bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fidesz, liberal democracy and the fundamental law in Hungary
Authors: Gomez Gabriel , Leunig Sven
Published: December 2021

After its landslide victories of 2010, 2014 and 2018, Fidesz has introduced numerous institutional changes in the Hungarian political system. The academic research has emphasized the illiberal and antidemocratic character of these reforms, and the populist ideology of the party has been widely considered as the underlying force behind them. This study analyzes the most important reform that Fidesz has undertaken: the new Fundamental Law, enacted in 2012. We examine whether this change can be regarded as a violation of liberal democratic principles, and, if that is the case, whether it can be linked to the populist character of Fidesz. We found that some of the most criticized dispositions of the newly enacted constitution cannot be regarded as violations of liberal democratic principles, whereas other changes clearly constitute attacks to the foundations of Hungarian democracy, mainly affecting the separation of powers and the civil rights of minorities, These findings are largely consistent with the effects of populist governments on democracy as documented in the literature.
Understanding the urban life pattern of young people from delivery data
Authors: Qiu Yining , Ding Jiale , Wang Mengxiao , Hu Linshu , Zhang Feng
Published: December 2021

Young people are the backbone of urban development and an important pillar of social stability. The growth of young floating population in China has given rise to urban land expansion. Understanding the urban life pattern of urban life for young people benefits rational and effective land expansion. In this article, we introduce food delivery data into the process of exploring behavioral patterns of urban youth in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The dynamic time warping (DTW) distance-based k-medoids method is applied to explore the main activity areas and activity patterns of the urban youth population. The results indicate that many young people from Hangzhou work in Internet companies, and most of work hotspot areas are observed in high-tech parks. The existence of overtime work is proved. Combined with the housing price data in Hangzhou, it is found that young people consider both housing prices and education environment when choosing where to live. The analysis combined with road network data reflects the planning characteristics of the city, also looks into differences between the actual city functions and the planning map. The proposed methods can provide useful guidance and suggestions for city planning.
Multiple functions of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex in plant-pathogen interactions
Authors: Jian Yunqing , Shim Won-Bo , Ma Zhonghua
Published: December 2021

The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex utilizes the energy of ATP hydrolysis to facilitate chromatin access and plays essential roles in DNA-based events. Studies in animals, plants and fungi have uncovered sophisticated regulatory mechanisms of this complex that govern development and various stress responses. In this review, we summarize the composition of SWI/SNF complex in eukaryotes and discuss multiple functions of the SWI/SNF complex in regulating gene transcription, mRNA splicing, and DNA damage response. Our review further highlights the importance of SWI/SNF complex in regulating plant immunity responses and fungal pathogenesis. Finally, the potentials in exploiting chromatin remodeling for management of crop disease are presented.
Noncommutative Function-Theoretic Operator Theory and Applications
Authors: Ball Joseph A. , Bolotnikov Vladimir
Published: December 2021

This concise monograph explores how core ideas in Hardy space function theory and operator theory continue to be useful and informative in new settings, leading to new insights for noncommutative multivariable operator theory. Beginning with a review of the confluence of system theory ideas and reproducing kernel techniques, the book then covers representations of backward-shift-invariant subspaces in the Hardy space as ranges of observability operators, and representations for forward-shift-invariant subspaces via a Beurling–Lax representer equal to the transfer function of the linear system. This pair of backward-shift-invariant and forward-shift-invariant subspace form a generalized orthogonal decomposition of the ambient Hardy space. All this leads to the de Branges–Rovnyak model theory and characteristic operator function for a Hilbert space contraction operator. The chapters that follow generalize the system theory and reproducing kernel techniques to enable an extension of the ideas above to weighted Bergman space multivariable settings.
History and Theory in Anthropology
Authors: Barnard Alan
Published: December 2021

In the past twenty years, there have been exciting new developments in the field of anthropology. This second edition of Barnard's classic textbook on the history and theory of anthropology has been revised and expanded to include up-to-date coverage on all the most important topics in the field. Its coverage ranges from traditional topics like the beginnings of the subject, evolutionism, functionalism, structuralism, and Marxism, to ideas about globalization, post-colonialism, and notions of 'race' and of being 'indigenous'. There are several new chapters, along with an extensive glossary, index, dates of birth and death, and award-winning diagrams. Although anthropology is often dominated by trends in Europe and North America, this edition makes plain the contributions of trendsetters in the rest of the world too. With its comprehensive yet clear coverage of concepts, this is essential reading for a new generation of anthropology students.
The Nutritional Content of Five Southwestern US Indigenous Maize (Zea MaysL.) Landraces of Varying Endosperm Type
Authors: Oas Sarah E. , Adams Karen R.
Published: December 2021

Any relative nutritional differences among the diverse maize (Zea maysL.) landraces traditionally maintained in the Greater Southwest are little understood. In this article, we investigate a range of nutritional traits of five indigenous maize landraces in the US Southwest based on different kernel endosperm types: pop, flour, flint, dent, and sweet. We present macronutrient and micronutrient values for accessions of each landrace grown in the same environmental grow-out experiment. Macronutrient values vary considerably across these endosperm accessions. Sweet and flour maize had higher values of fat and protein, whereas dent had the highest carbohydrate content. Sweet and flour maize were comparatively the best sources of micronutrients. Sweet maize yielded the highest values of potassium, thiamin, and magnesium, and flour kernels had the highest riboflavin and niacin content. These results indicate that the maintenance of diverse maize landraces had nutritional as well as ecological, symbolic, and culinary value in both the past and today. Compared to modern commercial maize standards, traditional southwestern maize landraces had a somewhat higher caloric value, many had higher vitamin and mineral content, and all accessions but dent displayed higher protein values. This suggests that southwestern maize-focused diets that included diverse landraces may have been more nutritious than previously understood.
More learning, less activism: Narratives of childhood in Australian media representations of the School Strike for Climate
Authors: Alexander Nita , Petray Theresa , McDowall Ailie
Published: December 2021

The School Strike for Climate campaign led to public discussion about children’s political participation. Children are generally excluded from formal political systems, however this campaign challenges mainstream attitudes that children are not sufficiently competent to participate in politics. This paper presents an analysis of Australian mainstream media representations of adult responses to the School Strike for Climate events held in Australia in March 2019. When analysed against theories of childhood, two primary narratives are reflected in what adults said about children’s participation in the campaign. Anticipatory narratives focus on children appropriately developing into adults, and are represented by the notion that strikers should be in school, be punished for missing school, and are ‘just kids’ who should not be listened to. Protectionist narratives seek to shelter children from adult matters, suggesting strikers were brainwashed and raising welfare concerns. Neither of these narratives regard children as citizens capable of political voice, despite these children acting prefiguratively to create a world in which their civic participation is valued. Social movement theories of prefiguration are also explored in this paper, providing a counter argument to suggestions that children have no political agency and should be excluded from activism and discussions regarding climate change.
The Roman Hinterland Project: Integrating Archaeological Field Surveys around Rome and Beyond
Authors: Attema P.A.J. , Carafa P. , Jongman W.M. , Smith C.J. , Bronkhorst A.J. , Capanna M.C. , de Haas T.C.A. , van Leusen P.M. , Tol G.W. , Witcher R.E. , Wouda N.A.
Published: December 2021

This article presents the background to and prospects for a new initiative in archaeological field survey and database integration. The Roman Hinterland Project combines data from the Tiber Valley Project, Roman Suburbium Project, and the Pontine Region Project into a single database, which the authors believe to be one of the most complete repositories of data for the hinterland of a major ancient metropolis, covering nearly 2000 years of history. The logic of combining these databases in the context of studying the Roman landscape is explained and illustrated with analyses that show their capacity to contribute to major debates in Roman economy, demography, and the longue durée of the human condition in a globalizing world.
Casting the atomic canon: (R)evolving nuclear strategy
Authors: Egeland Kjølv , Fraise Thomas , Taha Hebatalla
Published: December 2021

Looming decisions on arms control and strategic weapon procurements in a range of nuclear-armed states are set to shape the international security environment for decades to come. In this context, it is crucial to understand the concepts, theories, and debates that condition nuclear policymaking. This review essay dissects the four editions of The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy, the authoritative intellectual history of its subject. Using this widely acclaimed work as a looking glass into the broader field of nuclear security studies, we interrogate the field's underlying assumptions and question the correspondence between theory and practice in the realm of nuclear policy. The study of nuclear strategy, we maintain, remains largely committed to an interpretive approach that invites analysts to search for universal axioms and to abstract strategic arguments from the precise circumstances of their occurrence. While this approach is useful for analysing the locutionary dimension of strategic debates, it risks obscuring the power structures, vested interests, and illocutionary forces shaping nuclear discourse. In the conclusion, we lay out avenues for future scholarship.
From Datafication to Data State: Making Sense of China’s Social Credit System and Its Implications
Authors: Cheung Anne S. Y. , Chen Yongxi
Published: December 2021

We live in an age of datafication wherein nearly all aspects of our lives can be transformed into data and evaluated. The authors seek to make sense of the heightened datafication-enabled social control under China’s Social Credit System (SCS) by developing the concept of the data state. A “data state” is defined as a governance model enabling the state to comprehensively monitor, evaluate, and control its subjects through datafication, leaving them little room to defend their autonomy. We identify the multiple functions of the SCS in its development up to 2020 and analyze its inherent defects, including the decontextualized evaluation of individuals and the semi-automated imposition of disproportionate punishment. We argue that, if the SCS were to fully integrate its functions and connect to other data-driven governance initiatives, it would eventually allow the data self, carefully groomed by the state, to dominate the bio-self and turn China into a data state. Whereas China’s SCS may be unique and not easily replicated elsewhere, understanding its intricacies helps to enable the citizens of democratic societies to guard against the relentless growth of datafication that may result in an invincible and irreversible ecosystem for the emergence of a data state.
PRINCIPAL RADICAL SYSTEMS, LEFSCHETZ PROPERTIES, AND PERFECTION OF SPECHT IDEALS OF TWO-ROWED PARTITIONS
Authors: MCDANIEL CHRIS , WATANABE JUNZO
Published: December 2021

We show that the Specht ideal of a two-rowed partition is perfect over an arbitrary field, provided that the characteristic is either zero or bounded below by the size of the second row of the partition, and we show this lower bound is tight. We also establish perfection and other properties of certain variants of Specht ideals, and find a surprising connection to the weak Lefschetz property. Our results, in particular, give a self-contained proof of Cohen–Macaulayness of certain h-equals sets, a result previously obtained by Etingof–Gorsky–Losev over the complex numbers using rational Cherednik algebras.
Measuring reciprocity: Double sampling, concordance, and network construction
Authors: Ready Elspeth , Power Eleanor A.
Published: December 2021

Reciprocity—the mutual provisioning of support/goods—is a pervasive feature of social life. Directed networks provide a way to examine the structure of reciprocity in a community. However, measuring social networks involves assumptions about what relationships matter and how to elicit them, which may impact observed reciprocity. In particular, the practice of aggregating multiple sources of data on the same relationship (e.g., “double-sampled” data, where both the “giver” and “receiver” are asked to report on their relationship) may have pronounced impacts on network structure. To investigate these issues, we examine concordance (ties reported by both parties) and reciprocity in a set of directed, double-sampled social support networks. We find low concordance in people’s responses. Taking either the union (including any reported ties) or the intersection (including only concordant ties) of double-sampled relationships results in dramatically higher levels of reciprocity. Using multilevel exponential random graph models of social support networks from 75 villages in India, we show that these changes cannot be fully explained by the increase in the number of ties produced by layer aggregation. Respondents’ tendency to name the same people as both givers and receivers of support plays an important role, but this tendency varies across contexts and relationships type. We argue that no single method should necessarily be seen as the “correct” choice for aggregation of multiple sources of data on a single relationship type. Methods of aggregation should depend on the research question, the context, and the relationship in question.
Chemotactic responses of Brugia pahangi infective third-stage larvae to tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-related compounds and amino acids
Authors: Mitsui Y. , Miura M. , Kato K. , Aoki Y.
Published: December 2021

Since the exogenous compound tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) showed a potent chemoattractant activity for Brugia pahangi infective third-stage larvae (L3), it was assumed that, in natural infection to a host, filarial L3 can be expected to recognize an endogenous Tris-related compound. In addition, a few amino acids have been identified as water-soluble attractants for second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita, a plant parasitic nematode. Therefore, the present study assesses the in vitro chemotactic responses of B. pahangi L3 to Tris-related compounds and amino acids using an agar-plate assay. Among Tris-related compounds, 2-amino-1,3-propanediol (APD) and 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (AMPD) exhibited a potent chemoattractant activity for filarial L3 at a level similar to Tris. Furthermore, arginine (Arg) was identified as a potent attractant for filarial L3 among amino acids. In addition, filarial L3 were attracted to Arg, APD and AMPD in mild alkaline conditions rather than acidic conditions. The chemoattractant activity of the three compounds for filarial L3 was observed in concentrations between 6.3 and 200 mm. This is the first report to demonstrate that Arg, APD and AMPD are potent chemoattractants for B. pahangi L3. Endogenous Arg and APD, in particular, may be involved in the regulation of the chemotactic behaviour of filarial L3 in the infection to a host. The present results will help to elucidate the mechanism of filarial skin-penetrating invasion of a host.
Effect of a cold event on population and community of pit-inhabiting sea urchins in Western Pacific coasts
Authors: Yamamori Luna , Kato Makoto
Published: December 2021

Coastal tide pools in southern Japan are inhabited by the rock-boring sea urchin Echinostrephus molaris, which excavate pits in the substrate. These pits are subsequently used by non-boring sea urchins such as Anthocidaris crassispina and Echinometra sp. B, and the recolonized pits are often inhabited by a commensal limpet-like trochid snail species, Broderipia iridescens. We explored the population and community dynamics of these sea urchins and the limpet-like snail by monitoring occupancy of 512 pits in tide pools in Shirahama, Japan from May 2017–May 2019. Initially, nearly all pits were occupied by any one of the three sea urchin species, but an unusual cold event in February 2018 caused a mass die off of these sea urchins. After this event, occupancy decreased from 99% to 15%, and the tropical species Echinometra sp. B disappeared from the study pools. We observed slow population recovery of E. molaris and A. crassispina, provably via migration of sub-adults from the subtidal zone. Turnover rate of the pit-occupying sea urchin species was <1.0% before the cold event, but drastically increased after the cold event. Population size of the commensal snail decreased along with those of their host, but the rate of commensalism was constant at 50–55% throughout the study period, suggesting that these snails followed their host sea urchins repeating inter-pit migration. Despite mass mortality and slow recovery, the sea urchin density remained high enough to maintain persistent sea urchin barrens throughout the study period.
Enhancing psychological resilience at the cusp of older ages: the role of social networks
Authors: Visaria Abhijit , Malhotra Rahul , Lee June May-Ling , Chan Angelique
Published: December 2021

Prior research has established a positive association between social support and psychological resilience. In this study, we seek to examine whether and to what extent aspects of individuals’ social network – specifically size (how many relatives and friends one has) and strength (how often did one communicate with close network members and at the time of important decisions) – are related to greater psychological resilience. We use data pertaining to 1,609 respondents from the Panel on Ageing and Transitions in Health Survey (PATHS), 2016–2017, a national study of 1,654 older midlife adults, aged 50–59, in Singapore. We estimate the relationship between social networks and psychological resilience, using inverse probability weighted regression adjustment to account for the possibility of a selection bias whereby individuals with larger or stronger social networks may be more resilient at the outset. We find that strong social networks are associated with greater psychological resilience among older midlife adults, regardless of the size of the network. Having a large social network is associated with greater resilience only if it is also a strong network. Maintaining stronger, even if small, social networks may enable individuals at the cusp of older ages to be better prepared to deal with stressful life events and challenges associated with older midlife.
Comparison of different predictive models on HFMD based on weather factors in Zibo city, Shandong Province, China
Authors: Liu L. L. , Hu Y. C. , Qi C. , Zhu Y. C. , Li C. Y. , Wang L. , Cui F. , Li X. J.
Published: December 2021

The early identification and prediction of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) play an important role in the disease prevention and control. However, suitable models are different in regions due to the differences in geography, social economy factors. We collected data associated with daily reported HFMD cases and weather factors of Zibo city in 2010~2019 and used the generalised additive model (GAM) to evaluate the effects of weather factors on HFMD cases. Then, GAM, support vectors regression (SVR) and random forest regression (RFR) models are used to compare predictive results. The annual average incidence was 129.72/100 000 from 2010 to 2019. Its distribution showed a unimodal trend, with incidence increasing from March, peaking from May to September. Our study revealed the nonlinear relationship between temperature, rainfall and relative humidity and HFMD cases and based on the predictive result, the performances of three models constructed ranked in descending order are: SVR > GAM> RFR, and SVR has the smallest prediction errors. These findings provide quantitative evidence for the prediction of HFMD for special high-risk regions and can help public health agencies implement prevention and control measures in advance.
Determinants of risky sexual behaviour among undergraduate students at the University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Tekletsadik Esayas Alemshet , Ayisa Aynalem Adu , Mekonen Enyew Getaneh , Workneh Belayneh Shetie , Ali Mohammed Seid
Published: December 2021

Risky sexual behaviour (RSB) is defined as behaviours leading to sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies. According to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, HIV infection was very high among adolescents and youths living in sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia. This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of RSB and associated factors among undergraduate students at the University of Gondar.

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June to July 2019 and a simple random sampling technique was employed to select 420 students. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire, entered into Epi-info version 7.0 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 for analysis, and presented in frequencies, percentages and tables. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were carried out to identify variables having significant association with RSB.

The prevalence of RSB among undergraduate students at the University of Gondar was 44.0%. Age [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.12; 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.19–3.79)], residence [AOR: 2.14; 95% CI (1.22–3.75)], living arrangement [AOR: 9.79; 95% CI (5.34–17.9)], daily religious attendance[AOR: 0.57; 95% CI (0.33–0.99)], drink alcohol [AOR: 9.19; 95% CI (3.74–22.59)] and having information about reproductive health and sexually transmitted diseases [AOR:3.05; 95% CI (1.00–9.27)] were factors significantly associated with RSB.

Nearly half of the respondents engaged in risky sexual activity. This prevalence is high and the students are at high risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases that need reproductive health intervention like counselling and discussion. Creating awareness is needed for the students regarding reproductive health and the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, giving special attention is required for students who use alcohol, who did not live with family and who have urban residence.
Nutrition policies in Germany: a systematic assessment with the Food Environment Policy Index
Authors: von Philipsborn Peter , Geffert Karin , Klinger Carmen , Hebestreit Antje , Stratil Jan , Rehfuess Eva Annette ,   for the PEN Consortium
Published: December 2021

Objective:

To systematically assess Germany’s nutrition policies, to benchmark them against international best practices and to identify priority policy actions to improve population-level nutrition in Germany.

Design:

We applied the Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI), a methodological framework developed by the International Network for Food and Obesity/non-communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS) network. Qualitative content analysis of laws, directives and other documents formed the basis of a multistaged, structured consultation process.

Setting:

Germany.

Participants:

The expert consultation process included fifty-five experts from academia, public administration and civil society.

Results:

Germany lags behind international best practices in several key policy areas. For eighteen policy indicators, the degree of implementation compared with international best practices was rated as very low, for twenty-one as low, for eight as intermediate and for none as high. In particular, indicators on food taxation, regulation of food marketing as well as retail and food service sector policies were rated as very low to low. Identified priority actions included the binding implementation of nutrition standards for schools and kindergartens, a reform of the value added tax on foods and beverages, a sugar-sweetened beverage tax and stricter regulation of food marketing directed at children.

Conclusions:

The results show that Germany makes insufficient use of the potential of evidence-informed health-promoting nutrition policies. Adopting international best practices in key policy areas could help to reduce the burden of nutrition-related chronic disease and related inequalities in nutrition and health in Germany. Implementation of relevant policies requires political leadership, a broad societal dialogue and evidence-informed advocacy by civil society, including the scientific community.
The effects of supported employment interventions in populations of people with conditions other than severe mental health: a systematic review
Authors: Probyn Katrin , Engedahl Martin Stav , Rajendran Dévan , Pincus Tamar , Naeem Khadija , Mistry Dipesh , Underwood Martin , Froud Robert
Published: December 2021

Aim:

To assess the effectiveness of supported employment interventions for improving competitive employment in populations of people with conditions other than only severe mental illness.

Background:

Supported employment interventions have been extensively tested in severe mental illness populations. These approaches may be beneficial outside of these populations.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Scopus, JSTOR, PEDro, OTSeeker, and NIOSHTIC for trials including unemployed people with any condition and including severe mental illness if combined with other co-morbidities or other specific circumstances (e.g., homelessness). We excluded trials where inclusion was based on severe mental illness alone. Two reviewers independently assessed risk of bias (RoB v2.0) and four reviewers extracted data. We assessed rates of competitive employment as compared to traditional vocational rehabilitation or waiting list/services as usual.

Findings:

Ten randomised controlled trials (913 participants) were included. Supported employment was more effective than control interventions for improving competitive employment in seven trials: in people with affective disorders [risk ratio (RR) 10.61 (1.49, 75.38)]; mental disorders and justice involvement [RR 4.44 (1.36,14.46)]; veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [RR 2.73 (1.64, 4.54)]; formerly incarcerated veterans [RR 2.17 (1.09, 4.33)]; people receiving methadone treatment [RR 11.5 (1.62, 81.8)]; veterans with spinal cord injury at 12 months [RR 2.46 (1.16, 5.22)] and at 24 months [RR 2.81 (1.98, 7.37)]; and young people not in employment, education, or training [RR 5.90 (1.91–18.19)]. Three trials did not show significant benefits from supported employment: populations of workers with musculoskeletal injuries [RR 1.38 (1.00, 1.89)]; substance abuse [RR 1.85 (0.65, 5.41)]; and formerly homeless people with mental illness [RR 1.55 (0.76, 3.15)]. Supported employment interventions may be beneficial to people from more diverse populations than those with severe mental illness alone. Defining competitive employment and increasing (and standardising) measurement of non-vocational outcomes may help to improve research in this area.
“No, Where are You Really From?”
Authors: Juang Linda , Schwarzenthal Miriam , Moffitt Ursula , Vietze Jana
Published: December 2021

Abstract. Being perceived as a foreigner regardless of one’s generational status, citizenship, or self-identification is called foreigner objectification. This is a form of identity denial and is linked to psychological distress. To test how foreigner objectification could be measured in Europe, we assessed whether the Foreigner Objectification Scale demonstrated reliability and validity with German adolescents. The sample included 806 9th graders from 17 high schools. The results showed that the scale demonstrates good reliability, scalar measurement invariance across gender and citizenship status, and partial scalar measurement invariance across family heritage, generational status, and cultural self-identification. Adolescents who scored higher on the scale also reported greater school behavioral disengagement, lower life satisfaction, and stronger ethnic identity. Our findings suggest that the scale is psychometrically sound and is linked in theoretically consistent ways to adjustment and ethnic identity. We conclude that this scale offers another way to capture subtle discrimination experiences that add to a more comprehensive understanding of discrimination and the related implications in Europe.
The Role of Physical Parameterization Schemes in Capturing the Characteristics of Extratropical Cyclones Over the South Pacific Ocean
Authors: Gómez Matías , Mäll Martin , Aránguiz Rafael
Published: December 2021

The extratropical cyclone (ETC) of August 2015 in central Chile was investigated using the WRF model to analyze the sensitivity of meteorological variables to different physical parameterization schemes. This study assesses the performance of different physical schemes in the simulation of track, core pressure, mean sea level pressure, wind direction and wind speed associated with ETC over the South Pacific. The analysis uses a total of 36 sensitivity experiments, consisting of: two microphysics schemes; three surface layer and planetary boundary layer; two cumulus schemes; two longwave and shortwave radiation; and Noah for land surface. Sensitivity experiments indicate that the cumulus, planetary boundary layer and surface layer scheme have a fundamental role in the characterization of ETC track and intensity, while the microphysics scheme plays a secondary role in determining these variables. On the other hand, long‐ and shortwave radiation do not have a significant impact. The sensitivity experiments indicate that exp24 provides the best results overall. The results of this work allow the selection time of the different physical schemes to be optimized according to the ETC characteristics that are to be simulated
Capturing How Fast the Arctic Ocean Is Gaining Fresh Water
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: December 2021

A new analysis suggests that models do not accurately capture how fresh Arctic surface waters mix with deeper waters, contributing to underestimation of Arctic surface freshening.
Prevalence, Distribution, and Genotypes of Adenovirus and Norovirus in the Puzi River and Its Tributaries and the Surrounding Areas in Taiwan
Authors: Nagarajan Viji , Chen Jung‐Sheng , Hsu Bing‐Mu , Hsu Gwo‐Jong , Wang Jiun‐Ling , Hussain Bashir
Published: December 2021

This study investigated the prevalence, distribution, and genotypes of adenoviruses (AdVs) and noroviruses (NoVs) in the Puzi River and surrounding areas in Taiwan. The viruses in the water samples were isolated using the membrane filtration method and the viral nucleic acids were extracted. The RNA of NoVs was reverse‐transcribed into complementary DNA using reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction. AdVs and NoVs were detected using nested PCR. Genotyping and phylogenetic analyses were performed to identify the various viral genotypes in the water samples. Human adenovirus (HAdVs) and porcine adenovirus (PAdVs) were the predominant genotypes in the water samples. The prevalence of F species HAdVs serotype 41 (79.2%) and C species PAdVs serotype 5 (18.1%) was higher than that of other serotypes. Among NoVs, genogroup GII was more prevalent than GI. In particular, GII.4 (21.2%) and GII.17 (18.2%) were the predominant genotypes, which was consistent with the clinical findings. The prevalence of both AdVs and NoVs was higher in the winter than spring, summer and autumn seasons. AdVs and NoVs detection results were statistically analyzed by investigating their association with water quality indicators. The results revealed that the presence of AdVs was significantly correlated with the heterotrophic bacterial count, total coliform Escherichia coli, turbidity, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. Meanwhile, the presence of NoVs was only significantly correlated with temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Microbial pollution sources may include urban runoff and discharge of water from livestock farms situated near the river and tributaries within this region of Taiwan. Future studies should include comparisons of the presence of AdVs and NoVs in these known pollution sources and water quality monitoring of these watersheds, as this will allow potential identification of pollution sources. Additionally, remediation strategies must be developed to minimize viral contamination in the river ecosystem.
Linking Chemical Heterogeneity to Lithological Heterogeneity of the Samoan Mantle Plume With Fe‐Sr‐Nd‐Pb Isotopes
Authors: Wang Xiao‐Jun , Chen Li‐Hui , Hanyu Takeshi , Shi Jin‐Hua , Zhong Yuan , Kawabata Hiroshi , Miyazaki Takashi , Hirahara Yuka , Takahashi Toshiro , Senda Ryoko , Chang Qing , Vaglarov Bogdan S. , Kimura Jun‐Ichi
Published: December 2021

The Samoan mantle plume is thought to host three isotopically (radiogenic) distinct low‐3He/4He components including EM2 (enriched mantle 2), dilute HIMU (high μ = 238U/204Pb), and a depleted mantle (DM) component, which were sampled by shield‐stage lavas from the Malu, Vai, and Upo trend volcanoes, respectively. However, it is unclear whether the isotopically distinct components are present as different lithologies. Using new Fe–Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data for Tutuila basalts (Samoa), combined with literature data for other Samoan basalts, we attempt to infer the lithological structure of the Samoan plume. The results show that “Malu trend” basalts have heavier Fe isotopic compositions (δ57Fe = 0.15–0.24‰) than “Vai trend” and “Upo trend” basalts. The latter two groups have average δ57Fe of 0.14 ± 0.07‰ (2SD) and 0.11 ± 0.03‰ (2SD), respectively, similar to normal midocean ridge basalts (N‐MORBs, δ57Fe = 0.15 ± 0.05‰, 2SD). The fractional‐crystallization‐corrected δ57Fe values of all shield lavas are positively correlated with (Gd/Yb)N, Pb/Nd and 87Sr/86Sr ratios whereas negatively correlated with Nb/Th and εNd ratios, which cannot be explained by partial melting of a single garnet peridotite but point to heterogeneous source lithologies. The EM2 lavas are characterized with high δ57Fe and (Gd/Yb)N, low Nb/Th, and enriched Sr–Nd isotopic ratios, requiring a pyroxenitic source component with imprints of both recycled terrigenous sediments and oceanic crust. The Vai‐ and Upo‐trend lavas with MORB‐like δ57Fe can be explained by partial melting of peridotitic sources, although different extents of refertilization by recycled crust are essential for generating their distinct radiogenic isotope signatures. These observations highlight the lithological heterogeneity of the Samoan plume and relates the EM2 component with a pyroxenitic lithology.
Data Assimilation of High‐Latitude Electric Fields: Extension of a Multi‐Resolution Gaussian Process Model (Lattice Kriging) to Vector Fields
Authors: Wu Haonan , Lu Xian
Published: December 2021

We develop a new methodology for the multi‐resolution assimilation of electric fields by extending a Gaussian process model (Lattice Kriging) used for scalar field originally to vector field. This method takes the background empirical model as “a priori” knowledge and fuses real observations under the Gaussian process framework. The comparison of assimilated results under two different background models and three different resolutions suggests that (a) the new method significantly reduces fitting errors compared with the global spherical harmonic fitting (SHF) because it uses range‐limited basis functions ideal for the local fitting and (b) the fitting resolution, determined by the number of basis functions, is adjustable and higher resolution leads to smaller errors, indicating that more structures in the data are captured. We also test the sensitivity of the fitting results to the total amount of input data: (a) as the data amount increases, the fitting results deviate from the background model and become more determined by data and (b) the impacts of data can reach remote regions with no data available. The assimilation also better captures short‐period variations in local PFISR measurements than the SHF and maintains a coherent pattern with the surrounding. The multi‐resolution Lattice Kriging is examined via attributing basis functions into multiple levels with different resolutions (fine level is located in the region with observations). Such multi‐resolution fitting has the smallest error and shortest computation time, making the regional high‐resolution modeling efficient. Our method can be modified to achieve the multi‐resolution assimilation for other vector fields from unevenly distributed observations.
Psychological Screening and Consultation in a Pediatric Diabetes Clinic: Medical Providers’ Perspectives
Authors: Brodar Kaitlyn E. , Leite Rafael O. , Marchetti Daniella , Jaramillo Manuela , Davis Eileen , Sanchez Janine , Delamater Alan M. , Saab Patrice G. , La Greca Annette M.
Published: December 2021

Objective: Psychosocial concerns are common among youth with Type I diabetes; psychosocial screening and integrated care models can address these concerns. Medical providers are key stakeholders, but their perspectives on the role of mental health within pediatric diabetes care represent a gap in the literature. This study aimed to describe pediatric diabetes care providers’ views on the relationship between psychosocial stress and diabetes, their experiences with psychosocial screening and psychological consultation within their clinic, and their suggestions for mental health professionals working with youth who have diabetes. Method: All endocrinologists, fellows, and diabetes educators involved with psychosocial screening and psychology consultations ( N = 7; 71.4% female, 42.9% Hispanic/Latinx White, 28.6% Non-Hispanic/Latinx White, 28.6% Asian) at a single outpatient pediatric diabetes clinic participated in semistructured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed via thematic content analysis. Results: Providers described a bidirectional relationship between psychosocial stress and diabetes management. They expressed positive views of psychosocial screening and the clinic’s integrated psychology team, which allow them to focus on the medical aspect of care and gain comfort with mental health. Providers offered suggestions to improve coordination and communication with mental health professionals. Conclusions: Pediatric diabetes care providers valued psychosocial screening and benefited from collaboration with the clinic psychology team. Clinics without access to mental health professionals may struggle to sustain screening practices. Eliciting medical providers’ opinions and using other implementation science strategies are important for incorporating psychosocial screening and intervention within pediatric diabetes clinics, especially for clinics with unique models for psychological services.

Implications for Impact Statement

Medical providers in a pediatric diabetes clinic reported positive views of psychosocial screening and psychology consultations. Interdisciplinary collaboration with mental health professionals may promote medical providers’ comfort, confidence, and competence navigating their patients’ mental health concerns and ultimately improve care for youth with Type I diabetes mellitus. Obtaining medical providers’ perspectives is important for effective implementation of psychosocial screening procedures in diabetes clinics with varying models for access to mental health services.
Toward quantifying the adaptive role of bacterial pangenomes during environmental perturbations
Authors: Conrad Roth E , Viver Tomeu , Gago Juan F , Hatt Janet K , Venter Stephanus N , Rossello-Mora Ramon , Konstantinidis Konstantinos T
Published: December 2021

Metagenomic surveys have revealed that natural microbial communities are predominantly composed of sequence-discrete, species-like populations but the genetic and/or ecological processes that maintain such populations remain speculative, limiting our understanding of population speciation and adaptation to perturbations. To address this knowledge gap, we sequenced 112 Salinibacter ruber isolates and 12 companion metagenomes from four adjacent saltern ponds in Mallorca, Spain that were experimentally manipulated to dramatically alter salinity and light intensity, the two major drivers of this ecosystem. Our analyses showed that the pangenome of the local Sal. ruber population is open and similar in size (~15,000 genes) to that of randomly sampled Escherichia coli genomes. While most of the accessory (noncore) genes were isolate-specific and showed low in situ abundances based on the metagenomes compared to the core genes, indicating that they were functionally unimportant and/or transient, 3.5% of them became abundant when salinity (but not light) conditions changed and encoded for functions related to osmoregulation. Nonetheless, the ecological advantage of these genes, while significant, was apparently not strong enough to purge diversity within the population. Collectively, our results provide an explanation for how this immense intrapopulation gene diversity is maintained, which has implications for the prokaryotic species concept.
Protozoa populations are ecosystem engineers that shape prokaryotic community structure and function of the rumen microbial ecosystem
Authors: Solomon Ronnie , Wein Tanita , Levy Bar , Eshed Shahar , Dror Rotem , Reiss Veronica , Zehavi Tamar , Furman Ori , Mizrahi Itzhak , Jami Elie
Published: December 2021

Unicellular eukaryotes are an integral part of many microbial ecosystems where they interact with their surrounding prokaryotic community—either as predators or as mutualists. Within the rumen, one of the most complex host-associated microbial habitats, ciliate protozoa represent the main micro-eukaryotes, accounting for up to 50% of the microbial biomass. Nonetheless, the extent of the ecological effect of protozoa on the microbial community and on the rumen metabolic output remains largely understudied. To assess the role of protozoa on the rumen ecosystem, we established an in-vitro system in which distinct protozoa sub-communities were introduced to the native rumen prokaryotic community. We show that the different protozoa communities exert a strong and differential impact on the composition of the prokaryotic community, as well as its function including methane production. Furthermore, the presence of protozoa increases prokaryotic diversity with a differential effect on specific bacterial populations such as Gammaproteobacteria, Prevotella and Treponema. Our results suggest that protozoa contribute to the maintenance of prokaryotic diversity in the rumen possibly by mitigating the effect of competitive exclusion between bacterial taxa. Our findings put forward the rumen protozoa populations as potentially important ecosystem engineers for future microbiome modulation strategies.
Mitochondrial DNA leakage exacerbates odontoblast inflammation through gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis
Authors: Zhang Yi-Fei , Zhou Lu , Mao Han-Qing , Yang Fu-Hua , Chen Zhi , Zhang Lu
Published: December 2021

Alleviating odontoblast inflammation is crucial to control the progression of pulpitis. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a vital driver of inflammation when it leaks from mitochondria of inflamed odontoblasts into the cytosol. Bacteria-induced inflammation leads to a novel type of cell death named pyroptosis. The canonical pyroptosis is a gasdermin (GSDM)-dependent cytolytic programmed cell death characterized by cell swelling and pore formation in the plasma membrane. To date, whether odontoblast cytosolic mtDNA regulates dental pulp inflammation through the canonical pyroptosis pathway remains to be elucidated. In this study, high gasdermin D (GSDMD) expression was detected in human pulpitis. We found that LPS stimulation of mDPC6T cells promoted BAX translocation from the cytosol to the mitochondrial membrane, leading to mtDNA release. Moreover, overexpression of isolated mtDNA induced death in a large number of mDPC6T cells, which had the typical appearance of pyroptotic cells. Secretion of the inflammatory cytokines CXCL10 and IFN-β was also induced by mtDNA. These results suggest that cytosolic mtDNA participates in the regulation of odontoblast inflammation through GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis in vitro. Interestingly, after overexpression of mtDNA, the expression of inflammatory cytokines CXCL10 and IFN-β was increased and not decreased in GSDMD knockdown mDPC6T cells. We further proposed a novel model in which STING-dependent inflammation in odontoblast-like cell is a compensatory mechanism to control GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis, jointly promoting the immune inflammatory response of odontoblasts. Collectively, these findings provide the first demonstration of the role of the mtDNA-GSDMD-STING in controlling odontoblast inflammation and a detailed description of the underlying interconnected relationship.
Loss-of-function alleles of ZmPLD3 cause haploid induction in maize
Authors: Li Yuan , Lin Zhen , Yue Yang , Zhao Haiming , Fei Xiaohong , E. Lizhu , Liu Chenxu , Chen Shaojiang , Lai Jinsheng , Song Weibin
Published: December 2021

Doubled haploid technology has been widely applied to multiple plant species and is recognized as one of the most important technologies for improving crop breeding efficiency. Although mutations in MATRILINEAL/Zea mays PHOSPHOLIPASE A1/NOT LIKE DAD (MTL/ZmPLA1/NLD) and Zea mays DOMAIN OF UNKNOWN FUNCTION 679 MEMBRANE PROTEIN (ZmDMP) have been shown to generate haploids in maize, knowledge of the genetic basis of haploid induction (HI) remains incomplete. Therefore, cloning of new genes underlying HI is important for further elucidating its genetic architecture. Here, we found that loss-of-function mutations of Zea mays PHOSPHOLIPASE D3 (ZmPLD3), one of the members from the phospholipase D subfamily, could trigger maternal HI in maize. ZmPLD3 was identified through a reverse genetic strategy based on analysis of pollen-specifically expressed phospholipases, followed by validation through the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR–Cas9) system. Mutations of ZmPLD3 resulted in a haploid induction rate (HIR) similar to that of mtl/zmpla1/nld and showed synergistic effects rather than functional redundancy on tripling the HIR (from 1.19% to 4.13%) in the presence of mtl/zmpla1/nld. RNA-seq profiling of mature pollen indicated that a large number of pollen-specific differentially expressed genes were enriched in processes related to gametogenesis development, such as pollen tube development and cell communication, during the double-fertilization process. In addition, ZmPLD3 is highly conserved among cereals, highlighting the potential application of these in vivo haploid-inducer lines for other important crop plant species. Collectively, our discovery identifies a novel gene underlying in vivo maternal HI and provides possibility of breeding haploid inducers with further improved HIR.