bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Flexible and Efficient Approach to Missing Transverse Momentum Reconstruction
Authors: Balunas William , Cavalli Donatella , Khoo Teng Jian , Klein Matthew , Loch Peter , Piazza Federica , Pizio Caterina , Resconi Silvia , Schaefer Douglas , Smith Russell , Williams Sarah
Published: January 2024

Missing transverse momentum is a crucial observable for physics at hadron colliders, being the only constraint on the kinematics of “invisible” objects such as neutrinos and hypothetical dark matter particles. Computing missing transverse momentum at the highest possible precision, particularly in experiments at the energy frontier, can be a challenging procedure due to ambiguities in the distribution of energy and momentum between many reconstructed particle candidates. This paper describes a novel solution for efficiently encoding information required for the computation of missing transverse momentum given arbitrary selection criteria for the constituent reconstructed objects. Pileup suppression using information from both the calorimeter and the inner detector is an integral component of the reconstruction procedure. Energy calibration and systematic variations are naturally supported. Following this strategy, the ATLAS Collaboration has been able to optimise the use of missing transverse momentum in diverse analyses throughout Runs 2 and 3 of the Large Hadron Collider and for future analyses.
A Hybrid Bio-inspired Fuzzy Feature Selection Approach for Opinion Mining of Learner Comments
Authors: Jatain Divya , Niranjanamurthy M. , Dayananda P.
Published: January 2024

With more and more teaching learning activities being shifted to online mode, the education system has seen a drastic paradigm shift in the recent times. Learner opinion has emerged as an important metric for gaining valuable insights about teaching–learning process, student satisfaction, course popularity, etc. Traditional methods for opinion mining of learner feedback are tedious and require manual intervention. The author, in this work has proposed a hybrid bio-inspired metaheuristic feature selection approach for opinion mining of learner comments regarding a course. Experimental work is conducted over a real-world education dataset comprising of 110 K learner comments (referred to as Educational Dataset now onwards) collected from Coursera and learner data from academic institution MSIT. Based on the experimental results over the collected dataset, the proposed model achieves an accuracy of 92.24%. Further, for comparative analysis, results of the proposed model are compared with the ENN models for different embeddings, viz., Word2Vec, tf-idf and domain-specific embedding for the SemEval-14 Task 4. The hybrid bio-inspired metaheuristic model outperforms the pre-existing models for the standard dataset too.
Isoflavone-Rich Extract of Trifolium resupinatum: Anti-obesity Attributes with In Silico Investigation of Its Constituents
Authors: Marzouk Mona M. , Ragheb Alia Y. , Youssef Elham M. , Ragab Nermin A. , El-Taher Eman M. , Garf Ibrahim A. El , Kassem Mona E. S.
Published: January 2024

Trifolium resupinatum L., Fabaceae, aqueous methanol leaf extract was selected to mitigate some obesity-associated risk factors to validate the possibility of further developing herbal drugs. Chromatography and spectrophotometric techniques verified 14 phenolics, five of which were first isolated from the plant and identified as 6''-O-acetyl ononin, genistin, daidzin, sissotrin, and astragalin. Further phytochemical characterization was performed via liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry assisted by a spectral similarity molecular network. In total, 81 metabolites were tentatively annotated including 69 species-first dereplications. Two major isolates (formononetin and pseudobaptigenin) were selected along with the investigated extract for an in vitro pancreatic lipase inhibition assay. They showed notable effects with IC50 values (µg/ml): 47.2 ± 1.1, 112.8 ± 1.23, and 471.32 ± 0.8, respectively, incomparable to orlistat (23.8 ± 0.64). Preliminary in vivo assay (25 mg/kg extract, daily, 8 weeks) displayed weight loss interest and promising advancement of serum triacylglycerides, total cholesterol, and glucose levels. Molecular docking studies confirmed the promising binding score of formononetin and pseudobaptigenin near the active sites and highlighted the affinity of other isolates to the lipase enzyme. Several isolates passed Lipinski’s law of the drug-likeness test, whereas SwissADME radar displayed that all constituents fall within the acceptable bioavailability zone. Therefore, the combination of flavonoids, especially isoflavones, could be regarded as drug-like agents for protection against obesity-induced metabolic complaints.

Graphical Abstract
Households’ energy conservation and efficiency awareness practices in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana
Authors: Baidoo Abigail Nana Ama , Danquah Jones Abrefa , Nunoo Edward Kweku , Mariwah Simon , Boampong Georgina Nyarko , Twum Eric , Amankwah Emmanuel , Nyametso Johnie Kodjoe
Published: January 2024

Thermal power generation is the main source of power in the energy mix of the country. Erratic rainfall patterns, the high cost of fossil fuel for thermal generation, and increase electricity demand have contributed to rampant power outages in the recent past. This paper examined energy conservation and efficiency awareness practices of households in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. It assessed the level and variability in energy conservation practices and the level of energy-savings awareness education among households. Three hundred and ninety-six households were randomly selected from nine communities using stratified sampling techniques. Five stakeholders from the electricity sector were purposively sampled for in-depth interviews. The data sets were modeled using the utility maximization framework to econometrically estimate socioeconomic factors influencing the energy conservation behaviour of households. The findings reveal that years spent in school by household heads, income levels, expenditure, age of households, and the number of times electricity power triples off daily were among the key factors influencing individual households’ choice of energy-efficient appliances. There was significant variability between existing social strata in terms of income and use of electrical appliances among households that warrants policy direction. Based on the findings, this study recommends a robust energy literacy program to improve households’ energy efficiency practices awareness, and to ensure energy cost savings, environmental protection, and climate change mitigation that will enhance the drive towards achieving sustainable development goals seven.
Sustainable scientific publishing: a pilot survey on stakeholder motivations and opinions
Authors: Höller Yvonne , Urbschat Mæva Marlene , Bathke Arne
Published: January 2024

Assessing sustainability of journals and publishers could guide the choice of a publication venue. However, sustainable scientific publishing is not sufficiently defined. We assessed motivations for sustainable scientific publishing and importance ratings of sustainability aspects of scientific publishing in an online survey. The questionnaire was answered by 129 participants, including publishing scientists, non-academic research institution employees, editors, administrative staff of scientific journals and publishing companies, and individuals working at sustainability organizations. Personal motivation was rated to be important for all stakeholders, especially for scientists (p < .001). Universities, journals, non-academic staff at universities, journals, and publishers were perceived to be motivated to act sustainably because of external factors such as incentives, policies, laws, and regulations (p < .001). The most important sustainability aspects of scientific publishing were the proportion of open access articles and open access costs, a sustainability policy, plan, and report, digital publication, publication of sustainability topics, support of sustainable actions for staff, sustainable operations, e.g., sustainable transport, and social responsibility for staff, including gender aspects. The low response rate limits conclusions. The results suggest a sustainability index for scientific publishers could serve as an aid for decision making in scientific publishing.
Flat bands, sharp physics
Authors: Leykam Daniel
Published: January 2024

Flat bands arise in periodic media when symmetries or fine-tuning result in perfect wavepacket localisation. Flat band localisation is fragile and exhibits remarkably sharp sensitivity to perturbations including interactions and disorder, leading to a variety of interesting quantum and classical phenomena. Originally a theoretical curiosity, advances in fabrication methods have allowed flat band physics to be observed down to the nanoscale. This article briefly reviews progress in the study of flat bands and disorder over the past decade and provides an outlook on where this exciting field is headed.
Effect of water absorption, hardness, and acoustic properties on sandwich syntactic foam composite for structural and marine applications
Authors: Afolabi Olusegun Adigun , Mohan Turup Pandurangan , Kanny Krishnan
Published: January 2024

In this study, a sandwich composite structure was fabricated with core syntactic foam composites (SFC) reinforced with face-sheets of combined kenaf and glass fibers. The core SFC was made from hollow glass microsphere (HGM)/epoxy resin mixture. The focus of this study is to design a suitable material for marine, automobile, and structural applications by investigating the water absorption capacity, hardness, buoyancy, and acoustic resistance level of the sandwich composite. Four sequences of face-sheet reinforcement [e.g. kenaf-kenaf(KK); glass-glass(GG); glass-kenaf(GK), and kenaf-glass(KG)] were adopted. The results show that the KK sandwich absorbed more water, with buoyancy level of 0.329% than other sequence. GK shows the highest sandwich in hardness strength with 58Hv, and 35% more than the KK, while there was no significant difference in the sound pressure level of the sandwich composite.
Plant disease resistance outputs regulated by AP2/ERF transcription factor family
Authors: Ma Ning , Sun Ping , Li Zhao-Yang , Zhang Fu-Jun , Wang Xiao-Fei , You Chun-Xiang , Zhang Chun-Ling , Zhang Zhenlu
Published: January 2024

Plants have evolved a complex and elaborate signaling network to respond appropriately to the pathogen invasion by regulating expression of defensive genes through certain transcription factors. The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) family members have been determined as key regulators in growth, development, and stress responses in plants. Moreover, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated the critical roles of AP2/ERFs in plant disease resistance. In this review, we describe recent advances for the function of AP2/ERFs in defense responses against microbial pathogens. We summarize that AP2/ERFs are involved in plant disease resistance by acting downstream of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, and regulating expression of genes associated with hormonal signaling pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and formation of physical barriers in an MAPK-dependent or -independent manner. The present review provides a multidimensional perspective on the functions of AP2/ERFs in plant disease resistance, which will facilitate the understanding and future investigation on the roles of AP2/ERFs in plant immunity.
Indoor positioning with multi-beam CSI of commercial 5G signals
Authors: Zhou Xin , Chen Liang , Ruan Yanlin , Chen Ruizhi
Published: January 2024

The fifth-generation (5G) network has been deployed for a vast number of users. The advanced capabilities of 5G technology have opened up opportunities for accuracy positioning and navigation. However, when it comes to indoor positioning using commercial 5G signals, there are persistent challenges. One particular challenge arises from the fact that in numerous indoor scenarios, there is only one base station (called gNB) heard from the receiver. This limitation makes the traditional geometric methods difficult to be applied indoors for 5G positioning. To solve the problem of indoor positioning with single 5G gNB, we propose a fingerprinting method based on the multi-beam of 5G downlink signals. This method utilizes the multi-beam Channel State Information (CSI) and employs an Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) for dimensionality reduction, aiming to improve both the accuracy and efficiency of indoor positioning. To assess the effectiveness of this method, field tests were conducted in indoor scenarios. The results demonstrate that, by taking the advantages of multi-beam property in 5G signals, it is able to achieve CSI positioning in single-gNB scenario, and the positioning accuracy over 94% while improving the positioning efficiency.
Gamification as a methodology to enhance analytical and sustainable engagement on social media
Authors: Gil Ruiz Paula
Published: January 2024

This research examines the impact of gamification on the development of critical thinking skills to counter misinformation, focusing specifically on students’ roles as developers of educational software. Involving 107 university students, this study employs an experimental pretest–posttest methodology. An educational Escape Room was implemented, and its influence on critical and digital competencies was scrutinized. The procedure comprised three stages: pretest measurement, formative intervention, and posttest evaluation. A comparative analysis of the scores for the questions highlights a pressing need to enhance media and digital literacy. The findings reveal a predominance of responses indicating improvements in source verification and fact-checking. However, no significant differences were observed in the pre and post responses (0.607 > 0.05), leading to the conclusion that the implementation of a technological training program does not significantly contribute to acquiring skills for identifying falsehoods and deceptions on the internet. In conclusion, the study underscores the necessity to develop effective strategies to address misinformation and recognizes gamification as a motivating educational tool.
Examining the use of ChatGPT in public universities in Hong Kong: a case study of restricted access areas
Authors: Cheng Michelle W. T. , YIM Iris H. Y.
Published: January 2024

Since late November 2022, generative AI ChatGPT has drawn waves of attention in society, and its impacts certainly extend to the higher education setting. Although ChatGPT has not been officially released for registration in Hong Kong, the higher education setting has been responding differently. The article conducted a systematic review of local newspapers published between 1 December 2022 and 31 July 2023 to analyse how the eight public universities in Hong Kong responded. This article divided the timeline into three phases: procrastination, remediation, and adaptation. Recommendations are given to universities for making policies and management based on the findings, including making timely but temporary announcements at the university level and updating course outlines that explicitly stated to what extent GenAI can be used in each course. This study used Hong Kong to serves as a reference for universities that are still struggling with the usage of ChatGPT and GenAI technologies in the restricted access areas.
Gender equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics: industrial vis-a-vis academic perspective
Authors: Parmaxi Antigoni , Christou Eirini , Fernández Valdés Julia , Puente Hevia Dalia María , Perifanou Maria , Economides Anastasios A. , Mazaj Jelena , Manchenko Maryna
Published: January 2024

The aim of this study is to present the findings of a qualitative study aiming at capturing key stakeholders’ perceptions with regard to: (a) gender equality in academia and the workplace; (b) challenges, needs, and experiences in academia and workplace with regard to gender. This research captures the current situation of gender equality in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and provides a deep understanding of the needs, challenges and experiences both men and women encounter in academia vis-a-vis the industry. Forty-one interviews were conducted in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain. Data collected demonstrate a variety of challenges faced by all genders in the workplace and in academia, as well as the need for more concrete actions that will allow for a gender-balanced perspective to be heard in the STEM fields. Implications for practitioners, policymakers and researchers are also provided.
Cultivating educational adaptability through collaborative transdisciplinary learning spaces
Authors: Ramachandran Aishwarya , Schwellnus Meg , Gladwin Derek , Derby-Talbot Ryan , Ellis Naoko
Published: January 2024

Empowering students and scholars to effectively address complex societal challenges frequently entails embracing unconventional pathways to foster transdisciplinary (TD) education. This empowerment is further facilitated by collaborative efforts supported by the TD experience. This paper examines one such initiative: a student-centered, experimental design of a TD doctoral pilot program for environmental sustainability at the University of British Columbia, a large, research-intensive public university in Canada. In this study, we documented shifts in participants’ development and assessed the impact of TD collaboration conditions on the educational design process. The findings indicate that engaging in collaborative TD experiences yields substantial pedagogical benefits, introducing novel opportunities for design and experimentation. This TD space appears to offer conducive conditions for students and faculty to more effectively navigate adaptive and innovative contexts within higher education. Pedagogical experimentation of this nature provides insights that are challenging to derive from theoretical speculation alone, offering potential pathways for today’s learners and educators as they confront complex societal challenges.
Prioritizing environmental policies in Greek coastal municipalities
Authors: Kontopyrakis Kyriakos E. , Velegrakis Adonis F. , Monioudi Isavela N. , Ćulibrk Alexandra
Published: January 2024

The aim of the present contribution has been to present a methodological framework to gauge/assess the perceptions and identify the policy priorities of local-decision-makers for the management of the coastal zone under a changing climate, on the basis of structured ‘interviews’ of the local decision makers. The framework was applied in two different coastal areas in Greece: a) Elefsina, an urban-industrial area west of Athens with a long industrial history (and the 2023 European Capital of Culture); and b) the Aegean island of Santorini/Thera, a major international tourist destination due to the rare aesthetics of its volcanic landscape. The framework implementation showed that a) policy prioritization is characterized by an (understandably) overarching objective to address immediate environmental and socio-economic challenges in short time tables due also to constraints in appropriate human and financial resources and the reliance on higher governance (regional/national) levels; b) policy axis and action prioritizations are controlled by the local environmental setting and development model; c) interestingly for coastal municipalities policy actions associated with the study/protection of coastal ecosystems ranked very low albeit for different stated reasons; and d) climate change impacts and adaptation have not been prioritized highly in both coastal municipalities, in contrast to the large impacts and needs for adaptation projected for these areas and the evolving policy and legislation frameworks. It appears that higher efforts should be made in terms of the assessment of climate change impacts, and the dissemination of the assessment results and the relevance of the evolving policy and legislation regimes to the local policy makers.
Adjuvant chemotherapy on survival of patients with stage IB non‑small cell lung cancer: a comparison study with propensity score matching
Authors: Yang Xinyu , Han Guang , Hu Yunfan , Ren Changhao , Zhao Mengnan , Jiang Tian , Feng Mingxiang , Li Ming
Published: January 2024

Background

This study aimed to investigate whether patients with stage IB NSCLC could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods

In the years 2010 to 2015, 1,829 NSCLC patients with stage IB disease were chosen from the SEER database. To equalize the baseline characteristics between the surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy group (intervention) and the surgery alone group (control), propensity score matching (PSM) was used. The log-rank test plotted Kaplan–Meier survival curves to compare the overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Cox proportional hazard regression was used to perform univariate and multivariate analysis on overall survival.

Results

One hundred ninety-seven patients in each group with a mean follow-up period of 65.4 months were enrolled after PSM. A significant benefit in overall survival ([intervention vs. control] HR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.54 to 0.94; P = 0.026) was detected in the intervention group before PSM. And there were significantly improved OS (HR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.42 to 0.92; P = 0.036) and DSS (HR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.52 to 0.95; P = 0.044) for the patients with visceral pleural invasion (VPI) in the intervention group compared with the control group. After PSM, the patients with VPI in the intervention group had better overall survival (HR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.98; P = 0.048) than those in the control group. The Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that VPI (HR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.54; P < 0.001) was also an independent prognostic factor.

Conclusion

Stage IB NSCLC with VPI could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy after R0 resection.
Lung cancer surgery: innovations and future perspectives
Authors: Yu Xiangyang , Wang Feng , Ma Kai , Yu Zhentao
Published: January 2024

Nine decades ago in 1933, Evarts A. Graham performed the first successful pneumonectomy in a patient with primary pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma. The patient survived for another 30 years, which drew the curtain on the surgical treatment of lung cancer. Surgical resection continues to be the cornerstone of multidisciplinary treatment for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer and a proportion of those with locally advanced disease. Moreover, recent years have seen developments in automatic control, biomechanics, robotics, image transmission, artificial intelligence, three-dimensional reconstruction and printing, biological pharmacy, and molecular biology. Therefore, there is now an increasing focus on how to integrate these technologies into lung cancer surgery to improve quality of life, resect the tumor accurately, expand the population that is suitable for surgical management, predict disease recurrence with better accuracy, and ultimately achieve long-term survival. This article systematically reviews the innovative achievements that may be detrimental to current clinical practice and in future clinical trials, and simultaneously provides a brief overview of the polyvagal perspective in this field.
The Magnificent Seven: Exemption, Relief, Equivalence, Recognition, Substitution, Deference, Trust – Reducing Regulatory Duplication and Frictions in the Cross-Border Supply of Financial Services
Authors: Foster Jonathan R.M.
Published: January 2024

A financial services supplier authorised in its home state that wishes to supply services cross-border into another state will, absent any relief, have in addition to meet the regulatory requirements of that host state to trade in it. Regulatory frictions including duplicative regulatory requirements are barriers to cross-border trade. This article considers certain techniques deployed to reduce such barriers, noting that trust plays a part in many of them. These techniques grant relief to incoming firms from obligations to comply with the regulatory requirements of a host state. They may take the form of unilateral arrangements, with or without any conditions. There may be assessments of equivalence as a basis for relief from compliance with the host state’s rules: deference to the home state’s regime, a basis for recognition, whether unilateral or mutual. Recognition may be given effect through a party’s domestic laws or in international law under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) Article VII. A GATS Article VII agreement can relieve regulatory frictions in the financial services sector alone as there is no requirement for “substantial sectoral coverage” as required for regional trade agreements under GATS Article V. Mutual recognition agreements for financial services in international law are, however, few in number.
Political dynamics behind different policy options: Long-term care insurance policymaking in Beijing and Shanghai from the perspective of local policymakers
Authors: Chen Chunhua
Published: January 2024

Facing ageing challenges, long-term care (LTC) has become a focus of policymaking and policy analysis in China. However, the burgeoning literature obscures a lack of understanding of LTC policymaking, implying a linear and neutral process. This depoliticisation is unrealistic and contributes little to understanding the diversity of LTC policies and improving inclusive LTC provision. Focusing on the core institutional arrangement, LTC insurance (LTCI), this article explores a highly politicised policymaking process and reveals complex political deliberations behind different LTCI choices across regions. Underpinned by the multiple streams approach, which supports a systematic comparison of the policy process, this article identifies four key factors from a relational perspective that influence LTCI policymaking, including the tension between evidence and politics in the construction of LTC issues, the tension between policy effectiveness and stability in the assessment of policy options, strong or weak political will, and the presence or absence of municipal government.
Uncertainty and Condemnation. An Experimental Study on Lay and Expert Intuitions Regarding the Object of Criminal Punishment
Authors: Bystranowski Piotr , Janik Bartosz , Próchnicki Maciej
Published: January 2024

The object of criminal punishment (what exactly an offender is punished for) is a central construct of criminal law theory, but it remains hard to identify in many contexts. This is especially relevant in the case of proxy crimes—offenses that criminalize behavior that does not seem wrongful per se but stands in for some other hard-to-prove wrongdoing. What is the object of punishment imposed on a person convicted of a proxy crime? Is it the criminalized conduct itself or the primary wrongdoing (which could not have been proven)? Our experimental study demonstrates that people tend to find a defendant guilty of a proxy crime most frequently when there is an indication of the primary wrongdoing as opposed to being charged with a primary offense in the context of the same evidence and being charged with a proxy in the absence of suspicion of the primary offense. However, we find evidence of discrepancies between laypeople and legal experts: the former seeing the object of punishment in a rather naively legalistic way, and the latter adhering to an instrumental vision. This challenges theories that postulate that the task of criminal law is to send messages that are understandable to both legal officials and citizens.
Effect of fatty acid-enriched black soldier fly larvae meal combined with chitinase on the metabolic processes of Nile tilapia
Authors: Agbohessou Pamphile S. , Mandiki Robert , Mes Wouter , Blanquer Aude , Gérardy Mazarine , Garigliany Mutien-Marie , Lambert Jérôme , Cambier Pierre , Tokpon Nicole , Lalèyè Philippe A. , Kestemont Patrick
Published: January 2024

The aim of this study is to determine to what extent the addition of chitinase to black soldier fly (BSF) larval meal enriched or not with long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA) could improve growth, protein digestion processes and gut microbial composition in Nile tilapia. Two different types of BSF meal were produced, in which larvae were reared on substrates formulated with vegetable culture substrate (VGS) or marine fish offal substrate (FOS). The BSF raised on VGS was enriched in α-linolenic acid (ALA), while that raised on FOS was enriched in ALA + EPA + DHA. Six BSF-based diets, enriched or not with chitinase, were formulated and compared with a control diet based on fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO). Two doses (D) of chitinase from Aspergillus niger (2 g and 5 g/kg feed) were added to the BSF larval diets (VGD0 and FOD0) to obtain four additional diets: VGD2, VGD5, FOD2 and FOD5. After 53 d of feeding, results showed that the BSF/FOS-based diets induced feed utilisation, protein efficiency and digestibility, as well as growth comparable to the FMFO control diet, but better than the BSF/VGS-based diets. The supplementation of chitinase to BSF/FOS increased in fish intestine the relative abundance of beneficial microbiota such as those of the Bacillaceae family. The results showed that LC-PUFA-enriched BSF meal associated with chitinase could be used as an effective alternative to fishmeal in order to improve protein digestion processes, beneficial microbiota and ultimately fish growth rate.
Discours public québécois sur l'affaire du mot en « n » : entre dénonciation d'une insulte raciale et défense des libertés universitaires
Authors: Taher Saaz
Published: January 2024

S'intéressant au débat public québécois concernant l'affaire du mot en « n », survenue en 2020 à l'Université d'Ottawa, cet article vise à déterminer comment les discours de déni du racisme produits par les membres des groupes dominants se maintiennent au sein de l'espace public, malgré les critiques anti-racistes produites par les membres des groupes dominés. En combinant la théorie critique de la race, la théorie de l'injustice et l'ignorance épistémiques et la théorie des actes de discours, cet article propose une analyse critique du discours médiatique québécois sur l'affaire du mot en « n ». Il retrace ainsi les positions dénonçant l'utilisation du mot en « n » comme une insulte raciale et une manifestation du racisme systémique et celles justifiant la nécessité de protéger la liberté universitaire et la liberté d'expression face à une culture de l'annulation menaçant de les censurer. L'analyse du cas québécois révèle que le déni public du racisme reproduit des injustices herméneutiques à l’égard des critiques anti-racistes, particulièrement celles formulées par les communautés noires, et cela à travers un nouveau mécanisme linguistique que je nomme les « déviations illocutoires ».
Cryogenian-Ediacaran crustal growth and evolution of the active margin of the Dahomeyide belt, Ghana
Authors: Kwayisi Daniel , Nyavor Emmanuel , Dzikunoo Elikplim Abla , Fynn Iris Ekua Mensimah , Kutu Jacob , Nude Prosper M
Published: January 2024

The study presents detailed petrographical, geophysical, structural and geochemical data of the internal nappes zone to establish the deformational history, origin and tectonic setting and constrain the crustal growth and evolution of the active margin of the Dahomeyide belt. Two main lithological units, (i) deformed meta-granitoids (migmatites and gneisses) and (ii) undeformed granitoids, dominate the internal nappes zone. The granitoids are generally I-type, metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, low-K tholeiite to high-K calc-alkaline and of tonalite, granodiorite and granite affinity. The overall trace element patterns of the studied granitoids characterized by the enriched LILE and depleted HFS, with negative peaks of Nb-Ta, Sr, P and Ti, are indications of arc-related magmatism. Structural analysis reveals four deformation phases (D1-D4). D1 represents Northwest-Southeast (NW-SE) Pan African shortening associated with a continent-continent collision, resulting in westward nappe stacking. Progressive NW-SE shortening resulted in D2 and D3 top-to-the-NW dextral and sinistral thrusting events during the Pan-African orogeny. D4 is an extensional event likely associated with the orogenic collapse phase. The gneisses and migmatites, with dominant axial planar foliations, point to their formation in a collisional setting or influence by the Pan-African collisional processes. Continental-arc signatures in these rocks imply continental subduction during their protolith formation. The intrusive granitoid and pegmatite are undeformed, meaning late- to post-orogenic emplacement. These findings suggest that the internal nappes zone archived the subduction-collision and post-collisional phase of the Pan-African orogeny and recorded large-scale migmatization and granitoid emplacement due to partial melting of thickened lower crust between Mid-Cryogenian and late Ediacaran.
Absolute concentration robustness and multistationarity in reaction networks: Conditions for coexistence
Authors: Kaihnsa Nidhi , Nguyen Tung , Shiu Anne
Published: January 2024

Many reaction networks arising in applications are multistationary, that is, they have the capacity for more than one steady state, while some networks exhibit absolute concentration robustness (ACR), which means that some species concentration is the same at all steady states. Both multistationarity and ACR are significant in biological settings, but only recently has attention focused on the possibility for these properties to coexist. Our main result states that such coexistence in at-most-bimolecular networks (which encompass most networks arising in biology) requires at least three species, five complexes and three reactions. We prove additional bounds on the number of reactions for general networks based on the number of linear conservation laws. Finally, we prove that, outside of a few exceptional cases, ACR is equivalent to non-multistationarity for bimolecular networks that are small (more precisely, one-dimensional or up to two species). Our proofs involve analyses of systems of sparse polynomials, and we also use classical results from chemical reaction network theory.
Transformed Publication Strategies
Authors: Musselin Christine
Published: January 2024

This article looks at publication strategies from two perspectives. First, the author describes her own publication strategy. She shows how it evolved over time and explains why she adopted a balanced strategy mixing books and papers, English and French, collective and individual authorship. She then builds on her experience as co-editor of two journals, one French and one international, analyses the consequences of the passage of the first to a big commercial publisher and compares the decision-making processes in the two cases. She finishes by pleading for decision-making procedures that allow more discussions and collegial work than the current systems of editors soliciting reviewers.
Berkeley's Master Argument
Authors: Wreen Michael
Published: January 2024

One of Berkeley's best-known arguments for the view that there are no material objects is the so-called Master Argument. There are several good critical discussions of it. That invites the question: is there anything new to say? Well, it will be argued, there are a few things to say. First, although refutations by logical analogy have been advanced against the Master Argument, the strongest such refutation, one which demonstrates its incoherence, has not been. It is here. Second, there are few formal reconstructions of the Master Argument – the great majority of discussions treat it discursively – but a formal reconstruction, and one not found elsewhere, is offered here. Third, the formal reconstruction makes possible identification of the essential mistake of the argument. That mistake is equivocation. The common complaint that Berkeley illicitly introduces the act of conceiving into the content of the concept conceived is not quite correct; but to the extent that it is correct, it's explicable in terms of an underlying equivocation. Fourth, the article presupposes no acquaintance with Berkeley's work and is written in a conversational, easy-to-read style. Given that Berkeley himself wrote in a similar style, he could at least agree that the fourth point is a merit of the article.
Does Moral Ignorance Excuse?
Authors: Levy Neil
Published: January 2024

There's heated debate around whether people who did terrible things in the past, at a time when there was widespread acceptance of such actions, are appropriately blamed by us, on the grounds they weren't really morally ignorant, or their ignorance was itself culpable. I point to puzzles that arise if we blame them. We need to explain how they could act so badly if they weren't fully ignorant. I argue that plausible answers to that question entail that they're not blameworthy, or that we lack standing to blame them.
Role of Atlantification in Enhanced Primary Productivity in the Barents Sea
Authors: Noh Kyung‐Min , Oh Ji‐Hoon , Lim Hyung‐Gyu , Song Hajoon , Kug Jong‐Seong
Published: January 2024

Recent changes in the Arctic sea‐ice are strongly influenced by the recent increase in heat transport from vigorous Atlantic inflows, so‐called Atlantification. This Atlantification can induce physical and ecological changes near the Atlantic gateway. Here, we used the observational data sets and 26 Earth system models to estimate Atlantic water intrusion, and firstly suggest the impact of Atlantification on marine productivity in the Barents Sea in a warming climate, especially on boreal spring. In a warming climate, the heat transport across the Barents Sea Opening (BSO) is projected to be enhanced (45.5 ± 34.9 TW) by the end of the 21st century compared to the present climate. This poleward intrusion of the Atlantic water is likely to increase productivity with the largest increase in spring (70%). In a warming climate, the productivity is enhanced by Atlantification‐induced changes in physical states—ocean temperature, circulations, stratification, and sea‐ice. Based on inter‐model analyses, we estimated that the Atlantification can explain approximately 26% of the productivity changes in the Barents Sea. Thus, Atlantification is critical for future changes in biological productivity and physical states over the Arctic Ocean.
Control of Seismicity Migration in Earthquake Swarms by Injected Fluid Volume and Aseismic Crack Propagation
Authors: Danré Philippe , Garagash Dmitry , De Barros Louis , Cappa Frédéric , Ampuero Jean‐Paul
Published: January 2024

The evolution of fluid injection‐induced seismicity, generally characterized through the number of events or their seismic moment, depends on, among other factors, the injected fluid volume. Migration of seismicity is observed during those sequences and might be caused by a range of mechanisms: fluid pressure diffusion, fluid‐induced aseismic slip propagating along a stimulated fault, interactions between earthquakes. Recent theoretical and observational developments underline the important effect on seismicity migration of structural parameters, like fault criticality, or injection parameters, like flow rate or pressurization rate. Here, we analyze two well‐studied injection‐induced seismic sequences at the Soultz‐sous‐Fôret and Basel geothermal sites, and find that the evolution of the seismicity front distance primarily depends on the injected fluid volume. Based on a fracture mechanics model, we develop new equations relating seismicity migration to injected fluid volume and frictional and structural properties of the fault. We find that the propagation of a fluid‐induced aseismic slip front along the stimulated fault, triggering seismicity, explains well the observations made on the two sequences. This model allows us to constrain parameters describing the seismicity front evolution and explains the diversity of migration patterns observed in injection‐induced and natural earthquake swarms.
Ballasting of Particulate Organic Matter at the Ninetyeast Ridge During the Mid‐Brunhes Dissolution Interval and Long‐Term Implications for Zonal Change in Tropical Indian Oceanography
Authors: Takata Hiroyuki , Khim Boo‐Keun , Hyeong Kiseong , Seo Inah , Huh Youngsook , Asahi Hirofumi , Lee Jongmin , Seto Koji
Published: January 2024

We investigated benthic foraminifera in cores GPC03 and GPC04 in the northeast tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) over the past ∼450 ka to evaluate the ballasting effect of particulate organic matter (POM) and the long‐term zonal change during the mid‐Brunhes dissolution interval (MBDI). Today, interannual climate and oceanographic variability in the TIO is governed by the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which manifests as asymmetric zonal oceanographic change. Previous studies have been conducted to uncover such zonal paleoceanographic change and have referred to their climatic pattern as an “IOD‐like mode.” In the northeast TIO, after ∼390 ka, contributions of lithogenic matter and %Nuttallides umbonifer were unusually high under the better carbonate preservation conditions during glacial periods. Our findings suggest that the effect of lithogenic matter from the Ganga‐Brahmaputra‐Meghna River system increased significantly under glacial low sea‐level conditions, possibly by lateral transport along the continental slope. As a result, ballasting of POM seemed more efficient during glacial periods by abundant riverine lithogenic particles. In addition, the long‐term (∼320–200 ka) trend of high benthic foraminiferal accumulation rate (BFAR) and several short‐term fluctuations of high BFAR at ∼310, ∼280, ∼260, and ∼240 ka were discernible. We attribute these changes to increased paleoproductivity driven by upwelling, which may be related to the Indian Ocean equatorial westerlies and Indian summer monsoon dynamics via variations arising from precession. We propose that a long‐term mean‐state transition of IOD‐like mode might have occurred during the MBDI, similar to other hypotheses invoking concomitant changes in the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation system.
Quantum plasmonics pushes chiral sensing limit to single molecules: a paradigm for chiral biodetections
Authors: Zhang Chi , Hu Huatian , Ma Chunmiao , Li Yawen , Wang Xujie , Li Dongyao , Movsesyan Artur , Wang Zhiming , Govorov Alexander , Gan Quan , Ding Tao
Published: January 2024

Chiral sensing of single molecules is vital for the understanding of chirality and their applications in biomedicine. However, current technologies face severe limitations in achieving single-molecule sensitivity. Here we overcome these limitations by designing a tunable chiral supramolecular plasmonic system made of helical oligoamide sequences (OS) and nanoparticle-on-mirror (NPoM) resonator, which works across the classical and quantum regimes. Our design enhances the chiral sensitivity in the quantum tunnelling regime despite of the reduced local E-field, which is due to the strong Coulomb interactions between the chiral OSs and the achiral NPoMs and the additional enhancement from tunnelling electrons. A minimum of four molecules per single-Au particle can be detected, which allows for the detection of an enantiomeric excess within a monolayer, manifesting great potential for the chiral sensing of single molecules.
Cyclical palmitoylation regulates TLR9 signalling and systemic autoimmunity in mice
Authors: Ni Hai , Wang Yinuo , Yao Kai , Wang Ling , Huang Jiancheng , Xiao Yongfang , Chen Hongyao , Liu Bo , Yang Cliff Y. , Zhao Jijun
Published: January 2024

Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) recognizes self-DNA and plays intricate roles in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the molecular mechanism regulating the endosomal TLR9 response is incompletely understood. Here, we report that palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1) regulates systemic autoimmunity by removing S-palmitoylation from TLR9 in lysosomes. PPT1 promotes the secretion of IFNα by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and TNF by macrophages. Genetic deficiency in or chemical inhibition of PPT1 reduces anti-nuclear antibody levels and attenuates nephritis in B6.Sle1yaa mice. In healthy volunteers and patients with SLE, the PPT1 inhibitor, HDSF, reduces IFNα production ex vivo. Mechanistically, biochemical and mass spectrometry analyses demonstrated that TLR9 is S-palmitoylated at C258 and C265. Moreover, the protein acyltransferase, DHHC3, palmitoylates TLR9 in the Golgi, and regulates TLR9 trafficking to endosomes. Subsequent depalmitoylation by PPT1 facilitates the release of TLR9 from UNC93B1. Our results reveal a posttranslational modification cycle that controls TLR9 response and autoimmunity.
Land management shapes drought responses of dominant soil microbial taxa across grasslands
Authors: Lavallee J. M. , Chomel M. , Alvarez Segura N. , de Castro F. , Goodall T. , Magilton M. , Rhymes J. M. , Delgado-Baquerizo M. , Griffiths R. I. , Baggs E. M. , Caruso T. , de Vries F. T. , Emmerson M. , Johnson D. , Bardgett R. D.
Published: January 2024

Soil microbial communities are dominated by a relatively small number of taxa that may play outsized roles in ecosystem functioning, yet little is known about their capacities to resist and recover from climate extremes such as drought, or how environmental context mediates those responses. Here, we imposed an in situ experimental drought across 30 diverse UK grassland sites with contrasting management intensities and found that: (1) the majority of dominant bacterial (85%) and fungal (89%) taxa exhibit resistant or opportunistic drought strategies, possibly contributing to their ubiquity and dominance across sites; and (2) intensive grassland management decreases the proportion of drought-sensitive and non-resilient dominant bacteria—likely via alleviation of nutrient limitation and pH-related stress under fertilisation and liming—but has the opposite impact on dominant fungi. Our results suggest a potential mechanism by which intensive management promotes bacteria over fungi under drought with implications for soil functioning.
Structural regulation of halide superionic conductors for all-solid-state lithium batteries
Authors: Li Xiaona , Kim Jung Tae , Luo Jing , Zhao Changtai , Xu Yang , Mei Tao , Li Ruying , Liang Jianwen , Sun Xueliang
Published: January 2024

Metal halide solid-state electrolytes have gained widespread attention due to their high ionic conductivities, wide electrochemical stability windows, and good compatibility with oxide cathode materials. The exploration of highly ionic conductive halide electrolytes is actively ongoing. Thus, understanding the relationship between composition and crystal structure can be a critical guide for designing better halide electrolytes, which still remains obscure for reliable prediction. Here we show that the cationic polarization factor, which describes the geometric and ionic conditions, is effective in predicting the stacking structure of halide electrolytes formation. By supplementing this principle with rational design and preparation of more than 10 lithium halide electrolytes with high conductivity over 10−3 S cm−1 at 25 °C, we establish that there should be a variety of promising halide electrolytes that have yet to be discovered and developed. This methodology may enable the systematic screening of various potential halide electrolytes and demonstrate an approach to the design of halide electrolytes with superionic conductivity beyond the structure and stability predictions.