bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic projections of baseline twenty-first century CO2 emissions using a simple calibrated integrated assessment model
Authors: Srikrishnan Vivek , Guan Yawen , Tol Richard S. J. , Keller Klaus
Published: February 2022

Probabilistic projections of baseline (with no additional mitigation policies) future carbon emissions are important for sound climate risk assessments. Deep uncertainty surrounds many drivers of projected emissions. Here, we use a simple integrated assessment model, calibrated to century-scale data and expert assessments of baseline emissions, global economic growth, and population growth, to make probabilistic projections of carbon emissions through 2100. Under a variety of assumptions about fossil fuel resource levels and decarbonization rates, our projections largely agree with several emissions projections under current policy conditions. Our global sensitivity analysis identifies several key economic drivers of uncertainty in future emissions and shows important higher-level interactions between economic and technological parameters, while population uncertainties are less important. Our analysis also projects relatively low global economic growth rates over the remainder of the century. This illustrates the importance of additional research into economic growth dynamics for climate risk assessment, especially if pledged and future climate mitigation policies are weakened or have delayed implementations. These results showcase the power of using a simple, transparent, and calibrated model. While the simple model structure has several advantages, it also creates caveats for our results which are related to important areas for further research.
Physical home learning environments for digitally-supported learning in academic continuing education during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Keser Aschenberger Filiz , Radinger Gregor , Brachtl Sonja , Ipser Christina , Oppl Stefan
Published: February 2022

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, digital technologies for distance learning have been used in educational institutions worldwide, raising issues about social implications, technological development, and teaching and learning strategies. While disparities regarding access to technical equipment and the internet (‘the digital divide’) have been the subject of previous research, the physical learning environment of learners participating in online learning activities has hardly been investigated. In this study, the physical-spatial conditions of learning environments, including technical equipment for distance learning activities and their influence on adult learners in academic continuing education during initial COVID-19 restrictions, were examined. Data were collected with an online survey sent to all students enrolled in an Austrian continuing education university, together with a small number of semi-structured interviews. A total of 257 students participated in the survey during the 2020 summer semester. Our findings provide insights in two infrequently-studied areas in learning environment research: the physical learning environment for online learning and the learning environment in academic continuing education. The study illustrates that students in academic continuing education have spacious living conditions and almost all the equipment necessary for digitally-supported learning. According to gender and household structure, significant differences were found regarding technical equipment, ergonomic furniture and availability of a dedicated learning place. In their learning sessions during the restrictions, students reported low stress levels and positive well-being. The more that they perceived that their physical learning environment was meeting their needs, the higher were their motivation and well-being and the lower was their stress. Their learning experience was further improved by the extent to which they had a separate and fixed learning place that did not need to be coordinated or shared with others. The study contributes to the literature on creating conducive learning environments for digitally-supported online learning for adult learners.
Foliar stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in boreal forest plants exposed to long-term pollution from the nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk, Russia
Authors: Manninen Sirkku , Zverev Vitali , Kozlov Mikhail V.
Published: February 2022

Long-term exposure to primary air pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), alters the structure and functions of forest ecosystems. Many biochemical and biogeochemical processes discriminate against the heavier isotopes in a mixture; thus, the values of δ13C and δ15N (i.e. the ratio of stable isotopes 13C to 12C and that of 15 N to 14 N, respectively) may give insights into changes in ecosystem processes and identify the immediate drivers of these changes. We studied sources of variation in the δ13C and δ15N values in the foliage of eight boreal forest C3 plants at 10 sites located at the distance of 1–40 km from the Monchegorsk nickel-copper smelter in Russia. From 1939‒2019, this smelter emitted over 14,000,000 metric tons (t) of SO2, 250,000 t of metals, primarily nickel and copper, and 140,000 t of NOx. The δ13C value in evergreen plants and the δ15N value in all plants increased near the smelter independently of the plant mycorrhizal type. We attribute the pollution-related increase in the foliar δ13C values of evergreen species mainly to direct effects of SO2 on stomatal conductance, in combination with pollution-related water stress, which jointly override the potential opposite effect of increasing ambient CO2 concentration on δ13C values. Stomatal uptake of NOx and root uptake of 15N-enriched organic N compounds and NH4+ may explain the increased foliar δ15N values and elevated foliar N concentrations, especially in the evergreen trees (Pinus sylvestris), close to Monchegorsk, where the soil inorganic N supply is reduced due to the impact of long-term SO2 and heavy metal emissions on plant biomass. We conclude that, despite the uncertainties in interpreting δ13C and δ15N responses to pollution, the Monchegorsk smelter has imposed and still imposes a great impact on C and N cycling in the surrounding N-limited subarctic forest ecosystems.
Sports Betting Advertising: A Systematic Review of Content Analysis Studies
Authors: Killick Elizabeth A. , Griffiths Mark D.
Published: February 2022

A systematic review of empirical studies that used quantitative, qualitative, or a mixed-methods approach to content analysis sports betting advertising was conducted. Study attributes were examined including the main findings, key themes, research design, focus of analysis, type of interpretation, use of theory, media type, inter-coder reliability measures, and recommendations for future studies. The findings showed that the studies (N=15) were all published relatively recently (since 2012), predominantly focused on the content of television advertisements, and there was a general lack of reporting on inter-coder reliability. The narratives most commonly identified within sports betting advertisements were friendship and humour. Advertisements were found to be embedded into professional sports games, and this type of advertising occurred more frequently when compared to commercial advertising during televised sporting events. In order to enhance the sports betting advertising literature, researchers need to ensure that they are meeting scientific standards, especially when it comes to reliability measures. Such studies can add to an understanding of how sports betting advertisements are presented to the public and infer what the potential impact of the availability and exposure of these advertisements may be.
On finite mixtures of Discretized Beta model for ordered responses
Authors: Simone Rosaria
Published: February 2022

The paper discusses the specification of finite mixture models based on the Discretized Beta distribution for the analysis of ordered discrete responses, as ratings and count data. The ultimate goal of the paper is to parameterize clusters of opposite and intermediate response outcomes. After a thorough discussion on model interpretation, identifiability and estimation, the proposal is illustrated on the wake of a case study on the probability to vote for German Political Parties and with a comparative discussion with the state of the art.
Dynamics of Weighted Composition Operators and Their Adjoints on the Fock Space
Authors: Mengestie Tesfa
Published: February 2022

We study the cyclic structures of the weighted composition operators and their adjoints on the Fock space $${\mathcal {F}}_2$$

F
2

. A complete characterization of cyclicity which depends on the derivative of the symbol for the composition operator and non-vanishing structure of the weight function is provided. It is further shown that the space fails to support supercyclic adjoint weighted composition operators. As a tool in proving our main results, we also identified eigenvectors of the weighted composition operators in the space which is interest of its own.
A Phase-Field Study on Internal to External Oxidation Transition in High-Temperature Structural Alloys
Authors: Wang Rui , Ji Yanzhou , Cheng Tianle , Xue Fei , Chen Long-Qing , Wen You-Hai
Published: February 2022

Structural alloys applied at high temperatures rely on an external dense layer of oxide scale for protection. As some reactive alloy components are selectively oxidized internally, understanding how these dispersed metal oxide particles reach the surface to form a protective scale—the so-called internal to external oxidation transition—is crucial for designing these alloys. While the literature is replete with experimental studies on oxidation of alloys, there is a lack of computational studies in this realm due to the complex nature of coupled reaction and diffusion processes in multicomponent multi-phase alloy systems. In this work, we apply a recently developed phase-field model to simulate the oxidation processes under different compositions and nucleation scenarios to gain insights into how a continuous oxide scale can be established. The results show that while alloy composition is critical for internal to external oxidation transition, the oxide nuclei size, shape and distribution also have significant impact on the transition kinetics.
PACAP and VIP Mitigate Rotenone-Induced Inflammation in BV-2 Microglial Cells
Authors: Broome Sarah Thomas , Musumeci Giuseppe , Castorina Alessandro
Published: February 2022

Rotenone is a commercial pesticide commonly used to model Parkinson’s disease (PD) due to its ability to induce dopaminergic degeneration. Studies have confirmed that rotenone causes microglial activation, which seems to contribute to the toxic effects seen in rodent models. Pituitary adenylate cyclase–activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) are two structurally related neuropeptides that have robust neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. However, their ability to regulate microglial activity in response to rotenone is not fully understood. Using rotenone as an inflammatory stimulus, we tested whether PACAP or VIP could mitigate microglial activation in BV2 microglial cells. Rotenone dose-dependently reduced cell viability and the percentage of apoptotic cells. It also increased the release of nitric oxide (NO) in culture media and the expression of microglial activation markers and pro-inflammatory markers, including CD11b, MMP-9 and IL-6, and heightened the endogenous levels of PACAP and its preferring receptor PAC1. Co-treatment with PACAP or VIP prevented rotenone-induced increase of NO, CD11b, MMP-9 and IL-6. These results indicate that both PACAP and VIP are able to prevent the pro-inflammatory effects of rotenone in BV2 cells, supporting the idea that these molecules can have therapeutic value in slowing down PD progression.

Graphical Abstract
Thermal treatment of Kalabsha kaolin deposits, south of the Western Desert, Egypt: contribution to geopolymer production as green building materials
Authors: El-Moghny Mohamed W. Abd , El-Desoky Hatem M. , El-Nagar Abdeen M. , El-Hafez Nabil A. Abd , Sharaka Hossam K. , Abouellaban Sayed A.
Published: February 2022

Kaolin samples were collected to study the mineralogical, texture, chemical composition, thermal behavior, and treatment and also the possibility to convert kaolinite mineral into metakaolin and use it as a natural pozzolanic and/or as geopolymer materials. Kaolinite is the main constituent of clay mineral, which related to many of the chemical weathering of parent rocks and complete leaching of alkali elements under warm, humid to semi-arid climatic conditions. However, quartz, anatase, and iron oxide are considered non-clay minerals. Cement substituted by metakaolin under different ratios in the concrete industry was carried out to enhance the physical and mechanical properties of the concrete. The best results are detected at 10% and 15% of cement replacement by metakaolin. Geopolymer production using Metakaolin (MK) was mixed with NaOH and Na2O-3SiO2to replace the Portland cement in the concrete industry and the obtained results are suitable and match with the green building material concept.
Comparison of modified Woo’s solar phase scintillation model with ESA’s BepiColombo superior solar conjunction measurement data for X-band and Ka-band
Authors: Chen Shun-Ping , Villalvilla Jose
Published: February 2022

Solar phase scintillation is of major interest in deep space mission operations for designing a communications system capable of transmitting signals when the path is close to the Sun, but also for improving the navigation under these conditions. The basis of this work is Woo’s solar phase scintillation theory which reported a useful model for the spectral power density of phase scintillations of a signal traveling through a medium close to the Sun. In this paper, Woo’s solar phase scintillation formula is used for the simulation of the spectral density of phase fluctuations induced by the Sun on coherent signals (uplink and downlink carriers are coherently related by a fractional ratio implemented by the spacecraft’s transponder), for the two downlink frequency bands supported by the ESA deep space mission BepiColombo. In particular, the model has been compared to measurement data collected at low Sun Earth Probe (SEP) angles during the superior solar conjunction campaign in March 2021 (in its cruise phase to Mercury). The comparison shows a good match between the phase noise spectral densities of the modified formula and measurement data, therefore, confirming that the formula can be used for the planning and verification of the future near Sun measurements.
IT Capability, Organisational Learning and Innovation Performance of Firms in Kenya
Authors: Otioma Chuks
Published: February 2022

This paper explores the role that IT capability (IT-c) plays in firm innovation performance through the channel of organisational learning (OL) in Kenya. It frames OL in two dimensions: explorative and exploitative OL. The former entails seeking new knowledge, which mainly exists outside the firm’s competence. The latter is an activity or process that builds on existing competence and knowledge in the firm. Using mediation analysis of 481 firms drawn from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (2013) and Innovation Follow-up Survey 2014, it demonstrates that IT-c has a significant effect on innovation performance of firms (capability to simultaneously improve products, processes, organising and market development). It finds that the mediative role of OL in the relationship between IT-c and innovation performance is realised mainly through explorative learning, whilst enabling the firm exploit existing (in-house) knowledge base. The paper puts forward some managerial, policy and further research suggestions.
National and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) IP Policies: Comparison of Indian HEIs’ IP Policies from a Global Perspective
Authors: Sattiraju Vijay , Ligade Virendra S. , Muragundi Pradeep , Pandey Ravi , Janodia Manthan D.
Published: February 2022

Until the end of the eighteenth century, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were restricted to generate knowledge for free access to industries which they use for making commercial products. Though HEIs have the potential to contribute to the national economy from their creative and commercially viable R&D output through commercialization of research and Intellectual Property Rights, it was not given the needed importance due to lack of supportive policies. In many developed countries, innovation strategies, Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) and national Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policies provided opportunities to HEIs to own and commercialize knowledge they generate. National IPR policy and formulation and implementation of HEI IP policies became crucial for effective implementation, promotion of innovation, generation, and protection of IP in the HEIs. Efficiency of HEI in commercializing research is dependent on national IP policy framework aligning vision and goals of HEI IP policy with national IP policy, objectives, ownership, and revenue sharing mechanism. These are the key indicators for comparing the institutions’ innovation and IP capacity. This paper uses these indicators to discuss the impact of different countries’ (developed, developing, and least developed) national IPR policy frameworks on top-performing HEIs of those countries and to address the research question, how national and HEI IP policies have worked in achieving envisaged economic growth by improving innovation output of the HEIs. It further compares Indian HEI IP policies with global HEIs. We found that there is a greater need for local governments and HEIs to make their incentive strategies and policies in line with their corresponding national frameworks for facilitating the collaboration and commercialization of innovations. Implementing a robust IP policy framework at state/region and HEI level plays a pivotal role in creating an innovation ecosystem supportive to envisaged national economic growth.
Three new pyrrole alkaloids from the endophytic fungus Albifimbria viridis
Authors: Wei Pan-Pan , Ji Jia-Cheng , Ma Xu-Jun , Li Zheng-Hui , Ai Hong-Lian , Lei Xin-Xiang , Liu Ji-Kai
Published: February 2022

Three new pyrrole alkaloids albifipyrrols A–C (1–3), were isolated from the endophytic fungus Albifimbria viridis collected from the Chinese medicinal plant. Their structures were elucidated by extensive NMR and HRESIMS spectrometric analyses. All compounds were evaluated for immunosuppressive activity. Fortunately, compound 2 exhibits certain inhibition specifically against the LPS-induced proliferation of B lymphocyte cells with IC50 value 16.16 μM.

Graphical Abstract
Automated defect detection in digital radiography of aerospace welds using deep learning
Authors: Tyystjärvi Topias , Virkkunen Iikka , Fridolf Peter , Rosell Anders , Barsoum Zuheir
Published: February 2022

Aerospace welds are non-destructively evaluated (NDE) during manufacturing to identify defective parts that may pose structural risks, often using digital radiography. The analysis of these digital radiographs is time consuming and costly. Attempts to automate the analysis using conventional computer vision methods or shallow machine learning have not, thus far, provided performance equivalent to human inspectors due to the high reliability requirements and low contrast to noise ratio of the defects. Modern approaches based on deep learning have made considerable progress towards reliable automated analysis. However, limited data sets render current machine learning solutions insufficient for industrial use. Moreover, industrial acceptance would require performance demonstration using standard metrics in non-destructive evaluation, such as probability of detection (POD), which are not commonly used in previous studies. In this study, data augmentation with virtual flaws was used to overcome data scarcity, and compared with conventional data augmentation. A semantic segmentation network was trained to find defects from computed radiography data of aerospace welds. Standard evaluation metrics in non-destructive testing were adopted for the comparison. Finally, the network was deployed as an inspector’s aid in a realistic environment to predict flaws from production radiographs. The network achieved high detection reliability and defect sizing performance, and an acceptable false call rate. Virtual flaw augmentation was found to significantly improve performance, especially for limited data set sizes, and for underrepresented flaw types even at large data sets. The deployed prototype was found to be easy to use indicating readiness for industry adoption.
Cyber-physical security for IoT networks: a comprehensive review on traditional, blockchain and artificial intelligence based key-security
Authors: Attkan Ankit , Ranga Virender
Published: February 2022

The recent years have garnered huge attention towards the Internet of Things (IoT) because it enables its consumers to improve their lifestyles and professionally keep up with the technological advancements in the cyber-physical world. The IoT edge devices are heterogeneous in terms of the technology they are built on and the storage file formats used. These devices require highly secure modes of mutual authentication to authenticate each other before actually sending the data. Mutual authentication is a very important aspect of peer-to-peer communication. Secure session keys enable these resource-constrained devices to authenticate each other. After successful authentication, a device can be authorized and can be granted access to shared resources. The need for validating a device requesting data transfer to avoid data privacy breaches that may compromise confidentiality and integrity. Blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) both are extensively being used as an integrated part of IoT networks for security enhancements. Blockchain provides a decentralized mechanism to store validated session keys that can be allotted to the network devices. Blockchain is also used to load balance the stressing edge devices during low battery levels. AI on the other hand provides better learning and adaptiveness towards IoT attacks. The integration of newer technologies in IoT key management yields enhanced security features. In this article, we systematically survey recent trending technologies from an IoT security point of view and discuss traditional key security mechanisms. This article delivers a comprehensive quality study for researchers on authentication and session keys, integrating IoT with blockchain and AI-based authentication in cybersecurity.
On the strategic value of equifinal choice
Authors: Arrieta Jose P. , Shrestha Yash R.
Published: February 2022

Managers are often faced with the need to choose among multiple satisficing options. We call this situationequifinal choiceand argue how it opens an opportunity for managers to choose a new trajectory for their firm—an opportunity for strategic action. Althoughequifinal choicecan exist in any environment, it becomes most consequential when uncertainty is high. Uncertainty weakens the adherence of organizational members to a superordinate goal and the plurality of goals leads political processes to guide the firm’s strategy. Extant view has identified random choice as an unbiased, fair, simple, and swift solution to the problem of equifinal choice. Random choice is also commonly used in machine learning and artificial intelligence systems. As organizations augment their decision making with these systems, there is a threat that they forego these strategic opportunities and randomly choose actions that fail to harness commitment and trust. In thisPoint of Viewarticle, we highlight the problem ofequifinal choice, explain different ways it can be approached, and motivate why strategic choice can be valuable for organizations over and above defaulting to random choice.
Can BRICS De-dollarize the Global Financial System?
Authors: Liu Zongyuan Zoe , Papa Mihaela
Published: February 2022

Existing scholarship has not systematically examined BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) as a rising power de-dollarization coalition, despite the group developing multiple de-dollarization initiatives to reduce currency risk and bypass US sanctions. To fill this gap, this study develops a 'Pathways to De-dollarization' framework and applies it to analyze the institutional and market mechanisms that BRICS countries have created at the BRICS, sub-BRICS, and BRICS Plus levels. This framework identifies the leaders and followers of the BRICS de-dollarization coalition, assesses its robustness, and discerns how BRICS mobilizes other stakeholders. The authors employ process tracing, content analysis, semi-structured interviews, archival research, and statistical analysis of quantitative market data to analyze BRICS activities during 2009-2021. They find that BRICS' coalitional de-dollarization initiatives have established critical infrastructure for a prospective alternative nondollar global financial system. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Rural Communities in Late Byzantium
Authors: Kondyli Fotini
Published: February 2022

Late Byzantium faced economic, political, and demographic crises. This book argues for the ability of rural communities to transform their socioeconomic strategies and maintain resilience in the face of these, especially in the context of islands. It seeks to reinstate ordinary people in the historical narrative and reintroduce them as active participants in the events of the period, pointing to their ability not only to react to change, but also to initiate it. Combining new archaeological evidence with archival material pertaining to the islands of Lemnos and Thasos in the Northern Aegean, it provides concrete examples of Byzantine socio-economic strategies that successfully mitigated the various crises and thus contributes to a diachronic perspective on crisis management. The result is to rethink the nature of the Late Byzantine period, and to question the ways in which we have come to divide historical periods into 'good' or 'bad'.
Professional–Collector Collaboration
Authors: Pitblado Bonnie L. , Rowe Matthew J. , Schroeder Bryon , Thomas Suzie , Wessman Anna
Published: February 2022

This article introduces the first of what will ultimately be two collections of case studies in archaeologist–responsible/responsive artifact collector collaboration. Focused on the United States, the articles in this issue of Advances in Archaeological Practice share the thoughts and experiences of archaeologists representing diverse employment sectors (compliance, agency, museum, and university), artifact collectors, and members of descendant communities. Research areas extend from California to Virginia and from Ohio to the Texas/Mexico border. The breadth of the writers' backgrounds and their focal regions reinforce the wide applicability of collaborative best practices. Every author explicitly treats two subjects: (1) the intersection of their work with the Society for American Archaeology's (SAA) recently published guidelines for ethical professional–collector collaboration, and (2) their own practical suggestions for establishing and nurturing those relationships. This introductory article provides an overview of each of the other contributions, notes how the contributions articulate with the SAA guidelines, and offers its own, mostly philosophical suggestions for prospective members of professional–collector collaborations.
Long Live Chairman Mao! Death, Resurrection, and the (Un)Making of a Revolutionary Relic
Authors: Tu Hang
Published: February 2022

Why does Mao's embalmed corpse continue to arouse powerful religious feelings among contemporary Chinese writers after the end of his rule, from fantasies of resurrection to yearnings for redemption? While extant scholarship focuses on the sociopolitical aspects of Mao's posthumous cult, this essay reveals the crucial role that literary narrative plays in the (un)making of Mao's quasi-religious appeal. Drawing on literary genres such as diary, memoir, science fantasy, and satirical fiction, I argue that the political theology of Mao can be read as a grand “political fiction” that linked the doubling of Mao's immortal body with the perpetual sovereignty of the Chinese Communist Party. However, even as literary narrative authorizes the political mythology of Mao, contemporary Chinese literature also demonstrates its capacity for ideological critique. My narrative begins with the party's controversial effort to sacralize Mao's biological remains, from the ritualized display of political sovereignty to the ambiguous allusion to religious miracle. Then I look at the bizarre resurrection of Mao's flesh in Liu Cixin's 劉慈欣 1989 science fiction novel China 2185. The story features a cybernetic uprising in the distant future, when a computer engineer breaks into the Mao mausoleum and “uploads” Mao's mind into cyberspace. Lastly, I draw on the satirical fictions of Yan Lianke 閻連科 and Chan Koonchung 陳冠中 to reveal the desacralizing impacts of neoliberal capitalism on the Maoist political religiosity.
Altered glutamate level and its association with working memory among patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS): a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study
Authors: Huang Li-Chung , Lin Shih-Hsien , Tseng Huai-Hsuan , Chen Kao Chin , Abdullah Muhammad , Yang Yen Kuang
Published: February 2022

Background

Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) and non-TRS may be associated with different dopaminergic and glutamatergic regulations. The concept of dysregulated glutamatergic concentrations in specific brain regions remains controversial. Herein, we aimed to assess (i) the distribution of the glutamatergic concentration in the brain, (ii) the association between working memory (WM) differences in TRS and non-TRS patients, and (iii) whether an alteration in the glutamate (Glu) level is associated with WM.

Methods

The participants included 38 TRS patients, 35 non-TRS patients, and 19 healthy controls (HCs), all of whom underwent 1.5-Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). The ratios of glutamatergic neurometabolites to N-acetylaspartate + N-acetyl aspartylglutamate (NAAx) were calculated. Cognitive function was assessed using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales, 4th Edition, which included the working memory index (WMI).

Result

The TRS patients had a higher glutamate + glutamine (Glx)/NAAx ratio compared to the non-TRS patients and HCs in the ACC, but this was not significantly different in the MPFC. WM was negatively correlated with Glx/NAAx in the ACC among the non-TRS patients, but not in the TRS patients or HCs.

Conclusions

Our findings were consistent with most studies indicating that the glutamatergic concentration in the ACC plays important roles in the classification of TRS and cognition. Our results may provide potential evidence for predictors and treatment response biomarkers in TRS patients. Further research is needed to probe the value using the relationship between Glu and WM as a potential prognostic predictor of schizophrenia.
The role of care-giver and mental health for older adults with disabilities: a mixed-method study
Authors: Huang Shuoao , Zhao Qi , Liu Xiaoting , Jin Yanyan
Published: February 2022

Because of the exacerbation of population ageing, more family members are involved in the informal care-giving for older adults with disabilities to cater to their long-term care needs. As informal care-givers are associated with the mental health of the care recipient, this study, based on the theoretical framework of the Actor–Partner Effect, utilises a mixed method composed of quantitative and qualitative strategies to identify the relationship among gender and type of both care-giver and care recipient, and mental health of the recipient and explain its internal mechanism. In the quantitative research, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression results based on the basis of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) data corroborate the existence of actor and partner effects within the care-giving dyad. The qualitative analysis further explains the socially constructed differences in gender role, trust relationship and perception towards filial piety of adult care-givers playing their role in the emergence of the Actor–Partner Effect. Finally, this study proposes a developed Actor–Partner Effect analysis framework, advocating to destigmatise disability and construct social support networks for the older adults with disabilities who receive informal care to promote their mental health based on the reflection of socially constructed gender difference.
DISCRIMINABILITY AND PROTOTYPICALITY OF NONNATIVE VOWELS
Authors: Shinohara Yasuaki , Han Chao , Hestvik Arild
Published: February 2022

This study examined how discriminability and prototypicality of nonnative phones modulate the amplitude of the Mismatch Negativity (MMN) event-related brain potential. We hypothesized that if a frequently occurring (standard) stimulus is not prototypical to a listener, a weaker predictive memory trace will be formed and a smaller MMN will be generated for a phonetic deviant, regardless of the discriminability between the standard and deviant stimuli. The MMN amplitudes of Japanese speakers hearing the English vowels /æ/ and /ɑ/ as standard stimuli and /ʌ/ as a deviant stimulus in an oddball paradigm were measured. Although the English /æ/-/ʌ/ contrast was more discriminable than the English /ɑ/-/ʌ/ contrast for Japanese speakers, when Japanese speakers heard the /æ/ standard stimulus (i.e., less prototypical as Japanese /a/) and the /ʌ/ deviant stimulus, their MMN amplitude was smaller than the one elicited when they heard /ɑ/ as a standard stimulus (i.e., more prototypical as Japanese /a/) and /ʌ/ as a deviant stimulus. The prototypicality of the standard stimuli in listeners’ phonological representations modulates the MMN amplitude more robustly than does the discriminability between standard and deviant stimuli.
Crystal structures of lanthanide terephthalate tetrahydrate, R2(C8H4O4)3(H2O)4, R = La–Er
Authors: Markun Emma L. , Kaduk James A.
Published: February 2022

The crystal structures of 11 lanthanide terephthalate tetrahydrates have been refined using laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data and optimized using density functional techniques. The lattice parameters and R–O bonds exhibit expected trends based on the cation size. The R–O bond distances in the Rietveld-refined structures are similar. However, in the density functional theory (DFT)-optimized structures, the bond distances break into two distinct groups, longer and shorter R–O bonds. This indicates that the bond distance restraints imposed upon the refined structures may have a greater impact than is expected from their weights. The aromatic carboxyl groups were not completely planar, but it is known that the carboxyl groups can rotate to accommodate hydrogen bonding and coordination to the metal. Both water molecules coordinated to the lanthanides act as hydrogen bond donors, but only one of the three unique carboxyl groups acts as an acceptor.
Avoidable hospitalization after family physician and rural health insurance: interrupted time series and regression analyses, Tehran province, Iran
Authors: Salavati Sedigheh , Rashidian Arash , Hajimahmoodi Hanan , Ememgholipour Sara , Varahrami Vida , Khodayarimoez Elham
Published: February 2022

Background

Studying the effect of primary health care development when simultaneously implemented with health insurance schemes assesses effectiveness and use of health care services and gives us insight on how to develop such interventions in different countries.

Aim

To analyze the impact of health insurance and the family physician program on total hospitalizations, and the relation between avoidable hospitalizations and access to family physicians among the rural population in Iran.

Methods

We conducted an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis of monthly hospitalization rates between the years of 2003 and 2014 to assess the immediate and gradual effects of these reforms on total hospitalization rates in the rural areas of Tehran province. In addition, we used a sample of 22 570 hospitalizations between 2006 and 2013 to develop a logistic regression model to measure the association between access to a family physician and avoidable hospitalizations.

Findings

ITS analysis showed that there was an immediate increase of about 1.96 hospitalizations per 1000 inhabitants (P<0.0001, CI=1.58, 2.34) hospitalization rates after the reforms. This was followed by a significant increase of about 0.089 per 1000 inhabitants (P<0.0001, CI=0.07, 0.1). Hospitalization increase continued up to four years after the policy implementation. Following that, hospitalization rates decreased among the rural population (a decrease of 0.066 per 1000, P<0.0001, CI=−0.084, −0.048). Studying the hospitalizations that occurred between 2006 and 2013 showed that there were 4106 avoidable hospitalizations from among a sample of 22 570 hospitalizations. Results of logistic regression models including gender, age and access to family physician variables showed that there was no statistical relation between access to a family physician and avoidable hospitalizations.

Conclusion

Reforms had access effect and caused increased hospital services uses in people with unmet needs. Also the reforms did not decrease avoidable hospitalizations, and therefore had no efficiency effect.
Improving Channel Hydrological Connectivity in Coastal Hydrodynamic Models With Remotely Sensed Channel Networks
Authors: Zhang Xiaohe , Wright Kyle , Passalacqua Paola , Simard Marc , Fagherazzi Sergio
Published: February 2022

Coastal wetlands are nourished by rivers and periodical tidal flows through complex, interconnected channels. However, in hydrodynamic models, channel dimensions with respect to model grid size and uncertainties in topography preclude the correct propagation of tidal and riverine signals. It is therefore crucial to enhance channel geomorphic connectivity and simplify sub‐channel features based on remotely sensed networks for practical computational applications. Here, we utilize channel networks derived from diverse remote sensing imagery as a baseline to build a ∼10 m resolution hydrodynamic model that covers the Wax Lake Delta and adjacent wetlands (∼360 km2) in coastal Louisiana, USA. In this richly gauged system, intensive calibrations are conducted with 18 synchronous field‐observations of water levels taken in 2016, and discharge data taken in 2021. We modify channel geometry, targeting realism in channel connectivity. The results show that a minimum channel depth of 2 m and a width of four grid elements (approximatively 40 m) are required to enable a realistic tidal propagation in wetland channels. The optimal depth for tidal propagation can be determined by a simplified cost function method that evaluates the competition between flow travel time and alteration of the volume of the channels. The integration of high spatial‐resolution models and remote sensing imagery provides a general framework to improve models performance in salt marshes, mangroves, deltaic wetlands, and tidal flats.
Experimental evaluation of ecological principles to understand and modulate the outcome of bacterial strain competition in gut microbiomes
Authors: Segura Munoz Rafael R , Mantz Sara , Martínez Ines , Li Fuyong , Schmaltz Robert J , Pudlo Nicholas A , Urs Karthik , Martens Eric C , Walter Jens , Ramer-Tait Amanda E
Published: February 2022

It is unclear if coexistence theory can be applied to gut microbiomes to understand their characteristics and modulate their composition. Through experiments in gnotobiotic mice with complex microbiomes, we demonstrated that strains of Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides vulgatus could only be established if microbiomes were devoid of these species. Strains of A. muciniphila showed strict competitive exclusion, while B. vulgatus strains coexisted but populations were still influenced by competitive interactions. These differences in competitive behavior were reflective of genomic variation within the two species, indicating considerable niche overlap for A. muciniphila strains and a broader niche space for B. vulgatus strains. Priority effects were detected for both species as strains’ competitive fitness increased when colonizing first, which resulted in stable persistence of the A. muciniphila strain colonizing first and competitive exclusion of the strain arriving second. Based on these observations, we devised a subtractive strategy for A. muciniphila using antibiotics and showed that a strain from an assembled community can be stably replaced by another strain. By demonstrating that competitive outcomes in gut ecosystems depend on niche differences and are historically contingent, our study provides novel information to explain the ecological characteristics of gut microbiomes and a basis for their modulation.
The E3 ubiquitin ligase, FBXW5, promotes the migration and invasion of gastric cancer through the dysregulation of the Hippo pathway
Authors: Yao Yangyang , Liu Zhen , Huang Shanshan , Huang Chunye , Cao Yuan , Li Li , Guo Hui , Liu Fenfen , Huang Shipeng , Liao Quan , He Xin , Chen Jun , Li Junhe , Xiang Xiaojun , Xiong Jianping , Deng Jun
Published: February 2022

F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 5 (FBXW5), with WD40 repeats, can bind to the PPxY sequence of the large tumor suppressor kinases 1/2 (LATS1/2) kinase domain, resulting in ubiquitination. Ubiquitination and the subsequent degradation of LATS1/2 abrogate the Hippo pathway and worsen gastric cancer (GC). However, the effects and molecular mechanisms of FBXW5 in GC remain unexplored. To elucidate the clinical significance of FBXW5, immunohistochemistry was conducted to reveal the positive correlation between FBXW5 expression and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001) and TNM stage (training cohort: p = 0.018; validation cohort: p = 0.001). Further, patients with high FBXW5 expression were found to have poor prognosis (training cohort: log-rank p = 0.020; validation cohort: log-rank p = 0.025). Cell experiments revealed the promoting effects of FBXW5 on the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and chemoresistance of GC cells. Blocking LATS1-YAP1 leads to the loss of FBXW5-mediated regulation of the Hippo pathway and partial functions. Further, co-immunoprecipitation and in vivo ubiquitination assays revealed the interaction between FBXW5 and LATS1, which promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of LATS1. Based on mouse xenograft assays, FBXW5 silencing attenuated the growth of subcutaneous tumor xenografts. Altogether, FBXW5 was found to inactivate the Hippo signaling pathway by enhancing LATS1 ubiquitination and degradation, which promoted the invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance of GC cells.
Lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA antibody provides long-term protection against SARS-CoV-2 in mice and hamsters
Authors: Deng Yong-Qiang , Zhang Na-Na , Zhang Yi-Fei , Zhong Xia , Xu Sue , Qiu Hong-Ying , Wang Tie-Cheng , Zhao Hui , Zhou Chao , Zu Shu-Long , Chen Qi , Cao Tian-Shu , Ye Qing , Chi Hang , Duan Xiang-Hui , Lin Dan-Dan , Zhang Xiao-Jing , Xie Liang-Zhi , Gao Yu-Wei , Ying Bo , Qin Cheng-Feng
Published: February 2022

Monoclonal antibodies represent important weapons in our arsenal to against the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this potential is severely limited by the time-consuming process of developing effective antibodies and the relative high cost of manufacturing. Herein, we present a rapid and cost-effective lipid nanoparticle (LNP) encapsulated-mRNA platform for in vivo delivery of SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibodies. Two mRNAs encoding the light and heavy chains of a potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody HB27, which is currently being evaluated in clinical trials, were encapsulated into clinical grade LNP formulations (named as mRNA-HB27-LNP). In vivo characterization demonstrated that intravenous administration of mRNA-HB27-LNP in mice resulted in a longer circulating half-life compared with the original HB27 antibody in protein format. More importantly, a single prophylactic administration of mRNA-HB27-LNP provided protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in mice at 1, 7 and even 63 days post administration. In a close contact transmission model, prophylactic administration of mRNA-HB27-LNP prevented SARS-CoV-2 infection between hamsters in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, our results demonstrate a superior long-term protection against SARS-CoV-2 conferred by a single administration of this unique mRNA antibody, highlighting the potential of this universal platform for antibody-based disease prevention and therapy against COVID-19 as well as a variety of other infectious diseases.
Opposite forms of adaptation in mouse visual cortex are controlled by distinct inhibitory microcircuits
Authors: Heintz Tristan G. , Hinojosa Antonio J. , Dominiak Sina E. , Lagnado Leon
Published: February 2022

Sensory processing in the cortex adapts to the history of stimulation but the mechanisms are not understood. Imaging the primary visual cortex of mice we find here that an increase in stimulus contrast is not followed by a simple decrease in gain of pyramidal cells; as many cells increase gain to improve detection of a subsequent decrease in contrast. Depressing and sensitizing forms of adaptation also occur in different types of interneurons (PV, SST and VIP) and the net effect within individual pyramidal cells reflects the balance of PV inputs, driving depression, and a subset of SST interneurons driving sensitization. Changes in internal state associated with locomotion increase gain across the population of pyramidal cells while maintaining the balance between these opposite forms of plasticity, consistent with activation of both VIP->SST and SST->PV disinhibitory pathways. These results reveal how different inhibitory microcircuits adjust the gain of pyramidal cells signalling changes in stimulus strength.
Tuning the rate of aggregation of hIAPP into amyloid using small-molecule modulators of assembly
Authors: Xu Yong , Maya-Martinez Roberto , Guthertz Nicolas , Heath George R. , Manfield Iain W. , Breeze Alexander L. , Sobott Frank , Foster Richard , Radford Sheena E.
Published: February 2022

Human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) self-assembles into amyloid fibrils which deposit in pancreatic islets of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Here, we applied chemical kinetics to study the mechanism of amyloid assembly of wild-type hIAPP and its more amyloidogenic natural variant S20G. We show that the aggregation of both peptides involves primary nucleation, secondary nucleation and elongation. We also report the discovery of two structurally distinct small-molecule modulators of hIAPP assembly, one delaying the aggregation of wt hIAPP, but not S20G; while the other enhances the rate of aggregation of both variants at substoichiometric concentrations. Investigation into the inhibition mechanism(s) using chemical kinetics, native mass spectrometry, fluorescence titration, SPR and NMR revealed that the inhibitor retards primary nucleation, secondary nucleation and elongation, by binding peptide monomers. By contrast, the accelerator predominantly interacts with species formed in the lag phase. These compounds represent useful chemical tools to study hIAPP aggregation and may serve as promising starting-points for the development of therapeutics for T2D.