bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Happy but Unequal: Differences in Subjective Well-Being across Individuals and Space in Colombia
Authors: Burger Martijn , Hendriks Martijn , Ianchovichina Elena
Published: July 2021

Despite being on average a relatively happy country, Colombia has a high level of inequality in subjective well-being (SWB). Using Gallup World Poll data for the period from 2010 to 2018, this paper tests the direction and strength of association of a range of objective and subjective factors with SWB and explains differences in SWB across individuals and space. The perceived welfare of the average Colombian is mainly influenced by conditions and expectations related to economic opportunities and education. However, quantile regressions, reveal substantial differences in the domains that matter to those at the bottom and top of the experienced welfare distribution. Standard-of-living improvements, housing affordability, and civic engagement matter more to the most fortunate top 20%, while having education, a job, sufficient income, economic security, and digital connectivity are much more strongly associated with the well-being of the bottom 20%. The life domains that matter more to the unhappiest respondents also explain the majority of the spatial differences in perceived welfare between residents in urban and rural areas as well as core and peripheral regions. Policy actions aimed at closing the gaps in these areas have the potential to increase well-being and reduce inequality in Colombia.
Three-dimensional ultrasound for knee osteophyte depiction: a comparative study to computed tomography
Authors: Vendries Valeria , Ungi Tamas , Harry Jordan , Kunz Manuela , Podlipská Jana , MacKenzie Les , Venne Gabriel
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Osteophytes are common radiographic markers of osteoarthritis. However, they are not accurately depicted using conventional imaging, thus hampering surgical interventions that rely on pre-operative images. Studies have shown that ultrasound (US) is promising at detecting osteophytes and monitoring the progression of osteoarthritis. Furthermore, three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound reconstructions may offer a means to quantify osteophytes. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of osteophyte depiction in the knee joint between 3D US and conventional computed tomography (CT).

Methods

Eleven human cadaveric knees were pre-screened for the presence of osteophytes. Three osteoarthritic knees were selected, and then, 3D US and CT images were obtained, segmented, and digitally reconstructed in 3D. After dissection, high-resolution structured light scanner (SLS) images of the joint surfaces were obtained. Surface matching and root mean square (RMS) error analyses of surface distances were performed to assess the accuracy of each modality in capturing osteophytes. The RMS errors were compared between 3D US, CT and SLS models.

Results

Average RMS error comparisons for 3D US versus SLS and CT versus SLS models were 0.87 mm ± 0.33 mm (average ± standard deviation) and 0.95 mm ± 0.32 mm, respectively. No statistical difference was found between 3D US and CT. Comparative observations of imaging modalities suggested that 3D US better depicted osteophytes with cartilage and fibrocartilage tissue characteristics compared to CT.

Conclusion

Using 3D US can improve the depiction of osteophytes with a cartilaginous portion compared to CT. It can also provide useful information about the presence and extent of osteophytes. Whilst algorithm improvements for automatic segmentation and registration of US are needed to provide a more robust investigation of osteophyte depiction accuracy, this investigation puts forward the potential application for 3D US in routine diagnostic evaluations and pre-operative planning of osteoarthritis.
Integrated water quality monitoring of Mahi river using benthic macroinvertebrates and comparison of its biodiversity among various stretches
Authors: Khatri Nitasha , Raval Krutarth , Jha Ashutosh K.
Published: July 2021

Use of benthic macroinvertebrates has been in vogue as indicator organisms for water quality monitoring since long. Traditional methods of water quality monitoring incorporate mostly monitoring of physicochemical parameters. However, it is the biomonitoring studies that could help in more accurate water quality monitoring. Due to anthropogenic impact at water sources, integrated water quality monitoring has become a necessity. An integrated study comprising physicochemical parameters and biomonitoring using benthic macroinvertebrates was carried out at six sites along the Mahi river basin, the command area of which has witnessed tremendous economic and cultural progress over a period of time. Diversity Score and Saprobic Score were calculated, and Water Quality Class was determined as per Biological Monitoring Working Party score given by Central Pollution Control Board and results in moderate pollution at all locations, whereas Water Quality Class as per ISI-IS 2296–1982 at M-1, M-4, M-7 and M-12 shows slight pollution. Jaccard’s similarity index compared the biodiversity of benthic macroinvertebrates at all the sites from upstream to downstream locations. It was maximum, i.e., 52.94% between the locations at M-4 and M-7. Species richness (S) has also been monitored at the said locations. The Diversity Score 0.83 is maximum at the Galteshwar (M-12) location of the Mahi river, which indicates that the location was the most ecologically diverse region among all.
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) 9: versatile biological functions and emerging roles in human cancer
Authors: Yang Chun , Croteau Stéphane , Hardy Pierre
Published: July 2021

Background

HDAC9 (histone deacetylase 9) belongs to the class IIa family of histone deacetylases. This enzyme can shuttle freely between the nucleus and cytoplasm and promotes tissue-specific transcriptional regulation by interacting with histone and non-histone substrates. HDAC9 plays an essential role in diverse physiological processes including cardiac muscle development, bone formation, adipocyte differentiation and innate immunity. HDAC9 inhibition or activation is therefore a promising avenue for therapeutic intervention in several diseases. HDAC9 overexpression is also common in cancer cells, where HDAC9 alters the expression and activity of numerous relevant proteins involved in carcinogenesis.

Conclusions

This review summarizes the most recent discoveries regarding HDAC9 as a crucial regulator of specific physiological systems and, more importantly, highlights the diverse spectrum of HDAC9-mediated posttranslational modifications and their contributions to cancer pathogenesis. HDAC9 is a potential novel therapeutic target, and the restoration of aberrant expression patterns observed among HDAC9 target genes and their related signaling pathways may provide opportunities to the design of novel anticancer therapeutic strategies.
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): updated norms and psychometric insights into adaptive testing from healthy individuals in Northern Italy
Authors: Aiello Edoardo Nicolò , Gramegna Chiara , Esposito Antonella , Gazzaniga Valentina , Zago Stefano , Difonzo Teresa , Maddaluno Ottavia , Appollonio Ildebrando , Bolognini Nadia
Published: July 2021

Background

The availability of fine-grained, culture-specific psychometric outcomes can favor the interpretation of scores of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the most frequently used instrument to screen for mild cognitive dysfunctions in both instrumental and non-instrumental domains. This study thus aimed at providing: (i) updated, region-specific norms for the Italian MoCA, by also (ii) comparing them to pre-existing ones with higher geographical coverage; (iii) information on sensitivity and discriminative capability at the item level.

Methods

Five hundred and seventy nine healthy individuals from Northern Italy (208 males, 371 females; age: 63.4 ± 15, 21–96; education: 11.3 ± 4.6, 1–25) were administered the MoCA. Item Response Theory (IRT) was adopted to assess item difficulty and discrimination. Normative values were derived by means of the Equivalent Scores (ESs) method, applied to the MoCA and its sub-scales. Average ESs were also computed. Agreement with previous ESs classification was assessed via Cohen’s k.

Results

Age and education significantly predicted all MoCA measures except for Orientation, which was related to age only. No sex differences were detected when tested along with age and education. Substantial disagreements with previous ESs classifications were detected. Several items proved to be scarcely sensitive, especially the place item from Orientation and the letter detection task. Memory items showed high discriminative capability, along with certain items assessing executive functions and orientation.

Discussion

Item-level information herewith provided for the Italian MoCA can help interpret its scores by Italian practitioners. Italian practitioners should consider an adaptive use of region-specific norms for the MoCA.
Decades on emergency decision-making: a bibliometric analysis and literature review
Authors: Hou Lin-Xiu , Mao Ling-Xiang , Liu Hu-Chen , Zhang Ling
Published: July 2021

When an emergency occurs, effective decisions should be made in a limited time to reduce the casualties and economic losses as much as possible. In the past decades, emergency decision-making (EDM) has become a research hotspot and a lot of studies have been conducted for better managing emergency events under tight time constraint. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the literature on this topic. The objective of this paper is to provide academic community with a complete bibliometric analysis of the EDM researches to generate a global picture of developments, focus areas, and trends in the field. A total of 303 journal publications published between 2010 and 2020 were identified and analyzed using the VOSviewer in regard to cooperation network, co-citation network, and keyword co-occurrence network. The findings indicate that the annual publications in this research field have increased rapidly since 2014. Based on the cooperation network and co-citation network analyses, the most productive and influential countries, institutions, researchers, and their cooperation networks were identified. Using the co-citation network analysis, the landmark articles and the core journals in the EDM area are found out. With the help of the keyword co-occurrence network analysis, research hotspots and development of the EDM domain are determined. According to current trends and blind spots in the literature, possible directions for further investigation are finally suggested for EDM. The literature review results provide valuable information and new insights for both scholars and practitioners to grasp the current situation, hotspots and future research agenda of the EDM field.
Trade credit, trade income elasticity and the international transmission of shocks
Authors: Watson Anna
Published: July 2021

The paper examines the impact of trade credit on cyclical fluctuations in international trade. It provides new empirical evidence based on firm-level UK and Irish data showing that exporters use trade credit more actively and intensively than non-exporters. The study introduces inter-firm lending into an open economy general equilibrium model with heterogeneous firms and endogenous entry into the exports market. It demonstrates that trade credit amplifies the impact of macroeconomic shocks on international trade both along the intensive and extensive margins and that it significantly contributes to the high trade income elasticity observed in the data.
A Framework for Modelling Economic Regional Location Processes Under Uncertainty
Authors: Cerqueti Roy , Cutrini Eleonora
Published: July 2021

This paper deals with the theoretical analysis of the spatial concentration and localization of firms and employees over a set of regions. In particular, it provides a simple site-selection theoretical model to describe the probabilistic framework of the location patterns. The adopted quantitative tool is the stochastic theory of urns. The model moves from the empirical evidence of the deviation of the spatial location of companies from the uniform distribution and of employees from the distribution of firms. Factors leading to such deviations are taken into consideration. Specifically, we formalize a decision problem grounded on the economic attributes of the regions and also on the distribution of the existing firms and employees in the territory. To our purpose, the site-selection model is presented as a stepwise process.
Population dynamics in northwestern China
Authors: Yang Xueyan , Li Wanxin , Jing Wen , Gao Chezhuo , Li Rui , He Yuqi
Published: July 2021

This article analyzes the population dynamics in northwestern China from roughly 2010 to 2020. The area’s dynamics showed a slow, stable increase in population size, a stable increase in the population of non-Han ethnic groups, which increased at a more rapidly than the Han population, and population rejuvenation coupled with a population structure that aged. The biological sex structure fluctuated within a balanced range in northwestern China. Urbanization advanced in northwestern China, throughout this period, but the area’s level of urbanization is still significantly lower than the average level of urbanization nationally.
As Night Falls
Authors: Wishnitzer Avner
Published: July 2021

In a world that is constantly awake, illuminated and exposed, there is much to gain from looking into the darkness of times past. This fascinating and vivid picture of nocturnal life in Middle Eastern cities shows that the night in the eighteenth-century Ottoman Empire created unique conditions for economic, criminal, political, devotional and leisurely pursuits that were hardly possible during the day. Offering the possibility of livelihood and brotherhood, pleasure and refuge; the darkness allowed confiding, hiding and conspiring - activities which had far-reaching consequences on Ottoman state and society in the early modern period. Instead of dismissing the night as merely a dark corridor between days, As Night Falls demonstrates how fundamental these nocturnal hours have been in shaping the major social, cultural and political processes in the early modern Middle East.
Governing the Interface of U.S.-China Trade Relations
Authors: Shaffer Gregory
Published: July 2021

The strained U.S.-China trade relationship poses a frontal challenge to the multilateral trading system and has broad repercussions for international law. This Article addresses three dimensions of this relationship: (1) the economic dimension; (2) the geopolitical/national security dimension; and (3) the normative/social policy dimension. The Article advances a middle ground between those seeking to reinforce the World Trade Organization (WTO) system with new rules that limit the state's role in the economy, and those who reject WTO constraints in favor of a power-based system. It proposes pragmatic reforms to govern the interface of the two states’ respective systems across these three dimensions to facilitate ongoing exchange while giving each country latitude to protect itself from the externalities of the other's policies. The result would be greater room for bilateral and plurilateral bargaining, but conducted within the umbrella of the multilateral system.
Methodological Challenges in Estimating the Lifetime Medical Care Cost Externality of Obesity
Authors: Schell Robert C. , Just David R. , Levitsky David A.
Published: July 2021

There is a great deal of variability in estimates of the lifetime medical care cost externality of obesity, partly due to a lack of transparency in the methodology behind these cost models. Several important factors must be considered in producing the best possible estimate, including age-related weight gain, differential life expectancy, identifiability, and cost model selection. In particular, age-related weight gain represents an important new component to recent cost estimates. Without accounting for age-related weight gain, a study relies on the untenable assumption that people remain the same weight throughout their lives, leading to a fundamental misunderstanding of the evolution and development of the obesity crisis. This study seeks to inform future researchers on the best methods and data available both to estimate age-related weight gain and to accurately and consistently estimate obesity’s lifetime external medical care costs. This should help both to create a more standardized approach to cost estimation as well as encourage more transparency between all parties interested in the question of obesity’s lifetime cost and, ultimately, evaluating the benefits and costs of interventions targeting obesity at various points in the life course.
Financial Inclusion with Hybrid Organizational Forms: Microfinance, Philanthropy, and the Poor Law in Ireland, c. 1836–1845
Authors: McLaughlin Eoin , Pecchenino Rowena
Published: July 2021

The turbulent 1830s saw a sequence of great political and social reforms in the United Kingdom. One such reform was the introduction of a locally funded Poor Law in Ireland. The development of a nascent welfare system in 1838 coincided with a boom in the formation of microfinance institutions in Ireland. The focus of this study is the expansion of a hybrid organizational form, Loan Fund Societies (LFSs), in the ten years prior to the Great Irish Famine of 1845–1849. LFSs were legally established with a conflictual structure: acting as commercially viable charitable institutions required to provide credit to the deserving poor (to enable them to be self-sufficient) while dedicating their “profits” to supporting the indigent poor. This study uses an analytical framework drawing inspiration from institutional logics to explore and better understand Irish microfinance in the early nineteenth century, a period of profound socioeconomic and socioreligious changes. It seeks to explain the factors that motivated the establishment and de-establishment of microfinance institutions amid this tumult. Legislative changes in LFS business parameters in 1843 made the tensions between being charitable and commercially sustainable salient; and, for some, it made continued existence untenable.
Biological richness of Gunung Slamet, Central Java, and the need for its protection
Authors: Devenish Christian , Junaid Achmad Ridha , Andriansyah  , Saryanthi Ria , van Balen S. (Bas) , Kaprawi Fajar , Aprianto Ganjar Cahyo , Stanley Richard C. , Poole Oliver , Owen Andrew , Collar N. J. , Marsden Stuart J.
Published: July 2021

Designating protected areas remains a core strategy in biodiversity conservation. Despite high endemism, montane forests across the island of Java are under-represented in Indonesia's protected area network. Here, we document the montane biodiversity of Gunung Slamet, an isolated volcano in Central Java, and provide evidence to support its increased protection. During September–December 2018, we surveyed multiple sites for birds, primates, terrestrial mammals, reptiles, amphibians and vegetation. Survey methods included transects, camera traps and targeted searches at six sites, at altitudes of 970–2,512 m. We used species distribution models for birds and mammals of conservation concern to identify priority areas for protection. We recorded 99 bird species (13 globally threatened), 15 mammals (five globally threatened) and 17 reptiles and amphibians (two endemic). Our species distribution models showed considerable cross-taxon congruence between important areas on Slamet's upper slopes, generally above 1,800 m. Particularly important were records of the endemic subspecies of the Endangered Javan laughingthrush Garrulax rufifrons slamatensis, not recorded in the wild since 1925, the Endangered Javan gibbon Hylobates moloch and Javan surili Presbytis comata, and the Vulnerable Javan lutung Trachypithecus auratus and Javan leopard Panthera pardus melas. Recent forest loss has been modest, at least 280 km2 of continuous forest remain above 800 m, and our surveys show that forest habitats are in good condition. However, the mountain is widely used by trappers and hunters. Given its importance for biodiversity conservation, we discuss different options for improving the protection status of Gunung Slamet, including designation as a National Park or Essential Ecosystem.
Improving the performance of parallel robots by applying distinct hybrid control techniques
Authors: Coutinho André G. , Hess-Coelho Tarcisio A.
Published: July 2021

During the last two decades, parallel robots have become more ubiquitous, employed in a great variety of sectors, from food to aerospace industries. In fact, they are much more efficient than their serial counterparts in terms of performing fast motions and consuming less energy. However, due to their mechanical complexity, they present a highly complex non-linear dynamics, which makes the modelling and control tasks difficult. Aiming to improve the performance and robustness of the control laws already used to control this type of mechanisms, this paper proposes two hybrid control techniques. The first hybrid control is derived from the combination of a pure PD control with a modified Sliding Mode control. The second hybrid control, in its turn, combines a pure Computed Torque with the altered Sliding Mode control. The proposed modifications in the Sliding Mode control aim to achieve a considerable reduction of the tracking errors and chattering. A stability analysis of the proposed control techniques and an experimental validation are carried out, comparing the performance of the pure and hybrid control laws in a 5R parallel mechanism. Moreover, simulations are also conducted to evaluate the behaviour of a 3-dof spatial parallel robot, when performing a 3D-path. Analysing the simulations and the experimental results, it is possible to observe a significant reduction of the path tracking and steady-state errors in both hybrid control strategies.
Enhancing RFID system configuration through semantic modelling
Authors: Tsalapati Eleni , Tribe James , Goodall Paul A. , Young Robert I. , Jackson Thomas W. , West Andrew A.
Published: July 2021

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) system technology is a key element for the realization of the Industry 4.0 vision, as it is vital for tasks such as entity tracking, identification and asset management. However, the plethora of RFID systems’ elements in combination with the wide range of factors that need to be taken under consideration along with the interrelations amongst them, make the problem of identification and design of the right RFID system, based on users’ needs particularly complex. The research outlined in this paper seeks to optimize this process by developing an integrating schema that will encapsulate this information in a form that is both human and machine processible. Human readability will allow a shared understanding of the RFID technology domain; machine readability, automated reasoning engines to perform logical deduction techniques returning implicit information. For this purpose, the novel RFID System Configuration Ontology (RFID SCO) is developed. Hence, non-RFID experts are enabled to identify the most suitable RFID system according to their needs and RFID experts to retrieve all the relevant information required for the efficient design of the corresponding RFID system. The RFID SCO is validated and tested successfully against real-world scenarios provided by domain experts.
Single live birth derived from conjoined oocytes using laser-cutting technique: a case report
Authors: Wang Qin , Ulker Ashley , Wang Hongfeng , Wu Bin , Yang Aijun , Attia George R.
Published: July 2021

The finding of conjoined oocytes is a rare occurrence that accounts for only 0.3% of all human retrieved oocytes. This phenomenon is quite different from that of a traditional single oocyte emanating from one follicle, and may result in dizygotic twins and mosaicism. Given the insufficient evidence on how to approach conjoined oocytes, their fate is variable among different in vitro fertilization (IVF) centres. In this observational report, we propose a new protocol for the use of these conjoined oocytes using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), laser-cutting technique and next-generation sequencing (NGS). The first case report demonstrates that conjoined oocytes can penetrate their shared zona pellucida (ZP) at Day 6. The second case is that of a 25-year-old female patient who underwent a successful embryo transfer cycle after removal of one oocyte in which a pair of conjoined human oocytes underwent ICSI, laser-cutting separation and NGS testing. The patient achieved pregnancy and gave birth to single healthy female originally derived from conjoined oocytes. This case provided a means through which normal pregnancy may be achieved from conjoined oocytes using laser-cutting separation techniques. The protocol described may be especially beneficial to patients with a limited number of oocytes.
Executive functioning in body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: Chen Long Long , Flygare Oskar , Wallert John , Enander Jesper , Ivanov Volen Z. , Rück Christian , Djurfeldt Diana
Published: July 2021

Objective

To assess executive functions (EFs) in patients with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) compared with healthy controls.

Methods

Adults diagnosed with BDD (n = 26) or OCD (n = 29) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and healthy controls (n = 28) underwent validated and computerized neuropsychological tests, spatial working memory (SWM), intra–extra-dimensional set shifting (IED), and stop signal task (SST), from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Test performance was compared between groups, and correlated with standardized symptom severity of BDD and OCD. Significance level was set toP < .05.

Results

There were no statistically significant between-group differences on key outcome measures in SWM, IED, or SST. There was a weak positive correlation between symptom severity and test errors on SWM and IED in both OCD and BDD groups; increased clinical severity was associated with more errors in these tests. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between symptom severity and SST in the BDD group.

Conclusions

Patients with BDD or OCD did not differ from healthy control subjects in terms of test performance; however, there were several statistically significant correlations between symptom severity and performance in those with BDD or OCD. More studies on EFs in BDD and OCD are required to elucidate if there are differences in EFs between these two disorders.
The parallax landscape and its middle-class spatiality: the case of the Julino Brdo housing estate, Belgrade
Authors: Kušić Aleksandar , Djokić Vladan
Published: July 2021

The housing estate of Julino Brdo was built in the late 1960s in the Čukarica municipality of Belgrade, and housed the ‘middle class’ of Yugoslav selfmanagement socialism – managers, experts, and administrators, in an area that was also populated by the improvised homes of illegal settlers. Approaching the estate from the north, the observer first notices two clusters of homogeneous masses rising out of a plateau known as ‘Grujina Strana’. As the observer moves forward, the estate briefly disappears from sight, only to reappear as a single cluster merged with the steep sides of the plateau.
From #MeToo to #ProtestToo: How a Feminist Movement Converged with a Pro-democracy Protest in Hong Kong
Authors: Lai Ruby Y. S.
Published: July 2021

The #MeToo movement in Hong Kong emerged in late 2017, subsequently converged with the Anti-Extradition Law protest in 2019, and evolved into the #ProtestToo campaign against police violence and sexual assult. This essay traces the development of the #MeToo movement and analyzes the collaboration among the government, civil society, and the media in fostering the movement to combat sexual violence. It argues that whether the collaborative model succeeds or fails depends upon sociocultural and political circumstances: the failure of existing measures in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting the alleged sexual assaults inflicted on protesters in 2019 reveals how a shift to authoritarian governance may cripple the established anti–sexual violence collaboration.
The Intersections of Environment, Health, and COVID-19 in Africa
Authors: Jenkins Gregory
Published: July 2021

A new special collection in GeoHealth seeks papers examining the link between environmental conditions and human health in Africa.
Overture to Exoplanets
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: July 2021

The curtain is about to rise on the James Webb Space Telescope. Let’s see what’s in store for its opening act.
Distinct Interdecadal Change Contrasts Between Summer and Autumn in Latitude‐Longitude Covariability of Northwest Pacific Typhoon Genesis Locations
Authors: Wu Zeming , Hu Chundi , Wang Junbin , Chen Weizhen , Lian Tao , Yang Song , Chen Dake
Published: July 2021

This study investigates seasonality of interdecadal changes in latitude‐longitude covariability of the Northwest Pacific (WNP)‐mean tropical cyclogenesis location (TCGL). It is found that the latitude‐longitude covariability in WNP‐mean TCGL of typhoons has experienced seasonally distinct interdecadal shifts since 1998, weakening in summer and strengthening in autumn. Since significant westward shift of WNP‐mean TCGL exists in both summer and autumn, but robust poleward shift is only detected in autumn. The linchpin of such seasonal difference is the subtropical WNP sea‐surface temperature (SST) warming in the key region of 125°–140°E, 15°–30°N, where numbers of typhoons increase in autumn but not in summer. Two main factors are responsible for the SST warming in the key region: the interdecadal trend of local SST and the Central Pacific La Niña‐teleconnected warming. However, neither condition occurs in summer, highlighting the importance of seasonal difference in climatological background when interpreting climatic changes in typhoons.
The Impact of Sea‐Ice Loss on Arctic Climate Feedbacks and Their Role for Arctic Amplification
Authors: Jenkins Matthew , Dai Aiguo
Published: July 2021

Sea‐ice loss and radiative feedbacks have been proposed to explain Arctic amplification (AA)—the enhanced Arctic warming under increased greenhouse gases, but their relationship is unclear. By analyzing coupled CESM1 simulations with 1%/year CO2 increases, we show that without large sea‐ice loss and AA, the lapse rate, Planck, and surface albedo feedbacks are greatly reduced, while the positive water vapor feedback changes little. The positive Arctic lapse rate feedback, which results from enhanced surface warming rather than the high stability of Arctic air, and changes in atmospheric energy transport across the Arctic Circle are a result, not a cause, of AA; while the water vapor feedback also plays a minor role. Instead, AA results from enhanced winter oceanic heating associated with sea‐ice loss that is aided by a positive surface albedo feedback in summer and positive cloud feedback in winter.
Observation of Kolmogorov Turbulence in the Jovian Magnetosheath From JADE Data
Authors: Bandyopadhyay R. , McComas D. J. , Szalay J. R. , Allegrini F. , Bolton S. J. , Ebert R. W. , Wilson R. J. , Gershman D. J.
Published: July 2021

Power spectra of magnetic‐field fluctuations near Jupiter have been analyzed since the early days of space exploration with Voyager and Ulysses flyby of Jupiter. Power spectra of velocity and density fluctuations, however, have not been as well studied, due to the lack of high‐resolution measurements required to resolve a significant fraction of the inertial range. Here, we investigate fluid‐scale turbulence in Jupiter's magnetosheath using measurements from the Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) instrument onboard Juno spacecraft. Both ion density and velocity spectra exhibit nearly Kolmogorov scaling ∼f−5/3. This indicates weakly compressible fluctuations and the presence of a scale‐invariant cascade through the inertial range. Although this is a specific case study and not necessarily representative of the overall behavior, our result shows that Alfvénic Kolmogorov‐type turbulence exists in at least some locations in Jupiter's magnetosheath.
Screening of potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using convalescent patients-derived phage-display libraries
Authors: Pan Yongbing , Du Jianhui , Liu Jia , Wu Hai , Gui Fang , Zhang Nan , Deng Xiaojie , Song Gang , Li Yufeng , Lu Jia , Wu Xiaoli , Zhan ShanShan , Jing Zhaofei , Wang Jiong , Yang Yimin , Liu Jianbang , Chen Ying , Chen Qin , Zhang Huanyu , Hu Hengrui , Duan Kai , Wang Manli , Wang Qisheng , Yang Xiaoming
Published: July 2021

As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to threaten public health worldwide, the development of effective interventions is urgently needed. Neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) have great potential for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, ten nAbs were isolated from two phage-display immune libraries constructed from the pooled PBMCs of eight COVID-19 convalescent patients. Eight of them, consisting of heavy chains encoded by the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene-variable region (IGHV)3-66 or IGHV3-53 genes, recognized the same epitope on the receptor-binding domain (RBD), while the remaining two bound to different epitopes. Among the ten antibodies, 2B11 exhibited the highest affinity and neutralization potency against the original wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 virus (KD = 4.76 nM for the S1 protein, IC50 = 6 ng/mL for pseudoviruses, and IC50 = 1 ng/mL for authentic viruses), and potent neutralizing ability against B.1.1.7 pseudoviruses. Furthermore, 1E10, targeting a distinct epitope on RBD, exhibited different neutralization efficiency against WT SARS-CoV-2 and its variants B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1. The crystal structure of the 2B11–RBD complexes revealed that the epitope of 2B11 highly overlaps with the ACE2-binding site. The in vivo experiment of 2B11 using AdV5-hACE2-transduced mice showed encouraging therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. Taken together, our results suggest that the highly potent SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibody, 2B11, could be used against the WT SARS-CoV-2 and B.1.1.7 variant, or in combination with a different epitope-targeted neutralizing antibody, such as 1E10, against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Data sharing practices and data availability upon request differ across scientific disciplines
Authors: Tedersoo Leho , Küngas Rainer , Oras Ester , Köster Kajar , Eenmaa Helen , Leijen Äli , Pedaste Margus , Raju Marju , Astapova Anastasiya , Lukner Heli , Kogermann Karin , Sepp Tuul
Published: July 2021

Data sharing is one of the cornerstones of modern science that enables large-scale analyses and reproducibility. We evaluated data availability in research articles across nine disciplines in Nature and Science magazines and recorded corresponding authors’ concerns, requests and reasons for declining data sharing. Although data sharing has improved in the last decade and particularly in recent years, data availability and willingness to share data still differ greatly among disciplines. We observed that statements of data availability upon (reasonable) request are inefficient and should not be allowed by journals. To improve data sharing at the time of manuscript acceptance, researchers should be better motivated to release their data with real benefits such as recognition, or bonus points in grant and job applications. We recommend that data management costs should be covered by funding agencies; publicly available research data ought to be included in the evaluation of applications; and surveillance of data sharing should be enforced by both academic publishers and funders. These cross-discipline survey data are available from the plutoF repository.
Global offshore wind turbine dataset
Authors: Zhang Ting , Tian Bo , Sengupta Dhritiraj , Zhang Lei , Si Yali
Published: July 2021

Offshore wind farms are widely adopted by coastal countries to obtain clean and green energy; their environmental impact has gained an increasing amount of attention. Although offshore wind farm datasets are commercially available via energy industries, records of the exact spatial distribution of individual wind turbines and their construction trajectories are rather incomplete, especially at the global level. Here, we construct a global remote sensing-based offshore wind turbine (OWT) database derived from Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) time-series images from 2015 to 2019. We developed a percentile-based yearly SAR image collection reduction and autoadaptive threshold algorithm in the Google Earth Engine platform to identify the spatiotemporal distribution of global OWTs. By 2019, 6,924 wind turbines were constructed in 14 coastal nations. An algorithm performance analysis and validation were performed, and the extraction accuracies exceeded 99% using an independent validation dataset. This dataset could further our understanding of the environmental impact of OWTs and support effective marine spatial planning for sustainable development.
Illegal fishing with electrofishing devices in the Po river basin, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Authors: Mazzariol Sandro , Corazzola Giorgia , Rubini Silva , Quaglio Francesco , Perolo Alberto , Gustinelli Andrea , Fioravanti Marialetizia , Garbarino Chiara Anna , Fontana Maria Cristina , Frisoni Paolo , Gaudio Rosa Maria , Centelleghe Cinzia
Published: July 2021

Electric fishing is an illegal hunting method, unfortunately widely used by poachers to paralyze fish and to catch many animals in a short time. In Italy, it is authorized only for scientific and conservative purposes. Between 2014 and 2018, the Ferrara section of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, Italy, received nine cases of potentially illegal electric fishing in Po river and its tributary rivers. Necropsies were performed following standard protocols and samples of different tissues were collected and examined using histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques. Gross lesions frequently observed were circulatory alteration phenomena (i.e. multi-organ hyperemia, hemorrhages and congestion, hemopericardium), also found histologically, in addition to multifocal degenerative and necrotic muscular processes that could be attributed to injuries from electric current, as already reported in literature. Immunohistochemical investigations confirmed degenerative and necrotic lesions with myoglobin depletion and a corresponding fibrinogen accumulation. Myoglobin globules were also detected in the renal parenchyma, as consequent of rhabdomyolysis. The results of this study allowed to correlate electric fishing to gross, histologic and immunohistochemical lesions, which together constitute a pathognomonic picture to be considered a reference standard in this type of illegal controversy.
Cardiovascular risk factors associated with acute myocardial infarction and stroke in the MADIABETES cohort
Authors: Salinero-Fort M. A. , Andrés-Rebollo F. J. San , Cárdenas-Valladolid J. , Méndez-Bailón M. , Chico-Moraleja R. M. , de Santa Pau E. Carrillo , Jiménez-Trujillo I. , Gómez-Campelo I. , de Burgos Lunar C. , de Miguel-Yanes J. M. ,   MADIABETES, Abanades-Herranz J. C. , Vicente-Tutor A. M. Sobrado-de , Sanz-Pascual Mar , Arnalte-Barrera M. , Pulido-Fernández S. , Donaire-Jiménez E. M. , Montero-Lizana C. , Domínguez-Paniagua M. , Serrano-Simarro P. , Echegoyen-de Nicolás R. , Gil-Díaz P. , Cerrada-Somolinos I. , Martín-Cano R. , Cava-Rosado A. , Mesonero-Grandes T. , Gómez-Navarro E. , Maestro-Martín A. , Muñoz-Cildoz A. , Calonge-García M. E. , Martín-Bun M. , Carreño-Freire P. , Fernández-García J. , Morán-Escudero A. , Martínez-Irazusta J. , Calvo-García E. , Alayeto-Sánchez A. M. , Reyes-Madridejos C. , Bedoya-Frutos M. J. , López-Sabater B. , Innerarity-Martínez J. , Rosillo-González A. , Menéndez-Fernández A. I. , Mata-Benjumea F. , Vich-Pérez P. , Martín-Madrazo C. , Gomara-Martínez M. J. , Bello-González C. , Pinilla-Carrasco A. , Camarero-Shelly M. , Cano-Espin A. , Castro Martin J. , de Llama-Arauz B. , de Miguel-Ballano A. , García-Alonso M. A. , García-Pascual J. N. , González-García M. I. , López-Rodríguez C. , Miguel-Garzón M. , Montero-García M. C. , Muñoz-Quiros-Aliaga S. , Núñez-Palomo S. , Olmos-Carrasco O. , Pertierra-Galindo N. , Reviriego-Jaén G. , Rius-Fortea P. , Rodríguez-Castro G. , San Vicente-Rodríguez J. M. , Serrano-Serrano M. E. , Zamora-Gómez M. M. , Zazo-Lázaro M. P.
Published: July 2021

We aimed to develop two models to estimate first AMI and stroke/TIA, respectively, in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, by applying backward elimination to the following variables: age, sex, duration of diabetes, smoking, BMI, and use of antihyperglycemic drugs, statins, and aspirin. As time-varying covariates, we analyzed blood pressure, albuminuria, lipid profile, HbA1c, retinopathy, neuropathy, and atrial fibrillation (only in stroke/TIA model). Both models were stratified by antihypertensive drugs. We evaluated 2980 patients (52.8% women; 67.3 ± 11.2 years) with 24,159 person-years of follow-up. We recorded 114 cases of AMI and 185 cases of stroke/TIA. The factors that were independently associated with first AMI were age (≥ 75 years vs. < 75 years) (p = 0.019), higher HbA1c (> 64 mmol/mol vs. < 53 mmol/mol) (p = 0.003), HDL-cholesterol (0.90–1.81 mmol/L vs. < 0.90 mmol/L) (p = 0.002), and diastolic blood pressure (65–85 mmHg vs. < 65 mmHg) (p < 0.001). The factors that were independently associated with first stroke/TIA were age (≥ 75 years vs. < 60 years) (p < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (first year after the diagnosis vs. more than one year) (p = 0.001), glomerular filtration rate (per each 15 mL/min/1.73 m2 decrease) (p < 0.001), total cholesterol (3.88–6.46 mmol/L vs. < 3.88 mmol/L) (p < 0.001), triglycerides (per each increment of 1.13 mmol/L) (p = 0.031), albuminuria (p < 0.001), neuropathy (p = 0.01), and retinopathy (p = 0.023).
Publisher Correction: Cause analysis of PM2.5 pollution during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nanning, China
Authors: Mo Zhaoyu , Huang Jiongli , Chen Zhiming , Zhou Bin , Zhu Kaixian , Liu Huilin , Mu Yijun , Zhang Dabiao , Wang Shanshan
Published: July 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Population consequences of climate change through effects on functional traits of lentic brown trout in the sub-Arctic
Authors: Bærum Kim Magnus , Finstad Anders G. , Ulvan Eva Marita , Haugen Thrond O.
Published: July 2021

Climate-induced plasticity in functional traits has received recent attention due to the immense importance phenotypic variation plays in population level responses. Here, we explore the effect of different climate-change scenarios on lentic populations of a freshwater ectotherm, the brown trout (Salmo trutta L.), through climate effects on functional traits. We first parameterize models of climate variables on growth, spawning probability and fecundity. The models are utilized to inform a dynamic age-structured projection matrix, enabling long-term population viability projections under climate and population density variation. Ambient temperature and winter conditions had a substantial effect on population growth rate. In general, warmer summer temperatures resulted in faster growth rates for young fish but ended in smaller size at age as fish got older. Increasing summer temperatures also induced maturation at younger age and smaller size. In addition, we found effects of first-year growth on later growth trajectories for a fish, indicating that environmental conditions experienced the first year will also influence size at age later in life. At the population level, increasing temperatures average (up to 4 °C increase in areas with mean summer temperature at approximately 12 °C) resulted in a positive effect on population growth rate (i.e. smaller but more fish) during climate simulations including increasing and more variable temperatures.
Virus Induced Lymphocytes (VIL) as a novel viral antigen-specific T cell therapy for COVID-19 and potential future pandemics
Authors: Sivapalan Rohan , Liu Jinyan , Chakraborty Krishnendu , Arthofer Elisa , Choudhry Modassir , Barie Philip S. , Barouch Dan H. , Henley Tom
Published: July 2021

The a priori T cell repertoire and immune response against SARS-CoV-2 viral antigens may explain the varying clinical course and prognosis of patients having a mild COVID-19 infection as opposed to those developing more fulminant multisystem organ failure and associated mortality. Using a novel SARS-Cov-2-specific artificial antigen presenting cell (aAPC), coupled with a rapid expansion protocol (REP) as practiced in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) therapy, we generate an immune catalytic quantity of Virus Induced Lymphocytes (VIL). Using T cell receptor (TCR)-specific aAPCs carrying co-stimulatory molecules and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-I immunodominant SARS-CoV-2 peptide-pentamer complexes, we expand virus-specific VIL derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of convalescent COVID-19 patients up to 1000-fold. This is achieved in a clinically relevant 7-day vein-to-vein time-course as a potential adoptive cell therapy (ACT) for COVID-19. We also evaluate this approach for other viral pathogens using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific VIL from donors as a control. Rapidly expanded VIL are enriched in virus antigen-specificity and show an activated, polyfunctional cytokine profile and T effector memory phenotype which may contribute to a robust immune response. Virus-specific T cells can also be delivered allogeneically via MHC-typing and patient human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matching to provide pragmatic treatment in a large-scale therapeutic setting. These data suggest that VIL may represent a novel therapeutic option that warrants further clinical investigation in the armamentarium against COVID-19 and other possible future pandemics.
Passive repetitive stretching is associated with greater muscle mass and cross-sectional area in the sarcopenic muscle
Authors: Wang Yumin , Ikeda Satoshi , Ikoma Katsunori
Published: July 2021

Mechanical stimulation has benefits for muscle mass and function. Passive stretching is widely performed in clinical rehabilitation medicine. However, the hypertrophic effects of passive repetitive stretching on senescent skeletal muscles against muscle atrophy remain unknown. We used senescence-accelerated model SAM-P8 mice. The gastrocnemius muscle was passively repetitive stretched by manual ankle dorsiflexion for 15 min, 5 days a week for 2 weeks under deep anesthesia. We examined the effects of passive stretching on muscle mass, myofiber cross-sectional area, muscle fiber type composition, satellite cell and myonuclei content, signaling pathways involved in muscle protein synthesis, and myogenic regulatory factors. The gastrocnemius muscle weight and fiber cross-sectional area of the stretched side was found greater compared with that of the unstretched side. Passive repetitive stretching increased the mRNA expression level of Akt, p70S6K, 4E-BP1, Myf5, myogenin, MuRF1.The phosphorylation level of p70S6K significantly increased in the stretched muscles, whereas of Akt and 4E-BP1 remained unchanged, compared to the unstretched side. The Pax7+ cells and myonuclei content did not differ between the stretched and unstretched muscles. These findings suggest that the hypertrophic or suppressed atrophic observation in the stretched muscles are mainly attributable to the protein turnover provoked by stretching. These findings are applicable to clinical muscle strengthening and sarcopenia prevention.