bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The oldest fossil record in the Iberian Peninsula; lower Ediacaran acritarchs of the Tentudía Formation, Ossa-Morena Zone (OMZ), Southwest Iberian Massif.
Authors: Palacios Teodoro
Published: November 2024

A diverse assemblage of acritarchs, that represents the oldest fossil record of the Iberian Massif, is described from Ediacaran metasedimentary rocks of the Tentudía Formation included in the Ossa Morena Zone stratigraphy (Southwestern Iberia). The microfossils found include Assesserium pyramidalis, Cavaspina sp. A, Ceratosphaeridium sp. A, Dictyotidium sp. A, Multifronsphaeridium sp. A, Schizofusa zangwenlongii, Tanarium megaconicum Tanarium sp. A, and Tanarium ? sp. B, This assemblage is diagnostic of the mainly lower Ediacaran Doushantuo-Pertatataka acritarchs (c. 633—565 Ma.). The lithological diversity of the Tentudía Formation suggests that these Ediacaran sedimentary rocks were deposited in a diversity of environments (platform, slope and submarine fans, including mass transport deposits in a back-arc basin that extended into the southern part of the Central Iberian Zone. The mass transport deposits are represented in the Ossa-Morena Zone by the Salvaleón Olistostrome composed by turbidites including chert clast probably derived from the shelf. The migration of the mass transport deposits into the Central Iberian Zone (Orellana Formation) indicates the migration of the back-arc basin depocenter. Later inversion of the back-arc basin is marked by the deformation of the lower Ediacaran sedimentary rocks Serie Negra Group in the Ossa-Morena Zone and Domo Extremeño Group in the Central Iberian Zone. In the upper Ediacaran-Terreneuvian a carbonate platform (Ibor Group) was established in the southern part of the Central Iberian Zone unconformably overlying the previously deformed Domo Extremeño Group. The most proximal areas in the Ossa-Morena Zone are represented by the Malcocinado Formation which overlies the Serie Negra Group and the distal areas of the southern part of the Central Iberian Zone are represented by distal shelf and slope deposits of the Cijara Formation, which are overlain by mass transport deposits that include carbonate olistolites from the Ibor Group (such as the Fuentes and Membrillar olistostromes).
Integrating an Annotation Project in a Senior-Level Biomedical Engineering Course to Develop Primary Literature Analysis and Science Communication Skills
Authors: Tanyeri Melikhan
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This paper describes a senior-level biomedical engineering course designed to educate students on primary literature analysis and effective scientific communication. The course integrates elements from both disciplines through in-class discussions of primary research articles and an innovative annotation project utilizing the Science in the Classroom (SitC) program.

Methods

The course incorporates weekly discussions of seminal research articles led by the instructor in the field of biomedical microdevices, bi-weekly quizzes to assess comprehension, and a novel final project where student groups collaborate to annotate a high-impact scientific article through the SitC program. The annotations aim to make the article accessible to a broader audience while training the students in primary literature analysis and effective scientific communication.

Results

The course effectively enhances student understanding of primary literature, as evidenced by the significant improvement in quiz scores following in-class discussions. Additionally, student participation in the annotation project contributes valuable educational resources to the SitC program, promoting the dissemination of scientific knowledge to a wider audience.

Conclusions

The novel aspects of the course, specifically the annotation project, offer a unique learning experience by equipping students with the necessary skills to navigate and critically analyze primary research articles. The course also fosters effective scientific communication, transforming students into active contributors to the scientific community. Recommendations are included for instructors interested in adopting this novel approach to teaching primary literature analysis and scientific communication.
Improved machine learning models with a similarity-based approach for remaining useful life prediction
Authors: Isbilen F. , Bektas O. , Avsar R. , Konar M.
Published: November 2024

Cost efficiency is a critical factor in the competitive aviation sector. These efficiency factors force airline operators to develop new approaches in their organizations. Predictive maintenance helps to build scheduling maintenance programs for airline operators or MROs. Scheduled maintenance programs benefit cost efficiency in the aviation sector. Predictive maintenance methods predict the failure time of any equipment. Predictions can be made by analyzing the sensor values from equipment.

In this paper, we predicted the remaining useful life (RUL) of turbofan engines using machine learning models and a similarity-based approach. Sensor datasets from the Prognostics Data Repository of NASA, called CMAPPS, were utilized. Using the FD0002 sub-dataset, a health index (HI) was created, and models were trained. Once the models were trained, train and test HIs were estimated. The predicted test HI was matched with the predicted train HI based on a similarity-based approach, and then a RUL prediction was made. The results obtained were compared with the actual results to calculate the accuracy, and the algorithm that resulted in the maximum accuracy was identified.

We selected six machine learning algorithms and also created an ensemble model by averaging the predictions of six machine learning algorithms for comparing prediction accuracy. The different algorithms were compared to obtain the prediction model with the closest prediction of remaining useful lifecycle in terms of the number of life cycles. This experiment showed us the effect of the similarity-based approach on the basic version of machine learning models for RUL prediction.
Fossil Fuel Industry Divestment and the Energy Transition: Lessons and Red Flags from Shell and the Niger Delta
Authors: Gaughran Audrey , Wilde-Ramsing Joseph
Published: November 2024

While divestments and decisions to exit commercial fossil fuel ventures are not new, the imperatives of the energy transition are catalysing such moves at a global industry-wide level, as oil companies position themselves for the future. The international normative framework for business and human rights provides clear guidance on how responsible divestment from fossil fuels should occur; however, in the absence of intergovernmental coordination and regulation, individual business divestment decisions create severe human rights risks. The case of Shell’s divestment from onshore Niger Delta oil production illustrates business and human rights issues relevant to the energy transition.
Ethical considerations for respectful research participant payment processes
Authors: Duenas Devan M. , Weiss Elliott Mark , Wilfond Benjamin S. , Kraft Stephanie A.
Published: November 2024

Background:

Researchers and research organizations acknowledge the importance of paying research participants but often overlook the process of providing participant payments as a locus for improving equity and inclusion in clinical research. In this conceptual paper, we argue that participants’ lived experiences and social context should be recognized and respected when developing these processes.

Methods:

We consider how participant payment processes that require specific payment types, delay the timing of payment, or require sharing sensitive information may impose barriers to equitable research. Building on findings from empirical research of participants’ perspectives on respect in research and a relational ethics framework of person-oriented research ethics, we explore how researchers and research organizations can better demonstrate respect through the research participation payment process.

Results:

We propose five considerations for demonstrating respect when providing payment: (1) practice cultural humility, (2) be mindful of socioeconomic factors, (3) be flexible, (4) be transparent, and (5) maintain open communication. These considerations are intended to address the lack of existing ethical guidance around the process for participant payments and promote more inclusive clinical research. We provide a set of sample questions for research teams to consider how they could modify their payment processes to better demonstrate respect.

Conclusions:

By better demonstrating respect for participants when providing payment, researchers can work toward ensuring that their research procedures are more inclusive, respond to the needs of diverse communities, and result in more equitable relationships with participants.
The Role of Health Care and Health Security in War, Disaster & Crisis Preparedness
Authors: Khorram-Manesh Amir , Burkle Frederick M.
Published: November 2024

Health care and health security are the fundamental pillars of disaster preparedness and crisis management. An established routine health care is necessary for any society, enabling full access to care and fulfilling the rights of every individual. Health security, on the other hand, is what a society needs to be flexible in managing an unexpected situation. To overcome a disaster with minimal damage or to avert such a critical situation, health care and health security should exist simultaneously. Thus, resilience in disaster preparedness and crisis management requires investment in both health care and health security. This ensures local public health services and infrastructure, local ambulances, both acute and chronic care referral systems, prompt vaccinations, and prevention of communicable diseases to name but a few. These measures which have proven to be the most sensitive evaluation of fair governance are critically absent in several nations, particularly in areas with long-standing conflicts. Strengthening health care and health security measures are paramount to the maintenance of the health system in peace and recovery of health delivery post-conflict and require political and economic considerations.
“That was cool!” Participant Response to a Mass Casualty Incident Virtual Reality Simulator
Authors: Panchal Ashish R , Way David P , Price Alan , Berezina-Blackburn Vita , Patterson Jeremy , McGrath Jillian , Danforth Douglas , Kman Nicholas E
Published: November 2024

Objective

To minimize loss of life, mass casualty response requires swift identification, efficient triage categorization, and rapid hemorrhage control. Current training methods remain suboptimal. Our objective was to train first responders to triage a mass casualty incident using Virtual Reality (VR) simulation and obtain their impressions of the training’s quality and effectiveness.

Methods

We trained subjects in SALT Triage then had them respond to a terrorist bombing of a subway station using a fully immersive VR simulation. We gathered learner reactions to their VR experience and post-encounter debriefing with a custom electronic survey.

Results

Nearly 400 subjects experienced the VR encounter and completed evaluation surveys. Most participants (95%) recommended the experience for other first responders and rated the simulation (95%) and virtual patients (91%) as realistic. Ninety-four percent of participants rated the VR simulator as “excellent” or “good.” We observed no differences between those who owned a personal VR system and those who did not.

Conclusions

Our VR simulator (go.osu.edu/firstresponder) is an automated, customizable, fully immersive virtual reality system for training and assessing personnel in the proper response to a mass casualty incident. Participants perceived the encounter as effective for training, regardless of their prior experience with virtual reality.
Liquid plugs in narrow tubes: application to airway occlusion
Authors: Dietze Georg F.
Published: November 2024

We study liquid plugs in the pulmonary airways based on the two-phase axisymmetric weighted residual integral boundary-layer model of Dietze et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 894, 2020, A17), which was originally developed to study liquid films coating the inner surface of a cylindrical tube in interaction with a core gas flow. The augmented form of this model, which was never applied beyond a proof of concept, allows for the representation of liquid pseudo-plugs. Here, we demonstrate its predictive power vs experiments and direct numerical simulations, in terms of the dynamics of plug formation and the characteristics of developed liquid plugs, such as their shape, flow field, speed and length, as well as the associated wall stresses and their spatial derivatives. In particular, we show that the augmented model allows us to establish a direct continuation path from travelling-wave solutions (TWS) to travelling-plug solutions (TPS). We then apply the model to predict mucus plugs in the conducting zone of the tracheobronchial tree, based on the lung architecture model of Weibel. We proceed by numerical continuation of travelling-state solutions in terms of the airway generation, whereby we impose the wavelength of the linearly most-amplified convective instability (CI) mode or that of the absolute instability (AI) mode. We identify the critical airway generation for liquid-plug formation (TWS/TPS transition), maximum potential for wall-stress-induced epithelial cell damage and CI/AI transition, and investigate how these phenomena are affected by the main control parameters, i.e. airway orientation vs gravity, air flow rate, mucus properties and airway size.
Wing–antenna interaction reduces odour fatigue in butterfly odour-tracking flight
Authors: Lou Zhipeng , Lei Menglong , Dong Haibo , Li Chengyu
Published: November 2024

Flying insects exhibit remarkable capabilities in coordinating their olfactory sensory system and flapping wings during odour plume-tracking flights. While observations have indicated that their flapping wing motion can ‘sniff’ up the incoming plumes for better odour sampling range, how flapping motion impacts the odour concentration field around the antennae is unknown. Here, we reconstruct the body and wing kinematics of a forwards-flying butterfly based on high-speed images. Using an in-house computational fluid dynamics solver, we simulate the unsteady flow field and odourant transport process by solving the Navier–Stokes and odourant advection-diffusion equations. Our results show that, during flapping flight, the interaction between wing leading-edge vortices and antenna vortices strengthens the circulation of antenna vortices by over two-fold compared with cases without flapping motion, leading to a significant increase in odour intensity fluctuation along the antennae. Specifically, the interaction between the wings and antennae amplifies odour intensity fluctuations on the antennae by up to 8.4 fold. This enhancement is critical in preventing odour fatigue during odour-tracking flights. Further analysis reveals that this interaction is influenced by the inter-antennal angle. Adjusting this angle allows insects to balance between resistance to odour fatigue and the breadth of odour sampling. Narrower inter-antennal angles enhance fatigue resistance, while wider angles extend the sampling range but reduce resistance. Additionally, our findings suggest that while the flexibility of the wings and the thorax's pitching motion in butterflies do influence odour fluctuation, their impact is relatively secondary to that of the wing–antenna interaction.
Unifying suspension and granular shear-induced self-diffusion
Authors: Athani Shivakumar , Metzger Bloen , Mari Romain , Forterre Yoël , Rognon Pierre
Published: November 2024

Shear-induced self-diffusion is a fundamental mode of transport in granular flows. Yet its critical behaviour and dependence on the particle solid fraction are still unclear. Here, we rationalize these dependencies by performing two-dimensional pressure-imposed numerical simulations of dense non-Brownian frictional suspensions. Our results, combined with existing numerical data on inertial granular flows, show that the shear-induced diffusion coefficients of both systems can be captured by a single function of the distance to jamming. They further show that the grain diffusive behaviour is underpinned by a specific random walk process, having a constant elementary step length driven at a frequency that increases with the solid fraction. The proposed scaling laws pave the way for a better understanding of mixing processes in granular media.
Scales and self-sustained mechanism of reattachment unsteadiness in separated shock wave/boundary layer interaction
Authors: Zhou Wen-Feng , Hu Yan-Chao , Tang Ming-Zhi , Wang Gang , Yang Yan-Guang , Tang Zhi-Gong
Published: November 2024

The spatio-temporal scales, as well as a comprehensive self-sustained mechanism of the reattachment unsteadiness in shock wave/boundary layer interaction, are investigated in this study. Direct numerical simulations reveal that the reattachment unsteadiness of a Mach 7.7 laminar inflow causes over

$26\,\%$

variation in wall friction and up to

$20\,\%$

fluctuation in heat flux at the reattachment of the separation bubble. A statistical approach, based on the local reattachment upstream movement, is proposed to identify the spanwise and temporal scales of reattachment unsteadiness. It is found that two different types, i.e. self-induced and random processes, dominate different regions of reattachment. A self-sustained mechanism is proposed to comprehend the reattachment unsteadiness in the self-induced region. The intrinsic instability of the separation bubble transports vorticity downstream, resulting in an inhomogeneous reattachment line, which gives rise to baroclinic production of quasi-streamwise vortices. The pairing of these vortices initiates high-speed streaks and shifts the reattachment line upstream. Ultimately, viscosity dissipates the vortices, triggering instability and a new cycle of reattachment unsteadiness. The temporal scale and maximum vorticity are estimated with the self-sustained mechanism via order-of-magnitude analysis of the enstrophy. The advection speed of friction, derived from the assumption of coherent structures advecting with a Blasius-type boundary layer, aligns with the numerical findings.
Modelling of filtered drag force for clustered particle-laden flows based on interface-resolved simulation data
Authors: Xia Yan , Lin Zhaowu , Guo Yu , Yu Zhaosheng
Published: November 2024

Interface-resolved direct numerical simulations (DNS) of clustered settling suspensions in a periodic domain are performed to study the filtered drag force for clustered particle-laden flows. Our results show that, for the homogeneous system, the filtered drag is independent of the filter size, whereas for the clustered particle-laden flows, the averaged drag becomes smaller than the homogeneous drag at the filter size above 4 particle diameters. The drag reduction saturates at the filter size being comparable to the cluster size in the horizontal direction in our simulations. A new correlation is proposed to account for the mesoscale effect on the filtered drag force by using drift velocity and variance of the solid volume fraction, based on the modification of existing subgrid drag models for the inhomogeneous system. The existing models for the drift velocity and the variance of the solid volume fraction are assessed using our DNS data. A new model for the drift velocity and the variance of the solid volume fraction is proposed, based on the combination and modification of the previous models. All mesoscale models considered can predict well the filtered drag with comparable accuracy, and are superior to the homogeneous drag model for the clustered system. Our models with the same parameter values obtained from the large-scale system can also predict well the filtered drag for smaller computational domain sizes.
High-speed microactuation in a supersonic dual-stream jet flow
Authors: Yeung Melissa , Gaitonde Datta V. , Sun Yiyang
Published: November 2024

Supersonic shear layers experience instabilities that generate significant adverse effects; in complex configurations, these instabilities have global impacts as they foster compounding complications with other independent flow features. We consider the flow near the exit of a dual-stream rectangular nozzle. The supersonic core and sonic bypass streams mix downstream of a splitter plate trailing edge (SPTE) just above an adjacent deck. We perform two-dimensional direct numerical simulations with laminar inflow conditions to parametrically explore the influence of active flow control, considering various actuation angles and locations. The goal is to alleviate the prominent tone associated with vortices shed at the SPTE; these vortices initiate an unsteady shock system that affects the entire flow field through a shock-induced separation and the downstream evolution of plume shear layers. Resolvent analysis is performed on the baseline flow. The identified optimal response guides the placement of steady-blowing actuators. Since the resolvent analysis fundamentally investigates the input–output dynamics of a system, it is also utilized to uncover actuation-induced changes in the forcing–response dynamics. Spectral analysis shows that the baseline flow fluctuating energy is concentrated in the shedding instability. Actuating at optimal angles based on location disperses this energy into various flow features; this affects the shedding itself, and the structure and unsteadiness of the shock system, and thus the response of the deck and nozzle wall boundary layers and the plume. The resolvent analysis indicates, and Navier–Stokes solutions confirm, that favourable control is obtained by either indirectly or directly mitigating the baseline instability.
Executives Strike Back: Political Benefits of Sanctioning the U.S. Supreme Court
Authors: Montgomery Matthew D. , Rogol Natalie C. , Fleming Anna McCaghren
Published: November 2024

Recently there have been extraordinary instances of public and political elite complaints toward the Supreme Court. Through a survey experiment, we find that when respondents read that a copartisan executive is offended by recent Supreme Court decisions and threatening to ignore future decisions, respondents increase their support of executives’ not complying with and going public against the Court. Additionally, we find that partisans reward candidates by voting for them at higher rates if they ignore a Court decision that harmed the participant’s party. Our findings hold implications for continued institutional arrangements and our understanding of the functioning of our democracy.
Business concentration, ownership structure and business group performance: An S-shaped hypothesis
Authors: Wang Shan-Huei , Chang Jung-Hua
Published: November 2024

Drawing on resource-based and agency theories, this study examines the effects of business concentration and ownership structure on business group performance. On the basis of panel data (2004–2018) from the top 100 Taiwanese business groups investing globally, this study finds an S-shaped relationship between business concentration and business group performance with the interaction of advantages and costs at different levels. Performance increases when there is little business concentration, decreases when there is a moderate amount and increases again when there is a high level of business concentration. In addition, this study hypothesizes that ownership structure has a different moderating effect on this relationship. The family business group has a positive moderating effect; however, outsider direct and manager ownership have no significant moderating role. These findings have important theoretical and managerial implications for business groups.
Unmasking the interplay between gaslighting and job embeddedness: The critical roles of coworker support and work motivation
Authors: Farid Hasan , Zhang Yang , Tian Ming , Lu Shiyao
Published: November 2024

Until now the research has mainly examined visible abusive supervision, like aggression and violence, but it’s unclear how subtle forms, such as gaslighting, impact victims. Gaslighting, an emotionally and psychologically manipulative form of abuse, is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon in contemporary times. Based on the conservation of resources theory, we examined how supervisory gaslighting affects job embeddedness directly and indirectly through work motivation. We also explored how coworker support moderates the gaslighting-work motivation link. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the two-wave time-lagged data from 337 Chinese hotel employees. The results show the negative direct and indirect effects of gaslighting, and coworker support moderates the negative link between gaslighting and work motivation. Hotel organizations should exercise caution when hiring supervisors to prevent gaslighting, which can undermine employee motivation and job embeddedness. This study also recommends raising awareness among employees to speak out against supervisors’ gaslighting behavior.
BWC confidence-building measures: Increasing BWC assurance through transparency and information sharing
Authors: Shearer Matthew P. , Potter Christina M. , Vahey Rachel A. , Munves Nicholas , Kwik Gronvall Gigi
Published: November 2024

In the absence of a treaty protocol or verification regime, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) instituted confidence-building measures (CBMs) as a mechanism to increase confidence in compliance by enhancing transparency and mitigating ambiguities regarding states parties’ biological activities. While a promising tool to support treaty compliance, low participation, concerns regarding the completeness and accuracy of CBM submissions, a dearth of analysis, and restricted access to many submissions have limited CBMs’ value. Through interviews with 53 international experts—38 from BWC delegations and 15 independent experts—we identified concrete opportunities to increase CBMs’ value while mitigating the burden on states parties. This study supports states parties’ efforts in the BWC Working Group on the Strengthening of the Convention, as part of a series of research on BWC assurance that aims to characterize challenges around BWC verification and increase certainty in BWC compliance.
Publishing the Public Humanities
Authors: Cocks Catherine
Published: November 2024

This article argues that university presses are key partners in supporting and promoting the public humanities. The article offers numerous examples.
Democracy Ancient and Modern?
Authors: Atack Carol
Published: November 2024

The idea that democracy is in crisis is nothing new; ancient Greek commentators like Plato and Thucydides argued that political instability was baked into democracy as a regime type. Can examples drawn from classical Athens make a useful contribution to discussions of the failings of contemporary democracy? This article considers a range of interventions from the past decade in the United States and the United Kingdom, carried out at different scales and through different methods. It considers the strengths of working with material from the distant past – its non-partisan nature offering a safe space to discuss political conflict without engaging in it – and also the weaknesses, such as the limited franchise of ancient democracies like classical Athens, and the need to consider specific historical issues in their own context. It also considers the unfamiliarity of ancient history and the way in which knowledge of the classical past can itself be perceived as class-bound and exclusionary.
Exploring the reporting, intake and recommendations of primary food sources of whole grains globally: a scoping review
Authors: Price Elissa J. , Barrett Eden M. , Batterham Marijka J. , Beck Eleanor J.
Published: November 2024

Whole-grain intake is associated with reduced risk of non-communicable diseases. Greater understanding of major food sources of whole grains globally, and how intake has been quantified, is essential to informing accurate strategies aiming to increase consumption and reduce non-communicable disease risk. Therefore, the aim of this review was to identify the primary food sources of whole-grain intake globally and explore how they are quantified and reported within literature, and their recommendation within respective national dietary guidelines. A structured scoping review of published articles and grey literature used a predefined search strategy across electronic databases. Data were extracted and summarised based on identified outcomes (e.g. primary sources of whole-grain intake and quantification methods). Dietary intake values were noted where available. Thirteen records across twenty-four countries identified bread and bread rolls, and ready-to-eat cereals as primary sources of whole-grain intake in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the UK and Northern America. Elsewhere, sources vary and for large parts of the world (e.g. Africa and Asia), intake data are limited or non-existent. Quantification of whole grain also varied across countries, with some applying different whole-grain food definitions, resulting in a whole-grain intake based on only consumption of select ‘whole-grain’ foods. National dietary guidelines were consistent in promoting whole-grain intake and providing examples of country-specific whole-grain foods. Consistency in whole-grain calculation methods is needed to support accurate and comparative research informing current intake evidence and promotional efforts. National dietary guidelines are consistent in promoting whole-grain intake; however, there is variability in recommendations.
Improved gastrointestinal tolerance and iron status via probiotic use in iron deficiency anaemia patients initiating oral iron replacement: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Koker Gokhan , Sahinturk Yasin , Ozcelik Koker Gulhan , Coskuner Muhammed Ali , Eren Durmus Merve , Catli Mehmet Mutlu , Cekin Ayhan Hilmi
Published: November 2024

This study aimed to investigate gastrointestinal tolerability, treatment persistence and iron status markers in patients with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) who received oral iron replacement therapy (IRT) with v. without concomitant Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (L. plantarum 299v) probiotic supplementation. A total of 295 patents with newly diagnosed IDA were randomly assigned to receive either IRT alone (n 157, IRT-only group) or IRT plus L. plantarum 299v (n 138, IRT-Pro group) in this prospective randomised non-placebo-controlled study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06521879). Gastrointestinal intolerance symptoms (at baseline, within the first 30 d of IRT and at any time during 3-month IRT), serum Hb levels (at baseline and 3rd month of IRT) and iron status markers (at baseline and 3rd month of IRT) were recorded. IRT-Pro group, when compared with IRT-only group, experienced significantly lower rates of gastrointestinal intolerance over the course of IRT (13·0 % v. 46·5 %, P < 0·001) and treatment discontinuation within the first 30 d (3·6 % v. 15·9 %, P < 0·001). At 3rd month of therapy, IRT-Pro v. IRT-only group had significantly higher serum levels for iron (76·0 (51·0–96·0) v. 60·0(43·0–70·0) µg/dl, P < 0·001) and transferrin saturation (20·1 (12·5–28·5) v. 14·5 (10·5–19·0) %, P < 0·001) and higher change from baseline Hb (0·9 (0·3–1·3) v. 0·4 (–0·1–1·1) g/dl, P < 0·001) levels. Use of L. plantarum 299v probiotic supplementation during the first 30 d of IRT in IDA patients significantly reduces the gastrointestinal burden of IRT (particularly abdominal pain and bloating), the likelihood of intolerance development (by ∼3 times) and treatment discontinuation (by∼5 times), as accompanied by improved serum Hb levels and serum iron markers.
The rise of smart agriculture in China: current situation and suggestions for further development
Authors: Wu Wei , Feng Xiaorui , Lu Chenze
Published: November 2024

Smart agriculture is based on latest technologies in communication, big data analysis, high-performance sensors, and automatic machinery to improve the effectiveness of agriculture industry. China is looking forward to achieve modernization of its agriculture industry through smart agriculture. But its unique climate, landscape, diversity in crops, and large population make this task more challenging compared to other counties. Herein, we present the current achievements regarding policies made to guide and support the development of smart agriculture, the promotion of smart techniques and smart equipment, and the cultivation of specialists in smart agriculture. Then we discussed the existing challenges that hinder further development of smart agriculture industry and proposed several feasible solutions to solve or ease the problem, including the pertinent development of smart agriculture in provinces with different resources, enrich modes of online technical support and specialist cultivation, and set a series of standards to guide research and development of novel smart systems.
Inventors among the “Impoverished Sophisticate”
Authors: Berger Thor , Prawitz Erik
Published: November 2024

This paper examines the identity and origins of Swedish inventors prior to WWI, drawing on the universe of patent records linked to census data. We document that the rise of innovation during Sweden’s industrialization can largely be attributed to a small industrial elite belonging to the upper-tail of the economic, educational, and social status distribution. Analyzing children’s opportunities to become inventors, we show that inventors were disproportionately drawn from privileged family backgrounds. However, innovation was a path to upward mobility for the middle- and working-class children that managed to overcome the barriers to entry.
Comparative efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy and antidepressant medication for adult depression: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis
Authors: Cohen Zachary D. , Breunese Jasmijn , Markowitz John C. , Weitz Erica S. , Hollon Steven D. , Browne Dillon T. , Rucci Paola , Corda Carolina , Menchetti Marco , Weissman Myrna M. , Bagby R. Michael , Quilty Lena C. , Blom Marc B. J. , Altamura Mario , Zobel Ingo , Schramm Elisabeth , Gois Carlos , Twisk Jos W. R. , Wienicke Frederik J. , Cuijpers Pim , Driessen Ellen
Published: November 2024

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and antidepressant medications are both first-line interventions for adult depression, but their relative efficacy in the long term and on outcome measures other than depressive symptomatology is unknown. Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses can provide more precise effect estimates than conventional meta-analyses. This IPD meta-analysis compared the efficacy of IPT and antidepressants on various outcomes at post-treatment and follow-up (PROSPERO: CRD42020219891). A systematic literature search conducted May 1st, 2023 identified randomized trials comparing IPT and antidepressants in acute-phase treatment of adults with depression. Anonymized IPD were requested and analyzed using mixed-effects models. The prespecified primary outcome was post-treatment depression symptom severity. Secondary outcomes were all post-treatment and follow-up measures assessed in at least two studies. IPD were obtained from 9 of 15 studies identified (N = 1536/1948, 78.9%). No significant comparative treatment effects were found on post-treatment measures of depression (d = 0.088, p = 0.103, N = 1530) and social functioning (d = 0.026, p = 0.624, N = 1213). In smaller samples, antidepressants performed slightly better than IPT on post-treatment measures of general psychopathology (d = 0.276, p = 0.023, N = 307) and dysfunctional attitudes (d = 0.249, p = 0.029, N = 231), but not on any other secondary outcomes, nor at follow-up. This IPD meta-analysis is the first to examine the acute and longer-term efficacy of IPT v. antidepressants on a broad range of outcomes. Depression treatment trials should routinely include multiple outcome measures and follow-up assessments.
Self-injury and suicidal behaviors in high-risk adolescents: Distal predictors, proximal correlates, and interactive effects of impulsivity and emotion dysregulation
Authors: Thompson Amanda , Ruch Donna , Bridge Jeffrey A. , Fontanella Cynthia , Beauchaine Theodore P.
Published: November 2024

Suicide rates are rising among U.S. youth, yet our understanding of developmental mechanisms associated with increased suicide risk is limited. One high-risk pathway involves an interaction between heritable trait impulsivity and emotion dysregulation (ED). Together, these confer increased vulnerability to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicide ideation (SI), and suicide attempts (SAs). Previous work, however, has been limited to homogeneous samples. We extend the Impulsivity × ED hypothesis to a more diverse sample of adolescents (N = 344, ages 12–15 at Baseline, 107 males and 237 females) who were treated for major depression and assessed four times over two years. In multilevel models, the impulsivity × ED interaction was associated with higher levels and worse trajectories of NSSI, SI, and SAs. As expected, stressful life events were also associated with poorer trajectories for all outcomes, and NSSI was associated with future and concurrent SI and SAs. These findings extend one developmental pathway of risk for self-harming and suicidal behaviors to more diverse adolescents, with potential implications for prevention.
The effect of small-scale agro-environmental initiatives on avian diversity in agricultural landscapes
Authors: Clausen Kevin Kuhlmann , Heldbjerg Henning , Fløjgaard Camilla
Published: November 2024

As a result of increasingly intensified agricultural practices in Europe over the last century, agroecosystems have experienced severe biodiversity declines. Among the species experiencing negative population trajectories in agricultural habitats are meadow and farmland birds, which have suffered a loss in both habitat and food availability in cultivated fields. In Denmark, biotope plans (a requirement to establish small agro-environmental habitats on properties with stocking of game birds) have been implemented as a measure to mitigate biodiversity declines in the agricultural landscape and, in this paper, we investigate to what extent these initiatives fulfil the intended purpose with respect to birds in the breeding season. We demonstrate that some initiatives like hedgerows, areas of open vegetation, scrub, and lakes seemed to increase avian diversity locally, but also that other measures such as vegetation strips, grass strips, and bare soil strips had little effect given the current implementation of these initiatives. Benefitting species were mostly scrub- and woodland species that now inhabited previously open landscapes after the establishment of suitable habitats, and the initiatives failed to show clear positive effects on meadow birds and farmland birds for which they were originally intended. The most commonly registered species in our data set was (released) Pheasant Phasianus colchicus, which emphasised that the stocking of game birds can have a clear effect on avian species composition in areas where this practice is exercised. Future studies are needed to clarify how this stocking may affect local biodiversity of different taxonomic groups.
The Maya Ajawtaak and Teotihuacan Hegemony c. 150–600 ce
Authors: Barnes Trenton D.
Published: November 2024

This study considers the role played by Teotihuacan in the emergence of the office of the Classic Maya ajawtaak, or ‘lords’. I argue that the synthesis of this office at the site of Tikal was influenced by the building of Teotihuacan's Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent between about 180 and 230 ce. Prior to and in concert with this building's construction, Teotihuacanos orchestrated the sacrifice of an estimated 200 or more individuals, some number of whom resided beyond the Basin of Mexico before burial. Osteological traits consistent with origins in the Maya region are present among these sacrifices. The Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent features mirror and obsidian icons, which later grew to prominence in the self-presentations of the ajawtaak. I note that around the time of this monument's construction, Tikal's obsidian corpus changed in ways that paralleled similar, earlier changes that had occurred to obsidian procurement strategies at Teotihuacan. I conclude that from about 200 ce, some Classic ajawtaak observed the religion that cohered with the building of Teotihuacan's Temple of the Feathered Serpent. The ajawtaak occupied a unique positionality in Early Classic Mesoamerica that was neither essentially Teotihuacan nor essentially Maya, but a dynamic syncretism of the two ethnicities.
U.S. Residents’ Current Attitudes toward Immigrants and Immigration
Authors: Pryce Daniel K.
Published: November 2024

Immigration is a fiery topic in U.S. society, as it generally brings to a boil native-born citizens’ disparate attitudes toward immigrants and immigration. While immigration has its fierce supporters and opponents alike, the topic provides fodder for politicians who use it to stoke the fear of an impending “immigrant invasion” among citizens. This is why scholars must regularly undertake empirical studies to assess community members’ views about immigrants and immigration in U.S. society. To add to the contemporary immigration debate, I analyze data from a random sample of 610 respondents who reside in the seven cities that make up the Hampton Roads region of Southeast Virginia (this region has approximately 1.5 million people). The results show that younger people, the more highly educated, and males were of the opinion that immigration is generally good for the Hampton Roads economy. Moreover, participants who did not believe that immigration increased crimes rates or that recent immigrants will take jobs away from Hampton Roads residents agreed that immigration is generally good for the Hampton Roads economy. Finally, respondents who were pleased with the quality of life in both their neighborhood and city believed that immigration has a positive impact on Hampton Roads’ economy. The implications of my findings for scholars, elected officials, community members, public policy, and future research are discussed.
Toward Modeling Continental‐Scale Inland Water Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Authors: Saccardi Brian , Brinkerhoff Craig B. , Gleason Colin J. , Winnick Matthew J.
Published: November 2024

Inland waters emit significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere; however, the global magnitude and source distribution of inland water CO2 emissions remain uncertain. These fluxes have previously been “statistically upscaled” by independently estimating dissolved CO2 concentrations and gas exchange velocities to calculate fluxes. This scaling, while robust and defensible, has known limitations in representing carbon source limitations and spatial variability. Here, we develop and calibrate a CO2 transport model for the continental United States, simulating carbon transport and transformation in >22 million hydraulically connected rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. We estimate 25% lower CO2 fluxes compared to upscaling estimates forced by the same observational calibration data. While precise CO2 source distribution estimates are limited by the resolution of model parameterizations, our model suggests that stream corridor CO2 production dominates over groundwater inputs at the continental scale. Our results further suggest that the lack of observational networks for groundwater CO2 and scalable metabolic models of aquatic CO2 production remain the most salient barriers to further coupling of our model with other Earth system components.
210Po and 210Pb Distributions Along the GEOTRACES Pacific Meridional Transect (GP15): Tracers of Scavenging and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) Export
Authors: Cochran J. Kirk , Wei Ziran , Horowitz Evan , Fitzgerald Patrick , Heilbrun Christina , Stephens Mark , Lam Phoebe J. , Le Roy Emilie , Charette Matthew
Published: November 2024

Distributions of the natural radionuclide 210Po and its grandparent 210Pb along the GP15 Pacific Meridional Transect provide information on scavenging rates of reactive chemical species throughout the water column and fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) from the primary production zone (PPZ). 210Pb is in excess of its grandparent 226Ra in the upper 400–700 m due to the atmospheric flux of 210Pb. Mid‐water 210Pb/226Ra activity ratios are close to radioactive equilibrium (1.0) north of ∼20°N, indicating slow scavenging, but deficiencies at stations near and south of the equator suggest more rapid scavenging associated with a “particle veil” located at the equator and hydrothermal processes at the East Pacific Rise. Scavenging of 210Pb and 210Po is evident in the bottom 500–1,000 m at most stations due to enhanced removal in the nepheloid layer. Deficits in the PPZ of 210Po (relative to 210Pb) and 210Pb (relative to 226Ra decay and the 210Pb atmospheric flux), together with POC concentrations and particulate 210Po and 210Pb activities, are used to calculate export fluxes of POC from the PPZ. 210Po‐derived POC fluxes on large (>51 μm) particles range from 15.5 ± 1.3 mmol C/m2/d to 1.5 ± 0.2 mmol C/m2/d and are highest in the Subarctic North Pacific; 210Pb‐derived fluxes range from 6.7 ± 1.8 mmol C/m2/d to 0.2 ± 0.1 mmol C/m2/d. Both 210Po‐ and 210Pb‐derived POC fluxes are greater than those calculated using the 234Th proxy, possibly due to different integration times of the radionuclides, considering their different radioactive mean‐lives and scavenging mean residence times.
First-in-human, phase 1 dose-escalation and dose-expansion study of a RET inhibitor SY-5007 in patients with advanced RET-altered solid tumors
Authors: Li Wei , Wang Yongsheng , Xiong Anwen , Gao Ge , Song Zhengbo , Zhang Yiping , Huang Dingzhi , Ye Feng , Wang Qiming , Li Zhihui , Liu Jiaye , Xu Chunwei , Sun Yinghui , Liu Xijie , Zhou Fei , Zhou Caicun
Published: November 2024

Oncogenic RET alteration is an important, tissue-agnostic therapeutic target across diverse cancers. We conducted a first-in-human phase 1 study on SY-5007, a potent and selective RET inhibitor, in patients with RET-altered solid tumors. Primary endpoints were safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Secondary endpoints included pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor activity. A total of 122 patients were enrolled (17 in dose-escalation phase and 105 in dose-expansion phase), including 91 with non-small cell lung cancer, 23 with medullary thyroid cancer, 7 with papillary thyroid cancer and 1 with gastric cancer. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 96.7% of patients, with the most common grade ≥ 3 TRAEs being hypertension (22.1%), diarrhea (16.4%), hypertriglyceridemia (6.6%), and neutropenia (6.6%). The exposure to SY-5007 was dose proportional. Among the 116 efficacy-evaluable patients, the overall objective response rate (ORR) was 57.8%, with 70.0% in treatment-naïve patients and 51.3% in previously treated patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 21.1 months. Efficacy was observed regardless of tumor types and previous therapies. Biomarker analysis of 61 patients with circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-detectable RET alterations showed an ORR of 57.4% and median PFS of 13.8 months. Rapid ctDNA clearance of RET alteration correlated with faster responses and improved outcomes. In relapsed patients, off-target induced resistance was observed in 57.1% (12/21), with no on-target RET alterations identified. In conclusion, SY-5007 was well-tolerated and showed promising efficacy in patients with RET-altered solid tumors. Serial ctDNA monitoring may unveil treatment response and potential resistance mechanisms (NCT05278364).