bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening of differentially expressed genes from transcriptomes in blooming female flower clusters of Vitis flexuosa
Authors: Ahn Soon Young , Myint Zar Le , Kim Seon Ae , Kim Seung Heui , Yun Hae Keun
Published: November 2024

To characterize genes expressed specifically at blooming stages in V. flexuosa, mRNA samples from flower clusters harvested at pre-bloom and full bloom stage were sequenced on a single lane of an Illumina HiSeq 2000. From total 65,765,120 and 36,613,180 paired-end reads of 101 bp in length, we obtained a total of 58,859,224 and 50,931,158 paired-end reads for samples of V. flexuosa at pre-blooming and full blooming stages, respectively. We obtained the assembly results with a total number of 174,844 contigs (≥ 200 bp in length) with a N50 length of 2,217 bp, an average contig length of 1,806 bp and a maximum contig length of 12,228 bp from both flowering staged samples of V. flexuosa. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were divided into 45, 10, and 13 main functional categories of biological process, cellular component, and molecular function, respectively, with different degrees at level 3. In the GO terms of biological process, single-organism biosynthetic process (22.8%) was the largest category followed by small molecule metabolic process (17.9%) and oxidation-reduction process (16.8%). The largest proportions of molecular function were annotated as cation binding (25%) and substrate-specific transmembrane transporter (9.2%). Real-time PCR results validated that top 20 up- and down-expressed genes selected in transcriptome analysis showed the differential expression profile at full bloom flower stages. RNA-seq data created in this study will be served as resources for gene discovery and detailed genomic information for grapevine breeding programs.
A detailed comparison of ethanol–diesel direct fuel blending to conventional ethanol–diesel dual-fuel combustion
Authors: Müller Florian , Günthner Michael
Published: November 2024

Dual-fuel combustion is a well-known measure to enable the combustion of low-reactivity fuels (LRF) in compression-ignited engines with high thermal efficiency through a pilot injection of a high-reactivity fuel (HRF). In most cases, the LRF is introduced into the intake manifold and therefore premixed with the air before entering the combustion chamber during the intake stroke (premixed charge operation, PCO). In this work, this approach is investigated for bioethanol-diesel dual-fuel combustion using external and internal exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to improve emissions and engine efficiency. In addition, PCO is compared to an alternative concept in which bioethanol and diesel are blended shortly upstream of the high-pressure pump (premixed fuel operation, PFO) at variable mixing ratios. The results show that higher ethanol shares of up to 70% can be achieved at low engine load when using PCO, while at medium and high load, the maximum energy share of ethanol is higher with PFO. While PCO is limited by engine knock, PFO rather suffers from the reduction in cetane number. In PCO, external and internal EGR allow for a reduction of unburned hydrocarbons (up to − 82%) and carbon monoxide (up to -60%), while nitrous oxide emissions are simultaneously lowered by up to − 65%. Both with and without EGR, PFO shows low emissions of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide (similar to conventional diesel combustion) and a significant reduction in nitrous oxide and soot formation. Brake thermal efficiency (BTE) drops in both modes compared to conventional diesel combustion, in PCO operation due to unburned and partially unburned fuel and in PFO due to increased friction in the high-pressure fuel pump caused by an increased fuel flow.
Analysis of Clinical Utility of Functional MRI in Neurosurgical Decision-Making in Focal Epilepsy
Authors: O’Grady Christopher , Omisade Antonina
Published: November 2024

Background:

Functional MRI (fMRI) has proven valuable in presurgical planning for people with brain tumors. However, it is underutilized for patients with epilepsy, likely due to less data on its added clinical value in this population. We reviewed clinical fMRI referrals at the QEII Health Sciences Center (Halifax, Nova Scotia) to determine the impact of fMRI on surgical planning for patients with epilepsy. We focused on reasons for fMRI referrals, findings and clinical decisions based on fMRI findings, as well as postoperative cognitive outcomes.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent fMRI between June 2015 and March 2021.

Results:

Language lateralization represented the primary indication for fMRI (100%), with 7.7% of patients also referred for motor and sensory mapping. Language dominance on the side of resection was observed in 12.8% of patients; in 20.5%, activation was adjacent to the proposed resection site. In 18% of patients, fMRI provided an indication for further invasive testing due to the risk of significant cognitive morbidity (e.g., anterograde amnesia). Further invasive testing was avoided based on fMRI findings in 69.2% of patients. Cognitive outcomes based on combined neuropsychological findings and fMRI-determined language dominance were variable.

Conclusion:

fMRI in epilepsy was most often required to identify hemispheric language dominance. Although fMRI-determined language dominance was not directly predictive of cognitive outcomes, it helped identify patients at low risk of catastrophic cognitive morbidity and those at high risk who required additional invasive testing.
Extending the translational science benefits model to implementation science for cancer prevention and control
Authors: Emmons Karen M. , Brownson Ross C. , Luke Douglas A.
Published: November 2024

Introduction:

There is increasing pressure on the federal research budget and shifting public opinions about the value of the academic enterprise. We must develop and apply metrics that demonstrate the broad benefits of research for health and society. The Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM) measures the impact of large-scale translational science initiatives, such as the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Moonshot. TSBM provides the scaffolding to illustrate how science has real-world health impacts. We propose an expansion of the TSBM to explicitly include implementation-focused outcomes.

Methods:

TSBM includes four categories of benefits, including (1) clinical and medical, (2) community and public health, (3) economic, and (4) policy and legislative. Implementation science outcomes serve as a precursor to the model’s established domains of impact and can help to sharpen focus on the translational steps needed to achieve a broad range of impacts. We provide several examples of studies that illustrate these implementation outcomes and other clinical and community benefits.

Conclusions:

It is important to consider a broad range of scientific impacts and the conditions that are necessary to achieve them. The expansion of the TSBM to include implementation science outcomes may help to accelerate the cancer community’s ability to achieve the goal of preventing 4 million cancer deaths by 2047.
On the existence of ‘Maia variables’
Authors: Kahraman Aliçavuş Filiz , Handler Gerald , Chowdhury Sowgata , Niemczura Ewa , Jayaraman Rahul , De Cat Peter , Ozuyar Dogus , Aliçavuş Fahri
Published: November 2024

There are different classes of pulsating stars in the H-R diagram. While many of those classes are undisputed, some remain a mystery such as the objects historically called ‘Maia variables’. Whereas the presence of such a class was suggested seven decades ago, no pulsational driving mechanism is known that could excite short-period oscillations in these late B to early A-type stars. Alternative hypotheses that would render the reports of variability of those stars erroneous have been proposed such as incorrect effective temperatures, binarity or rapid rotation, but no certain conclusions have been reached yet. Therefore, the existence of these variables as a homogeneous class of pulsating star is still under discussion. Meanwhile, many new candidates of these variables have been claimed especially by using photometric observations of space telescopes. In this study, we examined 31 objects that are alleged members of this hypothetical group and carried out detailed spectroscopic and photometric analyses to test the proposed hypotheses for their cause of variability. The

$T_\textrm{eff}$

,

$\log g$

,

$v \sin i$

, and chemical abundances of the targets were determined and the TESS photometric data were examined. As a result, we found that most of these targets are located inside the

$\delta$

Scuti,

$\beta$

Cephei, or SPB star instability strips, a few show evidence for binarity and others for rapid rotation. We give arguments that none of the apparently rapid pulsations in our targets is caused by a star outside any known instability strip. By extrapolation, we argue that most stars proposed as pulsators outside well-established instability domains are misclassified. Hence there is no sufficient evidence justifying the existence of a class of pulsating stars formerly known as the ‘Maia variables’.
Effects of mulching on plant growth, viral diseases, earliness and fruit yield attributes of round gourd under variable sowing dates in North Indian plains
Authors: Singh Manpreet , Garg Naveen
Published: November 2024

Round gourd is sensitive to low temperature (March), high temperature (May–June), high humidity (July–August), and whitefly-transmitted begomovirus diseases (July–September), thereby restricting its fruit availability period in North-Western Indian Plains. Mulches extend the growing season by modifying soil temperature and reducing the incidence of viral diseases. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effects of sowing time, mulching and their interaction on performance of round gourd crop so as to identify the best mulch at different sowing times. The field trials were conducted in a split-plot design during 2021 and 2022. The main plot consisted of six sowing dates, i.e., the first week of March (DS1), April (DS2), May (DS3), June (DS4), July (DS5) and August (DS6). The sub-plot comprised bare soil (BS) and three mulching treatments, viz., silver-black plastic mulch (SBPM), black plastic mulch (BPM) and paddy straw mulch (6 t/ha) (PSM). The BPM and SBPM increased the seasonal soil temperature over BS by 3.1–4.1°C and 2.1–3.1°C, respectively, whereas the PSM reduced the seasonal soil temperature by 2.3–3.5°C. The SBPM produced the best crop performance, followed by BPM and PSM in all sowing dates except DS5 in which the PSM outperformed BPM. The DS1 and DS2 were the best sowing times, and the crop performance gradually declined with each successive sowing time, except that the crop performed better in DS6 compared with DS5. The SBPM or BPM in DS2 and DS1 were the best treatment combinations for round gourd cultivation in the study area.
The Brazilian case as a beacon to increase crop production in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Gasparotto Leticia G. , Gonçalves Ivo Z. , Marin Fábio R.
Published: November 2024

Maize is one of the major agricultural commodities in the world, and a source of food in Africa, representing more than 40 million ha currently harvested on the continent. Despite sub-Saharan Africa's dependence on grain, the maize actual yield (Ya) of the crop is low when compared to its potential yield. In Brazil, the yield-gap between Ya and water-limited yield (Yw) is approximately 50% of Yw. The objective of this study was to carry out a case study, using upland maize as a reference to identify a set of agricultural areas with similar soil and climate in Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The climatic similarity between Brazil and SSA countries was verified, seeking homogeneous climatic zones that occur in both regions. The Ya was determined including the data of at least the last three years of cultivation and were taken from the database of the national institutes of agricultural statistics. The climatic data showed that the SSA had well-distributed rainfall throughout the crop season, being higher than in Brazil, as well as the average air temperature. The average Yw was 11.3 and 7.4 Mg/ha for Brazil and SSA, respectively. Maize Ya in SSA was 1.4 Mg/ha, while in Brazil Ya was 5.2 Mg/ha. Ya represented approximately 9% of Yw in the SSA. The low Ya shows the large yield-gap found in SSA. With this, it is evident that the technologies used and the crop management are largely responsible for the yield differences between Brazil and SSA.
The body and the image of God in Bavinck and the Reformed orthodox
Authors: Whitney Isaac
Published: November 2024

This article examines Herman Bavinck's inclusion of the body in the image of God in comparison with the positions of Reformed orthodox theologians of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It demonstrates that while it is uncommon for earlier figures to consider the body to be properly included within the image, Bavinck's position is not unprecedented and applies lines of reasoning consistent with the tradition's anthropological convictions. First, an embodied imago Dei is advanced by sources such as the Leiden Synopsis and Petrus van Mastricht. Second, the Reformed orthodox in general adhere to the conviction that human beings are a body–soul unity, and that the image of God includes the uprightness of the whole person, positions that lead to the body being related in some way to God's image. Therefore, while Bavinck's account of an embodied image is a unique contribution, it is nonetheless in continuity with the tradition he receives.
Music gonna teach: Decolonising IR through a musical exploration of knowledge
Authors: Fuentes-George Kemi
Published: November 2024

There is a growing body of literature calling for the decolonisation of International Relations (IR) theory. This literature, which includes perspectives from the Global South, Indigenous, and feminist approaches, has explained how the colonial thought and White supremacy of early IR scholars like Wilson, Reinsch, and Schmitt shaped the contemporary field and is still reflected in mainstream understandings of core concepts like peace, sovereignty, and security. The need to decolonise IR is well established, but the way to do so is not always clear. This paper explores how engaging with the global politics of Afro-Caribbean Rebel Music serves the decolonisation effort. We can understand Rebel Music as a form of knowledge that emerged in dialogue with, and continues to reproduce ideas embedded in, global and anti-colonial Black approaches to IR theory. Textually and sonically, Rebel Music critiques the nation-state as the primary agent of peace, security, and identity, imagines a transnational Black identity, and is one of the primary forms in which we can hear the voice of the marginalised communicate their understanding of world politics. Engaging with Rebel Music is thus one avenue to decolonising contemporary IR.
Is health technology assessment ready for generative pretrained transformer large language models? Report of a fishbowl inquiry
Authors: Goodman Clifford , Treloar Ellie
Published: November 2024

Objectives

The Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) 2023 Annual Meeting included a novel “fishbowl” session intended to 1) probe the role of HTA in the emergence of generative pretrained transformer (GPT) large language models (LLMs) into health care and 2) demonstrate the semistructured, interactive fishbowl process applied to an emerging “hot topic” by diverse international participants.

Methods

The fishbowl process is a format for conducting medium-to-large group discussions. Participants are separated into an inner group and an outer group on the periphery. The inner group responds to a set of questions, whereas the outer group listens actively. During the session, participants voluntarily enter and leave the inner group. The questions for this fishbowl were: What are current and potential future applications of GPT LLMs in health care? How can HTA assess intended and unintended impacts of GPT LLM applications in health care? How might GPT be used to improve HTA methodology?

Results

Participants offered approximately sixty responses across the three questions. Among the prominent themes were: improving operational efficiency, terminology and language, training and education, evidence synthesis, detecting and minimizing biases, stakeholder engagement, and recognizing and accounting for ethical, legal, and social implications.

Conclusions

The interactive fishbowl format enabled the sharing of real-time input on how GPT LLMs and related disruptive technologies will influence what technologies will be assessed, how they will be assessed, and how they might be used to improve HTA. It offers novel perspectives from the HTA community and aligns with certain aspects of ongoing HTA and evidence framework development.
The role of health economics within health technology assessment: past, present, and future – an Austrian perspective
Authors: Zechmeister-Koss Ingrid , Götz Gregor , Fabian Daniel , Wild Claudia
Published: November 2024

In many countries, the economics domain forms a routine part of health technology assessments (HTA) next to analyzing the comparative effectiveness and safety of a technology. The method applied most often is economic evaluation, such as cost-effectiveness analysis, which is supposed to support the efficient use of resources. In Austria, economic evaluation has played a negligible role in HTA and reimbursement decisions, even though the country faces the same public healthcare sustainability challenges as others. In this commentary, we argue that while health economics will need to play a more active role in HTA-related decision support to deal with those challenges, current approaches in other countries may have to be broadened to fit the Austrian context. We are outlining four arguments to underpin this perspective: First, economic evaluations (in their current form) are of limited benefit for supporting reimbursement decisions of new high-priced technologies. Second, a broader variety of health economic methods is needed to address the scope of technologies. Third, applying health economic methods requires a reflection on their underlying values. Finally, health economics within HTA needs to go beyond microeconomic analysis of interventions. We are suggesting several alternative methods and approaches, encouraging out-of-the-box thinking and experimenting with methods developed in the academic context but rarely applied in routine HTA. Although some of our topics are unique to Austria, others may equally apply to other healthcare systems. With our thoughts, we aim to stimulate discussions for further developing health economics within HTA in Austria and internationally.
Content validation of the COST for patient questionnaire (COPAQ) for patients with low back pain: a qualitative study
Authors: Bakaa Layla , Al-Mosawi Fatima , Bakaa Nora , de Oliveira Lisandra Almeida , Laberge Maude , Macedo Luciana G.
Published: November 2024

Introduction

The costs of low back pain (LBP) are complex and difficult to estimate. This study aims to adapt the Cost for Patients Questionnaire (CoPaQ) for use in LBP populations.

Materials and methods

In a cross-sectional qualitative study, we conducted cognitive interviews to assess the CoPaQ’s suitability for addressing costs related to LBP. Three groups of participants were included (n = 5 each): (i) persons with a history of LBP or primary caregiver, (ii) researchers with expertise in LBP, and (iii) primary care providers specialized in treating LBP. The interpretation, analysis, and summary of results used Knafl et al.’s qualitative content analysis method.

Results

Persons with a history of LBP (n = 5), had a median age of 60 years (Interquartile Range (IQR): 26–71.5), and varying durations of LBP, the median duration of LBP 7 years (IQR: 4–32.5). Researchers (n = 5) had a median age of 33 years (IQR: 29–45). Primary care providers (n = 5) had a median age of 40 years (IQR: 37.5–65), and a background in chiropractic care (n = 3) and physiotherapy (n = 2). Content analysis of the interviews revealed sources of error with five pre-determined themes (clarity/comprehension, relevance, inadequate response definition, reference point, perspective modifiers) and one developed theme (organization). We modified the questionnaire for LBP populations based on the feedback.

Conclusion

Our study evaluated the content validity of a questionnaire that assesses the direct and indirect costs associated with LBP. Future studies should pilot this questionnaire with persons of varying LBP severity and compare it with cost diaries.
Effects of dietary proteins on cognitive performance and brain vascular function in adults: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Adams Micah S. , Mensink Ronald P. , Joris Peter J.
Published: November 2024

The incidence of cognitive decline is rising, leading to increased attention on the preventive role of healthy foods on brain function. Previous reviews including primarily observational studies suggested that dietary proteins may improve cognitive performance, but evidence from individual randomised controlled trials (RCT) is less consistent. Therefore, this systematic review examined the long-term effects of dietary proteins from RCT, considering both their amount and type, on cognitive performance (psychomotor speed and attention, executive function, memory and global cognition). Alterations in cerebral blood flow (CBF) – a validated brain vascular function marker – were also considered. A total of 4747 studies were identified through a systematic search, resulting in twenty-three included papers reporting effects on cognitive performance (n = 23) and CBF (n = 3). Improvements were observed in three out of the nine studies that evaluated psychomotor speed which compared a dietary protein intervention with a non-protein or lower-protein control. Of the six beneficial observations on working memory (n = 12), declarative memory (n = 10) and visuospatial memory (n = 10), five were nut interventions from three different trials. Limited studies focusing on global cognition suggested that specific target populations, namely subacute stroke or dementia, may benefit more than healthy individuals from increased dietary protein intake. From the three studies involving CBF, improvements in regional blood flow were associated with most cognitive performance outcomes. The comparative effects of different protein types warrant further investigation. Overall, this review encourages additional research into protein-rich foods or supplements which could potentially prevent or mitigate cognitive decline.
‘I Hid for Days in the Basement’: Moments of ‘Jewish’ Discovery in Pre-Holocaust Germany and Austria
Authors: Legg Harry
Published: November 2024

What happens when someone ignorant of their Jewish heritage uncovers the truth in dramatic circumstances? This article focuses on and advocates for further analysis of an unstudied discrete phenomenon: ‘the moment of discovery’ in early twentieth century Germany and Austria. The article's four empirical sections analyse various facets of this moment: the clues which pointed towards the Jewish ancestral secret, missed by many non-Jewish ‘Jews’; the reaction of antisemites to becoming the object of their own hatred complex; the deep despair felt during the moment of discovery; the mitigatory actions which could ameliorate the latter; and the minority who reacted positively to the news. Collectively, the piece displays the terror associated with being ‘Jewish’ at the time, the extent to which non-Jewish ‘Jews’ were truly separated from the Jewish community and, crucially, the radicalisation of moments of discovery under Nazism, when they became more devastating than ever.
Association of a history of depression with infertility, miscarriage and stillbirth: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Liang Chen , Chung Hsin-Fang , Dobson Annette J. , Mishra Gita D.
Published: November 2024

Aims

The role of depression in subsequent infertility, miscarriage and stillbirth remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association of a history of depression with these adverse outcomes using a longitudinal cohort study of women across their reproductive life span.

Methods

This study used data from participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health who were born in 1973–1978. Participants (N = 8707) were followed up every 3 years from 2000 (aged 22–27) to 2018 (aged 40–45). Information on a diagnosis of depression was collected from each survey, and antidepressant medication use was identified through pharmaceutical prescription data. Histories of infertility, miscarriage, and stillbirth were self-reported at each survey. Time-lagged log-binomial models with generalized estimating equations were used to assess the association of a history of depression up to and including in a given survey with the risk of fertility issues in the next survey.

Results

Women with a history of depression (excluding postnatal depression) were at higher risk of infertility [risk ratio (RR) = 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21–1.48], miscarriage (RR = 1.22, 95%CI: 1.10–1.34) and recurrent miscarriages (≥2; RR = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.17–1.64), compared to women without a history of depression. There were too few stillbirths to provide clear evidence of an association. Antidepressant medication use did not affect the observed associations. Estimated RRs of depression with infertility and miscarriage increased with age.

Conclusions

A history of depression was associated with higher risk of subsequent infertility, miscarriage and recurrent miscarriages.
Echoes Through Time: Transforming Climate Litigation Narratives on Future Generations
Authors: Wewerinke-Singh Margaretha , Ramsay Alofipo So'o alo Fleur
Published: November 2024

Storytelling is essential in climate litigation. The narratives that are told in and around legal cases shape public discourse and our collective imagination regarding the climate crisis. The stories that plaintiffs and their lawyers choose to highlight hold immense power to either reinforce or challenge dominant assumptions and worldviews. This article analyzes how storytelling has been utilized in climate lawsuits, with a particular focus on those that involve future generations. It highlights the need to craft narratives that foreground entanglement and relationality rather than notions of competing interests. We offer recommendations for strategically using storytelling and framing techniques to build public engagement, spur equitable climate action and transform legal systems.
Synergistic effect of cover crops residue and herbicides for effective weed management in southern U.S. cotton production systems
Authors: Kumari Annu , Price Andrew J. , Gamble Audrey , Li Steve , Jacobson Alana
Published: November 2024

Cover crop adoption is increasing among growers with the occurrence of herbicide-resistant weed species. A field study conducted at three sites from autumn 2021 through the crop harvest in 2022 in Alabama aimed to evaluate the combined effect of cover crop residue and herbicides for weed control and improved cotton lint yield. The experiment was conducted in split-plot design with main plots consisting of six cover crop treatments: cereal rye, crimson clover, oat, radish, cover crop mixture, and winter fallow. The subplots included four herbicide treatments: (i) preemergence, pendimethalin + fomesafen, (ii) postemergence, dicamba + glyphosate + S-metolachlor, (iii) preemergence followed by postemergence, and (iv) nontreated (NT) check. Cover crops, excluding radish, exhibited greater weed biomass reduction than winter fallow with corresponding herbicide treatments of either preemergence, postemergence, or preemergence + postemergence as compared to control (winter fallow and NT check). Considering preemergence + postemergence treatment, cereal rye, crimson clover, oat, and cover crop mixture provided >95% weed biomass reduction as compared to control. Looking at the overall effect of cover crop, cereal rye outperformed and showed greater weed biomass reduction than radish relative to control. Preemergence + postemergence herbicide treatment resulted in greater lint yield than other treatments. Cotton in cereal rye plots had a greater lint yield than in winter fallow at one out of three locations. In conclusion, integrating herbicides and incorporating high-residue cover crops such as cereal rye is an effective weed management strategy to control troublesome weeds.
Methods for Quantifying Source‐Specific Air Pollution Exposure to Serve Epidemiology, Risk Assessment, and Environmental Justice
Authors: Shan Xiaorong , Casey Joan A. , Shearston Jenni A. , Henneman Lucas R. F.
Published: November 2024

Identifying sources of air pollution exposure is crucial for addressing their health impacts and associated inequities. Researchers have developed modeling approaches to resolve source‐specific exposure for application in exposure assessments, epidemiology, risk assessments, and environmental justice. We explore six source‐specific air pollution exposure assessment approaches: Photochemical Grid Models (PGMs), Data‐Driven Statistical Models, Dispersion Models, Reduced Complexity chemical transport Models (RCMs), Receptor Models, and Proximity Exposure Estimation Models. These models have been applied to estimate exposure from sources such as on‐road vehicles, power plants, industrial sources, and wildfires. We categorize these models based on their approaches for assessing emissions and atmospheric processes (e.g., statistical or first principles), their exposure units (direct physical measures or indirect measures/scaled indices), and their temporal and spatial scales. While most of the studies we discuss are from the United States, the methodologies and models are applicable to other countries and regions. We recommend identifying the key physical processes that determine exposure from a given source and using a model that sufficiently accounts for these processes. For instance, PGMs use first principles parameterizations of atmospheric processes and provide source impacts exposure variability in concentration units, although approaches within PGMs for source attribution introduce uncertainties relative to the base model and are difficult to evaluate. Evaluation is important but difficult—since source‐specific exposure is difficult to observe, the most direct evaluation methods involve comparisons with alternative models.
Auroral and Magnetotail Dynamics During Quiet‐Time STEVE and SAID
Authors: Nishimura Y. , Gallardo‐Lacourt B. , Donovan E. F. , Angelopoulos V. , Nishitani N.
Published: November 2024

Although Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE) and subauroral ion drifts (SAID) are often considered in the context of geomagnetically disturbed times, we found that STEVE and SAID can occur even during quiet times. Quiet‐time STEVE has the same properties as substorm‐time STEVE, including its purple/mauve color and occurrence near the equatorward boundary of the pre‐midnight auroral oval. Quiet‐time STEVE and SAID emerged during a non‐substorm auroral intensification at or near the poleward boundary of the auroral oval followed by a streamer. Quiet‐time STEVE only lasted a few minutes but can reappear multiple times, and its latitude was much higher than substorm‐time STEVE due to the contracted auroral oval. The THEMIS satellites in the plasma sheet detected dipolarization fronts and fast flows associated with the auroral intensification, indicating that the transient energy release in the magnetotail was the source of quiet‐time STEVE and SAID. Particle injection was weaker and electron temperature was lower than the events without quiet‐time STEVE. The plasmapause extended beyond the geosynchronous orbit, and the ring current and tail current were weak. The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz was close to zero, while the IMF Bx was dominant. We suggest that the small energy release in the quiet magnetosphere can significantly impact the flow and field‐aligned current system.
Intrinsic Chemical Drivers of Organic Aerosol Volatility: From Experimental Insights to Model Predictions
Authors: Jiang Bin , Zhao Shizhen , Chen Wei , Tian Lele , Hu Weiwei , Li Jun , Zhang Gan
Published: November 2024

Accurately predicting the volatilities of molecules in aerosols is challenging but crucial for understanding the atmospheric effects of aerosols. We used negative and positive ion electrospray ionization Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR MS) to identify differences in the molecular compositions of gas and particle phase samples from urban atmosphere. We aimed to identify intrinsic chemical parameters that determine and predict the organic aerosol volatility. We found higher average molecular weights, carbon mass percentages, and double bond equivalents (DBE) but lower average O/C ratios and oxygen mass percentages in the particle phase than the gas phase. We identified DBE, which display a significant negative correlation with volatility, as a key parameter. We proposed to improve the previous model for predicting organic aerosol volatility by incorporating DBE as a new variant; and the result showed that this subsequently improved the accuracy of the model, particularly for compounds with minimal or no heteroatoms (0–2) such as hydrocarbons (CH). The revised model offers insights into the contributions of DBE, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms to the volatilities of diverse organic molecules in aerosols and could be applied to improve our understanding of the phase distributions of volatile organic compounds in the ambient air.
Evidence for Magnetized Basin Ejecta on the Moon From Observations and Modeling of Demagnetized Craters
Authors: Park Hyeonhu , Garrick‐Bethell Ian , Johnson Brandon C. , Jin Ho
Published: November 2024

The formation of lunar crustal magnetic anomalies is not well understood, and most anomalies are not associated with any obvious geologic features. To investigate further, we studied lunar craters from 100 to 400 km in diameter (totaling 305 craters) that may have demagnetized the crust. We find that the four craters Chaplygin, Keeler, Gauss, and Fermi are highly likely to have demagnetized the crust, based on our statistical methods. We modeled the magnetic source of these craters as a simple hole in a thin magnetized plate, representing the destruction of a surficial magnetized layer (Hypothesis 1). Alternatively, we also simulated the impact demagnetization of deeper‐seated magnetism in the crust by shock and temperature (Hypothesis 2). Some interior magnetization remains unexplained under both hypotheses, but the destruction of a pre‐existing surficial layer of magnetized material is consistent with the location of the peak in each crater's magnetic field. We also find three of the craters are inversely correlated with remotely sensed iron, further supporting our interpretation that the craters demagnetized a surficial layer. The four craters are located on magnetized ejecta deposits from the South Pole‐Aitken, Orientale, and Crisium basins. Hence, these four craters further support the hypothesis that large provinces of magnetized material on the Moon arise from hot impact ejecta that cooled in a dynamo field.
Patterns and Drivers of CO2 and CH4 Fluxes in an Urbanized River Network and Their Response to Restoration
Authors: Li Lingling , Yan Renhua
Published: November 2024

Carbon evasion from urban river networks becomes increasingly significant as urbanization accelerates. However, there remains a limited understanding of the overall carbon emission impact integrating CO2 and CH4 dynamics, particularly in response to ecological restoration efforts. In this study, we investigated patterns of fluvial CO2 and CH4 diffusive fluxes across an urban river network in Wuxi, China. Our results reveal that water quality variables, especially dissolved oxygen (DO) and phosphorus content, predominantly influence the variability of carbon emissions. These factors exhibit a stronger correlation with CO2 emissions compared to CH4, indicating a net increase in carbon emissions as water quality deteriorates. Seasonally, higher water temperatures, phosphate levels, and lower DO concentrations lead to increased carbon emissions during summer months. Spatially, areas with lower carbon emissions (averaged 86 mmol m−2 d−1 CO2 and 0.13 mmol m−2 d−1 CH4) are primarily situated near the lake and in river sections where significant water quality improvements have been achieved through ecological restoration efforts. Cluster analysis shows that over 60% of high‐carbon emission (averaged 162 mmol m−2 d−1 CO2 and 1.21 mmol m−2 d−1 CH4) sites in the study area have undergone ecological restoration, suggesting potential for further carbon emission reduction through enhanced restoration practices. Our findings underscore the importance of implementing carbon reduction strategies such as nutrient removal and aeration for oxygenation within water ecological restoration initiatives. Effective matching of restoration strategies holds further potential for mitigating carbon emissions from urban river networks.
Obesity-related subclinical hypothyroidism in childhood: Elevated triglycerides but not basal metabolic rate
Authors: Tersander Beata , Olsson Roger , Aydin Banu K. , Stenlid Rasmus , Ciba Iris , Manell Hannes
Published: November 2024

Background

Studies on the associations between obesity-related subclinical hypothyroidism with basal metabolic rate and risk factors of cardiovascular disease in children and adolescents are scarce.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of children with obesity (n = 294) from the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Childhood Obesity cohort. Differences in basal metabolic rate quantified by indirect calorimetry, and the cardiovascular risk factors; body mass index, blood lipids, fasting and 2 h oral glucose tolerance test glucose, glycated haemoglobin and insulin resistance, between subjects with and without subclinical hypothyroidism were investigated. The associations of baseline thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and ΔTSH with change in cardiovascular risk factors over time were assessed.

Results

Subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism had elevated triacylglycerides but no alterations in basal metabolic rate or other measured cardiovascular risk factors. ΔTSH was positively associated with Δtriacylglycerides, Δtotal-cholesterol and ΔLDL-cholesterol, independently of age, sex, Δbody mass index and ΔT4. In the subclinical hypothyroidism group, 92% of individuals normalised their TSH 0.9–2.9 years later.

Conclusions

Children with obesity and subclinical hypothyroidism did not have an altered basal metabolic rate but elevated triacylglycerides. During the follow-up period, TSH changed in parallel with several blood lipids. Elevated TSH often normalised without pharmaceutical intervention within 3 years.

Impact

The present study found that subclinical hypothyroidism in paediatric obesity is related to elevated triglycerides.

The present study found that subclinical hypothyroidism is not associated to basal metabolic rate in paediatric obesity.

TSH change over time correlated with the change in triglycerides and LDL and total cholesterol.

Among subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism at baseline 92% normalised without pharmaceutical intervention within 3 years.

This research adds to the knowledge of the longitudinal, natural course of elevated TSH in paediatric obesity which is expected to help to make informed decisions regarding follow-up and evaluation of this patient group.
Genetic testing for monogenic forms of motor neuron disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in unaffected family members
Authors: Howard Jade , Chaouch Amina , Douglas Andrew G. L. , MacLeod Rhona , Roggenbuck Jennifer , McNeill Alisdair
Published: November 2024

Motor neuron disease (MND), also referred to as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a monogenic disease in a minority of cases, with autosomal dominant inheritance. Increasing numbers of people with MND are requesting genetic testing, and indeed receiving a genetic diagnosis. Consequently, requests for genetic counselling and predictive testing (i.e. of unaffected family members) are similarly expected to rise, alongside pre-symptomatic clinical trials. Despite this, there is no evidence-based guideline for predictive genetic testing in MND. This paper provides an overview of the genomic basis of MND, focusing specifically on the most common monogenic causes of MND. It then lays out the complexities of MND predictive testing, including the genetic landscape characterised by incomplete penetrance, clinical and genetic heterogeneity, and an oligogenic mechanism of pathogenesis in some cases. Additionally, there is limited research on the psychosocial impact of predictive genetic testing for MND, with studies suggesting potential difficulty in adjusting to the news, in part due to a lack of support and follow-up. This underscores a case for evidence-based, disease-specific guidance for predictive testing in MND.
Verbal stimuli allow for symmetrical S-R priming effects between size and space
Authors: Richter Melanie , Wühr Peter
Published: November 2024

The spatial-size association of response codes (SSARC) effect refers to the observation that left responses are faster and more accurate to small stimuli whereas right responses are faster and more accurate to large stimuli, as compared to the reverse assignment. The underlying spatial-size associations are strongly asymmetrical with physical size/location stimuli and vocal location/size responses and allow for regular but not reciprocal SSARC effects. Recent evidence, however, points towards an important role of stimulus mode in the emergence of reciprocal compatibility effects. We investigated the reciprocity of the SSARC effect with a different stimulus mode, namely with verbal size/location stimuli and vocal responses. In a size-location task, participants vocally responded to the words “small” or “large” by saying “left” or “right” according to a compatible (“small”-“left”/“large”-“right”) or an incompatible mapping (“small”-“right”/“large”-“left”). In a location-size task, participants vocally responded to the words “left” or “right” by saying “small” or “large” according to a compatible (“left”-“small”/“right”-“large”) or an incompatible (“left”-“large”/“right”-“small”) mapping. We observed a regular and a reciprocal SSARC effect of similar size indicating symmetrical spatial-size associations. While regular SSARC effects thus emerge with verbal and physical size stimuli, reciprocal SSARC effects only emerge with verbal but not with physical location stimuli and vocal responses. Theoretical accounts of the SSARC effect differ in whether they predict reciprocal effects and whether they can account for the effect of stimulus mode on the reciprocal SSARC effect.
Reducing competition between msd and genomic DNA improves retron editing efficiency
Authors: Ni Yuyang , Wang Yifei , Shi Xinyu , Yu Fan , Ruan Qingmin , Tian Na , He Jin , Wang Xun
Published: November 2024

Retrons, found in bacteria and used for defense against phages, generate a unique molecule known as multicopy single-stranded DNA (msDNA). This msDNA mimics Okazaki fragments during DNA replication, making it a promising tool for targeted gene editing in prokaryotes. However, existing retron systems often exhibit suboptimal editing efficiency. Here, we identify the msd gene in Escherichia coli, which encodes the noncoding RNA template for msDNA synthesis and carries the homologous sequence of the target gene to be edited, as a critical bottleneck. Sequence homology causes the msDNA to bind to the msd gene, thereby reducing its efficiency in editing the target gene. To address this issue, we engineer a retron system that tailors msDNA to the leading strand of the plasmid containing the msd gene. This strategy minimizes msd gene editing and reduces competition with target genes, significantly increasing msDNA availability. Our optimized system achieves very high retron editing efficiency, enhancing performance and expanding the potential for in vivo techniques that rely on homologous DNA synthesis.
Zn-ion doped BiOBr for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue
Authors: Zhang Yeheng , Chen Junnan , Lin Wensong , Gao Ran , Mai Xin , Lin Huanxia , He Yong
Published: November 2024

In this work, BiOBr photocatalysts doped with zinc ions were manufactured to improve their photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue (MB).
Threshold photoelectron spectroscopy of organosulfur radicals
Authors: Karaev Emil , Gerlach Marius , Schaffner Dorothee , Dutton Sarah E. , Phillips Maggie D. , Hemberger Patrick , Vasiliou AnGayle K. , Fischer Ingo
Published: November 2024

We report vibrationally resolved threshold photoelectron spectra of several sulfur-containing reactive intermediates, including S2H, recently observed in the horsehead nebula. Background image credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI).
Data-driven molecular dynamics simulation of water isotope separation using a catalytically active ultrathin membrane
Authors: Jeong Jinu , Liang Chenxing , Aluru Narayana R.
Published: November 2024

Water isotope separation, specifically separating heavy from light water, is a technologically important problem due to the usage of heavy water in applications such as nuclear magnetic resonance, nuclear power, and spectroscopy.
Noble metal-free porphyrin covalent organic framework layer for CO2 photoreduction to CO
Authors: Hou Yuxia , Ma Haizeng , Zhu Dan , Li Renlong , Zhao Ziyan , Li Chun-Xiang , Cui Cheng-Xing , Wang Ji-Chao
Published: November 2024

Porphyrin-based covalent organic framework displaying high photocatalytic activity for CO2 to CO reduction with only H2O and without a sacrificial reagent.
Rational modulation of cellulose for zinc ion-based energy storage devices
Authors: Liu Penggao , He Chunrong , Chen Xinyue , Wang Ting , Song Wei , Liu Weifang , Liu Kaiyu
Published: November 2024

The distinctive structures and characteristics of cellulose render it a promising material for rational modulation in zinc-ion storage applications.
Single cobalt atom catalysis for the construction of quinazolines and quinazolinones via the aerobic dehydrocyclization of ethanol
Authors: Zhang Xueping , Xu Kai , Zhuang Yi , Yuan Shihao , Lin Yamei , Lu Guo-Ping
Published: November 2024

A Co-SAC with oxidase-like active sites (CoN4) has been fabricated for the construction of quinazolines and quinazolinones using ethanol as the C2-synthon. Kinetic studies suggest that the dehydrogenation of ethanol is the RDS for the reaction.
Highly oxygenated steroids with immunosuppressive activity from Solanum undatum
Authors: Chen Shu-Shuai , Zheng Cheng-Yu , Yang Guan-Zhou , Zhou Jun-Su , He Shi-Jun , Fan Yao-Yue , Yue Jian-Min
Published: November 2024

Solanum undatum is a medicinal plant used for the treatment of oedema, rheumatoid arthritis and toothache, from which seven highly oxygenated steroids (1–7), including three new ones (1–3), have been characterized.