bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unraveling endophytic diversity in dioecious Siraitia grosvenorii: implications for mogroside production
Authors: Tamang Anish , Kaur Amanpreet , Thakur Deepali , Thakur Ankita , Thakur Babit Kumar , Shivani  , Swarnkar Mohit , Pal Probir K. , Hallan Vipin , Pandey Shiv Shanker
Published: March 2024

Host and tissue-specificity of endophytes are important attributes that limit the endophyte application on multiple crops. Therefore, understanding the endophytic composition of the targeted crop is essential, especially for the dioecious plants where the male and female plants are different. Here, efforts were made to understand the endophytic bacterial composition of the dioecious Siraitia grosvenorii plant using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The present study revealed the association of distinct endophytic bacterial communities with different parts of male and female plants. Roots of male and female plants had a higher bacterial diversity than other parts of plants, and the roots of male plants had more bacterial diversity than the roots of female plants. Endophytes belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria were abundant in all parts of male and female plants except male stems and fruit pulp, where the Firmicutes were most abundant. Class Gammaproteobacteria predominated in both male and female plants, with the genus Acinetobacter as the most dominant and part of the core microbiome of the plant (present in all parts of both, male and female plants). The presence of distinct taxa specific to male and female plants was also identified. Macrococcus, Facklamia, and Propionibacterium were the distinct genera found only in fruit pulp, the edible part of S. grosvenorii. Predictive functional analysis revealed the abundance of enzymes of secondary metabolite (especially mogroside) biosynthesis in the associated endophytic community with predominance in roots. The present study revealed bacterial endophytic communities of male and female S. grosvenorii plants that can be further explored for monk fruit cultivation, mogroside production, and early-stage identification of male and female plants.

Key points

• Male and female Siraitia grosvenorii plants had distinct endophytic communities

• The diversity of endophytic communities was specific to different parts of plants

• S. grosvenorii-associated endophytes may be valuable for mogroside biosynthesis and monk fruit cultivation
Head and neck cancer patients with geriatric deficits are more often non-responders and lost from follow-up in quality of life studies
Authors: de Vries Julius , Vermue Dannie J. , Sidorenkov Grigory , Festen Suzanne , Langendijk Johannes A. , de Bock Geertruida H. , Halmos Gyorgy B.
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To identify associations between frailty and non-response to follow-up questionnaires, in a longitudinal head and neck cancer (HNC) study with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Materials and methods

Patients referred with HNC were included in OncoLifeS, a prospective data-biobank, underwent Geriatric Assessment (GA) and frailty screening ahead of treatment, and were followed up at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after treatment using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and Head and Neck 35. Statistical analysis for factors associated with non-response was done using Generalized Linear Mixed Models.

Results

289 patients were eligible for analysis. Mean age was 68.4 years and 68.5% were male. Restrictions in Activities of Daily Living [OR 4.46 (2.04–9.78)] and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living [OR 4.33 (2.27–8.24)], impaired mobility on Timed Up and Go test [OR 3.95 (1.85–8.45)], cognitive decline [OR 4.85 (2.28–10.35)] and assisted living (OR 5.54 (2.63–11.67)] were significantly associated with non-response. Frailty screening, with Geriatric 8 and Groningen Frailty Indicator, was also associated with non-response [OR, respectively, 2.64 (1.51–4.59) and 2.52 (1.44–4.44)]. All findings remained significant when adjusted for other factors that were significantly associated with non-response, such as higher age, longer study duration and subsequent death.

Conclusion

Frail HNC patients respond significantly worse to follow-up PROMs. The drop-out and underrepresentation of frail patients in studies may lead to attrition bias, and as a result underestimating the effect sizes of associations. This is of importance when handling and interpreting such data.
Pathways to professional mental care in the Swiss young adult community: a case–control study
Authors: Osman N. , Michel C. , Schimmelmann B. G. , Schilbach L. , Meisenzahl E. , Schultze-Lutter F.
Published: March 2024

Treatment success for mental health (MH) problems depends, among others, on the timeliness of help-seeking. Therefore, we studied the effect of symptoms and reasons for help-seeking on the point-of-contact and the most intensive professional treatment in a community sample. Participants were recruited as part of the ‘Bern Epidemiological At-Risk’ (BEAR) study on 16–40-year-old community persons of the Swiss canton Bern. Of the 2,683 participants, 615 (22.9%) reported at least one instance of help-seeking for MH problems and were selected for the presented analyses. Help-seeking behavior was assessed by a modified version of the ‘WHO pathway-to-care questionnaire’, from which the outcome ‘most intensive MH professional contact’ was generated. The effect of symptoms and reasons for help-seeking were analyzed in separate models using path analyses. Most help-seeking persons sought MH professional help (n = 405; 65.9%) with a high number of medical pre-contacts (n = 233; 37.9%). The ‘most intensive MH professional contact’ was provided after an average of 1.47 contacts. Both models showed negative associations between non-MH professional pre-contacts and the most intensive, likely most adequate MH treatment. In the symptom model, ‘substance misuse’ and ‘central-vegetative problems’ increased the general likelihood of MH professional contact. Our findings highlight the importance of the first point-of-contact in pathways to adequate MH care and, when seeking help from non-MH professional, of quick referrals to MH professionals. Awareness campaigns or training of health professionals, such as general practitioners, may support timely contact with MH professionals to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and outcome.
Discrete Helmholtz Decompositions of Piecewise Constant and Piecewise Affine Vector and Tensor Fields
Authors: Bringmann Philipp , Ketteler Jonas W. , Schedensack Mira
Published: March 2024

Discrete Helmholtz decompositions dissect piecewise polynomial vector fields on simplicial meshes into piecewise gradients and rotations of finite element functions. This paper concisely reviews established results from the literature which all restrict to the lowest-order case of piecewise constants. Its main contribution consists of the generalization of these decompositions to 3D and of novel decompositions for piecewise affine vector fields in terms of Fortin–Soulie functions. While the classical lowest-order decompositions include one conforming and one nonconforming part, the decompositions of piecewise affine vector fields require a nonconforming enrichment in both parts. The presentation covers two and three spatial dimensions as well as generalizations to deviatoric tensor fields in the context of the Stokes equations and symmetric tensor fields for the linear elasticity and fourth-order problems. While the proofs focus on contractible domains, generalizations to multiply connected domains and domains with non-connected boundary are discussed as well.
The novel cytotoxic polybisphosphonate osteodex decreases bone resorption by enhancing cell death of mature osteoclasts without affecting osteoclastogenesis of RANKL-stimulated mouse bone marrow macrophages
Authors: Henning Petra , Westerlund Anna , Movérare-Skrtic Sofia , Lindholm Catharina , Márquez-Méndez Marcela , Nilsson Sten , Holmberg Anders R. , Lerner Ulf H.
Published: March 2024

It has previously been demonstrated that the polybisphosphonate osteodex (ODX) inhibits bone resorption in organ-cultured mouse calvarial bone. In this study, we further investigate the effects by ODX on osteoclast differentiation, formation, and function in several different bone organ and cell cultures. Zoledronic acid (ZOL) was used for comparison. In retinoid-stimulated mouse calvarial organ cultures, ODX and ZOL significantly reduced the numbers of periosteal osteoclasts without affecting Tnfsf11 or Tnfrsf11b mRNA expression. ODX and ZOL also drastically reduced the numbers of osteoclasts in cell cultures isolated from the calvarial bone and in vitamin D3–stimulated mouse crude bone marrow cell cultures. These data suggest that ODX can inhibit osteoclast formation by inhibiting the differentiation of osteoclast progenitor cells or by directly targeting mature osteoclasts. We therefore assessed if osteoclast formation in purified bone marrow macrophage cultures stimulated by RANKL was inhibited by ODX and ZOL and found that the initial formation of mature osteoclasts was not affected, but that the bisphosphonates enhanced cell death of mature osteoclasts. In agreement with these findings, ODX and ZOL did not affect the mRNA expression of the osteoclastic genes Acp5 and Ctsk and the osteoclastogenic transcription factor Nfatc1. When bone marrow macrophages were incubated on bone slices, ODX and ZOL inhibited RANKL-stimulated bone resorption. In conclusion, ODX does not inhibit osteoclast formation but inhibits osteoclastic bone resorption by decreasing osteoclast numbers through enhanced cell death of mature osteoclasts.
Egalitarian governance and the green energy transition: an empirical test of 46 industrial economies, 1990–2020
Authors: de Soysa Indra , Moe Espen , Saether Simen Rostad
Published: March 2024

How well are the world´s major economies responding to the challenge of climate change? We address this question by assessing democratic governance styles, contrasted as more egalitarian from ones that are more liberal, on the green energy transition. We propose that egalitarian societies have a greater demand for balancing production, consumption, and rent-seeking demands with environmental ones, leading to more compromised solutions. We assess the effects of democratic style and measures of societal inequity on renewable energy production share, public environmentally related R&D expenditures, and CO2 emission intensity in 46 major industrialized economies in the period 1990 to 2020. Random and fixed effects regressions consistently show that while egalitarian and liberal democracies associate with greener policy measures, such as higher spending on environmental R&D budgets, egalitarian governance consistently associates with higher CO2 emissions. Contrary to the expectations of broad arguments highlighting the virtues of egalitarianism for mitigating climate change, the actual effects of greater egalitarian governance undermine the cause of climate gains. These results do not support the view that high consensus societies due to greater equity are transitioning to a greener economy faster than others even if they placate climate interests with higher investment in renewable energy. Future analyses need to focus more keenly on what measures enter green policies as mere “window dressing” while others make the hard choices for reducing overall emissions, which is ultimately how environmental gains should be measured.
Increased frequency of light physical activity during midlife and old age buffers against cognitive declines
Authors: Hamm Jeremy M. , Parker Kelly , Lachman Margie E. , Mogle Jacqueline A. , Duggan Katherine A. , McGrath Ryan
Published: March 2024

Although it is well established that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) buffers against declines in cognitive health, less is known about the benefits of light physical activity (LPA). Research on the role of LPA is crucial to advancing behavioral interventions to improve late life health outcomes, including cognitive functioning, because this form of physical activity remains more feasible and amenable to change in old age. Our study examined the extent to which increases in LPA frequency protected against longitudinal declines in cognitive functioning and whether such a relationship becomes pronounced in old age when opportunities for MVPA are typically reduced. We analyzed 9-year data from the national Midlife in the United States Study (n = 2,229; Mage = 56 years, range = 33–83; 56% female) using autoregressive models that assessed whether change in LPA frequency predicted corresponding changes in episodic memory and executive functioning in middle and later adulthood. Increases in LPA frequency predicted less decline in episodic memory (β = 0.06, p = .004) and executive functioning (β = 0.14, p < .001) over the 9-year follow-up period, even when controlling for moderate and vigorous physical activity. Effect sizes for moderate and vigorous physical activity were less than half that observed for LPA. Moderation models showed that, for episodic memory, the benefits of increases in LPA frequency were more pronounced at older ages. Findings suggest that increases in LPA over extended periods of time may help slow age-related cognitive declines, particularly in later life when opportunities for MVPA are often diminished.
Emotion recognition with EEG-based brain-computer interfaces: a systematic literature review
Authors: Erat Kübra , Şahin Elif Bilge , Doğan Furkan , Merdanoğlu Nur , Akcakaya Ahmet , Durdu Pınar Onay
Published: March 2024

Electroencephalography (EEG)-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems for emotion recognition have the potential to assist the enrichment of human–computer interaction with implicit information since they can enable understanding of the cognitive and emotional activities of humans. Therefore, these systems have become an important research topic today. This study aims to present trends and gaps on this topic by performing a systematic literature review based on the 216 published scientific literature gathered from various databases including ACM, IEEE Xplore, PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Science from 2016 to 2020. This review gives an overview of all the components of EEG based BCI system from the signal stimulus module which includes the employed device, signal stimuli, and data processing modality, to the signal processing module which includes signal acquisition, pre-processing, feature extraction, feature selection, classification algorithms, and performance evaluation. Thus, this study provides an overview of all components of an EEG-based BCI system for emotion recognition and examines the available evidence in a clear, concise, and systematic way. In addition, the findings are aimed to inform researchers about the issues on what are research trends and the gaps in this field and guide them in their research directions.
Functional traits to predict financial value of enrichment planting in degraded tropical forests
Authors: Lindh Arvid , Sundqvist Maja K. , Axelsson E. Petter , Hasselquist Niles J. , Aguilar Francisco X. , Alloysius David , Ilstedt Ulrik
Published: March 2024

Demand for tropical timber is expected to rise due to an increased global need for sustainable renewable materials. However, sustainable tropical timber production remains a challenge for the global wood product supply chain, especially for high-value tropical hardwoods. Restoration of degraded lands through enrichment planting of native hardwood species could provide a solution, but the financial viability of using native tropical tree species remains largely unknown. We evaluated the financial viability of 22 hardwood tree species native to northern Borneo in enrichment plantings of a degraded forest in Sabah, Malaysia. We investigated how the species’ financial value, expressed as an internal rate of return (IRR) based on land expectation value, varied with their functional trait composition. We found that high financial value was positively correlated with trait values associated with a conservative growth strategy, i.e., financial value was negatively correlated with leaf calcium, magnesium, and nitrogen content, as well as with leaf pH and specific leaf area. Trees with these traits showed a high IRR, partly explained by relatively fast growth and high survival rates. For the most economically promising species, Shorea macrophylla, we estimated that enrichment planting for forest restoration could reach IRRs up to 7.8%. Our results showed that enrichment planting for high-value hardwood production in degraded forests can be financially viable, with variation among species, and that various traits associated with a more conservative growth strategy were linked to high financial value.
Virtual multi-institutional tumor board: a strategy for personalized diagnoses and management of rare CNS tumors
Authors: Rogers James L. , Wall Thomas , Acquaye-Mallory Alvina A. , Boris Lisa , Kim Yeonju , Aldape Kenneth , Quezado Martha M. , Butman John A. , Smirniotopoulos James G. , Chaudhry Huma , Tsien Christina I. , Chittiboina Prashant , Zaghloul Kareem , Aboud Orwa , Avgeropoulos Nicholas G. , Burton Eric C. , Cachia David M. , Dixit Karan S. , Drappatz Jan , Dunbar Erin M. , Forsyth Peter , Komlodi-Pasztor Edina , Mandel Jacob , Ozer Byram H. , Lee Eudocia Q. , Ranjan Surabhi , Lukas Rimas V. , Raygada Margarita , Salacz Michael E. , Smith-Cohn Matthew A. , Snyder James , Soldatos Ariane , Theeler Brett J. , Widemann Brigitte C. , Camphausen Kevin A. , Heiss John D. , Armstrong Terri S. , Gilbert Mark R. , Penas-Prado Marta
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTBs) integrate clinical, molecular, and radiological information and facilitate coordination of neuro-oncology care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our MTB transitioned to a virtual and multi-institutional format. We hypothesized that this expansion would allow expert review of challenging neuro-oncology cases and contribute to the care of patients with limited access to specialized centers.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed records from virtual MTBs held between 04/2020–03/2021. Data collected included measures of potential clinical impact, including referrals to observational or therapeutic studies, referrals for specialized neuropathology analysis, and whether molecular findings led to a change in diagnosis and/or guided management suggestions.

Results

During 25 meetings, 32 presenters discussed 44 cases. Approximately half (n = 20; 48%) involved a rare central nervous system (CNS) tumor. In 21% (n = 9) the diagnosis was changed or refined based on molecular profiling obtained at the NIH and in 36% (n = 15) molecular findings guided management. Clinical trial suggestions were offered to 31% (n = 13), enrollment in the observational NCI Natural History Study to 21% (n = 9), neuropathology review and molecular testing at the NIH to 17% (n = 7), and all received management suggestions.

Conclusion

Virtual multi-institutional MTBs enable remote expert review of CNS tumors. We propose them as a strategy to facilitate expert opinions from specialized centers, especially for rare CNS tumors, helping mitigate geographic barriers to patient care and serving as a pre-screening tool for studies. Advanced molecular testing is key to obtaining a precise diagnosis, discovering potentially actionable targets, and guiding management.
Skewed distributions of scientists’ productivity: a research program for the empirical analysis
Authors: Bornmann Lutz
Published: March 2024

Only a few scientists are able to publish a substantial number of papers every year; most of the scientists have an output of only a few publications or no publications at all. Several theories (e.g., the “sacred spark” theory) have been proposed in the past to explain these productivity differences that are complementary and focus on different aspects in the publication process. This study is intended to introduce a research program for studying productivity differences in science (skewed distributions of scientists’ productivity). The program is based on the Anna Karenina Principle (AKP). The AKP states that success in research is the result of several prerequisites that are multiplicatively related. Great success results from prerequisites that must be all given. If at least one prerequisite is not given, failure follows, whereby the failure is specific to the set of given and missing prerequisites. High productivity is given for the few scientists who fulfill all prerequisites (e.g., high motivation, pronounced creativity, reputational professional position, early important papers in high-impact journals), and low productivity is connected to a specific combination of missing and fulfilled prerequisites for many scientists. Besides the AKP as theoretical principle, the program for studying productivity differences includes a mathematical concept explaining skewed distributions and statistical methods for empirical productivity analyses.
Higher rat abundance in greener urban areas
Authors: de Cock Marieke P. , Esser Helen J. , van der Poel Wim H. M. , Sprong Hein , Maas Miriam
Published: March 2024

Urban greening has become an increasingly popular strategy to improve urban life and human health. However, there are indications that the presence and extent of urban greenness may increase the abundance of wild rats. Therefore, we investigated which environmental and socio-economic factors are associated with rat abundance, with a focus on factors related to urban greenness. We systematically trapped rats (222 Rattus norvegicus and 5 Rattus rattus) in parks and residential areas in three cities in the Netherlands. We modelled the relative abundance of rats against various environmental and socio-economic variables. In addition, we compared municipality rat complaint data with our trapping data and analysed trap success over time. We observed positive relationships between the relative abundance of rats and both greenness (NDVI) and different proxies for food resources (restaurants and petting zoos). In addition, there were more municipality rat complaints in residential areas compared to parks, while there was a higher relative abundance of rats in parks. Our findings corroborate that greenness is associated with a higher abundance of wild rats, and that municipality rat complaints may underestimate the abundance of rats in greener urban areas. This study provides new insights on factors affecting relative rat abundance in cities and can guide policy makers and city planners how to minimize rat nuisance in the greener parts of cities. By taking these potential effects of urban greenness on rat abundance into account, measures can be taken that on the one hand maintain the beneficial effects of urban greening, but at the same time reduce the carrying capacity for rats.
Advances in the kinetics of heat and mass transfer in near-continuous complex flows
Authors: Xu Aiguo , Zhang Dejia , Gan Yanbiao
Published: March 2024

The study of macro continuous flow has a long history. Simultaneously, the exploration of heat and mass transfer in small systems with a particle number of several hundred or less has gained significant interest in the fields of statistical physics and nonlinear science. However, due to absence of suitable methods, the understanding of mesoscale behavior situated between the aforementioned two scenarios, which challenges the physical function of traditional continuous fluid theory and exceeds the simulation capability of microscopic molecular dynamics method, remains considerably deficient. This greatly restricts the evaluation of effects of mesoscale behavior and impedes the development of corresponding regulation techniques. To access the mesoscale behaviors, there are two ways: from large to small and from small to large. Given the necessity to interface with the prevailing macroscopic continuous modeling currently used in the mechanical engineering community, our study of mesoscale behavior begins from the side closer to the macroscopic continuum, that is from large to small. Focusing on some fundamental challenges encountered in modeling and analysis of near-continuous flows, we review the research progress of discrete Boltzmann method (DBM). The ideas and schemes of DBM in coarse-grained modeling and complex physical field analysis are introduced. The relationships, particularly the differences, between DBM and traditional fluid modeling as well as other kinetic methods are discussed. After verification and validation of the method, some applied researches including the development of various physical functions associated with discrete and non-equilibrium effects are illustrated. Future directions of DBM related studies are indicated.
Gut microbiota-dependent phenylacetylglutamine in cardiovascular disease: current knowledge and new insights
Authors: Song Yaonan , Wei Haoran , Zhou Zhitong , Wang Huiqing , Hang Weijian , Wu Junfang , Wang Dao Wen
Published: March 2024

Phenylacetylglutamine (PAGln) is an amino acid derivate that comes from the amino acid phenylalanine. There are increasing studies showing that the level of PAGln is associated with the risk of different cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we discussed the metabolic pathway of PAGln production and the quantitative measurement methods of PAGln. We summarized the epidemiological evidence to show the role of PAGln in diagnostic and prognostic value in several cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, coronary heart disease/atherosclerosis, and cardiac arrhythmia. The underlying mechanism of PAGln is now considered to be related to the thrombotic potential of platelets via adrenergic receptors. Besides, other possible mechanisms such as inflammatory response and oxidative stress could also be induced by PAGln. Moreover, since PAGln is produced across different organs including the intestine, liver, and kidney, the cross-talk among multiple organs focused on the function of this uremic toxic metabolite. Finally, the prognostic value of PAGln compared to the classical biomarker was discussed and we also highlighted important gaps in knowledge and areas requiring future investigation of PAGln in cardiovascular diseases.
Comprehensive analysis of DNA methylation gene expression profiles in GEO dataset reveals biomarkers related to malignant transformation of sinonasal inverted papilloma
Authors: Mu Li , Hu Shun , Li Guoping , Wu Ping , Zheng Ke , Zhang Sheng
Published: March 2024

Background

DNA methylation may be involved in the regulation of malignant transformation from sinonasal inverted papilloma (SNIP) to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The study of gene methylation changes and screening of differentially methylated loci (DMLs) are helpful to predict the possible key genes in the malignant transformation of SNIP-SCC.

Materials and methods

Microarray dataset GSE125399 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and differentially methylated loci (DMLs) were analyzed using R language (Limma package). ClusterProfiler R package was used to perform Gene Ontology (GO) analysis on up-methylated genes and draw bubble maps. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and its visualization analysis were analyzed to speculate the possible key Genes in SNIP-SCC malignant transformation. Subsequently, SNIP cases archived in our department were collected, tissue microarray was made, and immunohistochemical staining was performed to analyze the expression levels of UCKL1, GSTT1, HLA-G, MAML2 and NRGN in different grades of sinonasal papilloma tissues.

Results

Analysis of dataset GSE125399 identified 56 DMLs, including 49 upregulated DMLs and 7 downregulated DMLs. Thirty-one genes containing upregulated DNA methylation loci and three genes containing downregulated DNA methylation loci were obtained by methylation microarray annotation analysis. In addition, KEGG pathway visualization analysis of 31 up-methylated genes showed that there were four significantly up-methylated genes including UCKL1, GSTT1, HLA-G and MAML2, and one significantly down-methylated gene NRGN. Subsequently, compared with non-neoplasia nasal epithelial tissues, the expression of HLA-G and NRGN was upregulated in grade I, II, III and IV tissues, while the expression of MAML2 was lost. The protein expression changes of MAML2 and NRGN were significantly negatively correlated with their gene methylation levels.

Conclusions

By analyzing the methylation dataset, we obtained four up-regulated methylation genes UCKL1, GSTT1, HLA-G and MAML2 and one down-regulated gene NRGN. MAML2, a tumor suppressor gene with high methylation modification but loss of protein expression, and NRGN, a tumor gene with low methylation modification but upregulated protein expression, can be used as biological indicators to judge the malignant transformation of SNIP-SCC.
Ecological problems and ecological restoration zoning of the Aral Sea
Authors: Bao Anming , Yu Tao , Xu Wenqiang , Lei Jiaqiang , Jiapaer Guli , Chen Xi , Komiljon Tojibaev , Khabibullo Shomurodov , Sagidullaevich Xabibullaev B. , Kamalatdin Idirisov
Published: March 2024

The Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake in the world but it has shrunk dramatically as a result of irrational human activities, triggering the “Aral Sea ecological crisis”. The ecological problems of the Aral Sea have attracted widespread attention, and the alleviation of the Aral Sea ecological crisis has reached a consensus among the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan). In the past decades, many ecological management measures have been implemented for the ecological restoration of the Aral Sea. However, due to the lack of regional planning and zoning, the results are not ideal. In this study, we mapped the ecological zoning of the Aral Sea from the perspective of ecological restoration based on soil type, soil salinity, surface water, groundwater table, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), land cover, and aerosol optical depth (AOD) data. Soil salinization and salt dust are the most prominent ecological problems in the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea was divided into seven first-level ecological restoration subregions (North Aral Sea catchment area in the downstream of the Syr Darya River (Subregion I); artificial flood overflow areas downstream of the Aral Sea (Subregion II); physical/chemical remediation area of the salt dust source area in the eastern part of the South Aral Sea (Subregion III); physical/chemical remediation areas of severe salinization in the central part of the South Aral Sea (Subregion IV); existing water surface and potential restoration areas of the South Aral Sea (Subregion V); Aral Sea vegetation natural recovery area (Subregion VI); and vegetation planting areas with light salinity in the South Aral Sea (Subregion VII)) and 14 second-level ecological restoration subregions according to the ecological zoning principles. Implementable measures are proposed for each ecological restoration subregion. For Subregion I and Subregion II with lower elevations, artificial flooding should be carried out to restore the surface of the Aral Sea. Subregion III and Subregion IV have severe soil salinization, making it difficult for vegetation to grow. In these subregions, it is recommended to cover and pave the areas with green biomatrix coverings and environmentally sustainable bonding materials. In Subregion V located in the central and western parts of the South Aral Sea, surface water recharge should be increased to ensure that this subregion can maintain normal water levels. In Subregion VI and Subregion VII where natural conditions are suitable for vegetation growth, measures such as afforestation and buffer zones should be implemented to protect vegetation. This study could provide a reference basis for future comprehensive ecological management and restoration of the Aral Sea.
Black Hebrew Israelites
Authors: Miller Michael T.
Published: March 2024

The Black Hebrew Israelite movement claims that African Americans are descendants of the Ancient Israelites and has slowly become a significant force in African American religion. This Element provides a general overview of the BHI movement, its diverse history/ies, ideologies, and practices. The Element shows how different factions and trends have taken the forefront at different periods over its 140-year history, leading to the current situation where diverse iterations of the movement exist alongside each other, sharing some core concepts while differing widely. In particular, the questions of how and why BHI has become a potent and attractive movement in recent years are addressed, arguing that it fulfils a specific religious need to do with identity and teleology, and represents a new and persistent form of Abrahamic religion.
Supercharge Me
Authors: Lonergan Eric , Sawers Corinne
Published: March 2024

Almost everyone agrees on the need to transition the global economy to net zero. But how do we do it? And how do we do it faster? If you feel demoralized, depressed or confused about the climate crisis this book will provide answers - and ones that don't involve punishing lifestyle changes, the end of capitalism, or a much higher tax bill.

Supercharge Me is grounded in relentless realism about how governments, businesses and individuals actually behave. It draws lessons from what has worked so far: extreme positive incentives and smart regulations. Through a series of fast-paced dialogues, the authors introduce practical ideas for change that will embolden activists, reinvigorate the disheartened, and reframe the climate crisis as an opportunity.
Reinventing Medieval Liturgy in Victorian England
Authors: Jasper David , Smith Jeremy J.
Published: March 2024

In 1879, Canon Thomas Frederick Simmons edited the late medieval poem now known as 'The Lay Folks' Mass Book' creating what remains the standard edition of the text. This volume shows how Simmons' interest in the text was related profoundly to contemporary debates about worship in the Church of England, and how he used his medievalist researches as the basis for the most important attempt at Prayer Book revision between the Reformation and the twentieth century.
Drought responses in Coffea arabica as affected by genotype and phenophase. I – leaf distribution and branching
Authors: Rakocevic Miroslava , Matsunaga Fabio Takeshi , Pazianotto Ricardo Antônio Almeida , Ramalho José Cochicho , Costes Evelyne , Ribeiro Rafael Vasconcelos
Published: March 2024

In Coffea arabica, there is a small genetic distance between wild and bred genotypes. However, coffee genotypes express differential acclimation to multiple drought cycles, allowing them to successfully deal with water-limiting conditions. We hypothesized that bred coffee cultivars have a plant structure less sensitive to drought than wild genotypes. Plant and leaf architecture were analyzed over the coffee strata of two cultivars (Iapar 59 and Catuaí 99) and two wild Ethiopia accessions (‘E083’ and ‘E027’) grown under rainfed conditions and irrigation. During two consecutive productive years, evaluations were taken at leaf and berry expansion (BE1 and BE2) and harvest (BH1 and BH2) phenophases. The plant canopy was divided into up to four strata of 40 cm of thickness. Topological and geometric coding of coffee trees was performed in three botanical scales – metamers, branches, and plants in multiscale tree graphs (MTGs), following the VPlants modeling platform. Leaf and branch area per plant increased with tree structure development, being always significantly higher in irrigated than in rainfed plants over all phenophases. The individual leaf area was the least sensitive to water regime in Catuaí 99, while the 2nd order axis elevation – angle in relation to horizontal plane, ranging from 0° to 90° – of bred cultivars was less sensitive to drought than in ‘E083’. This finding partially corroborated our hypothesis that orchestrated reprograming of leaf/branch responses over the vertical plant profile were less sensitive to water availability in cultivars than in wild accessions. Leaves of 2nd to 4th-order branching were roughly plagiophile, while the 1st-order leaves were classified as extremophiles. When the coffee leaves were planophile, irrespective of genotype, this pattern was found at the lowest, 1st plant stratum, and the newest developed 4th stratum. Such responses were not obligatorily related to water regime, similar to branch elevation – with exception of ‘E083’, very sensitive to drought. Taken together, our data suggest that the leaf and branch elevations in C. arabica were more influenced by light distribution through the canopy profile – i.e., self-shading – than by water availability.
Tonic immobility in a marine isopod: the effects of body size, sex, and colour morph
Authors: Igarashi Koichi , Wada Satoshi
Published: March 2024

Tonic immobility is considered an anti-predator defence, wherein prey adopts a motionless state in a characteristic posture elicited by external stimuli. The marine isopod Cleantiella isopus exhibits tonic immobility with an arch-like posture and motionless state lasting several seconds or minutes in response to external stimuli such as predatory attacks by fish. In this study, we describe tonic immobility by wild-caught C. isopus and examine the influence of body size, sex, and colour morph on the frequency and duration of tonic immobility. All individuals exhibited tonic immobility regardless of body size, sex, or colour morph, suggesting that the behaviour plays a major role in predator avoidance following detection by a predator. In males, smaller individuals exhibited more prolonged tonic immobility than larger individuals, whereas the relationship between the duration of tonic immobility and body size was unclear in females. Colour morph had no effect on the duration of tonic immobility. These findings provide a detailed documentation of tonic immobility in C. isopus and suggest that the factors affecting tonic immobility differ between males and females.
‘The practice of the twanged instruments’. Evaluating the amateur fretted instrument orchestra in British popular musical life, c.1890–c.1960
Authors: Russell Dave
Published: March 2024

The British amateur fretted instrument orchestra was a product of the late Victorian and Edwardian banjo and mandolin ‘crazes’. Lacking deep community roots, early organisations were numerous but mainly short-lived. However, reconstituted as more broadly based clubs, they enjoyed a substantial revival from the later 1920s and played a major role in the preservation of fretted instrumental culture at a time when it was losing purchase in wider popular musical life. Clubs and orchestras provided a significant outlet for the musical talents of lower-middle and working-class amateur musicians and, although always ultimately male-dominated, gave greater opportunity to women than was the norm within amateur instrumental music-making. The charitable concerts that featured so strongly in their work provided an impressive record of public service. However, their instrumentation and middle-of-the-road repertoire rendered them increasingly unfashionable in the changed popular musical climate of the 1950s and entirely marginal by the end of the 1960s.
Determination of two structures of the solvent 3-hydroxypropionitrile crystallized at low temperatures
Authors: Whitfield Pamela S. , Karkar Zouina , Abu-Lebdeh Yaser
Published: March 2024

The title compound, 3-hydroxypropionitrile, was crystallized repeatedly in situ inside a quartz capillary using a liquid nitrogen cryostream. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns obtained indicated the presence of two distinct crystalline phases. The cleanest datasets for each of the phases were used to solve the crystal structures via simulated annealing, followed by refinement and optimization via dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculations, with a final Rietveld refinement against the experimental data. The two structures appear to correspond to those proposed in a 1960s literature vibrational spectroscopy paper, one being the more stable with a gauche molecular conformation and the second metastable phase more complex with mixed conformations. Dispersion-corrected DFT computation using lattice parameters for both phases obtained from a single 84 K dataset with co-existing phases shows the stable and metastable phases to differ in energy by less than 0.5 kJ mol−1. A comparison of experimental far infrared spectra published in the 1960s with those calculated from the proposed crystal structures provides some independent supporting evidence for the proposed structures.
Tale of a Missed Opportunity: Japan’s Delay in Implementing a Value-Added Tax
Authors: Takahashi Ryotaro
Published: March 2024

While a value-added tax (VAT), which supports a welfare state, was officially introduced in Japan in 1989, earlier attempts to implement this tax system failed. This study looks in-depth at why Japan was slower than other countries to implement a VAT. The tax authorities’ debates during the 1960s and 1970s are reviewed to understand why other attempts to introduce a VAT failed. Implementing the VAT would require a shift from the ideology centering on a direct tax to acceptance of indirect taxes and justification for a general consumption tax’s superiority over specific consumption taxes. Four influential factors are identified. First, in 1960, the ideology centering on a direct tax made a VAT inherently inferior. Second, in the 1968, “Break Fiscal Rigidification Campaign” created a revenue-neutral path for indirect tax increases but favored specific consumption taxes. Third, the Fundamental Issues Subcommittee conceptualized “high benefit/high cost” in the early 1970s and established the VAT’s superiority over specific consumption taxes based on a study of overseas travel to European Commission countries. However, the VAT was abandoned due to external shocks. Fourth, the attempts to link the VAT with fiscal reconstruction in the late 1970s faced strong opposition from consumers, small businesses, and the ruling party. Failure to introduce the VAT in the 1970s eliminated the possibility of using it to raise taxes in the early 1980s. The findings reveal that Japan’s failure to introduce the VAT closed a door to a “high benefit/high cost” type of Western-style welfare state.
Cilostazol for peripheral arterial disease – a position paper	from the Italian Society for Angiology and Vascular Medicine
Authors: Martini Romeo , Ageno Walter , Amato Corrado , Favaretto Elisabetta , Porfidia Angelo , Visonà Adriana
Published: March 2024

Summary: Cilostazol is a quinolinone-derivative selective phosphodiesterase inhibitor and is a platelet-aggregation inhibitor and arterial vasodilator for the symptomatic treatment of intermittent claudication (IC). Cilostazol has been shown to improve walking distance for patients with moderate to severe disabling intermittent claudication who do not respond to exercise therapy and who are not candidates for vascular surgical or endovascular procedures. Several studies evaluated the pharmacological effects of cilostazol for restenosis prevention and indicated a possible effect on re-endothelialization mediated by hepatocyte growth factor and endothelial precursor cells, as well as inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation and leukocyte adhesion to endothelium, thereby exerting an anti-inflammatory effect. These effects may suggest a potential effectiveness of cilostazol in preventing restenosis and promoting the long-term outcome of revascularization interventions. This review aimed to point out the role of cilostazol in treating patients with peripheral arterial disease, particularly with IC, and to explore its possible role in restenosis after lower limb revascularization.
Multi‐Decadal Coastal Acidification in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Driven by Climate Change and Eutrophication
Authors: Jiang Zong‐Pei , Qin Cao , Pan Yiwen , Le Chengfeng , Rabalais Nancy , Turner Robert Eugene , Fennel Katja , Wang Kui , Cai Wei‐Jun
Published: March 2024

Coastal waters often experience enhanced ocean acidification due to the combined effects of climate change and regional biological and anthropogenic activities. Through reconstructing summertime bottom pH in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 1986 to 2019, we demonstrated that eutrophication‐fueled respiration dominated bottom pH changes on intra‐seasonal and interannual timescales, resulting in recurring acidification coinciding with hypoxia. However, the multi‐decadal acidification trend was principally driven by rising atmospheric CO2 and ocean warming, with more acidified and less buffered hypoxic waters exhibiting a higher rate of pH decline (−0.0023 yr−1) compared to non‐hypoxic waters (−0.0014 yr−1). The cumulative effect of climate‐driven decrease in pH baseline is projected to become more significant over time, while the potential eutrophication‐induced seasonal exacerbation of acidification may lessen with decreasing oxygen availability resulting from ocean warming. Mitigating coastal acidification requires both global reduction in CO2 emissions and regional management of riverine nutrient loads.
Model Mean State Sea Ice Thickness Reflects Dynamic Effect Biases: A Process Based Evaluation
Authors: Anheuser James , Liu Yinghui , Key Jeff
Published: March 2024

Global climate models account for sea ice thickness by summing thermodynamic processes that affect thickness through phase change and dynamic processes that affect thicknesses through relative motion. Comparison of these individual processes with observations is essential for model interpretation and development. We utilized observational estimates of basal thermodynamic growth, overall thickness changes and their residual difference (including dynamics) to evaluate these processes in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Earth System Model 2 (CESM2) submission to the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) Ocean Model Comparison Project Phase 2 (OMIP2) and Pan‐Arctic Ice–Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS). Both models exhibit a similar pattern of higher basal thermodynamic growth and lower residual effects and wintertime thickness in the central Arctic than observational estimates for 2010–2018, and vice versa in the peripheral seas. Correcting residual effect biases would ameliorate the biases in both mean thickness and basal thermodynamic growth.
Effects of Sea Land Breeze on Air‐Sea Turbulent Heat Fluxes in Different Seasons Using Platform Observation in East China Sea
Authors: Shen Lixing , Zhao Chuanfeng , Xu Changsan , Yan Yunwei , Chen Annan , Yang Yikun , Hang Rui , Zhu Yizhi , Zhang Zhijiang , Song Xiangzhou
Published: March 2024

Using 2‐year platform observations, this study investigates seasonal characteristics of sea land breeze (SLB) and how it influences air‐sea turbulent heat fluxes (THFs) in the coastal areas of East China Sea (ECS) in different seasons. Unlike other SLB studies, this study uses hourly observation on a sea platform to explore SLB's effect on both air‐sea latent heat and sensible heat transferring. The results show that sea wind (SW) does not have an obvious seasonal variation pattern while land wind (LW) is stronger in autumn and winter. The SLB day number shows a clear seasonal variation pattern, which accounts for 38.04% and 18.23% of summertime and wintertime days, reaching its peak and bottom respectively. The latent heat flux (LHF) and sensible heat flux (SHF) are high in autumn and winter while low in summer. The SLB‐contributed LHF and SHF reach peaks in autumn and winter, which are 61.07 and 7.39 W/m2 respectively. The contribution importance of SLB on air‐sea sensible/latent heat transferring is highest in summer while lowest in winter. On SLB days, the SHF decreases significantly by at least about 50% while LHF decreases moderately in all seasons, among which spring witnesses an inversion of sensible heat transferring direction. The warming effect of SLB is mainly responsible for the slump of SHF on SLB days. Multiple factors including relative humidity (RH), background wind field and in situ radiation cause the LHF decrease together, whose changing range varies with season.