bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Roadmap on perovskite light-emitting diodes
Authors: Chen Ziming , Hoye Robert L Z , Yip Hin-Lap , Fiuza-Maneiro Nadesh , López-Fernández Iago , Otero-Martínez Clara , Polavarapu Lakshminarayana , Mondal Navendu , Mirabelli Alessandro , Anaya Miguel , Stranks Samuel D , Liu Hui , Shi Guangyi , Xiao Zhengguo , Kim Nakyung , Kim Yunna , Shin Byungha , Shi Jinquan , Liu Mengxia , Zhang Qianpeng , Fan Zhiyong , Loy James C , Zhao Lianfeng , Rand Barry P , Arfin Habibul , Saikia Sajid , Nag Angshuman , Zou Chen , Lin Lih Y , Xiang Hengyang , Zeng Haibo , Liu Denghui , Su Shi-Jian , Wang Chenhui , Zhong Haizheng , Xuan Tong-Tong , Xie Rong-Jun , Bao Chunxiong , Gao Feng , Gao Xiang , Qin Chuanjiang , Kim Young-Hoon , Beard Matthew C
Published: May 2024

In recent years, the field of metal-halide perovskite emitters has rapidly emerged as a new community in solid-state lighting. Their exceptional optoelectronic properties have contributed to the rapid rise in external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) in perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) from <1% (in 2014) to over 30% (in 2023) across a wide range of wavelengths. However, several challenges still hinder their commercialization, including the relatively low EQEs of blue/white devices, limited EQEs in large-area devices, poor device stability, as well as the toxicity of the easily accessible lead components and the solvents used in the synthesis and processing of PeLEDs. This roadmap addresses the current and future challenges in PeLEDs across fundamental and applied research areas, by sharing the community’s perspectives. This work will provide the field with practical guidelines to advance PeLED development and facilitate more rapid commercialization.
Experimental and numerical study of increased core surface area on the performance of additively manufactured honeycomb sandwich structures
Authors: Fal Mokhtar , Meinders Robert , Okanmisope Fashanu , Chandrashekhara K , Alabdulmuhsin Abdulmohsen , Alotaibi Abdulrahman , Alqahtani Saif
Published: May 2024

Sandwich composite structures have an efficient structural design that provides high bending stiffness and strength at low weight. However, these structures are plagued with weak core-to-facesheet bond strength. In this work, the effect of increasing the contact area between the composite facesheet and honeycomb core was studied. Sandwich panels were manufactured using two different honeycomb structures, a regular and a modified honeycomb, and their respective bond strengths were evaluated using the flatwise tension test (ASTM C297). The honeycombs were additively manufactured using selective laser melting process. The modified honeycomb was designed to have a larger surface area while retaining the same relative density as the regular honeycomb. The facesheets were made out of carbon-fiber, while the core was additively manufactured using 304L stainless steel powder. Impact specimens were manufactured and tested for impact resistance. A finite element model was created to study the integrity of the sandwich structures subjected to localized impact damage. The finite element model of the damage resistance due to impact showed a good agreement with the experimental results. Samples with increased contact area showed higher impact resistance. The average impact strength of the modified samples was 41.3% higher than the average impact strength of the regular samples. Flatwise tension results showed that by increasing the contact area between the core and the facesheet the core-to-facesheet bond strength increased.
Verteporfin inhibits TGF-β signaling by disrupting the Smad2/3–Smad4 interaction
Authors: Nong Junxiu , Shen Shengqiang , Hong Fan , Xiao Fan , Meng Lingtian , Li Pilong , Lei Xiaoguang , Chen Ye-Guang
Published: May 2024

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling plays a crucial role in pathogenesis, such as accelerating tissue fibrosis and promoting tumor development at the later stages of tumorigenesis by promoting epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer cell migration, and invasion. Targeting TGF-β signaling is a promising therapeutic approach, but nonspecific inhibition may result in adverse effects. In this study, we focus on the Smad2/3–Smad4 complex, a key component in TGF-β signaling transduction, as a potential target for cancer therapy. Through a phase-separated condensate-aided biomolecular interaction system, we identified verteporfin (VP) as a small-molecule inhibitor that specifically targets the Smad2/3–Smad4 interaction. VP effectively disrupted the interaction between Smad2/3 and Smad4 and thereby inhibited canonical TGF-β signaling, but not the interaction between Smad1 and Smad4 in bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. Furthermore, VP exhibited inhibitory effects on TGF-β–induced EMT and cell migration. Our findings indicate a novel approach to develop protein–protein interaction inhibitors of the canonical TGF-β signaling pathway for treatments of related diseases.
Germ fate determinants protect germ precursor cell division by reducing septin and anillin levels at the cell division plane
Authors: Connors Caroline Q. , Mauro Michael S. , Wiles J. Tristian , Countryman Andrew D. , Martin Sophia L. , Lacroix Benjamin , Shirasu-Hiza Mimi , Dumont Julien , Kasza Karen E. , Davies Timothy R. , Canman Julie C.
Published: May 2024

Animal cell cytokinesis, or the physical division of one cell into two, is thought to be driven by constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring at the division plane. The mechanisms underlying cell type-specific differences in cytokinesis remain unknown. Germ cells are totipotent cells that pass genetic information to the next generation. Previously, using formincyk-1(ts) mutant Caenorhabditis elegans 4-cell embryos, we found that the P2 germ precursor cell is protected from cytokinesis failure and can divide with greatly reduced F-actin levels at the cell division plane. Here, we identified two canonical germ fate determinants required for P2-specific cytokinetic protection: PIE-1 and POS-1. Neither has been implicated previously in cytokinesis. These germ fate determinants protect P2 cytokinesis by reducing the accumulation of septinUNC-59 and anillinANI-1 at the division plane, which here act as negative regulators of cytokinesis. These findings may provide insight into the regulation of cytokinesis in other cell types, especially in stem cells with high potency.
Climate Change Litigation in the Era of the Paris Agreement
Authors: Lin Jolene , Peel Jacqueline
Published: May 2024

This chapter explains how conventional definitions and understandings of climate litigation have tended to exclude Global South cases. A more inclusive, holistic view, focusing on peripheral as well as core climate cases, and implementation and enforcement cases alongside strategic litigation seeking legal and policy change, helps reveal the realities of, and pathways that climate change litigation is taking in, the Global South. This broader understanding of the phenomenon of climate litigation globally is also critical as the number of climate cases in Global South countries continues to grow at a fast rate. Including the Global South experience better illuminates progress of the quest for climate justice for vulnerable communities and groups and may help buttress understanding of whether the goals of the Paris Agreement are being achieved. As the chapter explores, climate litigation—including in the Global South—is emerging as a potential means for holding governments to account for their Paris Agreement commitments.
The Emergence of Climate Change Litigation in the Global South
Authors: Lin Jolene , Peel Jacqueline
Published: May 2024

This chapter focuses on where Global South climate litigation is emerging and what this indicates about the preconditions for development of climate jurisprudence. The chapter takes a deep dive into the climate case law of three ‘forerunner’ jurisdictions with the greatest number of cases across the Asia and Pacific, African, and Latin American regions: India, South Africa, and Brazil. This analysis identifies five conditions as explanatory factors for the emergence of climate litigation: (1) access to justice; (2) a climate-conscious judiciary; (3) progressive environmental jurisprudence and/or the existence of climate change laws, policies, and institutions; (4) constitutional protection for the environment; and (5) a well-developed civil society. This suggests that if litigation is to be promoted as a climate change governance tool in the Global South, policy attention and resources must continue to be directed to establishing and strengthening the fundamental pillars of effective legal institutions and access to justice.
Actors in Global South Climate Change Litigation Mobilization Efforts
Authors: Lin Jolene , Peel Jacqueline
Published: May 2024

This chapter turns to the question: who are the people mobilizing the law in Global South jurisdictions to strengthen climate change policy responses and halt emissions-intensive projects? The chapter provides an analytical overview of the constellation of key actors and their roles in enabling the emergence of climate change litigation in the Global South. These actors include environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), regulatory agencies, local and Indigenous communities, climate change activists, environmental cause lawyers located inside and outside NGOs, and funders. This broad range of actors reflects the growing complexity, polycentricity, and multi-level nature of the climate change litigation space, and climate change governance more broadly. Stepping back from the granular analysis of specific groups of actors, the chapter advances a theoretical framework in relation to the different, prototypical modes of legal action in the Global South and how they are shaped by particular actors.
Assessing the Impact of Global South Climate Litigation
Authors: Lin Jolene , Peel Jacqueline
Published: May 2024

This concluding chapter considers the early impacts emerging from Global South climate litigation to date and potential areas of future development for this body of jurisprudence. The ‘impact’ of climate litigation is discussed in terms of the outcomes achieved by the litigation that extend beyond courtroom findings, as well as likely trajectories of future outcomes. The chapter outlines frameworks that have been developed for the assessment of impact from litigation and how they might need to be adjusted for the task of assessing the impacts of climate litigation in the Global South. It also examines four case studies of high-profile Global South climate cases and traces evidence of impacts stemming from these cases. The final section of the chapter draws together lessons for the assessment of climate litigation’s impact and highlights areas that the authors see as promising avenues for further development of the Global South climate case law in the future.
Introduction
Authors: Fortin Marie-France
Published: May 2024

This introduction demonstrates how the mystical confusion surrounding the king can do no wrong in legal thinking still has significant consequences for the law of governmental liability today. It describes how this confusion, in conjunction with the emphasis on the individual liability of public servants, shields modern-day government in common law jurisdictions from liability at common law, and obfuscates the lack of direct liability for institutional wrongdoing. Light is shone on the revival of historical constitutional understandings of the king can do no wrong in public law cases on the prerogative and judicial review, and the resulting discrepancy with legal thinking on crown liability. The divergence between the law of public authority liability and crown liability is explored. The historical constitutional approach adopted in this book is described and how it can enlighten our understanding of crown liability and sovereign immunity is explained.
The King Can Do No Wrong During The Constitutional Struggles of the Seventeenth Century
Authors: Fortin Marie-France
Published: May 2024

This chapter shows that while the king can do no wrong still conveyed the Bractonian understanding that the king is not entitled to do wrong in early seventeenth century cases and in Coke’s work, the conflict opposing Royalists and Parliamentarians led to varied—sometimes opposed—understandings of the phrase until the new constitutional order ushered in by the Glorious Revolution led to a revised understanding of the king can do no wrong in legal thinking. It is proposed that this seventeenth-century constitutional understanding of the king can do no wrong—reflected in Matthew Hale’s work, which is studied in detail—was that the king’s wrongful commands are void and that his ministers and servants must be sued instead. The chapter also shines a light on the issue of the continued existence of the petition of right, left unresolved after the conferral of a personal immunity from suit on the king.
Conclusion
Authors: Fortin Marie-France
Published: May 2024

The conclusion recounts the evolution of the king can do no wrong in the work of Bracton, Coke, Hale, Blackstone, and Dicey, as well as in seminal nineteenth-century cases on the petition of right that led to the legal fiction that there is no wrong in the king. Following the historical constitutional approach adopted in this book, changes and continuity in understandings of the three notions associated with the king can do no wrong during the Middle Ages, Tudor era, seventeenth-century constitutional struggles, and since the eighteenth century are summarized. The heuristic model of crown liability elaborated in this book is used to critically analyse the obfuscation of the issue of the central government’s capacity to do wrong in legal discourse. Avenues for reform of the law of crown liability are proposed and an argument is made in favour of coherence in constitutional thinking, as reflected in recent seminal cases.
Introduction
Authors: Preston Carrie J
Published: May 2024

The Introduction establishes complicit participation as the prevailing framework through which many white liberals who identify as allies participate in theatrical and other institutional efforts grouped under the rubric of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This chapter defines “immersion,” “realism,” and “antiracism”; discusses the complicit anecdote and autoethnography as central methods; comments on the terminology chosen for the book; and identifies the drawbacks to a project that centers a cisgender, white voice. The chapter identifies the emotional power and political limitations of well-intentioned performances of allyship, particularly the author’s own complicit participation in productions and efforts that seek to depict and challenge institutionalized anti-Black racism and white supremacy.
Blackfaced at The Blacks
Authors: Preston Carrie J
Published: May 2024

This chapter considers the audience participation in Jean Genet’s controversial play The Blacks (1959) as it was staged in the New York premiere in 1961 and revival in 2003 at the Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH). The Blacks casts its audience in a painful, confusing, even humiliating role, a role that was aggravated by production strategies at CTH, yet the play has been remarkably successful throughout its history. This chapter considers the aspirations and limitations of audience participation as a form of political engagement, as well as Genet’s suspicion, articulated in his recently published “Preface to The Blacks,” that theater cannot contribute to the liberation of oppressed groups. The American career of The Blacks clarifies some of the reasons we fail to end racism, including the potential pleasures of participating in our own racially inspired humiliation.
Hissing, Bidding, and Lynching at Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s An Octoroon
Authors: Preston Carrie J
Published: May 2024

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s 2016 An Octoroon encouraged Boston theatergoers to hiss and cheer like the audiences for Boucicault’s 1859 The Octoroon, and then encouraged them to bid for slaves and scream for a lynching. For some, participation may have encouraged a self-satisfied post-racial bliss; for others, it may have bolstered psychic investments in racism and misogyny. Many, however, were confused: What is an appropriate response to the melodramatic extremes of American race relations? Jacobs-Jenkins’s work suggests there are no easy answers to the melodramatics of racism and misogyny, and the audience reaction he hopes to achieve is ambiguous and ambivalent, with confusion and more conversation as a desired outcome.
Administrative Procedure Acts in Europe: An Emerging “Common Core”?
Authors: Cananea Giacinto Della , Parona Leonardo
Published: May 2024

This Article concerns the legislative regulation of administrative procedure in Europe. Two main themes are discussed. The first is the spread of administrative procedure legislation. The vast majority of the member states of the European Union, though not all, have adopted some type of code of administrative procedure. Arguably, this constitutes a significant change in the pattern of modern administrative law. The second theme concerns commonality and diversity in European laws. Both common and distinctive features are considered from a twofold point of view: functional and structural. Functionally, attention is devoted to the rationales for such a legislative instrument, including procedural fairness and administrative efficiency. The structural features of administrative procedure acts (APAs) include, first, their size and scope and the nature of their provisions; second, their legal status, in particular whether some of them can be regarded as “super-statutes”; third, their provisions concerning the rights and duties of the individual. Interestingly, despite numerous differences between national APAs, deriving from both context and policy choices, there are certain basic requirements, such as the right to be heard and the duty to give reasons, which seem to prevail everywhere. The Article suggests that such common features depend on a mix of factors, including functional needs, prestige, and the influence of supranational legal orders.
RmsdXNA: RMSD prediction of nucleic acid-ligand docking poses using machine-learning method
Authors: Tan Lai Heng , Kwoh Chee Keong , Mu Yuguang
Published: May 2024

Small molecule drugs can be used to target nucleic acids (NA) to regulate biological processes. Computational modeling methods, such as molecular docking or scoring functions, are commonly employed to facilitate drug design. However, the accuracy of the scoring function in predicting the closest-to-native docking pose is often suboptimal. To overcome this problem, a machine learning model, RmsdXNA, was developed to predict the root-mean-square-deviation (RMSD) of ligand docking poses in NA complexes. The versatility of RmsdXNA has been demonstrated by its successful application to various complexes involving different types of NA receptors and ligands, including metal complexes and short peptides. The predicted RMSD by RmsdXNA was strongly correlated with the actual RMSD of the docked poses. RmsdXNA also outperformed the rDock scoring function in ranking and identifying closest-to-native docking poses across different structural groups and on the testing dataset. Using experimental validated results conducted on polyadenylated nuclear element for nuclear expression triplex, RmsdXNA demonstrated better screening power for the RNA-small molecule complex compared to rDock. Molecular dynamics simulations were subsequently employed to validate the binding of top-scoring ligand candidates selected by RmsdXNA and rDock on MALAT1. The results showed that RmsdXNA has a higher success rate in identifying promising ligands that can bind well to the receptor. The development of an accurate docking score for a NA–ligand complex can aid in drug discovery and development advancements. The code to use RmsdXNA is available at the GitHub repository https://github.com/laiheng001/RmsdXNA.
PlasCAT: Plasmid Cloud Assembly Tool
Authors: Peccoud Samuel , Berezin Casey-Tyler , Hernandez Sarah I , Peccoud Jean
Published: May 2024

PlasCAT (Plasmid Cloud Assembly Tool) is an easy-to-use cloud-based bioinformatics tool that enables de novo plasmid sequence assembly from raw sequencing data. Nontechnical users can now assemble sequences from long reads and short reads without ever touching a line of code. PlasCAT uses high-performance computing servers to reduce run times on assemblies and deliver results faster.

Availability and implementation

PlasCAT is freely available on the web at https://sequencing.genofab.com. The assembly pipeline source code and server code are available for download at https://bitbucket.org/genofabinc/workspace/projects/PLASCAT. Click the Cancel button to access the source code without authenticating. Web servers implemented in React.js and Python, with all major browsers supported.
Distinct ultrastructural phenotypes of glial and neuronal alpha-synuclein inclusions in multiple system atrophy
Authors: Böing Carolin , Di Fabrizio Marta , Burger Domenic , Bol John G J M , Huisman Evelien , Rozemuller Annemieke J M , van de Berg Wilma D J , Stahlberg Henning , Lewis Amanda J
Published: May 2024

Multiple system atrophy is characterized pathologically by the accumulation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) into glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs). The mechanism underlying the formation of GCIs is not well understood.

In this study, correlative light and electron microscopy was employed to investigate aSyn pathology in the substantia nigra and putamen of post-mortem multiple system atrophy brain donors.

Three distinct types of aSyn immuno-positive inclusions were identified in oligodendrocytes, neurons and dark cells presumed to be dark microglia. Oligodendrocytes contained fibrillar GCIs that were consistently enriched with lysosomes and peroxisomes, supporting the involvement of the autophagy pathway in aSyn aggregation in multiple system atrophy. Neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions exhibited ultrastructural heterogeneity resembling both fibrillar and membranous inclusions, linking multiple systems atrophy and Parkinson’s disease. The novel aSyn pathology identified in the dark cells, displayed GCI-like fibrils or non-GCI-like ultrastructures suggesting various stages of aSyn accumulation in these cells.

The observation of GCI-like fibrils within dark cells suggests these cells may be an important contributor to the origin or spread of pathological aSyn in multiple system atrophy. Our results suggest a complex interplay between multiple cell types that may underlie the formation of aSyn pathology in multiple system atrophy brain and highlight the need for further investigation into cell-specific disease pathologies in multiple system atrophy.
Decreased brain iron deposition based on quantitative susceptibility mapping correlates with reduced neurodevelopmental status in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Du Lei , Ye Fang , Gao Wenwen , Yang Aocai , Luan Jixin , Xu Manxi , Lv Kuan , Hu Pianpian , Liu Bing , Yu Hongwei , Wang Yuli , Huang Weijie , Shu Ni , Ouyang Gaoxiang , Yin Qian , Shmuel Amir , Wang Yunfeng , Zhang Qi , Xu Pengfei , Ma Guolin
Published: May 2024

To investigate potential correlations between the susceptibility values of certain brain regions and the severity of disease or neurodevelopmental status in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 18 ASD children and 15 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. The neurodevelopmental status was assessed by the Gesell Developmental Schedules (GDS) and the severity of the disease was evaluated by the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). Eleven brain regions were selected as regions of interest and the susceptibility values were measured by quantitative susceptibility mapping. To evaluate the diagnostic capacity of susceptibility values in distinguishing ASD and HC, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was computed. Pearson and Spearman partial correlation analysis were used to depict the correlations between the susceptibility values, the ABC scores, and the GDS scores in the ASD group. ROC curves showed that the susceptibility values of the left and right frontal white matter had a larger area under the curve in the ASD group. The susceptibility value of the right globus pallidus was positively correlated with the GDS-fine motor scale score. These findings indicated that the susceptibility value of the right globus pallidus might be a viable imaging biomarker for evaluating the neurodevelopmental status of ASD children.
Noninvasive brain stimulation in autism: review and outlook for personalized interventions in adult patients
Authors: Hensel Lukas , Lüdtke Jana , Brouzou Katia O , Eickhoff Simon B , Kamp Daniel , Schilbach Leonhard
Published: May 2024

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has been increasingly investigated during the last decade as a treatment option for persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, previous studies did not reach a consensus on a superior treatment protocol or stimulation target. Persons with ASD often suffer from social isolation and high rates of unemployment, arising from difficulties in social interaction. ASD involves multiple neural systems involved in perception, language, and cognition, and the underlying brain networks of these functional domains have been well documented. Aiming to provide an overview of NIBS effects when targeting these neural systems in late adolescent and adult ASD, we conducted a systematic search of the literature starting at 631 non-duplicate publications, leading to six studies corresponding with inclusion and exclusion criteria. We discuss these studies regarding their treatment rationale and the accordingly chosen methodological setup. The results of these studies vary, while methodological advances may allow to explain some of the variability. Based on these insights, we discuss strategies for future clinical trials to personalize the selection of brain stimulation targets taking into account intersubject variability of brain anatomy as well as function.
Decision-making under conditions of explicit risk and uncertainty in autistic and typically developing adolescents and young adults
Authors: Krug Marie K , Takarae Yukari , Iosif Ana-Maria , Solomon Marjorie
Published: May 2024

Adolescence has been characterized as a period of risky and possibly suboptimal decision-making, yet the development of decision-making in autistic adolescents is not well understood. To investigate decision-making in autism, we evaluated performance on 2 computerized tasks capturing decision-making under explicit risk and uncertainty in autistic and non-autistic adolescents/young adults ages 12–22 years. Participants completed the Game of Dice Task (32 IQ-matched participant pairs) to assess decision-making under explicit risk and the modified Iowa Gambling Task (35 IQ-matched pairs) to assess decision-making under uncertainty. Autistic participants overall made riskier decisions than non-autistic participants on the Game of Dice Task, and the odds of making riskier decisions varied by age and IQ. In contrast, the autistic group showed comparable levels of learning over trial blocks to the non-autistic group on the modified Iowa Gambling Task. For both tasks, younger autistic participants performed poorer than their non-autistic counterparts, while group differences diminished in older ages. This age-related pattern suggests positive development during adolescence on risk assessment and decision-making in autism but also implies differential developmental trajectories between groups. These findings also suggest differential performance by the risk type, with additional complex influences of IQ and fluid cognition, which warrants further investigations.
Novel gurmarin-like peptides from Gymnema sylvestre and their interactions with the sweet taste receptor T1R2/T1R3
Authors: Maaroufi Halim
Published: May 2024

Gymnema sylvestre (GS) is a traditional medicinal plant known for its hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. Gurmarin (hereafter Gur-1) is the only known active peptide in GS. Gur-1 has a suppressive sweet taste effect in rodents but no or only a very weak effect in humans. Here, 8 gurmarin-like peptides (Gur-2 to Gur-9) and their isoforms are reported in the GS transcriptome. The molecular mechanism of sweet taste suppression by Gur-1 is still largely unknown. Therefore, the complete architecture of human and mouse sweet taste receptors T1R2/T1R3 and their interaction with Gur-1 to Gur-9 were predicted by AlphaFold-Multimer (AF-M) and validated. Only Gur-1 and Gur-2 interact with the T1R2/T1R3 receptor. Indeed, Gur-1 and Gur-2 bind to the region of the cysteine-rich domain (CRD) and the transmembrane domain (TMD) of the mouse T1R2 subunit. In contrast, only Gur-2 binds to the TMD of the human T1R2 subunit. This result suggests that Gur-2 may have a suppressive sweet taste effect in humans. Furthermore, AF-M predicted that Gα-gustducin, a protein involved in sweet taste transduction, interacts with the intracellular domain of the T1R2 subunit. These results highlight an unexpected diversity of gurmarin-like peptides in GS and provide the complete predicted architecture of the human and mouse sweet taste receptor with the putative binding sites of Gur-1, Gur-2, and Gα-gustducin. In addition, gurmarin-like peptides may serve as promising drug scaffolds for the development of antidiabetic molecules.
Images of a Statist Ethic in “Western” and Chinese IR Theory: Locating (and Deciphering) the “Moral Realism” of the Tsinghua Approach
Authors: Erskine Toni , Hartnett Liane
Published: May 2024

In this article, we identify—and interrogate—one thematic thread that is intricately woven through prominent positions within classical realism, normative international relations (IR) theory, and what Zhang Feng (2012) has called Chinese IR’s “Tsinghua approach.” This thread is the often-controversial notion of a statist ethic for international politics or an ethical perspective that grants priority to one’s state, fellow citizens, and the national interest. Positions within each of these theoretical traditions—what we label “egoistic realism” and “responsible realism” within the classical realist tradition, “communitarian realism” and “impartialist statism” within normative IR theory, and what others have described as “moral realism” within the Tsinghua approach—share a commitment to an ethical approach variously defined in terms of the protection of, and preference for, one’s state and compatriots. We take this rich collection of positions, and the points of comparison that it affords, as an opportunity to better understand the possibilities and limits of a statist ethic for international politics. Specifically, we endeavour to illustrate four points: (1) that a morality defined in terms of the priority of the state, one’s fellow citizens, and the national interest is neither impossible nor a contradiction in terms; (2) that such a perspective can constitute a sophisticated theoretical position; (3) that it can be conceived in radically different ways, including with respect to the source of value to which it appeals and who it deems to matter; and (4) that these differences have profound practical consequences. In terms of contributing to a conversation between Western and Chinese IR theory, this analysis helps us not only to explore how the “moral realism” of the Tsinghua approach relates to positions within classical realism and normative IR theory but also to evaluate the practical implications of its points of theoretical convergence and divergence.
Upgrading the Paradigm of Leadership Analysis
Authors: Xuetong Yan
Published: May 2024

Leadership analysis has been a traditional paradigm for studying international relations. The theory of moral realism improves this paradigm’s scientific rigour when explaining the relationship between the leadership of major powers and system-level international changes. Methodologically, moral realism uses morality as the criterion to categorise international leadership, the key independent variable. The theory is developed to improve realism’s explanatory power regarding the common historical phenomenon of the rise and fall of great powers. Rather than being Sino-centric, the foreign policy recommendations extrapolated from the theory of moral realism—which are descriptive rather than prescriptive—are applicable to both China and other major powers. Since theories of systemic analysis have failed to explain the transition of global order from globalisation to the counter-globalisation, the paradigm of leadership analysis is worth consideration. It may indeed provide a vector of enquiry regarding the correlation between the current prevalence of populist leadership in major powers and the growing counter-globalisation trend.
Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound protects from inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy through inciting extracellular vesicles
Authors: Sun Ping , Li Yi , Li Yifei , Ji Huan , Mang Ge , Fu Shuai , Jiang Shuangquan , Choi Stephen , Wang Xiaoqi , Tong Zhonghua , Wang Chao , Gao Fei , Wan Pingping , Chen Shuang , Li You , Zhao Peng , Leng Xiaoping , Zhang Maomao , Tian Jiawei
Published: May 2024

Aims

CD4+ T cells are activated during inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy (iDCM) development to induce immunogenic responses that damage the myocardium. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), a novel physiotherapy for cardiovascular diseases, has recently been shown to modulate inflammatory responses. However, its efficacy in iDCM remains unknown. Here, we investigated whether LIPUS could improve the severity of iDCM by orchestrating immune responses and explored its therapeutic mechanisms.

Methods and results

In iDCM mice, LIPUS treatment reduced cardiac remodelling and dysfunction. Additionally, CD4+ T-cell inflammatory responses were suppressed. LIPUS increased Treg cells while decreasing Th17 cells. LIPUS mechanically stimulates endothelial cells, resulting in increased secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are taken up by CD4+ T cells and alter their differentiation and metabolic patterns. Moreover, EVs selectively loaded with microRNA (miR)-99a are responsible for the therapeutic effects of LIPUS. The hnRNPA2B1 translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and binding to caveolin-1 and miR-99a confirmed the upstream mechanism of miR-99a transport. This complex is loaded into EVs and taken up by CD4+ T cells, which further suppress mTOR and TRIB2 expression to modulate cellular differentiation.

Conclusion

Our findings revealed that LIPUS uses an EVs-dependent molecular mechanism to protect against iDCM progression. Therefore, LIPUS is a promising new treatment option for iDCM.
Lower extremity arterial disease vs. coronary artery disease: mortality differences after revascularization
Authors: Takahara Mitsuyoshi , Soga Yoshimitsu , Iida Osamu
Published: May 2024

Background and Aims

Patients undergoing revascularization for lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) may face a higher risk of mortality than those with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aimed to characterize the difference in mortality risk between patients undergoing revascularization for LEAD and CAD and identify associated factors.

Methods

The 1-year database of 10 754 patients undergoing revascularization for CAD (n = 6349) and LEAD (n = 4405) was analysed. Poisson regression models were used to characterize interpopulation differences in mortality, adjusting for baseline clinical features, including age, sex, polyvascular disease, comorbidities, medications, and vulnerabilities.

Results

Individuals with LEAD were older, were more likely to have polyvascular disease, had more comorbidities, and received fewer cardioprotective drugs than those with CAD. Vulnerabilities remained more common in the LEAD group even after adjusting for these clinical features. The crude risk ratio of mortality incidence for LEAD vs. CAD was 2.91 (95% confidence interval, 2.54–3.34), attenuated to 2.14 (1.83–2.50) after controlling for age, sex, and polyvascular disease. The percentage attenuation in the excessive mortality associated with LEAD was 29%. The stepwise addition of comorbidities, medications, and vulnerabilities as adjusting factors attenuated the incidence risk ratio to 1.48 (1.26–1.72), 1.33 (1.12–1.58), and 1.17 (0.98–1.39), respectively, and increased the percentage attenuation to 64%, 73%, and 86%, respectively.

Conclusions

Mortality risk was almost three-fold higher in patients undergoing revascularization for LEAD than in those with CAD. The excessive mortality was considerably attributable to inter-group differences in baseline characteristics, including potentially clinically or socially modifiable factors.
Definition and management of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy: findings from the European Heart Rhythm Association survey
Authors: Serban Teodor , Badertscher Patrick , du Fay de Lavallaz Jeanne , Providencia Rui , Migliore Federico , Mugnai Giacomo , Penela Diego , Perrotta Laura , Kühne Michael , Sticherling Christian , Chun Kyoung-Ryul Julian
Published: May 2024

Aims

Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AiCM) represents a subtype of acute heart failure (HF) in the context of sustained arrhythmia. Clear definitions and management recommendations for AiCM are lacking. The European Heart Rhythm Association Scientific Initiatives Committee (EHRA SIC) conducted a survey to explore the current definitions and management of patients with AiCM among European and non-European electrophysiologists.

Methods and results

A 25-item online questionnaire was developed and distributed among EP specialists on the EHRA SIC website and on social media between 4 September and 5 October 2023. Of the 206 respondents, 16% were female and 61% were between 30 and 49 years old. Most of the respondents were EP specialists (81%) working at university hospitals (47%). While most participants (67%) agreed that AiCM should be defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) impairment after new onset of an arrhythmia, only 35% identified a specific LVEF drop to diagnose AiCM with a wide range of values (5–20% LVEF drop). Most respondents considered all available therapies: catheter ablation (93%), electrical cardioversion (83%), antiarrhythmic drugs (76%), and adjuvant HF treatment (76%). A total of 83% of respondents indicated that adjuvant HF treatment should be started at first HF diagnosis prior to antiarrhythmic treatment, and 84% agreed it should be stopped within six months after LVEF normalization. Responses for the optimal time point for the first LVEF reassessment during follow-up varied markedly (1 day–6 months after antiarrhythmic treatment).

Conclusion

This EHRA Survey reveals varying practices regarding AiCM among physicians, highlighting a lack of consensus and heterogenous care of these patients.
Effects of Arboviral Infections on Transposable Element Transcript Levels in Aedes aegypti
Authors: Garambois Chloé , Boulesteix Matthieu , Fablet Marie
Published: May 2024

Transposable elements are mobile repeated sequences found in all genomes. Transposable elements are controlled by RNA interference pathways in most organisms, and this control involves the PIWI-interacting RNA pathway and the small interfering RNA pathway, which is also known to be the first line of antiviral defense in invertebrates. Using Drosophila, we recently showed that viral infections result in the modulation of transposable element transcript levels through modulation of the small RNA repertoire. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is of particular interest because almost half of its genome is made of transposable elements, and it is described as a major vector of viruses (such as the dengue [DENV], Zika [ZIKV], and chikungunya [CHIKV] arboviruses). Moreover, Aedes mosquitoes are unique among insects in that the PIWI-interacting RNA pathway is also involved in the somatic antiviral response, in addition to the transposable element control and PIWI-interacting RNA pathway genes expanded in the mosquito genome. For these reasons, we studied the impacts of viral infections on transposable element transcript levels in A. aegypti samples. We retrieved public datasets corresponding to RNA-seq data obtained from viral infections by DENV, ZIKV, and CHIKV in various tissues. We found that transposable element transcripts are moderately modulated following viral infection and that the direction of the modulation varies greatly across tissues and viruses. These results highlight the need for an in-depth investigation of the tightly intertwined interactions between transposable elements and viruses.
Accounting for spatio-temporal and sampling dependence in survey and CPUE biomass indices: simulation and Bayesian modeling framework
Authors: Fuster-Alonso Alba , Conesa David , Cousido-Rocha Marta , Izquierdo Francisco , Paradinas Iosu , Cerviño Santiago , Pennino Maria Grazia
Published: May 2024

Estimating changes in the biomass of a fish stock is crucial for successful management. However, fishery assessment may be affected by the quality of the inputs used in stock assessment models. Survey biomass indices derived from fishery-independent and catch per unit effort (CPUE) biomass indices derived from fishery-dependent data are key inputs for model calibration. These indices have biases that could compromise the accuracy of the stock assessment models results. Therefore, there are plenty proposed methods to standardize survey or CPUE biomass data. From simpler models like generalized linear models (GLMs) to more complex models that take into account spatio-temporal correlation, like geostatistical models, and sampling dependence, like marked point processes. But many of them do not consider the underlying spatio-temporal or sampling dependence of these data. Hence, the goal of the study is to present a spatio-temporal simulation and Bayesian modeling framework to assess the impact of applying models that do not consider spatio-temporal and sampling dependence. Results indicate that geostatistical models and marked point processes achieve the lowest measures of error. Hence, to capture the underlying spatio-temporal process of the survey and CPUE biomass indices and data sampling preferentiality, it is essential to apply models that consider the spatio-temporal and sampling dependence.
A Parabolic Analog of a Theorem of Beilinson and Schechtman
Authors: Biswas Indranil , Mukhopadhyay Swarnava , Wentworth Richard
Published: May 2024

For a simple, simply connected, complex group $G$, we prove an explicit formula to compute the Atiyah class of parabolic determinant of cohomology line bundle on the moduli space of parabolic $G$-bundles. This generalizes an earlier result of Beilinson-Schechtman.
A randomized phase III trial of postoperative surveillance for pathological stage II and IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (JCOG2012, PHOENIX)
Authors: Tane Kenta , Shiono Satoshi , Wakabayashi Masashi , Kataoka Tomoko , Mitome Noriko , Fukuda Haruhiko , Aokage Keiju , Watanabe Shun-ichi ,   In behalf of the Lung Cancer Surgical Study Group/Japan Clinical Oncology Group
Published: May 2024

The goal of postoperative surveillance following non-small cell lung cancer surgery is to detect recurrence and second primary malignancies while curative treatment is still possible. Although several guidelines recommend that patients have computed tomography (CT) scans every 6 months for the first 2 years after resection, then once a year, there is no evidence that it is effective for survival, especially in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. In October 2022, we launched a multi-institutional, randomized controlled phase III trial for pathological stage II and IIIA non-small cell lung cancer patients to confirm the non-inferiority of less intensive surveillance with less frequent CT scans versus standard surveillance in terms of overall survival. The primary endpoint is overall survival. We intend to enroll 1100 patients from 45 institutions over 4 years. The trial has been registered in the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials under the code jRCT1030220361 (https://jrct.niph.go.jp/latest-detail/jRCT1030220361).
A framework for understanding selection bias in real-world healthcare data
Authors: Kundu Ritoban , Shi Xu , Morrison Jean , Barrett Jessica , Mukherjee Bhramar
Published: May 2024

Using administrative patient-care data such as Electronic Health Records (EHR) and medical/pharmaceutical claims for population-based scientific research has become increasingly common. With vast sample sizes leading to very small standard errors, researchers need to pay more attention to potential biases in the estimates of association parameters of interest, specifically to biases that do not diminish with increasing sample size. Of these multiple sources of biases, in this paper, we focus on understanding selection bias. We present an analytic framework using directed acyclic graphs for guiding applied researchers to dissect how different sources of selection bias may affect estimates of the association between a binary outcome and an exposure (continuous or categorical) of interest. We consider four easy-to-implement weighting approaches to reduce selection bias with accompanying variance formulae. We demonstrate through a simulation study when they can rescue us in practice with analysis of real-world data. We compare these methods using a data example where our goal is to estimate the well-known association of cancer and biological sex, using EHR from a longitudinal biorepository at the University of Michigan Healthcare system. We provide annotated R codes to implement these weighted methods with associated inference.
Transgenic expression of Rubisco accumulation factor2 and Rubisco subunits increases photosynthesis and growth in maize
Authors: Eshenour Kathryn , Hotto Amber , Michel Elena J S , Oh Zhen Guo , Stern David B
Published: May 2024

Carbon assimilation by Rubisco is often a limitation to photosynthesis and therefore plant productivity. We have previously shown that transgenic co-expression of the Rubisco large (LS) and small (SS) subunits along with an essential Rubisco accumulation factor, Raf1, leads to faster growth, increased photosynthesis, and enhanced chilling tolerance in maize (Zea mays). Maize also requires Rubisco accumulation factor2 (Raf2) for full accumulation of Rubisco. Here we have analyzed transgenic maize lines with increased expression of Raf2 or Raf2 plus LS and SS. We show that increasing Raf2 expression alone had minor effects on photosynthesis, whereas expressing Raf2 with Rubisco subunits led to increased Rubisco content, more rapid carbon assimilation, and greater plant height, most notably in plants at least 6 weeks of age. The magnitude of the effects was similar to what was observed previously for expression of Raf1 together with Rubisco subunits. Taken together, this suggests that increasing the amount of either assembly factor with Rubisco subunits can independently enhance Rubisco abundance and some aspects of plant performance. These results could also imply either synergy or a degree of functional redundancy for Raf1 and Raf2, the latter of whose precise role in Rubisco assembly is currently unknown.