bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the effects of exogenous cortisol manipulation and the glucocorticoid antagonist, RU486, on the exploratory tendency of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)
Authors: Carbajal Annaïs , Lawrence Michael J. , Gilmour Kathleen M. , Lopez-Bejar Manel , Cooke Steven J.
Published: October 2023

In teleost fishes, activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis leads to an elevation of circulating cortisol levels as a primary stress response. While acute elevation of cortisol is generally beneficial, long-term elevation, a common characteristic of chronic stress, may lead to detrimental effects on health and physiological performance in fishes. Some stress-mediated behavioural shifts, such as variation along the shy-boldness axis in fish, may influence individual fitness. The present study evaluated the role of cortisol and its mechanisms of action in the exploratory behaviour of the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Fish were implanted with cocoa butter alone (sham treatment), or cocoa butter containing cortisol, or cortisol and the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU486. A control (untreated) group was also used. Animals were held for 48 h following treatment and then were subjected to a Z-maze trial to characterize the exploratory behaviour. Cortisol treatment had no measurable effect on the exploratory behaviour of bluegill sunfish. Despite presenting a higher probability of refuge emergence, fish treated with cortisol combined with RU486 behaved similarly to cortisol-treated and control groups. While these results suggest that cortisol may not be involved in the mechanisms controlling boldness, the influence of cortisol elevation across longer time periods plus validation in different contexts will be necessary to confirm this conclusion.
Decolonizing Botany: Indonesia, UNESCO, and the Making of a Global Science
Authors: Goss Andrew
Published: October 2023

Decolonization created new opportunities for international scientific research collaboration. In Indonesia this began in the late 1940s, as Indonesian scientists and officials sought to remake the formerly colonial botanical gardens in the city of Bogor into an international research center. Indonesia sponsored the Flora Malesiana project, a flora of all of island Southeast Asia. This project was formally centered in Bogor, Indonesia, with participation from tropical botanists from around the world. The international orientation of Indonesian science led to the establishment of one of UNESCO’s Field Science Co-operation Offices in Jakarta, and to a period of close collaboration between Indonesian botanists and UNESCO. This paper examines the importance of UNESCO’s Humid Tropics research program, which initially provided further opportunities for Indonesian botanists to participate in international scientific networks. The paper concludes by showing that the Humid Tropics program led to the slow erosion of Indonesian agency and authority over tropical botany, and the assertion of Western control and management over tropical botany research.
Stability of Some Anticipating Semilinear Stochastic Differential Equations of Skorohod Type
Authors: León Jorge A. , Márquez-Carreras David , Vives Josep
Published: October 2023

In the present paper, we study different types of stability of the solution of a semi-linear anticipating stochastic differential equation driven by a Brownian motion, with a random variable as initial condition. The involved stochastic integral is the Skorohod one. Being the initial condition random, we need to redefine the stability concepts. The new stability criteria depend on the derivative of the initial condition in the Malliavin calculus sense.
Parent Aggression Exposure and Negative Expectancies in Couple Conversation: Rejection Sensitivity as a Mediator
Authors: Beale Alexis M. , Ryjova Yana , Gold Alaina I. , Kim Yehsong , Kazmierski Kelly F. M. , Daspe Marie-Ève , Lai Mark H. C. , Margolin Gayla
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Exposure to aggression during childhood or adolescence has been linked to negative outcomes, including poor future romantic relationship functioning. As a step toward understanding such intergenerational influences, the present study investigates whether aggression exposure in the family-of-origin is associated with negative expectancies of romantic partner interactions when facing a challenging couple discussion. Rejection sensitivity is tested as a mediator of this association, and gender was explored as a potential moderator.

Method

Negative expectancies were assessed before a 10-minute discussion about desired changes in the relationship in a sample of young adult dating couples. To test the theorized relationship between variables, the study employed self-report measures of parent aggression, rejection sensitivity, and negative expectancies.

Results

Multilevel analyses showed that exposure to family-of-origin aggression was positively associated with negative expectancies about the upcoming change discussion task, even after controlling for dating aggression within the current relationship. Additionally, rejection sensitivity mediated the association between parent aggression and negative expectancies. Gender did not moderate these associations.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that individuals who experience aggression in their family-of-origin are more likely to anticipate negative interactions with their dating partner during young adulthood. Results also highlight rejection sensitivity as a key mechanism of this process. Taken together, these findings help to explain why some individuals have negative expectancies as they approach difficult discussions with a romantic partner, which may be a putative link in the intergenerational continuity of aggression.
A new result on boundedness of the Riesz potential in central Morrey–Orlicz spaces
Authors: Burtseva Evgeniya , Maligranda Lech
Published: October 2023

We improve our results on boundedness of the Riesz potential in the central Morrey–Orlicz spaces and the corresponding weak-type version. We also present two new properties of the central Morrey–Orlicz spaces: nontriviality and inclusion property.
Consequentialism and the Role of Practices in Political Philosophy
Authors: Schmidt Andreas T.
Published: October 2023

Political philosophers have recently debated what role social practices should play in normative theorising. Should our theories be practice-independent or practice-dependent? That is, can we formulate normative institutional principles independently of real-world practices or are such principles only ever relative to the practices they are meant to govern? Any first-order theory in political philosophy must contend with the methodological challenges coming out of this debate. In this article, I argue that consequentialism has a plausible account of how social practices should factor in normative political philosophy. I outline a version of consequentialism, Practice Consequentialism, that provides a plausible blueprint for integrating social practices in normative theorising. Second, I argue that Practice Consequentialism accounts well for the central arguments on both sides of the practice-dependence debate. Capturing arguments for practice-dependence, consequentialism brings out why real-world practices are central in formulating institutional principles. Conversely, capturing arguments for practice-independence, consequentialism offers a clear external normative perspective from which to evaluate practices.
Reflections on the Principles of Remoteness in Contract in Comparative Law
Authors: Barnett Katy
Published: October 2023

This paper traces the history of remoteness in contract law, namely the legal formants (in Rodolfo Sacco’s terms) constraining the availability of contract damages in various legal systems. Our journey takes us through different times, continents and cultures, from the eighteenth century to the twenty–first century, across the law of France, United States, England and Wales, India and Australia, among other jurisdictions. While it might seem that civilian and common law traditions have very different morphological legal forms, once a closer historical, cultural, and anthropological gaze is turned upon the legal formants involved, it can be seen that remoteness discloses a shared concern which may be common to many human societies and cultures. In other words, as a matter of social experience, humans who enter into transactions generally realise that it is impossible to know the future, or to know what all outcomes of the transaction will be. Consequently, it is recognised that it would be unfair and unjust to hold a defendant liable for all outcomes, and as our journey will show, legal systems seek guidance from other legal systems in their efforts to deal with this problem.
Hormonal regulation of somatic embryogenesis in Medicago spp.
Authors: Kępczyńska Ewa , Kępczyński Jan
Published: October 2023

In contrast to zygotic embryogenesis, somatic embryogenesis culture systems, not limited in tissue quantity and accessibility, were found to be useful models with which to investigate the role of phytohormones during induction, development and maturation of somatic embryos. Artificial seed technology is one of the important efficient methods of in vitro propagation of a number of agronomically important plants, including Medicago species, with Medicago truncatula serving as a Fabaceae experimental model. The review will focus on the role of exogenous and endogenous plant growth regulators /phytohormones in different phases of somatic embryogenesis in Medicago species. There is evidence that induction and development of M. sativa somatic embryos require endogenous levels not only of growth stimulants (e.g. gibberellins, auxins and cytokinins), but also of phytohormones known as growth inhibitors, i.e. ABA, jasmonates and ethylene. Any alterations in the contents of these plant growth inhibitors during the distinct phases of M. sativa SE, proved unfavorable for the subsequent somatic embryo production, suggesting that the level of biosynthetic activity in tissues is optimal for sustaining an appropriate course of this developmental process. It turned out that, in the case of ethylene, its synthesis in and activity towards M. sativa is not linked to the induction, but is very important in the proliferation and differentiation phases. An ABA content lower than that of active GAs (GA4, GA7, GA1, GA5, GA3, GA6) and IAA was proven to enable the embryo formation in the M. truncatula callus. The importance of some phytohormones in the germination and conversion of somatic embryos is also discussed.
Ionic conductivity of the molten systems (LiF–CaF2)eut–NdF3, (LiF–NaF)eut–NdF3, (NaF–CaF2)eut–NdF3 and (LiF–MgF2)eut–NdF3
Authors: Krishnan Dhiya , Korenko Michal , Šimko František , Ambrová Marta , Szatmáry Lórant , Rakhmatullin Aydar
Published: October 2023

Experimental measurements were made to assess the electrical conductivity as a function of temperature and NdF3 concentration (0–20 mol %) of molten systems of (LiF–CaF2)eut–NdF3, (LiF–NaF)eut–NdF3, (NaF–CaF2)eut–NdF3 and (LiF–MgF2)eut–NdF3. The experiment used an altering current impedance spectroscopy technique with a platinum–rhodium electrode positioned in a pyrolytic BN tube and graphite a crucible/counter electrode. The conductivity of all systems under study increased with rising temperatures and decreasing NdF3 concentrations. The Arrhenius equation and linear regression have both been used to describe the experimental data. The results of the ionic conductivity for the temperature 850 °C and NdF3 concentrations 0, 10 and 15 mol %, respectively, can be compared as follows: the conductivity of the molten system of (LiF–CaF2)eut–NdF3 was determined to be 6.10, 5.95 and 5.10 S.cm−1, the results for the system (LiF–NaF)eut–NdF3 were 6.16, 5.56 and 4.13 S.cm−1, the results for the system (NaF–CaF2)eut–NdF3 were 3.78, 3.56 and 2.32 S.cm−1, and finally, the results for the system (LiF–MgF2)eut–NdF3 were determined to be for the same temperature as 5.35, 4.79 and 4.14 S.cm−1, respectively.
Entrepreneurial Leadership: Stärkenorientierte Online-Führungsausbildungen für Medienunternehmen im Transformationsprozess
Authors: Breyer-Mayländer Thomas , Zerres Christopher
Published: October 2023

Die Medienbranche ist seit Jahren von disruptiven Veränderungen betroffen, sodass die Unternehmen und zentralen Akteure in einem dauerhaften Veränderungsmodus sind. Gestiegene Anforderungen an Führungskräfte, Kostendruck und geringe Zeitbudgets für Weiterbildung reduzieren die Möglichkeiten für umfassende Ausbildungsmöglichkeiten. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt einen Lösungsansatz, wie trotz begrenzter Budget- und Zeitressourcen eine individuelle Begleitung von Führungskräften möglich wird. Mit einer Kombination von stärkenorientierter Selbstreflexion und gezielten Impulsen werden Führungskräfte in ihrer Entwicklung als selbstverantwortliche, unternehmerisch denkende Führungskraft gestärkt.
The Emergence of Alternative Sociotechnical Imaginaries in Argentina’s Agricultural Sector: Lessons for Democracy and Sustainability
Authors: Deciancio Melisa , Siegel Karen M.
Published: October 2023

The question of how various actors envision sustainability transitions and which visions are translated into policy agendas is an important aspect of the sustainability–democracy debate. Applying Jasanoff’s concept of sociotechnical imaginaries, this paper examines how three alternative imaginaries of agricultural production—agroecology, organic production, and biodevelopment—have emerged in Argentina, as well as how they have established themselves economically and politically despite the dominance of the well-established soybean imaginary. Argentina’s return to democracy in 1983 was crucial for the emergence of alternative imaginaries because it enabled a new kind of relationship between the state and civil society that opened participation channels for alternative visions. Reflecting patterns that are also relevant to other South American countries, our analysis of the Argentinean case draws attention to the role inequality plays at different levels and its importance as an area for further research on the democracy–sustainability nexus.
Mixing times and hitting times for general Markov processes
Authors: Anderson Robert M. , Duanmu Haosui , Smith Aaron
Published: October 2023

The hitting and mixing times are two fundamental quantities associated with Markov chains. In Peres and Sousi [PS15] and Oliveira [Oli12], the authors show that the mixing times and “worst-case” hitting times of reversible Markov chains on finite state spaces are equal up to some universal multiplicative constant. We use tools from nonstandard analysis to extend this result to reversible Markov chains on general state spaces that satisfy the strong Feller property. Finally, we show that this asymptotic equivalence can be used to find bounds on the mixing times of a large class of Markov chains used in MCMC, such as typical Gibbs samplers and Metropolis–Hastings chains, even though they usually do not satisfy the strong Feller property.
“Far from the Space of Tolerance”: Hungary and the Biopolitical Geotemporality of Postsocialist Homophobia
Authors: Renkin Hadley Z.
Published: October 2023

Sexuality has long been central to ethnographic constructions of exotic difference, an index critically demarcating the borders of European Modernity and its negative and positive Others, and underpinning both extra-European colonial domination and modern biopolitical regimes of subjectivity, citizenship, and society. Representations of Eastern European sexuality, however, were also crucial to both Western and Eastern imaginings of modern “European” selves, politics, and societies, and their boundaries of belonging. Yet while recent scholarship has drawn attention to reemerging European orientalisms and sexuality’s salience in postsocialist politics, particularly in relation to recent postsocialist homophobias, little scholarly attention has been paid to the significance of these histories of European sexual difference for the biopolitical character of current borders of postsocialist difference. In this article I combine postcolonial theories of sexuality, geographies of European belonging, and postsocialist studies of sexual politics to analyze popular, political, and scholarly discourses surrounding sexual politics and homophobia in Hungary. Melding historical debates about Hungarian belonging, discursive analysis, and ethnographic fieldwork, I argue that dominant interpretations of these events constitute postsocialist homophobia as a particularly consequential “problem” reinscribing deeply rooted, and profoundly biopolitical, borders between Europe’s East and West. These readings not only naturalize an imagined West as a space of proper sexual citizenship and tolerance, masking its persistent heteronormativity; they also render Hungary a time–space of complex, ambiguous sexual-political resistance, essentializing its inhabitants as inevitable sexual others of Western Modernity: for some failures of proper sexual citizenship; for others avatars of alternative, sexually-traditional Europeanness.
Investigating the effect of outsole configurations on rotational and translational traction using a mechanical prosthetic foot
Authors: Keshvari Bahador , Lehoang Long , Senner Veit
Published: October 2023

Studded football boots and their interaction with the pitch surface play a major role in generating traction and on the risk of injuries and performance. The aim of this study was to establish a methodological framework to predict a safe zone of traction for different specific football movements in natural preloads. We measured peak pressure distribution among 17 male football players in four specific football movements (cutting 135°, sprinting, turning, and penalty kick) on artificial turf using a baseline football boot with an insole pressure sensor. A mechanical prosthetic foot was adjusted to replicate similar peak pressure distribution based on these four movements. Traction was measured under three preloads: 400, 600, and 800 N. They were lower than those measured with the players to avoid damage to the mechanical test device. This procedure was conducted for seven different outsole configurations. Rotational and translational traction was estimated for high preloads (above 2000 N) using an artificial neural network. Our findings show pressure distribution is an important bridge between subjective measurement (field tests) and objective measurement (laboratory tests) for accurate traction measurement. Artificial neural networks can aid in finding the upper and lower ranges of traction in the natural preloads. Such findings could help footwear developers, trainers, players, and governing institutions to choose an appropriate football boot outsole according to the safe zone of traction established in this study.
Distribution and Abundance of Intertidal Sponge (Porifera) Communities in Coral Reefs of Singapore
Authors: Lim Shu Feng , Tan Lik Tong , Goh Beverly Pi Lee
Published: October 2023

Given the important functional roles of sponges in the coral reef community, few studies have looked at sponge community assemblages in Singapore. This study was conducted to assess the sponge diversity, species richness, and species abundance of intertidal sponge communities in Singapore’s coral reefs, including Pulau Hantu, P. Subar Laut, Tanjong Rimau, and Labrador Park. Belt transects measuring 10 m by 1 m were established to survey the sponge communities at these reef sites. Based on sponge morphology, a total of 28 morphospecies were identified, belonging to eight different sponge orders, namely Chondrillida, Clionaida, Dictyoceratida, Haplosclerida, Poecilosclerida, Suberitida, Tetractinellida, and Verongiida. Univariate statistical analyses revealed that sponge diversity, species richness, and abundance at P. Hantu site 2 were significantly higher than that in Labrador Park. In addition, multivariate statistical analyses showed that in terms of community structure, there were three distinct clusters found at P. Hantu site 2, Labrador Park, and P. Subar Laut. The formation of these distinct clusters was sponge species specific and shaped by environmental factors and anthropogenic stresses. Preliminary sponge data presented in this study contribute to the regional biogeography of sponges and could serve as baseline data for future studies, including ecological research and biomonitoring of marine invertebrates, and support marine conservation efforts in Singapore.
Relationship Between use of Dating apps and Sociodemographic Variables, Sexual Attitudes, and Sexual risk Behaviors
Authors: Blanc Andrea
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Although some studies have found a link between dating apps and sociodemographic variables, sexual attitudes, and sexual risk behaviors, few studies in Spain have explored these relationships. This study analyzes the relationship between the use of dating apps and these variables in this country.

Method

A total of 2288 people aged between 18 and 35 years completed a questionnaire, which, in addition to sociodemographic variables, contained questions on the use of dating apps, a measure of attitudes toward online sexual behaviors, and indicators of sexual risk behaviors.

Results

The percentage of men using dating apps is higher than that of women, and the percentage of LGB users is higher than that of heterosexuals. In addition, users have more positive attitudes toward online sexual behavior than non-users. In general, users are also found to have more sexual partners than non-users, although they more frequently use condoms for vaginal intercourse and anal sex.

Conclusion

The present study provides evidence for the relationship between the use of dating apps and certain variables in Spain.

Policy Implications

Dating apps do not have to be equated with sexual risk, but condom use should continue to be encouraged, especially among those who have multiple sexual partners.
Covariance Clustering: Modelling Covariance in Designed Experiments When the Number of Variables is Greater than Experimental Units
Authors: Forknall Clayton R. , Verbyla Arūnas P. , Nazarathy Yoni , Yousif Adel , Osama Sarah , Jones Shirley H. , Kerr Edward , Schulz Benjamin L. , Fox Glen P. , Kelly Alison M.
Published: October 2023

The size and complexity of datasets resulting from comparative research experiments in the agricultural domain is constantly increasing. Often the number of variables measured in an experiment exceeds the number of experimental units composing the experiment. When there is a necessity to model the covariance relationships that exist between variables in these experiments, estimation difficulties can arise due to the resulting covariance structure being of reduced rank. A statistical method, based in a linear mixed model framework, is presented for the analysis of designed experiments where datasets are characterised by a greater number of variables than experimental units, and for which the modelling of complex covariance structures between variables is desired. Aided by a clustering algorithm, the method enables the estimation of covariance through the introduction of covariance clusters as random effects into the modelling framework, providing an extension of the traditional variance components model for building covariance structures. The method was applied to a multi-phase mass spectrometry-based proteomics experiment, with the aim of exploring changes in the proteome of barley grain over time during the malting process. The modelling approach provides a new linear mixed model-based method for the estimation of covariance structures between variables measured from designed experiments, when there are a small number of experimental units, or observations, informing covariance parameter estimates.
Indigenous Peoples’ rights in national climate governance: An analysis of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
Authors: Carmona Rosario , Reed Graeme , Ford James , Thorsell Stefan , Yon Rocío , Carril Francisca , Pickering Kerrie
Published: October 2023

Although the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to climate governance by the international community has gradually increased, a rights-based approach in national climate action is still largely absent. This article analyses the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. We conducted a content analysis of all NDCs submitted between 2016 and May 2022. Through a five-pronged framework of sustainable self-determination, we assessed how the NDCs recognise: i. Indigenous Peoples as rights-holders; ii. Indigenous jurisdiction over land; iii. Indigenous knowledge systems; iv. Indigenous Peoples’ right to full and effective participation in climate governance; and v. the legacy of colonialism. NDCs with references related to Indigenous Peoples are increasing. However, questions remain regarding their sincerity and commitment to implementation. States must therefore make more significant efforts to ensure that the NDCs take a rights-based approach and contribute to strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ role and say in climate governance.
Thermodynamic analysis on a magnetic refrigeration system
Authors: Lee Jong Suk
Published: October 2023

Magnetic refrigeration utilizes the magnetocaloric effect of a magnetic material, whose temperature changes according to the change of magnetic field strength. It is regarded as an eco-friendly refrigeration technology in that it uses magnetic materials as refrigerants instead of CFC, HCFC, and HFC refrigerants used in vapor compression refrigeration. It is also regarded as an energy-efficient refrigeration technology in that it does not use noisy and power-consuming compressors. This paper presents thermodynamic analysis on a magnetic refrigeration system using experimental results obtained from a magnetic refrigeration apparatus. The magnetic refrigeration apparatus was built using two sets of concentric Halbach cylinders consisting of permanent magnet segments. Specifically the coefficient of performance (COP) of the magnetic refrigeration system was calculated using the energy removed from the working fluid across an AMR bed and the work input to run electric motors.
Changes in El Niño characteristics and air–sea feedback mechanisms under progressive global warming
Authors: Shen Min-Hua , Yu Jia-Yuh
Published: October 2023

In this study, we investigate the potential changes of El Niño characteristics, including intensity, frequency and CP/EP El Niño ratio, under progressive global warming based on the 140-year CMIP6 model simulation outputs with the 1pctCO2 experiment. Major air-sea feedback mechanisms attributing to the changes are also examined. The CMIP6 ensemble means project a slight enhancement of El Niño intensity by about 2% and a modest increase of El Niño frequency by about 4% from the first to the second 70-year periods. It is found that these small changes result from the opposite response to global warming between CP and EP El Niño, i.e., the intensity of EP El Niño is projected to weaken by nearly 4.6% while the intensity of CP El Niño is projected to increase by about 4.5%. Since CP El Niño occurs more frequently than EP El Niño in CMIP6 simulations, this leads to a slight enhancement of the total El Niño intensity if these two types of El Niño were not separated. A similar situation occurs in projecting the future change of El Niño frequency, i.e., the frequency of EP El Niño is projected to decrease by about 1.4% while the frequency of CP El Niño is projected to increase by about 2%, thereby leading to a modest increase of the total El Niño frequency. By comparing the variance explained by key air-sea feedback mechanism between the two 70-year periods, we also note that the increased CP/EP ratio can be explained by the enhanced role played by the SF (seasonal footprinting) mechanism in a warmer atmosphere. Our study also points out that, as long as a climate model can correctly produce the intensity (variance) of major air-sea feedback mechanisms, the relationship between changes in El Niño characteristics and changes in feedback mechanisms can be physically robust.
Non-traumatic abdominal surgical emergencies in children in Dapaong (TOGO)
Authors: Essobiyou Tamassi Bertrand , Kebalo Sosso Piham , Ouedraogo Samuel Salem Laurent , Keheou Alexandre Palissam , Issa Mohamed , Gnassingbe Komla , Dosseh Ekoue David
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Introduction

Surgical abdominal emergencies in children are responsible for high morbidity and mortality. They are numerous and their management in Africa is difficult. The management of non-traumatic abdominal emergencies in children in a regional hospital in Togo is described.

Method

and study setting: This was a single-center, retrospective and descriptive study conducted over a 12-month period. It included all children aged 0–15 years treated at the hospital for non-traumatic abdominal surgical emergencies.

Results

We reported 217 cases of non-traumatic abdominal surgical emergencies in children. We noted a male predominance with a sex ratio of 1.57. Similarly, grandchildren were predominant (44.70 %). A low school attendance rate was noted (21.20 %) and the children were mostly from poor families (32.72 %). The average consultation time was 5.3 ± 1.03 days. Pain was the main symptom and was present in all children. An unprepared abdominal X-ray was the main imaging procedure performed (77.18 %). These conditions were dominated by peritonitis (56.68 %). These were mainly ileal perforations. All the children received surgical treatment. The postoperative course was marked by complications in 104 children (47,93 %) and 14 deaths (6,45 %).

Conclusion

Non-traumatic abdominal surgical emergencies in children are dominated by peritonitis in rural Togo. They could be related to poverty. An effective policy of universal access to health care is essential.

Highlights
Statistical determinism in non-Lipschitz dynamical systems
Authors: DRIVAS THEODORE D. , MAILYBAEV ALEXEI A. , RAIBEKAS ARTEM
Published: October 2023

We study a class of ordinary differential equations with a non-Lipschitz point singularity that admits non-unique solutions through this point. As a selection criterion, we introduce stochastic regularizations depending on a parameter
$\nu $
: the regularized dynamics is globally defined for each
$\nu> 0$
, and the original singular system is recovered in the limit of vanishing
$\nu $
. We prove that this limit yields a unique statistical solution independent of regularization when the deterministic system possesses a chaotic attractor having a physical measure with the convergence to equilibrium property. In this case, solutions become spontaneously stochastic after passing through the singularity: they are selected randomly with an intrinsic probability distribution.
CHANGES IN FOSSIL CO2 EMISSIONS IN MEXICO CITY DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN DEDUCED FROM ATMOSPHERIC RADIOCARBON CONCENTRATIONS
Authors: Beramendi-Orosco Laura E , González-Hernández Galia , Cienfuegos Edith , Otero Francisco
Published: October 2023

We present atmospheric radiocarbon concentrations in CO2 integrated samples taken between January 2019 and December 2021 in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) and explain the variations in terms of changes in emission sources associated with the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions imposed from March 2020. Δ14C values for samples collected during 2019 range between –44.15‰ and –13.17‰, with lower values during months with higher fossil fuels consumption and air stagnation, whereas higher values were found for periods with high number of fires around MCMA or wet months with higher contribution of heterotrophic respiration. For samples collected during 2020, Δ14C values range between –17.7‰ and 2.25‰, with an increasing trend immediately after the initial lockdown and higher values obtained for samples collected during lockdown phases 2 and 3 and the period of extremely high epidemic risk. This agrees with the 38% and 52% decrease in gasoline and diesel sales. Once essential activities gradually opened from July 2020, Δ14C follow a decreasing trend as vehicle traffic started to increase again. Δ14C values for samples collected during 2021 range from –32.89‰ to –10.27‰, with the higher value obtained during a period of extremely high epidemic risk with a 30% reduction in gasoline and diesel consumption. Despite the complexity of emission sources in MCMA, from Δ14C variations it was possible to identify changes in fossil CO2 emissions resulting from the significant reduction in vehicle traffic due to the COVID-19 lockdown and the restrictions imposed to control transmission of the disease.
Conscripting communalism: surveillance and resistance in contemporary Mauritius
Authors: Auerbach Jess
Published: October 2023

In this article I explore changing state–citizen relationships in Mauritius. To do so, I outline and provide analysis of the system through which this Indian Ocean island has historically managed its diversity – a process that I call conscripting communalism. Conscripting communalism was formulated at independence in a context of behavioural predictions for the future that the internet era has challenged in powerful ways. To illustrate my argument, I explore three specific moments when ethnic and religious discourses were surpassed by collective concern within a rapidly authoritarianizing state: first, the sinking of the Wakashio oil tanker off the coast of Mauritius in 2020, which resulted in national solidarity towards the environment rather than communal violence; second, proposed legislation put forward by the Mauritian Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA) in 2021, which attempted to enable state surveillance of social media and which was soundly resisted by both domestic and external parties. And finally, I explore 2022 accusations that the Mauritian government authorized the installation of digital interception technology by representatives of the Indian state on one of the country’s fibre optic cables. The article argues that Mauritius represents an important site of analysis of the tensions between competing global visions of human rights, political autonomy, surveillance, solidarity and expectations for the future and the role of the internet in shaping these competing visions. I explore how new technologies have become the tools of both repression and resistance. The implications ripple far beyond the island.
Local perceptions, hunting and export of the Endangered Goliath frog Conraua goliath in Cameroon
Authors: Tasse Taboue Geraud C. , Ntene Soh Branly C. , Koumbo Tagagoum Ursla B. , Tchassem Fokoua Arnaud M. , Ngueguim Jules R. , Gonwouo Nono L. , Fokam Eric B. , Doherty-Bone Thomas M.
Published: October 2023

Official protection of an exploited species sometimes precedes any quantitative understanding of its use, including any dependence of local residents on it for food and livelihood. Conservation initiatives could suffer without this information. The Goliath frog Conraua goliath is iconic globally because of its large size, and is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The main threat to this species in Cameroon is overexploitation, but any associated socio-economic aspects of this have not been quantified. We provide insights into local perceptions of the Goliath frog and its consumption through structured interviews with 223 people living alongside this species. The Goliath frog is well known and hunted both for home consumption and the wild meat trade. We trailed seven collaborative Cameroonian Goliath frog hunters over two seasons to determine offtake. A total of 192 Goliath frogs were collected by these hunters, peaking in March. The hunters used nets, shotguns and spears. Their catch was eaten at home or sold fresh within the community or to travellers for XAF 1,500–5,000 (USD 3–10) each. We also studied the Goliath frog trade by examining the databases of the Cameroonian Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, and CITES. CITES and hunters reported large exports of Goliath frogs but no trade was documented by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife. To support conservation planning, this study provides preliminary quantitative information on the extent of the threat of hunting to this Endangered frog.
Ka-band stacked and pseudo-differential orthogonal load-modulated balanced power amplifier in 22 nm CMOS FDSOI
Authors: Rusanen Jere , Sethi Alok , Tervo Nuutti , Kiuru Veeti , Rahkonen Timo , Pärssinen Aarno , Aikio Janne P.
Published: October 2023

This paper presents an integrated power amplifier (PA) following the orthogonal load-modulated balanced amplifier (OLMBA) topology. The fixed-phase prototype in this paper is implemented with 22 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) process. The proposed PA operates at 26 GHz frequency range, where it achieves 19.5 dBm output power, 16.6 dB gain, 15.7% power added efficiency, and 18.3 dBm output 1-dB compression point ($P_{\rm 1\,dB}$). The PA is also tested with high dynamic range modulated signals, and it achieves, respectively, 11.4 dBm and 4.9 dBm average output power (Pavg) with 100 MHz and 400 MHz 64-QAM third-generation partnership project/new radio frequency range 2 signals, and 14 dBm Pavg with 0.6 Gb/s (120 MHz) single carrier 64-QAM signal, measured at 26 GHz and using −28 dBc adjacent channel leakage ratio and −21.9 dB (8%) error vector magnitude as threshold values. The proposed OLMBA is also compared to a stand-alone quadrature-balanced PA. Modulated measurements show that the stand-alone quadrature-balanced PA has better linearity in deep back-off, but the OLMBA has better efficiency.
Elite non-cooperation in polarized democracies: Constitution-making deferral, the entry referendum and the seeds of the Chilean failure
Authors: García-Huidobro Luis Eugenio
Published: October 2023

This article extends the study of the shortcomings of the constitution-making design that contributed to the failure of the Chilean process by addressing a largely overlooked aspect: the 2020 entry referendum. By placing two competing constitution-making models on the ballot, the political elites delegated to the voters a highly conflictual aspect of the process design that prevented cooperation among them. While some political parties approached the disagreements placed on the ballot as an opportunity to reopen discussions already settled by the 2019 Agreement, others interpreted the move as a cancellation of the political insurance contained in the Agreement. This exacerbated the existing polarization among political elites and imperiled prospects for the success of the process.
Farewell to constituent power? The Conference on the Future of Europe, citizens’ assemblies and the democratic minimum
Authors: Patberg Markus
Published: October 2023

In this article, I ask about the extent to which the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) has advanced democracy in the European Union. I critically engage with the claim that the CoFoE’s success should not be measured by whether it enabled constituent power, or ultimately results in treaty reforms, but by the fact that, by introducing citizens’ assemblies to EU politics, it has laid the foundation for participatory democracy in the European Union. Drawing on established theories of participatory democracy, I argue that this interpretation misses the point. To put forward an alternative view, I revisit James Bohman’s concept of a democratic minimum. The best democratic defence of permanent EU citizens’ assemblies is that they could provide citizens with the capacity to initiate deliberation about common concerns – and thus function as a nucleus for constituent power in the European Union. Nevertheless, the idea should be viewed with caution, as permanent citizens’ assemblies could just as well become a democratic fig-leaf allowing EU institutions to reject calls for fundamental reforms. Much therefore depends on their institutional design.
Cynical, But Useful?
Authors: Spiridonova Teodora , Stavrova Olga , Evans Anthony , van Beest Ilja
Published: October 2023

Abstract: Cynicism – the belief that people are driven primarily by self-interest – has been predominantly associated with detrimental consequences for individuals and organizations. Less is known about its potentially positive implications. We investigated whether lay people consider cynicism helpful in preventing antisocial behavior and therefore see value in cynical leaders. We found that people viewed cynical (vs. trusting) leaders as better at detecting antisocial behavior and more punitive, and therefore, as better at preventing employees’ antisocial behavior (Study 1). Despite this, cynical (vs. trusting) leaders were less likely to be hired, were offered lower salaries, and were seen as less effective (Study 2). This aversion to cynical leaders was attenuated for jobs that emphasized the importance of preventing antisocial behavior (Study 3).
Expansion of Ocean Anoxia During Glacial Periods Recorded in the Cobalt Flux to Pelagic Sediments
Authors: Hawco Nicholas J. , Foreman Rhea K.
Published: October 2023

The expansion of oxygen deficient zones (ODZs) within the ocean's interior is anticipated to be a major consequence of anthropogenic climate change, but past changes in ODZs are poorly defined. Recent mapping efforts have revealed plumes of the redox‐active metal cobalt within ODZs, driving a basin‐scale correlation between high cobalt and low O2. Here, we investigate the cobalt flux to Equatorial Pacific sediments along the Line Islands Ridge as a novel record of basin‐scale fluctuations in ODZ extent. After accounting for remobilization by diagenesis, we document a ∼40% increase in cobalt accumulation over the last glacial period, with a more pronounced peak during the Last Glacial Maximum, indicative of larger ODZs compared to the Holocene. Our results link ODZ expansion with colder climates and lend support to model‐based assertions that ongoing deoxygenation may reflect a transient response to warming.
The IL-17 family in diseases: from bench to bedside
Authors: Huangfu Longjie , Li Ruiying , Huang Yamei , Wang Shan
Published: October 2023

The interleukin-17 (IL-17) family comprises six members (IL-17A–17F), and recently, all of its related receptors have been discovered. IL-17 was first discovered approximately 30 years ago. Members of this family have various biological functions, including driving an inflammatory cascade during infections and autoimmune diseases, as well as boosting protective immunity against various pathogens. IL-17 is a highly versatile proinflammatory cytokine necessary for vital processes including host immune defenses, tissue repair, inflammatory disease pathogenesis, and cancer progression. However, how IL-17 performs these functions remains controversial. The multifunctional properties of IL-17 have attracted research interest, and emerging data have gradually improved our understanding of the IL-17 signaling pathway. However, a comprehensive review is required to understand its role in both host defense functions and pathogenesis in the body. This review can aid researchers in better understanding the mechanisms underlying IL-17’s roles in vivo and provide a theoretical basis for future studies aiming to regulate IL-17 expression and function. This review discusses recent progress in understanding the IL-17 signaling pathway and its physiological roles. In addition, we present the mechanism underlying IL-17’s role in various pathologies, particularly, in IL-17-induced systemic lupus erythematosus and IL-17-related tumor cell transformation and metastasis. In addition, we have briefly discussed promising developments in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases and tumors.
USP1 promotes cholangiocarcinoma progression by deubiquitinating PARP1 to prevent its proteasomal degradation
Authors: Zhang Deng Yong , Zhu Yan , Wu Qiong , Ma Shuoshuo , Ma Yang , Shen Zheng chao , Wang Zhonglin , Sun Wanliang , Zhou Yong Chun , Wang Dongdong , Zhou Shuo , Liu Zhong , Kwong Lawrence N. , Lu Zheng
Published: October 2023

Despite its involvement in various cancers, the function of the deubiquitinase USP1 (ubiquitin-specific protease 1) is unexplored in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). In this study, we provide evidence that USP1 promotes CCA progression through the stabilization of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), consistent with the observation that both USP1 and PARP1 are upregulated in human CCA. Proteomics and ubiquitylome analysis of USP1-overexpressing CCA cells nominated PARP1 as a top USP1 substrate. Indeed, their direct interaction was validated by a series of immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP), and GST pull-down assays, and their interaction regions were identified using deletion mutants. Mechanistically, USP1 removes the ubiquitin chain at K197 of PARP1 to prevent its proteasomal degradation, with the consequent PARP1 stabilization being necessary and sufficient to promote the growth and metastasis of CCA in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, we identified the acetyltransferase GCN5 as acetylating USP1 at K130, enhancing the affinity between USP1 and PARP1 and further increasing PARP1 protein stabilization. Finally, both USP1 and PARP1 are significantly associated with poor survival in CCA patients. These findings describe PARP1 as a novel deubiquitination target of USP1 and a potential therapeutic target for CCA.
SIRT1 and HSP90α feed-forward circuit safeguards chromosome segregation integrity in diffuse large B cell lymphomas
Authors: Białopiotrowicz-Data Emilia , Noyszewska-Kania Monika , Jabłońska Ewa , Sewastianik Tomasz , Komar Dorota , Dębek Sonia , Garbicz Filip , Wojtas Magdalena , Szydłowski Maciej , Polak Anna , Górniak Patryk , Juszczyński Przemysław
Published: October 2023

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adults, exhibiting highly heterogenous clinical behavior and complex molecular background. In addition to the genetic complexity, different DLBCL subsets exhibit phenotypic features independent of the genetic background. For example, a subset of DLBCLs is distinguished by increased oxidative phosphorylation and unique transcriptional features, including overexpression of certain mitochondrial genes and a molecular chaperone, heat shock protein HSP90α (termed “OxPhos” DLBCLs). In this study, we identified a feed-forward pathogenetic circuit linking HSP90α and SIRT1 in OxPhos DLBCLs. The expression of the inducible HSP90α isoform remains under SIRT1-mediated regulation. SIRT1 knockdown or chemical inhibition reduced HSP90α expression in a mechanism involving HSF1 transcription factor, whereas HSP90 inhibition reduced SIRT1 protein stability, indicating that HSP90 chaperones SIRT1. SIRT1-HSP90α interaction in DLBCL cells was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assay (PLA). The number of SIRT1-HSP90α complexes in PLA was significantly higher in OxPhos- dependent than -independent cells. Importantly, SIRT1-HSP90α interactions in OxPhos DLBCLs markedly increased in mitosis, suggesting a specific role of the complex during this cell cycle phase. RNAi-mediated and chemical inhibition of SIRT1 and/or HSP90 significantly increased the number of cells with chromosome segregation errors (multipolar spindle formation, anaphase bridges and lagging chromosomes). Finally, chemical SIRT1 inhibitors induced dose-dependent cytotoxicity in OxPhos-dependent DLBCL cell lines and synergized with the HSP90 inhibitor. Taken together, our findings define a new OxPhos-DLBCL-specific pathogenetic loop involving SIRT1 and HSP90α that regulates chromosome dynamics during mitosis and may be exploited therapeutically.