bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ratio-based indicators for cytosolic Ca
2+
with visible light excitation
Authors: Zhou Xinqi , Belavek Kayla J. , Navarro Marisol X. , Martinez Kayli N. , Hinojosa Abigail , Miller Evan W.
Published: February 2025

Calcium ions (Ca
2+
) play central roles in cellular physiology. Fluorescent indicators for Ca
2+
ions revolutionized our ability to make rapid, accurate, and highly parallel measurement of Ca
2+
concentrations in living cells. The use of ratio-based imaging with one particular indicator, fura-2, allowed practitioners to correct for a number of experimental confounds, including dye bleaching, variations in sample thickness, and fluctuations in illumination intensity. Ratio-based imaging with fura-2 was the most accurate and reliable method for measuring Ca
2+
concentrations. Two drawbacks to fura-2 exist. First, it requires ultraviolet (UV) excitation, which is more toxic to living cells than visible light. Second, our ability to use fura-2 for accurate, stable, ratio-based determinations of Ca
2+
concentration in living cells is fast becoming a method of the past. This is due, in part, because modern microscopes are phasing out the use of mercury arc lamps that provide the UV excitation needed for fura-2 imaging. To address this problem, we describe the design, synthesis, and cellular application of benzo[
b
]phosphole-based fluorescent Ca
2+
indicators for ratio-based imaging of Ca
2+
in living cells that can be used with modern light emitting diode (LED)-equipped fluorescence microscopes. We report isoCaRed-1Me, a Ca
2+
indicator that enables ratio-based imaging in immortalized cell lines, primary mammalian hippocampal neurons, and human-induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes. These data show that isoCaRed-1Me will be useful for ratio-based Ca
2+
imaging using modern microscopes.
Mycorrhiza increases plant diversity and soil carbon storage in grasslands
Authors: Zhang Entao , Wang Yang , Crowther Thomas W. , Sun Weicheng , Chen Shiping , Zhou Daowei , Shangguan Zhouping , Huang Jianhui , He Jin-Sheng , Wang Yanfen , Sheng Jiandong , Tang Lisong , Li Xinrong , Dong Ming , Wu Yan , Hu Shuijin , Bai Yongfei , Yu Guirui
Published: February 2025

Experimental studies have shown that symbiotic relationships between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and host plants can regulate soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. Although the impacts of mycorrhiza are highly context-dependent, it remains unclear how these effects vary across broad spatial scales. Based on data from 2296 field sites across grassland ecosystems of China, here we show that mycorrhizal fungi symbiosis enhances SOC storage in the topsoil and subsoil through increasing plant diversity and elevating biomass allocation to belowground. SOC storage is significantly higher in both the topsoil and subsoil in systems dominated by obligate mycorrhizal (OM) and facultative mycorrhizal (FM) plants than those dominated by nonmycorrhizal (NM) plants. Also, the relative abundance of OM plants increases at the expense of FM plants as temperature and precipitation increase. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential mechanisms by which mycorrhizal fungi may influence grassland plant diversity and SOC storage in the context of global change.
Unequal resource division occurs in the absence of group division and identity
Authors: Deschrijver Eliane , Ramsey Richard
Published: February 2025

Based on the seminal minimal group experiment, the widely influential social identity theory has, in the last 45 y, led to the belief that discrimination follows from intergroup relations and social identity. A large body of research evidenced that people discriminate against members of their out versus ingroup, even if groups and identities were assigned on the basis of a quantity estimate, aesthetic judgment, or a chance outcome. But to what extent may unequal resource division be accounted for by ad hoc difference versus sameness, outside of any group division? We show via Bayesian regression analyses in seven preregistered experiments (>1,400 subjects) that unequal resource division strategies persist against a single person that demonstrates a different versus the same quantity estimate, painting preference, or even coin flip (Experiments 1, 2, and 3ab), with 43.1% more money awarded for sameness relative to difference conditions (Experiments 4, 5, and 6). These findings open up the possibility that one key driver of discrimination may exist in a mechanism of interindividual comparison that treats ad hoc difference more negatively than ad hoc sameness. If unequal resource division readily emerges against a single person even after a mere chance difference, discrimination may be more widespread and occur for partly different reasons than is currently assumed. Theoretical implications for understanding cognitive and brain systems of discrimination are discussed.
Fractional magnetic charges and channeling of Faraday lines by disclinations in artificial spin ice
Authors: Hurben Anthony , Hao Yinchen , Chioar Ioan-Augustin , Yang Liu , Strandqvist Nanny , Saccone Michael , Bingham Nicholas S. , Ramberger Justin , Leighton Chris , Nisoli Cristiano , Schiffer Peter
Published: February 2025

We have studied the magnetic moments of artificial spin ice arrays of nanomagnets in both undistorted square arrays and in arrays with a topological defect induced by a single disclination. We confirm that the disclination induces global, macroscopic changes in the low-energy collective states of the nanomagnet moment configuration. Specifically, the disclination leads to Faraday lines of effective magnetic flux that run from the center all the way to the edge of the arrays. Moreover, the geometric deformation, induced by the topological defect, curves the geometry such that these Faraday lines are channeled preferentially by the arrays’ curved geometry. Our results demonstrate how the intentional combination of topology and geometry can be designed to control magnetic charges and the flow of local magnetization and thus manipulate associated collective excitations.
Animal loss and grief in zoos: Qualitative insights to inform organizational support for zoo professionals and volunteers
Authors: Nageotte Nichole Louise , Currin-McCulloch Jennifer , McDonald Shelby , Walker Abigail , Kogan Lori
Published: February 2025

Zoo professionals and volunteers frequently face significant emotional strain due to animal losses, yet structured organizational support for processing grief remains limited. This study explores the perspectives of US-based zoo professionals and volunteers on organizational responses to animal-related grief, aiming to identify areas to enhance support and foster a grief-affirming culture. Data were collected through an anonymous online survey with open-ended questions regarding organizational-level grief support. A purposive sample of 1695 zoo professionals and volunteers was recruited, with responses from 182 participants (135 animal care and health professionals, 12 volunteers, and 35 other staff) selected for qualitative analysis. Thematic analysis identified three primary themes: creating an organizational culture supportive of grief expression, increasing organizational response mechanisms and resources, and enriching human resource policies to support grieving zoo professionals and volunteers. Many participants reported that insufficient grief support led to feelings of isolation, shame, and burnout. Findings underscore the importance for zoos to prioritize the development of comprehensive grief-affirming policies, including grief training for leadership, expanded access to mental health resources, and development of communication protocols for timely, compassionate responses to animal loss. These recommendations aim to foster empathetic organizational cultures that support staff and volunteer well-being and effective animal care.
Evaluation and Suppression of Vibrational Noise for Cryogenic Surface Electrode Ion Traps
Authors: Qin Qingqing , Ou Baoquan , Wu Wei , Xie Yi , Chen Ting , Wu Chunwang , Chen Pingxing
Published: February 2025

Cryogenic ion traps offer substantial benefits over their room-temperature counterparts, particularly in terms of stable ion confinement and cooling. However, this technological growth introduces a significant challenge: the generation of additional vibrational noise. This noise is most pronounced during the compression and expansion phases of the Gifford-McMahon cyclic refrigerator (GMCR) and stems from the mechanical operations of the cold head. Residual vibrational noise can modulate the Rabi oscillation frequency, thereby compromising the fidelity of the quantum logic gate. In this study, we provide a quantitative assessment of the impact of residual vibrational noise and introduce an innovative strategy for its mitigation. This strategy was designed to reduce superimposed potential fluctuations within a cryogenic surface electrode ion trap (CSEIT). The measured residual vibrational noise was used for real-time feedback control. Addressing the inverse determination of the compensating potential for a stable superimposed trapping potential is an inherently ill-posed problem given the known measurement noise results. By applying quadratic programming, we numerically calculated the optimal time series for the compensation potential. An ensemble of these compensation voltages was applied in real time to the static compensation electrodes. Although this method still in the stage of theory, we believe that it could effectively suppress the translation induced by vibrational noise and foster the creation of a stable superimposed harmonic potential well. The deployment of such a technique is expected to substantially improve the accuracy of quantum operations, thereby fueling the evolution of quantum technologies.
Kerr metric from two commuting complex structures
Authors: Krasnov Kirill , Shaw Adam
Published: February 2025

The main aim of this paper is to simplify and popularise the construction from the 2013 paper by Apostolov, Calderbank, and Gauduchon, which (among other things) derives the Pleban ́ski- Demian ́ski family of solutions of GR using ideas of complex geometry. The starting point of this construction is the observation that the Euclidean versions of these metrics should have two different commuting complex structures, as well as two commuting Killing vector fields. After some linear algebra, this leads to an ansatz for the metrics, which is half-way to their complete determination. Kerr metric is a special 2-parameter subfamily in this class, which makes these considerations directly relevant to Kerr as well. This results in a derivation of the Kerr metric that is self-contained and elementary, in the sense of being mostly an exercise in linear algebra.
Spurious solar-wind effects on acceleration noise in LISA pathfinder
Authors: Yang Arnold Tianyi , Desiderio-Sloane Indie , Meadors Grant David
Published: February 2025

Spurious solar-wind effects are a potential noise source in future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) measurements. One noise coupling mechanism is constrained by estimating solar-wind effects on acceleration noise in LISA Pathfinder (LPF). While LISA is designed for drag-free differential measurement, predicting the realistic impact both bounds the operational environment and assesses whether LISA could provide serendipitous space-weather observations. Data from NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), situated at the L1 Lagrange point, serves as a reliable source of solar-wind data. The data sets are compared over the 114-day time period from March 1, 2016 to June 23, 2016. This period gives the longest readily-available open data set, without interference from other commissioning activities. To evaluate space weather effects, the data from both satellites are formatted, gap-filled/interpolated, and Fast-Fourier Transformed for amplitude spectral density and coherence comparisons. Solar wind effects are not seen in a coherence plot between LPF and ACE; modest coherence in the planned LISA observational frequency band can be attributed to chance. This result indicates that measurable correlation due to solar-wind acceleration noise over 3-month timescales will be a negligible noise source. LISA is unlikely to inform solar wind measurements routinely. Another source of noise from the sun, solar radiation pressure, is estimated to impart greater acceleration noise, but has yet to be analyzed.
Accelerating Multilevel Markov Chain Monte Carlo Using Machine Learning Models
Authors: Reddy Sohail , Fairbanks Hillary
Published: February 2025

This work presents an efficient approach for accelerating multilevel Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling for large-scale problems using low-fidelity machine learning models. While conventional techniques for large-scale Bayesian inference often substitute computationally expensive high-fidelity models with machine learning models, thereby introducing approximation errors, our approach offers a computationally efficient alternative by augmenting high-fidelity models with low-fidelity ones within a hierarchical framework. The multilevel approach utilizes the low-fidelity machine learning model (MLM) for inexpensive evaluation of proposed samples thereby improving the acceptance of samples by the high-fidelity model. The hierarchy in our multilevel algorithm is derived from geometric multigrid hierarchy. We utilize an MLM to accelerate the coarse level sampling. Training machine learning model for the coarsest level significantly reduces the computational cost associated with generating training data and training the model. We present an MCMC algorithm to accelerate the coarsest level sampling using MLM and account for the approximation error introduced. We provide theoretical proofs of detailed balance and demonstrate that our multilevel approach constitutes a consistent MCMC algorithm. Additionally, we derive the expression for cost reduction due to machine learning model to facilitate cost analysis of the hierarchical sampling algorithm. Our technique is demonstrated on a standard benchmark inference problem in groundwater flow, where we estimate the probability density of a quantity of interest using a four-level MCMC algorithm. Our proposed algorithm accelerates multilevel sampling by a factor of two while achieving similar accuracy compared to sampling using the standard multilevel algorithm.
A semi-analytic estimate for the effective sound speed counterterm in the EFTofLSS
Authors: Nascimento Caio , Jamieson Drew , McQuinn Matthew , Loverde Marilena
Published: February 2025

The Effective Field Theory of Large Scale Structure (EFTofLSS) has found tremendous success as a perturbative framework for the evolution of large scale structure, and it is now routinely used to compare theoretical predictions against cosmological observations. The model for the total matter field includes one nuisance parameter at 1-loop order, the effective sound speed, which can be extracted by matching the EFT to full N-body simulations. In this work we first leverage the Layzer-Irvine cosmic energy equation to show that the equation of state can be exactly computed with knowledge of the fully nonlinear power spectrum. When augmented with separate universe methods, we show one can estimate the effective sound speed. This estimate is in good agreement with simulation results, with errors at the few tens of percent level. We apply our method to investigate the cosmology dependence of the effective sound speed and to shed light on what cosmic structures shape its value.
Warm Hawking relics from
primordial
black hole domination
Authors: Shallue Christopher J. , Muñoz Julian B. , Krnjaic Gordan Z.
Published: February 2025

We study the cosmological impact of warm, dark-sector relic particles produced as Hawking
radiation in a primordial-black-hole-dominated universe before big bang nucleosynthesis. If these
dark-sector particles are stable, they would survive to the present day as Hawking relics
and modify the growth of cosmological structure. We show that such relics are produced
with much larger momenta, but in smaller quantities than the familiar thermal relics considered in
standard cosmology. Consequently, Hawking relics with keV–MeV masses affect the growth of
large-scale structure in a similar way to eV-scale thermal relics like massive neutrinos. We
model their production and evolution, and show that their momentum distributions are broader than
comparable relics with thermal distributions. Warm Hawking relics affect the growth of
cosmological perturbations and we constrain their abundance to be less than 2% of the dark
matter over a broad range of their viable parameter space. Finally, we examine how future
measurements of the matter power spectrum can distinguish Hawking relics from thermal particles.
Gravitational radiation from binary systems in unimodular gravity
Authors: Chakraborty Indranil , Jana Soumya , Mohanty Subhendra
Published: February 2025

Unimodular gravity (UG) is classically considered identical to General Relativity (GR). However, due to restricted diffeomorphism symmetry, the Bianchi identites do not lead to the conservation of energy-momentum tensor. Thus, the conservation of energy-momentum tensor needs to be separately assumed in order to reconcile with GR. Relaxing this assumption, one finds that the conservation violation can lead to differences with GR, which can be subsequently examined in astrophysical and cosmological scenarios. To this end, we examine the predictions of UG in the context of binary systems emitting gravitational radiation. Primarily, we show how the field equations involve a diffusion function which quantifies the measure of non-conservation. Due to this violation, the dispersion relation is modified. Incorporating these changes, we provide an expression for the energy loss by the binaries, which reduces to Peters-Mathews result in the GR limit. Using binary pulsar data, we constrain the theory parameter ζ (which signifies non-conservation) by determining the rate of orbital decay. The strongest constrain on ζ comes out to be |ζ|≤ 5× 10-4 which is better by an order of magnitude than an existing equivalent constraint coming from the tidal deformability of the neutron stars.
Charged binaries in gravitational tides
Authors: Grilli Elisa , Orselli Marta , Pereñiguez David , Pica Daniele
Published: February 2025

Next-generation low-frequency interferometers are expected to detect binary systems near
supermassive black holes, where tidal effects can alter significantly the binary's motion. This
motivates a broader investigation of how external gravitational fields influence the dynamics of
physical systems. In this work, we consider a charged black hole binary system subject to a
gravitational tide. We first construct a stationary gravitational tide acting on a dyonic
Reissner-Nordström black hole and, focusing on the extreme mass-ratio limit, we analyze the motion
of a test particle. By calculating the particle's secular Hamiltonian, we obtain the ISCO and
light ring tidal shifts in terms of explicit functions of the binary's parameters. Our results
show that tidal corrections are suppressed as the black hole's charge increases, but they persist
in the extremal limit yielding a finite contribution. This work paves the way towards studying
tidal effects on other charged systems, such as topological stars.
Propagation of Hermite cosh Gaussian laser beam in free electron laser device under upward plasma density ramp
Authors: Anshal Lenic , Kant Niti , Azad Taruna , Rajput Jyoti , Kamboj Oriza
Published: February 2025

This paper analyses the propagation of a Hermite cosh Gaussian laser beam into the free electron laser (FEL) device inside a plasma with an upward density ramp. The dispersion relation is derived using linear fluid theory. A detailed analysis of its characteristics, such as changes in growth rate attributing to both Compton and Raman regimes and the energy exchange efficiency has been investigated. Further, the growth rate characteristics have been observed for varying decentered parameter and mode index values. The result analysis shows, enhanced energy transfer at high plasma densities and an increase in frequency of radiation emission in the Raman regime, attributable to increased scattering and interaction facilitated by the upward plasma density ramp. The increase in normalized energy gain with beam voltage highlights the improved energy transfer efficiency in the FEL, emphasizing the value of higher voltages for maximum energy gain. This paves way to efficient interaction and improved tunability, enabling the operation of FELs at increased beam voltages, resulting in the generation of high-frequency radiation.
Platinum as a first mirror material for fusion applications: a comparison with rhodium
Authors: Dmitriev Artem M. , Wang Youpeng , Sousa Tomás C. , Marot Laurent , Moser Lucas , Meyer Ernst
Published: February 2025

The metallic first mirrors (FMs) of ITER optical diagnostics will face erosion caused by particles from the fusion plasma, as well as redeposition of materials originating from the first wall. Both processes can degrade their reflectivity over time. In vacuo plasma cleaning is planned to restore their optical properties. Several mirror materials were tested for the FM application. Currently, mirrors based on nanocrystalline rhodium (Rh) coatings or single crystal molybdenum (Mo) are considered as the mainstream approach. However, previous research indicates that repetitive cleaning of nanocrystalline mirrors can cause surface patterning, which negatively impacts their optical performance. Additionally, FMs are vulnerable to in-vessel coolant leaks, which could severely degrade their optical properties. Literature shows that exposing Rh mirrors to steam results in the formation of a thin layer of Rh oxide and the development of voids in the top 1 µm of the coating. Despite this, plasma cleaning has been shown to restore the pristine reflectivity of the mirrors. This paper discusses the potential of utilizing platinum (Pt) as an FM material. Pt and Rh were subjected to cyclic plasma cleaning and steam ingress tests, after which their morphology and optical properties were measured and analyzed using XPS, SEM, FIB and spectrophotometry. Additionally, the neutron-induced transmutation of Pt and Rh was assessed with respect to ITER and DEMO irradiation scenarios.
Divergent patterns and determinants of resistance and resilience in short and tall forests across global drylands
Authors: He Xiao , Dong Xiaoxue , Li Xuan , Chen Ning , Zhao Changming
Published: February 2025

Forests play a crucial role in mitigating climate change, and global afforestation initiatives are in full swing, with drylands having great potential for afforestation. However, many dryland afforestation projects lead to short forests with significantly lower canopy height than their typical height. Meanwhile, the potentially increasing probability of drought threatens short forests and their tall counterparts. Yet, it remains largely unclear whether these short forests respond differently to drought compared to tall forests. Here, we used the K-means clustering method to classify global dryland forests into short and tall forests. We found significant differences in drought resistance and resilience between short and tall forests, with tall forests demonstrating higher resistance and short forests having higher resilience. Furthermore, our study indicated that in severe and extreme drought conditions, resistance and resilience of short forests were more likely influenced by climatic factors than tall forests, which were more likely affected by soil factors. These findings suggest that climatic monitoring should be intensified for short forests, and post-drought management should be strengthened for tall forests to enhance their persistence under climate change.
Social inequalities in exposure to heat stress and related adaptive capacity: A systematic review
Authors: Slesinski S. Claire , Matthies-Wiesler Franziska , Breitner Susanne , Gussmann Geronimo , Schneider Alexandra
Published: February 2025

Background: Extreme heat is an important public health concern, and heat stress exposure and related adaptive capacity are not equally distributed across social groups. We conducted a systematic review to answer the question: What is the effect of social disadvantage on exposure to heat stress and related adaptive capacity in the general population? Methods: We systematically searched for peer-reviewed journal articles that assessed differences in heat stress exposure and related adaptive capacity by social factors that were published between 2005 and 2024. One author screened all records and extracted data; a second author screened and extracted 10% for validation. Synthesis included the identification and description of specific social groups unequally exposed to heat stress and with lower adaptive capacity. We assessed European studies for the potential risk of bias. Results: We identified 123 relevant publications. Subjective heat stress appeared in 18.7% of articles, objective heat stress in 54.5%, and adaptive capacity in 54.5%. Nearly half came from North America (47.2%), 22.8% from Asia, and 17.1% from Europe. Publishing increased from zero articles in 2005 to 21 in 2023. Most studies considered socioeconomic status (SES) (78.8%), and many considered age (50.4%), race/ethnicity (42.3%), and sex/gender (30.1%). The studies showed that lower-SES populations, young people, unemployed people, those in outdoor and manual occupations, and minorities are generally more exposed to heat stress and have lower adaptive capacity. European studies generally have a low or moderate risk of bias. Conclusion: Social inequalities in heat stress exposure and related adaptive capacity have been documented globally. In general, socially disadvantaged populations are more exposed to heat stress and have lower adaptive capacity. These social inequalities are context-dependent, dynamic, multi-dimensional, and intersectional. It is essential to consider social inequalities during heat-health action planning and when developing and implementing climate change adaptation policies and interventions. 
Recrystallization induced by heat treatment regulates the anisotropic behavior of CoCrMo alloys fabricated by laser powder bed fusion
Authors: Dai Lijin , Song Changhui , Fu Houxiong , Chen Hongyi , Yan Zhongwei , Liu Zibin , Li Renyao , Wang Anming , Yang Yongqiang , Yu Jia-Kuo
Published: February 2025

The CoCrMo alloys fabricated by the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) exhibit significant anisotropy due to the characteristics of layer-by-layer manufacturing. This study investigated the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of CoCrMo alloys in both as-printed and heat-treated states. The results demonstrated that the elongation was 19.1% in the tensile direction parallel to the building direction, compared to only 9.3% in the perpendicular direction, showing a difference of over 100%. After solution heat treatment at 1150 °C for 1 h followed by annealing heat treatment at 450 °C for 0.5 h, the ultimate tensile strength and elongation nearly equalized, reaching 906.1 MPa, 20.2% and 879.2 MPa, 17.9%, respectively. Further characterization indicated that the anisotropy was mainly caused by grain morphology. Solution treatment-induced recrystallization refined coarse columnar grains into equiaxed grains that accommodated orientation-related stresses, which tentatively achieves microstructural and mechanical homogeneity. Subsequent low-temperature annealing broke the trade-off between the strength and ductility while further promoting the isotropy. At this stage, the mechanical properties were strengthened by the synergistic interaction of nanoscale annealing twins and martensitic laths. This study provided valuable insights for optimizing the isotropic behavior in LPBF-fabricated CoCrMo alloys.
The Ark of Indiana Jones and Other Cinematic Arks
Authors: McGeough Kevin M
Published: February 2025

Chapter 6 offers an overview of the Ark in Hollywood film. It explores how Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Indiana Jones franchise have fundamentally altered how the general public thinks about the Ark. It discusses the genre of the action film and how the Ark is reinterpreted as a “MacGuffin,” something to be chased in a film. The chapter pivots, then, to a discussion of the other cinematic genre in which the Ark has most frequently appeared: the biblical epic. The arguments made in biblical epics are examined, with an eye to understanding the messages that audiences take away about the Ark, the Bible, and society in general, when they watch these films.
Aliens, Radios, and Conspiracies
Authors: McGeough Kevin M
Published: February 2025

This chapter offers a discussion of fake quests for the Ark, ancient aliens, and other infotainment about the Ark. It covers the main streams of pseudoarchaeological thinking related to the Ark, that there is some kind of conspiracy to hide the Ark, that it has some relation to aliens, or that it reflects some kind of advanced ancient technology now forgotten to the world. It discusses the types of claims pseudoscholars make related to the Ark as well as the logical fallacies and rhetorical techniques embedded in their arguments. The chapter ends with a discussion of why people are drawn to these kinds of ideas and why they are problematic.
Conclusion
Authors: McGeough Kevin M
Published: February 2025

The Conclusion brings together many of the themes of the book, discussing how the Ark functions as a metasymbol for different interpretive communities. It introduces references to the Ark in popular music and Christian metal, and it considers how references in these media reflect interpretations of the Ark discussed in prior chapters. It also examines pseudoarchaeological claims that the Dead Sea Scrolls hide secrets that the Ark may be buried at Qumran and discusses why these claims are not legitimate. These and other claims about the Ark sit at the intersection of pseudoscholarly beliefs, political maneuvering surrounding the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and apocalyptic thinking in contemporary Christianity and Judaism.
The Seasons: Paradigm of Lyric Time
Authors: Stewart Susan
Published: February 2025

This chapter turns to seasonality as a paradigm from nature that allows poets to think through cyclical processes of change and recurrence. It differentiates lyric time from narration in order to show that, whereas narrative is bound to causal order, teleology, and techniques of explanation, the lyric moves through time while also drawing itself and its reader out of time. The intricacy of lyric invites rereading. The chapter reads poems by Clare, Shakespeare, Cowper, and Keats in order to explore poets’ utilization of seasonal growth and patterning and also posits that the human ability to notice seasonal patterns is reflected in the human ability to make poems, which have their own aural and formal patterns of rhyme, refrain, and recurrence.
The Imperceptible, or Wilderness
Authors: Stewart Susan
Published: February 2025

This chapter returns to Kant’s phenomena/noumena distinction and asks how the noumenal might be approached in poems. Poetry, it argues, is a liminal art, always pushing to the limits of our senses. Nature poetry addresses a vast domain of animal and organic life that is unknown to us; when we apprise nature it is only ever as a fragment. The chapter considers the perceptual paradox that the perception of detail can result in abstraction; the imperceptible can be too close, too far, or, as in poetry regarding storms reveals, too overwhelming. In closing, the study turns to read three North American seashore poems, using the ocean as an exemplar of the unknown or wilderness, before finally placing human beings, with our ability to notice, find patterns, imagine, and create within the domain of an indifferent and ever-creating nature.
Untangling host specialization in a “double dark taxa” system
Authors: Awad Jessica , Reinisch Ronja , Moser Marina , Vasilița Cristina , Krogmann Lars
Published: February 2025

Platygastrine wasps (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) are parasitoids of gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). They and their hosts are exceptionally abundant and speciose, with great relevance to agriculture and biodiversity research. Both groups are also “dark taxa,” whose species identification and ecological associations are obscured by a history of taxonomic confusion and neglect. Verified host records are few in number and limited in scope. In order to understand host specialization, more records are needed. However, rearing Cecidomyiidae is challenging, as many species require living host tissue to complete development. There is no universal rearing method for Cecidomyiidae and their parasitoids. The present work applies an exploratory approach to rearing gall midges, with the aim of obtaining accurate host associations and parasitoid identifications. We obtained 5 species of Platygastrinae from reared material, 3 of which are identified and diagnosed. Platygaster demades Walker (= Platygaster marchali Kieffer, syn. nov. = Platygaster ornata Kieffer, syn. nov.) is not host-specific, attacking Cecidomyiidae on Rosaceae worldwide, including Filipendula ulmaria. Synopeas gibberosum Buhl apparently specializes on Dasineura ulmaria (Bremi) on F. ulmaria. Synopeas rhanis (Walker) is known only from galls of D. urticae (Perris), but may attack other midge species on Urtica dioica. Amblyaspis sp. emerged from Hartigiola annulipes (Hartig) galls on Fagus sylvatica, and Synopeas sp. was associated with Mycodiplosis sp. on Rubus sp. Illustrations, DNA barcodes, and distributions are provided. We discuss challenges to understanding “double dark taxa” interactions, implications for biological control, and possible solutions for future research on these important but neglected systems.
Laticifers are present in Acalyphoideae after all: new insights from leaf anatomy with implications for the systematics and evolution of Euphorbiaceae
Authors: Mouzella Clara Prandi , Sousa Ana Angélica , Rossi Caruzo Maria Beatriz , Montero-Muñoz Iris , Strozi Alves Meira Renata Maria , Riina Ricarda
Published: February 2025

Euphorbiaceae is among the main angiosperm families with a high number of laticiferous species. Although many of its species remain to be studied in terms of their anatomy, chemistry, and uses, there are some of recognized economic importance due to useful secondary compounds present in the latex. Acalyphoideae, one of the three major subfamilies, has traditionally been distinguished from the rest of Euphorbiaceae by the absence of latex and laticifers. To test this long-standing assumption, we anatomically analyzed 40 species in 10 genera, representing six of the nine subclades of Acalyphoideae s.s., to examine the presence of laticifers using leaf blade and petiole sections. Laticifers were observed in all the studied species and consisted of multinucleate, elongated cells with dense cytoplasm. They were articulated and branched in Acalypha, Bia and Dalechampia; this was further confirmed by ontogenetic analyses in Acalypha accedens, A. brasiliensis and A. poiretii. Histochemical tests revealed lipids, proteins, mucilage and starch in laticifers. Our results demonstrate that laticifers are present and common in Acalyphoideae and thus more widespread in Euphorbiaceae than previously known. The scarcity of detailed anatomical studies, and the often imperceptible latex exudation of most Acalyphoideae, are probably the main reasons that have misled field botanists and systematists in the past.
Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation in a patient with membranous ventricular septal defect, sub-aortic band and double-chambered right ventricle: a case report
Authors: Mitsuhashi Hirotsugu , Yamasaki Takuma , Nakamura Ryuta , Uno Yoshihide , Tei Imun
Published: February 2025

Background

We report a rare case of trans-catheter aortic valve implantation in an elderly male with membranous ventricular septal defect (VSD), sub-aortic band, and severe aortic stenosis (AS). We discuss the safety and efficacy of the technique.

Case Summary

An 86-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with congestive heart failure (CHF) due to low- flow low-gradient severe AS, a membranous ventricular septal defect (VSD), a subaortic band, and a double chambered right ventricle. The patient was not deemed to be a surgical candidate because of advanced age and frailty even though surgical aortic valve replacement, VSD closure, subaortic band resection and myectomy of right ventricle would be considered as definitive treatment. Instead, we performed transcatheter aortic valve implantation and VSD orifice closure using the skirt part of the self-expanding valve (26mm Evolut Pro PlusTM) because VSD occluder is not approved and thus not available in our country. The trans-catheter procedure resulted in a reduction of the mean aortic valve pressure gradient improved from 33 to 2 mmHg and a decrease in the shunt flow (Qp/Qs) from 1.9 to 1.2. The patient’s heart failure improved, and he was discharged to home 7 days after the procedure. He remained well and had not been admitted to hospital since discharge.

Discussion

Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation using a valve skirt may be considered in a situation where a high-risk patient is inoperable and VSD closure devices are unavailable. To complete this procedure safely, meticulous pre-procedural evaluation and accurate positioning using trans-oesophageal echocardiogram are required.
Ischemic and bleeding risk after ST-elevation myocardial infarction in patients with active cancer; a nationwide study
Authors: Dafaalla Mohamed , Costa Francesco , Jia Haibo , Wijeysundera Harindra , Rashid Muhammad , Graham Michelle M , Wojakowski Wojtek , Chieffo Alaide , Mintz Gary S , Mamas Mamas A
Published: February 2025

Background

Treatment of patients with cancer presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is complex given the increased risk of both thrombotic and major bleeding complications.

Methods

A nationally-linked cohort of STEMI patients between January 2005 and March 2019 were obtained from the UK Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project and the UK national Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care registries. The primary outcomes were major bleeding and re-infarction at 1 year following admission with STEMI. Major bleeding was defined as bleeding events that require hospital admission. Re-infarction was defined as acute MI according to the 4th Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction.

Results

A total of 322,776 STEMI indexed admissions were identified between Jan 2005 and March 2019. Of those, 7050 (2.2%) patients were diagnosed with active cancer. Cancer patients were older with more cardiovascular comorbidities. Cancer patients received invasive coronary angiography (62.2% vs 72.7%, p<0.001) and PCI (58.4% vs 69.5%, p<0.001) less often compared to patients without cancer and were less likely to be prescribed DAPT (85% vs 95.4%, p<0.001). The incidence of major bleeding (6.5% vs 3.5%, p <0.001) and re-infarction (cancer 5.7%, no cancer 5.1%, p = 0.01) were higher in cancer patients at one year. After adjustment for differences in baseline covariates, a similar risk of re-infarction (SHR 1.10, 95% CI 0.94-1.27) and a 50% increased risk of major bleeding (SHR 1.49, 95% CI 1.30-1.71) were observed in cancer patients.

Conclusion

Compared to non-cancer patients, cancer patients have a higher risk of major bleeding but not of re-infarction. Mitigating bleeding risk in STEMI patients with cancer is of paramount importance to improve outcomes.
Proximal ligation of pulmonary vein stump to prevent postoperative cerebral infarction after lobectomy
Authors: Nishimura Tomoki , Okada Satoru , Kameyama Kenji , Honda Kazuki , Nakazono Chiaki , Tokuda Ryousuke , Ishihara Shunta , Teramukai Satoshi , Inoue Masayoshi , Ueshima Yasuo
Published: February 2025

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to assess whether proximal ligation of the pulmonary vein stump (PVS) outside the pericardium reduces postoperative cerebral infarction (PCI) incidence after lobectomy.

METHODS

A single-institution retrospective review was conducted on 683 patients undergoing lobectomy for lung cancer, metastatic lung tumours, and benign diseases. Associations among PCI within 90 days, ligation of the PVS, and clinicopathological features were analysed. Effects of PVS ligation on PCI were assessed using multivariable regression. PVS length measured on three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography was compared between the non-ligation and ligation groups.

RESULTS

The non-ligation and ligation groups included 356 (January 2010 to March 2018) and 327 patients (April 2018 to November 2023), respectively. Seven non-ligation group patients (1.96%) underwent PCI (three in left upper lobectomy [LUL] and left lower lobectomy [LLL] and one in right lower lobectomy); no ligation group patients suffered PCI (p = 0.016). Univariable analysis showed that LUL, LLL, chronic kidney disease (CKD), heart failure, cardiovascular disease, and PVS ligation were significantly associated with PCI. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that PVS ligation (p = 0.034) was correlated with decreased PCI and LUL (p = 0.011), LLL (p = 0.010) and CKD (p = 0.004) with increased PCI. After ligation, PVS length was shortened in each lobe in a subset analysis of 109 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Proximal ligation of the PVS outside the pericardium may be an option to prevent PCI in lobectomy. Patients with CKD and those undergoing left-sided lobectomy are at higher risk for PCI and may benefit from more intensive management.
Cognition
Authors: Chun Marvin M. , Most Steven B.
Published: February 2025

Cognition presents new findings from the field of cognitive psychology and highlights everyday-life applications and relevant examples, discussions, and demonstrations. The text presents both classic and contemporary research, emphasizing conceptual understanding and lifelong discovery. In addition, the chapters integrate new topic areas such as emotion and highlight connections to social, clinical, and developmental psychology. The text starts by asking the fundamental question: what is cognitive psychology? Chapters then move on to look at cognitive neuroscience, perception, mental imagery, external attention, and cognitive control and working memory. The text then moves on to look at everyday memory and memory systems. After that point, chapters move on to language, communication, judgment, decision making, and reasoning and problem solving. Finally, the text covers knowledge, intelligence, cognitive development, and social cognition.
SEARCHING FOR THE ‘MAGIC PILLS’ FOR UNMET MEDICAL NEEDS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA AND OTHER NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: LEARNING FROM A NOVEL DAO INHIBITOR
Authors: Da Luo -Zhong , Tseng Yufeng Jane , Lai *Wen-Sung
Published: February 2025

Excitatory neurotransmission mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR, a glutamate receptor) is primitive to and widely spread in mammalian central nervous system. It has been implicated in many fundamental functions and complex mental functions, including neuronal plasticity, learning, memory, and schizophrenia. Schizophrenia, a severe mental illness, affects 1% of population worldwide, including Taiwan. Common symptoms associated with schizophrenia include positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. While existing agents treat positive symptoms of schizophrenia relatively well, negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia have become an unmet medical need for antipsychotics development. In recent decades, increasing evidence from genetic, clinical, and pharmacological studies supports the NMDAR hypofunction hypothesis of schizophrenia. Blockade of the NMDAR can precipitate schizophrenic-like symptoms in both normal humans and animal models. Notably, several NMDA-enhancing agents, especially through glycine modulatory site (GMS) of NMDAR, resulted in a significant reduction of schizophrenia-related symptoms in patients. Particularly, D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) is now of great interest for the treatment of schizophrenia and several psychiatric disorders because its major substrate in the brain is D-serine, a co-agonist of the GMS on NMDAR. Accumulating data also provide clear evidence of increased cerebellar DAO (mRNA and enzyme activity) in schizophrenia. DAO inhibitor is one of the most attractive therapeutic targets for improving cognition and reducing negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Our inter-institutional research team has developed RS-D7 (a new chemical entity and a novel DAO inhibitor) for the treatment of negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia for several years and obtained several awards. Given that NMDAR-mediated signaling pathway has been implicated in cognitive functions and that DAO inhibitors are potential therapeutic targets for enhancing activation of NMDARs, it is of great interest to investigate the effects of RS-D7 on the regulation of schizophrenia-related deficits and the underlying neural mechanisms in pharmacological (i.e., MK-801-induced) and genetic (i.e., serine racemase mutant) NMDAR hypofunction mouse models of schizophrenia. A series of cell-based assays and mouse studies was conducted and indicated efficacy, therapeutic effects, and underlying mechanism of RS-D7. Taking advantage of RS-D7 can be converted through a market drug RS-D7pro, our team further demonstrated RS-D7’ s significant therapeutic potentials in negative/cognition symptoms of schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., multiple system atrophy) in our proof-of-concept clinical studies.

Collectively, the therapeutic potentials of DAO inhibitors (especially RS-D7) on schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders are worth further investigation.