bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A spatially-dependent fragmentation process
Authors: Callegaro Alice , Roberts Matthew I.
Published: October 2024

We define a fragmentation process which involves rectangles breaking up into progressively smaller pieces at rates that depend on their shape. Long, thin rectangles are more likely to break quickly, whereas squares break more slowly. Each rectangle is also more likely to split along its longest side. We are interested in how the system evolves over time: how many fragments are there of different shapes and sizes, and how did they reach that state? Using a standard transformation this fragmentation process with shape-dependent rates is equivalent to a two-dimensional branching random walk in continuous time in which the branching rate and the direction of each jump depend on the particles’ position. Our main theorem gives an almost sure growth rate along paths for the number of particles in the branching random walk, which in turn gives the number of fragments with a fixed shape as the solution to an optimisation problem. This is a result of interest in the context of spatial branching systems and provides an example of a multitype branching process with a continuum of types.
Variable habitat use supports fine-scale population differentiation of a freshwater piscivore (northern pike, Esox lucius) along salinity gradients in brackish lagoons
Authors: Rittweg Timo D. , Trueman Clive , Wiedenbeck Michael , Fietzke Jan , Wolter Christian , Talluto Lauren , Dennenmoser Stefan , Nolte Arne , Arlinghaus Robert
Published: October 2024

In mobile animals, selection pressures resulting from spatio-temporally varying ecological factors often drive adaptations in migration behavior and associated physiological phenotypes. These adaptations may manifest in ecologically and genetically distinct ecotypes within populations. We studied a meta-population of northern pike (Esox lucius) in brackish environments and examined intrapopulation divergence along environmental gradients. Behavioral phenotypes in habitat use were characterized via otolith microchemistry in 120 individuals sampled from brackish lagoons and adjacent freshwater tributaries. We genotyped 1514 individual pike at 33 highly informative genetic markers. The relationship between behavioral phenotype and genotype was examined in a subset of 101 pikes for which both phenotypic and genomic data were available. Thermosaline differences between juvenile and adult life stages indicated ontogenetic shifts from warm, low-saline early habitats towards colder, higher-saline adult habitats. Four behavioral phenotypes were found: Freshwater residents, anadromous, brackish residents, and cross-habitat individuals, the latter showing intermediary habitat use between brackish and freshwater areas. Underlying the behavioral phenotypes were four genotypes, putative freshwater, putative anadromous, and two putatively brackish genotypes. Through phenotype-genotype matching, three ecotypes were identified: (i) a brackish resident ecotype, (ii) a freshwater ecotype expressing freshwater residency or anadromy, and (iii) a previously undescribed intermediary cross-habitat ecotype adapted to intermediate salinities, showing limited reliance on freshwater. Life-time growth of all ecotypes was similar, suggesting comparable fitness. By combining genetic data with lifelong habitat use and growth as a fitness surrogate, our study revealed strong differentiation in response to abiotic environmental gradients, primarily salinity, indicating ecotype diversity in coastal northern pike is higher than previously believed.

Graphical abstract
Concordance between late effects reported by physicians and patients in a cohort of long-term Hodgkin lymphoma survivors: an analysis of data from nine consecutive EORTC-LYSA trials
Authors: Juul Sidsel J. , Rossetti Sára , Aleman Berthe M. P. , van Leeuwen Flora E. , van der Kaaij Marleen A. E. , Giusti Francesco , Meijnders Paul , Raemaekers John M. M. , Kluin-Nelemans Hanneke C. , Spina Michele , Krzisch Daphne , Bigenwald Camille , Stamatoullas Aspasia , André Marc , Plattel Wouter J. , Hutchings Martin , Maraldo Maja V.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Studies looking into the concordance between late effects reported by physicians vs. those reported by Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors are missing.

Methods

A Life Situation Questionnaire focusing on late effects collected data from 1230 HL survivors (median follow-up 14.3 years). Twenty-six disease- and treatment-related late effects from various organ systems were matched with physician-recorded data. The concordance between physicians and survivors was systematically evaluated using percentage agreement and kappa statistics. Potential non-responder biases and associations with patient and disease characteristics were also investigated.

Results

Agreement levels (indicated by kappa statistics) varied from none to moderate agreement, with the highest Kappa values observed for myocardial infarction (kappa = 0.55, 95% CI 0.43–0.66) and pulmonary embolism (kappa = 0.55, 95% CI 0.35–0.75). HL survivors consistently reported a higher prevalence of late effects compared with physicians. Notably, the prevalence of subjective symptoms such as persistent fatigue and xerostomia was repeatedly underreported by physicians. A trend towards higher concordance was observed in survivors with higher clinical stage, higher education level, and treatment initiated at younger ages. Additionally, findings indicated that survivors who did not respond to the questionnaire experienced fewer late effects compared to those who did respond.

Conclusions

Substantial discrepancies were noted in the reported prevalence of late effects between survivors and physicians, especially for outcomes which are not easily quantified.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

It is therefore essential to integrate outcomes reported by both physicians and survivors to achieve a comprehensive assessment of the long-term consequences of HL treatment.
Sulfolane-Based Flame-Retardant Electrolyte for High-Voltage Sodium-Ion Batteries
Authors: He Xuanlong , Peng Jie , Lin Qingyun , Li Meng , Chen Weibin , Liu Pei , Huang Tao , Huang Zhencheng , Liu Yuying , Deng Jiaojiao , Ye Shenghua , Yang Xuming , Ren Xiangzhong , Ouyang Xiaoping , Liu Jianhong , Xiao Biwei , Hu Jiangtao , Zhang Qianling
Published: October 2024

Sodium-ion batteries hold great promise as next-generation energy storage systems. However, the high instability of the electrode/electrolyte interphase during cycling has seriously hindered the development of SIBs. In particular, an unstable cathode–electrolyte interphase (CEI) leads to successive electrolyte side reactions, transition metal leaching and rapid capacity decay, which tends to be exacerbated under high-voltage conditions. Therefore, constructing dense and stable CEIs are crucial for high-performance SIBs. This work reports localized high-concentration electrolyte by incorporating a highly oxidation-resistant sulfolane solvent with non-solvent diluent 1H, 1H, 5H-octafluoropentyl-1, 1, 2, 2-tetrafluoroethyl ether, which exhibited excellent oxidative stability and was able to form thin, dense and homogeneous CEI. The excellent CEI enabled the O3-type layered oxide cathode NaNi1/3Mn1/3Fe1/3O2 (NaNMF) to achieve stable cycling, with a capacity retention of 79.48% after 300 cycles at 1 C and 81.15% after 400 cycles at 2 C with a high charging voltage of 4.2 V. In addition, its nonflammable nature enhances the safety of SIBs. This work provides a viable pathway for the application of sulfolane-based electrolytes on SIBs and the design of next-generation high-voltage electrolytes.
Do environmental crimes contribute to air pollution? Empirical evidence and effects on health
Authors: Germani Anna Rita , Marini Giorgia , D’Amato Alessio , Ker Alan P.
Published: October 2024

This paper investigates the effect of environmental crimes on ambient air pollution in Italy, using annual provincial data over the period 2010–2016. While the impact of ambient air pollution on health has been the focus of a significant amount of literature, a nascent body of works is focusing on the impact of illegal behavior on environmental quality. Our work is ideally divided in two steps: firstly, we identify and assess empirically the potential correlation between environmental crimes and four different kinds of ambient air pollution. Secondly, we identify the health impacts that may be triggered by environmentally harmful illegal activities, through their impact on ambient air pollution, by linking them to existing contributions. Our findings suggest that the existence of such an “indirect” link may indeed be confirmed. We find that higher levels of PM2.5, PM10, and O3 concentration are associated with higher levels of environmental crimes related to forest fires and landscape violations (except for PM10 in the latter case), while NO2 concentration is not significantly associated with any environmental crime. On the other hand, we also find non-linearities in the estimated correlations. We conclude our analysis by providing a straightforward quantification of health-related impacts of ambient air pollution changes potentially triggered by criminal environmental behaviors. We hope that our findings could  contribute to a more accurate evaluation of environmental crime impacts and, subsequently, inform future criminal environmental enforcement and environmental policies.
Leveraging peer-review aspects for extractive and abstractive summarization of scientific articles
Authors: Majadly Muhammad , Last Mark
Published: October 2024

This research introduces an innovative framework that supports the peer-review process by automatically extracting the following four key aspects of a scientific paper: contribution, motivation, claims, and claims support. Leveraging these extracted aspects, we generate extractive and abstractive summaries of scientific papers. Additionally, we provide a benchmarking corpus containing 1000 aspect-related sentences extracted from 40 scientific articles, which can serve as a valuable resource for evaluating various aspect extraction methods. Experimental findings reveal that our automated aspect extraction system successfully identifies between 86 and 92% of sentences related to each aspect with precision ranging from 84 to 94%. The aspect-based extractive summaries outperformed the original paper abstracts in terms of the Rouge scores as well as in Relevance, Consistency, Fluency, and Coherence dimensions. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that by prompting the LLMs using the paper itself along with the extracted aspects, the LLM-generated summaries exhibit superior performance compared to prompting with either the paper or the abstract only.
Estimating Total Rice Biomass and Crop Yield at Field Scale Using PlanetScope Imagery Through Hybrid Machine Learning Models
Authors: Swain Kishore Chandra , Singha Chiranjit , Pradhan Biswajeet
Published: October 2024

Near real-time crop monitoring has been a challenging due to the lack of high-resolution remote sensing images suitable for agricultural applications. The PlanetScope constellation, comprising approximately 130 Dove satellites, collects images of the entire Earth daily, with a resolution of 3.7 m. The high-resolution images from the PlanetScope satellite, along with vegetation indices, geo-environmental data, and soil and crop parameters, were utilized and analysed using machine learning models to enhance the accuracy of predicting total biomass and rice crop yield at the field scale. The study area, covering nearly 214 sample rice plots, was located in the Tarekswar block of Hooghly, West Bengal, India. Alongside ten vegetation indices and three Principal Component Analysis (PCA) soil nutrient levels, approximately thirty-six factors were analyzed to predict rice total biomass and crop yield using ten machine learning (ML) models, namely Random forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Bagging Tree (Treebag), Generalized Additive Models (gamSpline), Elastic Net (enet), Ordinary regression with LASSO penalty (rqlasso), Tree Models from Genetic Algorithm (evtree), Bayesian Regularized Neutral Networks (brnn), cubist models, and there hybrid of ensembles. Boruta and multi-collinearity analysis were also conducted for the selected factors to explore their influence levels. The study area exhibited robust rice yields ranging from 5 to 10 t/ha, accompanied by healthy biomass growth. Four ML models ─cubist, random forest, enet, and the hybrid model—showed promising predictions with R2 > 0.88. Most models classified less than 20 ha of the study area as falling into the “very-low suitable class”, showing the region’s suitability for rice cultivation due to its highly fertile alluvial soil. Boruta sensitive analysis revealed that nearly 24 individual factors significantly influenced the final crop yield including, organic carbon (OC), phosphorus (P), electrical conductivity (EC), mechanization level, and the majority of the vegetation indices. A critical analysis carried out through the Map query tool showed that five vegetation indices estimated via PlanetScope displayed strong correlations (exceeding 89%) in identifying areas with high to very high rice yields. The study can serve as a guideline for near-real-time crop monitoring in the near future, using high-resolution PlanetScope images.
Beryllium adsorption from beryllium mining wastewater with novel porous lotus leaf biochar modified with PO43−/NH4+ multifunctional groups (MLLB)
Authors: Zhao Xu , Wang Qingliang , Sun Yige , Li Haoshuai , Lei Zhiwu , Zheng Boyuan , Xia Hongyang , Su Yucheng , Ali Khan Muhammad Yaruq , Wang Hongqiang , Hu Fang
Published: October 2024

Wastewater produced in beryllium mining seriously affects ecological balance and causes great environmental pressure. We designed a novel porous lotus leaf biochar modified with PO43−/NH4+ multifunctional groups (MLLB) and used it for beryllium(Be) removal from beryllium mining wastewater. Kinetic and thermodynamic experiments showed that the adsorption capacity (Qe) of Be with MLLB from the simulated beryllium mining wastewater could reach 40.38 g kg−1 (35 °C, pH = 5.5), and the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The dispersion coefficient Kd of Be with MLLB was 2.6 × 104 mL g−1, which proved that MLLB had strong selective adsorption capacity for Be. Phosphoric acid, ammonia, and hydroxyl groups on the MLLB surface would complex with Be to form Be(OH)2 and Be(NH4)PO4 complexation products, which implied that surface complexation and precipitation reactions might co-existed in the adsorption process. The above results showed that MLLB could effectively adsorb Be and prevent beryllium exposure in a beryllium mining process.

Graphical Abstract
Advances in biotechnology and breeding innovations in China’s marine aquaculture
Authors: Xu Wenteng , Liu Yang , Li Ming , Lu Sheng , Chen Songlin
Published: October 2024

Biotechnology is the key driving force behind the sustainable development of aquaculture, as biological innovation would significantly improve the capabilities of aquatic breeding and achieve independent and controllable seeding sources to ensure food safety. In this article, we have analyzed the current status and existing problems of marine aquaculture in China. Based on these data, we have summarized the recent (especially the last 10 years) biotechnological innovation and breeding progress of marine aquaculture in China, including whole genome sequencing, sex-related marker screening, genomic selection, and genome editing, as well as progress of improved marine fish varieties in China. Finally, the perspectives in this field have been discussed, and three future countermeasures have been proposed.
L’empire bon marché, une excellente affaire
Authors: Todd David
Published: October 2024

Dans son ouvrage Un empire bon marché, Denis Cogneau clôt un vieux débat en montrant que les coûts de l’empire colonial français ont été dérisoires pour la métropole. Les efforts en matière de développement des territoires colonisés furent même un peu plus faibles que ceux consentis par les autres puissances coloniales. Si l’on prend en considération les avantages politiques et militaires liés à la possession de ses colonies, l’empire colonial a sans doute été une excellente affaire pour la France.
Survey of GP registrars’ training experience and confidence in managing children and adolescents with mental health conditions in primary care
Authors: Reilly Eimear O , Doherty Anne , Cullen Walter
Published: October 2024

Objectives:

The aim of this study is to assess General Practitioner (GP) trainees’ training experience, and confidence in assessing and managing children and adolescents with common mental health conditions in primary care in Ireland.

Methods:

An online anonymous questionnaire was distributed to third and fourth year GP registrars enrolled in the Irish College of General Practitioners training schemes. The online questionnaire evaluated participants’ training experiences and confidence levels in key areas of child and adolescent mental health in primary care.

Results:

Sixty participants completed the survey out of 406, yielding a response rate of 14.8%. The majority (88%) reported no formal training or experience working in Child and Adolescent Mental Healthcare Services (CAMHS) during their GP training scheme. Responses indicated that many participants rated their competency, skills, and knowledge in essential areas of Child and Adolescent Mental Health as needing improvement. Similarly, their awareness of referral pathways and specialty services was below expectations, with poor perceived access to services. A large proportion (91.7%) expressed a definite need for further training in child and adolescent mental health disorders.

Conclusion:

The results highlight the need for enhanced training and support for GP trainees in the field of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, ensuring their ability to effectively and confidently address these common issues in primary care.
Exploring the relationship between strategic attention breadth and performance: The role of corporate social responsibility
Authors: Jancenelle Vivien E.
Published: October 2024

The attention-based view contends that executives possess limited attentional capabilities that must be carefully allocated across different strategic issues. Although many scholars contend that narrow strategic attention breadth leads to better performance, others argue that broad strategic attention breadth may be more beneficial due to better opportunity scanning. We posit that the relationship between strategic attention breadth and performance will be inverted U-shaped, where strategic attention breadth is positively related to firm performance up to an optimal point, after which firms will see declining benefits due to executive cognitive overload. Furthermore, we propose that executives’ assessment of strategic opportunities will be influenced by the firm’s corporate social responsibility perspective, as the firm’s environmental and ethical commitment may mitigate executive blind spots and enhance opportunity selection. We support our hypotheses with multiple measures of firm performance and a content analysis of annual reports corresponding to a 5-year longitudinal sample of 2,245 S&P 500 firms.
Unpacking the relation between learning orientation and product innovation: Does strategic flexibility matter?
Authors: Marrucci Anna , Rialti Riccardo
Published: October 2024

Learning orientation emphasizes the importance of learning from any experience. It is grounded on commitment to learn, shared vision, open‐mindedness, and knowledge sharing. Organizational knowledge management literature based on social complexity theory posits that learning orientation makes companies generate new knowledge through spontaneous multi-level iterations and self-organization. Challenges related to the current business environment requires companies to constantly adjust to remain competitive. Still, the mechanisms making learning-oriented companies more capable to develop innovative product have been scantly explored. Pertinent literature actually conjectures this relationship as spontaneous, directed, and unmediated. Moreover, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)rarely represent the context of analysis of research on this topic. Frequently lacking resources to systematically pursue product innovation, SMEs rely on solutions deriving from the combination of internal knowledge and external sources; thus, these companies depend on learning orientation principles to remain innovative. In this vein, the research aims to understand how learning orientation allows product innovation in SMEs through the achievement of strategic flexibility. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse data from 300 British SMEs. The results demonstrate the mediating role of strategic flexibility in the relationships between learning orientation and product innovation. The importance of innovation culture also emerged.
21-cm Epoch of reionisation power spectrum with closure phase using the Murchison Widefield Array
Authors: Tiwari Himanshu , Thyagarajan Nithyanandan , Trott Cathryn , McKinley Ben
Published: October 2024

The radio interferometric closure phases can be a valuable tool for studying cosmological HI from the early Universe. Closure phases have the advantage of being immune to element-based gains and associated calibration errors. Thus, calibration and errors therein, which are often sources of systematics limiting standard visibility-based approaches, can be avoided altogether in closure phase analysis. In this work, we present the first results of the closure phase power spectrum of HI 21-cm fluctuations using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), with

$\sim12$

h of MWA phase II observations centred around redshift,

$z\approx 6.79$

, during the Epoch of Reionisation. On analysing three redundant classes of baselines – 14, 24, and 28 m equilateral triads, our estimates of the

$2\sigma$

(95% confidence interval) 21-cm power spectra are

$\lesssim(184)^2 pseudo\,\mathrm{mK}^2$

at

${k}_{||} = 0.36 pseudo\ h \mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$

in the EoR1 field for the 14 m baseline triads, and

$\lesssim(188)^2 pseudo\,\mathrm{mK}^2$

at

$k_{||} = 0.18 \,pseudo\ h \mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$

in the EoR0 field for the 24 m baseline triads. The ‘pseudo’ units denote that the length scale and brightness temperature should be interpreted as close approximations. Our best estimates are still 3-4 orders high compared to the fiducial 21-cm power spectrum; however, our approach provides promising estimates of the power spectra even with a small amount of data. These data-limited estimates can be further improved if more datasets are included into the analysis. The evidence for excess noise has a possible origin in baseline-dependent systematics in the MWA data that will require careful baseline-based strategies to mitigate, even in standard visibility-based approaches.
Public Resistance to New Houses of Worship
Authors: Schnabel Eliska
Published: October 2024

How do residents evaluate zoning relief applications for new houses of worship? Do they decide based on the facility’s expected level of nuisance, the religion of the house of worship, or the attitudes of neighbors and local officials? Using a conjoint survey experiment, this paper shows that religion is the most important predictor of resistance. People are more likely to resist new mosques than Christian churches, irrespective of other facility properties. Furthermore, this paper highlights the significant role of partisanship in residents’ evaluation of zoning relief applications. Republican respondents were more likely to reject minority houses of worship and support Christian churches than Democrats, moderating the influence of religion. Such bias has important implications for the zoning relief application process. Local officials should evaluate residents’ opposition differently when the application concerns minority groups.
Ideology at Work? Rethinking Reproduction
Authors: BATTISTONI ALYSSA
Published: October 2024

The low value of reproductive labor, and the related “crisis of care,” are often attributed to gendered attitudes about work. This article traces this explanation to the attempted synthesis of Marxist and feminist theories of ideology in the 1970s and offers a sympathetic critique with implications for both contemporary theories of labor and the “new ideology critique.” It reconstructs the explanatory role of ideology in feminist analyses of unwaged housework and tracks its uptake in theories of “reproductive labor” more broadly, via what I call the “naturalization thesis.” While these analyses have been influential, I show that they do not provide a convincing account of either gender oppression or the low value of reproductive labor. I offer an alternative explanation for the latter rooted in labor processes and patterns of capital accumulation and argue for the reintegration of ideology critique with the critique of political economy.
Associations of artificial sweetener intake with cardiometabolic disorders and mortality: a population-based study
Authors: Kan Jun-yan , Wang Dong-chen , Chang Yu , Jiang Zi-hao , Jiang Xiao-min , Xie Hao , Jia Xin-xin , Chen Ming-xing , Gu Yue
Published: October 2024

Artificial sweeteners are generally used and recommended to alternate added sugar for health promotion. However, the health effects of artificial sweeteners remain unclear. In this study, we included 6371 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with artificial sweetener intake records. Logistic regression and Cox regression were applied to explore the associations between artificial sweeteners and risks of cardiometabolic disorders and mortality. Mendelian randomisation was performed to verify the causal associations. We observed that participants with higher consumption of artificial sweeteners were more likely to be female and older and have above medium socio-economic status. After multivariable adjustment, frequent consumers presented the OR (95 % CI) for hypertension (1·52 (1·29, 1·80)), hypercholesterolaemia (1·28 (1·10, 1·50)), diabetes (3·74 (3·06, 4·57)), obesity (1·52 (1·29, 1·80)), congestive heart failure (1·89 (1·35, 2·62)) and heart attack (1·51 (1·10, 2·04)). Mendelian randomisation confirmed the increased risks of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Moreover, an increased risk of diabetic mortality was identified in participants who had artificial sweeteners ≥ 1 daily (HR = 2·62 (1·46, 4·69), P = 0·001). Higher consumption of artificial sweeteners is associated with increased risks of cardiometabolic disorders and diabetic mortality. These results suggest that using artificial sweeteners as sugar substitutes may not be beneficial.
The rhetoric of norm evasion and its social psychological underpinnings: The case of colonial redress
Authors: Kim Claudia Junghyun
Published: October 2024

The growing focus on the agency of norm violators has led to new insights on various rhetorical strategies that states accused of norm violation deploy. However, few studies have simultaneously examined both specific rhetorical devices that enable norm evasion and their social psychological underpinnings. Building on International Relations (IR) research on norm evasion and social psychological research on in-group wrongdoings, this paper conceptualises states’ rhetoric of norm evasion as a social psychological coping strategy: aimed at protecting in-group esteem. Empirically, the paper offers a systematic analysis of Japan’s rhetoric of norm evasion regarding its colonial and wartime past, as well as its social psychological underpinnings. Five rhetorical strategies of norm evasion are identified: (1) claiming legality, (2) claiming the inapplicability of relevant treaties, (3) claiming the inapplicability of relevant norms, (4) equivocating, and (5) citing non-disparagement pledges. These strategies, as well as the psychological disengagement they enable, have culminated in the promotion of non-remembrance, or behavioural manifestations of norm regress.
Motion control of legged robots based on gradient central pattern generators
Authors: Zhang Yihui , Liu Wenshuo , Tan Ning
Published: October 2024

The design of motion control systems for legged robots has always been a challenge. This article first proposes a motion control method for legged robots based on the gradient central pattern generator (GD-CPG). The periodic signals output from the GD-CPG neural network are used as the drive signals of each thigh joint of the legged robots, which are then converted into the driving signal of the knee and ankle joints by the thigh–knee mapping function and the knee–ankle mapping function. The proposed control algorithm is adapted to quadruped and hexapod robots. To improve the ability of legged robots to cope with complex terrains, this article further proposes the responsive gradient-CPG motion control method for legged robots. From the perspective of bionics, a biological vestibular sensory feedback mechanism is established in the control system. The mechanism adjusts the robot’s motion state in real time through the attitude angle of the body measured during the robot’s motion, to keep the robot’s body stable when it moves in rugged terrains. Compared with the traditional feedback model that only balances the body pitch, this article also adds the balancing functions of body roll and yaw to balance the legged robot’s motion from more dimensions and improve the linear motion capability. This article also introduces a differential evolutionary algorithm and designs a fitness function to adaptively optimize vestibular sensory feedback parameters. The validity, robustness, and transferability of the method are verified through simulations and physical experiments.
The impact of a counselling intervention on nutrition practices among caregivers of children under two in the Kyrgyz Republic
Authors: Abdyldaeva Aida , Abazbekova Nazgul , Abakirova Aisuluu , Williams Tim , Nisingizwe Marie Paul , Alayon Silvia , Yourkavitch Jennifer
Published: October 2024

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of a counselling programme to strengthen the health and nutrition behaviours of caregivers of children under 2 and the sustainability of that impact through reduced intervention intensity one year later.

Design:

The programme trained community- and facility-based health staff to provide nutrition counselling. We conducted an impact evaluation with a modified stepped-wedge design using difference-in-differences analysis to compare indicator changes in an intervention group to a comparison group (midterm survey) and then a full intervention group to a light intervention group (final survey).

Setting:

Batken and Jalal-Abad oblasts, the Kyrgyz Republic, 2020–2023.

Participants:

Caregivers of children under 2 provided 6253 responses in three telephone surveys.

Results:

We observed statistically significant differences between the intervention and comparison groups at midterm for the percentage of children consuming vitamin A-rich foods; an increase in the intervention group (58–62 %) and a decrease in the comparison group (61–57 %). We observed similar results with exclusive breastfeeding (51–55 % in the intervention group and 48–40 % in the comparison group). There were also positive differences in other health and nutrition indicators. With the final survey results, in general, we observed statistically significant differences indicating a bigger change in full intervention areas compared to light intervention areas. We observed small negative changes in many indicators in light intervention areas.

Conclusions:

This evaluation highlights the importance of continued support for local interventions, particularly counselling programmes, to foster optimal nutrition behaviours.
Morphology of Barchan Dunes on Earth and Mars: Classification and Scale‐Invariance
Authors: Sherman Douglas J. , Zhang Pei , Bae Jinsu , Butler Robert J. , Baas Andreas C. W.
Published: October 2024

Morphological characteristics were measured for barchan dunes on Earth (2,686 dunes in 30 barchan fields) and Mars (720 dunes in 10 barchan fields) using satellite images. The data were used to (a) develop a new barchan classification system; (b) compare characteristics of barchans on Earth and Mars; and (c) assess whether barchans, in bulk, display allometric or scale‐invariant characteristics. Dimensional metrics were obtained for the width and length of barchan bodies, the width and length of barchans including the horns, and the length of each horn. Dimensionless metrics were derived for the ratios of the body width to the width between the tips of the horns (width ratio), the length of the entire barchan to the length of the body (length ratio), and the length of the longer horn to the shorter horn (symmetry ratio). The width, length, and symmetry ratios were used to classify barchans into eight types and compare the characteristics of their distributions on the two planets. From this analysis, it was established that, statistically, barchans on Earth are distinctive from those on Mars based on the morphometrics, with terrestrial barchans being, on average, of smaller size and more often symmetrical, while Martian barchans more often have convergent horns that are short relative to the central dune body and are more often asymmetrical. The analysis further reveals that barchan planform morphology can be considered scale‐invariant, and we argue that body width is the most appropriate measure representing barchan size.
Mapping RANKL- and OPG-expressing cells in bone tissue: the bone surface cells as activators of osteoclastogenesis and promoters of the denosumab rebound effect
Authors: El-Masri Bilal M. , Andreasen Christina M. , Laursen Kaja S. , Kofod Viktoria B. , Dahl Xenia G. , Nielsen Malene H. , Thomsen Jesper S. , Brüel Annemarie , Sørensen Mads S. , Hansen Lars J. , Kim Albert S. , Taylor Victoria E. , Massarotti Caitlyn , McDonald Michelle M. , You Xiaomeng , Charles Julia F. , Delaisse Jean-Marie , Andersen Thomas L.
Published: October 2024

Denosumab is a monoclonal anti-RANKL antibody that inhibits bone resorption, increases bone mass, and reduces fracture risk. Denosumab discontinuation causes an extensive wave of rebound resorption, but the cellular mechanisms remain poorly characterized. We utilized in situ hybridization (ISH) as a direct approach to identify the cells that activate osteoclastogenesis through the RANKL/OPG pathway. ISH was performed across species, skeletal sites, and following recombinant OPG (OPG:Fc) and parathyroid hormone 1–34 (PTH) treatment of mice. OPG:Fc treatment in mice induced an increased expression of RANKL mRNA mainly in trabecular, but not endocortical bone surface cells. Additionally, a decreased expression of OPG mRNA was detected in bone surface cells and osteocytes of both compartments. A similar but more pronounced effect on RANKL and OPG expression was seen one hour after PTH treatment. These findings suggest that bone surface cells and osteocytes conjointly regulate the activation of osteoclastogenesis, and that OPG:Fc treatment induces a local accumulation of osteoclastogenic activation sites, ready to recruit and activate osteoclasts upon treatment discontinuation. Analysis of publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) data from murine bone marrow stromal cells revealed that Tnfsf11+ cells expressed high levels of Mmp13, Limch1, and Wif1, confirming their osteoprogenitor status. ISH confirmed co-expression of Mmp13 and Tnfsf11 in bone surface cells of both vehicle- and OPG:Fc-treated mice. Under physiological conditions of human/mouse bone, RANKL is expressed mainly by osteoprogenitors proximate to the osteoclasts, while OPG is expressed mainly by osteocytes and bone-forming osteoblasts.
RSK2-mediated cGAS phosphorylation induces cGAS chromatin-incorporation-mediated cell transformation and cancer cell colony growth
Authors: Chen Weidong , Lee Ga-Eun , Jeung Dohyun , Byun Jiin , Wu Juan , Li Xianzhe , Lee Joo Young , Kang Han Chang , Lee Hye Suk , Kim Kwang Dong , Nam Soo-Bin , Lee Cheol-Jung , Kwon Young Jik , Cho Yong-Yeon
Published: October 2024

Cyclic guanosine-adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS) is a key cytosolic DNA sensor that plays a pivotal role in the innate immune response. Although a decade of research on the cGAS has advanced our understanding of inflammasome formation, cytokine production, and signaling pathways, the role of cGAS in the nucleus remains unclear. In this study, we found that the nuclear localization of endogenous and stably expressed cGAS differed from transiently expressed cGAS, which mainly localized in the cytosol. In the nucleus, cGAS is tightly bound to chromatin DNA. The chromatin DNA binding of cGAS was dependent on RSK2. Our molecular mechanism study indicated that the N-lobe of RSK2 harboring 1–323 interacted with the NTase domain of cGAS harboring residues 213–330. This interaction increased RSK2-induced cGAS phosphorylation at Ser120 and Thr130, resulting in the tightly binding of cGAS to chromatin. Importantly, epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced cell transformation and anchorage-independent colony growth showed an increase in growth factors, such as EGF or bFGF, in cGAS stable expression compared to mock expression. Notably, the cGAS-S120A/T130A mutant abolished the increasing effect of cell transformation of JB6 Cl41 cells and colony growth of SK-MEL-2 malignant melanoma cells. The results suggested that cGAS’s chromatin DNA binding, which is indispensable to RSK2-dependent phosphorylation of cGAS at Ser120/Thr130, provides the first clue to how cGAS may participate in chromatin remodeling in the nucleus.
Infiltration-driven performance enhancement of poly-crystalline cathodes in all-solid-state batteries
Authors: Sung Junghwan , Heo Junyoung , Kim Dong-Hee , Gu Hawon , Jo Yung-Soo , Park Heetaek , Park Jun-Ho , Choi Jeong-Hee , Ha Yoon-Cheol , Kim Doohun , Park Jun-Woo
Published: October 2024

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) with adequately selected cathode materials exhibit a higher energy density and better safety than conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Ni-rich layered cathodes are benchmark materials for traditional LIBs owing to their high energy density. Recent studies have highlighted the advantages of using crack-free, single-crystalline cathode materials in ASSBs. In this study, a scalable infiltration sheet-type process was used to fabricate composite electrodes with different cathode-material morphologies for ASSBs. Typically, crack-free single-crystalline materials exhibit better retention performance and lower rate capability (i.e., slower kinetics in charge‒discharge processes) than polycrystalline cathode materials. Li6PS5Cl-infiltrated polycrystalline electrodes showed excellent retention performance and rate capability. Galvanostatic intermittent titration technique analysis and transmission electron microscopy of the single-crystalline electrode confirmed severe polarization and the presence of a rock-salt-structure layer in the cathode particles; these results indicated side reactions within the layered structure of the material. In contrast, composite electrodes consisting of polycrystalline cathode materials infiltrated with the solid electrolyte Li6PS5Cl showed excellent electrochemical performance owing to intimate electrode–electrolyte interfacial contact. The result from this study confirmed the critical influence of interface engineering and material morphology on the overall performance and stability of ASSBs and could facilitate the development of high-performance ASSBs in the future.
Effects of nitrogen vacancy sites of oxynitride support on the catalytic activity for ammonia decomposition
Authors: Miyashita Kazuki , Ogasawara Kiya , Miyazaki Masayoshi , Abe Hitoshi , Niwa Yasuhiro , Kato Hideki , Hosono Hideo , Kitano Masaaki
Published: October 2024

Nitrogen-containing compounds such as imides and amides have been reported as efficient materials that promote ammonia decomposition over nonnoble metal catalysts. However, these compounds decompose in an air atmosphere and become inactive, which leads to difficulty in handling. Here, we focused on perovskite oxynitrides as air-stable and efficient supports for ammonia decomposition catalysts. Ni-loaded oxynitrides exhibited 2.5–18 times greater catalytic activity than did the corresponding oxide-supported Ni catalysts, even without noticeable differences in the Ni particle size and surface area of the supports. The catalytic performance of the Ni-loaded oxynitrides is well correlated with the nitrogen desorption temperature during N2 temperature-programmed desorption, which suggests that the lattice nitrogen in the oxynitride support rather than the Ni surface is the active site for ammonia decomposition. Furthermore, NH3 temperature-programmed surface reactions and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that NH3 molecules are preferentially adsorbed on the nitrogen vacancy sites on the support surface rather than on the Ni surface. Thus, the ammonia decomposition reaction is facilitated by a vacancy-mediated reaction mechanism.
Substantial trace metal input from the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption into the South Pacific
Authors: Zhang Zhouling , Xu Antao , Hathorne Ed , Gutjahr Marcus , Browning Thomas J. , Gosnell Kathleen J. , Liu Te , Steiner Zvi , Kiko Rainer , Yuan Zhongwei , Liu Haoran , Achterberg Eric P. , Frank Martin
Published: October 2024

The January 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (HTHH) volcano discharged 2,900 teragrams of ejecta, most of which was deposited in the South Pacific Ocean. Here we investigate its impact on the biogeochemistry of the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) using samples collected during the GEOTRACES cruise GP21 in February-April 2022. Surface water neodymium isotopes and rare earth element compositions showed a marked volcanic impact in the western SPG, potentially extending to the eastern region. Increasing trace metal concentrations in surface waters and chlorophyll-a inventories in euphotic layers between the eastern and western SPG further suggest that the volcanic eruption supplied (micro)nutrients potentially stimulating a biological response. We estimate that the HTHH eruption released up to 0.16 kt of neodymium and 32 kt of iron into the SPG, which is comparable to the annual global dust-borne Nd flux and the annual dust-borne Fe flux to the entire SPG, respectively.
Direct observation of the complex S(IV) equilibria at the liquid-vapor interface
Authors: Buttersack Tillmann , Gladich Ivan , Gholami Shirin , Richter Clemens , Dupuy Rémi , Nicolas Christophe , Trinter Florian , Trunschke Annette , Delgado Daniel , Corral Arroyo Pablo , Parmentier Evelyne A. , Winter Bernd , Iezzi Lucia , Roose Antoine , Boucly Anthony , Artiglia Luca , Ammann Markus , Signorell Ruth , Bluhm Hendrik
Published: October 2024

The multi-phase oxidation of S(IV) plays a crucial role in the atmosphere, leading to the formation of haze and severe pollution episodes. We here contribute to its understanding on a molecular level by reporting experimentally determined pKa values of the various S(IV) tautomers and reaction barriers for SO2 formation pathways. Complementary state-of-the-art molecular-dynamics simulations reveal a depletion of bisulfite at low pH at the liquid-vapor interface, resulting in a different tautomer ratio at the interface compared to the bulk. On a molecular-scale level, we explain this with the formation of a stable contact ion pair between sulfonate and hydronium ions, and with the higher energetic barrier for the dehydration of sulfonic acid at the liquid-vapor interface. Our findings highlight the contrasting physicochemical behavior of interfacial versus bulk environments, where the pH dependence of the tautomer ratio reported here has a significant impact on both SO2 uptake kinetics and reactions involving NOx and H2O2 at aqueous aerosol interfaces.
Stochastic Boolean model of normal and aberrant cell cycles in budding yeast
Authors: Taoma Kittisak , Tyson John J. , Laomettachit Teeraphan , Kraikivski Pavel
Published: October 2024

The cell cycle of budding yeast is governed by an intricate protein regulatory network whose dysregulation can lead to lethal mistakes or aberrant cell division cycles. In this work, we model this network in a Boolean framework for stochastic simulations. Our model is sufficiently detailed to account for the phenotypes of 40 mutant yeast strains (83% of the experimentally characterized strains that we simulated) and also to simulate an endoreplicating strain (multiple rounds of DNA synthesis without mitosis) and a strain that exhibits ‘Cdc14 endocycles’ (periodic transitions between metaphase and anaphase). Because our model successfully replicates the observed properties of both wild-type yeast cells and many mutant strains, it provides a reasonable, validated starting point for more comprehensive stochastic-Boolean models of cell cycle controls. Such models may provide a better understanding of cell cycle anomalies in budding yeast and ultimately in mammalian cells.
A behaviourally informed chatbot increases vaccination rates in Argentina more than a one-way reminder
Authors: Brown Dan , Barrera Adelaida , Ibañez Lucas , Budassi Iván , Murphy Bridie , Shrestha Pujen , Salomon-Ballada Sebastian , Kriscovich Jorge , Torrente Fernando
Published: October 2024

Maintaining COVID-19 vaccine demand was key to ending the global health emergency. To help do this, many governments used chatbots that provided personalized information guiding people on where, when and how to get vaccinated. We designed and tested a WhatsApp chatbot to understand whether two-way interactive messaging incorporating behaviourally informed functionalities could perform better than one-way message reminders. We ran a large-scale preregistered randomized controlled trial with 249,705 participants in Argentina, measuring vaccinations using Ministry of Health records. The behaviourally informed chatbot more than tripled COVID-19 vaccine uptake compared with the control group (a 1.6 percentage point increase (95% confidence interval, (1.36 pp, 1.77 pp)) and nearly doubled uptake compared with the one-way message reminder (a 1 percentage point increase (95% confidence interval, (0.83 pp, 1.17 pp)). Communications tools designed with behaviourally informed functionalities that simplify the vaccine user journey can increase vaccination more than traditional message reminders and may have applications to other health behaviours.
Transcriptomes of soybean roots and nodules inoculated with Sinorhizobium fredii with NopP and NopI variants
Authors: Fan Kejing , Xiao Zhixia , Wang Liping , Cheung Wai-Lun , Wong Fuk-Ling , Zhang Feng , Li Man-Wah , Lam Hon-Ming
Published: October 2024

The major crop, soybean, forms root nodules with symbiotic rhizobia, providing energy and carbon to the bacteria in exchange for bioavailable nitrogen. The relationship is host-specific and highly host-regulated to maximize energy efficiency. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) is greener than synthetic fertilizer for replenishing soil fertility, contributing to yield increase. Nodulation Outer Protein P (NopP) and NopI of the type 3 secretion system (T3SS) of the rhizobium determine host specificity. Sinorhizobium fredii CCBAU25509 (R2) and CCBAU45436 (R4) have different NopP and NopI variants, affecting their respective symbiotic compatibilities with the cultivated soybean C08 and the wild soybean W05. Swapping the NopP variants between R2 and R4 has been shown to switch their compatibility with C08 with the rj2/Rfg1 genotype. To understand the effects of Nops on host compatibility, analyses on the transcriptomic data of W05 roots and nodules inoculated with S. fredii strains containing Nop variants uncovered many differentially expressed genes related to nodulation and nodule functions, providing important information on the effects of Nops on hosts and nodules.