of hybrid modeling in advancing fire prediction in ESMs by integrating deep learning approaches in physics‐based dynamical models.
Causes of Reduced Climate Sensitivity in E3SM From Version 1 to Version 2
Authors: Qin Yi , Zheng Xue , Klein Stephen A. , Zelinka Mark D. , Ma Po‐Lun , Golaz Jean‐Christophe , Xie Shaocheng
Published: January 2024

The effective climate sensitivity in the Department of Energy's Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) has decreased from 5.3 K in version 1 to 4.0 K in version 2. This reduction is mainly due to a weaker positive cloud feedback that leads to a stronger negative radiative feedback. Present‐day atmosphere‐only experiments with uniform 4 K sea surface temperature warming are used to separate the contributions of individual model modifications to the reduced cloud feedback. We find that the reduced cloud feedback is mostly driven by changes over the tropical marine low cloud regime, mainly related to a new trigger function for the deep convection scheme and modifications in the cloud microphysics scheme. The new trigger function helps weaken the low cloud reduction by increasing the cloud water detrainment at low levels from deep convection under warming. Changes to the formula of autoconversion rate from liquid to rain and an introduced minimum cloud droplet number concentration threshold in cloud microphysical calculations help sustain clouds against dissipation by suppressing precipitation generation with warming. In the midlatitudes, the increased Wegener‐Bergeron‐Findeisen (WBF) efficiency strongly reduces present‐day liquid water and leads to a stronger negative cloud optical depth feedback. The reduced trade cumulus cloud feedback in v2 is closer to estimates from recent observational and large‐eddy modeling studies but might not be due to the right physical reasons. The reduced mid‐latitude cloud feedback may be more plausible because more realistic present‐day mixed‐phase clouds are produced through the change in the WBF efficiency.
Investigation of Ionospheric Small‐Scale Plasma Structures Associated With Particle Precipitation
Authors: Enengl F. , Spogli L. , Kotova D. , Jin Y. , Oksavik K. , Partamies N. , Miloch W. J.
Published: January 2024

We investigate the role of auroral particle precipitation in small‐scale (below hundreds of meters) plasma structuring in the auroral ionosphere over the Arctic. In this scope, we analyze together data recorded by an Ionospheric Scintillation Monitor Receiver (ISMR) of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and by an All‐Sky Imager located in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Norway). We leverage on the raw GNSS samples provided at 50 Hz by the ISMR to evaluate amplitude and phase scintillation indices at 1 s time resolution and the Ionosphere‐Free Linear Combination at 20 ms time resolution. The simultaneous use of the 1 s GNSS‐based scintillation indices allows identifying the scale size of the irregularities involved in plasma structuring in the range of small (up to few hundreds of meters) and medium‐scale size ranges (up to few kilometers) for GNSS frequencies and observational geometry. Additionally, they allow identifying the diffractive and refractive nature of fluctuations on the recorded GNSS signals. Six strong auroral events and their effects on plasma structuring are studied. Plasma structuring down to scales of hundreds of meters is seen when strong gradients in auroral emissions at 557.7 nm cross the line of sight between the GNSS satellite and receiver. Local magnetic field measurements confirm small‐scale structuring processes coinciding with intensification of ionospheric currents. Since 557.7 nm emissions primarily originate from the ionospheric E‐region, plasma instabilities from particle precipitation at E‐region altitudes are considered to be responsible for the signatures of small‐scale plasma structuring highlighted in the GNSS scintillation data.
Deep Learning‐Based Regional Ionospheric Total Electron Content Prediction—Long Short‐Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional LSTM Approach
Authors: Jeong Se‐Heon , Lee Woo Kyoung , Kil Hyosub , Jang Soojeong , Kim Jeong‐Heon , Kwak Young‐Sil
Published: January 2024

This study evaluates the performance of deep learning approach in the prediction of the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) during magnetically quiet periods. Two deep learning techniques, long short‐term memory (LSTM) and convolutional LSTM (ConvLSTM), are employed to predict TEC values 24 hr ahead in the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula (26.5°–40°N, 121°–134.5°E). The LSTM method predicts TEC at a single point based on time series of data at that point, whereas the ConvLSTM method simultaneously predicts TEC values at multiple points using spatiotemporal distribution of TEC. Both the LSTM and ConvLSTM models are trained using the complete regional TEC maps reconstructed by applying the Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network–Poisson Blending (DCGAN‐PB) method to observed TEC data. The training period spans from 2002 to 2018, and the model performance is evaluated using 2019 data. Our results show that the ConvLSTM method outperforms the LSTM method, generating more reliable TEC maps with smaller root mean square errors when compared to the ground truth (DCGAN‐PB TEC maps). This outcome indicates that deep learning models can improve the prediction accuracy of TEC at a specific point by taking into account spatial information of TEC. We conclude that ConvLSTM is a reliable and efficient approach for the prompt ionospheric prediction.
A system-on-chip microwave photonic processor solves dynamic RF interference in real time with picosecond latency
Authors: Zhang Weipeng , Lederman Joshua C. , Ferreira de Lima Thomas , Zhang Jiawei , Bilodeau Simon , Hudson Leila , Tait Alexander , Shastri Bhavin J. , Prucnal Paul R.
Published: January 2024

Radio-frequency interference is a growing concern as wireless technology advances, with potentially life-threatening consequences like interference between radar altimeters and 5 G cellular networks. Mobile transceivers mix signals with varying ratios over time, posing challenges for conventional digital signal processing (DSP) due to its high latency. These challenges will worsen as future wireless technologies adopt higher carrier frequencies and data rates. However, conventional DSPs, already on the brink of their clock frequency limit, are expected to offer only marginal speed advancements. This paper introduces a photonic processor to address dynamic interference through blind source separation (BSS). Our system-on-chip processor employs a fully integrated photonic signal pathway in the analogue domain, enabling rapid demixing of received mixtures and recovering the signal-of-interest in under 15 picoseconds. This reduction in latency surpasses electronic counterparts by more than three orders of magnitude. To complement the photonic processor, electronic peripherals based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) assess the effectiveness of demixing and continuously update demixing weights at a rate of up to 305 Hz. This compact setup features precise dithering weight control, impedance-controlled circuit board and optical fibre packaging, suitable for handheld and mobile scenarios. We experimentally demonstrate the processor’s ability to suppress transmission errors and maintain signal-to-noise ratios in two scenarios, radar altimeters and mobile communications. This work pioneers the real-time adaptability of integrated silicon photonics, enabling online learning and weight adjustments, and showcasing practical operational applications for photonic processing.
Integrative omics analysis reveals epigenomic and transcriptomic signatures underlying brain structural deficits in major depressive disorder
Authors: Zheng Junjie , Womer Fay Y. , Tang Lili , Guo Huiling , Zhang Xizhe , Tang Yanqing , Wang Fei
Published: January 2024

Several lines of evidence support the involvement of transcriptomic and epigenetic mechanisms in the brain structural deficits of major depressive disorder (MDD) separately. However, research in these two areas has remained isolated. In this study, we proposed an integrative strategy that combined neuroimaging, brain-wide gene expression, and peripheral DNA methylation data to investigate the genetic basis of gray matter abnormalities in MDD. The MRI T1-weighted images and Illumina 850 K DNA methylation microarrays were obtained from 269 patients and 416 healthy controls, and brain-wide transcriptomic data were collected from Allen Human Brain Atlas. The between-group differences in gray matter volume (GMV) and differentially methylated CpG positions (DMPs) were examined. The genes with their expression patterns spatially related to GMV changes and genes with DMPs were overlapped and selected. Using principal component regression, the associations between DMPs in overlapped genes and GMV across individual patients were investigated, and the region-specific correlations between methylation status and gene expression were examined. We found significant associations between the decreased GMV and DMPs methylation status in the anterior cingulate cortex, inferior frontal cortex, and fusiform face cortex regions. These DMPs genes were primarily enriched in the neurodevelopmental and synaptic transmission process. There was a significant negative correlation between DNA methylation and gene expression in genes associated with GMV changes of the frontal cortex in MDD. Our findings suggest that GMV abnormalities in MDD may have a transcriptomic and epigenetic basis. This imaging-transcriptomic-epigenetic integrative analysis provides spatial and biological links between cortical morphological deficits and peripheral epigenetic signatures in MDD.
d-Cycloserine enhances the bidirectional range of NMDAR-dependent hippocampal synaptic plasticity
Authors: Vestring Stefan , Dorner Alexandra , Scholliers Jonas , Ehrenberger Konstantin , Kiss Andrea , Arenz Luis , Theiss Alice , Rossner Paul , Frase Sibylle , Du Vinage Catherine , Wendler Elisabeth , Serchov Tsvetan , Domschke Katharina , Bischofberger Josef , Normann Claus
Published: January 2024

The partial N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) agonist d-Cycloserine (DCS) has been evaluated for the treatment of a wide variety of psychiatric disorders, including dementia, schizophrenia, depression and for the augmentation of exposure-based psychotherapy. Most if not all of the potential psychiatric applications of DCS target an enhancement or restitution of cognitive functions, learning and memory. Their molecular correlate is long-term synaptic plasticity; and many forms of synaptic plasticity depend on the activation of NMDA receptors. Here, we comprehensively examined the modulation of different forms of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus by DCS and its mechanism. We found that DCS positively modulates NMDAR-dependent forms of long-term synaptic plasticity (long-term synaptic potentiation, LTP, and long-term synaptic depression, LTD) in hippocampal brain slices of juvenile rats without affecting basal synaptic transmission. DCS binds to the d-serine/glycine binding site of the NMDAR. Pharmacological inhibition of this site prevented the induction of LTP, whereas agonism at the d-serine/glycine binding site augmented LTP and could functionally substitute for weak LTP induction paradigms. The most probable origin of endogenous d-serine are astrocytes, and its exocytosis is regulated by astrocytic metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1). Functional eradication of astrocytes, inhibition of mGluR1 receptors and G-protein signaling in astrocytes adjacent to postsynaptic neurons prevented the induction of NMDAR-dependent forms of LTP and LTD. Our results support the enhancement of a bidirectional range of NMDAR-dependent hippocampal synaptic plasticity by DCS and d-serine-mediated gliotransmission. Therefore, the d-serine/glycine-binding site in NMDAR is a major target for psychopharmacological interventions targeting plasticity-related disorders.
Oleuropein-driven reprogramming of the myeloid cell compartment to sensitise tumours to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade strategies
Authors: Blanco Ester , Silva-Pilipich Noelia , Bocanegra Ana , Chocarro Luisa , Procopio Antonio , Ausín Karina , Fernandez-Irigoyen Joaquín , Fernández Leticia , Razquin Nerea , Igea Ana , Garnica Maider , Echaide Miriam , Arasanz Hugo , Vera Ruth , Escors David , Smerdou Cristian , Kochan Grazyna
Published: January 2024

Background

Previous studies have shown that functional systemic immunity is required for the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade immunotherapies in cancer. Hence, systemic reprogramming of immunosuppressive dysfunctional myeloid cells could overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy.

Methods

Reprogramming of tumour-associated myeloid cells with oleuropein was studied by quantitative differential proteomics, phenotypic and functional assays in mice and lung cancer patients. Combinations of oleuropein and two different delivery methods of anti-PD-1 antibodies were tested in colorectal cancer tumour models and in immunotherapy-resistant lung cancer models.

Results

Oleuropein treatment reprogrammed monocytic and granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and tumour-associated macrophages towards differentiation of immunostimulatory subsets. Oleuropein regulated major differentiation programmes associated to immune modulation in myeloid cells, which potentiated T cell responses and PD-1 blockade. PD-1 antibodies were delivered by two different strategies, either systemically or expressed within tumours using a self-amplifying RNA vector. Combination anti-PD-1 therapies with oleuropein increased tumour infiltration by immunostimulatory dendritic cells in draining lymph nodes, leading to systemic antitumour T cell responses. Potent therapeutic activities were achieved in colon cancer and lung cancer models resistant to immunotherapies, even leading to complete tumour regression.

Discussion

Oleuropein significantly improves the outcome of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy strategies by reprogramming myeloid cells.
Magnetosheath jets at Jupiter and across the solar system
Authors: Zhou Yufei , Raptis Savvas , Wang Shan , Shen Chao , Ren Nian , Ma Lan
Published: January 2024

The study of jets in the Earth’s magnetosheath has been a subject of extensive investigation for over a decade due to their profound impact on the geomagnetic environment and their close connection with shock dynamics. While the variability of the solar wind and its interaction with Earth’s magnetosphere provide valuable insights into jets across a range of parameters, a broader parameter space can be explored by examining the magnetosheath of other planets. Here we report the existence of anti-sunward and sunward jets in the Jovian magnetosheath and show their close association with magnetic discontinuities. The anti-sunward jets are possibly generated by a shock–discontinuity interaction. Finally, through a comparative analysis of jets observed at Earth, Mars, and Jupiter, we show that the size of jets scales with the size of bow shock.
The aging mouse CNS is protected by an autophagy-dependent microglia population promoted by IL-34
Authors: Berglund Rasmus , Cheng Yufei , Piket Eliane , Adzemovic Milena Z. , Zeitelhofer Manuel , Olsson Tomas , Guerreiro-Cacais Andre Ortlieb , Jagodic Maja
Published: January 2024

Microglia harness an unutilized health-promoting potential in age-related neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases, conditions like progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Our research unveils an microglia population emerging in the cortical brain regions of aging mice, marked by ERK1/2, Akt, and AMPK phosphorylation patterns and a transcriptome indicative of activated autophagy - a process critical for cellular adaptability. By deleting the core autophagy gene Ulk1 in microglia, we reduce this population in the central nervous system of aged mice. Notably, this population is found dependent on IL-34, rather than CSF1, although both are ligands for CSF1R. When aging mice are exposed to autoimmune neuroinflammation, the loss of autophagy-dependent microglia leads to neural and glial cell death and increased mortality. Conversely, microglial expansion mediated by IL-34 exhibits a protective effect. These findings shed light on an autophagy-dependent neuroprotective microglia population as a potential target for treating age-related neuroinflammatory conditions, including progressive MS.
Regulation of micro- and small-exon retention and other splicing processes by GRP20 for flower development
Authors: Wang Jun , Ma Xinwei , Hu Yi , Feng Guanhua , Guo Chunce , Zhang Xin , Ma Hong
Published: January 2024

Pre-mRNA splicing is crucial for gene expression and depends on the spliceosome and splicing factors. Plant exons have an average size of ~180 nucleotides and typically contain motifs for interactions with spliceosome and splicing factors. Micro exons (<51 nucleotides) are found widely in eukaryotes and in genes for plant development and environmental responses. However, little is known about transcript-specific regulation of splicing in plants and about the regulators for micro exon splicing. Here we report that glycine-rich protein 20 (GRP20) is an RNA-binding protein and required for splicing of ~2,100 genes including those functioning in flower development and/or environmental responses. Specifically, GRP20 is required for micro-exon retention in transcripts of floral homeotic genes; these micro exons are conserved across angiosperms. GRP20 is also important for small-exon (51–100 nucleotides) splicing. In addition, GRP20 is required for flower development. Furthermore, GRP20 binds to poly-purine motifs in micro and small exons and a spliceosome component; both RNA binding and spliceosome interaction are important for flower development and micro-exon retention. Our results provide new insights into the mechanisms of micro-exon retention in flower development.
Shallow defects and variable photoluminescence decay times up to 280 µs in triple-cation perovskites
Authors: Yuan Ye , Yan Genghua , Dreessen Chris , Rudolph Toby , Hülsbeck Markus , Klingebiel Benjamin , Ye Jiajiu , Rau Uwe , Kirchartz Thomas
Published: January 2024

Quantifying recombination in halide perovskites is a crucial prerequisite to control and improve the performance of perovskite-based solar cells. While both steady-state and transient photoluminescence are frequently used to assess recombination in perovskite absorbers, quantitative analyses within a consistent model are seldom reported. We use transient photoluminescence measurements with a large dynamic range of more than ten orders of magnitude on triple-cation perovskite films showing long-lived photoluminescence transients featuring continuously changing decay times that range from tens of nanoseconds to hundreds of microseconds. We quantitatively explain both the transient and steady-state photoluminescence with the presence of a high density of shallow defects and consequent high rates of charge carrier trapping, thereby showing that deep defects do not affect the recombination dynamics. The complex carrier kinetics caused by emission and recombination processes via shallow defects imply that the reporting of only single lifetime values, as is routinely done in the literature, is meaningless for such materials. We show that the features indicative for shallow defects seen in the bare films remain dominant in finished devices and are therefore also crucial to understanding the performance of perovskite solar cells.