bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tender Shoots: Effects of a Preschool Shared Book Reading Preventive Intervention on Parent–Child Reading and Parents’ Involvement in the First Year of School
Authors: Timperley Sarah , Schaughency Elizabeth , Riordan Jessica , Carroll Jane , Das Shika , Reese Elaine
Published: February 2022

Parent–child interactive shared reading can benefit young children’s language and emergent literacy skills; however, studies of programs to enhance shared reading often do not evaluate lasting effects after the transition to primary school. In this randomized control study, 69 parents of 3.5–4.5-year-old children participated in one of three conditions for an evaluation of the 6-week Tender Shoots program: Rich Reading and Reminiscing (RRR), Strengthening Sound Sensitivity (SSS), or Activity-Based Control (ABC). Parents in both Tender Shoots conditions, SSS and RRR, were taught to read interactively with their children and were provided with books to support implementation. RRR targeted meaning-related talk likely to enhance vocabulary and comprehension, whereas SSS targeted sound-related talk to enhance phonological awareness. Children in ABC were provided with resources and materials for developmentally appropriate activities. Fifty-three dyads (77%) were followed after children started primary school and formal literacy instruction. Comparisons of shared reading interactions at follow-up indicated that parents and children in the RRR and SSS groups still used more condition-specific targeted talk than those in other groups. Most parents in shared reading groups reported that they continued to use project activities after children had started school, although parents in RRR reported more frequent use of program activities than the active control, ABC. Moreover, parents in RRR sometimes reported higher levels of some broad involvement dimensions. These findings suggest that shared reading programs as delivered here can have long-lasting effects on extratextual talk during shared reading and may enhance aspects of parents’ involvement with children’s education.
Loss of Neuron Navigator 2 Impairs Brain and Cerebellar Development
Authors: Accogli Andrea , Lu Shenzhao , Musante Ilaria , Scudieri Paolo , Rosenfeld Jill A. , Severino Mariasavina , Baldassari Simona , Iacomino Michele , Riva Antonella , Balagura Ganna , Piccolo Gianluca , Minetti Carlo , Roberto Denis , Xia Fan , Razak Razaali , Lawrence Emily , Hussein Mohamed , Chang Emmanuel Yih-Herng , Holick Michelle , Calì Elisa , Aliberto Emanuela , De-Sarro Rosalba , Gambardella Antonio , Network Undiagnosed Diseases , Group SYNaPS Study , Emrick Lisa , McCaffery Peter J. A. , Clagett-Dame Margaret , Marcogliese Paul C. , Bellen Hugo J. , Lalani Seema R. , Zara Federico , Striano Pasquale , Salpietro Vincenzo
Published: February 2022

Cerebellar hypoplasia and dysplasia encompass a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders frequently associated with neurodevelopmental impairment. The Neuron Navigator 2 (NAV2) gene (MIM: 607,026) encodes a member of the Neuron Navigator protein family, widely expressed within the central nervous system (CNS), and particularly abundant in the developing cerebellum. Evidence across different species supports a pivotal function of NAV2 in cytoskeletal dynamics and neurite outgrowth. Specifically, deficiency of Nav2 in mice leads to cerebellar hypoplasia with abnormal foliation due to impaired axonal outgrowth. However, little is known about the involvement of the NAV2 gene in human disease phenotypes. In this study, we identified a female affected with neurodevelopmental impairment and a complex brain and cardiac malformations in which clinical exome sequencing led to the identification of NAV2 biallelic truncating variants. Through protein expression analysis and cell migration assay in patient-derived fibroblasts, we provide evidence linking NAV2 deficiency to cellular migration deficits. In model organisms, the overall CNS histopathology of the Nav2 hypomorphic mouse revealed developmental anomalies including cerebellar hypoplasia and dysplasia, corpus callosum hypo-dysgenesis, and agenesis of the olfactory bulbs. Lastly, we show that the NAV2 ortholog in Drosophila, sickie (sick) is widely expressed in the fly brain, and sick mutants are mostly lethal with surviving escapers showing neurobehavioral phenotypes. In summary, our results unveil a novel human neurodevelopmental disorder due to genetic loss of NAV2, highlighting a critical conserved role of the NAV2 gene in brain and cerebellar development across species.
Temperature Sensitivity of Polymer Fiber Microlasers
Authors: Wang Chun , Zhang Xiaojuan , Ma Jiajun , Xie Kang , Zhang Junxi , Hu Zhijia
Published: March 2022

There are many kinds of materials or methods used to make optical microcavities, and they have many different geometric structures. And electrospinning technique has become a very convenient and easy one to prepare polymer fiber. Based on this situation, PM597-doped polymer solution was prepared into high-performance fibers with different diameters by electrospinning technology in our work. In order to better study the temperature sensing of polymer fiber whispering gallery mode, we have placed it on two different substrates with gold and aluminum. A 532 nm pulsed laser beam was used to excite a single fiber in the radial direction, then the whispering gallery mode (WGM) laser was observed and the distribution of WGM was determined by theoretical calculations. The threshold of samples on aluminum substrate is 0.4 μJ. In addition, it is found that the samples on aluminum substrate performed better in temperature sensing, and the value is 0.13 nm/°C. As a result, WGM polymer fiber microcavities on aluminum substrate made by electrospinning technology have very broad development prospects in biosensing, optical pump lasers and other applications.
A Two-Fluid Model for the Macroscopic Behavior of Nematic Fluids and Gels in a Chiral Solvent
Authors: Brand Helmut R. , Pleiner Harald
Published: March 2022

We present the macroscopic dynamics of nematic liquid crystals in a two-fluid context. We investigate the case of a nematic in a chiral solvent as well as of a cholesteric in a non-chiral solvent. In addition, we analyze how the incorporation of a strain field for nematic gels and elastomers in a chiral solvent modifies the macroscopic dynamics. It turns out that the relative velocity between the nematic subsystem and the chiral solvent gives rise to a number of cross-coupling terms, reversible as well as irreversible, unknown from other two-fluid systems considered so far. Possible experiments to study those novel dynamic cross-coupling terms are suggested. As examples we just mention that gradients of the relative velocity lead, in cholesterics to heat currents. We also find that in cholesterics shear flows give rise to a temporal variation in the velocity difference perpendicular to the shear plane, and in cholesteric gels uniaxial stresses or strains generate temporal variations of the velocity difference. Finally, the exotic chiral Q phase of tetragonal ($$D_4$$

D
4

) symmetry is analyzed for an isotropic non-chiral solvent in a two-fluid scenario.
Energy and economic comparison of three optical systems adopted in a point-focus CPV system
Authors: Renno Carlo
Published: February 2022

The concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems allow good results for generation of clean energy at competitive costs, but a careful selection of the optical system is essential to obtain energy and economic advantages. Hence, three different point-focus optics (parabolic mirror, spherical mirror and a commonly used Fresnel lens) characterized by same dimensions are compared in this paper from energy and economic point of view in order to identify the most convenient in terms of unit cost of electrical power. The optical concentration factor, the maximum values of triple-junction (TJ) cell electrical power and temperature are experimentally measured for each optical system, and successively, the unit cost of electrical power is calculated. The parabolic mirror results the least convenient because it guarantees almost the same performances of a spherical optics but with costs of about 2.7 times higher than it. The Fresnel lens presents a value of the unit cost of electrical power near to the spherical mirror, but its much lower optical efficiency implies a necessary area for the CPV plant about three times larger. Moreover, a forecast of the increase in the CPV plant power capacity in Italy and the consequent decrease in the unit cost of electrical power in two possible scenarios, optimistic and pessimistic, is realized. A reduction of the unit cost of electrical power, between 13 and 30%, is expected for the CPV systems.
Low body temperature and mortality in older patients with frailty in the emergency department
Authors: Alakare Janne , Kemp Kirsi , Strandberg Timo , Castrén Maaret , Tolonen Jukka , Harjola Veli-Pekka
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the association between low body temperature and mortality in frail older adults in the emergency department (ED).

Methods

Inclusion criteria were: ≥ 75 years of age, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score of 4–8, and temperature documented at ED admission. Patients were allocated to three groups by body temperature: low ≤ 36.0 °C, normal 36.1–38.0 and high ≥ 38.1. Odds ratios (OR) for 30-day and 90-day mortality were analysed.

Results

1577 patients, 61.2% female, were included. Overall mortalities were 85/1577 (5.4%) and 144/1557 (9.2%) in the 30-day and 90-day follow-ups, respectively. The ORs for low body temperature were 3.03 (1.72–5.35; P < 0.001) and 2.71 (1.68–4.38; P < 0.001) for 30-day and 90-day mortality, respectively. This association remained when adjusted for age, CFS score and gender. Mortality of the high-temperature group did not differ significantly when compared to the normal-temperature group.

Conclusions

Low body temperature in frail older ED patients was associated with significantly higher 30- and 90-day mortality.
Primary hyperoxaluria in Italy: the past 30 years and the near future of a (not so) rare disease
Authors: Mandrile Giorgia , Pelle Alessandra , Sciannameo Veronica , Benetti Elisa , D’Alessandro Maria Michela , Emma Francesco , Montini Giovanni , Peruzzi Licia , Petrarulo Michele , Romagnoli Renato , Vitale Corrado , Cellini Barbara , Giachino Daniela
Published: February 2022

Background

Primary hyperoxalurias (PHs) are rare autosomal recessive diseases of the glyoxylate metabolism; PH1 is caused by mutations in the AGXT gene, PH2 in GRHPR and PH3 in HOGA1.

Methods

Here we report the first large multi-center cohort of Italian PH patients collected over 30 years (1992–2020 median follow-up time 8.5 years). Complete genotype was available for 94/95 PH1 patients and for all PH2 (n = 3) and PH3 (n = 5) patients. Symptoms at onset were mainly nephrolithiasis (46.3%) and nephrocalcinosis (33.7%). Median age at onset of symptoms and diagnosis were 4.0 years and 9.9 years, respectively.

Results

Fifty-four patients (56.8%) were diagnosed after chronic kidney disease. Sixty-three patients (66.3%) developed end stage kidney disease (median age 14.0 years). Twenty-one patients had a kidney-only transplant and, among them, seven had a second kidney transplant combined with liver transplant. A combined kidney–liver transplant was carried out in 29 patients and a sequential kidney–liver transplant was performed in two. In five cases a preemptive liver transplant was performed. Those receiving a liver-only transplant tended to have lower kidney function at last follow-up.

Conclusion

Our study of PHs in Italy underlines a considerable diagnostic delay, which has only slightly decreased in recent years. Therefore, we suggest a more extensive use of both metabolic screening among patients with recurrent kidney stones and genotyping, including unambiguous assignment of minor/major allele status in order to promptly begin appropriate treatment. This will be fundamental in order to have access to the new therapies, which are mainly focused on substrate reduction for the oxalate-producing enzymes using RNA-interference.

Graphical abstract
Sociocultural Influences on Compulsive Exercise in Young People: A Systematic Review
Authors: Reynolds Kalli A. , Plateau Carolyn R. , Haycraft Emma
Published: February 2022

Compulsive exercise commonly coexists with eating psychopathology. While the impact of sociocultural influences on disordered eating has been identified in young people, sociocultural influences on compulsive exercise are yet to be systematically synthesized. This systematic review therefore aimed to synthesize literature examining sociocultural influences from peers, family and media on compulsive exercise, to explore the potential importance of such influences on the development and maintenance of compulsive exercise in young people. A systematic literature search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines in PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science databases up to November 2021. Seven quantitative studies were included (five cross-sectional, two prospective). The review highlighted three key factors underpinning the relationship between sociocultural influences and compulsive exercise in young people: body-related messages from significant others, and unfavorable comparisons with, and pressure to conform to, body image ideals. The findings support the notion that compulsive exercise behaviors and attitudes can be socially determined. However, the limited research with young people necessitates further exploration of sociocultural influences on the development and onset of compulsive exercise in adolescence/young adulthood to develop robust conclusions. It is also crucial that research remains up to date with changing technological influences on exercise behaviors.
Keeping a Foot in the Door: Neoliberal Ideology in Subjects Who Opt Out of a Corporate Career
Authors: Tommasi Francesco , Degen Johanna L.
Published: March 2022

It is well researched that ideals of freedom and self-fulfillment through work are perpetuated by the neoliberal ideology that permeates subjective reasoning, meaning-making, and everyday practices. While these ideals may seem attractive and enticing to the subject, their pursuit usually leads to less secure working contracts and conditions. Thus, organizations can continue to enforce economic principles and increase pressure on workers while, at the same time, the mechanisms of liberalization and individualization make subjects — not organizations — responsible for their own success and existential survival, and for creating meaningful and happy lives. Striving to design and optimize their own personal and professional trajectories, subjects perpetuate these ideals and thus adopt the socially-validated view that opting out of a salaried job in favor of self-employment is the zenith of self-actualization. Existing research on the phenomenon of opting out emphasizes gender differences around this issue, i.e., women opt out to stay home, whereas men — if their role is even considered — do so to enhance their careers. However, this research is sparse and lacks a contextualized understanding of the phenomenon, such that we still know very little about who opts out and why. Following an explorative approach, this study looks at 20 single-case stories of subjects who opted out from corporate career tracks. We find that the decision to opt out worked out well for diligent subjects with high self-esteem, who already had successful career trajectories and who — independently of gender — viewed it as an act to free oneself from, and a fundamental critique of, corporate working conditions and values. We analyze this finding through the theoretical lens of critical psychology in order to shed light on the phenomenon of opting out and the extent to which individuals can pursue meaningfulness in life and work within the scope of neoliberal conditions, i.e., in contexts where liberal principles remain applicable to the living and working conditions achieved by subjects after they have left the corporate world.
Managing Structural Tensions in the Transition to the Circular Economy: the Case of Electric Vehicle Batteries
Authors: Chizaryfard Armaghan , Nuur Cali , Trucco Paolo
Published: February 2022

The circular economy (CE) has recently gained attention as a key transformative strategy. However, as with previous transformation processes, the transition towards the CE is not a smooth process since there are underlying structural tensions in incumbent systems that need to be overcome. One industry that is currently undergoing transformative pressure is the automobile industry where the transition to electric vehicles that use lithium-ion batteries is creating structural tensions. In this paper, we adopt a multi-actor perspective and analyze the strategies that different actors pursue to manage the structural tensions that are induced by the transition towards lithium-ion batteries with the goal of creating and sustaining a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) model. Through a case study of the key actors (mining firms, material manufacturers, vehicle manufacturers, and recyclers), we reveal the particularities of managing structural tensions which are influenced by temporal, spatial, and contextual factors. We demonstrate our claim by first expanding the application boundary of the concept of structural tensions to show the interconnection between strategic choices made by actors at operational and technological levels; and second, unfolding the dynamics of managing structural tensions in the CE transitions from a multi-actor perspective. The results of this study may support industrial actors to achieve a better understanding of the consequences of their short- and long-term CE transition strategies, and resolve conflicts in visions and priorities during the transition process.
Penile Prosthesis Placement by a Dedicated Transgender Surgery Unit: A Retrospective Analysis of Complications
Authors: Briles Brenna L , Middleton Ravyn Y , Celtik Kenan E , Crane Curtis N , Safir Michael , Santucci Richard A
Published: March 2022

Background

Penile prostheses may be used as a component of genital gender affirmation surgery for the purpose of achieving penile rigidity after phalloplasty, and transgender individuals experience higher complication rates than cisgender individuals.

Aim

To observe complications with transmasculine penile prosthesis surgery over time and across surgical conditions.

Methods

Retrospective chart review of all transmasculine patients with phalloplasty undergoing penile prosthesis placement between 4/14/2017 and 2/11/2020 (80 patients).

Outcomes

Independent variables include implant type, previous genital surgeries, and simultaneous genital surgeries. Dependent variables include prosthesis infection and mechanical complication (device malfunction, dislodgement, erosion).

Results

There was an overall complication requiring surgery rate of 36% and infection rate of 20% (15/67 for inflatable prostheses and 1/13 for semirigid), with 14% (11/80) experiencing infection requiring removal. Differences in infection rates appeared insignificant across categories of previous surgery or with simultaneous surgery, but we did notice a markedly lower rate for semirigid prostheses compared to inflatable. There was a significant relationship between infection and case number, with the probability of infection decreasing over time. Device loss at 9 months was 21% overall. Preoperative conditions of the neophallus such as prior stricture correction and perioperative factors such as simultaneous clean and clean-contaminated procedures seemed to pose no additional increase in complication rates.

Clinical Implications

Type and number of prior and simultaneous non-prosthetic surgeries should not be considered as a risk factor for penile prosthesis after phalloplasty for transmasculine patients, even those that are clean-contaminated

Strengths & Limitations

Our cohort size is large compared to currently available studies, although not large enough to generate sufficient power for group comparisons. We have reported every genital surgical step between phalloplasty and penile prosthesis placement and recorded complications with subsequent devices after failure. Patient-reported outcomes were not collected.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that preoperative conditions of the neophallus, such as prior stricture correction, and perioperative factors, such as simultaneous clean and clean-contaminated procedures, seem to pose no additional increase in complication rates. Our data suggest that surgical experience may further decrease complications over time.
Sur le spectre des opérateurs rigides
Authors: MAZET PIERRE , SAIAS ERIC
Published: March 2022

For any
$r\in [0,1]$
we give an example of a rigid operator whose spectrum is the annulus
$\{\lambda\in \mathbb{C} : r \le |\lambda| \le 1 \} $
. In particular, when
$r=0$
this operator is rigid and non-invertible, and when
$r\in {\kern1pt}] 0,1 [ $
this operator is invertible but its inverse is not rigid. This answers two questions of Costakis, Manoussos and Parissis [Recurrent linear operators. Complex Anal. Oper. Theory8 (2014), 1601–1643].
Machine learning identifies ecological selectivity patterns across the end-Permian mass extinction
Authors: Foster William J. , Ayzel Georgy , Münchmeyer Jannes , Rettelbach Tabea , Kitzmann Niklas H. , Isson Terry T. , Mutti Maria , Aberhan Martin
Published: March 2022

The end-Permian mass extinction occurred alongside a large swath of environmental changes that are often invoked as extinction mechanisms, even when a direct link is lacking. One way to elucidate the cause(s) of a mass extinction is to investigate extinction selectivity, as it can reveal critical information on organismic traits as key determinants of extinction and survival. Here we show that machine learning algorithms, specifically gradient boosted decision trees, can be used to identify determinants of extinction as well as to predict extinction risk. To understand which factors led to the end-Permian mass extinction during an extreme global warming event, we quantified the ecological selectivity of marine extinctions in the well-studied South China region. We find that extinction selectivity varies between different groups of organisms and that a synergy of multiple environmental stressors best explains the overall end-Permian extinction selectivity pattern. Extinction risk was greater for genera that had a low species richness, narrow bathymetric ranges limited to deep-water habitats, a stationary mode of life, a siliceous skeleton, or, less critically, calcitic skeletons. These selective losses directly link the extinctions to the environmental effects of rapid injections of carbon dioxide into the ocean–atmosphere system, specifically the combined effects of expanded oxygen minimum zones, rapid warming, and potentially ocean acidification.
Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) as extreme distribution indicator of two Neotropical fruit fly parasitoids in irrigated drylands of Argentina
Authors: Núñez-Campero Segundo R. , González Carlos , Rull Juan , Ovruski Sergio M.
Published: March 2022

The figitidGanaspis pelleranoiand the braconidDoryctobracon areolatus(Hym: Braconidae, Opiinae) are wide-ranging (from Florida, USA to Argentina) fruit fly parasitoids with tropical and subtropical distribution with a wet and temperate climate. In Argentina, both parasitoid species are thought to be restricted to the subtropical rainforests of the northwest and northeast, locally known as ‘Yungas’ and ‘Paranaense’ forests, respectively. However, these species recently have been recorded at the Monte and Thistle of the Prepuna eco-region, an arid region of central-western Argentina. Despite the extreme environmental conditions, anthropic artificial irrigation seems to be playing a fundamental role in fostering the presence and persistence of these species. Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) models were developed to assess the suitability of these areas to harbor both species. The present work is a first approach to identify suitable areas for the distribution of these two fruit fly biological control agents in the American continent; based on 19 bioclimatic variables. Furthermore, the models resulting from including the new records in the ‘Monte’ eco-region suggest that local populations may become adapted to particular micro-environmental conditions generated by artificial irrigation. Models revealed that these artificial oases are suitable forG. pelleranoibut seem to be unsuitable forD. areolatus. This first and new approach to the area suitability of these species invites to produce models that reflect actual distribution including more records of presence in oases with similar conditions, thus decreasing the bias of the model generated by over reliance on areas with higher humidity (forest), which correspond to the distribution known before the inclusion of the new records.
Interrupting Immersive Immediacy
Authors: Harper Jamie
Published: March 2022

Immersive experiences in theatre and digital games are often characterized by immediacy in space and time, focusing on the imminent action of the here and now. Live action roleplay (larp) practices, by contrast, can encourage reflexivity. Such reflexive play can support the agential capacities of players in participatory performance works to visualize and pursue alternative futures.
Thermal Evolution of C–Fe–Bi Nanocomposite System: From Nanoparticle Formation to Heterogeneous Graphitization Stage
Authors: Rusu Mihai M. , Vulpoi Adriana , Maurin Isabelle , Cotet Liviu C. , Pop Lucian C. , Fort Carmen I. , Baia Monica , Baia Lucian , Florea Ileana
Published: March 2022

Carbon xerogel nanocomposites with integrated Bi and Fe particles (C–Bi–Fe) represent an interesting model of carbon nanostructures decorated with multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs) with applicability for electrochemical sensors and catalysts. The present study addresses the fundamental aspects of the catalyzed growth of nano-graphites in C–Bi–Fe systems, relevant in charge transport and thermo-chemical processes. The thermal evolution of a C–Bi–Fe xerogel is investigated using different pyrolysis treatments. At lower temperatures (~750°C), hybrid bismuth iron oxide (BFO) NPs are frequently observed, while graphitization manifests under more specific conditions such as higher temperatures (~1,050°C) and reduction yields. An in situ heating TEM experiment reveals graphitization activity between 800 and 900°C. NP motion is directly correlated with textural changes of the carbon support due to the catalyzed growth of graphitic nanoshells and nanofibers as confirmed by HR-TEM and electron tomography (ET) for the graphitized sample. An exponential growth model for the catalyst dynamics enables the approximation of activation energies as 0.68 and 0.29–0.34 eV during reduction and graphitization stages. The results suggest some similarities with the tip growth mechanism, while oxygen interference and the limited catalyst–feed gas interactions are considered as the main constraints to enhanced growth.
Multistakeholder initiatives and their prospects for sustainability: the farmer perspective
Authors: Hoffelmeyer Michaela , Conner David , Strube Johann , Hatanaka Maki , Konefal Jason , Glenna Leland
Published: March 2022

To promote sustainability, multistakeholder initiatives (MSIs) are an emerging form of private governance that brings together diverse stakeholders across the agrifood system to advance sustainable agriculture practices. Previous research on MSIs focuses on the organization and structure of various MSIs through coordinator and management perspectives. In this paper, we examine farmers' experiences of participating in a leading MSI metrics program for U.S. agriculture, Field to Market. Through survey and interview methodology, this paper examines farmers' motivations, perceived benefits and power dynamics within Field to Market's metrics program. We find that although being open to sharing sustainability metrics with buyers, farmers struggled to gain tangible benefits. The majority of farmers considered themselves ‘already sustainable’ in that they made economically efficient farming decisions. As such, participating in Field to Market resulted in little to no changes in farming practices. Because MSI metrics programs work to assist farmers in becoming aware of inefficiencies and encourage changes, the lack of utilizing data generated from the sustainability metrics highlights a significant shortfall of this MSI metrics program. Farmers also perceived buyers as the primary beneficiaries of sustainability metrics since the buyers could now make claims about the sustainability of their products. Additionally, our findings provide nuance related to economic benefits as farmers broadly conceptualized the primary economic benefits as continuing a relationship with buyers who were now asking farmers to join the metrics program and report data. Although the metrics program appears ‘voluntary,’ farmers perceived few other options when asked to report data since sharing data became an apparent baseline for doing business. This paper contributes an understanding of farmers' experiences of engaging with an MSI metrics program, which helps to illuminate the potential implications of these newly emerging approaches to promoting sustainability. Our findings demonstrate that proponents of this newly emerging approach to promoting sustainability may want to consider the distribution of benefits and the power dynamics embedded in these programs since these programs may carry unintended consequences as they are scaled up. Finally, we posit several additional avenues for future research to further elucidate the potential social implications of MSI metrics programs.
New technologies and legal justification: The United Kingdom’s use of drones in self-defence
Authors: Birdsall Andrea
Published: March 2022

This article examines the United Kingdom’s use of drones in an act of self-defence in a counter-terrorism operation. The government justified the targeted killing of a UK citizen in Syria – a country with which it was not at war at the time – with reference to existing laws and norms. In doing so, it contested a number of established concepts to justify its conduct as lawful activity. The article argues that modern weapons such as drones, which are used to address novel threats, lead to legal justification that in turn has the potential to create new laws. In this way, the intersection of norms, warfare and new technologies becomes a productive site of political contestation. The contribution of the article is twofold: empirically, it contributes to debates on targeted killing and discussions surrounding the meaning and interpretation of ‘imminence’ in the context of preventive self-defence in the United Kingdom; and theoretically, it adds to the constructivist literature by examining norm contestation and resulting normativity in this area. The article concludes that the legal justification in this particular instance has important implications for other emerging technologies that require discussions about how states justify their actions to conform with existing legal and normative frameworks.
Optimized Mass and Stiffness Matrices for Accurate and Efficient 3D Acoustic Wave Modeling
Authors: Ogunbo J. N. , Shin C.
Published: February 2022

Numerical modeling of the 3D acoustic wave equation regularly faces a trade‐off between accuracy and efficiency. Usually, an improved computational efficiency leads to a compromised numerical accuracy, in which the numerical dispersion error increases. Such a trade‐off is commonly reported for the finite difference methods, and the consistent, lumped, eclectic finite element matrices, and the high‐order spectral element methods. Therefore, we present a methodology that simultaneously optimizes both the accuracy and the computational efficiency of the finite element method for modeling the 3D acoustic wave equation in the frequency domain. The numerical dispersion objective function is derived and minimized for a tri‐linear interpolation function of a cube element in terms of the mass and the stiffness matrices. With four grid points per wavelength sampling, for less than 0.5% error in velocities, the optimized modeled solutions outperform the results from extant approaches. Numerical experiments with the homogeneous, 3D unbounded 2‐layer and the 3D Society of Exploration Geophysicists salt velocity models reveal that the optimized accuracy is persistent across all source‐receiver offsets, a performance observably absent from other finite element matrices. The optimized matrices are not only useful for numerical modeling, but are also readily available for accurate computation of the sensitivity matrices of the density and the bulk modulus parameters for the multi‐parameterization inversion.
Process Controls on Flood Seasonality in Brazil
Authors: Chagas Vinícius B. P. , Chaffe Pedro L. B. , Blöschl Günter
Published: March 2022

A coincidence in the timing of floods and their drivers can be used as a proxy for the causality of flood generation. Here, we investigate the relationship between the seasonality of floods, maximum annual rainfall, and maximum annual soil moisture data of 886 basins in Brazil for 1980–2015 to shed light on process controls of flood generation. Floods tend to occur at the same time of year as soil moisture peaks and lag behind rainfall peaks by 3 weeks. In Amazonia, central and northern Brazil, flood timing is more correlated with the timing of soil moisture peaks than with that of rainfall peaks, which is interpreted as resulting from high subsurface water storage capacities. In southern and southeastern Brazil, on the other hand, flood timing is highly correlated with both soil moisture and rainfall because of low subsurface water storage capacities. These findings can support flood forecasting and climate impact studies.
Paleosecular Variations During the Last Glacial Period From Tengchong Qinghai Lake, Yunnan Province, China
Authors: Yang Xiaoqiang , Zhang Tingwei , Zhang Enlou , Toney Jaime , Zhou Qixian , Xie Yixuan
Published: February 2022

In recent years, the evolution of the magnetic flux lobes in terms of location and intensity has been attributed to paleosecular variation of the geomagnetic field, reflecting outer‐core fluid convection close to the core‐mantle boundary. However, most results were based on observational data for the past 400 years supplemented by sparse archeomagnetic studies with data for approximately 3 kyr. In this paper, we construct a relative paleointensity (RPI) record and an inclination record spanning the past ∼90 kyr based on two cores from Tengchong Qinghai Lake (Yunnan Province, China), a closed crater lake that formed in the late Pleistocene. The evolution of flux lobes and the non‐dipole field can be assessed on a much longer time scale. Although the concentration and domain state of magnetic grains in the cores vary significantly, the RPI record is still representative of geomagnetic field features in the region of Yunnan Province, China. The contrasting trends in RPI with the records for eastern China since the late Holocene indicate the southeastward migration of the Siberian flux lobe. During the last glacial period, the RPI records of Tengchong Qinghai Lake and the North Atlantic Ocean show opposite trends, denoting the diverse and strong influence of the two flux lobe systems. The strong reverse flux lobe in the North Atlantic Ocean strengthened the non‐dipole field, while the weak normal flux lobe in Tengchong weakened the non‐dipole field.
Influence of 3D Earth Structure on Glacial Isostatic Adjustment in the Russian Arctic
Authors: Li Tanghua , Khan Nicole S. , Baranskaya Alisa V. , Shaw Timothy A. , Peltier W. Richard , Stuhne Gordan R. , Wu Patrick , Horton Benjamin P.
Published: March 2022

Analyses of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) and deglacial relative sea‐level (RSL) change in the Russian Arctic deliver important insights into the Earth's viscosity structure and the deglaciation history of the Eurasian ice sheet complex. Here, we validate the 1D GIA models ICE‐6G_C (VM5a) and ICE‐7G_NA (VM7) and select new 3D GIA models in the Russian Arctic against a quality‐controlled deglacial RSL database of >500 sea‐level data points from 24 regions. Both 1D models correspond to the RSL data along the southern coast of the Barents Sea and Franz Josef Land from ∼11 ka BP to present but show notable misfits (>50 m at 10 ka BP) with the White Sea data. We find 3D model predictions of deglacial RSL resolve most of the misfits with the observed data for the White Sea while retaining comparable fits in other regions of the Russian Arctic. Our results further reveal: (a) RSL in the western Russian Arctic is sensitive to elastic lithosphere with lateral thickness variation and 3D viscosity structure in the upper mantle; and (b) RSL in the whole Russian Arctic is less sensitive to 3D viscosity structure in the lower mantle compared to the upper mantle. The 3D models reveal a compromise in the upper mantle between the background viscosity and scaling factor to best fit the RSL data, which needs to be considered in future 3D GIA studies.
Intensity and Duration of Nitrogen Addition Jointly Alter Soil Nutrient Availability in a Temperate Grassland
Authors: Niu Guoxiang , Wang Yinliu , Wang Ruzhen , Ning Qiushi , Guan Huiling , Yang Junjie , Lu Xiankai , Han Xingguo , Huang Jianhui
Published: February 2022

Increasing N input can alter soil nutrient availability and influence plant growth. Previous studies focused on N addition effects on N and P availability, while less on other mineral nutrients. Besides, how N addition duration affects nutrient availability has remained unclear. Based on a simulative N deposition experiment in a typical steppe with four N addition levels (0, 2, 10, and 50 g m−2 yr−1) under three N addition duration (2, 5, and 10 years), we determined contents of 10 mineral nutrients in surface soils. In the 0–10 cm soil, short‐term N addition (2‐year) significantly increased exchangeable Ca (+7.2%) and decreased exchangeable Mg (−22.5%) as compared with the control, while decreased available Fe, Cu, and Zn, but increased Mn remarkably (+80.4%). Medium‐term N addition (5‐year) significantly raised soil total N and available Fe, Mn and Cu, while decreased total P and exchangeable Ca, Na and Mg. The response patterns of these nutrients were largely similar in the 10–20 cm soil, but were weaker and significant only at high N inputs (50 g m−2 yr−1). Long‐term N addition (10‐year) significantly decreased contents of total base cations (K, Ca, Na, Mg) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) by an average of 32.1% and 20.4%, respectively, across the two soil depths. Influences of pH and plant growth on micronutrients showed remarkable differences among different duration of N addition. These findings indicate that intensity and duration of N addition jointly alter soil nutrient availability and this should be considered in soil nutrient‐cycling modeling.
From Left Slip to Transpression: Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution of the North Altyn Fault, NW Margin of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Gao Shibao , Cowgill Eric , Wu Lei , Lin Xiubin , Cheng Xiaogan , Yang Rong , Soares Cleber , Ketcham Richard A. , An Kaixuan , Gong Junfeng , Song Xingtong , Tang Jianchao , Chen Hanlin , Yang Shufeng
Published: February 2022

The Cenozoic North Altyn Fault (NAF) is a major splay of the Altyn Tagh Fault along the northwestern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, but its role in the development of this plateau margin in response to the India‐Eurasia collision is highly debated. Here, we investigate fault geometry, kinematics, and shortening magnitude along the westernmost 120 km of the NAF. Seismic surveys reveal minimal Cenozoic shortening in the subsurface of the Southeast Tarim Basin and support for large‐scale (>120 km) left slip on the NAF. Based on the satellite imagery, two new faults are identified to define the northern boundary of the NAF system, which together with the NAF to the south constitute a narrow transpressional shear zone comprised of three basement‐cored, fault‐bound slivers. Fission track data and thermal modeling indicate that the NAF zone experienced broad reburial during early Cenozoic that was locally interrupted by ∼40 to 35 Ma exhumation proximal to the NAF, followed by widespread but heterogeneous exhumation since ∼17 to 15 Ma associated with ∼9 to 11 km of total shortening across the NAF system via thick‐skinned faulting. We conclude that the NAF initiated as a left‐slip fault at ∼40 to 35 Ma and then became transpressional at ∼17 to 15 Ma during the middle‐Miocene reorganization of the Altyn Tagh Fault system. We find no evidence to support prior inferences of large‐scale (∼100 km) underthrusting of the Tarim Basin beneath the Tibetan Plateau along the NAF.
The Challenges of Simulating SWE Beneath Forest Canopies are Reduced by Data Assimilation of Snow Depth
Authors: Smyth Eric J. , Raleigh Mark S. , Small Eric E.
Published: March 2022

Intermittent snow depth observations can be leveraged with data assimilation (DA) to improve model estimates of snow water equivalent (SWE) at the point scale. A key consideration for scaling assimilation to the basin scale is its performance at forested locations—where canopy‐snow interactions affect snow accumulation and melt, yet are difficult to model and parameterize. We implement a particle filter (PF) technique to assimilate intermittent snow depth observations into the Flexible Snow Model, and validate model outputs against snow density and SWE measurements across adjacent forest and open sites, at two locations with different climates and forest structures. Assimilation reduces snow depth error by 70%–90%, density error by 5%–30%, and SWE error by 50%–70% at forest locations (relative to controls). The PF simulates the seasonal evolution of the snowpack under forest canopy, including where interception losses decrease SWE in the forest during accumulation, and shading reduces melt during the ablation season (relative to open sites). Model outputs are sensitive to canopy‐related parameters, but DA reduces the range in snow depth and SWE estimates resulting from variations or uncertainties in these parameters by over 50%. These results demonstrate that the importance of accurately measuring, estimating, or calibrating canopy‐related parameters is reduced when snow depth observations are assimilated. Finally, we assimilate remotely sensed snow depth observations at 50 m resolution across the East River Basin, Colorado (1,000 km2). Across elevations, the PF increases estimated precipitation at forested sites by ∼15% relative to open sites, likely compensating for excessive sublimation of intercepted snow.
A Co‐Spectral Budget Model Links Turbulent Eddies to Suspended Sediment Concentration in Channel Flows
Authors: Li Shuolin , Bragg Andrew D. , Katul Gabriel
Published: March 2022

The vertical distribution of suspended sediment concentration remains a subject of active research given its relevance to a plethora of problems in hydraulics, hydrology, ecology, and water quality control. Many of the classical theories developed over the course of 90 years represent the effects of turbulence on suspended sediments (SS) using an effective mixing length or eddy diffusivity without explicitly accounting for the energetics of turbulent eddies across scales. To address this gap, the turbulent flux of sediments is derived using a co‐spectral budget (CSB) model that can be imminently used in SS and other fine particle transport models. The CSB closes the pressure‐redistribution effect using a spectral linear Rotta scheme modified to include isotropization of production and interactions between turbulent eddies and sediment grains through a modified scale‐dependent de‐correlation time. The result is a formulation similar in complexity to the widely used Rouse's equation but with all characteristic scales, Reynolds number, and Schmidt number effects derived from well‐established spectral shapes of the vertical velocity and accepted constants from turbulence models. Finally, the proposed CSB model can recover Prandtl's and Rouse's equations under restricted conditions.
Searching for Earthquakes in the Ionosphere
Authors: Scharping Nathaniel
Published: February 2022

Earthquakes may release bursts of electrical energy that can be felt in the ionosphere, kilometers above Earth. The theory remains controversial, though.
Insular cortex corticotropin-releasing factor integrates stress signaling with social affective behavior
Authors: Rieger Nathaniel S. , Varela Juan A. , Ng Alexandra J. , Granata Lauren , Djerdjaj Anthony , Brenhouse Heather C. , Christianson John P.
Published: February 2022

Impairments in identifying and responding to the emotions of others manifest in a variety of psychopathologies. Therefore, elaborating the neurobiological mechanisms that underpin social responses to social emotions, or social affective behavior, is a translationally important goal. The insular cortex is consistently implicated in stress-related social and anxiety disorders, which are associated with diminished ability to make and use inferences about the emotions of others to guide behavior. We investigated how corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a neuromodulator evoked upon exposure to stressed conspecifics, influenced the insula. We hypothesized that social affective behavior requires CRF signaling in the insular cortex in order to detect stress in social interactions. In acute slices from male and female rats, CRF depolarized insular pyramidal neurons. In males, but not females, CRF suppressed presynaptic GABAergic inhibition leading to greater excitatory synaptic efficacy in a CRF receptor 1 (CRF1)- and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1)-dependent fashion. In males only, insular CRF increased social investigation, and CRF1 and CB1 antagonists interfered with social interactions with stressed conspecifics. To investigate the molecular and cellular basis for the effect of CRF we examined insular CRF1 and CB1 mRNAs and found greater total insula CRF1 mRNA in females but greater CRF1 and CB1 mRNA colocalization in male insular cortex glutamatergic neurons that suggest complex, sex-specific organization of CRF and endocannabinoid systems. Together these results reveal a new mechanism by which stress and affect contribute to social affective behavior.
Targeted siRNA nanocarrier: a platform technology for cancer treatment
Authors: Bäumer Nicole , Tiemann Jessica , Scheller Annika , Meyer Theresa , Wittmann Lisa , Suburu Matias Ezequiel Gutierrez , Greune Lilo , Peipp Matthias , Kellmann Neele , Gumnior Annika , Brand Caroline , Hartmann Wolfgang , Rossig Claudia , Müller-Tidow Carsten , Neri Dario , Strassert Cristian A. , Rüter Christian , Dersch Petra , Lenz Georg , Koeffler H. Phillip , Berdel Wolfgang E. , Bäumer Sebastian
Published: February 2022

The small arginine-rich protein protamine condenses complete genomic DNA into the sperm head. Here, we applied its high RNA binding capacity for spontaneous electrostatic assembly of therapeutic nanoparticles decorated with tumour-cell-specific antibodies for efficiently targeting siRNA. Fluorescence microscopy and DLS measurements of these nanocarriers revealed the formation of a vesicular architecture that requires presence of antibody-protamine, defined excess of free SMCC-protamine, and anionic siRNA to form. Only these complex nanoparticles were efficient in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) xenograft models, when the oncogene KRAS was targeted via EGFR-mediated delivery. To show general applicability, we used the modular platform for IGF1R-positive Ewing sarcomas. Anti-IGR1R-antibodies were integrated into an antibody-protamine nanoparticle with an siRNA specifically against the oncogenic translocation product EWS/FLI1. Using these nanoparticles, EWS/FLI1 knockdown blocked in vitro and in vivo growth of Ewing sarcoma cells. We conclude that these antibody-protamine-siRNA nanocarriers provide a novel platform technology to specifically target different cell types and yet undruggable targets in cancer therapy by RNAi.