bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OX40/OX40 ligand and its role in precision immune oncology
Authors: Thapa Bicky , Kato Shumei , Nishizaki Daisuke , Miyashita Hirotaka , Lee Suzanna , Nesline Mary K. , Previs Rebecca A. , Conroy Jeffery M. , DePietro Paul , Pabla Sarabjot , Kurzrock Razelle
Published: March 2024

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have changed the treatment landscape for various malignancies; however, their benefit is limited to a subset of patients. The immune machinery includes both mediators of suppression/immune evasion, such as PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, and LAG-3, all of which can be inhibited by specific antibodies, and immune-stimulatory molecules, such as T-cell co-stimulatory receptors that belong to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF), including OX40 receptor (CD134; TNFRSF4), 4-1BB (CD137; TNFRSF9), and glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related (GITR) protein (CD357; TNFRSF18). In particular, OX40 and its binding ligand OX40L (CD134L; TNFSF4; CD252) are critical for immunoregulation. When OX40 on activated T cells binds OX40L on antigen-presenting cells, T-cell activation and immune stimulation are initiated via enhanced T-cell survival, proliferation and cytotoxicity, memory T-cell formation, and abrogation of regulatory T cell (Treg) immunosuppressive functions. OX40 agonists are in clinical trials both as monotherapy and in combination with other immunotherapy agents, in particular specific checkpoint inhibitors, for cancer treatment. To date, however, only a minority of patients respond. Transcriptomic profiling reveals that OX40 and OX40L expression vary between and within tumor types, and that only ~ 17% of cancer patients have high OX40 and low OX40L, one of the expression patterns that might be theoretically amenable to OX40 agonist enhancement. Taken together, the data suggest that the OX40/OX40L machinery is a critical part of the immune stimulatory system and that understanding endogenous expression patterns of these molecules and co-existing checkpoints merits further investigation in the context of a precision immunotherapy strategy for cancer therapy.
A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North
Authors: van Wijngaarden Albert , Moore John C. , Alfthan Bjorn , Kurvits Tiina , Kullerud Lars
Published: March 2024

The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased concentrations of greenhouse gases from thawing permafrost, and alterations in the key high latitude physical systems spurred many authors, and more recently international agencies and supra-state actors, to investigate “emergency measures” that might help conserve the frozen North. However, the efficacy and feasibility of many of these ideas remains highly uncertain, and some might come with significant risks, or could be even outright dangerous to the ecosystems and people of the North. To date, no review has evaluated all suggested schemes. The objectives of this first phase literature survey (which can be found in a separate compendium (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10602506), are to consider all proposed interventions in a common evaluation space, and identify knowledge gaps in active conservation proposals. We found 61 interventions with a high latitude focus, across atmosphere, land, oceans, ice and industry domains. We grade them on a simple three-point evaluation system across 12 different categories. From this initial review we can identify which ideas scored low marks on most categories and are therefore likely not worthwhile pursuing; some groups of interventions, like traditional land-based mitigation efforts, score relatively highly while ocean-based and sea ice measures, score lower and have higher uncertainties overall. This review will provide the basis for a further in-depth expert assessment that will form phase two of the project over the next few years sponsored by University of the Arctic.
Calibrated EMOS: applications to temperature and wind speed forecasting
Authors: Gaetan Carlo , Giummolè Federica , Mameli Valentina
Published: March 2024

Ensembles of meteorological quantities obtained from numerical models can be used for forecasting weather variables. Unfortunately, such ensembles are often biased and under-dispersed and therefore need to be post-processed. Ensemble model output statistics (EMOS) is a widely used post-processing technique to reduce bias and dispersion errors of numerical ensembles. In the EMOS approach, a full probabilistic prediction is given in the form of a predictive distribution with parameters depending on the ensemble forecast members. Parameters are then estimated and substituted, thus obtaining a so-called estimative predictive distribution. Nonetheless, estimative distributions may perform poorly in terms of the coverage probability of the corresponding quantiles. This work proposes the use of predictive distributions based on a bootstrap adjustment of estimative predictive distributions, in the context of EMOS models. These distributions are calibrated, which means that the corresponding quantiles provide exact coverage probabilities, in contrast to the estimative distributions. The introduction of the bootstrap calibrated procedure for EMOS is the innovative aspect of this study. The performance of the suggested calibrated EMOS is evaluated in two simulation studies, comparing the different predictive distributions by means of the log-score, the continuous ranked probability score, and the coverage of the corresponding predictive quantiles. The results of these simulation studies show that the proposed calibrated predictive distributions improve estimative solutions, both reducing the mean scores and producing quantiles with exact coverage levels. The good performance of the new calibrated EMOS is further stressed in two real data applications, one about maximum daily temperatures at sites located in the Veneto region (Italy) and the other one about wind speed forecasts at weather stations over Germany.
Intentionality, pointing, and early symbolic cognition
Authors: van Mazijk Corijn
Published: March 2024

Concepts such as “symbolism” and “symbolic cognition” often remain unspecified in discussions the symbolic capacities of earlier hominins. In this paper, I use conceptual tools from phenomenology to reflect on the origins of early symbolic cognition. In particular, I discuss the possible early use of pointing gestures around the time of the earliest known stone tool industries. I argue that unlike more basic social acts such as expression, gaze following, and attention-getters, which are used by extant non-human great apes, communicative pointing involves key elements that are characteristic of symbolic cognition. In particular, it involves “third order intentionality” as well as “shared practice horizons”: shared frameworks of understanding which are required for the interpretation of communicative acts whose meaning is not codified indexically or iconically in the signaling behavior. In the final part, I briefly review some indications for the use of pointing gestures around the time of the Lomekwian and Oldowan industries, as a way to sustain cooperation and possibly learning by instruction. It is suggested that pointing is more complex than is standardly acknowledged, and that it may have been an important communicative act for Early Stone Age hominins in transitioning to more fully symbolic speech capacities.
The Connection Between Sleep Problems and Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Autistic Children: A Network Analysis
Authors: Sommers Lucy , Papadopoulos Nicole , Fuller-Tyszkiewicz Matthew , Sciberras Emma , McGillivray Jane , Howlin Patricia , Rinehart Nicole
Published: March 2024

The interactions between sleep problems, autism symptoms and emotional and behavioural difficulties were explored using network analysis in 240 autistic children (mean age: 8.8 years, range 5–13 years) with moderate to severe sleep problems. Findings revealed a highly connected and interpretable network, with three separate clusters identified of the modelled variables. Depression, anxiety and behavioural difficulties were the most central variables of the network. Depression, anxiety and restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns behaviours (RRBs) were the strongest bridging variables in the network model, transmitting activation both within and between other symptom clusters. The results highlight that depression and anxiety were highly connected symptoms within the network, suggesting support in these areas could be helpful, as well as future research.
Curcumin coating: a novel solution to mitigate inherent carbon nanotube toxicity
Authors: Rele Samiksha , Thakur Chanchal Kiran , Khan Fatima , Baral Budhadev , Saini Vaishali , Karthikeyan Chandrabose , Moorthy N. S. Hari Narayana , Jha Hem Chandra
Published: March 2024

Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) are inert structures with high aspect ratios that are widely used as vehicles for targeted drug delivery in cancer and many other diseases. They are largely non-toxic in nature however, when cells are exposed to these nanotubes for prolonged durations or at high concentrations, they show certain adverse effects. These include cytotoxicity, inflammation, generation of oxidative stress, and genotoxicity among others. To combat such adverse effects, various moieties can be attached to the surface of these nanotubes. Curcumin is a known anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cytoprotective compound derived from a medicinal plant called Curcuma longa. In this study, we have synthesized and characterized Curcumin coated-lysine functionalized MWCNTs and further evaluated the cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiapoptotic effect of Curcumin coating on the surface of MWCNTs. The results show a significant decrease in the level of inflammatory molecules like IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TNFα and NFκB in cells exposed to Curcumin-coated MWCNTs as compared to the uncoated ones at both transcript and protein levels. Further, compared to the uncoated samples, there is a reduction in ROS production and upregulation of antioxidant enzyme-Catalase in the cells treated with Curcumin-coated MWCNTs. Curcumin coating also helped in recovery of mitochondrial membrane potential in the cells exposed to MWCNTs. Lastly, cells exposed to Curcumin-coated MWCNTs showed reduced cell death as compared to the ones exposed to uncoated MWCNTs. Our findings suggest that coating of Curcumin on the surface of MWCNTs reduces its ability to cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death.

Graphical Abstract

(a) Synthesis of Curcumin-coated-Lysine-functionalized MWCNTs. (b) Flow of research depicting experimental groups and studies performed along with the underlying techniques used.
Concrete quantum cryptanalysis of binary elliptic curves via addition chain
Authors: Taguchi Ren , Takayasu Atsushi
Published: March 2024

Thus far, several papers reported concrete resource estimates of Shor’s quantum algorithm for solving the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem. In this paper, we study quantum FLT-based inversion algorithms over binary elliptic curves. There are two major algorithms proposed by Banegas et al. and Putranto et al., where the former and latter algorithms achieve fewer numbers of qubits and smaller depths of circuits, respectively. We propose two quantum FLT-based inversion algorithms that essentially outperform previous FLT-based algorithms and compare the performance for NIST curves of the degreen. Specifically, for alln, our first algorithm achieves fewer qubits than Putranto et al.’s one without sacrificing the number of Toffoli gates and the depth of circuits, while our second algorithm achieves smaller depths of circuits without sacrificing the number of qubits and Toffoli gates. For example, when$$n = 571$$n=571, the number of qubits of our first algorithm is 74 % of that of Putranto et al.’s one, while the depth of our second algorithm is 83 % of that of Banegas et al.’s one. The improvements stem from the fact that FLT-based inversions can be performed with arbitrary sequences of addition chains for$$n - 1$$n-1although both Banegas et al. and Putranto et al. follow fixed sequences that were introduced by Itoh and Tsujii’s classical FLT-based inversion. In particular, we analyze how several properties of addition chains, which do not affect the computational resources of classical FLT-based inversions, affect the computational resources of quantum FLT-based inversions and find appropriate sequences.
Immiscible Two-Phase Flow in Porous Media: Effective Rheology in the Continuum Limit
Authors: Roy Subhadeep , Sinha Santanu , Hansen Alex
Published: March 2024

We consider steady-state immiscible and incompressible two-phase flow in porous media. It is becoming increasingly clear that there is a flow regime where the volumetric flow rate depends on the pressure gradient as a power law with an exponent larger than one. This occurs when the capillary forces and viscous forces compete. At higher flow rates, where the viscous forces dominate, the volumetric flow rate depends linearly on the pressure gradient. This means that there is a crossover pressure gradient that separates these two flow regimes. At small enough pressure gradient, the capillary forces dominate. If one or both of the immiscible fluids percolate, the volumetric flow rate will then depend linearly on the pressure gradient as the interfaces will not move. If none of the fluids percolate, there will be a minimum pressure gradient threshold to mobilize the interfaces and thereby get the fluids moving. We now imagine a core sample of a given size. The question we pose is what happens to the crossover pressure gradient that separates the power-law regime from the high-flow rate linear regime and the threshold pressure gradient that blocks the flow at low pressure gradients when the size of the core sample is increased. Based on analytical calculations using the capillary bundle model and on numerical simulations using a dynamical pore-network model, we find that the crossover pressure gradient and the threshold pressure gradient decrease with two distinct power laws in the size. This means that the power-law regime disappears in the continuum limit where the pores are infinitely small compared to the sample size.
From early relational experiences to non-suicidal self-injury in anorexia and bulimia nervosa: a structural equation model unraveling the role of impairments in interoception
Authors: Lucherini Angeletti Lorenzo , Cassioli Emanuele , Tarchi Livio , Dani Cristiano , Faldi Marco , Martini Rachele , Ricca Valdo , Castellini Giovanni , Rossi Eleonora
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) frequently exhibit Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI), yet their co-occurrence is still unclear. To address this issue, the aim of this study was to elucidate the role of impairments in interoception in explaining the NSSI phenomenon in AN and BN, providing an explanatory model that considers distal (insecure attachment/IA and traumatic childhood experiences/TCEs) and proximal (dissociation and emotional dysregulation) risk factors for NSSI.

Method

130 patients with AN and BN were enrolled and administered self-report questionnaires to assess the intensity of NSSI behaviors, interoceptive deficits, IA, TCEs, emotional dysregulation and dissociative symptoms.

Results

Results from structural equation modeling revealed that impairments in interoception acted as crucial mediators between early negative relational experiences and factors that contribute to NSSI in AN and BN, particularly emotional dysregulation and dissociation. Precisely, both aspects of IA (anxiety and avoidance) and various forms of TCEs significantly exacerbated interoceptive deficits, which in turn are associated to the emergence of NSSI behaviors through the increase in levels of dissociation and emotional dysregulation.

Conclusions

The proposed model provided a novel explanation of the occurrence of NSSIs in patients with AN and BN by accounting for the significance of interoception.

Level of evidence: Level V–Cross-sectional observational study.
Qualitative detection of formaldehyde in challani fish obtained from selected fish markets of Nagaon, Assam, India
Authors: Chutia Bhuban Chandra , Borah Manash Pratim , Bordoloi Ujjal , Goswami Lalit Mohan , Bharadwaj Saswati , Borthakur Meghna , Sharma Priyanki , Das Jyotismita , Borkataki Sarat
Published: March 2024

Preservatives are used to increase the shelf life of any product for a very long time, yet they are extremely detrimental to human health when used in food. The use of preservatives like formaldehyde by fishermen and fish merchants for prolonged preservation of fish during sales and transportation has recently become problematic and threat to human health. Therefore, the goal of the current investigation was to determine the presence of formaldehyde in the fish sold at fish markets in Nagaon, Assam. The present investigation indicates the contamination of fish with formaldehyde in the local fish markets of Nagaon district. The fish that show the presence of formaldehyde are imported (challani) and out of the whole fish sample collection (challani/imported), Labeo rohita, Catla catla indicates the highest positive result, with 35.96% and 48.44% respectively from the 114 Labeo rohita to 64 Catla catla samples. Additionally, the results for Ompok pabda, Pangasius pangasius, Hilsa ilisha, and Piaractus brachypomus are all positive, with Hilsa ilisha showing a positive result of 100% from their whole sample collection. However, the local fish like Labeo gonius, Cirrhinus reba, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cirrhinus mrigala, and Hypophthalmicthys nobilis fish species have shown 100% negative results for formalin detection, indicating that their samples are formalin-free. Since formaldehyde is harmful to human health, better methods and techniques should be adopted for the preservation of fish for commerce and storage. Strict regulations should be put in place to limit the use of these hazardous chemical substances.
Hawker Hunter
Authors: Bradic Sreco
Published: March 2024

The most successful British jet fighter produced was without doubt the sleek and graceful Hawker Hunter. As usual for every new aircraft type it had its share of teething problems, but once these were all adequately solved the U.K. had at that time one of the best jet fighters available. It was built in large numbers and exported to many countries.
Integrating Culture, Heritage, and Identity in Deep Seabed Mining Regulation
Authors: Lixinski Lucas
Published: March 2024

Ongoing deep seabed mining negotiations evoke two competing visions of the ocean: as a vast (social) emptiness rich in wealth for the taking; or as a place where deep human connections exist despite arbitrary lines drawn to distribute states’ legal authority over it. The first tends to be the prevailing view, and the second is a challenger grounded on culture and identity. In this essay, I wish to unpack the roles of traditional knowledge and cultural heritage in deep seabed mining negotiations. I argue that attention to states’ broader international legal obligations requires the deep seabed mining regime to take heritage and identity more seriously than it does at present, and thus to provide better pathways for communities with cultural links to the ocean to be involved in deep seabed mining negotiations. In particular, I show that intangible cultural heritage, a form of cultural heritage largely absent from deep seabed mining negotiations thus far, provides more solid doctrinal and practical ground for the regime's engagement with culture and identity.
Undermining by Mining? Deep Seabed Mining in Light of International Marine Environmental Law
Authors: Singh Pradeep , Jaeckel Aline
Published: March 2024

Some forty years ago, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) created an unusual regime for states to collectively manage common natural resources on the international seabed beyond national jurisdiction (known as “the Area”) through the International Seabed Authority (ISA). In the intervening years, scientists have increasingly been warning about the serious environmental risks of mining seabed minerals. At this pivotal point in time, when states are negotiating whether or not to allow seabed mining, this essay explores the risk of undermining by mining, that is, contravening international marine environmental law and the obligations and responsibilities of states thereunder by allowing commercial mining activities to commence. We argue that allowing seabed mining in the Area at this juncture, when so much about the deep ocean remains unknown, would risk frustrating a host of measures, achievements, and progress to enhance marine environmental protection, particularly in areas beyond national jurisdiction. We begin with an overview of the ISA and its work to date, before discussing potential interactions between seabed mining and marine environmental law and policies, with a particular focus on the new ocean biodiversity agreement. We conclude by urging states to take cognizance of their overarching duty to protect and preserve the marine environment and ensure that all decisions taken with respect to seabed mining are consistent with their obligations and responsibilities under international law.
Does Self-Reported BMI Modify the Association Between Stroke and Depressive Symptoms?
Authors: Meshkat Shakila , Tassone Vanessa K. , Wu Michelle , Duffy Sophie F. , Boparai Josheil K. , Jung Hyejung , Lou Wendy , Vyas Manav V. , Bhat Venkat
Published: March 2024

Background:

Depressive symptoms are common in stroke survivors. While obesity has been associated with stroke and depression, its influence on the association between stroke and depressive symptoms is unknown.

Methods:

Cross-sectional data from 2015 to 2016 Canadian Community Health Survey was used. History of stroke was self-reported and our outcome of interest was depressive symptoms in the prior 2 weeks, measured using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Self-reported body mass index (BMI) was modeled as cubic spline terms to allow for nonlinear associations. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between stroke and depressive symptoms and added an interaction term to evaluate the modifying effect of BMI.

Results:

Of the 47,521 participants, 694 (1.0%) had a stroke and 3314 (6.5%) had depressive symptoms. Those with stroke had a higher odds of depressive symptoms than those without (aOR = 3.13, 95% CI 2.48, 3.93). BMI did not modify the stroke-depressive symptoms association (P interaction = 0.242) despite the observed variation in stroke-depressive symptoms association across BMI categories,: normal BMI [18.5–25 kg/m2] (aOR† = 3.91, 95% CI 2.45, 6.11), overweight [25–30 kg/m2] (aOR† = 2.63, 95% CI 1.58, 4.20), and obese [>30 kg/m2] (aOR† = 2.76, 95% CI 1.92, 3.94). Similar results were found when depressive symptoms were modeled as a continuous measure.

Conclusion:

The association between stroke and depressive symptoms is not modified by BMI, needing additional work to understand the role of obesity on depression after stroke.
Introducing a global dataset on conflict forecasts and news topics
Authors: Mueller Hannes , Rauh Christopher , Seimon Ben
Published: March 2024

This article provides a structured description of openly available news topics and forecasts for armed conflict at the national and grid cell level starting January 2010. The news topics, as well as the forecasts, are updated monthly at conflictforecast.org and provide coverage for more than 170 countries and about 65,000 grid cells of size 55 × 55 km worldwide. The forecasts rely on natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning techniques to leverage a large corpus of newspaper text for predicting sudden onsets of violence in peaceful countries. Our goals are a) to support conflict prevention efforts by making our risk forecasts available to practitioners and research teams worldwide, b) to facilitate additional research that can utilize risk forecasts for causal identification, and c) to provide an overview of the news landscape.
Aquinas’s Ethics: the Infused Virtues and the Indwelling Holy Spirit
Authors: Stump Eleonore
Published: March 2024

This paper explores Aquinas’s ethics. For Aquinas, the moral life begins with a surrender to God on the part of a person who comes to faith. That surrender includes a change in the person’s will from the state of resisting God’s love and grace to quiescence, the cessation of resistance. Once a person’s will is in this quiescent state, God infuses grace into his will. On Aquinas’s views, in an instant this grace moves the person’s will to the will of faith. In that same instant, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell in him and also brings into him also all the infused virtues, as well as all the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. The paper explores Aquinas’s claims about the infused virtues and the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, and it argues that for Aquinas the moral life is first and foremost a matter of having a right second-personal relationship to God.
SUBCOMPLEXES OF CERTAIN FREE RESOLUTIONS
Authors: BANKS MAYA , SOBIESKA ALEKSANDRA
Published: March 2024

We invoke the Bernstein–Gel
$'$
fand–Gel
$'$
fand (BGG) correspondence to study subcomplexes of free resolutions given by two well-known complexes, the Koszul and the Eagon–Northcott. This approach provides a complete characterization of the ranks of free modules in a subcomplex in the Koszul case and imposes numerical restrictions in the Eagon–Northcott case.
Using latent class analysis to investigate enduring effects of intersectional social disadvantage on long-term vocational and financial outcomes in the 20-year prospective Chicago Longitudinal Study
Authors: Jones Nev , Tong Liping , Pagdon Shannon , Ebuenyi Ikenna D. , Harrow Martin , Sharma Rajiv P. , Rosen Cherise
Published: March 2024

Background

Class and social disadvantage have long been identified as significant factors in the etiology and epidemiology of psychosis. Few studies have explicitly examined the impact of intersecting social disadvantage on long-term employment and financial independence.

Methods

We applied latent class analysis (LCA) to 20-year longitudinal data from participants with affective and non-affective psychosis (n = 256) within the Chicago Longitudinal Research. LCA groups were modeled using multiple indicators of pre-morbid disadvantage (parental social class, educational attainment, race, gender, and work and social functioning prior to psychosis onset). The comparative longitudinal work and financial functioning of LCA groups were then examined.

Results

We identified three distinct latent classes: one comprised entirely of White participants, with the highest parental class and highest levels of educational attainment; a second predominantly working-class group, with equal numbers of Black and White participants; and a third with the lowest parental social class, lowest levels of education and a mix of Black and White participants. The latter, our highest social disadvantage group experienced significantly poorer employment and financial outcomes at all time-points, controlling for diagnosis, symptoms, and hospitalizations prior to baseline. Contrary to our hypotheses, on most measures, the two less disadvantaged groups did not significantly differ from each other.

Conclusions

Our analyses add to a growing literature on the impact of multiple forms of social disadvantage on long-term functional trajectories, underscoring the importance of proactive attention to sociostructural disadvantage early in treatment, and the development and evaluation of interventions designed to mitigate ongoing social stratification.
Another character for the word “rice plant” in Old Chinese
Authors: Nohara Masaki
Published: March 2024

Two kinds of grain, “millet, 粟米 sùmǐ” and “husked rice, 稻 dào”, frequently appear in the Liye Qin Slips. Aside from these grains, another character seen in the Liye Qin Slips, nǎo, is thought to represent grain. It also represents the words for “brain, 腦 nǎo” in other excavated documents. Since the archaeological data show that rice cultivation was practised around the middle and lower Yangtze Valley, the homeland of Proto-Hmong Mien (formerly the state of Chu 楚地), the word for “rice plant, 稻 dào” seems to be a loanword from Proto-Hmong Mien *mbləu. The character nǎo is reconstructed as *nˤuʔ, which bears the same onset as the sound for “rice plant (or husked rice)” in North and East Hmongic languages nɯ (< *mbləu). Hence, we propose that the assimilation (*mbl- > *n-) in these languages could have occurred at the latest just before or after the Qin dynasty.
Contributions to inclusive and impactful development and psychopathology science: interrogating ecology-linked vulnerability and resilience opportunities
Authors: Spencer Margaret Beale
Published: March 2024

Since its launch in a 1984 Special Issue of Child Development, significant contributions and insights have followed that have expanded our understanding of psychopathology and normal human growth and development. Despite these efforts, there are persistent and under-analyzed skewed patterns of vulnerability across and within groups. The persistence of a motivated forgetfulness to acknowledge citizens’ uneven access to resources and supports, or as stated elsewhere, “inequality presence denial,” is, at minimum, a policy, social and health practice problem. This article will examine some of these issues from the standpoint of a universal human vulnerability perspective. It also investigates sources of resistance to acknowledging and responding to the scholarship production problem of uneven representations of basic human development research versus psychopathology preoccupations by race. Collectively, findings suggest interesting “patchwork” patterns of particular cultural repertoires as ordinary social and scholarly traditions.
Interactions between seed functional traits and environmental factors and their influence on germination performance of Australian native species
Authors: Beveridge Fernanda C. , Williams Alwyn , Cave Robyn , Kalaipandian Sundaravelpandian , Dayananda Buddhi , Adkins Steve W.
Published: March 2024

Climate variability is expected to increase due to climate change, with projected increases in temperature and erratic rainfall patterns. These changes will alter the environmental cues sensed by seeds, and therefore will impact plant recruitment. This study investigated the effects of seed functional traits (germinability, germination time, synchrony and seed mass) on germination responses of several sub-tropical native Australian plant species under different environmental factors (water stress, salinity and pH). The effect of a hot water pre-treatment was also tested on Fabaceae seeds with known physical dormancy. Seed traits, environmental factors and seed pre-treatments had significant effects on final germination percentage and germination time. Seed mass and time to 50% germination (t50) were also positively correlated. In contrast, pH did not affect germination and there was no interaction between pH and any of the measured seed functional traits. Some species showed a high thermal tolerance to germination and germination was indifferent to light conditions for all species. Results showed that certain seed functional traits interact with environmental factors to influence germination percentage and time. These findings highlight the importance of considering seed functional traits when determining a species germination response under a changing climate. In addition, the findings provide important knowledge to better guide seed-based land restoration programmes.
Effects of transition programmes to adulthood for adolescents and young adults with CHD: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Lee Bo Ryeong , Koo Hyun Young , Lee Sangmi
Published: March 2024

Background:

The increased survival rate among individuals with CHD has sparked interest in their transition to adult healthcare. Although there is a general agreement on the importance of transition interventions, the empirical evidence supporting them is insufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of transition interventions for adult healthcare in adolescents and young adults.

Methods and results:

A literature search was conducted for studies comparing the quantitative effects of transition interventions with control groups, published up to March 15, 2023, in major databases (CENTRAL, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, KISS, and KMbase), major clinical trial registries, academic journal sites related to the topic, and grey literature databases. Ten studies involving a total of 1,297 participants were identified. Transition interventions proved effective in enhancing disease-related knowledge (Hedge’s g = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.29−1.48) and self-management (Hedge’s g = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.38−0.95), as well as reducing loss to follow-up (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.22−0.77). The certainty of evidence for the estimated values of each major outcome was low or very low.

Conclusions:

This study supports the implementation of transition interventions by demonstrating that they can improve patients’ disease knowledge and self-management, while also promoting treatment continuity. However, since the available data on transition interventions for adolescents and young adults with CHD remain limited, the widespread adoption of structured transition interventions in the future may alter the conclusions of this study.

Registration:

URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO. Unique identifier: CRD42023399026.
How to Stay Popular: Threat, Framing, and Conspiracy Theory Longevity
Authors: Blackington Courtney , Cayton Frances
Published: March 2024

Why do some conspiracy theories (CTs) remain popular and continue to spread on social media while others quickly fade away? Situating conspiracy theories within the literature on social movements, we propose and test a new theory of how enduring CTs maintain and regain popularity online. We test our theory using an original, hand-coded dataset of 5,794 tweets surrounding a divisive and regularly commemorated set of CTs in Poland. We find that CTs that cue in-group and out-group threats garner more retweets and likes than CT tweets lacking this rhetoric. Surprisingly, given the extant literature on party leaders’ ability to shape political attitudes and behaviors, we find that ruling party tweets endorsing CTs gain less engagement than CT tweets from non-officials. Finally, when a CT’s main threat frames are referenced in current events, CTs re-gain popularity on social media. Given the centrality of CTs to populist rule, these results offer a new explanation for CT popularity—one focused on the conditions under which salient threat frames strongly resonate.
Strategically Hijacking Victimhood: A Political Communication Strategy in the Discourse of Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump
Authors: Barton Hronešová Jessie , Kreiss Daniel
Published: March 2024

This article introduces the concept of “hijacked victimhood” as a form of strategically leveraging victimhood narratives. It is a subset of strategic victimhood, which is a relatively common communicative strategy whereby groups claim victimhood status in contests over power and legitimacy. Political leaders who use the strategy of hijacked victimhood present dominant groups as in danger, as current or future victims, and in need of protection (especially by the crafter of the narrative) from oppressive forces consisting of—or indirectly representing—marginalized and subaltern groups. In the process, leaders hijacking victimhood blunt the rights-based claims of such groups. Analyzing Viktor Orbán’s and Donald Trump’s elite rhetoric in Hungary and the United States, respectively, we inductively document varieties of hijacked victimhood in their political communication, showing how Orbán leverages historical suffering and resistance while Trump constructs economic and value-based harms for dominant groups. Making both conceptual and empirical contributions, we argue that at the heart of hijacked victimhood is a reversal of the victimizer–victim dichotomy, a new portrayal of moral orders, a teleological ordering of past and future harms, and a mobilization of security threats—all used to preserve or expand a dominant group’s power.
Soil C:N impacts on soil biological health and consequences on weed control in soybean and corn systems
Authors: Gannett Maria A. , Butler-Jones Aleah L. , DiTommaso Antonio , Sparks Jed P. , Kao-Kniffin Jenny
Published: March 2024

Nitrogen availability has an important influence on agricultural weed growth, because many weeds in annual cropping systems are more competitive in high-nitrogen soils. A potential method to control nitrogen availability is through soil carbon amendments, which stimulate soil microbial growth and immobilize nitrogen. Additionally, carbon amendments may alter soil microbial community composition, increase soil biological functioning, and improve soil health. In a 2-yr field experiment in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], we implemented five amendment treatments to test their ability to alter weed and crop growth through soil nitrogen availability and soil biological functioning. The treatments included: an untreated control, an unamended weed-free control, rye hay adding 3,560 kg C ha−1 and 3,350 kg C ha−1 in 2020 and 2021, respectively, sawdust adding 5,030 kg C ha−1 and 4,350 kg C ha−1 in 2020 and 2021, respectively, and a rye hay and sawdust combined treatment adding 8,590 kg C ha−1 and 7,700 kg C ha−1 in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Each treatment was replicated five times in corn and six times in soybean. Each season, we explored correlations between crop and weed biomass and weed community composition and nitrogen immobilization measured through soil respiration and nitrogen availability. We also explored changes to the soil microbial community composition and soil health as a secondary result of the carbon amendment treatments. Nitrogen availability was lowest in plots treated with the highest C:N amendment. Increasing carbon improved soil health metrics, but the microbial community composition was most affected by the rye hay treatment. Amendments with high C:N reduced weed growth in both soybean and corn plots but only selected for specific weed communities in soybean, leading to improved soybean competitiveness against weeds. In corn, crop growth and weed community composition remained consistent across amendment treatments. Targeted nitrogen immobilization may improve leguminous crop competition in some weed communities as part of an integrated weed management program.
The TOPOS study
Authors: Sebastian Tim , Barco Stefano , Voci Davide , Lichtenberg Michael , Schlager Oliver , Jalaie Houman , de Graaf Rick , Erbel Christian , Massmann Alexander , Schindewolf Marc , Spirk David
Published: March 2024

Summary: Background: We aimed to study the long-term safety and efficacy of oblique venous stents for post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) with iliac vein compression. Patients and methods: In the multinational, prospective, single-arm TOPOS study, PTS patients scheduled for endovascular therapy with the sinus-Obliquus® stent and optional distal extension with the sinus-Venous® or sinus-XL Flex® stent were enrolled at eight European vascular centres between October 2016 and December 2020. The primary outcome was primary stent patency at 24 months, and secondary outcomes included the clinical course of PTS (Villalta score, revised Venous Clinical Severity Score [rVCSS], Visual Analog Scale [VAS] of pain), quality of life changes (Chronic Venous Insufficiency Quality of Life Questionnaire, CIVIQ-20), and device-related complications. Results: We enrolled 60 patients (mean age 46±15 years, 68% women, 13% active ulcers): 80% required stent extension (70% below the inguinal ligament). The primary patency rate at 24 months was 80.7% (95%CI 68.1–90.0%); it was higher in patients without vs. those with stent extension (90.9% vs. 78.3%, p=.01). Compared to baseline, the Villalta, rVCSS, pain VAS, and CIVIQ-20 decreased by a median of 8 (interquartile range (IQR): 4–11), 5 (IQR: 3–7), 3 (IQR: 2–5), and 17 (IQR: 6–22) points, respectively; p<.001 for all parameters. Overall, 9 events of acute stent occlusion, 4 symptomatic stent stenosis, and 1 pulmonary embolism occurred. We did not observe major bleeding events or contralateral thrombosis. Conclusions: Endovascular treatment with the oblique stent and optional stent extension was safe and resulted in high patency rates at 24 months. The reduction in PTS severity was substantial and persisted over 2-year follow-up.
Charlie, Are You Daydreaming Again?
Authors: Heyden Stefanie , Grolimund Fabian
Published: March 2024

An exciting and supportive storybook for daydreamy children and their parents
It’s not easy being a 10-year-old rabbit girl. Charlie’s parents and her strict teacher, Mrs. Lynx, are constantly finding fault with her: “Pay attention! Stop daydreaming!” Just as well she has a second life as a famous pirate that she can escape to when things get too much. In her fantasy world, she experiences amazing adventures and fights against her enemy (who looks surprisingly similar to her teacher).
Luckily, Charlie has her best friends at her side: the hardworking and slightly shy duck Muriel and the cuddly bear Frida, who would love to be a ballerina.
Charlie is struggling with endless homework, exams, bad grades and her forgetfulness. But then one day in the Lost Forest she meets an unusual forest dweller who knows the value of daydreaming and lets her in on an ancient secret ...
A book to be read by or to daydreamy elementary school children who would like to learn:

how to concentrate better when learning at home and at school,
why dreaming is also valuable,
how to discover their own strengths,
how to be better organized and forget less.

A story about school, friendship, and family relationships that is thought provoking and invites conversations between children and parents.
The book is also ideal for reading in class.
Jovian Sodium Nebula and Io Plasma Torus S+ and Brightnesses 2017–2023: Insights Into Volcanic Versus Sublimation Supply
Authors: Morgenthaler Jeffrey P. , Schmidt Carl A. , Vogt Marissa F. , Schneider Nicholas M. , Marconi Max
Published: March 2024

We present first results derived from the largest collection of contemporaneously recorded Jovian sodium nebula and Io plasma torus in [S II] 6731 Å images assembled to date. The data were recorded by the Planetary Science Institute's Io Input/Output observatory and provide important context to Io geologic and atmospheric studies as well as the Juno mission and supporting observations. Enhancements in the observed emission are common, typically lasting 1–3 months, such that the average flux of material from Io is determined by the enhancements, not any quiescent state. The enhancements are not seen at periodicities associated with modulation in solar insolation of Io's surface, thus physical process(es) other than insolation‐driven sublimation must ultimately drive the bulk of Io's atmospheric escape. We suggest that geologic activity, likely involving volcanic plumes, drives escape.
Responses of the Mean Thermosphere Circulation, O/N2 Ratio and Ne to Solar and Magnetospheric Forcing From Above and Tidal Forcing From Below
Authors: Forbes Jeffrey M. , Zhang Xiaoli , Maute Astrid , Cullens Chihoko
Published: March 2024

The day‐to‐day variability (“weather”) associated with the diurnal‐ and zonal‐mean (DZM) circulation, O/N2 ratio and electron density (Ne) of the I‐T system due to tidal “forcing from below” and solar flux and magnetosphere (SM) “forcing from above” during 2021 are delineated, diagnosed and quantitatively compared using a series of model simulations designed to separate these responses with respect to their origins. The external forcings are driven by actual tidal, solar wind, and solar flux observations. Both circulation systems occupy the full extent of the I‐T, and the SM‐forced DZM circulation is 2–3 times more vigorous in terms of vertical and meridional wind magnitudes. Tidal‐driven DZM Ne reductions of up to 30%–40% with respect to those of the fully forced I‐T system occur, mainly between ±30° latitude, compared to SM‐driven increases of up to 15%–20%. In terms of annual variances over this latitude range, tidal‐driven DZM Ne variances exceed or equal those of the SM‐driven variances. The former is mainly controlled by O/N2 ratio vis‐a‐vis tidal‐forced temperature variations above 150 km. While a similar cause‐effect relation exists for the latter, this is superseded by Ne variability associated with solar production. However, DZM I‐T system variability forced from below is underestimated in the simulations in two respects: the effects of gravity waves are omitted, and tidal forcing is represented by 45‐day running means, as compared with the more realistic actual daily variability of SM forcing. These shortcomings should be ameliorated once multi‐satellite missions planned for the future come to fruition.
Structural basis of the histone ubiquitination read–write mechanism of RYBP–PRC1
Authors: Ciapponi Maria , Karlukova Elena , Schkölziger Sven , Benda Christian , Müller Jürg
Published: March 2024

Histone H2A monoubiquitination (H2Aub1) by the PRC1 subunit RING1B entails a positive feedback loop, mediated by the RING1B-interacting protein RYBP. We uncover that human RYBP–PRC1 binds unmodified nucleosomes via RING1B but H2Aub1-modified nucleosomes via RYBP. RYBP interactions with both ubiquitin and the nucleosome acidic patch create the high binding affinity that favors RYBP- over RING1B-directed PRC1 binding to H2Aub1-modified nucleosomes; this enables RING1B to monoubiquitinate H2A in neighboring unmodified nucleosomes.
Mechanistic study on the alleviation of postmenopausal osteoporosis by Lactobacillus acidophilus through butyrate-mediated inhibition of osteoclast activity
Authors: Dong Junjie , Shu Guizhao , Yang Jin , Wang Bing , Chen Lingqiang , Gong Zhiqiang , Zhang Xiaofeng
Published: March 2024

In China, traditional medications for osteoporosis have significant side effects, low compliance, and high costs, making it urgent to explore new treatment options. Probiotics have demonstrated superiority in the treatment of various chronic diseases, and the reduction of bone mass in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is closely related to the degradation and metabolism of intestinal probiotics. It is crucial to explore the role and molecular mechanisms of probiotics in alleviating PMOP through their metabolites, as well as their therapeutic effects. We aim to identify key probiotics and their metabolites that affect bone loss in PMOP through 16srDNA sequencing combined with non-targeted metabolomics sequencing, and explore the impact and possible mechanisms of key probiotics and their metabolites on the progression of PMOP in the context of osteoporosis caused by estrogen deficiency. The sequencing results showed a significant decrease in Lactobacillus acidophilus and butyrate in PMOP patients. In vivo experiments confirmed that the intervention of L. acidophilus and butyrate significantly inhibited osteoclast formation and bone resorption activity, improved intestinal barrier permeability, suppressed B cells, and the production of RANKL on B cells, effectively reduced systemic bone loss induced by oophorectomy, with butyric acid levels regulated by L. acidophilus. Consistently, in vitro experiments have confirmed that butyrate can directly inhibit the formation of osteoclasts and bone resorption activity. The above research results indicate that there are various pathways through which L. acidophilus inhibits osteoclast formation and bone resorption activity through butyrate. Intervention with L. acidophilus may be a safe and promising treatment strategy for osteoclast related bone diseases, such as PMOP.