bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mental health of Irish adolescents following the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a population-based cross-sectional survey
Authors: Dooley Niamh , Power Emmet , Healy Hazel , Cotter David , Cannon Mary
Published: September 2024

Objectives:

This study provides data on the prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents in Ireland in 2021, toward the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of having recent, large-scale, mental health data for adolescents has been heightened by COVID-19, the increased demand for child and adolescent mental health services, and the rapidly changing adolescent environment.

Methods:

As part of the Planet Youth study, a cross-sectional survey of adolescents (N = 4,404), mostly aged 15–16, was conducted between September and December 2021. Participants were recruited from 40 schools and non-traditional educational centres across 3 regions in Ireland, one predominantly urban (North Dublin) and two predominantly rural (Cavan, Monaghan). A range of mental health outcomes were self-reported: a single-item question on mental health; the Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); depressive and anxiety symptoms from the Symptom Check List 90; the Adolescent Psychotic-like Symptom Screener; and lifetime self-harm, suicidal ideation, and attempt.

Results:

Over a quarter of adolescents described their mental health as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ (29%), and had SDQ total problem scores over 20 (26%). Over a third (39%) reported self-harming, 42% reported suicidal ideation, and 11% reported attempting suicide, in their lifetime. Gender-diverse youth (non-binary, trans, and undisclosed) had higher rates of poor mental health outcomes compared to cis-gendered youth (male/female), and females had higher rates of most mental health outcomes compared to males.

Conclusions:

Many of these estimates suggest a deterioration from previous epidemiological studies. While our findings do not definitively prove youth mental health has worsened over time, these findings are highly concerning. We propose a close monitoring of mental health in future surveys of this population and encourage initiatives to improve the capacity and quality of youth mental health services.
Self-similarity and recurrence in stability spectra of near-extreme Stokes waves
Authors: Deconinck B. , Dyachenko S.A. , Semenova A.
Published: September 2024

We consider steady surface waves in an infinitely deep two-dimensional ideal fluid with potential flow, focusing on high-amplitude waves near the steepest wave with a 120

$^{\circ }$

corner at the crest. The stability of these solutions with respect to coperiodic and subharmonic perturbations is studied, using new matrix-free numerical methods. We provide evidence for a plethora of conjectures on the nature of the instabilities as the steepest wave is approached, especially with regards to the self-similar recurrence of the stability spectrum near the origin of the spectral plane.
Narrating COVID and captivity in Italy: ‘no prison’ writings and the restorative potential of the penitentiary
Authors: Jansen Monica , Basilisco Stefania
Published: September 2024

Italy's prison overcrowding became world news in early March 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak sparked riots in prisons across the country, causing the death of 13 inmates. As a crisis narrative, the COVID-19 pandemic made visible the deep, ongoing crisis of Italy's prison system and disclosed new conditions for critical thought on the restorative potential of the penitentiary system. This article first describes the impact of COVID-19 on Adriano Sofri's ‘no prison’ writings, starting from his column in Il Foglio on the prison uprisings in March that followed the announcement of the anti-COVID measures; it subsequently analyses the Italian response to the pandemic from an internal, practitioner-led perspective. By offering both a dialectic and an immanent perspective, it aims to develop new ways of understanding the detention system and enhance the social credibility of the penitentiary system in Italy beyond the constraints of COVID and the emergency logic.
Increasing the detectability of long-period and nulling pulsars in next-generation pulsar surveys
Authors: Grover Garvit , Bhat Ramesh , McSweeney Samuel
Published: September 2024

Recent discoveries of multiple long-period pulsars (periods

${\sim}10\,$

s or larger) are starting to challenge the conventional notion that coherent radio emission cannot be produced by objects that are below the many theorised death lines. Many of the past pulsar surveys and software have been prone to selection effects that restricted their sensitivities towards long-period and sporadically emitting objects. Pulsar surveys using new-generation low-frequency facilities are starting to employ longer dwell times, which makes them significantly more sensitive in detecting long-period or nulling pulsars. There have also been software advancements to aid more sensitive searches towards long-period objects. Furthermore, recent discoveries suggest that nulling may be a key aspect of the long-period pulsar population. We simulate both long-period and nulling pulsar signals, using the Southern-sky MWA Rapid Two-meter (SMART) survey data as reference and explore the detection efficacy of popular search methods such as the fast Fourier transform (FFT), fast-folding algorithm (FFA) and single pulse search (SPS). For FFT-based search and SPS, we make use of the PRESTO implementation, and for FFA we use RIPTIDE. We find RIPTIDE’s FFA to be more sensitive; however, it is also the slowest algorithm. PRESTO’s FFT, although faster than others, also shows some unexpected inaccuracies in detection properties. SPS is highly sensitive to long-period and nulling signals, but only for pulses with high intrinsic signal-to-noise ratios. We use these findings to inform current and future pulsar surveys that aim to uncover a large population of long-period or nulling objects and comment on how to make optimal use of these methods in unison.
Stance detection: a practical guide to classifying political beliefs in text
Authors: Burnham Michael
Published: September 2024

Stance detection is identifying expressed beliefs in a document. While researchers widely use sentiment analysis for this, recent research demonstrates that sentiment and stance are distinct. This paper advances text analysis methods by precisely defining stance detection and outlining three approaches: supervised classification, natural language inference, and in-context learning. I discuss how document context and trade-offs between resources and workload should inform your methods. For all three approaches I provide guidance on application and validation techniques, as well as coding tutorials for implementation. Finally, I demonstrate how newer classification approaches can replicate supervised classifiers.
The Gendered Impact of Corruption Revelations: Unveiling the Role of Parties and Voters in Mexico
Authors: GUAJARDO GUSTAVO A. , SCHWINDT-BAYER LESLIE A.
Published: September 2024

Studies have found that women’s representation is more likely to spike after corruption scandals. However, the mechanism underlying this increase remains unclear: are parties more likely to nominate women after corruption scandals, are voters more likely to support women candidates, or is it a combination of both? Using an original dataset of audit results and the gender of 47,000 candidates running in over 10,000 mayoral elections in Mexico (2000–2019), we find that voters drive the effect. While political parties are not more likely to nominate women as candidates in municipalities with recent revelations of spending irregularities, women candidates are more likely to win elections after corruption is uncovered. In contrast to previous studies, which expect strategic parties to be behind the increases in women’s representation following corruption scandals, our findings underscore that increases in women’s representation can happen despite parties and not because of parties.
Producing white urban Europe? A critical and reflexive reading of academic knowledge production on urban integration of migrants in Western European cities
Authors: Barwick-Gross Christine
Published: September 2024

In this paper, I review studies of urban integration as analyzed for two groups of mobile newcomers: those designated as “migrants”, that is, mostly marginalized cross-border movers from outside Europe, and mobile EU citizens in Western European cities. This critical and reflexive reading serves to highlight how academic knowledge production on the topic has (re-)produced an image of white urban Europe. While critics of the concept of immigrant integration have suggested that cities and neighborhoods are better sites in which to study migrant integration than the nation-state, the paper demonstrates that studies of urban integration tend to suffer from similar problems, including an ethnonationalist focus and an essentializing of (ethnic) groups. The comparison foregrounds how mobile EU citizens are implicitly thought of as white; their presence in the urban territory is rarely questioned and their practices rarely problematized. In contrast, those designated as migrants are researched with reference to integration, whereby integration means moving closer to white spaces. Thus, studies of the urban integration of migrants use an ethnic framing, while studies of mobile EU citizens focus on class and nationality. The paper thus illuminates how studies of urban integration rely on and reproduce an implicit assumption of whiteness as the norm, even in diverse urban spaces.
Pearl millet instant beverage powder enriched with baobab pulp to improve iron and anaemia status of adolescent girls in rural Ghana: a study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Atosona Ambrose , Larbie Christopher , Apprey Charles , Annan Reginald A.
Published: September 2024

Iron (Fe) deficiency anaemia is a public health concern among adolescent girls worldwide. Food-to-food fortification may be a sustainable and effective solution to Fe deficiency anaemia. However, the effect of food-to-food fortification on Fe deficiency anaemia reduction is understudied particularly in Ghana. This study seeks to investigate the efficacy of baobab pulp-fortified pearl millet beverage powder in improving the Fe and anaemia status of adolescent girls in Ghana. A three-arm cluster randomised controlled trial design, which will involve 258 anaemic adolescent girls (86/arm) selected through multi-stage cluster sampling in Kumbungu District of Ghana, will be used. Participants in arm 1 will receive 350 ml of baobab pulp-fortified pearl millet beverage, containing 13 mgFe (96 % of average RDA), 18·8 mg vitamin C (30·4 % of average RDA) and 222·1 mg citric acid, while participants in arm 2 will receive similar volume of unfortified pearl millet beverage, once a day, five times a week, for six months. Participants in arm 3 will receive the routine weekly Fe (60 mg)-folate (400 μg) supplementation for six months. Serum ferritin, C-reactive protein and haemoglobin (Hb) of participants will be assessed at baseline and end-line. The primary outcomes will be serum ferritin and Hb concentrations. Secondary outcomes will be prevalence of Fe deficiency, Fe deficiency anaemia and BMI-for-age. One-way ANOVA and paired t test will be used to compare means of serum ferritin and Hb levels among and within groups, respectively. This study will provide novel concrete evidence on the efficacy of pearl millet-baobab pulp beverage powder in improving Fe and anaemia status of adolescent girls.
Intake of herring oil, but not of anchovy oil, resulted in a lower serum cholesterol concentration in male Zucker Diabetic Sprague Dawley rats
Authors: Rimmen Eira V. , Mjøs Svein Are , Søfteland Eirik , Gudbrandsen Oddrun A.
Published: September 2024

Patients with type 2 diabetes have increased risks for dyslipidaemia and subsequently for developing vascular complications. A recent meta-analysis found that cetoleic acid (C22:1n-11) rich fish oils resulted in lower cholesterol concentration in rodents. The aim was to investigate the effect of consuming fish oils with or without cetoleic acid on serum cholesterol concentration in diabetic rats and to elucidate any effects on cholesterol metabolism. Eighteen male Zucker Diabetic Sprague Dawley rats were fed diets containing herring oil (HERO) or anchovy oil (ANCO) or a control diet with soyabean oil for 5 weeks. The HERO diet contained 0·70 % cetoleic acid, with no cetoleic acid in the ANCO diet. The HERO and ANCO diets contained 0·35 and 0·37 wt% EPA + DHA, respectively. Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA. The serum total cholesterol concentration was 14 % lower in the HERO group compared with ANCO and Control groups (P = 0·023). The HERO group had a higher faecal excretion of bile acids (P = 0·0036), but the cholesterol production in the liver, the hepatic secretion of VLDL and the liver’s capacity to take up cholesterol were similar to controls. The ANCO diet did not affect the serum cholesterol concentration, but the hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis, the clearance of lipoprotein cholesterol and the excretion of bile acids in faeces were higher than in the Control group. To conclude, consumption of herring oil, but not of anchovy oil, led to a lower cholesterol concentration in a type 2 diabetes rat model.
Epidemiology of overweight in under-five children in India: insights from National Family Health Survey
Authors: Manapurath Rukman , Chowdhury Ranadip , Taneja Sunita , Bhandari Nita , Strand Tor A.
Published: September 2024

Childhood overweight is not only an immediate health concern due to its implications but also significantly increases the risk of persistent obesity and consequently CVD in the future, posing a serious threat to public health. The objective of this study was to examine the trends and associated factors of childhood overweight in India, using nationally representative data from three rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). For the primary analysis, we used data from 199 375 children aged 0–59 months from fifth round of the NFHS (NFHS-5). Overweight was defined as BMI-for-age Z (BMI Z) score > +2 sd above the WHO growth standards median. We compared the prevalence estimates of childhood overweight with third round of the third round of NFHS and fourth round of the NFHS. Potential risk factors were identified through multiple logistic regression analyses. The prevalence of overweight increased from 1·9 % in third round of NFHS to 4·0 % in NFHS-5, a trend seen across most states and union territories, with the Northeast region showing the highest prevalence. The BMI Z-score distributions from the latest two surveys indicated that the increase in overweight was substantially larger than the decrease in underweight. The consistent upward trend in the prevalence across different demographic groups raises important public health concerns. While undernutrition rates have remained relatively stable, there has been a noticeable rise in the incidence of overweight during the same time frame. The increasing trend of overweight among children in India calls for immediate action.
Legal Barriers to Women's Access to Elected Parliamentary Seats in Light of 30 Years of Multiparty Democracy in Tanzania
Authors: Lihiru Victoria Melkisedeck
Published: September 2024

The year 2022 marked 30 years since Tanzania re-adopted multiparty democracy in 1992. The number of women parliamentarians has increased from 16 per cent after the multiparty elections in 1995 to 37.4 per cent after the 2020 elections. However, a significant share of women parliamentarians emanates from the special seats system, while only a small share of women hold directly elected seats. For example, in 2023, while women account for 37.4 per cent of the Parliament, only 9.8 per cent were elected from constituencies. This article studies the legal challenges facing women's access to directly elected parliamentary seats in light of 30 years of multiparty democracy in Tanzania. It finds that the legal gaps related to candidacy age, political affiliation, the applicable electoral system, governance of political parties, violence against women in political and public life, campaign financing and challenges related to the implementation of the special seats system hinder women's access to elected parliamentary seats.
Geographic inequities in neonatal survival in Nigeria: a cross-sectional evidence from spatial and artificial neural network analyses
Authors: Adeyinka Daniel A. , Muhajarine Nazeem
Published: September 2024

This study was conducted to provide empirical evidence of geographical variations of neonatal mortality and its associated social determinants with a view to improving neonatal survival at the subnational level in Nigeria. With a combination of spatial analysis and artificial intelligence techniques, this study analysed data from the 2016/2017 Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. The analysis focused on the neonatal period of a weighted national representative population of 30,924 live births delivered five years before the survey commencement. Global Moran’s I index and local indicator of spatial autocorrelation cluster maps were used to determine hot and cold spots. A multilayer perceptron neural network was used to identify the key determinants of neonatal mortality across the states and geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The overall neonatal mortality rate was 38 deaths per 1000 live births. There is evidence of geographic clustering of neonatal mortality across Nigeria (worse in the North-Central and North-West zones), majorly driven by poor maternal access to mass media (which plays a critical role in promoting positive health behaviours), short birth interval, a higher position in a family birth order, and young maternal age at child’s birth. This study highlights the need for a policy shift towards implementing state and region-specific strategies in Nigeria. Gender-responsive, culturally, and regionally appropriate reproductive, maternal, and child health-targeted interventions may address geographical inequity in neonatal survival.
Trajectory tracking control of a mobile robot using fuzzy logic controller with optimal parameters
Authors: Tolossa Tesfaye Deme , Gunasekaran Manavaalan , Halder Kaushik , Verma Hitendra Kumar , Parswal Shyam Sundar , Jorwal Nishant , Maria Joseph Felix Orlando , Hote Yogesh Vijay
Published: September 2024

This work investigates the use of a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for two-wheeled differential drive mobile robot trajectory tracking control. Due to the inherent complexity associated with tuning the membership functions of an FLC, this work employs a particle swarm optimization algorithm to optimize the parameters of these functions. In order to automate and reduce the number of rule bases, the genetic algorithm is also employed for this study. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated through MATLAB simulations involving diverse path tracking scenarios. The performance of the FLC is compared against established controllers, including minimum norm solution, closed-loop inverse kinematics, and Jacobian transpose-based controllers. The results demonstrate that the FLC offers accurate trajectory tracking with reduced root mean square error and controller effort. An experimental, hardware-based investigation is also performed for further verification of the proposed system. In addition, the simulation is conducted for various paths in the presence of noise in order to assess the proposed controller’s robustness. The proposed method is resilient against noise and disturbances, according to the simulation outcomes.
The Purgative Way in the Ancren Riwle
Authors: Pepler Conrad
Published: September 2024

Since the Ancren Riwle was written for realuses of a solitary and strict type we might suppose it to contain either the bare bones of a very strict rule of life—horary, penances and prayers—or the highest form of spiritual teaching designed for the well-nigh perfect. When we remember that Mother Julian was an anchoress at Norwich we may expect to find a rule, designed for such as her, to contain deep mystical doctrine. It is probably for reasons of this nature that so few people open this straightforward and normal book of sound spiritual advice. In effect the Riwle is an ascetical work designed to instruct beginners in their first retirement from the world. Although he is evidently writing for contemplatives, the author scarcely mentions ‘mental prayer’ or its equivalent and passes in silence all mystical experience. Indeed he expressly states that he is writing for those who belong to the ‘Order of St James’, by which he does not mean, as some have supposed, a special religious order of that name.
Tropical curves in abelian surfaces I: enumeration of curves passing through points
Authors: BLOMME THOMAS
Published: September 2024

This paper is the first part in a series of three papers devoted to the study of enumerative invariants of abelian surfaces through the tropical approach. In this paper, we consider the enumeration of genus g curves of fixed degree passing through g points. We compute the tropical multiplicity provided by a correspondence theorem due to T. Nishinou and show that it is possible to refine this multiplicity in the style of the Block–Göttsche refined multiplicity to get tropical refined invariants.
Domination inequalities and dominating graphs
Authors: CONLON DAVID , LEE JOONKYUNG
Published: September 2024

We say that a graph H dominates another graph H′ if the number of homomorphisms from H′ to any graph G is dominated, in an appropriate sense, by the number of homomorphisms from H to G. We study the family of dominating graphs, those graphs with the property that they dominate all of their subgraphs. It has long been known that even-length paths are dominating in this sense and a result of Hatami implies that all weakly norming graphs are dominating. In a previous paper, we showed that every finite reflection group gives rise to a family of weakly norming, and hence dominating, graphs. Here we revisit this connection to show that there is a much broader class of dominating graphs.
Maternal depressive symptoms and infants’ emotional reactivity: The moderating role of mothers’ prenatal cry processing
Authors: Gordon-Hacker Avigail , Egotubov Alisa , Sheiner Eyal , Uzefovsky Florina , Gueron-Sela Noa
Published: September 2024

Exposure to maternal depressive symptoms (MDS) may have a pertinent role in shaping children’s emotional development. However, little is known about how these processes emerge in the early postpartum period. The current study examined the direct and interactive associations between MDS and cry-processing cognitions in the prediction of infant negative emotionality and affective concern. Participants were 130 mother-child dyads (50% female) assessed at three time points. During the second trimester of pregnancy, expectant mothers completed a procedure to assess responses to video clips of distressed infants and reported about MDS. Mothers also reported about MDS at 1- and 3-months postpartum. At age 3 months, infants’ negative emotionality and affective concern responses were observed and rated. We found no direct associations between MDS and both measures of infant emotional reactivity. However, MDS interacted with cry-processing cognitions to predict affective concern and negative emotionality. Overall, MDS were related to increased affective concern and decreased negative emotionality when mothers held cognitions that were more focused on their own emotions in the face of the infant’s cry rather than the infant’s emotional state and needs. Clinical implications for early screening and intervention are discussed.
Allostatic load and cognitive recall among young adults: Racial, ethnic, and sex-specific variations
Authors: Evans Elizabeth , Jacobs Molly , Ellis Charles
Published: September 2024

Introduction:

While factors such as age and education have been associated with persistent differences in functional cognitive decline, they do not fully explain observed variations particularly those between different racial/ethnic and sex groups. The aim of this study was to explore the association between allostatic load (AL) and cognition in a racially diverse cohort of young adults.

Methods:

Utilizing Wave V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health – a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of adults aged 34–44, this study utilized primary data from 10 immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic biomarkers to derive an AL Index. Cognition was previously recorded through word and number recall scores. Regression analysis evaluated the association between cognitive recall, AL, age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

Results:

Regression results indicated statistically higher AL scores among Blacks (IRR = 1.09, CI = 1.01, 1.19) compared to Whites and lower AL score among females compared to males (IRR = 0.76, CI = 0.72, 0.81). At zero AL, Blacks (IRR = 1.2399, CI = 1.2398, 1.24) and Other races (IRR = 1.4523, CI = 1.452, 1.4525) had higher recall while Hispanics (IRR = 0.808, CI = 0.8079, 0.8081) had lower recall compared to Whites. Relative to males, females had higher number recall (IRR = 1.1976, CI = 1.1976, 1.1977). However, at higher, positive levels of AL, Blacks (IRR = 0.9554, CI = 0.9553, 0.9554), Other races (IRR = 0.9479, CI = 0.9479, 0.9479) and females (IRR = 0.9655, CI = 0.9655, 0.9655) had significantly lower number recall than Whites and males respectively.

Conclusions:

Race and sex differences were observed in recall at different levels of AL. Findings demonstrate the need for further exploration of cognition in young adults across diverse populations that includes examination of AL.
A building block approach to retirement income design
Authors: Khemka Gaurav , Butt Adam , Mehry Shams
Published: September 2024

This paper addresses the retirement income planning problem from the perspective of the four main building blocks of retirement income: state pension, mortality credits, investment strategies, and drawdown schedules. We detail how these building blocks interact to form a retiree's overall retirement income portfolio, and what trade-offs and interactions must be considered. We find that while access to each building block increases the retiree's certainty equivalent consumption, the most substantial contributor to this increase is from utilization of the mortality credit building block (i.e., annuities).
Staging the “Stolen Transition”: Conspiracy and Collusion in Postsocialist Crime Fiction
Authors: Pluwak Anita
Published: September 2024

This article explores how three popular crime novels from the 2000s articulate postsocialist Poland’s most prevalent conspiracy narrative: that of a hidden network (układ) of communist-era secret service agents that have allegedly penetrated the structures and economy of the post-1989 state, thus “stealing” the transition to democracy and capitalism, and making it impossible for the new system to thrive. Whereas previous research has dealt mainly with the political content of this narrative and the way it has been employed in political discourse, this article focuses on its cultural significance and the multiple anxieties from which it stems, including a growing sense of diminished human autonomy and a generalized suspicion of social systems. The paper contributes to a growing body of work on postsocialist conspiracy narratives that takes an increasingly transnational and comparative approach. The novels analyzed in the paper are Zygmunt Miłoszewski’s Uwikłanie (Entanglement, 2007), Marcin Wolski’s Noblista (Nobel Prize Winner, 2008) and Szczepan Twardoch’s Przemienienie (Transfiguration, 2008).
Archeologists Imagine Ukraine: Social Scientists and Nation Building in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: McReynolds Louise
Published: September 2024

Russia’s brutal invasion in February 2022 revitalized considerations about how Ukraine can contribute to historiographical issues related to the origins of nation-statehood. This essay contributes to that discussion by returning to the 19th century and exploring how the participants in multiple archeological congresses, nascent social scientists confident in the empirical objectivity of their evidence, envisioned Ukraine. Borrowing from Benedict Anderson’s commonplace about a nation as an “imagined community,” I highlight the contestation between nationalist and imperialist discourses in the emergent social sciences. Although the Versailles Peace Conference, which denied Ukraine the opportunity to “self-determine” as a modern political entity, revealed the limits of the Western political imagination in 1919, many of the ideas presented at these congresses continue to inform the cultural and geographical borders of Ukraine.
The Politics of Anti-Imperial Nostalgia: South Africa's Response to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Authors: Loyd Thom
Published: September 2024

When the UN General Assembly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces in March 2022, barely half of African states voted in favor. This lukewarm support contrasted with strong support for Ukraine elsewhere in the world. Among those abstaining from the vote was South Africa, a country with a long history of interaction with the post-Soviet space. This essay considers the interplay of historical remembering and forgetting that has contributed to the South African response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A longstanding commitment to non-alignment, the long shadow of the anti-colonial struggle, and the complicated legacy of the Soviet Union, its collapse, and who rightly carries its anti-apartheid mantle, have all played a role in shaping the South African response.
Is Russia Losing in Ukraine but Winning in the Global South?
Authors: Stoner Kathryn
Published: September 2024

Russia’s war in Ukraine has been roundly condemned in the West. NATO members have continued to supply Ukraine with weaponry while the EU, US and their allies have ensured that the Russian economy remains under the most extensive and intensive set of sanctions in history. Yet many leaders of countries in the global south have been far more hesitant to condemn Russian actions. Some have merely abstained in United Nations resolutions criticizing Russia, while others have remained neutral. This paper will endeavor to explain why the global south has such a different perspective from the global north on Russia’s war in Ukraine. I argue that this is a result of America’s withdrawal from the global south over the last two decades and Russia’s reemergence in many parts of the Middle East, Sub Saharan Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Mixing and Water Mass Transformation Over Discovery Bank, in the Weddell‐Scotia Confluence of the Southern Ocean
Authors: Brearley J. Alexander , Girton James B. , Lucas Natasha S. , Thurnherr Andreas M. , Abrahamsen E. Povl , Meredith Michael P. , Meijers Andrew S. , Venables Hugh J.
Published: September 2024

The South Scotia Ridge, in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, is a key region for water mass modification. It is the location of the Weddell‐Scotia Confluence, an area of reduced stratification which separates the Weddell Gyre to the south and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to the north, and which receives input of shelf waters from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. To elucidate the transformations over the ridge, we focus on one of its largest seamounts, Discovery Bank, which has previously been observed as hosting a stratified Taylor column that retains water for months to years, during which time water masses are entrained from north and south of the Weddell Front and steadily mixed. Data from ship‐deployed sensors and autonomous platforms are analyzed to quantify and understand the diapycnal mixing, heat fluxes and water mass transformations over the bank. Ocean glider and free‐profiling drifting float data show that the mid‐depth temperature maximum of the Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) is eroded between the northern and southern sides of the bank, while diapycnal diffusivity is enhanced by up to an order‐of‐magnitude over its steeply sloping portions. This is accompanied by heat fluxes from the CDW layer being increased by up to a factor of six, which may contribute to a reduction in mid‐depth stratification. Tidal model analysis shows that the southern side of the bank hosts strong barotropic to baroclinic energy conversion (>150 N m−2), emphasizing the role of internal tides in modulating water mass transformations in the Confluence.
An Unprecedented Experiment to Map Kīlauea’s Summit Magma System
Authors: Denlinger Roger , O’Connell Daniel , Lin Guoqing , Roecker Steve , Bennington Ninfa
Published: September 2024

Dozens of researchers deployed nearly 2,000 seismic stations—and a T-Rex—to better illuminate subsurface structure and magma storage below the summit of the highly active volcano.
One Billion Years of Stability in the North American Midcontinent Following Two‐Stage Grenvillian Structural Inversion
Authors: Hodgin Eben B. , Swanson‐Hysell Nicholas L. , Kylander‐Clark Andrew R. C. , Turner Andrew C. , Stolper Daniel A. , Ibarra Daniel E. , Schmitz Mark D. , Zhang Yiming , Fairchild Luke M. , Fuentes Anthony J.
Published: September 2024

The North American craton interior preserves a >1 Ga history of near surface processes that inform ongoing debates regarding timing and drivers of continental‐scale deformation and erosion associated with far‐field orogenesis. We tested various models of structural inversion on a major segment of the Midcontinent Rift along the Douglas Fault in northern Wisconsin, which accommodated ≳10 km of total vertical displacement. U‐Pb detrital zircon and vein calcite Δ47/U‐Pb thermochronometry from the hanging wall constrain the majority of uplift (≳8.5 km) and deformation to 1052–1036 Ma during the Ottawan phase of the Grenvillian orogeny. Combined U‐Pb zircon dates, Δ47/U‐Pb calcite thermochronometry, and field data that document syn‐ to early post‐depositional deformation in the footwall constrain a second stage of uplift (1–1.5 km) ca. 995–980 Ma during the Rigolet phase of the Grenvillian orogeny. A minor phase of Appalachian far‐field orogenesis is associated with minimal thrust reactivation. Our combined analyses identified the 995–980 Ma Bayfield Group as a Grenvillian foreland basin with an original thickness 0.5–2 km greater than currently preserved. By quantifying flexural loading and other subsidence mechanisms along the Douglas Fault, we identify dynamic subsidence as a mechanism that could be consistent with the development of late‐Grenvillian transcontinental fluvial systems. Minimal post‐Grenvillian erosion (0.5–2 km) in this part of the craton interior has preserved the Bayfield Group and equivalent successions, limiting the magnitude of regional erosion that can be attributed to Neoproterozoic glaciation.
Improving Discharge Predictions in Ungauged Basins: Harnessing the Power of Disaggregated Data Modeling and Machine Learning
Authors: Muhebwa Aggrey , Gleason Colin J. , Feng Dongmei , Taneja Jay
Published: September 2024

Current machine learning methods for discharge prediction often employ aggregated basin‐wide hydrometeorological data (lumped modeling) for parametric and non‐parametric training. This approach may overlook the spatial heterogeneity of river systems and their impact on discharge patterns. We hypothesize that integrating spatiotemporal hydrologic knowledge into the data modeling process (distributed/disaggregated modeling) can improve the performance of discharge prediction models. To test this hypothesis, we designed experiments comparing the performance of identical Long Short‐Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM‐RNN) models forced with either lumped or distributed features. We gather meteorological forcing and static attributes for the Mackenzie basin in Canada‐ a large and unique basin. Importantly, discharge performance is assessed out‐of‐sample with k‐fold replication across gauges. Training LSTMs with disaggregated data significantly improved model accuracy. Specifically, there was a 9.6% increase in the mean Nash‐Sutcliffe Efficiency and a 4.6% increase in the mean Kling‐Gupta Efficiency, indicating a better agreement between predicted and actual observations in terms of mean, variability, and correlation. These experiments and results demonstrate the importance of integrating topologically guided geomorphologic and hydrologic information (distributed modeling) in data‐driven discharge predictions.
BAG2, MAD2L1, and MDK are cancer-driver genes and candidate targets for novel therapies in malignant pleural mesothelioma
Authors: Bisceglia Luisa , Morani Federica , Guerrieri Lara , Santoni-Rugiu Eric , Çakılkaya Pınar , Scatena Cristian , Scarpitta Rosa , Engelholm Lars H. , Behrendt Niels , Gemignani Federica , Landi Stefano
Published: September 2024

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis and the identification of novel druggable targets is urgently needed. In previous work, we identified 15 deregulated genes highly expressed in MPM tissues and correlated with a poor prognosis. Here, we validated these findings on an independent dataset of 211 MPM patients (EGA, EGAD00001001915) and on a panel of MPM cell lines. Furthermore, we carried out in vitro gene silencing followed by proliferation, cytotoxicity, caspase, and migration assays to define whether these targets could be cancer-driver genes. We ended up with three novel candidates (i.e., BAG2, MAD2L1, and MDK), whose encoded proteins could be exploited as druggable targets. Moreover, of novelty, immunohistochemistry analysis on tissues revealed that the overexpression of BAG2 and MAD2L1 could differentiate MPM from RMP patients. Furthermore, when we tested Neratinib (an inhibitor of MAD2L1) and iMDK (an inhibitor of MDK) we found that they are effective on MPM cells, in part phenocopying the effects of MAD2L1 and MDK gene silencing. In summary, in the present work, we report that BAG2, MAD2L1, and MDK are bona fide cancer-driver genes for MPM worth of further studies.
The functional role of m6A demethylase ALKBH5 in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy
Authors: Meng Chen , Su Haibi , Shu Meiling , Shen Feng , Lu Yijie , Wu Shishi , Su Zhenghua , Yu Mengyao , Yang Di
Published: September 2024

Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is a major outcome of pathological cardiac hypertrophy. The m6A demethylase ALKBH5 is reported to be associated with cardiovascular diseases, whereas the functional role of ALKBH5 in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy remains confused. We engineered Alkbh5 siRNA (siAlkbh5) and Alkbh5 overexpressing plasmid (Alkbh5 OE) to transfect cardiomyocytes. Subsequently, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP)-qPCR, MeRIP-qPCR analysis and the dual-luciferase reporter assays were applied to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of ALKBH5 on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Our study identified ALKBH5 as a new contributor of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. ALKBH5 showed upregulation in both phenylephrine (PE)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophic responses in vitro and transverse aortic constriction (TAC)/high fat diet (HFD)-induced pathological cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. Knockdown or overexpression of ALKBH5 regulated the occurrence of hypertrophic responses, including the increased cardiomyocyte surface areas and elevation of the hypertrophic marker levels, such as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). Mechanically, we indicated that ALKBH5 activated JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and mediated m6A demethylation on Stat3 mRNA, but not Jak2 mRNA, resulting in the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3, which enhances the transcription of hypertrophic genes (e.g., Nppa) and ultimately leads to the emergence of cardiomyocytes hypertrophic growth. Our work highlights the functional role of ALKBH5 in regulating the onset of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and provides a potential target for hypertrophic heart diseases prevention and treatment.
Effect of fruits granola (Frugra®) consumption on blood pressure reduction and intestinal microbiome in patients undergoing hemodialysis
Authors: Nagasawa Hajime , Suzuki Shogo , Kobayashi Takashi , Otsuka Tomoyuki , Okuma Teruyuki , Matsushita Satoshi , Amano Atsushi , Shimizu Yoshio , Suzuki Yusuke , Ueda Seiji
Published: September 2024

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major cause of death in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Blood pressure (BP) and uremic toxins are well-known risk factors for CVDs, which are influenced by diet. Dietary fiber supplementation in patients undergoing HD may reduce the risk of CVDs by improving lipid profiles and inflammatory status and lowering the levels of the uremic toxin indoxyl sulfate (IS). In this study, we investigated the relationship between the intestinal microbiota and risk factors for CVDs, such as BP and serum IS, in patients undergoing HD who consumed fruits granola (FGR). The study participants were selected from patients undergoing HD at the Izu Nagaoka Daiichi Clinic and consumed FGR for 2 months. Body composition and blood samples were tested at months 0, 1, 2 and fecal samples were collected at months 0 and 2 for intestinal microbiota analysis. FGR consumption decreased systolic and diastolic BP, estimated salt intake, and serum IS levels and improved the stool characteristics according to the Bristol Stool Form Scale (N = 24). Gut microbiota analysis showed an increase in the alpha diversity and abundance of Blautia and Neglecta. The abundance of lactic acid- and ethanol-producing bacteria also significantly increased, whereas the abundance of indole-producing bacteria significantly decreased. FGR consumption could be a useful tool for salt reduction, fiber supplementation, and improvement of the intestinal environment, thus contributing to improvement of BP and the reduction of other risk factors for CVDs in patients undergoing HD.
Emergence of transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants with decreased sensitivity to antivirals in immunocompromised patients with persistent infections
Authors: Nooruzzaman Mohammed , Johnson Katherine E. E. , Rani Ruchi , Finkelsztein Eli J. , Caserta Leonardo C. , Kodiyanplakkal Rosy P. , Wang Wei , Hsu Jingmei , Salpietro Maria T. , Banakis Stephanie , Albert Joshua , Westblade Lars F. , Zanettini Claudio , Marchionni Luigi , Soave Rosemary , Ghedin Elodie , Diel Diego G. , Salvatore Mirella
Published: September 2024

We investigated the impact of antiviral treatment on the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 resistance during persistent infections in immunocompromised patients (n = 15). All patients received remdesivir and some also received nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (n = 3) or therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (n = 4). Sequence analysis showed that nine patients carried viruses with mutations in the nsp12 (RNA dependent RNA polymerase), while four had viruses with nsp5 (3C protease) mutations. Infectious SARS-CoV-2 with a double mutation in nsp5 (T169I) and nsp12 (V792I) was recovered from respiratory secretions 77 days after initial COVID-19 diagnosis from a patient sequentially treated with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and remdesivir. In vitro characterization confirmed its decreased sensitivity to remdesivir and nirmatrelvir, which was overcome by combined antiviral treatment. Studies in golden Syrian hamsters demonstrated efficient transmission to contact animals. This study documents the isolation of SARS-CoV-2 carrying resistance mutations to both nirmatrelvir and remdesivir from a patient and demonstrates its transmissibility in vivo.
SymProFold: Structural prediction of symmetrical biological assemblies
Authors: Buhlheller Christoph , Sagmeister Theo , Grininger Christoph , Gubensäk Nina , Sleytr Uwe B. , Usón Isabel , Pavkov-Keller Tea
Published: September 2024

Symmetry in nature often emerges from self-assembly processes and serves a wide range of functions. Cell surface layers (S-layers) form symmetrical lattices on many bacterial and archaeal cells, playing essential roles such as facilitating cell adhesion, evading the immune system, and protecting against environmental stress. However, the experimental structural characterization of these S-layers is challenging due to their self-assembly properties and high sequence variability. In this study, we introduce the SymProFold pipeline, which utilizes the high accuracy of AlphaFold-Multimer predictions to derive symmetrical assemblies from protein sequences, specifically focusing on two-dimensional S-layer arrays and spherical viral capsids. The pipeline tests all known symmetry operations observed in these systems (p1, p2, p3, p4, and p6) and identifies the most likely symmetry for the assembly. The predicted models were validated using available experimental data at the cellular level, and additional crystal structures were obtained to confirm the symmetry and interfaces of several SymProFold assemblies. Overall, the SymProFold pipeline enables the determination of symmetric protein assemblies linked to critical functions, thereby opening possibilities for exploring functionalities and designing targeted applications in diverse fields such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine, and materials and environmental sciences.
Multiomic single cell sequencing identifies stemlike nature of mixed phenotype acute leukemia
Authors: Peretz Cheryl A. C. , Kennedy Vanessa E. , Walia Anushka , Delley Cyrille L. , Koh Andrew , Tran Elaine , Clark Iain C. , Hayford Corey E. , D’Amato Chris , Xue Yi , Fontanez Kristina M. , May-Zhang Aaron A. , Smithers Trinity , Agam Yigal , Wang Qian , Dai Hai-ping , Roy Ritu , Logan Aaron C. , Perl Alexander E. , Abate Adam , Olshen Adam , Smith Catherine C.
Published: September 2024

Despite recent work linking mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) to certain genetic lesions, specific driver mutations remain undefined for a significant proportion of patients and no genetic subtype is predictive of clinical outcomes. Moreover, therapeutic strategy for MPAL remains unclear, and prognosis is overall poor. We performed multiomic single cell profiling of 14 newly diagnosed adult MPAL patients to characterize the inter- and intra-tumoral transcriptional, immunophenotypic, and genetic landscapes of MPAL. We show that neither genetic profile nor transcriptome reliably correlate with specific MPAL immunophenotypes. Despite this, we find that MPAL blasts express a shared stem cell-like transcriptional profile indicative of high differentiation potential. Patients with the highest differentiation potential demonstrate inferior survival in our dataset. A gene set score, MPAL95, derived from genes highly enriched in the most stem-like MPAL cells, is applicable to bulk RNA sequencing data and is predictive of survival in an independent patient cohort, suggesting a potential strategy for clinical risk stratification.