bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing and validating a Japanese version of the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire
Authors: Nakamura Yuko , Asano Michiko
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Weight bias internalization (WBI) is significantly associated with negative physiological and psychological consequences. Given its negative effects, appropriate measurement of WBI is required for weight management and mental and physical health in people with weight problems. One of the most reliable and frequently used questionnaires to assess WBI is the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ). However, a Japanese version of the WSSQ has not yet been developed. Thus, the current study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the WSSQ (WSSQ-J) and validate its psychometric properties in the Japanese context.

Methods

A total of 1454 Japanese participants (age 34.44 ± 6.92; male = 498) with diverse weight statuses (Body mass index: 21.44 ± 3.52, 13.79–41.40 kg/m2) completed an online survey for the WSSQ-J. The internal consistency of the WSSQ-J was estimated by calculating Cronbach’s α. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was then carried out to confirm that the factor structure of the WSSQ-J was the same as that of the subscales of the original WSSQ.

Results

The WSSQ-J had a Cronbach’s α of 0.917, indicating good internal consistency. In CFA, the comparative fit index was 0.945, the root mean square error of approximation was 0.085, and the standardized root mean square residual was 0.040, indicating that the two-factor model showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit.

Conclusion

This study replicated the original findings related to the WSSQ, showing that the WSSQ-J is a reliable WBI questionnaire consisting of two factors. Therefore, the WSSQ-J would be a reliable tool for assessing WBI among Japanese.

Level of evidence

Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.
A systematic review of occupational exposure to respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) in the U.S. mining industry
Authors: Shekarian Younes , Rahimi Elham , Rezaee Mohammad , Roghanchi Pedram
Published: May 2023

Cumulative inhalation of respirable coal mine dust (RCMD) can lead to severe lung diseases, including coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (CWP), silicosis, mixed dust pneumoconiosis, dust-related diffuse fibrosis (DDF), and progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Statistics from the number of reported cases showed a significant decrease in the progression of respiratory diseases in the 1990s. However, an unexpected increase in the number of CWP cases was reported in the late 1990s. To date, there has been no comprehensive systematic review to assess all contributing factors to the resurgence of CWP cases. This study aims to investigate the effects of various mining parameters on the prevalence of CWP in coal mines. A systematic review using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) method was conducted to investigate the health effects of RCMD exposure and identify the factors that may contribute to the recent resurgence of CWP cases. The systematic review yielded a total of 401 papers, which were added to the database. The total number of 148 and 208 papers were excluded from the database in the process of screening and eligibility, respectively. Then, 18 papers were considered for data selection and full-text assessment. The review revealed that factors including geographic location, mine size, mining operation type, coal-seam thickness, coal rank, changes in mining practices, technology advancement, and engineering dust control practices are contributing to the recent resurgence of CWP among coal workers. However, the evidence for root causes is limited owing to the methodological constraints of the studies; therefore, further detailed studies are needed.
Wie unterstützen Leitungskräfte der Weiterbildung organisationsinterne digitale Veränderung? Eine qualitative Fallstudie im Kontext von Volkshochschulen
Authors: Wahl Johannes , Herbrechter Dörthe
Published: May 2023

Führungskräfte nehmen im Rahmen der digitalen Transformation nicht zuletzt an der Schnittstelle zwischen Organisation und Umwelt eine wichtige Position ein. Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht explorativ aus Sicht der Leitungskräfte, (1) welche Impulse und Akteure aus der organisationalen Umwelt als wichtig erachtet werden, (2) welche Maßnahmen und Aktivitäten ergriffen werden, um organisationsintern digitale Veränderungen anzustoßen und (3) welche Formen der Führung dazu genutzt werden. Die Datengrundlage basiert auf halbstandardisierten Leitfadeninterviews mit Leitungskräften an Volkshochschulen (N = 34), die inhaltsanalytisch induktiv und deduktiv ausgewertet wurden. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen die Komplexität der Anforderungsstruktur an das Führungshandeln und zeigen auf, welche Impulse die Führungskräfte für eine interne Veränderungsdynamik setzen können. Zudem weisen die Befunde auf ein Zusammenspiel verschiedener Formen der Führung hin, die im Kontext der Weiterbildung mit spezifischen Herausforderungen verbunden sind.
Decolonial insights for transforming the higher education curriculum in South Africa
Authors: Govender Logan , Naidoo Devika
Published: May 2023

While there have been several calls for decolonising the curriculum in South Africa, more needs to be done at the level of policy development and especially its implementation. The curriculum decolonisation impetus gained a few years back has abated somewhat, and there is a need to reinstate its significance amidst other imperatives we face in the current troubling times. There appears to be a reluctance to continue the decolonising journey, not least of all because of the continuing dominance of European hegemony in almost all facets of the lives of decolonised people, especially evident in the education sector, and specifically through the curriculum. The paper argues that without the decolonisation of the predominantly Eurocentric curriculum, the achievement of justice for the colonised remains elusive. This entails focusing the decolonisation debate from the objectification of the colonised to centring the African being, a reconceptualisation of epistemology as pluriversal and greater visibility of the colonised and coloniality as pre-conditions for decolonising the curriculum. The article reviews the South African response to decolonial insights and considers their implications for higher education curriculum development and practice. It identifies changing attitudes of, and ownership by, academic staff as a key challenge in the implementation of a decolonised curriculum and concludes with tabulating the implication of key concepts of decolonial theory for the curriculum.
Functional Fiber Membranes with Antibacterial Properties for Face Masks
Authors: Natsathaporn Papada , Herwig Gordon , Altenried Stefanie , Ren Qun , Rossi René M. , Crespy Daniel , Itel Fabian
Published: May 2023

Reusable face masks are an important alternative for minimizing costs of disposable and surgical face masks during pandemics. Often complementary to washing, a prolonged lifetime of face masks relies on the incorporation of self-cleaning materials. The development of self-cleaning face mask materials requires the presence of a durable catalyst to deactivate contaminants and microbes after long-term use without reducing filtration efficiency. Herein, we generate self-cleaning fibers by functionalizing silicone-based (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) fibrous membranes with a photocatalyst. Coaxial electrospinning is performed to fabricate fibers with a non-crosslinked silicone core within a supporting shell scaffold, followed by thermal crosslinking and removal of the water-soluble shell. Photocatalytic zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are immobilized on the PDMS fibers by colloid-electrospinning or post-functionalization procedures. The fibers functionalized with ZnO NPs can degrade a photo-sensitive dye and display antibacterial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) due to the generation of reactive oxygen species upon irradiation with UV light. Furthermore, a single layer of functionalized fibrous membrane shows an air permeability in the range of 80–180 L/m2s and 65% filtration efficiency against fine particulate matter with a diameter less than 1.0 µm (PM1.0).

Graphical abstract
Is COVID-19 Being Used to Spread Malware
Authors: Ahmed Ruqayah N. , Javed Amir , Bedewi Wafi
Published: May 2023

With the rising number of people using social networks after the pandemic of COVID-19, cybercriminals took the advantage of (i) the increased base of possible victims and (ii) the use of a trending topic as the pandemic COVID-19 to lure victims and attract their attention and put malicious content to infect the most possible number of people. Twitter platform forces an auto-shortening to any included URL within a 140-character message called “tweet” and this makes it easier for the attackers to include malicious URLs within Tweets. Here comes the need to adopt new approaches to resolve the problem or at least identify it to better understand it to find a suitable solution. One of the proven effective approaches is the adaption of machine learning (ML) concepts and applying different algorithms to detect, identify, and even block the propagation of malware. Hence, this study’s main objectives were to collect tweets from Twitter that are related to the topic of COVID-19 and extract features from these tweets and import them as independent variables for the machine learning models to be developed later, so they would identify imported tweets as to be malicious or not.
Dynamic Grammar Pruning for Program Size Reduction in Symbolic Regression
Authors: Ali Muhammad Sarmad , Kshirsagar Meghana , Naredo Enrique , Ryan Conor
Published: May 2023

Grammar is a key input in grammar-based genetic programming. Grammar design not only influences performance, but also program size. However, grammar design and the choice of productions often require expert input as no automatic approach exists. This research work discusses our approach to automatically reduce a bloated grammar. By utilizing a simple Production Ranking mechanism, we identify productions which are less useful and dynamically prune those to channel evolutionary search towards better (smaller) solutions. Our objective in this work was program size reduction without compromising generalization performance. We tested our approach on 13 standard symbolic regression datasets with Grammatical Evolution. Using a grammar embodying a well-defined function set as a baseline, we compare effective genome length and test performance with our approach. Dynamic grammar pruning achieved significantly better genome lengths for all datasets, while significantly improving generalization performance on three datasets, although it worsened in five datasets. When we utilized linear scaling during the production ranking stages (the first 20 generations) the results dramatically improved. Not only were the programs smaller in all datasets, but generalization scores were also significantly better than the baseline in 6 out of 13 datasets, and comparable in the rest. When the baseline was also linearly scaled as well, the program size was still smaller with the Production Ranking approach, while generalization scores dropped in only three datasets without any significant compromise in the rest.
The Challenges for Manufacturers of the Increased Clinical Evaluation in the European Medical Device Regulations: A Quantitative Study
Authors: Kearney Breda , McDermott Olivia
Published: May 2023

The European Union Medical Device Regulations 2017/745 entered into force on May 2021 with changes related to strengthening the clinical evaluation requirements, particularly for high-risk devices. This study investigates how the increased requirements on medical device manufacturers in relation to how clinical evaluation will challenge manufacturers. A quantitative survey study was utilized with responses from 68 senior or functional area subject matter experts working in medical device manufacturing Regulatory or Quality roles. The findings from the study demonstrated that the highest source of reactive Post-Market Surveillance data was customer complaints and proactive data were Post-Market Clinical Follow-Up. In contrast, the top 3 sources for generating clinical evaluation data for legacy devices under the new Medical Device Regulations were Post-Market Surveillance data, Scientific literature reviews, and Post-Market Clinical Follow-Up studies. Manufacturers’ biggest challenge under the new Medical Device Regulations is determining the amount of data needed to generate sufficient clinical evidence, while over 60% of high-risk device manufacturers have outsourced the writing of their clinical evaluation reports. Manufacturers also reported a high investment in clinical evaluation training and highlighted inconsistencies in the requirements for clinical data by different notified bodies. These challenges may lead to a potential shortage of certain medical devices in the E.U. and a delay in access to new devices, negatively impacting patient quality of life (1). This study provides a unique insight into the challenges currently experienced by medical device manufacturers as they transition to the MDR clinical evaluation requirements and the subsequent impact on the continued availability of medical devices in the E.U.
Disputes over intellectual rights in Brazil: interest organisations and their impacts on copyright law
Authors: de Medeiros Albrecht Nayara F. Macedo
Published: May 2023

Previous studies on lobbying outlined that business groups are more influential on low salient issues due to their organisation, unity, and expertise. This study addresses the causal mechanisms behind issue salience and business influence through an in-depth case study regarding copyright reform in Brazil. By employing a bibliographical and a documentary research, I analysed the statuses and legislative agendas of groups and other policy participants interested in either maintaining or changing copyright laws. Through the investigation of public hearings and draft bills discussed at a special committee of the Chamber of Deputies, I mapped the policy participants and their political preferences. Combining process-tracing and preference attainment, the analysis sought to identify the winners and losers in this debate as well as the strategies they implemented to achieve their goals. In contrast to other studies, the case under analysis revealed that certain participants acted as countervailing forces against powerful groups, though business organisations still succeed to achieve small concessions.
Two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy of trion-polaritons and exciton-polaritons in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides
Authors: Hu Hui , Wang Jia , Lalor Riley , Liu Xia-Ji
Published: May 2023

We present a microscopic many-body calculation of the nonlinear two-dimensional coherent spectroscopy (2DCS) of trion-polaritons and exciton-polaritons in charge-tunable transition-metal-dichalcogenides monolayers placed in an optical microcavity. The charge tunability leads to an electron gas with nonzero density that brings brightness to the trion — a polaron quasiparticle formed by an exciton with a nonzero residue bounded to the electron gas. As a result, a trion-polariton is created under strong light-matter coupling, as observed in the recent experiment by Sidler et al. [Nat. Phys. 13, 255 (2017)]. We analyze in detail the structure of trion-polaritons, by solving an extended Chevy ansatz for the trion quasiparticle wave-function. We confirm that the effective light-matter coupling for trion-polaritons is determined by the residue of the trion quasiparticle. The solution of the full many-body polaron states within Chevy ansatz enables us to microscopically calculate the nonlinear 2DCS spectrum of both trion-polaritons and exciton-polaritons. We predict the existence of three kinds of off-diagonal cross-peaks in the 2DCS spectrum, as an indication of the coherence among the different branches of trion-polaritons and exciton-polaritons. Due to the sensitivity of 2DCS spectrum to quasiparticle interactions, our work provides a good starting point to explore the strong nonlinearity exhibited by trion-polaritons in some recent exciton-polariton experiments.
Prediction of ROP Zones Using Deep Learning Algorithms and Voting Classifier Technique
Authors: Salih Nazar , Ksantini Mohamed , Hussein Nebras , Ben Halima Donia , Abdul Razzaq Ali , Ahmed Sohaib
Published: May 2023

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can cause blindness in premature neonates. It is diagnosed when new blood vessels form abnormally in the retina. However, people at high risk of ROP might benefit significantly from early detection and treatment. Therefore, early diagnosis of ROP is vital in averting visual impairment. However, due to a lack of medical experience in detecting this condition, many people refuse treatment; this is especially troublesome given the rising cases of ROP. To deal with this problem, we trained three transfer learning models (VGG-19, ResNet-50, and EfficientNetB5) and a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify the zones of ROP in preterm newborns. The dataset to train the model contains 1365 fundus images from the ROP screening. This dataset was gathered from the Private Clinic Al-Amal Eye center in Baghdad, Iraq. The models above are ensemble through voting classifier techniques to increase the performance. The proposed method had an overall accuracy of 88.82 percent when employing the voting classifier. On the other hand, EfficientNetB5 has outperformed other models in terms of accuracy with 87.27%.
Introducing the ‘conceptual archive’: A genealogy of counterterrorism in 1970s Britain
Authors: Livesey Michael
Published: May 2023

This article contributes to an ‘historical turn’ in security scholarship. It addresses imbalance in security studies’ attention to historical empirics, and argues against notions of temporal disjunct prevalent within the discipline. I employ a genealogical framework to clarify the interpellation of past and present; and I introduce the ‘conceptual archive’ as a lens for pursuing that interpellation in research. My thesis on the ‘conceptual archive’ represents a twofold contribution. Firstly, a conceptual contribution: I advance the ‘conceptual archive’ as a way of thinking about past-present interpellation (specifically, existing conceptual logics’ remodelling in arguments justifying new practice). Secondly, an analytical contribution: I propose the ‘conceptual archive’ as a tool for doing genealogy (a research programme with historicising promise, but one suffering nebulous operationalisation at present). I use the field of terrorism studies as an entry-point to these contributions: adopting a mixed-methods research design to trace British counterterrorism practices’ roots within an ‘archive’ of logics on Northern Ireland. I find 1970s British governments remodelled long-standing ‘archival’ vocabularies in their arguments for new security provisions: framing exceptional practices according to an accepted fabric of concepts.
Buoyancy-driven bubbly flows: role of meso-scale structures on the relative motion between phases in bubble columns operated in the heterogeneous regime
Authors: Mezui Y. , Obligado M. , Cartellier A.
Published: May 2023

The hydrodynamics of bubble columns in the heterogeneous regime is investigated from experiments with bubbles at large particle Reynolds numbers and without coalescence. The void fraction field

$\varepsilon$

at small scales, analysed with Voronoï tessellations, corresponds to a random Poisson process (RPP) in homogeneous conditions but it significantly differs from an RPP in the heterogeneous regime. The distance to an RPP allows identifying meso-scale structures, namely clusters, void regions and intermediate regions. A series of arguments demonstrate that the bubble motion is driven by the dynamics of these structures. Notably, bubbles in clusters (respectively in intermediate regions) are moving up faster, up to 3.5 (respectively 2) times the terminal velocity, than bubbles in void regions whose absolute velocity equals the mean liquid velocity. In addition, the mean unconditional relative velocity of bubbles is recovered from mean relative velocities conditional to meso-scale structures, weighted by the proportion of bubbles in each structure. Assuming buoyancy–inertia equilibrium for each structure, the relative velocity is related to the characteristic size and concentration of meso-scale structures. By considering the latter quantity's values at large gas superficial velocities, a cartoon of the internal flow structure is proposed. Arguments are proposed to help understanding why the relative velocity scales as

$(gD\varepsilon )^{1/2}$

(with

$D$

the column's diameter and

$g$

gravity's acceleration). The proposed cartoon seems consistent with a fast-track mechanism that, for the moderate Rouse numbers studied, leads to liquid velocity fluctuations proportional to the relative velocity. The potential impact of coalescence on the above analysis is also commented.
The unusual atrypide brachiopod Qilianotryma suspectum (Popov, 1982) from the Upper Ordovician of the South China paleoplate
Authors: Zhang Yuchen , Sproat Colin D. , Zhan Renbin
Published: May 2023

The atrypide brachiopod Qilianotryma Xu in Jin et al., 1979 is an early member of the subfamily Spirigerininae initially described from the Katian (Upper Ordovician) Koumenzi Formation of the Qilian Mountains, Qaidam terrane, Northwest China. Qilianotryma suspectum (Popov in Nikiforova et al., 1982) is described for the first time from the Upper Ordovician of South China paleoplate. Serial sectioning in this study revealed the typical spiralia and other internal structures of early atrypides. The rephotographing of type material and discriminant analysis support that Qilianotryma and broadly similar Euroatrypa can be differentiated in terms of external morphology. The distribution of Qilianotryma across the South China paleoplate, Qaidam terrane, and a few Kazakh terranes (i.e., Chu-Ili, Boshchekul, and Chingiz-Tarbagatai) supports a low-latitude faunal province separate from that of Laurentia and Baltica during the Katian, but further work describing and reviewing additional fossil material from these plates and terranes may improve our understanding of the position of these plates and the role that paleogeography played in increasing biodiversity during the Ordovician Radiation.
Analysis of prognostic factors for vocal fold leukoplakia based on 344 cases at a two-year follow up
Authors: Yin S , Huang H , Sun P , Zhang D
Published: May 2023

Objective

To evaluate risk factors for poor prognosis in vocal fold leukoplakia.

Methods

Clinical data were collected for 344 patients with vocal fold leukoplakia who received surgical treatment in our otolaryngology department from October 2010 to June 2019. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of the relevant factors were conducted.

Results

Among the 344 patients, 98 exhibited recurrence and 30 underwent a malignant change. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that size of the lesion (p = 0.03, odds ratio = 2.14), form of the lesion under white light (p < 0.001), surgical method (p < 0.001, odds ratio = 0.28) and pathological type (p < 0.001) were independent factors that affected the recurrence of vocal fold leukoplakia. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, the sole independent risk factor for malignant transformation of vocal fold leukoplakia was pathological type (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The outlook for vocal fold leukoplakia depends on several clinical factors, especially pathological type. The more severe the pathological type, the more likely it is to recur or become cancerous.
Elders’ perspectives and priorities for ageing well in a remote Aboriginal community
Authors: McCausland Ruth , Jamieson Sacha Kendall , Robinson Virginia , Spencer Wendy , MacGillivray Peta , Andersen Melanie
Published: May 2023

Aboriginal Elders in Australia are recognised as having an important role as community leaders and cultural knowledge holders. However, the effects of colonisation and institutional racism mean Elders also experience significant social and economic disadvantage and poor health outcomes. There has been a systemic lack of attention to the worldviews and priorities of Aboriginal people as they age. In this article, we detail the findings of a qualitative study using a localised Aboriginal Elder-informed methodology that involved interviews and focus groups with 22 Aboriginal Elders in the remote town of Walgett on what ageing well means to them. This study was undertaken as part of a long-term partnership between a unique community-controlled Elders organisation and a university. The findings illuminate the barriers and enablers to ageing well for Aboriginal people in Walgett and elsewhere, and demonstrate the value to research, policy and service delivery of listening to and learning from Elders, centring Indigenous knowledges and worldviews, and bringing a more holistic conceptualisation of wellbeing to the understanding of what it means to age well.
On a class of nonlocal continuity equations on graphs
Authors: Esposito Antonio , Patacchini Francesco Saverio , Schlichting André
Published: May 2023

Motivated by applications in data science, we study partial differential equations on graphs. By a classical fixed-point argument, we show existence and uniqueness of solutions to a class of nonlocal continuity equations on graphs. We consider general interpolation functions, which give rise to a variety of different dynamics, for example, the nonlocal interaction dynamics coming from a solution-dependent velocity field. Our analysis reveals structural differences with the more standard Euclidean space, as some analogous properties rely on the interpolation chosen.
Association between anti-Müllerian hormone levels and reproductive parameters in Wagyu cattle raised in Brazil
Authors: de Marchi Flávia , Lazzaretti Renan , de Camargo Janine , Facioli Fernanda Luiza , Zanella Eraldo Lourenso , Nacib Jorge-Neto Pedro , Groke Marques Mariana , Caires Kyle Cody , Zanella Ricardo
Published: May 2023

The production of in vitro embryos has sped up the dissemination of superior genetic material. However, the variation among the cattle response to oocyte and embryo production is a challenging factor. This variation is even higher in the Wagyu cattle as the breed has a small effective population size. The identification of an effective marker related to reproductive efficiency would allow the selection of more responsive females to reproductive protocols. The objective of this study was to evaluate the blood levels of anti-Müllerian hormone and associate it with oocyte recovery and blastocyst rate of embryos produced in vitro in Wagyu cows, as well as observe the hormone circulating levels in males. Serum samples from 29 females with seven follicular aspirations and four bulls were used. AMH measurements were performed using the bovine AMH ELISA kit. A positive correlation was identified between oocyte production and blastocyst rate (r = 0.84, P = 9 × 10−9), and AMH levels with oocyte (r = 0.49, P = 0.006) and embryo (r = 0.39, P = 0.03) production. The mean levels of AMH were different between animals with low (11.06 ± 3.01) and high (20.75 ± 4.46) oocyte production (P = 0.01). Males showed high serological levels of AMH (3829 ± 2328 pg/ml) compared with other breeds. It is possible to use the serological measurement of AMH as a method to select Wagyu females with greater capacity for oocyte and embryo production. Further studies correlating AMH serological levels with Sertoli cell function in bulls are needed.
Addressing the “Hidden Curriculum” in Political Science Publishing
Authors: Anlar Brit , Phillips Hannah
Published: May 2023

Across the academy, there is growing concern over diversity within academic institutions. According to recent research published in three top political science journals, members of historically marginalized groups remain underrepresented and marginalized in submissions, publications, and even reviewer pools (Ayoub 2022; Bell et al. 2020; Reinhardt, Windsor, and King 2022). Expectations that scholars, especially early career researchers (ECRs), “publish or perish” thus exacerbate intersectional inequalities within the discipline (Briscoe-Palmer and Mattocks 2021; McKenzie 2017; Steinþórsdóttir et al. 2018). Further, the overwhelming pressure to publish at all costs can commodify knowledge production and foster a toxic, competitive environment based on peer rivalry rather than collaboration for the sake of advancing knowledge (Horta and Li 2023, 269–70, 271–72).
Getting away with it? Kleptocracy, atrocities, and the morality of autocratic exile
Authors: Nili Shmuel
Published: May 2023

Foreign exile has often served as an important solution to high-stakes standoffs between opposition forces and beleaguered autocrats. I assess the moral status of autocratic exile, by focusing on the tension between exile's contribution to domestic peace and its threat to global deterrence against autocracy. I begin by contending that transitioning societies normally have the moral prerogative of accepting an exile arrangement for their autocrat, even though such an arrangement harms global deterrence against autocracy. I then suggest that, in the absence of clear evidence of majority opposition to an exile arrangement within the transitioning society, foreign countries who have been entangled in an autocrat's rule will normally have a decisive duty to facilitate his exile, despite exile's repercussions for global deterrence. I explain why such foreign entanglement, particularly on the part of affluent Western democracies, is inevitable in the case of kleptocrats. But I also show that the entanglement argument for exile extends even to murderous autocrats, whose crimes fall under the purview of the International Criminal Court. Countries entangled in a murderous autocrat's rule ought to prioritize their particular duties toward his victims over their general moral reasons to advance international criminal justice.
Structural Relationships Across the Sevier Gravity Slide of Southwest Utah and Implications for Catastrophic Translation and Emplacement Processes of Long Runout Landslides
Authors: Braunagel Michael J. , Griffith W. Ashley , Biek Robert F. , Hacker David B. , Rowley Peter D. , Malone David H. , Mayback Danika , Rivera Tiffany A. , Loffer Zachary , Smith Zachary D.
Published: May 2023

The physical processes that facilitate long‐distance translation of large‐volume gravity slides remain poorly understood. To better understand these processes and the controls on runout distance, we conducted an outcrop and microstructural characterization of the Sevier gravity slide across the former land surface and summarize findings of four key sites. The Sevier gravity slide is the oldest of three mega‐scale (>1,000 km2) collapse events of the Marysvale volcanic field (Utah, USA). Field observations of intense deformation, clastic dikes, pseudotachylyte, and consistency of kinematic indicators support the interpretation of rapid emplacement during a single event. Furthermore, clastic dikes and characteristics of the slip zone suggest emplacement involved mobilization and pressurized injection of basal material. Across the runout distance, we observe evidence for progressive slip delocalization along the slide base. This manifests as centimeter‐ to decimeter‐thick cataclastic basal zones and abundant clastic dikes in the north and tens of meters thick basal zones characterized by widespread deformation of both slide blocks and underlying rock near the southern distal end of the gravity slide. Superimposed on this transition are variations in basal zone characteristics and slide geometry arising from interactions between slide blocks during dynamic wear and deposition processes and pre‐existing topography of the former land surface. These observations are synthesized into a conceptual model in which the presence of highly pressurized fluids reduced the frictional resistance to sliding during the emplacement of the Sevier gravity slide, and basal zone evolution controlled the effectiveness of dynamic weakening mechanisms across the former land surface.
Toward a Better Understanding of Wildfire Behavior in the Wildland‐Urban Interface: A Case Study of the 2021 Marshall Fire
Authors: Juliano Timothy W. , Lareau Neil , Frediani Maria E. , Shamsaei Kasra , Eghdami Masih , Kosiba Karen , Wurman Joshua , DeCastro Amy , Kosović Branko , Ebrahimian Hamed
Published: May 2023

On 30 December 2021, the Marshall Fire devastated the Boulder, Colorado region. The fire initiated in fine fuels in open space just southeast of Boulder and spread rapidly due to the strong, downslope winds that penetrated into the Boulder Foothills. Despite the increasing occurrence of wildland‐urban interface (WUI) disasters, many questions remain about how fires progress through vegetation and the built environment. To help answer these questions for the Marshall Fire, we use a coupled fire‐atmosphere model and Doppler on Wheels (DOW) observations to study the fire's progression as well as examine the physical drivers of its spread. Evaluation of the model using the DOW suggests that the model is able to capture general characteristics of the flow field; however, it does not produce as robust of a hydraulic jump as the one observed. Our results highlight limitations of the model that should be addressed for successful WUI simulations.
Phase-tailored assembly and encoding of dissipative soliton molecules
Authors: Liu Yusong , Huang Siyun , Li Zilong , Liu Haoguang , Sun Yixiang , Xia Ran , Yan Lisong , Luo Yiyang , Liu Huanhuan , Xu Gang , Sun Qizhen , Tang Xiahui , Shum Perry Ping
Published: May 2023

Self-assembly of particle-like dissipative solitons, in the presence of mutual interactions, emphasizes the vibrant concept of soliton molecules in varieties of laser resonators. Controllable manipulation of the molecular patterns, held by the degrees of freedom of internal motions, still remains challenging to explore more efficient and subtle tailoring approaches for the increasing demands. Here, we report a new phase-tailored quaternary encoding format based on the controllable internal assembly of dissipative soliton molecules. Artificial manipulation of the energy exchange of soliton-molecular elements stimulates the deterministic harnessing of the assemblies of internal dynamics. Self-assembled soliton molecules are tailored into four phase-defined regimes, thus constituting the phase-tailored quaternary encoding format. Such phase-tailored streams are endowed with great robustness and are resistant to significant timing jitter. All these results experimentally demonstrate the programmable phase tailoring and exemplify the application of the phase-tailored quaternary encoding, prospectively promoting high-capacity all-optical storage.
An ultrahigh sensitivity acoustic sensor system for weak signal detection based on an ultrahigh-Q CaF2 resonator
Authors: Xing Tong , Xing Enbo , Jia Tao , Li Jianglong , Rong Jiamin , Li Li , Tian Sicong , Zhou Yanru , Liu Wenyao , Tang Jun , Liu Jun
Published: May 2023

Acoustic sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity, broadband response, and high resolution are essential for high-precision nondestructive weak signal detection technology. In this paper, based on the size effect of an ultrahigh-quality (Q) calcium fluoride (CaF2) resonator, a weak acoustic signal is detected by the dispersive response regime in which an acoustic, elastic wave modulates the geometry and is converted to a resonance frequency shift. Through the structural design of the resonator, the sensitivity reaches 11.54 V/Pa at 10 kHz in the experiment. To our knowledge, the result is higher than that of other optical resonator acoustic sensors. We further detected a weak signal as low as 9.4 µPa/Hz1/2, which greatly improved the detection resolution. With a good directionality of 36.4 dB and a broadband frequency response range of 20 Hz–20 kHz, the CaF2 resonator acoustic sensing system can not only acquire and reconstruct speech signals over a long distance but also accurately identify and separate multiple voices in noisy environments. This system shows high performance in weak sound detection, sound source localization, sleep monitoring, and many other voice interaction applications.
Excitatory somatostatin interneurons in the dentate gyrus drive a widespread seizure network in cortical dysplasia
Authors: Zheng Yang , Xu Cenglin , Sun Jinyi , Ming Wenjie , Dai Sijie , Shao Yuying , Qiu Xiaoyun , Li Menghan , Shen Chunhong , Xu Jinghong , Fei Fan , Fang Jiajia , Jiang Xuhong , Zheng Guoqing , Hu Weiwei , Wang Yi , Wang Shuang , Ding Meiping , Chen Zhong
Published: May 2023

Seizures due to cortical dysplasia are notorious for their poor prognosis even with medications and surgery, likely due to the widespread seizure network. Previous studies have primarily focused on the disruption of dysplastic lesions, rather than remote regions such as the hippocampus. Here, we first quantified the epileptogenicity of the hippocampus in patients with late-stage cortical dysplasia. We further investigated the cellular substrates leading to the epileptic hippocampus, using multiscale tools including calcium imaging, optogenetics, immunohistochemistry and electrophysiology. For the first time, we revealed the role of hippocampal somatostatin-positive interneurons in cortical dysplasia-related seizures. Somatostatin-positive were recruited during cortical dysplasia-related seizures. Interestingly, optogenetic studies suggested that somatostatin-positive interneurons paradoxically facilitated seizure generalization. By contrast, parvalbumin-positive interneurons retained an inhibitory role as in controls. Electrophysiological recordings and immunohistochemical studies revealed glutamate-mediated excitatory transmission from somatostatin-positive interneurons in the dentate gyrus. Taken together, our study reveals a novel role of excitatory somatostatin-positive neurons in the seizure network and brings new insights into the cellular basis of cortical dysplasia.
ABRAXAS1 orchestrates BRCA1 activities to counter genome destabilizing repair pathways—lessons from breast cancer patients
Authors: Sachsenweger Juliane , Jansche Rebecca , Merk Tatjana , Heitmeir Benedikt , Deniz Miriam , Faust Ulrike , Roggia Cristiana , Tzschach Andreas , Schroeder Christopher , Riess Angelika , Pospiech Helmut , Peltoketo Hellevi , Pylkäs Katri , Winqvist Robert , Wiesmüller Lisa
Published: May 2023

It has been well-established that mutations inBRCA1andBRCA2, compromising functions in DNA double-strand break repair (DSBR), confer hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk. Importantly, mutations in these genes explain only a minor fraction of the hereditary risk and of the subset of DSBR deficient tumors. Our screening efforts identified two truncating germline mutations in the gene encoding the BRCA1 complex partner ABRAXAS1 in German early-onset breast cancer patients. To unravel the molecular mechanisms triggering carcinogenesis in these carriers of heterozygous mutations, we examined DSBR functions in patient-derived lymphoblastoid cells (LCLs) and in genetically manipulated mammary epithelial cells. By use of these strategies we were able to demonstrate that these truncatingABRAXAS1mutations exerted dominant effects on BRCA1 functions. Interestingly, we did not observe haploinsufficiency regarding homologous recombination (HR) proficiency (reporter assay, RAD51-foci, PARP-inhibitor sensitivity) in mutation carriers. However, the balance was shifted to use of mutagenic DSBR-pathways. The dominant effect of truncated ABRAXAS1 devoid of the C-terminal BRCA1 binding site can be explained by retention of the N-terminal interaction sites for other BRCA1-A complex partners like RAP80. In this case BRCA1 was channeled from the BRCA1-A to the BRCA1-C complex, which induced single-strand annealing (SSA). Further truncation, additionally deleting the coiled-coil region of ABRAXAS1, unleashed excessive DNA damage responses (DDRs) de-repressing multiple DSBR-pathways including SSA and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Our data reveal de-repression of low-fidelity repair activities as a common feature of cells from patients with heterozygous mutations in genes encoding BRCA1 and its complex partners.
Mitophagy associated self-degradation of phosphorylated MAP4 guarantees the migration and proliferation responses of keratinocytes to hypoxia
Authors: Feng Yanhai , Li Lingfei , Zhang Qiong , He Yongqing , Huang Yao , Zhang Junhui , Zhang Dongxia , Huang Yuesheng , Lei Xia , Hu Jiongyu , Luo Gaoxing
Published: May 2023

Our previous study has announced that phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein 4 (p-MAP4) accelerated keratinocytes migration and proliferation under hypoxia through depolymerizing microtubules. However, p-MAP4 should exhibit inhibitory effects on wound healing, for it also impaired mitochondria. Thus, figuring out the outcome of p-MAP4 after it impaired mitochondria and how the outcome influenced wound healing were far-reaching significance. Herein, the results revealed that p-MAP4 might undergo self-degradation through autophagy in hypoxic keratinocytes. Next, p-MAP4 activated mitophagy which was unobstructed and was also the principal pathway of its self-degradation triggered by hypoxia. Moreover, both Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3) and LC3 interacting region (LIR) domains had been verified in MAP4, and they endowed MAP4 with the capability to synchronously function as a mitophagy initiator and a mitophagy substrate receptor. And, mutating any one of them ruined hypoxia-induced self-degradation of p-MAP4, resulting in destroyed proliferation and migration responses of keratinocytes to hypoxia. Our findings unviewed that p-MAP4 experienced mitophagy-associated self-degradation through utilizing its BH3 and LIR domains under hypoxia. As a result, the mitophagy-associated self-degradation of p-MAP4 guaranteed the migration and proliferation responses of keratinocytes to hypoxia. Together, this research provided a bran-new pattern of proteins in regulating wound healing, and offered a new direction for intervening wound healing.
Cellular population dynamics shape the route to human pluripotency
Authors: Panariello Francesco , Gagliano Onelia , Luni Camilla , Grimaldi Antonio , Angiolillo Silvia , Qin Wei , Manfredi Anna , Annunziata Patrizia , Slovin Shaked , Vaccaro Lorenzo , Riccardo Sara , Bouche Valentina , Dionisi Manuela , Salvi Marcello , Martewicz Sebastian , Hu Manli , Cui Meihua , Stuart Hannah , Laterza Cecilia , Baruzzo Giacomo , Schiebinger Geoffrey , Di Camillo Barbara , Cacchiarelli Davide , Elvassore Nicola
Published: May 2023

Human cellular reprogramming to induced pluripotency is still an inefficient process, which has hindered studying the role of critical intermediate stages. Here we take advantage of high efficiency reprogramming in microfluidics and temporal multi-omics to identify and resolve distinct sub-populations and their interactions. We perform secretome analysis and single-cell transcriptomics to show functional extrinsic pathways of protein communication between reprogramming sub-populations and the re-shaping of a permissive extracellular environment. We pinpoint the HGF/MET/STAT3 axis as a potent enhancer of reprogramming, which acts via HGF accumulation within the confined system of microfluidics, and in conventional dishes needs to be supplied exogenously to enhance efficiency. Our data suggest that human cellular reprogramming is a transcription factor-driven process that it is deeply dependent on extracellular context and cell population determinants.
Structural analysis and architectural principles of the bacterial amyloid curli
Authors: Sleutel Mike , Pradhan Brajabandhu , Volkov Alexander N. , Remaut Han
Published: May 2023

Two decades have passed since the initial proposition that amyloids are not only (toxic) byproducts of an unintended aggregation cascade, but that they can also be produced by an organism to serve a defined biological function. That revolutionary idea was borne out of the realization that a large fraction of the extracellular matrix that holds Gram-negative cells into a persistent biofilm is composed of protein fibers (curli; tafi) with cross-β architecture, nucleation-dependent polymerization kinetics and classic amyloid tinctorial properties. The list of proteins shown to form so-called functional amyloid fibers in vivo has greatly expanded over the years, but detailed structural insights have not followed at a similar pace in part due to the associated experimental barriers. Here we combine extensive AlphaFold2 modelling and cryo-electron transmission microscopy to propose an atomic model of curli protofibrils, and their higher modes of organization. We uncover an unexpected structural diversity of curli building blocks and fibril architectures. Our results allow for a rationalization of the extreme physico-chemical robustness of curli, as well as earlier observations of inter-species curli promiscuity, and should facilitate further engineering efforts to expand the repertoire of curli-based functional materials.
Rectifying disorder of extracellular matrix to suppress urethral stricture by protein nanofilm-controlled drug delivery from urinary catheter
Authors: Tian Juanhua , Fu Delai , Liu Yongchun , Guan Yibing , Miao Shuting , Xue Yuquan , Chen Ke , Huang Shanlong , Zhang Yanfeng , Xue Li , Chong Tie , Yang Peng
Published: May 2023

Urethral stricture secondary to urethral injury, afflicting both patients and urologists, is initiated by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix in the submucosal and periurethral tissues. Although various anti-fibrotic drugs have been applied to urethral stricture by irrigation or submucosal injection, their clinical feasibility and effectiveness are limited. Here, to target the pathological state of the extracellular matrix, we design a protein-based nanofilm-controlled drug delivery system and assemble it on the catheter. This approach, which integrates excellent anti-biofilm properties with stable and controlled drug delivery for tens of days in one step, ensures optimal efficacy and negligible side effects while preventing biofilm-related infections. In a rabbit model of urethral injury, the anti-fibrotic catheter maintains extracellular matrix homeostasis by reducing fibroblast-derived collagen production and enhancing metalloproteinase 1-induced collagen degradation, resulting in a greater improvement in lumen stenosis than other topical therapies for urethral stricture prevention. Such facilely fabricated biocompatible coating with antibacterial contamination and sustained-drug-release functionality could not only benefit populations at high risk of urethral stricture but also serve as an advanced paradigm for a range of biomedical applications.