bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments of the freshwater ecosystem in Zhenjiang City, China
Authors: Liu Xin , Dadzie Adelaide Angela , Yuan Lubin , Xing Shuyu , Zhou Xiaohong , Xiao Sisi
Published: September 2022

Heavy metals contamination in freshwater ecosystems has drawn attention worldwide. It is necessary to investigate heavy metals content and assess their ecological risk in order to protect the aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we collected surface sediment samples from the freshwater ecosystem of the city of Zhenjiang, in China, in both winter and summer. Then, we analyzed the seasonal and spatial distribution patterns of lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu). The contamination factor (CF), enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and potential ecological risk (Eri) were jointly used to assess the pollution degree and the ecological risk posed to the freshwater ecosystem by the aforementioned elements. Multivariate statistical analysis, including Pearson’s correlation and principal component analysis and cluster analysis, were used to identify potential sources of the investigated metals in this research area. Study results showed that: (1) the average concentrations values were 1.81 mg/kg and 1.15 mg/kg for Cd, 55.3 mg/kg and 62.2 mg/kg for Cu, 88.0 mg/kg and 52.5 mg/kg for Cr, 27.3 mg/kg and 22.8 mg/kg for Pb, 87.0 mg/kg and 271 mg/kg for Zn, in winter and summer, respectively. Amongst the investigated elements, the average concentrations of Cd, Cu, Cr, and Pb, were above the local background values in winter, whereas, Cd, Cu and Zn concentrations were higher than the background values in Zhenjiang; (2) The CF and EF indicated that Cd had a high contamination degree and a significant enrichment compare to others investigated metals in the surface sediment of in this research area. (3) Cd posed moderate, considerable, or very high ecological risks in different sites, while the other elements (i.e., Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn) presented a low degree of ecological risk. (4) Multivariate statistical analyses results indicated Pb, Cu, and Zn had similar geochemical characteristics, while, Cd and Cr had significant differences with the above elements. Therefore, Pb, Cu, and Zn probably originate from the same sources, while Cd and Cr might have mixed sources, including both natural sources and human activities. Overall, more attention should be paid to Cd for risk assessment in the current study area. The findings of this study provide fundamental information for the evaluation and management of the heavy metals investigated in the freshwater ecosystem of Zhenjiang.
Coculture engineering for efficient production of vanillyl alcohol in Escherichia coli
Authors: Yang Meichen , Meng Hao , Li Xianglai , Wang Jia , Shen Xiaolin , Sun Xinxiao , Yuan Qipeng
Published: September 2022

Vanillyl alcohol is a precursor of vanillin, which is one of the most widely used flavor compounds. Currently, vanillyl alcohol biosynthesis still encounters the problem of low efficiency. In this study, coculture engineering was adopted to improve production efficiency of vanillyl alcohol in E. coli. First, two pathways were compared for biosynthesis of the immediate precursor 3, 4-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol in monocultures, and the 3-dehydroshikimate-derived pathway showed higher efficiency than the 4-hydroxybenzoate-derived pathway. To enhance the efficiency of the last methylation step, two strategies were used, and strengthening S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) regeneration showed positive effect while strengthening SAM biosynthesis showed negative effect. Then, the optimized pathway was assembled in a single cell. However, the biosynthetic efficiency was still low, and was not significantly improved by modular optimization of pathway genes. Thus, coculturing engineering strategy was adopted. At the optimal inoculation ratio, the titer reached 328.9 mg/L. Further, gene aroE was knocked out to reduce cell growth and improve 3,4-DHBA biosynthesis of the upstream strain. As a result, the titer was improved to 559.4 mg/L in shake flasks and to 3.89 g/L in fed-batch fermentation. These are the highest reported titers of vanillyl alcohol so far. This work provides an effective strategy for sustainable production of vanillyl alcohol.
Deglobalizing the Global History of Europe
Authors: Sawyer Stephen W.
Published: September 2022

This article argues that recent global histories of Europe represent just one quite specific mode of global awareness in a long history of European global historical and social scientific consciousness. There is no doubt that our understanding of the European past would be more than ill-served by misplaced isolationism or the simple rejection of the massive scientific gains made by global history. Yet recent shifts in the structures, technologies, and modes of the globalization inherited from the post-Cold War world push us to reconsider how that global interconnectedness was achieved. European history after our most recent “global turn” must take into account previous modes of global consciousness and examine how globalization itself has been shaped by this knowledge. Indeed, past understanding of global interconnectedness did not necessarily lead to more open borders, increased interdependency, or growing cultural fluidity. Dis-integrating and downscaling modes of social organization were invented and reinvigorated in response to perceived global forces. There were also conscious attempts to channel the fruits and accumulations of global processes based on an awareness of their potentially enriching and destabilizing impact. These efforts to take control of globalization did not stop it, but they did give it a specific shape in particular moments. As a case in point, the article argues that the half-century following the French Revolution witnessed what might be called a deglobalizing globalization: a moment when the global integration that many considered responsible for the upheaval of the Revolution certainly did not stop, but was redirected in the service of a sovereign nation through the birth of new modes of social science and history writing.
Application of offset estimator of differential entropy and mutual information with multivariate data
Authors: Marín-Franch Iván , Sanz-Sabater Martín , Foster David H.
Published: September 2022

Numerical estimators of differential entropy and mutual information can be slow to converge as sample size increases. The offset Kozachenko–Leonenko (KLo) method described here implements an offset version of the Kozachenko–Leonenko estimator that can markedly improve convergence. Its use is illustrated in applications to the comparison of trivariate data from successive scene color images and the comparison of univariate data from stereophonic music tracks. Publicly available code for KLo estimation of both differential entropy and mutual information is provided for R, Python, and MATLAB computing environments at https://github.com/imarinfr/klo.
How sample bias affects the assessment of wine investment returns
Authors: Breeden Joseph L.
Published: September 2022

Wine investment returns can come from overall market trends or price increases with age. Because of the short wine price histories available, market and maturation effects are difficult to separate. Consequently, researchers often obtain dramatically different estimates of investment returns. We find that data sample bias may be the hidden cause of the disparate estimates. In wine auction data, the sample bias refers to a shift in the distribution of which wines are traded as a function of their age. Such sample bias in panel data sampled across many different wine labels can distort the estimation of price increases versus age and consequently impact the estimation of market trends. This analysis shows that segmenting the analysis such that the data panels contain wine labels with similar trading characteristics can lead to a more stable estimation.

The analysis here looks at data from Bordeaux, Italy, Australia, and California. An Age-Period-Cohort (APC) analysis is applied to data panels from each region. Then the data in each region is segmented by a measure of popularity in order to reduce sampling bias. Data thus segmented is then re-analyzed to demonstrate the difference in estimating price appreciation lifecycles and market trends.
Semiconductor Catch-Up Is Not Enough: Twigging the Context of China's Ambitions
Authors: Kenney Martin , Lewin Arie Y.
Published: September 2022

The extensive narrative of growth and development of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) in China by Jiang and Murmann (2022) and the discussion of Chinese strengths and weaknesses portray the remarkable progress that China has made, especially in technology relative to advances in the basic sciences. In our response, we situate their contribution in the larger context of Chinese economic growth and the challenges it faces in transforming these accomplishments into an embedded national capability to become a leading innovation economy and thereby deliver prosperity to its enormous but aging population. The contexts for the successes and weaknesses in ICT that Jiang and Murmann (2022) describe so admirably are vital for a more comprehensive understanding of their place in the overall development of China.
EVALUATION OF CERTAIN EXOTIC (1)-SERIES
Authors: CHEN MARTA NA , CHU WENCHANG
Published: September 2022

A class of exotic
$_3F_2(1)$
-series is examined by integral representations, which enables the authors to present relatively easier proofs for a few remarkable formulae. By means of the linearization method, these
$_3F_2(1)$
-series are further extended with two integer parameters. A general summation theorem is explicitly established for these extended series, and several sample summation identities are highlighted as consequences.
Coisotropic Ekeland–Hofer capacities
Authors: Jin Rongrong , Lu Guangcun
Published: September 2022

For subsets in the standard symplectic space $(\mathbb {R}^{2n},\omega _0)$ whose closures are intersecting with coisotropic subspace $\mathbb {R}^{n,k}$ we construct relative versions of the Ekeland–Hofer capacities of the subsets with respect to $\mathbb {R}^{n,k}$, establish representation formulas for such capacities of bounded convex domains intersecting with $\mathbb {R}^{n,k}$. We also prove a product formula and a fact that the value of this capacity on a hypersurface $\mathcal {S}$ of restricted contact type containing the origin is equal to the action of a generalized leafwise chord on $\mathcal {S}$.
WHEN IS A COMPLETION OF THE UNIVERSAL ENVELOPING ALGEBRA A BANACH PI-ALGEBRA?
Authors: ARISTOV O. YU.
Published: September 2022

We prove that a Banach algebraBthat is a completion of the universal enveloping algebra of a finite-dimensional complex Lie algebra$\mathfrak {g}$satisfies a polynomial identity if and only if the nilpotent radical$\mathfrak {n}$of$\mathfrak {g}$is associatively nilpotent inB. Furthermore, this holds if and only if a certain polynomial growth condition is satisfied on$\mathfrak {n}$.
Beyond words: Going off script in Theravada Southeast Asia
Authors: Edwards Penny
Published: September 2022

Accounts of Buddhism in Thailand, Burma and Cambodia offer detailed descriptions of ‘the power attributed to inscribed amulets, tattoos, and related forms of writing’ (p. 8). But earlier scholarship on Southeast Asia ‘often looked down on non-literary uses of script’, treating it as either a ‘non-Buddhist “cultural” accretion or the ignoble trappings of popular superstition’ (p. 8). Such judgements were based on an idealised conception of Buddhism that focused on canonical scripture, and congealed under colonial rule. Where Richard Fox finds a fruitful ‘indeterminacy’ in theaksaraof Bali, colonial scholarship tended towards overdetermination, creating a rigid hierarchy of Buddhist scriptural forms. Pali, the language in which generations of monks had chanted, thought and wrote, was deemed ‘less than’ Sanskrit, but ‘more than’ the plethora of indigenous languages of the region.
The protective power of ‘wearing letters’ and ‘attiring texts’ in eighteenth-century Bali
Authors: McGowan Kaja M.
Published: September 2022

When confronted with Hindu and Islamic script-bearing objects in Southeast Asia, I often find myself asking ‘What is a text?’ Such dynamic objects are often believed to be imbued with life and to partner with humans and other sentient beings in ritual exchanges, particularly where protection is required. This question has deeply informed my own work so, when reading Richard Fox's More than words: Transforming script, agency, and collective life in Bali (Cornell University Press, 2018), I felt I was in the presence of a like-minded scholar whose interests resonate with my own. It is an honour then to contribute to this collection of essays celebrating Fox's important book for the Journal of Southeast Asian Studies.
Balinese concepts of letters in a Burmese context
Authors: Patton Thomas Nathan
Published: September 2022

Over the years of studying the magical powers of words in the Burmese Buddhist context, I spent much of my research on the inner workings of the letter and phrase combinations and how the correct construction, combination and usage of these words, known in Burmese asinn,aing, andsamamade for a potent prophylactic against a host of maladies. So focused had I been on the words that I had not taken the time to consider the individual letters, in and of themselves, before they went on to be combined into esoteric phrases and diagrams. Moreover, I had devoted my research to examining the ways Burmese words were predominantly seen to protect, purify, and even attack, but had never considered other ways in which letters may ‘do’ things, as Fox points out: namely, ‘represent cultural identity’; ‘embody and transmit knowledge’; ‘animate and enable’; ‘render things usable and so nameable’; ‘turn on their user’; and ‘both incur and pay debts’. While I cannot address each of these points in this short essay, I would like to discuss how Fox's book helped me to discover new ways of interpreting how letters and words may transfer their powers to people and things (‘embody and transmit knowledge’), as well as encouraging me to look into concepts of how, and if, letters can be considered ‘alive’ (‘animate and enable’) in the Burmese context.
Mario Vargas Llosa versus Barbarism
Authors: De Castro Juan E.
Published: September 2022

This article studies how the Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa and, more generally, neoliberalism rearticulate the opposition between civilization and barbarism, and the vision of the world that underlies it. During a time in which many intellectuals have embraced a relativistic notion of culture that makes judgment problematic, neoliberals embrace this clear-cut value hierarchy with complete abandonment. In fact, one cannot but be surprised by the ease with which Vargas Llosa makes pronouncements based on the identification of individuals, groups, and political movements with either civilization or barbarism. However, the fact is that his reference to this dichotomy differs substantially from its nineteenth-century version and its colonial precedents. The implicitly racial hierarchization proposed by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and other nineteenth-century thinkers has been replaced in Vargas Llosa's writings by one based on cultural and social values.
Electoral Revolution or Democratic Alternation?
Authors: Murillo María Victoria , Oliveros Virginia , Vaishnav Milan
Published: September 2022

Over the past few years, a burgeoning literature on Latin American politics has developed, focusing on explanations for the renewed success of the left in the region. Building on electoral trends and public opinion analysis, we argue that the region is experiencing the normalization of democratic politics rather than a backlash or a revolution. Furthermore, we believe that electoral support for the left reflects the disenchantment of voters with underperforming right-wing governments. Using a unique data set covering eighteen countries in the region, our statistical analyses demonstrate that retrospective voting provides a powerful explanation of the recent electoral success of the left in Latin America. Thus, the central implication of our argument is that electoral accountability is still the primary mechanism of controlling the executive in the region's young democracies.
Feeling disabled: Vowel quality and assistive hearing devices in embodying affect
Authors: Wan Tsung-Lun Alan , Hall-Lew Lauren , Cowie Claire
Published: September 2022

Previous research has proposed that phonetic variation may index affect prior to indexing other social meanings. This study explores whether the affective indexicality of vowels identified in previous studies can also be observed among deaf or hard-of-hearing speakers, in this case, speakers of Taiwan Mandarin. The results suggest that /i/ backing is invoked to signal negative affect. This study also demonstrates how assistive devices like hearing aids and cochlear implants can be considered semiotic resources. For deaf or hard-of-hearing speakers, assistive hearing devices enter into a process of bricolage with linguistic and other symbolic resources, generating new potentials for the embodiment of affect. (Affect, iconicity, Taiwan Mandarin, embodied sociolinguistics, deafness)*
Small non-Leighton two-complexes
Authors: DERGACHEVA NATALIA S. , KLYACHKO ANTON A.
Published: September 2022

How many 2-cells must two finite CW-complexes have to admit a common, but not finite common, covering? Leighton’s theorem says that both complexes must have 2-cells. We construct an almost (?) minimal example with two 2-cells in each complex.
A self-report assessment of appearance-related safety behaviours: Development and psychometric properties
Authors: Patel Tapan A. , Stewart Rochelle A. , Summers Berta J. , Wilver Natalie L. , Cougle Jesse R.
Published: September 2022

Background:

Individuals with appearance concerns may engage in maladaptive appearance-related safety behaviours aimed at checking, hiding or fixing perceived flaws in their appearance.

Aims:

This investigation examined the psychometric properties of a newly developed measure of appearance-related safety behaviours across three different studies.

Method:

The first two studies utilized exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, respectively, to understand the factor structure of the measure. The final version of the Appearance-Related Safety Behavior Scale (ARSB) consisted of 13 items and two subscales related to behavioural avoidance and appearance maintenance.

Results:

Number of appearance-related safety behaviours was positively associated with body dysmorphic disorder symptomology and functional impairment, as well as social anxiety and eating disorder symptoms. The measure also demonstrated convergent validity with other appearance-related measures. Scores on the ARSB also predicted performance on an appearance-related behavioural task (time spent fixing appearance prior to having a picture taken). The third study found that scores on the ARSB were higher in a body dysmorphic disorder sample compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, change in scores on the ARSB was correlated with change in body dysmorphic disorder symptoms and impairment in a treatment study for body dysmorphic disorder.

Conclusions:

Clinical implications and potential uses of the measure as a clinical and research tool are discussed.
A neuropsychologically based employment intervention for women with multiple sclerosis: A quasi-randomized controlled trial
Authors: Stimmel Marnina B. , Cohen Jenna N. , Seng Elizabeth K. , Shagalow Shaina , Foley Frederick W.
Published: September 2022

Objective:

Job loss is common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and frequently associated with depression, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. Identifying these modifiable risk factors and providing “at-risk” women with a neuropsychologically-based intervention may improve employment outcomes. Our study seeks to investigate the utility of a neuropsychologically-based intervention with varying levels of treatment and follow-up, and evaluate treatment and employment outcomes among groups.

Method:

In this longitudinal, quasi-randomized controlled trial, employed women with MS meeting criteria on screening measures were considered “at-risk” for job instability and randomized to one of two neuropsychological testing interventions (standard-care group received testing and phone feedback of results and recommendations; experimental group received testing and in-person feedback with subsequent care-coordinator calls from a nurse to help coordinate recommendation completion). Participants who did not meet criteria were considered “low-risk” and only followed over time.

Results:

56 women in the treatment groups (standard-care = 23; experimental = 33) and 63 women in the follow-only group were analyzed at 1 year. Rates of decreased employment were similar between standard-care (17.4%) and experimental (21.2%) groups (OR = .782, 95% CI .200–3.057). However, the experimental group completed significantly more treatment recommendations, t(53) = −3.237, p = .002. Rates of decreased employment were also similar between the “low-risk” (17.5%) and “at-risk” groups (19.6%), (OR = .721, 95% CI .285–1.826).

Conclusion:

Employment outcomes were similar at 1 year between treatment groups receiving differing levels of a neuropsychologically-based intervention, however treatment adherence significantly improved in the experimental group. Treatment groups also had similar employment outcomes as compared to a “low-risk,” no intervention group, suggesting that engaging in either neuropsychological intervention may have impacted job stability.
Reduplicative paramnesia as an atypical form of presentation of a Heidenhain variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: A case report
Authors: Martinez-Horta Saul , Marzal-Espí Clara Naima , Cusó-García Silvia , Aracil-Bolaños Ignacio , Kulisevsky Jaime
Published: September 2022

A previously healthy woman began to present recurrent episodes of reduplicative paramnesia within her home and later structured visual hallucinations. The case was initially oriented as an incipient vascular dementia. Detailed anamnesis and neuropsychological examination suggested a rapidly progressive pattern of neuropsychological deficits mostly attributable to parieto-occipital disturbances with some component of fronto-temporal involvement. Subsequently, cerebellar symptoms were added. Although the initial imaging studies were inconclusive, the MRI performed during follow-up showed a series of findings compatible with a prion disease. Based on the neuropsychological and clinical features and the imaging pattern, the diagnosis of Heidenhain Variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was established. This is the first report of a Heidenhain Variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease presenting as a reduplicative paramnesia as the first manifestation of this disease.
Comparative Studies on Local Barrier Field Variations Above Field-Adsorbed Helium and Neon with a Micro-Probe Hole Field Ion Microscope
Authors: Ohta Yasushi , Kobayashi Ataru
Published: September 2022

The local field ion emission properties of helium and neon around a step edge atom of W(112) were examined at liquid nitrogen temperature using a micro-probe hole field ion microscope combined with a pulse-counting analysis. We have analyzed the mapped field ion densities obtained for both imaging gas atoms at their respective best local image voltages based on the formula for tunneling barrier strength and have evaluated the dipole moment of polarized adatom as well as the local field enhancement factor at the adatom site. We found that the dipole moments of helium and neon adatoms showed the same value, although the best local image field acting on the helium adatom is much higher than that on the neon adatom. We also found the same magnitude of local field enhancement factors for both noble gas field adsorptions. These results imply that the key to the best local image condition is the tunneling barrier field variations above the adatom. The vital role of the imaging gas atoms is to form an optimum dipole moment to create an ideal electric field distribution for the best local image appearance at each atom site depending on the different chemical nature of adatom species.
Das Multidimensionale Düsseldorfer Trauminventar (MDTI)
Authors: Pietrowsky Reinhard , Schmitz Annett , Zink Nicolas , Gieselmann Annika
Published: September 2022

Zusammenfassung. Vorgestellt wird die Entwicklung und testpsychologische Evaluation des Multidimensionalen Düsseldorfer Trauminventars (MDTI), eines Fragebogens zur Erfassung des Traumerlebens unabhängig vom Trauminhalt. Dazu wurde eine Vorläuferversion, das Düsseldorfer Trauminventar (DTI; 51 Items), einer Stichprobe aus N = 715 vorgelegt, welche über E-Mail-Verteiler an Universitäten, sozialen Netzwerke sowie Medizin- und Traumforen rekrutiert und zu einem digitalen Fragebogenformular weitergeleitet wurden. Die Stichprobe bestand aus n = 444 weiblichen (62 %) und n = 270 männlichen (38 %) Teilnehmenden. Ihr Alter lag zwischen 15 und 73 Jahren. Das mittlere Alter betrug M = 30.03 Jahre ( SD = 10.36). Die Items wurden einer Hauptkomponentenanalyse mit obliquer Rotation unterzogen, um anschließend die reliabelsten und validesten Items herauszufiltern. Die Faktorenanalyse ergab eine eindeutige 5-faktorielle Struktur des Fragebogens mit sehr guten Reliabilitäten der Subskalen. Die verbliebenen 27 Items bilden nun die 5 Skalen des als Multidimensionales Düsseldorfer Trauminventar (MDTI) bezeichneten Fragebogens: (1) Inkorporation von Tagesereignissen, (2) Angenehme Trauminhalte, (3) Traumerinnerung, (4) Aversive Trauminhalte und (5) Persönliche Bedeutsamkeit der Träume. Mit dem MDTI ist es möglich, das Traumerleben unabhängig vom Trauminhalt zu erfassen.
Role of Water Vapor Modulation From Multiple Pathways in the Occurrence of a Record‐Breaking Heavy Rainfall Event in China in 2021
Authors: Gao Zhiqiu , Zhang Jianbin , Yu Miao , Liu Zhizhao , Yin Ruoying , Zhou Shaohui , Zong Lian , Ning Guicai , Xu Xiaoze , Guo Yunqian , Wei Han , Yang Yuanjian
Published: September 2022

Extreme torrential rainfall events are low‐probability events. A “China‐Record Extremely Heavy Rainfall” (CREHR) event with rain rate of 201.9 mm/hr occurred on 20 July in Zhengzhou in North China. Using high‐density meteorological observations, ERA5 reanalysis data, remote sensing data from China's FY‐4A satellite, and numerical simulation, we revealed that sufficient warm–humid airflows were continuously transported to the Zhengzhou area via multiple pathways that were mainly modulated by the large‐scale western Pacific subtropical high to the north along with the anomalies of the westerly belt and a meso‐scale binary typhoon system. At the local scale, under the combined action of the vertical circulation that caused low‐level convergence and high‐level divergence, and the rapid uplift of water vapor related to the blocking by mountainous terrain, this CREHR event was eventually triggered. Particularly, our present work shows the roles of both typhoon Cempaka and meso‐scale convective systems to south of Henan province can not be ignored, producing a strong super‐thick water vapor transport layer. The existence of the binary typhoon raises the level of uncertainty involved in the water vapor transport of this CREHR event.
Machine Learning Thermobarometry for Biotite‐Bearing Magmas
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , Zhang Chao
Published: September 2022

Biotite (sensu lato) is a widespread rock‐forming mineral in magmatic rocks that can be stable in a broad range of pressure and temperature, but appropriate biotite thermometers or barometers are lacking. Based on a collected experimental dataset (n = 839, T = 625–1,325°C, P = 1–48 kbar) containing biotites that span a wide compositional range [e.g., Mg/(Mg + Fe) = 0–1, TiO2 = 0–9 wt%], we have trained several machine learning algorithms for calibrating a biotite thermobarometer. Our evaluation on model performance reveals that the thermobarometry derived from extremely randomized trees is the best option, which returns coefficients of determination (R2) ≥0.97 for estimating both temperature and pressure using either biotite‐only or biotite + melt model. The model reliability were evaluated using three different approaches for the biotite‐only and biotite + melt thermobarometers respectively, including Monte Carlo cross‐validation (RMSEs are 65°C and 4.7 kbar, 38°C and 3.2 kbar, respectively), testing with independent test set (RMSEs are 54°C and 4.4 kbar, 35°C and 2.4 kbar, respectively), and error propagation from assumed analytical uncertainty (2*MAD are 54°C and 1.27 kbar, 10°C and 1.26 kbar, respectively). Quantified relative importance of involved components in the thermobarometers supports an intrinsic control of thermodynamics in the stability of biotite as a function of pressure and temperature. We applied the new biotite thermobarometer for biotite‐bearing andesitic, phonolitic and rhyolitic volcanic systems provide reliable constraints of temperature and pressure for magma storage, ascent, and evolution. We also offer a user‐friendly webpage for online performance of the thermobarometers (https://lixiaoyan.shinyapps.io/Biotite_thermobarometer/).
Precursory Off‐Fault Deformation in Restraining and Releasing Step Overs: Insights From Discrete Element Method Models
Authors: McBeck J. A. , Ben‐Zion Y. , Zhou X. , Renard F.
Published: September 2022

Accelerating geophysical activity is detected preceding some, but not all, large earthquakes. This observation may indicate that no precursors occur before some earthquakes, or that the instrumentation lacks the required sensitivity. To aid crustal monitoring efforts, we use discrete element method models to identify the locations and styles of deformation that may provide useful information about approaching fault reactivation. We model the reactivation of two healed rough faults in a variety of step over configurations, embedded in a host rock with varying amounts of damage subject to shear velocity loading parallel to the faults. Both the fault geometry and ratio of fault to host rock strength control the amount of off‐fault deformation. Consistent with field observations, models with larger steps and more preexisting host rock damage produce higher amounts of off‐fault deformation. We assess the size of the continuous regions of high velocities and strains to compare the value of the precursory information of each velocity and strain component. Comparing the three components of the velocity vector suggests that the fault‐parallel velocity produces the largest and most temporally continuous regions of elevated velocity. The size of these regions increases toward failure, indicating the usefulness of tracking this component. Comparing the volumetric and shear components of the three‐dimensional strain tensor suggests that during most of the interseismic period, the shear strain provides more information about approaching fault slip than the volumetric strain. However, in the days and months preceding fault reactivation, both the shear and volumetric strains provide similarly valuable information.
Brittle Creep and Failure: A Reformulation of the Wing Crack Model
Authors: Bernabé Yves , Pec Matej
Published: September 2022

We propose a reformulation of the wing crack model of brittle creep and failure. Experimental studies suggest that the mechanical interactions of sliding and tensile wing cracks are complex, involving formation, growth, and coalescence of multiple tensile, shear and mixed‐mode cracks. Inspired by studies of failure in granular media, we propose that these complex mechanical interactions lead to the formation of micro shear‐bands, which, in turn, develop longer wing cracks and interact with a wider volume of rock to produce larger shear bands. This process is assumed to indefinitely continue at greater scales. We assume that the original wing crack formalism is applicable to micro shear‐band formation, with the difference that the half‐length, a, of the characteristic micro shear band is allowed to increase with wing crack growth. In this approach, the functional relationship of a with the wing crack length l embodies the entire process of shear band formation, growth and interaction with other shear bands and flaws. We found that the function a(l)/a(0) = 1 + (l/λ)q, where λ and q are constant parameters, generated creep curves consistent with published creep data of rocks. Similar accord was also obtained with experimental brittle failure data. Furthermore, we found that the Mohr‐Coulomb behavior emerged from our model, allowing estimation of the cohesion and angle of internal friction in materials for which λ and q are independently known.
How nature nurtures: Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a one-hour walk in nature
Authors: Sudimac Sonja , Sale Vera , Kühn Simone
Published: September 2022

Since living in cities is associated with an increased risk for mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression, and schizophrenia, it is essential to understand how exposure to urban and natural environments affects mental health and the brain. It has been shown that the amygdala is more activated during a stress task in urban compared to rural dwellers. However, no study so far has examined the causal effects of natural and urban environments on stress-related brain mechanisms. To address this question, we conducted an intervention study to investigate changes in stress-related brain regions as an effect of a one-hour walk in an urban (busy street) vs. natural environment (forest). Brain activation was measured in 63 healthy participants, before and after the walk, using a fearful faces task and a social stress task. Our findings reveal that amygdala activation decreases after the walk in nature, whereas it remains stable after the walk in an urban environment. These results suggest that going for a walk in nature can have salutogenic effects on stress-related brain regions, and consequently, it may act as a preventive measure against mental strain and potentially disease. Given rapidly increasing urbanization, the present results may influence urban planning to create more accessible green areas and to adapt urban environments in a way that will be beneficial for citizens’ mental health.
Targeted demethylation at ZNF154 promotor upregulates ZNF154 expression and inhibits the proliferation and migration of Esophageal Squamous Carcinoma cells
Authors: He Wenting , Lin Shiyong , Guo Yi , Wu Yuanzhong , Zhang Lu-Lu , Deng Qiling , Du Zi-Ming , Wei Mingbiao , Zhu Weijie , Chen Wan-Juan , Shao Jian-Yong , Xu Guo-Liang
Published: September 2022

Zinc finger protein 154 (ZNF154) is hypermethylated at the promoter in many epithelial-derived solid tumors. However, its methylation status and function in esophageal squamous carcinoma (ESCC) are poorly understood. We found that the ZNF154 promoter is hypermethylated in ESCC and portends poor prognosis. In addition, ZNF154 functions as a tumor suppressor gene (TSG) in ESCC, and is downregulated by promoter hypermethylation. We established a targeted demethylation strategy based on CRISPR/dCas9 technology and found that the hypermethylation of ZNF154 promoter repressed ZNF154 induction, which in turn promoted the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Finally, high-throughput CUT&Tag analysis, GEPIA software and qPCR were used to revealed the role of ZNF154 as a transcription factor to upregulate the expression of ESCC-associated tumor suppressor genes. Taken together, hypermethylation of the ZNF154 promoter plays an important role in the development of ESCC, and epigenetic editing is a promising tool for inhibiting ESCC cells with aberrant DNA methylation.
Ten years of dynamic consent in the CHRIS study: informed consent as a dynamic process
Authors: Mascalzoni Deborah , Melotti Roberto , Pattaro Cristian , Pramstaller Peter Paul , Gögele Martin , De Grandi Alessandro , Biasiotto Roberta
Published: September 2022

The Cooperative Health Research in South Tyrol (CHRIS) is a longitudinal study in Northern Italy, using dynamic consent since its inception in 2011. The CHRIS study collects health data and biosamples for research, and foresees regular follow-ups over time. We describe the experience with the CHRIS study dynamic consent, providing an overview of its conceptualization and implementation, and of the participant-centered strategies used to assess and improve the process, directly linked to participation and communication. In order to comply with high ethical standards and to allow broadness in the areas of research, CHRIS dynamic consent was conceived as an interactive process: based on a strong governance and an ongoing tailored communication with participants, it aims to promote autonomy and to develop a trust-based engaged relationship with participants, also relevant for retention. Built within an online platform, the consent allows granular choices, which can be changed over time. In a process of co-production, participants views have been investigated and kept into account in policy development. Participants showed a high degree of participation, thus enabling the consolidation of the CHRIS resources. Even though a low change rate was reported in the baseline, participants valued the possibility of changing their informed consent choices. Communication (language-tailored, ongoing, multimedia) was important for participants, and for participation and retention. In our experience, dynamic consent was proven to be a flexible consent model, which allowed to meet ethical and legal standards for participation in research, and to accommodate participants’ and researchers’ needs.
Rapid retreat of Thwaites Glacier in the pre-satellite era
Authors: Graham Alastair G. C. , Wåhlin Anna , Hogan Kelly A. , Nitsche Frank O. , Heywood Karen J. , Totten Rebecca L. , Smith James A. , Hillenbrand Claus-Dieter , Simkins Lauren M. , Anderson John B. , Wellner Julia S. , Larter Robert D.
Published: September 2022

Understanding the recent history of Thwaites Glacier, and the processes controlling its ongoing retreat, is key to projecting Antarctic contributions to future sea-level rise. Of particular concern is how the glacier grounding zone might evolve over coming decades where it is stabilized by sea-floor bathymetric highs. Here we use geophysical data from an autonomous underwater vehicle deployed at the Thwaites Glacier ice front, to document the ocean-floor imprint of past retreat from a sea-bed promontory. We show patterns of back-stepping sedimentary ridges formed daily by a mechanism of tidal lifting and settling at the grounding line at a time when Thwaites Glacier was more advanced than it is today. Over a duration of 5.5 months, Thwaites grounding zone retreated at a rate of >2.1 km per year—twice the rate observed by satellite at the fastest retreating part of the grounding zone between 2011 and 2019. Our results suggest that sustained pulses of rapid retreat have occurred at Thwaites Glacier in the past two centuries. Similar rapid retreat pulses are likely to occur in the near future when the grounding zone migrates back off stabilizing high points on the sea floor.
Colonization dynamics of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales in the gut of Malawian adults
Authors: Lewis Joseph M. , Mphasa Madalitso , Banda Rachel , Beale Mathew A. , Heinz Eva , Mallewa Jane , Jewell Christopher , Faragher Brian , Thomson Nicholas R. , Feasey Nicholas A.
Published: September 2022

Drug-resistant bacteria of the order Enterobacterales which produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamase enzymes (ESBL-Enterobacterales, ESBL-E) are global priority pathogens. Antimicrobial stewardship interventions proposed to curb their spread include shorter courses of antimicrobials to reduce selection pressure but individual-level acquisition and selection dynamics are poorly understood. We sampled stool of 425 adults (aged 16–76 years) in Blantyre, Malawi, over 6 months and used multistate modelling and whole-genome sequencing to understand colonization dynamics of ESBL-E. Models suggest a prolonged effect of antimicrobials such that truncating an antimicrobial course at 2 days has a limited effect in reducing colonization. Genomic analysis shows largely indistinguishable diversity of healthcare-associated and community-acquired isolates, hence some apparent acquisition of ESBL-E during hospitalization may instead represent selection from a patient’s microbiota by antimicrobial exposure. Our approach could help guide stewardship protocols; interventions that aim to review and truncate courses of unneeded antimicrobials may be of limited use in preventing ESBL-E colonization.
Single-particle cryo-EM structures from iDPC–STEM at near-atomic resolution
Authors: Lazić Ivan , Wirix Maarten , Leidl Max Leo , de Haas Felix , Mann Daniel , Beckers Maximilian , Pechnikova Evgeniya V. , Müller-Caspary Knut , Egoavil Ricardo , Bosch Eric G. T. , Sachse Carsten
Published: September 2022

In electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM), molecular images of vitrified biological samples are obtained by conventional transmission microscopy (CTEM) using large underfocuses and subsequently computationally combined into a high-resolution three-dimensional structure. Here, we apply scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) using the integrated differential phase contrast mode also known as iDPC–STEM to two cryo-EM test specimens, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The micrographs show complete contrast transfer to high resolution and enable the cryo-EM structure determination for KLH at 6.5 Å resolution, as well as for TMV at 3.5 Å resolution using single-particle reconstruction methods, which share identical features with maps obtained by CTEM of a previously acquired same-sized TMV data set. These data show that STEM imaging in general, and in particular the iDPC–STEM approach, can be applied to vitrified single-particle specimens to determine near-atomic resolution cryo-EM structures of biological macromolecules.
Theoretical investigation of hybrid nanomaterials transient flow through variable feature of Darcy–Forchheimer space with exponential heat source and slip condition
Authors: Ullah Ikram , Alajlani Yahya , Pasha Amjad Ali , Adil Mohammad , Weera Wajaree
Published: September 2022

Nanomaterials have achieved remarkable importance in cooling small electronic gadgets like akin and microchips devices. The role of nanoparticles is essential in various aspects, especially in biomedical engineering. Thus hybrid nanomaterials is introduced to strengthen the heat exchangers' performance. In view of the above practical and existing applications of nanomaterials. Our aim is to examine the consequences of Darcy–Forchheimer's radiative and Hall current flow of nanomaterials over a rotating porous disk with variable characteristics. Stretching disk accounting for the slip condition. Nanoparticles ZnO and CoF2O4 are dispersed in based fluid water. The present model is utilized for thermo-physical attributes of hybrid nanomaterials with the impact of shape factor. Transformations convert the modeled PDEs into ODEs. The obtained highly non-linear system is tackled numerically by the NDSolve technique through the software Mathematica. The outcomes of significant variables against different profiles are executed and elaborated in detail. Obtained results show that both nano and hybrid nanofluid radial velocity have reverse behavior against variable porosity and permeability parameters, whereas it decays for larger Forchheimer numbers. Further, it is worthy to point out that, hybrid nanophase has a higher impact on distinct profiles when compared with nano and common liquid phases.
Highly time-resolved 4D MR angiography using golden-angle radial sparse parallel (GRASP) MRI
Authors: Goldman-Yassen Adam E. , Raz Eytan , Borja Maria J. , Chen Duan , Derman Anna , Dogra Siddhant , Block Kai Tobias , Dehkharghani Seena
Published: September 2022

Current dynamic MRA techniques are limited by temporal resolution and signal-to-noise penalties. GRASP, a fast and flexible MRI technique combining compressed-sensing, parallel imaging, and golden-angle radial sampling, acquires volumetric data continuously and can be reconstructed post hoc for user-defined applications. We describe a custom pipeline to retrospectively reconstruct ultrahigh temporal resolution, dynamic MRA from GRASP imaging obtained in the course of routine practice. GRASP scans were reconstructed using a custom implementation of the GRASP algorithm and post-processed with MeVisLab (MeVis Medical Solutions AG, Germany). Twenty consecutive examinations were scored by three neuroradiologists for angiographic quality of specific vascular segments and imaging artifacts using a 4-point scale. Unsubtracted images, baseline-subtracted images, and a temporal gradient dataset were available in 2D and 3D reconstructions. Distinct arterial and capillary phases were identified in all reconstructions, with a median of 2 frames (IQR1-3 and 2–3, respectively). Median rating for vascular segments was 3 (excellent) in all reconstructions and for nearly all segments, with excellent intraclass correlation (range 0.91–1.00). No cases were degraded by artifacts. GRASP-MRI obtained in routine practice can be seamlessly repurposed to produce high quality 4D MRA with 1–2-s resolved isotropic cerebrovascular angiography. Further exploration into diagnostic accuracy in disease-specific applications is warranted.
Anatomical network analyses reveal evolutionary integration and modularity in the lizards skull
Authors: Asakura Yuya , Kawabe Soichiro
Published: September 2022

The morphology of lizard skulls is highly diverse, and it is crucial to understand the factors that constrain and promote their evolution to understand how lizards thrive. The results of interactions between cranial bones reflecting these factors can be detected as integration and modularity, and the analysis of integration and modularity allows us to explore the underlying factors. In this study, the integration and modularity of the skulls of lizards and the outgroup tuatara are analyzed using a new method, Anatomical Network Analysis (AnNA), and the factors causing lizards morphological diversity are investigated by comparing them. The comparison of modular structures shows that lizard skulls have high integration and anisomerism, some differences but basically common modular patterns. In contrast, the tuatara shows a different modular pattern from lizards. In addition, the presence of the postorbital bar by jugal and postorbital (postorbitofrontal) also reflect various functional factors by maintaining low integration. The maintenance of basic structures due to basic functional requirements and changes in integration within the modules play a significant role in increasing the morphological diversity of the lizard skull and in the prosperity of the lizards.