bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prolonged Dexamethasone Exposure Enhances Zebrafish Lateral-Line Regeneration But Disrupts Mitochondrial Homeostasis and Hair Cell Function
Authors: Saettele Allison L. , Wong Hiu-tung C. , Kindt Katie S. , Warchol Mark E. , Sheets Lavinia
Published: October 2022

The synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone is commonly used to treat inner ear disorders. Previous work in larval zebrafish has shown that dexamethasone treatment enhances hair cell regeneration, yet dexamethasone has also been shown to inhibit regeneration of peripheral nerves after lesion. We therefore used the zebrafish model to determine the impact of dexamethasone treatment on lateral-line hair cells and primary afferents. To explore dexamethasone in the context of regeneration, we used copper sulfate (CuSO4) to induce hair cell loss and retraction of nerve terminals, and then allowed animals to recover in dexamethasone for 48 h. Consistent with previous work, we observed significantly more regenerated hair cells in dexamethasone-treated larvae. Importantly, we found that the afferent processes beneath neuromasts also regenerated in the presence of dexamethasone and formed an appropriate number of synapses, indicating that innervation of hair cells was not inhibited by dexamethasone. In addition to regeneration, we also explored the effects of prolonged dexamethasone exposure on lateral-line homeostasis and function. Following dexamethasone treatment, we observed hyperpolarized mitochondrial membrane potentials (ΔΨm) in neuromast hair cells and supporting cells. Hair cells exposed to dexamethasone were also more vulnerable to neomycin-induced cell death. In response to a fluid-jet delivered saturating stimulus, calcium influx through hair cell mechanotransduction channels was significantly reduced, yet presynaptic calcium influx was unchanged. Cumulatively, these observations indicate that dexamethasone enhances hair cell regeneration in lateral-line neuromasts, yet also disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis, making hair cells more vulnerable to ototoxic insults and possibly impacting hair cell function.
New separation protocol reveals spray painting as a neglected source of microplastics in soils
Authors: Xu Yaqi , Rillig Matthias C. , Waldman Walter R.
Published: October 2022

Microplastics are recently discovered contaminants, yet knowledge on their sources and analysis is limited. For instance, paint microplastics are poorly known because soil separation protocols using flotation solutions cannot separate paint microplastics due to the higher density of paint microplastic versus common microplastics. Here, we designed a new two-step density separation protocol for paint microplastics, allowing paint microplastics to be separated from the soil without digestion. Paint particles were separated from soil samples collected around the graffiti wall at the Mauerpark, Berlin, then quantified according to their shape and color characteristic. The presence of polymers as binders in the paint particles was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results show concentrations from 1.1 × 105 to 2.9 × 105 microplastics per Kg of dry soil, representing the highest microplastic concentration ever reported in the literature. Particle concentrations decreased and the median size increased with soil depth. Our results provide first evidence that spray painting, a technique with a wide range of applications from industry to art, leaves a legacy of environmental microplastic in soils that has so far gone unnoticed.
Understanding the influence of indigenous values on change in the dairy industry
Authors: Knook Jorie , Wreford Anita , Gow Hamish , Hemi Murray
Published: October 2022

Communities, scientists, policy-makers and industries are requiring farmers to address environmental and wellbeing challenges in their on-farm management, transitioning away from a productivity dominated focus towards a multi-faceted system focus that includes environmental and social values. This paper analyses how Miraka Ltd., an Aotearoa-New Zealand indigenous owned and operated milk company, has taken on the role of institutional entrepreneur to enable and support change towards a multi-faceted system amongst its supply farmers. Observations and interviews were carried out to: (i) identify farmers’ changes in practices, beliefs and values over the last ten years; and (ii) identify how Miraka functions as an indigenous entrepreneur in the agricultural sector. Findings show that interviewees were initially guided by business and family-oriented values, beliefs and practices, but in response to the institutional entrepreneurship by Miraka, approximately half of the interviewees changed these values, beliefs and practices, by internalising people and environmental values. The main strategies employed by Miraka were mobilisation of material resources such as incentives and awards, creation of a rationale addressing environmental and social concerns in the dairy sector, and proactive connection with new actors. The research shows an indigenous owned small-medium enterprise can make changes in values, beliefs and practices amongst its supply farmers, but requires a stronger shared base of values to contribute to a wider economic change. The discussion connects these findings to wider literature on diverse economies and indigenous entrepreneurship to identify to what extent an indigenous small-medium enterprise can contribute to a system change.
Perceived Help and Support for Sex as Self-Injury: A Qualitative Study of a Swedish Sample
Authors: Fredlund Cecilia , Jonsson Linda S.
Published: October 2022

Earlier research has found that sexual acts could be used as a means of self-injury, with comparable functions to nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) such as cutting or burning the skin. However, no previous study has investigated the experience of help and support in relation to sex as a means of self-injury (SASI), which this study aims to investigate. The study was based on an anonymous open-ended questionnaire published from December 2016 to April 2017 on the websites of NGOs working with help and support for women and youths in Sweden. In total, 197 participants (mostly women, mean age 27.9 years, range 15–64 years) with self-reported experiences of SASI were included in the study. Three main themes were found concerning experiences of help and support for SASI. The need for: (1) Framing the behavior of SASI, to find a word for SASI—to know it exists, to get questions and information about SASI and its function; (2) Flexible, respectful, and professional help and support from an early age, to be listened to and confirmed in one’s experience of SASI; and (3) Help with underlying reasons to exit SASI such as finding one’s own value and boundaries through conventional therapy, through life itself, or through therapy for underlying issues such as earlier traumatic events, PTSD, dissociation, or anxiety. In conclusion, similar interventions could be helpful for SASI as for NSSI, irrespective of the topographical differences between the behaviors, but the risk of victimization and traumatization must also be addressed in SASI.
The irreducible vectors of a lattice:
Authors: Doulgerakis Emmanouil , Laarhoven Thijs , de Weger Benne
Published: October 2022

The main idea behind lattice sieving algorithms is to reduce a sufficiently large number of lattice vectors with each other so that a set of short enough vectors is obtained. It is therefore natural to study vectors which cannot be reduced. In this work we give a concrete definition of an irreducible vector and study the properties of the set of all such vectors. We show that the set of irreducible vectors is a subset of the set of Voronoi relevant vectors and study its properties. For extremal lattices this set may contain as many as $$2^n$$

2
n

vectors, which leads us to define the notion of a complete system of irreducible vectors, whose size can be upper-bounded by the kissing number. One of our main results shows that modified heuristic sieving algorithms heuristically approximate such a set (modulo sign). We provide experiments in low dimensions which support this theory. Finally we give some applications of this set in the study of lattice problems such as SVP, SIVP and CVPP. The introduced notions, as well as various results derived along the way, may provide further insights into lattice algorithms and motivate new research into understanding these algorithms better.
Benthic studies adjacent to Sakhalin Island, Russia, 2015 I: benthic biomass and community structure in the nearshore gray whale feeding area
Authors: Blanchard Arny L. , Demchenko Natalia L. , Aerts Lise A. M. , Yazvenko Sergei B. , Ivin Victor V. , Shcherbakov Ilya A.
Published: October 2022

Okhotsk or western gray whales feed in summer along the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia, a region with oil and gas extraction facilities. Seismic surveys increased sound levels in the nearshore feeding area in 2015 for part of the summer, potentially displacing whales from preferred foraging habitat or reducing foraging efficiency. Since lost foraging opportunities might lead to vital rate effects on this endangered species, detailed benthic surveys were conducted to characterize benthic community biomass patterns and spatial and temporal differences. Benthic biomass demonstrated strong spatial–temporal interactions indicating that prey biomass differences among locations were dependent on sampling period. Of greatest interest, Amphipoda biomass declined from June to October in the northern and southern portions of the nearshore study area but increased in the middle and Actinopterygii biomass increased in the northern area in mid-summer. Water depth and sediment type were significant covariates with community structure, and water depth strongly covaried with bivalve biomass. Total average prey biomass was ~ 100 g/m2within the nearshore feeding area with no evidence of reduced biomass among sampling periods or locations, although there were fewer amphipods in the south. Multi-prey investigations provide a stronger basis for inferences than single-prey studies of amphipods when gray whales feed on diverse prey. Benthic community-level variability was moderate to high as would be expected for a shallow-water nearshore area. Overall, spatial and temporal changes in dominant macrofauna biomass reflected small to medium-sized effects that were well within the natural boundaries expected for benthic communities.
Benthic studies adjacent to Sakhalin Island, Russia 2015 III: benthic energy density spatial models in the nearshore gray whale feeding area
Authors: Blanchard Arny L. , Ainsworth Laurie , Gailey Glenn , Demchenko Natalia L. , Shcherbakov Ilya A.
Published: October 2022

Energy densities of six dominant benthic groups (Actinopterygii, Amphipoda, Bivalvia, Cumacea, Isopoda, and Polychaeta) and total prey energy were modeled for the nearshore western gray whale feeding area, Sakhalin Island, Russia, as part of a multi-disciplinary research program in the summer of 2015. Energy was modeled using generalized additive mixed models (GAMM) with accommodations for zero-inflation (logistic regression and hurdle models) and regression predictions combined with kriging to interpolate energy densities across the nearshore feeding area. Amphipoda energy density was the highest nearshore and in the south whereas Bivalvia energy density was the highest offshore and in the northern portion of the study area. Total energy was the highest in mid-range distances from shore and in the north. Amphipoda energy density was higher than minimum energy estimates defining gray whale feeding habitats (312–442 kJ/m2) in 13% of the nearshore feeding area whereas total prey energy density was higher than the minimum energy requirement in 49% of the habitat. Inverse distance-weighted interpolations of Amphipoda energy provided a broader scale representation of the data whereas kriging estimates were spatially limited but more representative of higher density in the southern portion of the study area. Both methods represented the general trend of higher Amphipoda energy density nearshore but with significant differences that highlight the value of using multiple methods to model patterns in highly complex environments.
Western gray whale behavioral response to seismic surveys during their foraging season
Authors: Gailey Glenn , Sychenko Olga , Zykov Mikhail , Rutenko Alexander , Blanchard Arny , Melton Rodger H.
Published: October 2022

Gray whales utilizing their foraging grounds off northeastern Sakhalin Island, Russia, have been increasingly exposed to anthropogenic activities related to oil and gas development over the past two decades. In 2015, four seismic vessels, contracted by two operators, conducted surveys near and within the gray whale feeding grounds. Mitigation and monitoring plans were developed prior to the survey and implemented in the field, with real-time data transfers to assist the implementation of measures aimed at minimizing impacts of acoustic exposure. This study examined the behavioral response of gray whales relative to vessel proximities and sounds generated during seismic exploration. Five shore-based teams monitored gray whale behavior from 1 June to 30 September using theodolite tracking and focal follow methodologies. Behavioral data were combined with acoustic and benthic information from studies conducted during the same period. A total of 1270 tracks (mean duration = 0.9 h) and 401 focal follows (1.1 h) were collected with gray whales exposed to sounds ranging from 59 to 172 dB re 1 μPa2SPL. Mixed models were used to examine 13 movement and 10 respiration response variables relative to “natural,” acoustic, and non-acoustic explanatory variables. Water depth and behavioral state were the largest predictors of gray whale movement and respiration patterns. As vessels approached whales with increasing seismic/vessel sound exposure levels and decreasing distances, several gray whale movement and respiration response variables significantly changed (increasing speed, directionality, surface time, respiration intervals, etc.). Although the mitigation measures employed could have reduced larger/long-term responses and sensitization to the seismic activities, this study illustrates that mitigation measures did not eliminate behavioral responses, at least in the short-term, of feeding gray whales to the activities.
Sustainability gap of public debt: importance of interest rates and a new decomposition with premia
Authors: Dönnebrink Elmar , Grevenbrock Nils
Published: October 2022

Sustainability gaps (S2 indicators) are frequently used in national and international reports to assess the sustainability of public finances. For instance, in the European Commission’s Debt Sustainability Monitor (DSM) the indicators are analyzed in comparisons across (policy) scenarios, countries and time. The report’s findings play a crucial role in the context of the Stability and Growth Pact and the European Semester. As a result, sustainability gaps have a significant indirect influence on policy decisions. In this paper, we analyze two non-transparent properties of these indicators. First, the response of these indicators to changes in the interest rate-growth (r-g) differential is not readily predictable in terms of both strength and direction. Second, in our examples for low values of r-g (in a range of 0.5%), highly uncertain projections for distant periods after 2070 explain about 80% of the indicators’ values. To address these problems, we develop a new decomposition that takes into account the notion of premia (Reis 2021) and hence allows for a more transparent discussion of the sustainability of public debt.
Mycorrhizal symbiosis-induced abiotic stress mitigation through phosphate transporters in Solanum lycopersicum L
Authors: Szentpéteri Viktor , Mayer Zoltán , Posta Katalin
Published: October 2022

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis and abiotic stress mitigation have intrigued researchers for more than a century, but how different phosphate transporters, such as members of the Pht1 gene family, are influenced during the combined presence of AM fungi and stress is not well known. In this study, the impact of AM fungi (Funneliformis mosseae) on tomato plants under water deficit and heat stress was investigated via observing the physiological changes and applying spectrophotometric and quantitative real-time PCR methods, with a focus on phosphate transporters (Pht1;1, Pht1;3, Pht1;4, Pht1;6, Pht1;7 and Pht1;8). Moreover, genes encoding heat-responsive proteins (HSFA2 and HSP70) and aquaporins (PIP2.5 and PIP2.7) were also studied. On the basis of our results, AM fungi seemingly mitigated heat and combined (heat and water deficit) stresses through the mediation of the expression of Pht1 family phosphate transporter genes. In addition to the Pht1;3 and Pht1;4 genes, Pht1;7 also seems to be an AM fungus-inducible phosphate transporter gene. The results of this study may provide insights into the behavior of phosphate transporter gene family members and a potential strategy to enhance the vigor of tomato plants through increased phosphorous uptake under heat stress, water deficit and heat and water deficit combined.
Does conflict of interest distort global university rankings?
Authors: Chirikov Igor
Published: October 2022

Global university rankings influence students’ choices and higher education policies throughout the world. When rankers not only evaluate universities but also provide them with consulting, analytics, or advertising services, rankers are vulnerable to conflicts of interest that may potentially distort their rankings. The paper assesses the impact of contracting with rankers on university ranking outcomes using a difference-in-difference research design. The study matches data on the positions of 28 Russian universities in QS World University Rankings between 2016 and 2021 with information on contracts these universities had for services from QS—the company that produces these rankings. The study compares the fluctuations in QS rankings with data obtained from the Times Higher Education rankings and data recorded by national statistics. The results suggest that the universities with frequent QS-related contracts had an increase of 0.75 standard deviations (~ 140 positions) in QS World University Rankings and an increase of 0.9 standard deviations in reported QS faculty-student ratio scores over 5 years, regardless of changes in the institutional characteristics. The observed distortions could be explained by university rankers’ self-serving bias that benefits both rankers and prestige-seeking universities and reinforces the persistence of rankings in higher education.
A shrimp between two worlds: the genetic differentiation of the brackish water shrimp Palaemon varians Leach, 1813 in the Baltic and the North Sea
Authors: Ovenbeck Kira , Dürr Andreas , Meenke Hannah , Brandis Dirk , Ewers Christine
Published: October 2022

The patchy distribution of the ditch shrimp Palaemon varians (Palaemonidae) in small-scale habitats with low salinity may hint at isolation and fragmentation processes. In order to evaluate the extent to which gene flow barriers exist and salinity has an influence on this dispersal pattern, the genetic diversity and differentiation of Baltic and North Sea populations were investigated and set in context with sequence data from the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, 133 sequences of a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) from 13 different populations from the Baltic Sea and North Sea were generated and complemented with publicly available sequences to estimate a haplotype network and calculate genetic differentiation and diversity. The results show that genetic differentiation correlates with geographic distance and the populations of the different basins are differentiated from each other. In contrast to the expectation, genetic differentiation was generally weak within basins. However, different clusters of differentiated populations could be revealed, indicating two migration events into the Baltic Sea.
Autistic People’s Perinatal Experiences I: A Survey of Pregnancy Experiences
Authors: Hampton Sarah , Allison Carrie , Baron-Cohen Simon , Holt Rosemary
Published: October 2022

Qualitative studies of autistic people’s pregnancy experiences have indicated sensory and communication related barriers to accessing adequate prenatal healthcare. However, quantitative work on the topic is scarce. This online survey study explored pregnancy experiences among 417 autistic and 524 non-autistic people. Compared with non-autistic people, autistic people reported heightened sensory and physical experiences during pregnancy and were more likely to experience prenatal depression and anxiety. Autistic people experienced lower satisfaction with prenatal healthcare, including having lower perceptions of their relationships with healthcare professionals and greater difficulties with antenatal classes. This study identifies key adjustments that can be made to prenatal healthcare, including sensory and communication adjustments. The findings highlight the need for greater autism understanding and awareness among professionals.
Negative Attributions as a Source of Vulnerability for trauma-related Shame and PTSD Symptoms
Authors: Seah Rebecca , Berle David
Published: October 2022

Shame is a common trauma response that is associated with the development and maintenance of PTSD. Phenomenological descriptions of shame indicate that shame arises from internal, stable and global causal attributions (negative attributions) for the precipitating event. The current study investigated whether negative attributions would be associated with higher levels of shame and PTSD, and whether shame would mediate the relationship between causal attributions and PTSD. As negative attributions may reflect a common transdiagnostic process in both depression and PTSD, it also examined whether depression would moderate this relationship. Eighty-seven participants meeting criteria for a Criterion A stressor were administered a structured PTSD diagnostic interview and a series of self-report measures. Findings indicate that shame mediated the relationship between internal, stable and global trauma-related causal attributions and PTSD symptoms. Further, depression did not moderate this relationship, indicating that negative causal attributions are associated with shame and PTSD independent of depression. Results provide empirical support for the cognitive concomitants of trauma-related shame, which raise the possibility that addressing negative attributions through cognitive therapeutic methods may be pertinent in reducing trauma-related shame. Future prospective data is needed to establish cognitive antecedents to shame.
Speeding-up one-versus-all training for extreme classification via mean-separating initialization
Authors: Schultheis Erik , Babbar Rohit
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we show that a simple, data dependent way of setting the initial vector can be used to substantially speed up the training of linear one-versus-all classifiers in extreme multi-label classification (XMC). We discuss the problem of choosing the initial weights from the perspective of three goals. We want to start in a region of weight space (a) with low loss value, (b) that is favourable for second-order optimization, and (c) where the conjugate-gradient (CG) calculations can be performed quickly. For margin losses, such an initialization is achieved by selecting the initial vector such that it separates the mean of all positive (relevant for a label) instances from the mean of all negatives – two quantities that can be calculated quickly for the highly imbalanced binary problems occurring in XMC. We demonstrate a training speedup of up to $$5\times$$

5
×

on Amazon-670K dataset with 670,000 labels. This comes in part from the reduced number of iterations that need to be performed due to starting closer to the solution, and in part from an implicit negative-mining effect that allows to ignore easy negatives in the CG step. Because of the convex nature of the optimization problem, the speedup is achieved without any degradation in classification accuracy. The implementation can be found at https://github.com/xmc-aalto/dismecpp.
HMGB1 induces radioresistance through PI3K/AKT/ATM pathway in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Xueyuan , Zou Naiyi , Deng Wenzhao , Song Chunyang , Yan Ke , Shen Wenbin , Zhu Shuchai
Published: October 2022

Background

To explore the effect of HMGB1 on the radio-sensitivity of esophageal cancer cells through regulating the PI3K/Akt/ATM pathway.

Methods and results

We observed the expression of HMGB1 and p-ATM in biopsies of esophageal cancer patients with immunohistochemical staining. Western blot and RT-qPCR were applied to detect the protein and RNA related to PI3K/Akt/ATM pathway, respectively. In addition, we inhibited the PI3K/Akt pathway with ly294002 and activated it with IGF1, then we explored the invasion, proliferation ability, and apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells in vitro by transwell, CCK8 assay, and flow cytometry respectively. In vivo, xenograft tumor model was established in nude mice to study the effect of HMGB1 on radioresistance via PI3K/AKT/ATM Signaling Pathway. The survival rate in patients with single positive/double negative expression of HMGB1 and p-ATM was significantly higher than in those with both positive expression of HMGB1 and p-ATM, the depletion of HMGB1 combined with ly294002 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and invasion ability, meanwhile, the addition of IGF1 reversed it. Meanwhile, depletion of HMGB1 and ly294002 promoted apoptosis and arrested the cancer cells in G0/G1 cell cycle with the decreased expression of Cyclin D1 and CDK4 and improved P16. We further validated these results in vivo, the application of HMGB1 silencing promoted apoptosis of xenograft tumors after radiation, especially combined with pathway inhibitor ly294002.

Conclusions

Esophageal cancer patients with high expression of HMGB1 and p-ATM have a poor prognosis after chemo-radiotherapy. Down-regulation of HMGB1 may promote the radio-sensitivity of esophageal cancer cells through regulating PI3K/Akt/ATM pathway.
Seizures in patients with IDH-mutated lower grade gliomas
Authors: Carstam Louise , Rydén Isabelle , Jakola Asgeir Store
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Most patients with Lower Grade Gliomas (LGG) present with epileptic seizures. Since the advent of molecular diagnostics, more homogenous sub-entities have emerged, including the isocitrate dehydrogenase-mutated (IDH-mutated) astrocytomas and 1p19q-codeleted oligodendrogliomas. We aimed to describe the occurrence of seizures in patients with molecularly defined LGG pre- and postoperatively and to analyze factors affecting seizure status postoperatively.

Methods

A population-based cohort of 130 adult patients with IDH-mutated WHO grade 2 or 3 astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas was assessed pertaining to seizure burden before and after surgery.

Results

Fifty-four (79.4%) patients with astrocytoma and 45 (72.6%) patients with oligodendroglioma had a history of seizures before surgery. At 12 months postoperatively, 51/67 (76.1%) patients with astrocytoma and 47/62 (75.8%) patients with oligodendrogliomas were seizure free. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, lower extent of resection (EOR) (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97–1.00, p = 0.01) and insular tumor location (OR 5.02; 95% CI 1.01–24.87, p = 0.048) were associated with presence of seizures within 1 year postoperatively in the entire LGG cohort. In sub-entities, EOR was in a similar manner associated with seizures postoperatively in astrocytomas (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.96–0.99, p < 0.01) but not in oligodendrogliomas (p = 0.34).

Conclusion

Our results are well in line with data published for non-molecularly defined LGG with a large proportion of patients being seizure free at 1 year postoperative. Better seizure outcome was observed with increased EOR in astrocytomas, but this association was absent in oligodendrogliomas.
Nonlinear damping in micromachined bridge resonators
Authors: Farokhi Hamed , Rocha Rodrigo T. , Hajjaj Amal Z. , Younis Mohammad I.
Published: October 2022

This study presents a thorough theoretical and experimental investigation on the nonlinear damping of in-plane micromachined electromechanical resonators. More specifically, experiments are conducted on an electrically actuated bridge resonator, and the primary resonance response of the system is obtained at various AC and DC voltages. A nonlinear theoretical model is developed using the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory while accounting for the geometric, electrostatic (including fringing field effect), and damping nonlinearities. Two damping models are considered in the theoretical model: the Kelvin–Voigt model, which for this system is a nonlinear damping model due to the presence of geometric nonlinearities. The second damping model consists of linear, quadratic, and cubic damping terms. A high-dimensional discretisation is performed, and the nonlinear dynamics of the resonator are examined in detail in the primary resonance regime by constructing the frequency response diagrams at various AC and DC voltages. Thorough comparisons are conducted between the experimental data and the theoretical results for different damping conditions. It is shown that the microresonator displays strong nonlinear damping. Detailed calibration procedures for the nonlinear damping models are proposed, and the advantages and disadvantages of each nonlinear damping model are discussed.
A Composite Indicator to Compare the Performance of Male and Female Students in Educational Systems
Authors: Segovia-González M. M. , Contreras I.
Published: October 2022

Composite indicators have proved to be a suitable tool for the evaluation of complex phenomena, by enabling a large amount of information to be concentrated in a unique value. In this paper, a methodology based on geometric aggregation and free-selection of weights is proposed for the evaluation of the educational systems of OECD countries. In an effort to carry out a global evaluation, not only is a group of indicators considered to measure the academic outcomes, but also a group of indicators that measure the social dimension of the educational system and the self-perceptions of the students regarding their academic stage. The features of the proposed methodology enable the results for male and female students to be compared separately, since not only identify the contribution of each aspect to the global indicator, but also ascertain the sources of the differences between the values obtained for the male and female subgroups.
Trends in Income Inequality: Evidence from Developing and Developed Countries
Authors: Makhlouf Yousef
Published: October 2022

We use a novel approach to answer questions like: is there a secular trend and shift in inequality across developing and/or developed countries? Do the developing countries converge the inequality level of developed countries? Unlike some recent studies that rely on casual observation of the time series, we conduct recent econometric techniques that allow us to check if there are statistically significant trends and whether these trends are deterministic or stochastic. We also test the inequality gap between developed countries and different developing country groups using convergence test. Using data of 34 countries over the 1960–2020 period, we find that inequality has been either increasing or stable in developed countries; in developing countries, both improvements and deterioration in inequality are observable. We show also that few developing countries reduce the inequality gap with developed countries. These heterogeneous trends suggest that the inequality in the last half-century is driven by national rather than global contexts. Our analysis of the Official Development Assistance and inequality nexus supports this inference.
Existentialism, existentialists, and Marxism: From critique to integration within the philosophical establishment in Socialist Romania
Authors: Hîncu Adela , Baghiu Ştefan
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we discuss how existentialism was criticized, disseminated, and gradually autochthonized in the main philosophical journals of Socialist Romania. We show that the early critique of existentialism was both a statement against contemporary bourgeois philosophy in general and a condemnation of the local philosophical production of the interwar period. In the 1950s, this kind of critique was attuned to the growing fame of several Romanian authors who had emigrated to the West (e.g., Emil Cioran, Mircea Eliade) and targeted both past and contemporary irrationalism. Following a period of critique of existentialism without existentialists (i.e., without reference to individual authors), the 1960s discussions of existentialism were mainly driven by interest in a small number of existentialist authors. In particular, the evolution of Jean-Paul Sartre’s work and politics was analyzed as it straddled existentialism and Marxism. The 1970s saw the integration of selected existentialist concepts and themes, in an attempt to offer a Marxist alternative to existentialism in the form of philosophical anthropology. This led to a period of engagement with existentialists without existentialism across an increasing number of separate disciplines within the humanities and social sciences. In the 1980s, following the failure of Marxist philosophical anthropology and at the height of national communism, existentialism could also be autochthonized through the recovery of selected philosophers from the interwar period whose work had been previously criticized as irrationalist.
The Psyche Gravity Investigation
Authors: Zuber Maria T. , Park Ryan S. , Elkins-Tanton Linda T. , Bell J. F. , Bruvold Kristoffer N. , Bercovici David , Bills Bruce G. , Binzel Richard P. , Jaumann R. , Marchi Simone , Raymond Carol A. , Roatsch T. , Wang Charles C. , Weiss Benjamin P. , Wenkert Daniel , Wieczorek Mark A.
Published: October 2022

The objective of the NASA Psyche mission gravity science investigation is to map the mass distribution within asteroid (16) Psyche to elucidate interior structure and to resolve the question of whether this metal-rich asteroid represents a remnant metal core or whether it is a primordial body that never melted. Measurements of gravity will be obtained via the X-band telecommunication system on the Psyche spacecraft, collected from progressively lower mapping altitudes. Orbital gravity will allow an estimate of$GM$GMto better than 0.001 km3 s−2. A spherical harmonic model of gravity to degree and order 10 will be achievable and, in concert with spherical harmonic data sets from topography and magnetometry, as well as surface composition data, will provide information regarding the spatial and radial distribution of mass that will be used to constrain the origin and evolution of (16) Psyche.
Alternative antiviral approaches to combat influenza A virus
Authors: Wong Ka Heng , Lal Sunil K.
Published: October 2022

Influenza A (IAV) is a major human respiratory pathogen that contributes to a significant threat to health security, worldwide. Despite vaccinations and previous immunisations through infections, humans can still be infected with influenza several times throughout their lives. This phenomenon is attributed to the antigenic changes of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins in IAV via genetic mutation and reassortment, conferring antigenic drift and antigenic shift, respectively. Numerous findings indicate that slow antigenic drift and reassortment-derived antigenic shift exhibited by IAV are key processes that allow IAVs to overcome the previously acquired host immunity, which eventually leads to the annual re-emergence of seasonal influenza and even pandemic influenza, in rare occasions. As a result, current therapeutic options hit a brick wall quickly. As IAV remains a constant threat for new outbreaks worldwide, the underlying processes of genetic changes and alternative antiviral approaches for IAV should be further explored to improve disease management. In the light of the above, this review discusses the characteristics and mechanisms of mutations and reassortments that contribute to IAV’s evolution. We also discuss several alternative RNA-targeting antiviral approaches, namely the CRISPR/Cas13 systems, RNA interference (RNAi), and antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) as potential antiviral approaches against IAV.
„S.P.A.S.S.“ – eine „Systemic Personal Assistance Service Solution“ zur Unterstützung von Mitarbeiter:innen zwischen sozialer Einsamkeit und Überforderung
Authors: Schiermayr Franz , Sweet Charlotte
Published: October 2022

Das beschriebene Projekt fokussiert Auslassungen der Digitalisierung insbesondere dort, wo Mitarbeitende vorwiegend im Homeoffice arbeiten. Es wurden die bereits bekannten Belastungsfaktoren bei der Nutzung digitaler Medien in einer qualitativen Erhebung bestätigt und um individuelle sowie Covid-19 bedingte Aspekte erweitert. Um den Einschränkungen durch die digitale Systematik konstruktiv entgegenzuwirken, wurde ein flexibel anwendbarer S.P.A.S.S. (Systemic Personal Assistance Service Solution) Workshop als Tool entwickelt. Dieses Coaching-Tool fördert betriebliche Kommunikation sowie die Selbstorganisation und Reflexion der Mitarbeitenden zur konstruktiven Gestaltung von Arbeit.
Reducing environmental impacts through socioeconomic transitions: critical review and prospects
Authors: Liang Sai , Zhong Qiumeng
Published: October 2022

Rapid socioeconomic development has caused numerous environmental impacts. Human production and consumption activities are the underlying drivers of resource uses, environmental emissions, and associated environmental impacts (e.g., ecosystem quality and human health). Reducing environmental impacts requires an understanding of the complex interactions between socioeconomic system and environmental system. Existing studies have explored the relationships among human society, economic system, and environmental system. However, it is unclear about the research progress in the effects of socioeconomic activities on environmental impacts and the potential directions of future research. This critical review finds that existing studies have identified critical regions, sectors, and transmission pathways for resource uses, environmental emissions, and environmental impacts from supply chain perspectives. Moreover, scholars have characterized the impacts of socioeconomic transitions on resource uses and environmental emissions. However, existing studies overlook the dynamic nature of the interconnections among human society, economic system, and environmental system. In addition, the effects of socioeconomic structural transitions on environmental impacts remain unknown. This review proposes four prospects and possible solutions that will contribute to a better understanding of the complex interactions among human society, economic system, and environmental system. They can help identify more effective solutions to reduce environmental impacts through socioeconomic transitions.
Lessons for Understanding Central Nervous System HIV Reservoirs from the Last Gift Program
Authors: Riggs Patricia K. , Chaillon Antoine , Jiang Guochun , Letendre Scott L. , Tang Yuyang , Taylor Jeff , Kaytes Andrew , Smith Davey M. , Dubé Karine , Gianella Sara
Published: October 2022

Purpose of Review

Deep tissue HIV reservoirs, especially within the central nervous system (CNS), are understudied due to the challenges of sampling brain, spinal cord, and other tissues. Understanding the cellular characteristics and viral dynamics in CNS reservoirs is critical so that HIV cure trials can address them and monitor the direct and indirect effects of interventions. The Last Gift program was developed to address these needs by enrolling altruistic people with HIV (PWH) at the end of life who agree to rapid research autopsy.

Recent Findings

Recent findings from the Last Gift emphasize significant heterogeneity across CNS reservoirs, CNS compartmentalization including differential sensitivity to broadly neutralizing antibodies, and bidirectional migration of HIV across the blood–brain barrier. Our findings add support for the potential of CNS reservoirs to be a source of rebounding viruses and reseeding of systemic sites if they are not targeted by cure strategies.

This review highlights important scientific, practical, and ethical lessons learned from the Last Gift program in the context of recent advances in understanding the CNS reservoirs and key knowledge gaps in current research.
Somatostatin-Positive Neurons in the Rostral Zona Incerta Modulate Innate Fear-Induced Defensive Response in Mice
Authors: Lin Shan , Zhu Meng-Yue , Tang Meng-Yu , Wang Mi , Yu Xiao-Dan , Zhu Yi , Xie Shi-Ze , Yang Dan , Chen Jiadong , Li Xiao-Ming
Published: October 2022

Defensive behaviors induced by innate fear or Pavlovian fear conditioning are crucial for animals to avoid threats and ensure survival. The zona incerta (ZI) has been demonstrated to play important roles in fear learning and fear memory, as well as modulating auditory-induced innate defensive behavior. However, whether the neuronal subtypes in the ZI and specific circuits can mediate the innate fear response is largely unknown. Here, we found that somatostatin (SST)-positive neurons in the rostral ZI of mice were activated by a visual innate fear stimulus. Optogenetic inhibition of SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI resulted in reduced flight responses to an overhead looming stimulus. Optogenetic activation of SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI induced fear-like defensive behavior including increased immobility and bradycardia. In addition, we demonstrated that manipulation of the GABAergic projections from SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI to the downstream nucleus reuniens (Re) mediated fear-like defensive behavior. Retrograde trans-synaptic tracing also revealed looming stimulus-activated neurons in the superior colliculus (SC) that projected to the Re-projecting SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI (SC-ZIrSST-Re pathway). Together, our study elucidates the function of SST-positive neurons in the rostral ZI and the SC-ZIrSST-Re tri-synaptic circuit in mediating the innate fear response.
“Unchain My Heart.” A Defense Industrial Policy Agenda for Germany’s Zeitenwende
Authors: Borchert Heiko , Schütz Torben , Verbovszky Joseph
Published: October 2022

A Zeitenwende that delivers one of Europe’s most powerful armed forces needs to correct the (non-existent) position of defense industrial issues within German political discourse. This paper therefore develops a defense industrial policy agenda based on four lines of effort: Make daringness Germany’s prime ambition; establish Germany as a defense industrial framework nation; promote German defense industrial diplomacy with foreign partners; solidify a true public-private defense partnership between the German government and the defense industrial base.
Minimum Power Adversarial Attacks in Communication Signal Modulation Classification with Deep Learning
Authors: Ke Da , Wang Xiang , Huang Kaizhu , Wang Haoyuan , Huang Zhitao
Published: October 2022

Integrating cognitive radio (CR) technique with wireless networks is an effective way to solve the increasingly crowded spectrum. Automatic modulation classification (AMC) plays an important role in CR. AMC significantly improves the intelligence of CR system by classifying the modulation type and signal parameters of received communication signals. AMC can provide more information for decision making of the CR system. In addition, AMC can help the CR system dynamically adjust the modulation type and coding rate of the communication signal to adapt to different channel qualities, and the AMC technique help eliminate the cost of broadcast modulation type and coding rate. Deep learning (DL) has recently emerged as one most popular method in AMC of communication signals. Despite their success, DL models have recently been shown vulnerable to adversarial attacks in pattern recognition and computer vision. Namely, they can be easily deceived if a small and carefully designed perturbation called an adversarial attack is imposed on the input, typically an image in pattern recognition. Owing to the very different nature of communication signals, it is interesting yet crucially important to study if adversarial perturbation could also fool AMC. In this paper, we make a first attempt to investigate how we can design a special adversarial attack on AMC. we start from the assumption of a linear binary classifier which is further extended to multi-way classifier. We consider the minimum power consumption that is different from existing adversarial perturbation but more reasonable in the context of AMC. We then develop a novel adversarial perturbation generation method that leads to high attack success to communication signals. Experimental results on real data show that the method is able to successfully spoof the 11-class modulation classification at a model with a minimum cost of about − 21 dB in automatic modulation classification task. The visualization results demonstrate that the adversarial perturbation manifests in the time domain as imperceptible undulations of the signal, and in the frequency domain as small noise outside the signal band.
Transformer-based models for multimodal irony detection
Authors: Tomás David , Ortega-Bueno Reynier , Zhang Guobiao , Rosso Paolo , Schifanella Rossano
Published: October 2022

Irony is nowadays a pervasive phenomenon in social networks. The multimodal functionalities of these platforms (i.e., the possibility to attach audio, video, and images to textual information) are increasingly leading their users to employ combinations of information in different formats to express their ironic thoughts. The present work focuses on the study of irony detection in social media posts involving image and text. To this end, a transformer architecture for the fusion of textual and image information is proposed. The model leverages disentangled text attention with visual transformers, improving F1-score up to 9% over previous existing works in the field and current state-of-the-art visio-linguistic transformers. The proposed architecture was evaluated in three different multimodal datasets gathered from Twitter and Tumblr. The results revealed that, in many situations, the text-only version of the architecture was able to capture the ironic nature of the message without using visual information. This phenomenon was further analysed, leading to the identification of linguistic patterns that could provide the context necessary for irony detection without the need for additional visual information.