bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testing time evolution of mass distribution of black hole mergers
Authors: Suyama Teruaki , Okano So
Published: January 2023

The detection of gravitational-wave events revealed that there are numerous populations of black hole (BH) binaries that can merge within the age of the Universe. Although several formation channels of such binaries are known, considerable theoretical uncertainties associated with each channel defeat the robust prediction of how much each channel contributes to the total merger rate density. Given that the time evolution of the merger rate density in some channels is (exactly or nearly) independent of BH masses, clarifying this feature from observational data will shed some light on the nature of BH binaries. On the basis of this motivation, we formulate a methodology to perform a statistical test of whether the mass distribution of BH mergers evolves over time by hypothesis testing. Our statistical test requires neither a priori specification of the mass distribution, which is largely uncertain, nor that of the time dependence of merger rate. We then apply it to mock data for some concrete shapes of the merger rate density and show that the proposed method rejects/(does not reject) the null hypothesis correctly for a large sample size. After this verification, the method is applied to a catalog of the gravitational-wave events obtained during the LIGO-Virgo’s third observing run. We find that the selection bias degrades the effectiveness of our method for the O3 catalog owing to the reduction in the number of and the maximum redshifts of the merger events that we can explore. Within the range where the method can be applied, there is no indication of the time evolution of the mass distribution of merger rate density. This limitation will be eased in future observations containing more events, and our hypothesis testing will help determine whether the merger rate density evolves over time independently of BH masses.
Hate in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic: dehumanisation as a side effect; re-humanisation as a remedy
Authors: Collard Melanie
Published: January 2023

This article is about denouncing the dehumanisation process that took place in the time of Covid-19. It recognises that governments have a vital role to play in setting national directions to tackle racist violence and that the value of having hate crime laws should not be underestimated. However, it argues that a broader approach is needed to embark upon are-humanisation initiative and effectively combat racist violence. It emphasises that, to get people truly devoted to a course of action, they must develop a greater understanding of the sources of the problem. Accordingly, this article suggests that academia has a key role to play in shedding light on the occurrence ofde-humanisation and the potential forre-humanisation.
Evaluating state-of-the-art # SAT solvers on industrial configuration spaces
Authors: Sundermann Chico , Heß Tobias , Nieke Michael , Bittner Paul Maximilian , Young Jeffrey M. , Thüm Thomas , Schaefer Ina
Published: January 2023

Product lines are widely used to manage families of products that share a common base of features. Typically, not every combination (configuration) of features is valid. Feature models are a de facto standard to specify valid configurations and allow standardized analyses on the variability of the underlying system. A large variety of such analyses depends on computing the number of valid configurations. To analyze feature models, they are typically translated to propositional logic. This allows to employ SAT solvers that compute the number of satisfying assignments of the propositional formula translated from a feature model. However, the SAT problem is generally assumed to be even harder than SAT and its scalability when applied to feature models has only been explored sparsely. Our main contribution is an investigation of the performance of off-the-shelf SAT solvers on computing the number of valid configurations for industrial feature models. We empirically evaluate 21 publicly available SAT solvers on 130 feature models from 15 subject systems. Our results indicate that current solvers master a majority of the evaluated systems (13/15) with the fastest solvers requiring less than one second for each successfully evaluated feature model. However, there are two complex systems for which none of the evaluated solvers scales. For the given experiment design, the solvers that consumed the least runtime are (2.5 seconds in sum for the 13 systems) and (3.5 seconds).
The potential of transformative learning for sustainability transitions: moving beyond formal learning environments
Authors: Singer-Brodowski Mandy
Published: January 2023

Transformative learning has become one of the most prominent learning theory in regard to sustainable development. It holds enormous potential for explaining and accompanying learning processes related to processes of transformation for sustainability, especially due to its emphasis on changing meaning perspectives in discussions with others in spaces free of coercion. In addition, it inspires learners and educators to pay particular attention to emotional challenges when they engage in critical thinking. This theoretical paper explores the potential of transformative learning theory by examining informal learning environments where people do not explicitly intend to learn but learning happens en passant or incidentally. It shows the ability of transformative learning theory to explain what can happen on the level of individual learning, organizational learning, learning in multi-professional networks, and learning in transdisciplinary or transformative research cooperation processes. Based on this analysis, recommendations can be derived to stimulate, enable, and accompany transformative learning processes for sustainability.
Using Satellite-Based Terrestrial Water Storage Data: A Review
Authors: Humphrey Vincent , Rodell Matthew , Eicker Annette
Published: January 2023

Land water storage plays a key role for the Earth’s climate, natural ecosystems, and human activities. Since the launch of the first Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission in 2002, spaceborne observations of changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS) have provided a unique, global perspective on natural and human-induced changes in freshwater resources. Even though they have become much used within the broader Earth system science community, space-based TWS datasets still incorporate important and case-specific limitations which may not always be clear to users not familiar with the underlying processing algorithms. Here, we provide an accessible and illustrated overview of the measurement concept, of the main available data products, and of some frequently encountered technical terms and concepts. We summarize concrete recommendations on how to use TWS data in combination with other hydrological or climatological datasets, and guidance on how to avoid possible pitfalls. Finally, we provide an overview of some of the main applications of GRACE TWS data in the fields of hydrology and climate science. This review is written with the intention of supporting future research and facilitating the use of satellite-based terrestrial water storage datasets in interdisciplinary contexts.
You May Destroy This Village, But You Cannot Destroy the Power Which Created It
Authors: Dézsi Attila
Published: January 2023

To develop a historical archaeology of hope, post-medieval European archaeology should shift the focus beyond dark heritage to sites and events opposed to daily destruction and alienation. This case study of an antinuclear protest camp in 1980s Germany shows that cracks in capitalism formed when people protested for something; as they experimented with alternative lifeways and envisioned an alternative future. Archaeological intervention can help to reveal these fault lines in capitalism as we remember these heritage sites of hope, but intervention also reveals a cautionary tale of how these blurry pictures of an alternative future can so easily be concealed.
The Development of Generativity in Middle Adulthood and the Beginning of Late Adulthood: A Longitudinal Study from Age 42 to 61
Authors: Reinilä Emmi , Saajanaho Milla , Fadjukoff Päivi , Törmäkangas Timo , Kokko Katja
Published: January 2023

Previous studies have yielded mixed results regarding the development of generativity during adulthood. Longitudinal data were utilized to investigate the average development of generativity between the ages of 42 and 61 as well as individual differences in terms of its development. The study used data from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS) (initial N = 369). The data consisted of 291 individuals whose generativity scores, measured using the Generativity Scale, were available at age 42, 50, or 61. Rasch analysis was utilized to form a generativity measure. The development of generativity between the measurements was investigated in women and men using Bland–Altman plots and the latent change score model. The results showed that, on average, generativity decreased from age 42 to 61 in women and men; however, there were individual differences in the extent and direction of the change with age. The level of generativity at age 42 predicted the change occurring between ages 42 and 50 and ages 50 and 61. Furthermore, the change between ages 42 and 50 predicted the change occurring between ages 50 and 61. The more positive the baseline value or the earlier occurring change, the more negative the subsequent change. To conclude, despite the mean-level generativity decreases during middle and late adulthood, there was variance across individuals of the same age, who were followed for nearly two decades. The study emphasizes the importance of investigating individual differences in the development of generativity in adulthood.
Effect of electrolyte and carbon material on the electrochemical performance of high-voltage aqueous symmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Gajewska Katarzyna , Moyseowicz Adam , Minta Daria , Gryglewicz Grażyna
Published: January 2023

The energy storage capability of the aqueous supercapacitors is mainly attributed to the relatively low operating voltage of the device, as the thermodynamic decomposition voltage of water is 1.23 V. Therefore, the extension of the working voltage of the aqueous capacitor beyond the electrolyte decomposition limit is an important subject for the development of environmentally friendly energy storage devices. In this study, a commercial activated carbon (AC) and synthesized phosphorus-doped reduced graphene oxide (P-rGO) were used to gain insight into the influence of both textural properties and the surface chemistry on the electrochemical performance of high-voltage aqueous supercapacitors. Materials on the opposite end of the spectrum (highly porous, undoped AC and heteroatom-rich phosphorus-doped reduced graphene oxide with low porosity) were compared in a symmetric cell, operating in a wide voltage window of 2.0 V in 2 M NaClO4electrolyte. Additionally, AC-based cell was tested in 1 M Na2SO4solution to assess the differences in its performance in different sodium-based electrolytes. The obtained results demonstrate that both a porous structure and high contribution of heteroatoms, which improve the hydrophilicity of the electrode, are required to achieve high specific energy density values. However, with increasing current and higher power densities, a developed porous structure is required to maintain good energy storage characteristics. Achieving high operating voltage in the aqueous symmetric full-carbon supercapacitors is a promising energy storage solution. The assembled devices show a good specific energy density of up to 13 Wh kg−1at a power density of 30 W kg−1.

Graphical abstract
Thermo-mechanical and opto-electrical study of Cr-doped-ZnO-based polyvinyl chloride nanocomposites
Authors: Ahmed Hanaa. M. , Abd El-Fattah Zakaria M. , Anad Noori. S. , Attallah Mohamed , El-Bahnasawy Hany. H.
Published: January 2023

Polymer nanocomposites exhibit unique physical properties inaccessible from their individual constituents, which are tunable through the type of the polymer matrix, the type and size of the incorporated nanoparticles, and the doping level, and therefore, can be utilized in a wide range of potential applications. Here, we report the fabrication of pure Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and PVC-based nanocomposites containing different loadings of pure and Cr-doped ZnO nanoparticles, using solvent casting method. Scanning electron microscopy images of the obtained nanocomposite films confirmed the successful incorporation of nanoparticles within the PVC matrix, with higher dispersion quality for the Cr-doped ZnO samples. The prepared nanocomposite samples were found to possess higher thermo-mechanical stability, compared to pure PVC, resulting from the strong interaction between the nanoparticles and polymeric chains, as inferred from their thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical analysis (TGA and DMA) profiles. Specifically, the temperatures corresponding to the onset and 50% weight loss as well as the glass transition temperature are increased by ~ 88, ~ 34, and ~ 16 °C, respectively, after loading selected amounts of the nanoparticles. In addition to the thermo-mechanical stability, the nanocomposites revealed potentially relevant dielectric response, where the dielectric permittivity exhibits remarkable enhancement, by 400%, compared to pristine PVC. The optical transmission of the PVC is strongly suppressed over the entire visible spectral regime, upon loading the nanoparticles, and its optical band gap (~ 4.1 eV) is red shifted toward the value of pristine ZnO nanoparticles (~ 3.3 eV), while the distinct Cr3+ and Cr6+ optical transitions are preserved for the nanocomposites. The obtained thermo-mechanical stability, required for working devices, together with the here reported improvements in the dielectric response for the nanocomposite samples may alter the typical applications of PVC polymers from being insulating materials to be utilized in energy storage and capacitors manufacture, while the preserved optical properties of the incorporated nanoparticles render these nanocomposites suitable candidates for optoelectronic devices.
An efficient hidden marking approach for forensic and contents verification of digital images
Authors: El-Bendary Mohsen A. M. , Faragallah Osama S. , Nassar Sabry S.
Published: January 2023

Recently, forensic tools have been presented for detecting the forged image and illegal image manipulations. This paper presents an efficient and simple image contents verifying approach acting as a forensic technique. The presented approach mechanism is built by adding a hidden mark in a secret images, this mark achieves image integrity verification and detecting the tampering or forgery in the secret/authentic images. The secret/authentic/authentic image is divided to two main partitions, each portion is segmented to small blocks. These blocks in one partition are used to mark the blocks of the second partition using data transform technique. Firstly, the sensitive image is marked according to a self-embedding method. Then, a transform domain is utilized in order to embed a block-based signature into another block of the same image. Common discrete transform domains like DWT, DCT, and DFT are examined individually. Different analyses and comparison measurements are employed. The DCT is proved to be the most suitable and efficient transform domain to be used with the proposed scheme. At the receiver side, the reverse process is performed to verify image integrity. As proved from the experiments, this mark-algorithm is not visible or observable and robust against various attacks.
Modeling and Global Sensitivity Analysis of Strategies to Mitigate Covid-19 Transmission on a Structured College Campus
Authors: Zhao Lihong , Santiago Fabian , Rutter Erica M. , Khatri Shilpa , Sindi Suzanne S.
Published: January 2023

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many higher educational institutions moved their courses on-line in hopes of slowing disease spread. The advent of multiple highly-effective vaccines offers the promise of a return to “normal” in-person operations, but it is not clear if—or for how long—campuses should employ non-pharmaceutical interventions such as requiring masks or capping the size of in-person courses. In this study, we develop and fine-tune a model of COVID-19 spread to UC Merced’s student and faculty population. We perform a global sensitivity analysis to consider how both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions impact disease spread. Our work reveals that vaccines alone may not be sufficient to eradicate disease dynamics and that significant contact with an infectious surrounding community will maintain infections on-campus. Our work provides a foundation for higher-education planning allowing campuses to balance the benefits of in-person instruction with the ability to quarantine/isolate infectious individuals.
Valorization of orange peels in a biorefinery loop: recovery of limonene and production of volatile fatty acids and activated carbon
Authors: Rizzioli Fabio , Benedetti Vittoria , Patuzzi Francesco , Baratieri Marco , Bolzonella David , Battista Federico
Published: January 2023

Orange peels (OPs) were valorized in a lab-scale biorefinery loop for the recovery of limonene and the subsequent production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and activated carbon (AC). Solid/liquid extraction of limonene was optimized using n-hexane at 85 °C with an OPs-to-solvent ratio of 2:1, allowing for a limonene recovery yield of 1.20% w/w. Then, post-extraction OPs were used for the production of both VFAs and AC. For VFA production, a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 5 days and a total solid (TS) inlet content of 10% w/w were adopted leading to a VFA yield of about 43% gVFAs/gTS. Adsorption tests revealed that, among all the solid matrixes tested, only powdered activated carbon (PAC) was able to discriminate no-VFA compounds and allowed for VFA purification. For AC production, post-extraction OPs were firstly converted into biochar through slow pyrolysis at 550 °C for 1 h and then physically activated with CO2 at 880 °C for 1 h. Extraction did not appreciably affect OP properties, while pyrolysis increased the carbon content (from 43 to 83%) and the heating value (from 17 to 29 MJ/kg) of the material. Physical activation of OP biochar increased its surface area by almost ten times, from 40 to 326 m2/g, proving the effectiveness of the treatment.
Dynamic network sampling for community detection
Authors: Mu Cong , Park Youngser , Priebe Carey E.
Published: January 2023

We propose a dynamic network sampling scheme to optimize block recovery for stochastic blockmodel in the case where it is prohibitively expensive to observe the entire graph. Theoretically, we provide justification of our proposed Chernoff-optimal dynamic sampling scheme via the Chernoff information. Practically, we evaluate the performance, in terms of block recovery, of our method on several real datasets from different domains. Both theoretically and practically results suggest that our method can identify vertices that have the most impact on block structure so that one can only check whether there are edges between them to save significant resources but still recover the block structure.
Examining the importance of existing relationships for co-offending: a temporal network analysis in Bogotá, Colombia (2005–2018)
Authors: Nieto Alberto , Davies Toby , Borrion Hervé
Published: January 2023

This study aims to improve our understanding of criminal accomplice selection by studying the evolution of co-offending networks—i.e., networks that connect those who commit crimes together. To this end, we tested four growth mechanisms (popularity, reinforcement, reciprocity, and triadic closure) on three components observed in a network connecting criminal investigations ($$M = 286$$M=286K) with adult offenders ($$N = 274$$N=274K) in Bogotá (Colombia) between 2005 and 2018. The first component had 4286 offenders (component ‘A’), the second 227 (‘B’), and the third component 211 (‘C’). The evolution of these components was examined using temporal information in tandem with discrete choice models and simulations to understand the mechanisms that could explain how these components grew. The results show that they evolved differently during the period of interest. Popularity yielded negative statistically significant coefficients for ‘A’, suggesting that having more connections reduced the odds of connecting with incoming offenders in this network. Reciprocity and reinforcement yielded mixed results as we observed negative statistically significant coefficients in ‘C’ and positive statistically significant coefficients in ‘A’. Moreover, triadic closure produced positive, statistically significant coefficients in all the networks. The results suggest that a combination of growth mechanisms might explain how co-offending networks grow, highlighting the importance of considering offenders’ network-related characteristics when studying accomplice selection. Besides adding evidence about triadic closure as a universal property of social networks, this result indicates that further analyses are needed to understand better how accomplices shape criminal careers.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Research on effectiveness of college english blended teaching mode under small private online course based on machine learning
Authors: Wang Ruishu
Published: January 2023

Machine learning-based learning effectiveness analysis is an important part of the current analysis of college students’ learning effectiveness and it is directly related to the learning effect. It plays a very important role in the analysis of college students’ learning, and enhances the learning effect of students to the greatest extent. The study aimed to investigate the students’ English learning effectiveness under small private online course (SPOC) teaching mode based on machine learning. The study designed and implemented the blended teaching mode of college English based on SPOC. Next, the study investigated the students’ English learning effectiveness under SPOC teaching mode by an empirical study and analyzed the students’ English learning effectiveness under SPOC teaching mode based on machine learning. The results showed that the students were satisfied with the blended teaching mode of college English based on SPOC and students’ academic English skills, research skills and learning effectiveness were improved in the SPOC-based teaching mode. In order to improve the effect of the blended English teaching mode, teachers need to reconstruct the teaching mode of college English based on the SPOC platform, improve the evaluation mechanism, take advantage of the continuous integration of information technology and college English teaching, and build an innovative English teaching mode in order to improve the quality of college English teaching.
Nanobiochar for the remediation of contaminated soil and water: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Jiang Mengyuan , He Lizhi , Niazi Nabeel Khan , Wang Hailong , Gustave Williamson , Vithanage Meththika , Geng Kun , Shang Hua , Zhang Xiaokai , Wang Zhenyu
Published: January 2023

Although research on biochar has received increasing attention for environmental and agricultural applications, the significance of nanobiochar for environmental pollutant  remediation is poorly understood. In contrast to bulk biochar, nanobiochar has superior physicochemical properties such as high catalytic activity, unique nanostructure, large specific surface area and high mobility in the soil environment. These unique characteristics make nanobiochar an ideal candidate for pollution remediation. Thus far, the research on nanobiochar is still in its infancy and most of the previous studies have only been  conducted for exploring its properties and environmental functions. The lack of in-depth summary of nanobiochar’s research direction makes it a challenge for scientists and researchers globally. Hence in this review, we established some key fabrication methods for nanobiochar with a focus on its performance for the removal of pollutants from the environment. We also provided up-to-date information on nanobiochar’s role in environmental remediation and insights into different mechanisms involved in the pollutant removal. Although, nanobiochar application is increasing, the associated drawbacks to the soil ecosystem have not received enough research attention. Therefore, further research is warranted to evaluate the potential environmental risks of nanobiochar before large scale application.

Graphical Abstract
The Death of Myth on Roman Sarcophagi
Authors: Allen Mont
Published: January 2023

A strange thing happened to Roman sarcophagi in the third century:  their Greek mythic imagery vanished. Since the beginning of their production a century earlier, these beautifully carved coffins had featured bold mythological scenes. How do we make sense of this imagery's own death on later sarcophagi, when mythological narratives were truncated, gods and heroes were excised, and genres featuring no mythic content whatsoever came to the fore? What is the significance of such a profound tectonic shift in the Roman funerary imagination for our understanding of Roman history and culture, for the development of its arts, for the passage from the High to the Late Empire and the coming of Christianity, but above all, for the individual Roman women and men who chose this imagery, and who took it with them to the grave? In this book, Mont Allen offers the clues that aid in resolving this mystery.
Recognizability of morphisms
Authors: BÉAL MARIE-PIERRE , PERRIN DOMINIQUE , RESTIVO ANTONIO
Published: January 2023

We investigate several questions related to the notion of recognizable morphism. The main result is a new proof of Mossé’s theorem and actually of a generalization to a more general class of morphisms due to Berthé et al [Recognizability for sequences of morphisms. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.39(11) (2019), 2896–2931]. We actually prove the result of Berthé et al for the most general class of morphisms, including ones with erasable letters. Our result is derived from a result concerning elementary morphisms for which we also provide a new proof. We also prove some new results which allow us to formulate the property of recognizability in terms of finite automata. We use this characterization to show that for an injective morphism, the property of being recognizable on the full shift for aperiodic points is decidable.
ON THE NUMBER OF ALGEBRAIC POINTS ON THE GRAPH OF THE WEIERSTRASS SIGMA FUNCTIONS
Authors: SENA GOREKH PRASAD , KUMAR K. SENTHIL
Published: January 2023

Let
$\Omega =\mathbb {Z}\omega _1+\mathbb {Z}\omega _2$
be a lattice in
$\mathbb {C}$
with invariants
$g_2,g_3$
and
$\sigma _{\Omega }(z)$
the associated Weierstrass
$\sigma $
-function. Let
$\eta _1$
and
$\eta _2$
be the quasi-periods associated to
$\omega _1$
and
$\omega _2$
, respectively. Assuming
$\eta _2/\eta _1$
is a nonzero real number, we give an upper bound for the number of algebraic points on the graph of
$\sigma _{\Omega }(z)$
of bounded degrees and bounded absolute Weil heights in some unbounded region of
$\mathbb {C}$
in the following three cases: (i)
$\omega _1$
and
$\omega _2$
algebraic; (ii)
$g_2$
and
$g_3$
algebraic; (iii) the algebraic points are far from the lattice points.
From savages to snowflakes: Race and the enemies of free speech
Authors: Leigh Darcy
Published: January 2023

Right-wing free speech advocacy is increasingly shaping global politics. In IR, free speech has generally been viewed within human rights and international legal frameworks. However, this article shows that contemporary free speech advocates often ignore or oppose human rights and international law, focusing instead on (what they describe as) a defence of the nation state against the enemies of free speech. This article examines this articulation of free speech's enemies: first historically as the ‘savage’ in John Stuart Mill's influential formulation of free speech; and then contemporarily as the ‘snowflake’, ‘mob’, and ‘cultural Marxist’ by elected officials and lobbyists in the UK and US. The article argues that John Stuart Mill's savage is figured within a racialised civilisational hierarchy of degrees of humanity. Today, right-wing free speech advocates extend and reconfigure this hierarchy, imagining the ‘snowflake’, ‘mob’, and ‘cultural Marxist’ as lesser human, subhuman, and extra-human, respectively. Thus, in contrast to rights-based analyses of free speech advocacy – which assume or assess the promotion of rights as a ‘public good’ – the article argues that narratives of free speech's enemies are deployed by right-wing free speech advocates to underwrite racialised policy responses and global hierarchies.
How effective is second language incidental vocabulary learning? A meta-analysis
Authors: Webb Stuart , Uchihara Takumi , Yanagisawa Akifumi
Published: January 2023

There is a great deal of variation in gains found between studies of second language (L2) incidental vocabulary learning, as well as many factors that affect learning. This meta-analysis investigated the effects of exposure to L2 meaning-focused input on incidental vocabulary learning with an aim to clarify the proportional gains that occur through meaning-focused learning. Twenty-four primary studies were retrieved providing 29 different effect sizes and a total sample size of 2,771 participants (1,517 in experimental groups vs. 1,254 in control groups). Results showed large overall effects for incidental vocabulary learning on first and follow-up posttests. Mean proportions of target words learned ranged from 9–18% on immediate posttests, and 6–17% on delayed posttests. Incidental L2 vocabulary learning gains were similar across reading (17%, 15%), listening (15%, 13%), and reading while listening (13%, 17%) conditions on immediate and delayed posttest. In contrast, the proportion of words learned in viewing conditions on immediate posttests was smaller (7%, 5%). Findings also revealed that the amount of incidental learning varies according to a range of moderator variables including learner characteristics (L2 proficiency, institutional levels), materials (text type and audience), learning activities (spacing, mode of input), and methodological features (approaches to controlling prior word knowledge).
Regulatory Chill and Domestic Law: Mining in the Santurbán Páramo
Authors: Sands Anna
Published: January 2023

A persisting question about investment treaties is whether they lead to regulatory chill – the reluctance to regulate on environmental and social issues due to fear of investment claims. The literature on this topic has been predominantly focussed on how the state responds to international pressures, and little has been written about what happens within the state itself. This article aims to fill that gap by analysing the interplay of domestic laws and institutions in the context of potential investment claims, based on the case study of mining in the Santurbán páramo region in Colombia. The article shows that even though Colombia had created laws and institutions that internalized international investment law, it did not bring about regulatory chill in the case of Santurbán; this is due to the role of domestic constitutional law and the Constitutional Court. This case study also adds to the understanding of how the Liberal International Order is shifting from international to domestic governance, by showing how domestic laws and institutions can have diverging priorities when determining how the risk of investment claims is dealt with.
Fate of Rainfall Over the North Indian States in the 1.5 and 2°C Warming Scenarios
Authors: Pattnayak Kanhu Charan , Awasthi Amit , Sharma Kuldeep , Pattnayak Bibhuti Bhusan
Published: January 2023

Rise in mean temperature put a great deal of uncertainty about how weather and climate extremes may play out, particularly in India's varied climatic zones. Consequently, it is important to understand the possible changes in both magnitude and direction of weather and climate extremes like rainfall for different warming levels of 1.5 and 2°C scenarios concerning preindustrial and present levels. Hence in the present study, the precipitation behavior of seven North Indian states that is, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand carefully studied using CMIP5 models. Future projections of precipitation has been done for the Paris Agreement global warming level of 1.5 and 2°C scenarios. Along with model validation and future projections of precipitation, the return period of extreme rainfall is also discussed to understand the behavior of the occurrence of extreme precipitation. Statistical analysis shows that the ensemble means have the least error as compared to the other six CMIP5 models. Therefore, future analysis has been done with the ensemble mean. Our findings show that the precipitation is likely to decrease in the 1.5°C scenarios, while it is likely to increase in the 2°C scenarios. The occurrence and intensity of extreme rainfall events are likely to be more frequent in all the models. The return period of the extreme rainfall events is likely to increase in all the states in both the warming scenarios. A three‐fold rise is likely to increase extreme rainfall events in the 2°C scenario.
Triggering of Whistler‐Mode Rising and Falling Tone Emissions in a Homogeneous Magnetic Field
Authors: Fujiwara Yuya , Omura Yoshiharu , Nogi Takeshi
Published: January 2023

We perform a self‐consistent one‐dimensional electromagnetic particle simulation with a uniform magnetic field and open boundaries. The plasma environment consists of cold isotropic electrons, energetic electrons, and immobile ions. The energetic electrons are initialized with a subtracted‐Maxwellian distribution with temperature anisotropy. By oscillating external currents with a constant frequency 0.2 fce, where fce is the electron cyclotron frequency, a whistler‐mode wave is injected as a triggering wave from the center of the simulation system, and we investigated the process of interactions between the triggering wave and energetic electrons. We find that both rising‐tone and falling‐tone emissions are triggered through the formation of an electron hole and an electron hill in the velocity phase space consisting of a parallel velocity and the gyro‐phase angle of the perpendicular velocities. The rising‐tone emission varies from 0.2 fce to 0.4 fce, while the falling‐tone varies from 0.2 fce to 0.15 fce. The generation region of the rising‐tone triggered emission starts near the injection point of the triggering wave and moves upstream generating new subpackets. The generation region of the falling‐tone triggered emission also moves upstream generating new subpackets. The simultaneous formation of the electron hole and hill is identified by separating small and large wavenumber components corresponding to lower and higher frequencies, respectively, by applying the discrete Fourier transformation to the waveforms in space. Based on the simulation results of the whistler‐mode triggered emissions, we conclude that the mechanism of frequency variation of whistler‐mode chorus emissions works even in a uniform magnetic field.
The Seismic Signature of California's Earthquakes, Droughts, and Floods
Authors: Clements T. , Denolle M. A.
Published: January 2023

This study investigates changes in seismic velocities in the period 1999–2021 using about 700 permanent and temporary broadband seismic stations in the state of California. We compute single‐station cross‐correlations of the ambient seismic noise and use the coda‐wave interferometry to measure the changes in seismic velocities (dv/v) using a stretching technique. We focus on the 2–4 Hz frequency band and the upper 500 m of the near‐surface sensitivity. We discuss dv/v within the context of nonlinear elasticity. We fit models of thermoelastic strains, various hydrological models that diffuse rainwater, and slow‐dynamics healing models for the postseismic response of earthquakes. In general, we find that both thermoelastic strains and hydrological strains have a similar amplitude of impacts on dv/v. We find that the diffusion of rainwater using a drained response in a poroelastic medium explains most of the data. The best fit hydraulic diffusivity is high in the mountains and low in the basin. We find that the largest drop in seismic velocity occurs during the 2004–2005 wet winter and that the 2011–2016. Drought is characterized by a multiyear marked increase in dv/v. We interpret site‐specific variations with land subsidence or inflation detected by remote sensing. We also find a decade‐long postseismic response of two major earthquakes and bound the time scale of relaxation processes to a few years. Together, we see long‐term changes in seismic velocities showing a positive trend over two decades that we can interpret as long‐term lowering of the groundwater table.
Earlier Precipitation Enhances Dryland Annual Primary Production
Authors: Zhao Huichen , Jia Gensuo , Xu Xiyan , Zhang Anzhi
Published: January 2023

Climate change is causing shifts of precipitation seasonality that is anticipated to cause variations in terrestrial primary production over many parts of the world. However, how vegetation production responds differently to shifting seasonal precipitation timing along bioclimate gradients remains unclear. Here, we used two proxies of primary production, namely gross primary production and sun‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence derived from satellite observations over 2001–2020 to investigate the effects of advanced or delayed precipitation on interannual variations in production along a wide range of aridity gradient and vegetation types in China. We found contrasting responses of primary production between dryland and humid ecosystems. In the dryland, earlier precipitation greatly enhanced annual accumulated production, owing to higher soil moisture during the early growing season that often lasted to the late growing season by lagged effect. However, delayed precipitation depressed production throughout growing season because of the decreased ability of vegetation to absorb and utilize light energy, even though water stress was alleviated during late growing season. Conversely, in the humid region, advanced precipitation led to slight decreases of annual production as a result of combined effects of lower radiation and lagged leaf flush during the early growing season. It is necessary to consider the effects of shifting precipitation seasonality on terrestrial primary production as a driver of changes in carbon uptake capacity, especially in dryland.
Genetic, individual, and familial risk correlates of brain network controllability in major depressive disorder
Authors: Hahn Tim , Winter Nils R. , Ernsting Jan , Gruber Marius , Mauritz Marco J. , Fisch Lukas , Leenings Ramona , Sarink Kelvin , Blanke Julian , Holstein Vincent , Emden Daniel , Beisemann Marie , Opel Nils , Grotegerd Dominik , Meinert Susanne , Heindel Walter , Witt Stephanie , Rietschel Marcella , Nöthen Markus M. , Forstner Andreas J. , Kircher Tilo , Nenadic Igor , Jansen Andreas , Müller-Myhsok Bertram , Andlauer Till F. M. , Walter Martin , van den Heuvel Martijn P. , Jamalabadi Hamidreza , Dannlowski Udo , Repple Jonathan
Published: January 2023

Many therapeutic interventions in psychiatry can be viewed as attempts to influence the brain’s large-scale, dynamic network state transitions. Building on connectome-based graph analysis and control theory, Network Control Theory is emerging as a powerful tool to quantify network controllability—i.e., the influence of one brain region over others regarding dynamic network state transitions. If and how network controllability is related to mental health remains elusive. Here, from Diffusion Tensor Imaging data, we inferred structural connectivity and inferred calculated network controllability parameters to investigate their association with genetic and familial risk in patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD, n = 692) and healthy controls (n = 820). First, we establish that controllability measures differ between healthy controls and MDD patients while not varying with current symptom severity or remission status. Second, we show that controllability in MDD patients is associated with polygenic scores for MDD and psychiatric cross-disorder risk. Finally, we provide evidence that controllability varies with familial risk of MDD and bipolar disorder as well as with body mass index. In summary, we show that network controllability is related to genetic, individual, and familial risk in MDD patients. We discuss how these insights into individual variation of network controllability may inform mechanistic models of treatment response prediction and personalized intervention-design in mental health.
Adaptor protein HIP-55-mediated signalosome protects against ferroptosis in myocardial infarction
Authors: Jiang Yunqi , Qiao Yuhui , He Dan , Tian Aiju , Li Zijian
Published: January 2023

Ischemic heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. Myocardial infarction (MI) results in cardiac damage due to cell death and insufficient cardiomyocyte self-renewal. Ferroptosis, a novel type of cell death, has recently been shown as a key cause of cardiomyocyte death after MI. However, the complicated regulation mechanisms involved in ferroptosis, especially how ferroptosis is integrated into classical cell survival/death pathways, are still unclear. Here, we discovered that HIP-55, a novel adaptor protein, acts as a hub protein for the integration of the ferroptosis mechanism into the classical AKT cell survival and MAP4K1 cell death pathways for MI injury. The expression of HIP-55 is induced in MI. Genetic deletion of HIP-55 increased cardiomyocyte ferroptosis and MI injury, whereas cardiac-specific overexpression of HIP-55 significantly alleviated cardiomyocyte ferroptosis and MI injury. Mechanistically, HIP-55 was identified as a new AKT substrate. AKT phosphorylates HIP-55 at S269/T291 sites and further HIP-55 directs AKT signaling to negatively regulate the MAP4K1 pathway against MI injury in a site-specific manner. S269A/T291A-mutated HIP-55 (HIP-55AA), which is defective in AKT phosphorylation and significantly decreases the interaction between HIP-55 and MAP4K1, failed to inhibit the MAP4K1/GPX4 ferroptosis pathway. In line with this mechanism, cardiac-specific overexpression of HIP-55WT mice, but not cardiac-specific overexpression of HIP-55AA mice, protected cardiomyocytes against MI-induced ferroptosis and cardiac injury in vivo. These findings suggest that HIP-55 rewired the classical AKT (cell survival) and MAPK (cell death) pathways into ferroptosis mechanism in MI injury. HIP-55 may be a new therapeutic target for myocardial damage.
Cancer-associated fibroblasts induce growth and radioresistance of breast cancer cells through paracrine IL-6
Authors: Guo Zhaoze , Zhang Han , Fu Yiming , Kuang Junjie , Zhao Bei , Zhang LanFang , Lin Jie , Lin Shuhui , Wu Dehua , Xie Guozhu
Published: January 2023

In breast cancer, the most numerous stromal cells are cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are associated with disease progression and chemoresistance. However, few studies have explored the function of CAFs in breast cancer cell radiosensitivity. Here, CAF-derived conditioned media was observed to induce breast cancer cell growth and radioresistance. CAFs secrete interleukin 6 (IL-6) which activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway, thus promoting the growth and radioresistance of breast cancer cells. Treatment with an inhibitor of STAT3 or an IL-6 neutralizing antibody blocked the growth and radioresistance induced by CAFs. In in vivo mouse models, tocilizumab (an IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody) abrogated CAF-induced growth and radioresistance. Moreover, in breast cancer, a poor response to radiotherapy was associated with IL-6 and p-STAT3 expression. These results indicated that IL-6 mediates cross-talk between breast cancer cells and CAFs in the tumor microenvironment. Our results identified the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway as an important therapeutic target in breast cancer radiotherapy.
Protein nanoparticle cellular fate and responses in murine macrophages
Authors: Ravishankar Samyukta , Nedumaran Anu Maashaa , Gautam Archana , Ng Kee Woei , Czarny Bertrand , Lim Sierin
Published: January 2023

Nanoparticles (NPs), both organic and inorganic, have been identified as tools for diagnostic and therapeutic (theranostic) applications. Macrophages constitute the first line of defense in the human body following the introduction of foreign antigens, including nanoparticles. However, there is a limited understanding of the cellular fate and trafficking of organic NPs in macrophages as well as the molecular responses that are triggered. This knowledge is crucial for the effective translation of these engineered molecules for theranostic applications. In this work, we performed an in-depth study on the intracellular fate and relevant immune responses of a model organic NP, Archaeoglobus fulgidus ferritin, in murine macrophage (RAW264.7) cells. Ferritin, a naturally occurring iron storage protein, has been reported to target tumors and atherosclerotic lesion sites. Herein, we demonstrate a concentration-dependent internalization mechanism and quantify the subcellular localization of ferritin NPs in various organelles. After NP exposure, export of the iron present in the ferritin core occurred over an extended period of time along with upregulation of iron-related gene mRNA expression. A study on the modulation of the intracellular localization of the NPs was conducted by incorporating peptides to mediate endosomal escape and examining their molecular effects using transcriptional analysis. To further investigate the physiological effects, we monitored the upregulation of immune-related markers (i.e., CCR2, IL1β, TNFα, VCAM-1) along with ROS generation in cells treated with ferritin under various conditions. The in-depth analyses of cellular uptake and responses to versatile protein NPs, such as ferritin, provide basic principles to design and engineer other protein NPs with similar properties for future biomedical applications.
Spatial genetic structure of European wild boar, with inferences on late-Pleistocene and Holocene demographic history
Authors: de Jong Joost F. , Iacolina Laura , Prins Herbert H. T. , van Hooft Pim , Crooijmans Richard P. M. A. , van Wieren Sip E. , Baños Joaquin Vicente , Baubet Eric , Cahill Seán , Ferreira Eduardo , Fonseca Carlos , Glazov Peter M. , Jelenko Turinek Ida , Lizana Martín Victor M. , Náhlik András , Pokorny Boštjan , Podgórski Tomasz , Šprem Nikica , Veeroja Rauno , Ydenberg Ronald C. , Megens Hendrik-Jan
Published: January 2023

European wildlife has been subjected to intensifying levels of anthropogenic impact throughout the Holocene, yet the main genetic partitioning of many species is thought to still reflect the late-Pleistocene glacial refugia. We analyzed 26,342 nuclear SNPs of 464 wild boar (Sus scrofa) across the European continent to infer demographic history and reassess the genetic consequences of natural and anthropogenic forces. We found that population fragmentation, inbreeding and recent hybridization with domestic pigs have caused the spatial genetic structure to be heterogeneous at the local scale. Underlying local anthropogenic signatures, we found a deep genetic structure in the form of an arch-shaped cline extending from the Dinaric Alps, via Southeastern Europe and the Baltic states, to Western Europe and, finally, to the genetically diverged Iberian peninsula. These findings indicate that, despite considerable anthropogenic influence, the deeper, natural continental structure is still intact. Regarding the glacial refugia, our findings show a weaker signal than generally assumed, but are nevertheless suggestive of two main recolonization routes, with important roles for Southern France and the Balkans. Our results highlight the importance of applying genomic resources and framing genetic results within a species’ demographic history and geographic distribution for a better understanding of the complex mixture of underlying processes.