bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Taxing energy to tackle greenhouse gases: evaluating the role of financial risk in high-income economies
Authors: Hassan Taimoor
Published: November 2023

Energy, a basic input to the economic system, plays a pivotal function in development; at the same time, it raises concerns and hurdles to global economies as a result of negative externalities associated with its usage. Economies set various measures to limit these negative externalities and encourage citizens toward renewable energy utilization. Considering a panel of high-income economies over the period of 1990–2020, we empirically examine whether energy-related tax policies (ENT) are helpful to tackle the issue of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions (ENGHGs). Furthermore, we also investigate the role of digitalization (DIG) and financial risk (FINR) for its possible impact on ENGHGs. The advanced econometric techniques include diagnostic tests, Method of Moment Quantile Regression (MMQR), for robustness validation quantile regression, and finally Dumitrescu and Hurlin panel causality check. The findings reveal that ENT policies of selected economies are not helpful to limit ENGHGs in 25th and 50th quantiles effectively. Nevertheless, due to the progressive rise in ENT in the 75th and 90th quantiles, ENT significantly helps to smoothen the path towards a sustainable future. Furthermore, GDP increases, while improvement in FINR decreases ENGHGs. As the selected economies are developed and high-income, it is suggested that a progressive rise in ENT may further limit the issue of ENGHGs.
Hyperoxia can Induce Lung Injury by Upregulating AECII Autophagy and Apoptosis Via the mTOR Pathway
Authors: Ren Yingcong , Qin Song , Liu Xinxin , Feng Banghai , Liu Junya , Zhang Jing , Yuan Ping , Yu Kun , Mei Hong , Chen Miao
Published: November 2023

Oxygen therapy is a crucial medical intervention, but it is undeniable that it can lead to lung damage. The mTOR pathway plays a pivotal role in governing cell survival, including autophagy and apoptosis, two phenomena deeply entwined with the evolution of diseases. However, it is unclarified whether the mTOR pathway is involved in hyperoxic acute lung injury (HALI). The current study aims to clarify the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of HALI by constructing in vitro and in vivo models using H2O2 and hyperoxia exposure, respectively. To investigate the role of mTOR, the experiment was divided into five groups, including normal group, injury group, mTOR inhibitor group, mTOR activator group, and DMSO control group. Western blotting, Autophagy double labeling, TUNEL staining, and HE staining were applied to evaluate protein expression, autophagy activity, cell apoptosis, and pathological changes in lung tissues. Our data revealed that hyperoxia can induce autophagy and apoptosis in Type II alveolar epithelial cell (AECII) isolated from the treated rats, as well as injuries in the rat lung tissues; also, H2O2 stimulation increased autophagy and apoptosis in MLE-12 cells. Noticeably, the experiments performed in both in vitro and in vivo models proved that the mTOR inhibitor Rapamycin (Rapa) functioned synergistically with hyperoxia or H2O2 to promote AECII autophagy, which led to increased apoptosis and exacerbated lung injury. On the contrary, activation of mTOR with MHY1485 suppressed autophagy activity, consequently resulting in reduced apoptosis and lung injury in H2O2-challenged MLE-12 cells and hyperoxia-exposed rats. In conclusion, hyperoxia caused lung injury via mTOR-mediated AECII autophagy.
Neuritic Plaques — Gateways to Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Tsering Wangchen , Prokop Stefan
Published: November 2023

Extracellular deposits of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the form of plaques are one of the main pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Over the years, many different Aβ plaque morphologies such as neuritic plaques, dense cored plaques, cotton wool plaques, coarse-grain plaques, and diffuse plaques have been described in AD postmortem brain tissues, but correlation of a given plaque type with AD progression or AD symptoms is not clear. Furthermore, the exact trigger causing the development of one Aβ plaque morphological subtype over the other is still unknown. Here, we review the current knowledge about neuritic plaques, a subset of Aβ plaques surrounded by swollen or dystrophic neurites, which represent the most detrimental and consequential Aβ plaque morphology. Neuritic plaques have been associated with local immune activation, neuronal network dysfunction, and cognitive decline. Given that neuritic plaques are at the interface of Aβ deposition, tau aggregation, and local immune activation, we argue that understanding the exact mechanism of neuritic plaque formation is crucial to develop targeted therapies for AD.
The Remarkable Diversity of Parasitic Flowering Plants in Colombia
Authors: González Favio , Pabón-Mora Natalia
Published: November 2023

Parasitic plants have evolved independently in 12 Angiosperm orders. Nine of them (Boraginales, Cucurbitales, Ericales, Lamiales, Laurales, Malvales, Santalales, Solanales, and Zygophyllales) are represented in Colombia by 17 families, 44 genera and 246 species, including facultative (37) and obligate (187) hemiparasites, holoexoparasites (19) and holoendoparasites (3). Cladocolea coriacea (Loranthaceae) is reported for the first time in Colombia. One genus (Sanguisuga, Cytinaceae) and 69 species (28.04%) are endemic to the country. Endemism decreases with elevation, ranging from 26 species (37.68%) below 1000 m, to one species (1.44%) above 4000 m. Speciation in Aetanthus, Psittacanthus and Tristerix (Loranthaceae), Dendrophthora and Phoradendron (Viscaceae), and Castilleja and Neobartsia (Orobanchaceae) was likely prompted by the Andean uplift. The highest number of species (169) are found in the Andean Region, whereas the Orinoco Region contains the lowest number (29). Dry forests and thickets, and coastal vegetation of the Caribbean Region are the preferred ecosystems for Krameria (Krameriaceae), Sanguisuga, Acanthosyris (Cervantesiaceae), Maracanthus (Loranthaceae), Ximenia (Ximeniaceae), Lennoa (Ehretiaceae), and Anisantherina (Orobanchaceae). Orobanche minor, recently introduced to the country, is the only potential weed for crops between 2500 and 3200 m in the Eastern Cordillera. Convergent lifeforms include: the obligate, twining stem holoparasitic Cassytha (Lauraceae) and Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae); the root holoexoparasitic Sanguisuga, Mitrastemon (Mitrastemonaceae), all Balanophoraceae, and Lennoa; and the root obligate hemiparasitic Krameria, Gaiadendron (Loranthaceae), and all Cervantesiaceae, Opiliaceae, Schoepfiaceae, Strombosiaceae and Ximeniaceae. Holoendoparasitism occurs only in Apodanthaceae, whereas root facultative hemiparasitism is restricted to the Orobanchaceae.
Influence of Various Alloying Element Additions on Microstructure and Magnetic and Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Behavior of Cast Fe–Ga–Z Shape Memory Alloys
Authors: El-Bagoury Nader , El-Hadad Shimaa , Shoeib Madiha
Published: November 2023

Fe–Ga alloys are attractive materials where high mechanical strength, toughness, ductility, and large low-field magnetostriction combine to give unique properties. Adding alloying elements is an effective method to further enhance these properties. In order to integrate these alloys into the operating environments, e.g., micro-robots and magnetic actuators, the corrosion behavior should be addressed. This work analyzed the microstructure, magnetization, hardness, and corrosion properties of Fe81Ga19−xZx (X = 5 at.% of Ni, Mn, or Ti, and 2 at.% Al; separately) alloys. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope-electron (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Vickers hardness (HV), and a potentiostat were used for characterization. XRD revealed that the prominent peak belongs to the bcc disorder A2 phase and a small peak for the cubic order L12 phase. Fe–Ga–Al alloy got the maximum Ms value, while Fe–Ga–Mn alloy gained the lowest one. However, the Mr and Hc properties for Fe–Ga alloy were distinctly improved by adding Al but slightly affected by doping Mn. Addition of Ti achieved the highest hardness, followed by Ni, Mn, and Al. The microstructure of the different alloys significantly influenced their corrosion behavior. Fe–Ga–Mn alloy with the fine globular grain structure showed the lowest corrosion rate (C R = 0.03 mm/year), whereas Fe–Ga–Al alloy with the coarse longitudinal grains exhibited the highest corrosion rate (C R = 0.19 mm/year).
CHA2DS2-VASc score as a predictor of clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with and without chronic kidney disease
Authors: Gigante Antonietta , Imbimbo Giovanni , Andreini Martina , Proietti Marco , Palladino Mariangela , Molfino Alessio , Alunni Fegatelli Danilo , Muscaritoli Maurizio
Published: November 2023

Background

High CHA2DS2-VASc score (Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age > 75 years, Diabetes mellitus, prior Stroke or transient ischemic attack or thromboembolism, Vascular disease, Age 65–74 and Sex category) was associated with adverse clinical outcomes in different settings.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between CHA2DS2-VASc score and R2CHA2DS2-VASc score (which includes renal impairment) with in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay in patients hospitalized in an internal medicine ward.

Methods

We enrolled 983 consecutive patients admitted during 3 years in an internal medicine ward. R2CHA2DS2-VASc score was calculated by adding 2 points to CHA2DS2-VASc for the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined according to K-DOQI. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality and length of hospital stay > 10 days.

Results

Patients with CKD stages 3–5 presented with increased CHA2DS2-VASc vs stages 1–2 (p < 0.001). The composite outcome occurred in 47.3% of inpatients. Multivariable linear logistic regression analyses adjusted for presence of infectious diseases and cancer, with the occurrence of composite outcome showed an adjusted OR of 1.349 (95% CI 1.248–1.462) and 1.254 (95% CI 1.179–1.336) for CHA2DS2-VASc and R2CHA2DS2-VASc scores, respectively. No differences were found in the association between CHA2DS2-VASc and R2CHA2DS2-VASc scores with the composite outcome (AUC 0.631 vs 0.630), and furthermore, adding the presence/absence of infectious diseases during hospitalization and positive cancer history to the models increased the AUC (0.667 and 0.663).

Conclusions

Incrementally higher CHA2DS2-VASc score is associated with increased length of hospital stay and mortality in patients hospitalized in an internal medicine ward, regardless of the presence of CKD.

Graphical abstract
Developing Chinese Private International Law for Transnational Civil and Commercial Litigation: The 2024 New Chinese Civil Procedure Law
Authors: Huang Jie
Published: November 2023

On 1 September 2023, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress amended the Chinese Civil Procedure Law which will come into effect on 1 January 2024 (‘the 2024 CPL’). The 2024 CPL brings significant changes to the entire procedure of transnational civil and commercial litigation in China covering jurisdiction, service of process, the taking of evidence abroad, and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. It is critical for foreign states, courts, and parties which conduct business in China to understand this new legal development and to prepare for the changes. Adopting comparative-law and empirical research methods, this commentary aims to explain the new provisions for transnational civil litigation in the 2024 CPL and how they may be implemented in practice.
Zeros transfer for recursively defined polynomials
Authors: Heim Bernhard , Neuhauser Markus , Tröger Robert
Published: November 2023

The zeros of D’Arcais polynomials, also known as Nekrasov–Okounkov polynomials, dictate the vanishing of the Fourier coefficients of powers of the Dedekind eta functions. These polynomials satisfy difference equations of hereditary type with non-constant coefficients. We relate the D’Arcais polynomials to polynomials satisfying a Volterra difference equation of convolution type. We obtain results on the transfer of the location of the zeros. As an application, we obtain an identity between Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind and 1-associated Laguerre polynomials. We obtain a new version of the Lehmer conjecture and bounds for the zeros of the Hermite polynomials.
Towards Safe Autonomous Driving: Decision Making with Observation-Robust Reinforcement Learning
Authors: He Xiangkun , Lv Chen
Published: November 2023

Most real-world situations involve unavoidable measurement noises or perception errors which result in unsafe decision making or even casualty in autonomous driving. To address these issues and further improve safety, automated driving is required to be capable of handling perception uncertainties. Here, this paper presents an observation-robust reinforcement learning against observational uncertainties to realize safe decision making for autonomous vehicles. Specifically, an adversarial agent is trained online to generate optimal adversarial attacks on observations, which attempts to amplify the average variation distance on perturbed policies. In addition, an observation-robust actor-critic approach is developed to enable the agent to learn the optimal policies and ensure that the changes of the policies perturbed by optimal adversarial attacks remain within a certain bound. Lastly, the safe decision making scheme is evaluated on a lane change task under complex highway traffic scenarios. The results show that the developed approach can ensure autonomous driving performance, as well as the policy robustness against adversarial attacks on observations.
Curing treatments of silica gel for fire-retardant glass by intumescence
Authors: Cotini Oscar , Ataollahi Narges , Di Maggio Rosa
Published: November 2023

Silica hydrogels are used as fire-retardant materials due to the occurrence of intumescence that limits heat and mass transfer. They act as heat-sink, through continuous endothermic condensation reactions, meantime shrinking to a more connected network, towards the correspondent crystalline compound. Which compositions and treatments amplify this phenomenon is still of interest. To this aim, two silica sols containing two different complexing agents: ethylene glycol and glycerol has been prepared and analyzed. The samples were subjected to different treatments to induce gelation and densification: exposure to ultraviolet or microwave or infrared irradiation. Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) and scanning electron microscopy analyses has been also carried out. Moreover, dynamic mechanical spectroscopy (DMS) let to evaluate simultaneously the mechanical and intumescence behavior of the gels at increasing curing times for each type of irradiation. Intumescence of gels occurs up to 200 °C and appears as an endothermal group of peaks visible on the heat-flux DSC curves. DMS analyses let to assess that a MW cured glycerol-containing gel (GL-0-MW 6d) shows a glass transition above 150 °C, measured as the maximum of damping peak. Accordingly, this sample is a good option for the application: a few bubbles nucleate and grow fast at high temperature.

Article Highlights

Transparent fire doors contain silica gel, which absorbs heat and releases water by foaming. Two different silica gels were synthetized using different chelating agents.

The foaming depends on the reagents used to produce the gel, on the treatments for stabilizing it and also on ageing.

Both foaming and consolidation of the gel were studied with thermogravimetric and dynamic-mechanical analysis.
The impact of increasing non-albicans Candida trends on diagnostics in immunocompromised patients
Authors: Abdel-Hamid Rasha M. , El-Mahallawy Hadir A. , Abdelfattah Nesma E. , Wassef Mona A.
Published: November 2023

Invasive candidiasis (IC) represents a growing concern worldwide, with a considerable increase in non-albicans Candida (NAC) species. The study's primary goal was to determine if species identification by semi-nested PCR (sn-PCR) with primers for the five most prevalent Candida species is sufficient to deal with the current trends of Candida infections in cancer patients. Over one year, Candida isolates were collected from samples of patients with hematological and solid organ tumors in a single center. Species of Candida were identified by chromagar and multiplex sn-PCR using specific primers for Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, and the Candida parapsilosis complex. Most Candida infection episodes are caused by NAC species (70.5% of 105 isolates). Rare species (14 isolates) accounted for 13.3% of isolates and were not identified by sn-PCR using the five most common Candida species primers. More than half of these rare species caused candidemia in cancer patients (57.1%; p = 0.011). The risk factor for candidiasis was recent surgeries (p = 0.020) in adults and chemotherapy in pediatric patients (p = 0.006). Prolonged hospitalization and genitourinary tract cancer were significantly associated with invasive infections (p = 0.005 and 0.049, respectively). Recent surgery was a significant risk factor associated with C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata infections (P = 0.038 and 0.003, respectively), while C. tropicalis was significantly more common in patients with hematological malignancies (P = 0.012). Techniques with a broader identification spectrum than the major five Candida species are crucial for the optimal management of cancer patients.
“Boys Love Boy Toys”: a qualitative study exploring the role of fathers in young boys’ gendered toy preferences
Authors: Tesolin Julia , Lo Elsa
Published: November 2023

Children come to understand the concept of gender and learn to differentiate roles and norms on the basis of gender in early childhood. By interacting with individuals in their social contexts (i.e., family and peers), children are taught about gender norms and expectations, and as a result, learn to negotiate their own identities within different contexts. Parents have an especially important role in how children come to understand their own gender identity, as they have the ability to shape their childrens’ behaviors by endorsing certain gender stereotypes (e.g., girls wear pink, and boys play with trucks). For young boys, their fathers are a key socialization agent in their gender development, as they convey both implicitly and explicitly, gender-appropriate ways of being. Fathers may endorse ideas of traditional masculinity, which constrain boys to conform to the expected male norms, and discourages them from engaging in perceived feminine behaviors, such as cross-gender play. Accordingly, young boys are often expected to prove their manhood by marking their masculinity against femininity, in a power struggle where they are trying to get their gender right. Based on established and current literature in the field of gender identity development and masculinity in early childhood, this qualitative study aimed to explore young boys’ existing working schema of masculinity and the role that their fathers play in shaping it. Participants included six father–son pairs, with boys (ages 4–6) and their fathers (ages 34–37). Fathers were first asked to complete an adapted version of the Child-Rearing Sex-Role Attitude Scale, which assessed their attitudes and beliefs about gender-related toys, activities, and behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with the father–son pairs, where they participated in a series of toy-preference activities in a virtual game. Descriptive coding and content analysis were used to analyze the responses boys provided for their toy preferences. Boys reported having a more stereotyped definition of “girl toys” than of “boy toys”, as reflected in their choices of toys that they felt that only girls would like to play with. Fathers’ self-described beliefs reported on the Child-Rearing Sex-Role Attitude Scale were similarly reflected in their behaviours and comments during the interviews with their sons, such that fathers who shared stereotypical beliefs about gender-related behaviours and activities on the scale, engaged in behaviours which corresponded to their beliefs when interacting with their sons. Implications for families and educators are discussed.
Performance Evaluation on Parallel Speculation-Based Construction of a Binary Search Tree
Authors: Hirata Hiroaki , Nunome Atsushi
Published: November 2023

Binary search trees (BSTs) are one of the most important data structures in the field of computer science. We may easily write a parallel construction program of a BST by extending the sequential algorithm straightly. However, in such conventional approaches, the order of nodes inserted into a BST is determined dynamically, depending on the occasional state of the parallel thread execution. It results in a BST with a different structure (node position) generated on every execution of the parallel program. On the other hand, we have been developing parallel construction schemes of the BST with the same structure as a BST generated by the sequential algorithm. One is the speculatively parallel construction of a BST. And another is the purely (non-speculatively) parallel construction, but it was derived through the concept of thread-level speculation. This paper evaluates the performances of those construction schemes on several types of shared-memory multiprocessors. For the large enough size of BST, our new parallel programs can construct a BST with always the same structure on a little lower or sometimes higher performance than the program that makes a BST with a different structure on every execution. And in contrast with the general expectation that simply enlarging the size of parallel tasks increases misspeculation and damages the performance, we found that it sometimes enhances the performance of speculatively parallel execution.
Creative Classical Translation
Authors: Nikolaou Paschalis
Published: November 2023

This Element surveys transmissions of ancient Greek and Latin texts into anglophone literatures, often straddling boundaries between translational responsibility and adaptive, re-creative textual practices. Attention to manifestations of and reasons for versioning, retranslation, hybridity, and translation as experiment, compels an introductory discussion of evolving tendencies of classical reception; with particular dispositions relating to a sociocultural context such as that of the United States observed in Section 3. The role paratexts play in the dialogue between scholarship, literary art, and performance, is the focus of Section 4, while Section 2 presents readers with a range of English responses to Homer. Creativity through sites and positions of translation is a defining feature of the workings of literary traditions; and of antiquity and modernity, in constant dialogue. This Element explores numerous textual manifestations and reasons for invention, along with integrations of thinking on classical translation over the centuries, helping shape present-day translation studies.
Wellbeing Convene during COVID-19: A pilot intervention for improving wellbeing and social connectedness for staff, students, residents, and faculty
Authors: Shroff Farah M. , Mehta Darshan H.
Published: November 2023

Background:

Canada is facing its worst crisis among healthcare workers in recent healthcare history. Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and severe burnout are higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. University Faculties of Medicine (FoMs) are vital to healthcare systems. Not only are they responsible for training personnel, but clinicians and staff from FoMs often work directly within healthcare systems. FoMs include students, staff, residents, faculty members, residents, researchers, and others, many experiencing higher stress levels due to pandemic tensions. Most FoMs emphasize cognitive and psychomotor learning needs. On the other hand, affective learning needs are not as well addressed within most FoMs. Finding innovative means to ameliorate mental and emotional health status, particularly at this critical juncture, will improve health and wellness, productivity, and retention. This article discusses a pilot program, Wellbeing Convene during COVID-19, in a Canadian FoM, which aimed to (1) provide staff, faculty, residents, and students with a toolkit for greater wellbeing and (2) build a sense of community during isolating times.

Results:

Participants found the program beneficial in both regards. We recommend that these kinds of programs be permanently available to all members in FoMs, at no cost. Wellness programs alone, however, will not solve the root causes of mental and emotional stress, often based on concerns related to finances, hierarchical workplace structures, and nature of the work itself, among other factors.

Conclusion:

Addressing the mental and emotional health of people in FoMs is vital to improving productivity and reducing stress of FoMs, healthcare professionals, and, ultimately, patients.
Deciphering stable water isotope records of firn cores from a strongly maritime, high-accumulation site on the Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Hoffmann-Abdi Kirstin , Meyer Hanno , Fernandoy Francisco , Freitag Johannes , Shaw Fyntan M. , Werner Martin , Thomas Elizabeth R. , McConnell Joseph R. , Schneider Christoph
Published: November 2023

Stable water isotope records of six firn cores retrieved from two adjacent plateaus on the northern Antarctic Peninsula between 2014 and 2016 are presented and investigated for their connections with firn-core glacio-chemical data, meteorological records and modelling results. Average annual accumulation rates of 2500 kg m−2 a−1 largely reduce the modification of isotopic signals in the snowpack by post-depositional processes, allowing excellent signal preservation in space and time. Comparison of firn-core and ECHAM6-wiso modelled δ18O and d-excess records reveals a large agreement on annual and sub-annual scales, suggesting firn-core stable water isotopes to be representative of specific synoptic situations. The six firn cores exhibit highly similar isotopic patterns in the overlapping period (2013), which seem to be related to temporal changes in moisture sources rather than local near-surface air temperatures. Backward trajectories calculated with the HYSPLIT model suggest that prominent δ18O minima in 2013 associated with elevated sea salt concentrations are related to long-range moisture transport dominated by westerly winds during positive SAM phases. In contrast, a broad δ18O maximum in the same year accompanied by increased concentrations of black carbon and mineral dust corresponds to the advection of more locally derived moisture with northerly flow components (South America) when the SAM is negative.
Transnational Jewish Politics in the Interwar Period: Berlin Rabbi Joachim Prinz and the Yugoslav Zionists
Authors: Jünger David , Vulesica Marija
Published: November 2023

This article explores the journey of Berlin Rabbi Joachim Prinz (1902–1988) to Yugoslavia at the invitation of Zagreb Zionist leader Lavoslav Schick (1881–1941) in late 1935. It examines the transnational cooperation between German and Yugoslav Zionists in the interwar period and their efforts to cope with the plight of German and southeastern European Jewry alike. Although Jewish representatives of different countries cooperated intensively during the interwar period, we know little about it. Thus, this article intervenes in current research on European Jewish history and contributes to a growing interest in the transnational entanglements of European Jewry and Jewish politics in the 1930s and early 1940s by focusing on two important protagonists of Jewish interwar politics in Germany and Yugoslavia.
Censoring Our History
Authors: Lownie Andrew
Published: November 2023

Andrew Lownie recounts how he became the victim of state surveillance as a result of his successful efforts to secure the release of the personal diaries and letters of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten – bought by the University of Southampton with public funds to be open to researchers – in what became the largest-ever release of material under Freedom of Information (FOI), 33,000 pages, but which personally cost him over £400,000 in legal fees. Drawing on his own research experiences, he also describes the failure of government departments to deposit records at the National Archives as required by statute, the techniques public authorities use to frustrate FOI requests and suggests how FOI could be improved. All of this curation, he argues, leads to a distortion of the historical record and the censoring of our history.
Place for sociohydrology in sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture: Review and ways forward
Authors: Adla Soham , Pande Saket , Vico Giulia , Vora Shuchi , Alam Mohammad Faiz , Basel Britt , Haeffner Melissa , Sivapalan Murugesu
Published: November 2023

Given the increasing demand for high-quality food and protein, global food security remains a challenge, particularly in the face of global change. However, since agriculture, food and water security are inextricably linked, they need to be examined via an interdisciplinary lens. Sociohydrology was introduced from a post-positivist perspective to explore and describe the bidirectional feedbacks and dynamics between human and water systems. This review situates sociohydrology in the agricultural domain, highlighting its contributions in explaining the unintended consequences of water management interventions, addressing climate change impacts due to/on agriculture and incorporating human behaviour into the description of agricultural water systems. Sociohydrology has combined social and psychological insights with novel data sources and diverse multi-method approaches to model human behaviour. However, as agriculture and agriculturalists face global change, sociohydrology can better use concepts from resilience thinking more explicitly to identify gaps in terms of desirable properties in resilient agricultural water systems, potentially informing more holistic climate adaptation policy.
Attribution of Lake Surface Water Temperature Change in Large Lakes Across China Over Past Four Decades
Authors: Huang Ling , Wang Xuhui , Yan Yanzi , Jin Lei , Yang Kun , Chen Anping , Zheng Rongshun , Ottlé Catherine , Wang Chenzhi , Cui Yaokui , Piao Shilong
Published: November 2023

Lake surface water temperature (LSWT) is a key parameter in lake energy budget and is highly vulnerable to climate change. However, the long‐term trends in LSWT across China and their driving factors remain uncertain. Here, we used a calibrated lake model to simulate LSWT over 1979–2018 for 91 large lakes (>100 km2) across China. Simulations reveal an overall LSWT warming trend (0.040°C yr−1, p < 0.05), but with large spatial variations. The majority of these lakes show significant warming trends (84%, 0.053°C yr−1), while a significant cooling trend is found in the seven lakes in the northwestern Tibetan Plateau (−0.064°C yr−1). LSWT of approximately 42% of the lakes increases more rapidly than the corresponding ambient air temperature. Regionally, the warming trend is highest for lakes in the Eastern Plain (0.049°C yr−1) and the lowest in the Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau (0.016°C yr−1). The increases in simulated LSWT also vary across seasons, with a higher rate in winter and spring than in summer and autumn. Changes in air temperature, downward longwave radiation, and wind speed are the most important climatic drivers for LSWT changes. Lake surface warming could be more rapid under future global warming, necessitating greater attention to lake‐atmosphere interactions.
Wave Attenuation by Sea Ice in the Arctic Marginal Ice Zone Observed by Spaceborne SAR
Authors: Huang Bing Qing , Li Xiao‐Ming
Published: November 2023

Attenuation of ocean waves by ice is a crucial process of the interaction between waves and sea ice in marginal ice zone (MIZ), while such interaction can contribute to the retreating of sea ice in the Arctic. Based on the retrieved two‐dimensional ocean wave spectra by spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar, we investigated the attenuation of ocean waves in the MIZ in Svalbard and Greenland. The results show that the energy attenuation rate ranges from 0.126 × 10−4/m to 0.618 × 10−4/m. Quantitative analysis suggests that the attenuation rate is significantly related to wave height and peak wave period of coming waves. It is further found that the waves decay faster in the area with ice thickness exceeding 0.5 m. We compared the derived wave attenuation rates in the present study with those in previous studies based on in situ measurements, which reveals that waves are becoming less attenuated by sea ice in the Arctic.
Block‐Grain Phase Transition in Rock Avalanches: Insights From Large‐Scale Experiments
Authors: Zhang Shi‐Lin , Yin Yue‐Ping , Hu Xie‐Wen , Wang Wen‐Pei , He Xu‐Rong
Published: November 2023

Knowledge of the processes and effects of the block‐grain phase transition in a fragmented system is essential for investigating rock avalanches. Several series of experiments are performed with a very large apparatus, using a jointed block, simulated by an assembly of packed breakable subblocks varying in configuration, as an analog for brittle rock. The analog jointed block is released from a hopper, moves on two inclined flumes with different slopes, and finally deposits on a horizontal platform. The block‐grain phase transition occurs, caused by subblock collisions and explosive impacts with the flume bottom. The dynamic behavior, seismic signal, fragment characteristic, and deposit structure of the analog material are determined. Our results demonstrate that fragmentation influences energy dissipation and momentum transfer, as well as subsequent flow and emplacement processes. A nonunified and piecewise relationship between the fragmentation degree and friction coefficients is observed. We ascribe this nonunified relationship to the varying dynamics and runout regimes that different configurations of jointed blocks undergo. The positive or negative feedback on energy generated by fragmentation is closely associated with the energy budget involved in this fragmented system, which depends substantively on the block configuration. Particularly, for flatter or larger jointed blocks, despite increased fragmentation absorbing the available energy for runout, it simultaneously changes the runout regime toward a more energy‐efficient one, thus instigating positive feedback. Our study further highlights the contribution of post‐fragmentation granular flow to the energy system.
Discretizing continuous variables in nutrition and obesity research: a practice that needs to be cut short
Authors: Morera Osvaldo F. , Dane’el Mosi I. , Smith Brandt A. , Redelfs Alisha H. , Ruiz Sarah L. , Preacher Kristopher J. , Whigham Leah D.
Published: November 2023

Background/objectives

Nutrition and obesity researchers often dichotomize or discretize continuous independent variables to conduct an analysis of variance to examine group differences. We describe consequences associated with dichotomizing and discretizing continuous variables using two cross-sectional studies related to nutrition.

Subjects/methods

Study 1 investigated the effects of health literacy and nutrition knowledge on nutrition label accuracy (n = 612). Study 2 investigated the effects of cognitive restraint and BMI on fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake (n = 586). We compare analytic approaches where continuous independent variables were either discretized/dichotomized or analyzed as continuous variables.

Results

In Study 1, dichotomization of health literacy and nutrition knowledge for 2 × 2 ANOVA revealed health literacy had an effect on nutrition label accuracy. Nutrition knowledge has an effect on nutrition label accuracy, but the health literacy by nutrition knowledge interaction was not significant. When analyzed using regression, the nutrition knowledge effect was significant. The simple effect of health literacy was also significant when health literacy equals zero. Finally, the quadratic effect of health literacy was negative and significant. In Study 2, dichotomization and discretization of cognitive restraint and BMI were used for three ANOVAs, which discretized BMI in three ways. For all ANOVAs, the BMI main effect for predicting fruit and vegetable intake was significant, the interaction between BMI and cognitive restraint was non-significant, and cognitive restraint was only significant when both variables were dichotomized. When analyzed using regression, the continuous mean-centered variables, and their interaction each significantly predicted F/V intake.

Conclusions

Dichotomizing continuous independent variables resulted in distortions of effect sizes across studies, an inability to assess the quadratic effect of health literacy, and an inability to detect the moderating effect of BMI. We discourage researchers from dichotomizing and discretizing continuous independent variables and instead use multiple regression to examine relationships between continuous independent and dependent variables.
The impact of placental genomic risk for schizophrenia and birth asphyxia on brain development
Authors: Wortinger Laura A. , Shadrin Alexey A. , Szabo Attila , Nerland Stener , Smelror Runar Elle , Jørgensen Kjetil Nordbø , Barth Claudia , Andreou Dimitrios , Thoresen Marianne , Andreassen Ole A. , Djurovic Srdjan , Ursini Gianluca , Agartz Ingrid
Published: November 2023

The placenta plays a role in fetal brain development, and pregnancy and birth complications can be signs of placental dysfunction. Birth asphyxia is associated with smaller head size and higher risk of developing schizophrenia (SZ), but whether birth asphyxia and placental genomic risk factors associated with SZ are related and how they might impact brain development is unclear. 433 adult patients with SZ and 870 healthy controls were clinically evaluated and underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging. Pregnancy and birth information were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) from the latest genome-wide association study in SZ were differentiated into placental PRS (PlacPRS) and non-placental PRS. If the interaction between PRSs and birth asphyxia on case-control status was significant, neonatal head circumference (nHC) and adult intracranial volume (ICV) were further evaluated with these variables using multiple regression. PlacPRS in individuals with a history of birth asphyxia was associated with a higher likelihood of being a patient with SZ (t = 2.10, p = 0.018). We found a significant interaction between PlacPRS and birth asphyxia on nHC in the whole sample (t = −2.43, p = 0.008), with higher placental PRS for SZ associated with lower nHC in those with birth asphyxia. This relationship was specific to males (t = −2.71, p = 0.005) and also found with their adult ICV (t = −1.97, p = 0.028). These findings suggest that placental pathophysiology and birth asphyxia may affect early and late trajectories of brain development, particularly in males with a higher vulnerability to SZ. This knowledge might lead to new strategies of treatment and prevention in SZ.
Inadequate structural constraint on Fab approach rather than paratope elicitation limits HIV-1 MPER vaccine utility
Authors: Tan Kemin , Chen Junjian , Kaku Yu , Wang Yi , Donius Luke , Khan Rafiq Ahmad , Li Xiaolong , Richter Hannah , Seaman Michael S. , Walz Thomas , Hwang Wonmuk , Reinherz Ellis L. , Kim Mikyung
Published: November 2023

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against HIV-1 target conserved envelope (Env) epitopes to block viral replication. Here, using structural analyses, we provide evidence to explain why a vaccine targeting the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of HIV-1 elicits antibodies with human bnAb-like paratopes paradoxically unable to bind HIV-1. Unlike in natural infection, vaccination with MPER/liposomes lacks a necessary structure-based constraint to select for antibodies with an adequate approach angle. Consequently, the resulting Abs cannot physically access the MPER crawlspace on the virion surface. By studying naturally arising Abs, we further reveal that flexibility of the human IgG3 hinge mitigates the epitope inaccessibility and additionally facilitates Env spike protein crosslinking. Our results suggest that generation of IgG3 subtype class-switched B cells is a strategy for anti-MPER bnAb induction. Moreover, the findings illustrate the need to incorporate topological features of the target epitope in immunogen design.
Unveiling the double-peak structure of quantum oscillations in the specific heat
Authors: Yang Zhuo , Fauqué Benoît , Nomura Toshihiro , Shitaokoshi Takashi , Kim Sunghoon , Chowdhury Debanjan , Pribulová Zuzana , Kačmarčík Jozef , Pourret Alexandre , Knebel Georg , Aoki Dai , Klein Thierry , Maude Duncan K. , Marcenat Christophe , Kohama Yoshimitsu
Published: November 2023

Quantum oscillation phenomenon is an essential tool to understand the electronic structure of quantum matter. Here we report a systematic study of quantum oscillations in the electronic specific heat Cel in natural graphite. We show that the crossing of a single spin Landau level and the Fermi energy give rise to a double-peak structure, in striking contrast to the single peak expected from Lifshitz-Kosevich theory. Intriguingly, the double-peak structure is predicted by the kernel term for Cel/T in the free electron theory. The Cel/T represents a spectroscopic tuning fork of width 4.8kBT which can be tuned at will to resonance. Using a coincidence method, the double-peak structure can be used to accurately determine the Landé g-factors of quantum materials. More generally, the tuning fork can be used to reveal any peak in fermionic density of states tuned by magnetic field, such as Lifshitz transition in heavy-fermion compounds.
Developing a class of dual atom materials for multifunctional catalytic reactions
Authors: Wang Xingkun , Xu Liangliang , Li Cheng , Zhang Canhui , Yao Hanxu , Xu Ren , Cui Peixin , Zheng Xusheng , Gu Meng , Lee Jinwoo , Jiang Heqing , Huang Minghua
Published: November 2023

Dual atom catalysts, bridging single atom and metal/alloy nanoparticle catalysts, offer more opportunities to enhance the kinetics and multifunctional performance of oxygen reduction/evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions. However, the rational design of efficient multifunctional dual atom catalysts remains a blind area and is challenging. In this study, we achieved controllable regulation from Co nanoparticles to CoN4 single atoms to Co2N5 dual atoms using an atomization and sintering strategy via an N-stripping and thermal-migrating process. More importantly, this strategy could be extended to the fabrication of 22 distinct dual atom catalysts. In particular, the Co2N5 dual atom with tailored spin states could achieve ideally balanced adsorption/desorption of intermediates, thus realizing superior multifunctional activity. In addition, it endows Zn-air batteries with long-term stability for 800 h, allows water splitting to continuously operate for 1000 h, and can enable solar-powered water splitting systems with uninterrupted large-scale hydrogen production throughout day and night. This universal and scalable strategy provides opportunities for the controlled design of efficient multifunctional dual atom catalysts in energy conversion technologies.
Spatially resolved mapping of proteome turnover dynamics with subcellular precision
Authors: Yuan Feng , Li Yi , Zhou Xinyue , Meng Peiyuan , Zou Peng
Published: November 2023

Cellular activities are commonly associated with dynamic proteomic changes at the subcellular level. Although several techniques are available to quantify whole-cell protein turnover dynamics, such measurements often lack sufficient spatial resolution at the subcellular level. Herein, we report the development of prox-SILAC method that combines proximity-dependent protein labeling (APEX2/HRP) with metabolic incorporation of stable isotopes (pulse-SILAC) to map newly synthesized proteins with subcellular spatial resolution. We apply prox-SILAC to investigate proteome dynamics in the mitochondrial matrix and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen. Our analysis reveals a highly heterogeneous distribution in protein turnover dynamics within macromolecular machineries such as the mitochondrial ribosome and respiratory complexes I-V, thus shedding light on their mechanism of hierarchical assembly. Furthermore, we investigate the dynamic changes of ER proteome when cells are challenged with stress or undergoing stimulated differentiation, identifying subsets of proteins with unique patterns of turnover dynamics, which may play key regulatory roles in alleviating stress or promoting differentiation. We envision that prox-SILAC could be broadly applied to profile protein turnover at various subcellular compartments, under both physiological and pathological conditions.
Multiple E3 ligases control tankyrase stability and function
Authors: Perrard Jerome , Smith Susan
Published: November 2023

Tankyrase 1 and 2 are ADP-ribosyltransferases that catalyze formation of polyADP-Ribose (PAR) onto themselves and their binding partners. Tankyrase protein levels are regulated by the PAR-binding E3 ligase RNF146, which promotes K48-linked polyubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of tankyrase and its partners. We identified a novel interaction between tankyrase and a distinct class of E3 ligases: the RING-UIM (Ubiquitin-Interacting Motif) family. We show that RNF114 and RNF166 bind and stabilize monoubiquitylated tankyrase and promote K11-linked diubiquitylation. This action competes with RNF146-mediated degradation, leading to stabilization of tankyrase and its binding partner, Angiomotin, a cancer cell signaling protein. Moreover, we identify multiple PAR-binding E3 ligases that promote ubiquitylation of tankyrase and induce stabilization or degradation. Discovery of K11 ubiquitylation that opposes degradation, along with identification of multiple PAR-binding E3 ligases that ubiquitylate tankyrase, provide insights into mechanisms of tankyrase regulation and may offer additional uses for tankyrase inhibitors in cancer therapy.
Observation of aligned dipoles and angular chromism of exciplexes in organic molecular heterostructures
Authors: Lee Sang-hun , Kim Taek Joon , Lee Eunji , Kwon Dayeong , Kim Jeongyong , Joo Jinsoo
Published: November 2023

The dipole characteristics of Frenkel excitons and charge-transfer excitons between donor and acceptor molecules in organic heterostructures such as exciplexes are important in organic photonics and optoelectronics. For the bilayer of the organic donor 4,4′,4′′-tris[(3-methylphenyl)phenylamino]triphenylamine and acceptor 2,4,6-tris(biphenyl-3-yl)-1,3,5-triazine molecules, the exciplexes form aligned dipoles perpendicular to the Frenkel excitons, as observed in back focal plane photoluminescence images. The angular chromism of exciplexes observed in the 100 meV range indicates possible delocalization and angle-sensing photonic applications. The blue shift of the peak position and increase in the linewidth of photoluminescene spectra with increasing excitation power are caused by the repulsive aligned exciplex dipole moments with a long lifetime (4.65 μs). Electroluminescence spectra of the exciplex from organic light-emitting diodes using the bilayer are blue-shifted with increasing bias, suggesting unidirectional alignment of the exciplex dipole moments. The observation of exciplex dipole moment alignments across molecular interfaces can facilitate the controlled coupling of exciton species and increase efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes.