bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A robust MRI-based brain tumor classification via a hybrid deep learning technique
Authors: Nassar Shaimaa E. , Yasser Ibrahim , Amer Hanan M. , Mohamed Mohamed A.
Published: August 2023

The brain is the most vital component of the neurological system. Therefore, brain tumor classification is a very challenging task in the field of medical image analysis. There has been a qualitative leap in the field of artificial intelligence, deep learning, and their medical imaging applications in the last decade. The importance of this remarkable development has emerged in the field of biomedical engineering due to the sensitivity and seriousness of the issues related to it. The use of deep learning in the field of detecting and classifying tumors in general and brain tumors in particular using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a crucial factor in the accuracy and speed of diagnosis. This is due to its great ability to deal with huge amounts of data and avoid errors resulting from human intervention. The aim of this research is to develop an efficient automated approach for classifying brain tumors to assist radiologists instead of consuming time looking at several images for a precise diagnosis. The proposed approach is based on 3064 T1-weighted contrast-enhanced brain MR images (T1W-CE MRI) from 233 patients. In this study, the proposed system is based on the results of five different models to use the combined potential of multiple models, trying to achieve promising results. The proposed system has led to a significant improvement in the results, with an overall accuracy of 99.31%.
Does lying require objective falsity?
Authors: Wiegmann Alex
Published: August 2023

Does lying require objective falsity? Given that consistency with ordinary language is a desideratum of a philosophical definition of lying, empirical evidence plays an important role. A literature review reveals that studies employing a simple question-and-response format, such as “Did the speaker lie? [Yes/No]”, favour the subjective view of lying, according to which objective falsity is not required. However, it has recently been claimed that the rate of lie attributions found in those studies is artificially inflated due to perspective taking; and that if measures are applied to avoid this problem, the results actually support the objective view of lying. This paper presents three experiments that challenge this claim by showing that the findings used to support the objective view have been misinterpreted. It is thus concluded that the folk concept of lying does not require objective falsity, which is consistent with the dominant view in the philosophical literature.
Trait driven or neutral: understanding the change in functional trait diversity during early plant succession using Price partitions
Authors: Ulrich Werner , Zaplata Markus Klemens
Published: August 2023

Habitat filtering, species interactions and neutral colonization as well as extinction dynamics govern the sequence of community assembly and functional diversity (FD) during primary plant succession. To study the factors that influence changes in FD we here use data on plant seed size, seed numbers and specific leaf area from 107 study plots along a 7 year sequence of primary succession (2005–2011) in a 6 ha German artificial catchment. We show that the temporal variability in functional diversity can be partitioned into the effects of trait expression, species richness and plant cover. We observed a dominant role of species richness and community composition on FD. Trade-offs in the influence of species richness and plant cover tended to decrease the change in FD. Average FD steadily increased during the first 4 years of succession (2005–2008). The degree of annual changes in FD were highly plot specific. Average change in FD was comparatively low during the first 4 years and later high. Soil characteristics and light conditions did not significantly influence the detectable change in functional diversity. We conclude that the high plot-specific spatial variability of the annual changes in FD transformed the initially catchment-wide homogeneous distribution of plant species into a mosaic of very different local plant communities. Our partitioning results also indicate that the successional sequences in FD are in accordance with a hidden Markov series.
Butterflies as bioindicators of metal contamination
Authors: Pallottini Matteo , Goretti Enzo , Argenti Chiara , La Porta Gianandrea , Tositti Laura , Dinelli Enrico , Moroni Beatrice , Petroselli Chiara , Gravina Paola , Selvaggi Roberta , Cappelletti David
Published: August 2023

Anthropogenic trace metal contamination has significantly increased and has caused many hazardous consequences for the ecosystems and human health. The Terni basin valley (Central Italy) shows a heavy load of pollutants from industrial activities, while the characteristic orography structure of the valley favours air stagnation, thus limiting air pollution dispersal. The present study conducted in 2014 aimed to determine the concentration of ten metals in five species of butterflies at nine sites in the Terni valley along a 21-km-long transect, including both relatively pristine and industrial areas. At sites where soil contamination was high for a given metal, such as for chromium as in the case of site 4 (the closest to the steel plant) and for lead as in the case of site 2 (contaminated by a firing range), higher levels of contamination were observed in the tissues of butterflies. We found a correlation between soil contamination and the concentration of Cr, Al and Sr in the tissues of some species of butterflies. The sensitivity to contamination differed among the five species; in particular, Coenonympha pamphilus was generally the species that revealed the highest concentrations of all the ten trace metals at the sites closer to the industrial area. It is known that C. pamphilus is a sedentary species and that its host plants are the Poaceae, capable of accumulating high quantities of metals in their rhizosphere region, thus providing the link with soil contamination. Therefore, monitoring the metal concentration levels in butterflies might be a good indicator and a control tool of environmental quality, specifically in areas affected by high anthropogenic pollution loads linked to a specific source.
Asymmetric Cross-Shaped Optical Antennas with Wide Spectral Tunability and High Optical Cross-Sections
Authors: Bralović Nikola , Lemmer Uli , Hussein Mohamed
Published: August 2023

Resonant optical antennas (ROAs) are nanodevices that can enhance the electromagnetic field in their vicinity and scatter the light in the far field. The enhanced field is localized in subdiffraction-limited volume. Their ability to exhibit strong field enhancement in the gap makes them suitable for coupling with quantum emitters. This paper introduced two novel bimodal and triple-modal asymmetric cross-shaped optical nanoantenna designs. The performance of the reported nanoantennas is numerically studied via the finite element method (FEM). The electric field enhancements and optical cross-sections are calculated to characterize the performance of the designs. These nanoantennas are low-symmetry and polarization-sensitive devices. Furthermore, the reported plasmonic nanostructures exhibit two or three tunable resonances in the optical and near-infrared wavelength regions with ultra-high field enhancement. The reported coupled cross-shaped exhibits a field enhancement of 45.9 for the high-energy resonance and 149.4 for the low-energy resonance, respectively, on $$\left|{E}_{\mathrm{TOT}}\right|/\left|{E}_{\mathrm{IN}}\right|$$

E
TOT

/

E
IN

scale.
The Foundations of Autistic Flourishing
Authors: Pellicano Elizabeth , Heyworth Melanie
Published: August 2023

Purpose of Review

All people—including Autistic people—deserve to live flourishing lives. But what does a flourishing life look like for Autistic people? We suggest that the hidden biases, methodological errors, and key assumptions of autism science have obscured answers to this question. Here, we seek to initiate a broader discussion about what the foundations for a good Autistic life might be and how this discussion might be framed.

Recent Findings

We identify five ways in which autism science can help us all to secure those foundations, including by (1) giving Autistic well-being prominence in research, (2) amplifying Autistic autonomy, (3) attending better to everyday experiences, (4) acknowledging context, and (5) working in partnership with Autistic people and their families and allies to ensure that they are at the heart of research decision-making.

Such an approach would direct the focus of autism research to help shape good Autistic lives.
On the Stability of Minimal Submanifolds in Conformal Spheres
Authors: Franz Giada , Trinca Federico
Published: August 2023

Given an n-dimensional Riemannian sphere conformal to the round one and $$\delta $$
δ
-pinched, we show that it does not contain any closed stable minimal submanifold of dimension $$2\le k\le n-\delta ^{-1}$$

2
≤
k
≤
n
-

δ

-
1

.
Αpplication of Aspergillus niger for Extracellular Tannase and Gallic Acid Production in Non-sterile Table Olive Processing Wastewaters
Authors: Papadaki Eugenia , Mantzouridou Fani Th.
Published: August 2023

Aspergillus niger B60 was screened for the first time toward extracellular tannase and gallic acid production by submerged fermentation using synthetic media supplemented with tannic acid as the sole carbon source at a wide concentration range (5–150 g/L). Maximum tannase (47 IU/mL) and gallic acid production (36 g/L) was obtained at initial tannic acid concentration 100 g/L. For this study, it was of interest to valorize non-sterile table olive processing wastewaters for fungal tannase production. In particular, lye and washing water effluents from Spanish-style green olive processing enriched with 100 g/L tannic acid provided effective alternative substrates for the production of tannase (21 IU/mL and 17 IU/mL, respectively) and gallic acid (22 g/L and 14 g/L, respectively). The fungal growth and tannase production kinetics were described by the Logistic and Luedeking–Piret models, respectively. The maximum dry biomass content and the maximum specific growth rate were more pronounced in the tannic acid-rich effluents (16–18 g/L and 0.5–0.6 1/h, respectively) than in the synthetic medium (11 g/L and 0.4 1/h, respectively) although in all cases tannase production was growth-associated. These novel findings cast a new light on successful biorefinery strategies of the effluents and warrant further investigation via process scaling-up and optimization.

Graphical Abstract
Effects of novel glucose-lowering drugs on the COVID-19 patients with diabetes: A network meta-analysis of clinical outcomes
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhao Ling , Wang Yeying , Liu Chengjiang , Ke Tingyu
Published: August 2023

Objective

This study aimed to assess the effects of sodium-glucose co-transporter inhibitors (SGLT2i), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i) on individuals subjected to diabetes and COVID-19.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched to cover studies (except for case reports and review studies) published until August 30, 2022. The primary outcome was the mortality of people with diabetes and COVID-19. The secondary outcomes comprised the requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mechanical ventilation. Two reviewers independently screened studies, abstracted data, and assessed risk-of-bias. Furthermore, the network meta-analyses (NMA) were conducted.

Results

A total of 12 trials were involved in the analysis. The OR and 95% CI of mortality for SGLT2i compared with SGLT2i + GLP-1RA and DPP4i reached 0.41 (0.17,0.97) and 0.69 (0.49,0.98), respectively. The OR and 95% CI of requiring mechanical ventilation for SGLT2i compared with the DPP4i reached 0.85 (0.75,0.97).

Conclusions

As revealed by the result of this study, SGLT2i is associated with the lower mortality rate in people with diabetes and COVID-19 among novel glucose-lowering drugs. And SGLT2i is linked to lower requiring mechanical ventilation. These findings can have a large impact on clinicians' decisions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coaches’ Perceptions of Factors Driving Training Adaptation: An International Survey
Authors: Anyadike-Danes Kechi , Donath Lars , Kiely John
Published: August 2023

Objective

We surveyed coaches’ views on topics related to the training process to elucidate whether their opinions are aligned with the current literature. Here the results for a sub-set of questions regarding factors affecting the training adaptation process are presented and discussed.

Methods

106 coaches [age range 18–65 + years, 31% 15 + years coaching, 58% individual-events/sports and 32% international level] from a number of countries completed a novel cross-sectional online survey about the planning of training and the training process.

Results

Only 28% of participants indicated that physical training was the most important factor in determining sport performance; whereas 99% indicated non-physical factors influence physical training response. The top five factors in modifying an athlete’s ability to physically adapt to a training plan, as rated ‘absolutely essential’, were ‘coach-athlete relationship’ (56%), ‘life stress’ (41%), ‘athletes’ belief in the plan’ (37%), ‘psychological and emotional stress’ (35%) and ‘physical training’ (33%).

Conclusions

Amongst coaches surveyed less than a third rated physical training as the most important factor in determining sports performance. Non-physical factors were acknowledged by the majority to exert an influence on physical training response and adaptation, despite the lack of discussion in training research, though there was no consensus on the relative importance of each individual factor. We echo previous sentiments that coaches need to be engaged in the research process. If training research continues as present the field runs the risk of not only becoming detached but increasingly irrelevant to those it is trying to help.
Computational analysis on mechanostructural properties of hydroxyapatite–alumina–titanium nanocomposite
Authors: Abifarin Johnson Kehinde , Abifarin Fredah Batale , Oyedeji Elijah Oyewusi , Prakash Chander , Zahedi S. Abolfazl
Published: August 2023

In this research, Taguchi–grey relational analysis has been applied to mitigate the insufficient assumptions made on the optimization of mechanical and structural (mechanostructural) properties of synthesized hydroxyapatite (HAp)–alumina–titanium nanocomposite. This nanocomposite has already been developed and studied in the previous study. This paper employs the L9 (3**3) orthogonal array, including displaying factors and levels of 3, 5, 7 wt % for alumina, 5, 10, 15 wt % for titanium, and 1100, 1150, 1200 °C sintering temperature. The computational analysis presents the predicted mechanostructural grey relational response as 0.7271, higher than the highest response shown in the ninth experimental run. The optimal control factors are analyzed to be 7 wt % alumina, 15 wt % titanium, and 1200 °C sintering temperature. The obtained result elucidates the hypothesis that a singular response optimization is not enough in the fabrication of biomedical material, disproving the assumption made in the previous literature. Importantly, to fabricate a high clinical grade HAp–alumina–titanium nanocomposite, titanium is the most invaluable contributor with a contribution of 49.11%, followed by alumina (45.52%), and then sintering temperature (3.2%). Although the confidence level and probability distribution analysis show that all the experimental mechanostructural responses were within the 95% confidence level, the employment of the predicted optimal factors is strongly recommended for experimentation.
The Social Origins of Electoral Participation in Emerging Democracies
Authors: Jung Danielle F. , Long James D.
Published: August 2023

Given the enormous challenges they face, why do so many citizens in developing countries routinely turn out to vote? This Element explores a new explanation grounded in the social origins of electoral participation in emerging democracies, where mobilization requires local collective action. This Element argues that, beyond incentives to express ethnic identity and vote-buying, perceptions of social sanctioning from community-based formal and informal actors galvanize many to vote who might otherwise stay home. Sanctioning is reinforced by the ability to monitor individual turnout given the open layout and centralized locations of polling stations and the use of electoral ink that identifies voters. This argument is tested using original survey and qualitative data from Africa and Afghanistan, contributing important insights on the nature of campaigns and elections in the promotion of state-building and service delivery, and the critical role voters play reducing fears of global democratic backsliding.
L’expérience des États de la Grande Caraïbe en matière d’arbitrage international d’investissement: Récit troublant d’un voyage en terrain glissant
Authors: Dorce Milcar Jeff
Published: August 2023

L’expérience des pays de la Grande Caraïbe dans l’arbitrage international en matière d’investissement a connu une évolution spectaculaire durant ces trente dernières années. Sitôt qu’ils se sont adaptés au régime de protection internationale des investissements, plusieurs États de la Caraïbe ont été submergés par le règlement des différends entre États et investisseurs étrangers (RDIE). Cette situation a conduit à des sentences arbitrales souvent coûteuses qui peuvent aggraver la condition socioéconomique des États faibles. Cet article présente la critique du mécanisme RDIE qui a trouvé un écho particulier dans le contexte caribéen. Il examine les efforts de réforme entrepris par les pays de la région et cherche à savoir si ces propositions peuvent vraiment favoriser une réaffirmation des droits souverains dans l’arbitrage d’investissement. Il conclut qu’à défaut d’un projet régional cohérent le paysage caribéen en matière d’investissement reflète actuellement un pluralisme désordonné, allant de l’approche radicale inspirée de l’Alliance bolivarienne pour les Amériques et du modèle brésilien aux différents éléments de réforme orchestrés par les États puissants. Si l’option réformiste semble être dominante dans la région, néanmoins elle ne répond pas aux véritables préoccupations de légitimité que soulève la pratique de l’arbitrage d’investissement. En suivant le standard conventionnel des pays plus forts, les pays caribéens se montrent pour l’instant incapables d’innover et de créer leur propre voie institutionnelle face à une légalité transnationale dont les implications sont préoccupantes pour la préservation des objectifs d’intérêt public.
Turbulent transfer and entrainment in a low-density jet
Authors: Salizzoni P. , Vaux S. , Creyssels M. , Amielh M. , Pietri L. , Anselmet F.
Published: August 2023

We investigate the dynamics of a low-density round jet, with a focus on the mechanisms governing the turbulent momentum and mass transfers as well as on the entrainment of ambient fluid. To that purpose, we combine a theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. The theoretical analysis relies on a general formulation of the entrainment decomposition for the case of large density differences, revealing the role of the processes contributing to the entrainment: turbulent kinetic energy production and variation in the shape of the mean velocity radial profiles. The spatial evolution of these terms has been evaluated by means of challenging experiments, providing a unique data set of combined velocity and density statistics of a low-density jet and an air jet. The same flows are investigated by means of large-eddy simulation (LES). Other than for providing complementary information on flow statistics, LES is here used to investigate the role of varying conditions imposed at the source, notably concerning the shape of the inlet velocity profile and the presence of a bottom wall surrounding the source. Experimental and numerical results provide clear insight on how a reduced density within the jet enhances the turbulent kinetic energy production (compared to an iso-density jet) and modifies the shape of the mean velocity profiles. Despite its clear influence on the flow statistics, the reduced density has overall little influence on the entrainment rate, which also shows little sensitivity to varying source conditions.
Efficient kinetic Lattice Boltzmann simulation of three-dimensional Hall-MHD turbulence
Authors: Foldes Raffaello , Lévêque Emmanuel , Marino Raffaele , Pietropaolo Ermanno , De Rosis Alessandro , Telloni Daniele , Feraco Fabio
Published: August 2023

Simulating plasmas in the Hall-magnetohydrodynamics (Hall-MHD) regime represents a valuable approach for the investigation of complex nonlinear dynamics developing in astrophysical frameworks and fusion machines. The Hall electric field is computationally very challenging as it involves the integration of an additional term, proportional to

$\boldsymbol {\nabla } \times ((\boldsymbol {\nabla }\times \boldsymbol {B})\times \boldsymbol {B})$

, in Faraday's induction law. The latter feeds back on the magnetic field

$B$

at small scales (between the ion and electron inertial scales), requiring very high resolutions in both space and time to properly describe its dynamics. The computational advantage provided by the kinetic lattice Boltzmann (LB) approach is exploited here to develop a new code, the fast lattice-Boltzmann algorithm for MHD experiments (flame). The flame code integrates the plasma dynamics in lattice units coupling two kinetic schemes, one for the fluid protons (including the Lorentz force), the other to solve the induction equation describing the evolution of the magnetic field. Here, the newly developed algorithm is tested against an analytical wave-solution of the dissipative Hall-MHD equations, pointing out its stability and second-order convergence, over a wide range of the control parameters. Spectral properties of the simulated plasma are finally compared with those obtained from numerical solutions from the well-established pseudo-spectral code ghost. Furthermore, the LB simulations we present, varying the Hall parameter, highlight the transition from the MHD to the Hall-MHD regime, in excellent agreement with the magnetic field spectra measured in the solar wind.
Spatial association of bamboos with trees in a commercial tree plantation forest in Myanmar
Authors: Yamada Toshihiro , Oshige Chihro , Nakabayashi Miyabi , Okuda Toshinori , Zaw Moe Aung , Hlaing Ei Ei
Published: August 2023

Bamboos are mainly distributed in subtropical to tropical areas. Bamboos provide numerous ecosystem services, while the expansion of bamboo gives negative impacts on forest ecosystems. Despite big impacts of bamboos on a forest ecosystem, ecological characteristics of bamboo remain poorly understood. The spatial distributional patterns of three bamboo species,Cephalostachyum pergracile,Bambusa polymorpha, andDinochloa maclellandii, were studied in a commercial tree plantation of native deciduous tree species in the Bago Mountains, Myanmar. A point process analysis revealed a clumped distribution for each bamboo species. The distributional overlapping of the species was analysed for every pair of two species. The distribution ofC. pergracilewas little overlapped with those ofD. maclellandiiandB. polymorpha.Cephalostachyum pergracilewas significantly more abundant on gently sloping ridges, whereasD. maclellandiiwas more abundant on a steeply sloping site.Bambusa polymorphadid not show these patterns with topography. The exclusive distribution ofC. pergracileandD. maclellandiimay be, at least partly, explained by the opposite topographic preferences of the species.Cephalostachyum pergraciletended to be found far from large trees that cast shade, althoughB. polymorphatended to be found with large trees, suggesting thatB. polymorphamay be more shade tolerant thanC. pergracile.The difference in shade tolerance may contribute to the exclusive distribution of the species. The habitat preference information obtained in this study will contribute to sound bamboo management practices in Myanmar and enable bamboo population sizes to be increased through creation of favourable habitats in forests.
Genteel Culture, Legal Education, and Constitutional Controversy in Early National Virginia
Authors: Steilen Matthew
Published: August 2023

This article focuses on the movement to reform legal education in early national Virginia, offering a fresh perspective by examining the connection between legal education and society and culture. It challenges the notion that constitutional ideas were the primary driving force behind reforms and argues that social status and “manners” played a more significant role. Wealthy elites in Virginia associated manners with education, sending their sons to college to become gentlemen, as it secured their aspirations to gentility and their influence over society and politics. Reformers sought to capitalize on this connection by educating a generation of university-trained, genteel lawyers who could lead the state's legislature and its courts. In this sense, educational reform was genteel rather than democratic in its basic assumptions. The article examines the central figure of George Wythe and explores his influence on Virginia's leading men, including Thomas Jefferson and St. George Tucker. It delves into the student experience in Wythe's law office and at the College of William and Mary, the success of educational reforms in the central courts, and the effects on Virginia's constitutional development. The college-educated lawyers who came to dominate the legislature in the early nineteenth century used their training for politics. As these lawyers sought to strengthen the institutions their party controlled, they drove the development of constitutional doctrines like federalism and separation of powers.
Breathe
Authors: Flores Renee J.
Published: August 2023

This is a personal essay about breasts. It focuses on my experiences as a young girl, moving through adolescence to a history of breast cancer in my family, including my mother’s breast cancer diagnosis. As a physician, patient, and wife, I reflect on the choices that I have to make and what this means for my identity as a woman and mother.
Content, Context, and Complexity in Personality Trait Perceptions
Authors: Reich Warren A. , Young Jason , Esses Natalie , Hannon Ashley R.
Published: August 2023

Abstract. We replicated and extended research on implicit simplicity: the tendency for personality judgments of acquaintances to be of lower dimensionality than those made for self or well-known others. Three hundred participants completed the Big Five Inventory for themselves, two well-known others, and two casual acquaintances, the latter four in a social and an academic/work setting. Correlations among the Big Five traits were higher for casual targets and close academic/work targets than for self or close social targets. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) analyses of BFI items showed that casual and close academic/work targets were predominantly defined by an evaluative dimension. MDS revealed that judgments of Conscientiousness and Openness were rendered in finer detail – perceived trait granularity – for self and close social targets.
“Use the Force!” Adaptation of Response Formats
Authors: Schünemann Alexander Leonard , Ziegler Matthias
Published: August 2023

Abstract. The present paper features the adaptation of an existing Big Five questionnaire with a rating scale (RS) response format into a measure using a multidimensional forced choice (MFC) response format. Rating scale response formats have been criticized for their proneness to intentional and unintentional response distortions. Multidimensional forced choice response formats were suggested as a solution to mitigate several types of response sets and response styles by design. The Big Five Inventory of Personality in Occupational Situations (B5PS) is a situation-based questionnaire designed for personnel selection and development purposes which would benefit from fake-proof response formats. MFC response formats require special effort during test construction and calibration which will be laid out here. Changing the response format has severe consequences on item design and scoring. An inherent issue with MFC formats derives from their inability to yield interpersonal comparative results from standard (sum) scoring. This issue can be solved with item response theory (IRT)-based calibration during test construction. The Thurstonian IRT approach (TIRT) was developed by Brown and Maydeu-Olivares (2011) , and aspects of MFC item design and TIRT calibrations are explored in this paper. Evidence on structural and construct validity are presented alongside recommendations on the test development processes. The results support the feasibility of the concept of MFC test construction with TIRT calibration in a contextualized and situation-based item format.
Impact of the Eurasian Wave Train on the Interannual Variability of Autumn Precipitation in the Central Region of China
Authors: Jiang Linwei , Ren Baohua , Wang Cen , Zhang Chao
Published: August 2023

Autumn precipitation in the central region of China (APCC) can considerably influence on agricultural production and human livelihood. With reanalysis data from 1979 to 2020, it revealed that APCC is significantly affected by the second mode of the meridional wind field at 200 hPa over the Eurasian continent on the interannual scale, which featured a quasi‐barotropic “+‐+” wave‐like pattern from Europe to China (EC pattern) in extratropical zone. When the EC pattern is in a positive phase, central China lags behind the downstream positive geopotential height (anticyclone) anomaly. In this context, the transport of moisture from the south and east is enhanced and the advancement of the southerly monsoon is blocked, providing sufficient water vapor to support the occurrence of APCC. Further diagnosis revealed that local ascending motion is strengthened owing to the warm advection induced by anomalous southerly and positive vorticity advection associated with the anomalous anticyclone over East Asia. Additionally, wave flux analysis and model simulation suggest that the EC pattern results from the propagation of stationary Rossby wave, which could be excited by dipole sea surface temperature anomalies in the North Atlantic. These discoveries will contribute to improving the predictability of APCC.
Stratospheric Ozone Loss Enhances Summer Precipitation Over the Southern Slope of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Xia Yan , Hu Yongyun , Huang Yi , Bian Jianchun , Zhao Chuanfeng , Lin Jintai , Xie Fei , Zhou Chunjiang
Published: August 2023

Heavy summer precipitation over the southern slope of the Tibetan Plateau has dramatic influences on water resources and hydrological disasters in South Asia. It experienced increasing trends over 1979–1996 and decreasing trends over 1996–2022, which are not yet well understood. Here we show observational and numerical evidence that stratospheric ozone has significant impacts on long‐term trends of summer precipitation in this strong convection area. It is found that stratospheric ozone depletion, by modulating the lower stratospheric temperature and upper‐tropospheric static stability, enhances deep convection and precipitation over the southern slope of the Tibetan Plateau. The results suggest that the ozone recovery in the future may reduce the summer precipitation over the southern slope of the Tibetan Plateau in the first half of the 21st century, which would be imperative for future water resource management in South Asia.
The Relationship Between the Present‐Day Seasonal Cycles of Clouds in the Mid‐Latitudes and Cloud‐Radiative Feedback
Authors: Furtado K. , Tsushima Y. , Field P. R. , Rostron J. , Sexton D.
Published: August 2023

We show that the seasonal cycles of clouds over the mid‐latitude oceans in the Northern Hemisphere are predictors of the responses of clouds to increasing sea‐surface temperatures globally. These regions are therefore “natural laboratories” in which the processes responsible for low‐cloud feedbacks on global scales are observed as seasonal changes in local cloud properties. We use an ensemble of configurations of a global‐climate model to show that the sensitivities of cloud‐radiative anomalies to surface temperature and lower‐tropospheric stability in the “laboratory” regions predict the models' global cloud‐radiative feedbacks. Models with greater changes in low‐clouds between seasons are shown to have stronger negative feedbacks in the mid‐latitudes, and stronger positive feedbacks from the subtropical stratocumulus. The biases in the simulated seasonal cycles, compared to observations, imply that both feedbacks are too weak in the model. The consequences of this for configuring our model to have a lower climate sensitivity are discussed.
Linking ENSO to Synoptic Weather Systems in Eastern Australia
Authors: Gillett Z. E. , Taschetto A. S. , Holgate C. M. , Santoso A.
Published: August 2023

El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the main driver of interannual east Australian rainfall variability, but its link with rain‐producing synoptic weather systems is unclear. By tracking low pressure systems in ERA5 over 1979 to 2021, we find that springtime cyclones are linked to variations in the large‐scale atmospheric circulation during ENSO events. On spring days with a cyclone during La Niña, a pressure dipole occurs with a strong anticyclonic anomaly southeast of Australia and a cyclonic anomaly over eastern Australia. The northeasterly circulation directs tropical moisture toward eastern Australia, and coupled with induced ascent, promotes rainfall in this region. Both dynamical and thermodynamical changes are important for the rainfall response. An almost opposite circulation response occurs on cyclone days during El Niño events: high‐pressure over the Australian continent reduces rainfall in eastern Australia. These synoptic setups resemble the seasonal‐mean Rossby wave teleconnections, indicating a link between weather systems and ENSO.
How Unusual Is the 2022 European Compound Drought and Heatwave Event?
Authors: Tripathy Kumar Puran , Mishra Ashok Kumar
Published: August 2023

The 2022 Compound Drought and Heatwave (CDHW) caused widespread crop damage, water shortages, and wildfires across Europe. Our study analyzed this event’s severity and return period (RP) and compared it with past mega CDHWs in Europe. The hardest‐hit areas were Iberian Peninsula, France, and Italy, where temperatures exceeded 2.5°C above normal, and severe droughts persisted from May to August. Using a Bayesian approach, we estimated the RP for the 2022 CDHW event, which was unprecedented in Northern Italy, Iberian Peninsula, and western parts of France, with RPs of 354, 420, and 280 years, respectively. The reduced soil moisture due to precipitation deficits and high temperatures contributed to the persistence and severity of drought, creating a positive feedback loop where dry soils led to even drier conditions. In light of our findings, it is evident that global warming poses increased risks of severe CDHW events, which are likely to increase.
Light people: Nobel Laureate Prof. Eric Betzig
Authors: Wang Hui , Yu Cun
Published: August 2023

Editorial

Super-resolution microscopy illuminated the hazy molecular world like a beacon, bringing significant changes to the fields of biology, optics and chemistry. Eric Betzig, who shared the 2014 Nobel Prize of Chemistry with Stefan Hell and William Moerner, is one of the inventors of this fantastic scientific tool. Working originally on near field optics, Dr. Betzig made a series of stunning achievements at Bell Labs before turning 35. Yet he quit, seemingly at the top of his game, to become a hands-on dad and joined the machinery business. Eventually, he missed science so much that he made a comeback and wowed everyone instantly with his work. He defies the conventional definition of “persistence” by demonstrating an alternative route to success. Plain-speaking and earnest, Dr. Betzig is sometimes honest to almost a fault, and always believes in doing practical things. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does, because he says he wants to truly live rather than simply pass through life. In science work, he is meticulous, yet he embraces risks and believes they can bring the best out of oneself. In life, he is a loving father who is always ready to take time from his busy research work to take his children to school or tennis lessons, and a caring teacher who never forgets to command the hard work of his postdocs. Please join us for a glimpse of the Nobel laureate Eric Betzig and his extraordinary life.
Carcinogenesis promotion in oral squamous cell carcinoma: KDM4A complex-mediated gene transcriptional suppression by LEF1
Authors: Hou Yiming , Yu Wenqian , Wu Gaoyi , Wang Zhaoling , Leng Shuai , Dong Ming , Li Na , Chen Lei
Published: August 2023

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent cancer of the mouth, characterised by rapid progression and poor prognosis. Hence, an urgent need exists for the development of predictive targets for early diagnosis, prognosis determination, and clinical therapy. Dysregulation of lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1), an important transcription factor involved in the Wnt-β-catenin pathway, contributes to the poor prognosis of OSCC. Herein, we aimed to explore the correlation between LEF1 and histone lysine demethylase 4 A (KDM4A). Results show that the KDM4A complex is recruited by LEF1 and specifically binds the LATS2 promoter region, thereby inhibiting its expression, and consequently promoting cell proliferation and impeding apoptosis in OSCC. We also established NOD/SCID mouse xenograft models using CAL-27 cells to conduct an in vivo analysis of the roles of LEF1 and KDM4A in tumour growth, and our findings show that cells stably suppressing LEF1 or KDM4A have markedly decreased tumour-initiating capacity. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that LEF1 plays a pivotal role in OSCC development and has potential to serve as a target for early diagnosis and treatment of OSCC.
p53 isoform expression promotes a stemness phenotype and inhibits doxorubicin sensitivity in breast cancer
Authors: Steffens Reinhardt Luiza , Groen Kira , Zhang Xiajie , Morten Brianna C. , Wawruszak Anna , Avery-Kiejda Kelly A.
Published: August 2023

In breast cancer, dysregulatedTP53expression signatures are a better predictor of chemotherapy response and survival outcomes thanTP53mutations. Our previous studies have shown that high levels of Δ40p53 are associated with worse disease-free survival and disruption of p53-induced DNA damage response in breast cancers. Here, we further investigated the in vitro and in vivo implications of Δ40p53 expression in breast cancer. We have shown that genes associated with cell differentiation are downregulated while those associated with stem cell regulation are upregulated in invasive ductal carcinomas expressing high levels of Δ40p53. In contrast to p53, endogenous ∆40p53 co-localised with the stem cell markers Sox2, Oct4, and Nanog in MCF-7 and ZR75-1 cell lines. ∆40p53 and Sox2 co-localisation was also detected in breast cancer specimens. Further, in cells expressing a high ∆40p53:p53 ratio, increased expression of stem cell markers, greater mammosphere and colony formation capacities, and downregulation ofmiR-145andmiR-200(p53-target microRNAs that repress stemness) were observed compared to the control subline. In vivo, a high ∆40p53:p53 ratio led to increased tumour growth, Ki67 and Sox2 expression, and blood microvessel areas in the vehicle-treated mice. High expression of ∆40p53 also reduced tumour sensitivity to doxorubicin compared to control tumours. Enhanced therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin was observed when transiently targeting Δ40p53 or when treating cells with OTSSP167 with concomitant chemotherapy. Taken together, high Δ40p53 levels induce tumour growth and may promote chemoresistance by inducing a stemness phenotype in breast cancer; thus, targeting Δ40p53 in tumours that have a high Δ40p53:p53 ratio could enhance the efficacy of standard-of-care therapies such as doxorubicin.
Mitochondrial carrier 1 (MTCH1) governs ferroptosis by triggering the FoxO1-GPX4 axis-mediated retrograde signaling in cervical cancer cells
Authors: Wang Xuan , Ji Yuting , Qi Jingyi , Zhou Shuaishuai , Wan Sitong , Fan Chang , Gu Zhenglong , An Peng , Luo Yongting , Luo Junjie
Published: August 2023

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women. Mitochondrial-mediated ferroptosis (MMF) is a recently discovered form of cancer cell death. However, the role and the underlying mechanism of MMF in cervical cancer remain elusive. Here, using an unbiased screening for mitochondrial transmembrane candidates, we identified mitochondrial carrier 1 (MTCH1) as a central mediator of MMF in cervical cancers. MTCH1-deficiency disrupted mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation while elevated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) by decreasing NAD+ levels. This mitochondrial autonomous event initiated a mitochondria-to-nucleus retrograde signaling involving reduced FoxO1 nuclear translocation and subsequently downregulation of the transcription and activity of a key anti-ferroptosis enzyme glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), thereby elevating ROS and ultimately triggering ferroptosis. Strikingly, targeting MTCH1 in combination with Sorafenib effectively and synergistically inhibited the growth of cervical cancer in a nude mouse xenograft model by actively inducing ferroptosis. In conclusion, these findings enriched our understanding of the mechanisms of MMF in which MTCH1 governed ferroptosis though retrograde signaling to FoxO1-GPX4 axis, and provided a potential therapeutic target for treating cervical cancer.
Risk factors for inpatient mortality among children with severe acute malnutrition in Zimbabwe and Zambia
Authors: Sturgeon Jonathan P. , Mufukari Wadzanai , Tome Joice , Dumbura Cherlynn , Majo Florence D. , Ngosa Deophine , Chandwe Kanta , Kapoma Chanda , Mutasa Kuda , Nathoo Kusum J. , Bourke Claire D. , Ntozini Robert , Bwakura-Dangarembizi Mutsa , Amadi Beatrice , Kelly Paul , Prendergast Andrew J. ,   the HOPE-SAM study team, Sturgeon Jonathan P.
Published: August 2023

Background/Objectives

Malnutrition underlies 45% of deaths in children under-5 years annually. Children hospitalised with complicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) have unacceptably high mortality. We aimed to identify variables from early hospital admission (baseline factors) independently associated with inpatient mortality in this cohort to identify those most at risk.

Subjects/Methods

Observational study of 745 children aged 0–59 months admitted with complicated SAM at three hospitals in Zimbabwe/Zambia. Children underwent anthropometry and clinical assessment by a study physician within 72 h of enrolment, and caregivers provided sociodemographic data. Children were followed-up daily until discharge/death. A multivariable survival analysis identified the baseline factors independently associated with mortality.

Results

70/745 (9.4%) children died in hospital. Age between 6–23 months [aHR 6.53, 95%CI 2.24–19.02], higher mid-upper arm circumference [aHR 0.73, 95%CI 0.59–0.89], presence of oedema [aHR 2.22, 95%CI 1.23–4.05], shock [aHR 8.18, 95%CI 3.79–17.65], sepsis [aHR 3.13, 95%CI 1.44–6.80], persistent diarrhoea [aHR 2.27, 95%CI 1.18–4.37], lack of a toilet at home [aHR 4.35, 95%CI 1.65–11.47], and recruitment at one Harare site [aHR 0.38, 95%CI 0.18–0.83] were all independently associated with inpatient mortality. Oedematous children had a significantly higher birthweight [2987 g vs 2757 g, p < 0.001] than those without oedema; higher birthweight was weakly associated with mortality [aHR 1.50 95%CI 0.97–2.31].

Conclusions

Children with oedema, low MUAC, baseline infections, shock and lack of home sanitation had a significantly increased risk of inpatient mortality following hospitalisation for complicated SAM. Children with high-risk features may require additional care. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of SAM is needed to identify adjunctive interventions.
Hyaluronic acid-bilirubin nanomedicine-based combination chemoimmunotherapy
Authors: Lee Yonghyun , Shinn Jongyoon , Xu Cheng , Dobson Hannah E. , Neamati Nouri , Moon James J.
Published: August 2023

Despite significant advances in immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), immunosuppression mediated by tumor-associated myeloid cells (TAMCs) poses a major barrier to cancer immunotherapy. In addition, while immunogenic cell death (ICD) provides a viable approach to inducing anti-tumor immune response, it remains unknown how to effectively trigger ICD while addressing immunosuppressive TAMCs. Here, we show that SC144, a gp130 inhibitor that blocks the IL-6/gp130/STAT3 pathway, induces ICD of tumor cells and polarizes macrophages to M1-phenotype in vitro. However, as SC144 also induces killing of CD8+ T-cells, we sought to deliver SC144 selectively to tumor cells and TAMCs. Toward this goal, we have developed hyaluronic acid-bilirubin nanoparticles (HABN) that accumulate in CD44hi tumor cells and TAMCs. Systemic administration of SC144 loaded in HABN (SC144@HABN) induces apoptosis and ICD of tumor cells, increases the ratio of M1-like to M2-like macrophages, and decreases the frequency of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and CD4+ regulatory T-cells, while promoting anti-tumor CD8+ T-cells. Moreover, SC144@HABN combined with anti-PD-L1 ICB efficiently eliminates MC38 tumors and ICB-resistant 4T1 tumors. Overall, our work demonstrates a therapeutic strategy based on coordinated ICD induction and TAMC modulation and highlights the potential of combination chemoimmunotherapy.
spinDrop: a droplet microfluidic platform to maximise single-cell sequencing information content
Authors: De Jonghe Joachim , Kaminski Tomasz S. , Morse David B. , Tabaka Marcin , Ellermann Anna L. , Kohler Timo N. , Amadei Gianluca , Handford Charlotte E. , Findlay Gregory M. , Zernicka-Goetz Magdalena , Teichmann Sarah A. , Hollfelder Florian
Published: August 2023

Droplet microfluidic methods have massively increased the throughput of single-cell sequencing campaigns. The benefit of scale-up is, however, accompanied by increased background noise when processing challenging samples and the overall RNA capture efficiency is lower. These drawbacks stem from the lack of strategies to enrich for high-quality material or specific cell types at the moment of cell encapsulation and the absence of implementable multi-step enzymatic processes that increase capture. Here we alleviate both bottlenecks using fluorescence-activated droplet sorting to enrich for droplets that contain single viable cells, intact nuclei, fixed cells or target cell types and use reagent addition to droplets by picoinjection to perform multi-step lysis and reverse transcription. Our methodology increases gene detection rates fivefold, while reducing background noise by up to half. We harness these properties to deliver a high-quality molecular atlas of mouse brain development, despite starting with highly damaged input material, and provide an atlas of nascent RNA transcription during mouse organogenesis. Our method is broadly applicable to other droplet-based workflows to deliver sensitive and accurate single-cell profiling at a reduced cost.