bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping of Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16) scores to EQ-5D: algorithm to calculate utility values
Authors: Shah R. , Salek M. S. , Finlay A. Y. , Kay R. , Nixon S. J. , Otwombe K. , Ali F. M. , Ingram J. R.
Published: February 2024

Objective

Although decision scientists and health economists encourage inclusion of family member/informal carer utility in health economic evaluation, there is a lack of suitable utility measures comparable to patient utility measures such those based on the EQ-5D. This study aims to predict EQ-5D-3L utility values from Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16) scores, to allow the use of FROM-16 data in health economic evaluation when EQ-5D data is not available.

Methods

Data from 4228 family members/partners of patients recruited to an online cross-sectional study through 58 UK-based patient support groups, three research support platforms and Welsh social services departments were randomly divided five times into two groups, to derive and test a mapping model. Split-half cross-validation was employed, resulting in a total of ten multinomial logistic regression models. The Monte Carlo simulation procedure was used to generate predicted EQ-5D-3L responses, and utility scores were calculated and compared against observed values. Mean error and mean absolute error were calculated for all ten validation models. The final model algorithm was derived using the entire sample.

Results

The model was highly predictive, and its repeated fitting using multinomial logistic regression demonstrated a stable model. The mean differences between predicted and observed health utility estimates ranged from 0.005 to 0.029 across the ten modelling exercises, with an average overall difference of 0.015 (a 2.2% overestimate, not of clinical importance).

Conclusions

The algorithm developed will enable researchers and decision scientists to calculate EQ-5D health utility estimates from FROM-16 scores, thus allowing the inclusion of the family impact of disease in health economic evaluation of medical interventions when EQ-5D data is not available.
Evaluation of the internet-based intervention “Selfapy” in participants with unipolar depression and the impact on quality of life: a randomized, parallel group study
Authors: Schefft Cora , Krämer Rico , Haaf Raoul , Jedeck David , Schumacher Anna , Köhler Stephan
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Depressive disorders cause a major burden of disease worldwide and often lead to a loss of social functioning. Patients suffering from depressive disorders report a lower quality of life (QOL) than people without a history of mental health issues. Internet-based interventions (IBIs) based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are effective in reducing symptom severity but data on their impact on quality of life in clinically depressed patients so far is scarce.

Methods

Selfapy is a CBT-based IBI for depressive disorders. 401 participants (332 female, mean age 37 (SD = 11) with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) or dysthymia were enrolled in a randomized, parallel, three-arm trial comparing a therapist-guided Selfapy intervention with an unguided Selfapy intervention and a waiting list control. QOL was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF at baseline, post-treatment (12 weeks) and at 24-week follow-up. The effects of the interventions on QOL were calculated using linear mixed effects models.

Results

At post-treatment (12 weeks) the guided and unguided intervention groups reported an increase in QOL on physical and psychological health domains compared to controls (significant group*time interaction). The gain in QOL was maintained over the follow-up period only for psychological health. QOL decreased in the social relationships and environment domains over the course of treatment and during the follow-up treatment for all participants. There were no differences between the guided and the unguided intervention.

Conclusion

Selfapy proved to positively affect psychological and physical QOL in a sample of participants suffering from depressive disorders and can therefore be considered an effective and highly scalable therapeutic tool. The pattern of results might partly be attributable to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and public health measures that coincided with the trial.

Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00017191. Registered June 14th, 2019, https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00017191.
Learning from success and failure: implications for entrepreneurs, SMEs, and policy
Authors: Lafuente Esteban , Rabetino Rodrigo , Leiva Juan Carlos
Published: February 2024

Despite the valuable contributions of earlier learning studies, the specific analysis of how entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) learn has been sidelined in the literature. Significant research opportunities remain open in various unexplored realms. By adopting a multidisciplinary perspective that combines a variety of frameworks (i.e., organizational, economic, and innovation management), the collection of 11 studies of this special issue dedicated to learning delivers valuable insights into how entrepreneurs and SMEs capitalize on learning processes, while identifying how these processes are affected by the type of experience (i.e., success and failure). This paper first overviews the contributions of the 11 papers included in the special issue. Next, we discuss a number of yet unresolved topics that deserve academic attention, paying special attention to entrepreneurs’ direct and indirect experiences, knowledge obsolescence caused by technology upgrading, and the role of digital technologies—i.e., Internet-of-things and artificial intelligence—in the learning processes.
Updated exploration of the Tor network: advertising, availability and protocols of onion services
Authors: Buitrago López Alejandro , Pastor-Galindo Javier , Gómez Mármol Félix
Published: February 2024

The Tor network is known for its opaque characteristics and involvement in illicit activities, motivating to shed light on the exposure, lifetime, and functionalities of onion services. This study focuses on the appearance of Tor links in online advertising and monitors the connectivity status and protocols of the collected onion domains through the Tor network over 105 days. Out of 54,602 onion addresses gathered, it was found that 38% of Tor links were advertised only once, 43% between two and five times, and 19% more than five times. Furthermore, 50% of the addresses were exclusively advertised on the surface web, 6% on the dark web, and 44% on both portions. The temporal analysis revealed that 67% of the addresses were predominantly active, 7% were intermittent, and 26% were mostly inactive. The study examined fifteen protocols used by onion services, concluding that 94% employed a single protocol, while 6% utilized between two and eight protocols. Among active sites, HTTP was present in 99.75% of cases, followed by SSH (4.95%) and HTTPS (0.64%). Additionally, onion services without web services often deploy cryptocurrency or instant messaging servers. This study offers a comprehensive and current understanding of the dark web, surpassing previous research in its scope.
Benefits and co-benefits of urban green infrastructure for sustainable cities: six current and emerging themes
Authors: Herath Prabhasri , Bai Xuemei
Published: February 2024

Integrating urban green infrastructure (UGI) into cities is receiving increasing attention owing to its potential to provide various urban ecosystem services (UES). This review assesses the multifaceted services of UGI as benefits and co-benefits. By combining systematic and narrative review processes, we aim to synthesise existing knowledge along six current themes and identify research gaps. A total of 690 peer-reviewed articles published during 2000–2020 from Web of Science were selected, followed by bibliometric and full-text analysis. Based on the frequency of appearance in the network visualisation of keywords, six themes of current trends were identified, namely: (1) benefits of UGI as UES; (2) mitigating climate and urban climate impacts by UGI; (3) UGI contribution to sustainable development goals; (4) reconceptualising greenspaces as ‘safe havens’; (5) public acknowledgement and supportive governance for UGI; and (6) rethinking the operationalisability of UGI. The first two themes represent existing focus on categories of ecosystem services, the next two encompass broader emerging co-benefits and the last two focus on how to operationalise UGI and support widespread adoption and implementation. Within Theme 2, the most frequently discussed service with the largest number of research, we conducted a detailed analysis of the methods and content focus in the existing literature. Through a narrative review, we identified 15 research gaps throughout these 6 themes. This review provides a comprehensive overview for urban researchers and practitioners to inform the integration of urban green infrastructure into urban planning and management.
Insight into the significance of Foxp3 + tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in squamous cell lung cancer
Authors: Shiomi Kazu , Ichinoe Masaaki , Ushiwata Ai , Eshima Koji , Nagashio Ryo , Hayashi Shoko , Sonoda Dai , Kondo Yasuto , Maruyama Raito , Mikubo Masashi , Murakumo Yoshiki , Satoh Yukitoshi
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Although developing a better understanding of tumor-infiltrating Foxp3 + lymphocytes (Foxp3 + TILs) might provide essential knowledge to predict response to immunotherapy and prognosis, our current knowledge about Foxp3 + TILs is inadequate. This study investigated the prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating Foxp3 + lymphocytes (Foxp3 + TILs) in squamous cell lung cancer (SQ-LC) objectively.

Methods

Among patients with SQ-LC surgically resected in our institution between 2011 and 2017, those with pathological stage IA3-IIIA were immunohistochemically studied to evaluate Foxp3 + TILs in their tumor stroma. The impact of Foxp3 + TILs on relapse-free survival (RFS) was analyzed with Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and multivariate analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model/Fine-Gray model.

Results

This study analyzed 100 patients. Multivariate analysis showed that a large number of Foxp3 + TILs in the stroma does not associate with a poor prognosis, rather that a large number of Foxp3 + TILs (≥ 64 cells) tend to be associated with a more favorable prognosis than a small number of Foxp3 + TILs (< 64 cells) (large vs small number: HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.17–1.83; P = 0.34). Exploratory analysis also showed that in the two populations divided by a difference in Foxp3 expression levels, similar trends to the main analysis were observed.

Conclusion

Our results showed that a large number of Foxp3 + TILs in the stroma may not associate with a poor prognosis in SQ-LC. To use the seemingly complicated information of Foxp3 + TILs as biomarkers, better understanding the diversity and heterogeneity of Foxp3 + TILs and analyzing their subpopulations that increase in the TME may be needed.
Prognostic significance of LINC01132 in lung cancer and its regulatory role in tumor progression
Authors: Hu Yang , Wei Youying
Published: February 2024

Background

The application of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer has been the focus of research in recent years. This study aimed to discuss the expression and functional mechanism of lncRNA LINC01132 (LINC01132) in lung cancer and explore its prognostic significance in tumors.

Methods

The expression of LINC01132 in lung cancer patients was verified using GSE98929 screening and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) detection. The prognostic potential of LINC01132 was evaluated by performing the chi-square analysis of clinical indicators, Kaplan–Meier analysis, and Cox proportional hazard model. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, and Transwell assay were used to characterize the biological functions of the lung cancer cells. The targeting relationship between LINC01132 and microRNA-125a-3p (miR-125a-3p), miR-125a-3p and SMAD2 was predicted by bioinformatics and verified by luciferase activity assay.

Results

LINC01132 was upregulated in lung cancer tissues and cells, which was an independent risk factor for survival and prognostic outcomes of lung cancer patients. Silencing LINC01132 suppressed the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells and accelerated cell death. The target of LINC01132 was miR-125a-3p, and miR-125a-3p inhibitor could eliminate the inhibitory effect of LINC01132 knockdown on the cells. Additionally, SMAD2 is a downstream target of miR-125a-3p, and knockdown of SMAD2 reversed the effects of miR-125a-3p inhibitor on cell migration and invasion.

Conclusion

LINC01132 may regulate the progression of lung cancer by targeting the miR-125a-3p /SMAD2 axis and serve as a prognostic biomarker for lung cancer.
Physico-chemical characterization of food grade natural spring salt from the Central Anatolia region of Turkey and investigation of its microplastic content
Authors: Bozkaya Ogün , Aluç Yaşar
Published: February 2024

Delice salt is a natural spring salt obtained from the evaporation of spring water from the Central Anatolia region of Turkey and is a food grade salt with a geographical indication certificate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the compliance of Delice natural spring salt (Delice NSS), a commercial product, with food grade criteria by physicochemical characterizations and to investigate whether it contains microplastics. The NaCl%, moisture suspended solids and acid insoluble matter contents of Delice NSS were analyzed and determined as 98.79% (w/w), 0.301% (w/w), 0.16% (w/w) and 0.01% (w/w), respectively. Sodium, other minerals, and heavy metals were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission (ICP-OES) spectrometry. In addition, fluoride, nitrate, and sulphate ions were analyzed by ion chromatography (IC). The chemical and thermal properties of Delice NSS were characterized by FTIR, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Moreover, Delice NSS was investigated whether it contains microplastics and some particles were detected under fluorescence microscopy. However, it was concluded that particles were not microplastics after TGA and FTIR analyses. The results revealed that Delice NSS does not carry a risk in terms of physicochemical properties as a foodstuff.
Learning loss one year after school closures: evidence from the Basque Country
Authors: Arenas Andreu , Gortazar Lucas
Published: February 2024

We use census data on external assessments in primary and secondary schools in the Basque Country (Spain) to estimate learning losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2021, 1 year after school closures, which lasted from March to June 2020. Differences-in-differences with student and school-by-grade fixed effects show an average learning loss of 0.045 standard deviations, an effect that is smaller than short-run effects estimated by previous papers, and estimated after 6 months of one of the most successful school reopening campaigns among OECD countries. The effect is larger in Mathematics, moderate in Basque language, and none in Spanish language. Controlling for socioeconomic differences, learning losses are especially large in public schools, and also in private schools with a high percentage of low-performing students. On the other hand, we find a regression to the mean within schools, possibly due to a compressed curriculum during the whole period. Finally, and more importantly, we use unique novel data on student socio-emotional well-being and show for the first time that students with higher learning losses self-report significantly worse levels of socio-emotional well-being due to the pandemic.
Upsetting offsetting? Nathan the Wise’s Ring Parable and three reasons why not to adopt the carbon offsetting logic to biodiversity
Authors: Conti Ludovico Giacomo , Seele Peter
Published: February 2024

The climate crisis and the alarming loss of biodiversity require urgent action. One of the most popular tools to tackle these crises is offsetting, an accounting logic through which environmental damages can be compensated elsewhere with environmental benefits. Developed to help address the climate crisis, the carbon offsetting logic has also been transposed to address biodiversity loss. Biodiversity offsets permit the compensation of residual environmental damages through equivalent gains undertaken elsewhere. This article identifies three arguments that show why such a transposition is problematic. To explain the fundamental problem with biodiversity offsetting, the famous Lessing’s “Nathan the Wise” Ring Parable (Ringparabel) is proposed as an allegoric interpretation of the biodiversity offsetting logic, stressing that unique entities lose their uniqueness and power once people try to replicate them.
Long-term changes in herbivore community and vegetation impact of wild and domestic herbivores across Iceland
Authors: Defourneaux Mathilde , Barrio Isabel C. , Boulanger-Lapointe Noémie , Speed James D. M.
Published: February 2024

Changes in wild and domestic herbivore populations significantly impact extensive grazing systems, particularly in low productive environments, where increasing wild herbivore populations are perceived as a threat to farming. To assess the magnitude of these changes in Iceland, we compiled time series on herbivore populations from 1986 to 2020 and estimated changes in species densities, metabolic biomass, and consumption of plant biomass in improved lands and unimproved rangelands. We compared estimates of consumption rates to past and present net primary production. Overall, the herbivore community composition shifted from livestock to wildlife dominated. However, wild herbivores only contributed a small fraction (14%) of the total herbivore metabolic biomass and consumption (4–7%), and livestock dominated the overall herbivore biomass. These insights highlight the necessity of developing improved local integrated management for both wild and domestic herbivores where they coexist.
Structural characteristics of the leaves of two species of Tetramerium an endemic to Mexico
Authors: Brechú-Franco Alicia Enriqueta , Laguna-Hernández Guillermo , Velázquez-Mondragón Alejandra , Fonseca-Juárez Rosa María , Espinosa‑Matías Silvia
Published: February 2024

In taxonomic studies, in addition to floral characteristics, the structural characteristics of the vegetative organs also contribute to the taxonomic determination of the species. To provide information regarding these characteristics in the genus Tetramerium, a structural, micromorphological and histochemical analysis of cross sections of the leaves was performed using histochemical techniques and optical and scanning electron microscopy of two of its species, T. glutinosum, endemic to Mexico, and the widely distributed T. tenuissimum, was conducted. The two species presented amphistomatic leaves; double palisade chlorenchyma on adaxial and abaxial surfaces, leaf unifacial; vascular bundle sheaths with kranz anatomy; intradermal and subepidermal cystoliths of various shapes and sizes; nonglandular trichomes osteolate with a thin-walled conical head, glandular trichomes, including a new type, the straight, bright-ringed tricellular trichomes, and a variety of multicellular glandular trichomes. The glandular trichomes secrete waxes or oleoresins and mucilage deposited on the surfaces abaxial and adaxial in the form of platelets, granules and threads or strands. The histochemistry of the cystoliths highlights the presence of proteins and polysaccharides as a product of the possible superposition of the cell wall and plasmalemma lamellae. All these characteristics are typical of species from semi-arid habitats and correspond to the defense function against biotic and abiotic agents assigned to trichomes and their secretions in other studies of various genera and families, as well as to the adaptation function to these habitats of the kranz structure, which was novel for the genus Tetramerium.
The Spatiotemporal Evolution Mechanism of Urban Rail Transit Fault Propagation in Networked Operation Modes
Authors: Xiaobing Ding , Hua Hu , Zhigang Liu , Qingquan Mu
Published: February 2024

The cascading propagation and evolution of metro operation failures can significantly impact the safety of metro operation. To overcome this challenge, this study pre-processes a massive amount of metro operation log data through noise reduction. Moreover, a professional terminology dictionary is constructed along with a custom stop-word dictionary to segment the preprocessed data. Subsequently, the AFP-tree algorithm is employed to mine the segmented log data and identify key hazards. A weighted urban rail transit network is established, considering the effective path time cost, and the shortest travel OD path. To simulate the dynamic evolution of the failure chain propagation, a model based on disaster propagation theory is constructed. Taking the Shanghai Metro line as a case, multiple simulation scenarios are established with 25 key hazards as triggering points, and the number of cascade failure stations affected under different scenarios is outputted. The results indicate that the fault stations caused by the large passenger flow are the largest. Meanwhile, the number of stations affected by the door clamp is the smallest. The scale of fault stations reaches a maximum value in 16–20 min. Through case analysis, a positive correlation is found when the self-recovery factor is between 14 and 18, and the number of fault stations shows a significant increasing trend. The research results can provide decision-making support and theoretical guidance for rail transit operation safety management enterprises.
Emotional Intelligence and Gaming Disorder Symptomatology: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gisbert-Pérez Júlia , Badenes-Ribera Laura , Martí-Vilar Manuel
Published: February 2024

The increasing prevalence of the Internet gaming disorder has created an interest in identifying the factors associated with its development, including emotional intelligence, which has been negatively associated with many addictions. This work aimed to provide a narrative and quantitative synthesis of the association between emotional intelligence and Internet gaming disorder symptomatology. An online search of four electronic databases and an additional manual search identified 49 studies that met the inclusion criteria provided 54 independent samples (N = 43,289) and a total of 166 correlation coefficients. The selected studies used different definitions of emotional intelligence (i.e., emotional regulation, social-emotional competence, ability and trait). Random-effect models were used to estimate the pooled correlation coefficient between emotional intelligence and Internet gaming disorder symptomatology. The results revealed a small-to-moderate negative association between any measure of emotional intelligence and Internet gaming disorder symptomatology. However, the various characteristics involved in its study, such as methodological quality, research design, geographical location and the means of assessing emotional intelligence, could modify the association between both variables. In short, any deficits in emotional regulation or social competence could be a risk factor for developing Internet gaming disorder.
High-cardinality categorical covariates in network regressions
Authors: Richman Ronald , Wüthrich Mario V.
Published: February 2024

High-cardinality (nominal) categorical covariates are challenging in regression modeling, because they lead to high-dimensional models. For example, in generalized linear models (GLMs), categorical covariates can be implemented by dummy coding which results in high-dimensional regression parameters for high-cardinality categorical covariates. It is difficult to find the correct structure of interactions in high-cardinality covariates, and such high-dimensional models are prone to over-fitting. Various regularization strategies can be applied to prevent over-fitting. In neural network regressions, a popular way of dealing with categorical covariates is entity embedding, and, typically, over-fitting is taken care of by exploiting early stopping strategies. In case of high-cardinality categorical covariates, this often leads to a very early stopping, resulting in a poor predictive model. Building on Avanzi et al. (ASTIN Bull, 2024), we introduce new versions of random effects entity embedding of categorical covariates. In particular, having a hierarchical structure in the categorical covariates, we propose a recurrent neural network architecture and a Transformer architecture, respectively, for random-effects entity embedding that give us very accurate regression models.
Removal of contaminants by chlorella species: an effort towards sustainable remediation
Authors: Pachouri Vikrant , Chandramauli Awadhesh , Singh Rajesh , Gehlot Anita , Priyadarshi Neeraj , Twala Bhekisipho
Published: February 2024

According to the United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goal 6 and goal 14 seeks to ensure the sustainable management of water present over the earth for all. Urban cities saw a lot of expansion in terms of population and the number of industries established there. Water quality analysis becomes a huge requirement of today’s scenario due to the impurities present in water which harms the livelihood of society. Some of the hazardous impurities like heavy metals destruct the surroundings. In this study, the removal of heavy metals from wastewater with an efficient technique i.e. Bioremediation is represented with the analysis and evaluation of results recorded in the laboratory testing. Two samples were taken from two different sites which are being analyzed with the implementation methodology represented in the present article. The inclusion of the ANOVA model for the optimization of the outcome generated is evaluated and received the P-value and F-crit value. Two algae Chlorella Minutissima & Chlorella Singularis were evaluated based on their impurity removal efficiency as well an analysis of the biological treatment method over other chemical methods has been examined. The results were analyzed and represented in the form of a table as well and the variation in the value of WQP is shown in the form of graphs. The observation shows that the variation in WQP after the integration of algae lies under the permissible limit. Alkalinity is estimated in the range of 20–40 mg/l, Hardness lies in the range of 0–60mg/l, and pH comes approximately in a range of 6.5–8. The results of the ANOVA model is also depicted in graphical form highlighting the P-value and F-crit value of different result generated. Finally, the summary of the proposed work is illustrated with the challenges faced and future recommendations have been provided. Based on the evaluation, the framework is generated for the efficient technique used for heavy metal removal i.e. Bioremediation which provides a great advancement in the efficacy of removal of heavy metals.
Reproducibility of heart rate recovery measures across differing modalities and intensities of submaximal exercise in healthy volunteers: A healthy volunteer study
Authors: Minhas Haroon , Morton Christopher , Shaw Martin , Shelley Ben
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Submaximal exercise tests (SET) are an easier to conduct and less physically demanding alternative to cardiopulmonary exercise testing for assessment of pre-operative fitness. Assessment of heart rate recovery (HRR) following SETs offers an easily obtained marker of vagal reactivation and sympathetic withdrawal and therefore provides an indication of an individual’s fitness. This study sought to assess the reproducibility of HRR across different workloads and modalities of SET.

Methods

Thirty-four healthy volunteers were recruited to undergo two SETs at 40% and 60% of their predicted maximal workload. A second group of thirty-one healthy volunteers were recruited to undergo three SETs of differing modalities; Cycle ergometry, Step and Shuttle Walk tests. HRR was quantified using the conventional indices HRR1 and HRR2 (calculated as heart rate (HR) on exercise cessation minus HR at 1 and 2 min of rest) and a novel area under the HRR vs. time curve (HRRAUC) method. Reproducibility of results was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and limits of agreements.

Results

The results showed that HRR1 and HRR2 were poorly reproducible across differing workloads and exercise modalities (ICC < 0.45 for all comparisons) whereas HRRAUC proved to be at least moderately reproducible (ICC > 0.52 for all comparisons).

Conclusions

These results suggest that HRRAUC may be a superior way of quantifying HRR following SETs, adding objectivity to SET results. Quantifying HRRAUC could prove to have useful clinical applications for pre-operative risk assessment, assessing fitness to undergo treatment and monitoring disease progression.
Visualization of painful inflammation in patients with pain after traumatic ankle sprain using [11C]-D-deprenyl PET/CT
Authors: Aarnio Mikko , Appel Lieuwe , Fredrikson Mats , Gordh Torsten , Wolf Olof , Sörensen Jens , Thulin Måns , Peterson Magnus , Linnman Clas
Published: February 2024

Graphical Abstract
Electoral Politics and Struggles for Accountability
Authors: Tambe Elvis Bisong
Published: February 2024

This review essay focuses on electoral politics and the African accountability struggle, which has gained interest and scholarly attention following the third wave of democratization. Before the Namibia Constituent Assembly elections in November 1989, many would agree that elections were neither acknowledged nor considered appropriate for selecting governmental and national leaders. However, the democratic wave in the early 1990s marked a substantial political shift in Africa. Elections, once rare, are now frequent, serving as a crucial tool for both development and accountability. In this new era, citizens have a rare opportunity to hold their leaders accountable and exert control over their behavior. This review specifically addresses two volumes: Electoral Politics and Africa’s Urban Transition: Class and Ethnicity in Ghana by Noah L. Nathan and Elites and the Politics of Accountability in Africa, edited by Wale Adebanwi and Rogers Orock. Specifically, these volumes delve into topics concerning electoral politics and Africa’s challenges in achieving accountability.
The ‘Courant Hilton’: building the mathematical sciences at New York University
Authors: Shields Brit
Published: February 2024

This essay explores how mid-twentieth-century mathematicians at New York University envisioned their discipline, cultural identities and social roles, and how these self-constructed identities materialized in the planning of their new academic building, Warren Weaver Hall. These mathematicians considered their research to be a ‘living part of the stream of science’, requiring a mathematics research library which they equated to a scientific laboratory and a complex of computing rooms which served as an interdisciplinary research centre. Identifying as ‘scientists’, they understood their societal value to be that of researchers, outputting mathematics research valuable to the natural sciences, the emerging field of computer science and the United States government and military, as well as educators. When the building opened in 1965, it was touted by the university administration as an ‘example of excellence’; it later, in 1970, became the site of heated negotiations when university student and faculty protestors staged a sit-in rebuking the Atomic Energy Commission's Computing Center housed on the second floor. A close study of the correspondence between the mathematicians and their peers in the university's administration, private foundations, government agencies and an architectural firm not only illuminates the day-to-day work practices of this eminent group of mathematicians, but also sheds light on their own self-constructed academic and social identities within their contemporaneous Cold War culture.
The velarized lateral [ɫ] in East Austrian base dialects
Authors: Luttenberger Jan , Weihs Nina , Reinisch Eva
Published: February 2024

This paper is concerned with the velarized lateral [ɫ] as a possible realization of the lateral phoneme /l/ in the rural Central Bavarian base dialects of German in Austria. So far, velarized laterals in Austrian German have mainly been described as a socially marked realization of /l/ in Vienna. However, descriptions of Austrian dialects mostly lack detailed acoustic analyses. Therefore, we analyzed the first two formants of alveolar laterals from dialect speakers in seventeen locations around Vienna that fall into the Central and South Central Bavarian dialect areas. Recordings were taken from the ‘German in Austria’ Corpus, from four speakers per location (two old, two young, each one male, one female), with thirty-two items per speaker with laterals in word-initial and twenty-two in word-final position. We asked whether the degree of velarization as measured by the difference between F2 and F1 (the smaller the more velarized) depends on this linguistic factor of position in the word – as has been shown for other Germanic languages – or social factors including the recording location’s distance from Vienna, age and gender of the speakers. Results showed that velarization was most frequently but not exclusively found in the Eastern region closest to Vienna (Central Bavarian dialects). Non-velarized and velarized laterals tended towards a complementary distribution in initial versus final word position and male speakers showed more velarization overall. Specifically, old speakers in locations close to Vienna tended towards more velarization in word-initial position compared to other regions, matching descriptions of Viennese dialect.
Developmental perspectives on the origins of psychotic disorders: The need for a transdiagnostic approach
Authors: Walker Elaine F. , Aberizk Katrina , Yuan Emerald , Bilgrami Zarina , Ku Benson S. , Guest Ryan M.
Published: February 2024

Research on serious mental disorders, particularly psychosis, has revealed highly variable symptom profiles and developmental trajectories prior to illness-onset. As Dante Cicchetti pointed out decades before the term “transdiagnostic” was widely used, the pathways to psychopathology emerge in a system involving equifinality and multifinality. Like most other psychological disorders, psychosis is associated with multiple domains of risk factors, both genetic and environmental, and there are many transdiagnostic developmental pathways that can lead to psychotic syndromes. In this article, we discuss our current understanding of heterogeneity in the etiology of psychosis and its implications for approaches to conceptualizing etiology and research. We highlight the need for examining risk factors at multiple levels and to increase the emphasis on transdiagnostic developmental trajectories as a key variable associated with etiologic subtypes. This will be increasingly feasible now that large, longitudinal datasets are becoming available and researchers have access to more sophisticated analytic tools, such as machine learning, which can identify more homogenous subtypes with the ultimate goal of enhancing options for treatment and preventive intervention.
Solar Wind Current Sheets: MVA Inaccuracy and Recommended Single‐Spacecraft Methodology
Authors: Wang R. , Vasko I. Y. , Phan T. D. , Mozer F. S.
Published: February 2024

We present the analysis of 1,831 current sheets (CS) observed aboard four Cluster spacecraft in a pristine solar wind. Four‐spacecraft estimates of the CS normal and propagation velocity are compared with different single‐spacecraft estimates. The Minimum Variance Analysis (MVA) of the magnetic field is shown to be highly inaccurate in estimating the normal. The MVA normal often differs by more than 60° from the normal obtained by multi‐spacecraft timing method, likely due to ambient turbulent fluctuations. In contrast, the cross‐product of magnetic fields at the CS boundaries delivers the normal with an uncertainty of less than 15° at the confidence level of 90%. The CSs are essentially frozen into plasma flow, since their propagation velocity is consistent with local ion flow velocity within 20% at the confidence level of 90%. The single‐spacecraft methodology based on the cross‐product method and frozen‐in assumption delivers the CS thickness and current density amplitude within 20% of their actual values at the confidence level of 90%. The CSs are kinetic‐scale structures with half‐thickness λ from a few tenths to tens of local proton inertial length λp and scale‐dependent shear angle and current density amplitude, and . The classification of the CSs in terms of tangential and rotational discontinuities remains a challenge, because even the four‐spacecraft normal has too large uncertainties to reveal the actual normal magnetic field component. The presented results will be valuable for the analysis of solar wind CSs, when only single‐spacecraft measurements are available.
Methylmercury Export From a Headwater Peatland Catchment Decreased With Cleaner Emissions Despite Opposing Effect of Climate Warming
Authors: McCarter C. P. R. , Sebestyen S. D. , Jeremiason J. D. , Nater E. A. , Kolka R. K.
Published: February 2024

Peatlands are sources of bioaccumulating neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) that is linked to adverse health outcomes. Yet, the compounding impacts of climate change and reductions in atmospheric pollutants on mercury (Hg) export from peatlands are highly uncertain. We investigated the response in annual flow‐weighted concentrations (FWC) and yields of total‐Hg (THg) and MeHg to cleaner air and climate change using an unprecedented hydroclimatic (55‐year; streamflow, air temperature, precipitation, and peatland water tables), depositional chemistry (21‐year; Hg and major ions), and streamwater chemistry (∼17‐year; THg, MeHg, major ions, total organic carbon, and pH) data sets from a reference peatland catchment in Minnesota, USA. Over the hydroclimatic record, annual mean air temperature increased by ∼1.8°C, while baseflow and the efficiency that precipitation was converted to runoff (runoff ratio) decreased. Concurrently, precipitation‐based deposition of sulfate and Hg declined, where wet Hg deposition declined by ∼3–4 μg Hg m−2. Despite declines in wet Hg deposition over the study period, the catchment accumulated on average 0.04 ± 0.01 g Hg ha−1 yr−1 based on wet Hg deposition minus THg yield alone. Annual MeHg FWC was positively correlated with mean annual air temperatures (p = 0.03, r = 0.51), runoff ratio (p < 0.0001, r = 0.76), and wet Hg deposition concentration (p < 0.0001, r = 0.79). Decreasing wet Hg deposition and annual runoff ratios counterbalanced increased peatland MeHg production due to higher air temperatures, leading to an overall decline in streamwater MeHg FWC. Streamwater MeHg export may continue to decrease only as long as declines in runoff ratio and wet Hg deposition persistently outpace effects of increased air temperature.
Far-travelled 3700 km lateral magma propagation just below the surface of Venus
Authors: El Bilali H. , Ernst R. E.
Published: February 2024

The Great Dyke of Atla Regio (GDAR) is traced for ~3700 km on Venus, as a surface graben (narrow trough) interpreted to overlie a continuous laterally-emplaced underlying mafic dyke (vertical magma-filled crack). The GDAR belongs to a giant radiating dyke swarm associated with Ozza Mons (volcano), Atla Regio plume, and was fed from a magma reservoir ~600 km south of the Ozza Mons centre. A 50-degree counter-clockwise swing of the GDAR at 1200 km from the centre is consistent with a 1200 km radius for the underlying Ozza Mons plume head, and a stress link to the 10,000 km long Parga Chasmata rift system. Our discovery of the GDAR, should spur the search for additional long continuous single dykes on Venus (and Earth), with implications for estimating plume head size, locating buffered magma reservoirs, mapping regional stress variation at a geological instant, and revealing relative ages (through cross-cutting relationships) over regional-scale distances.
Whole-exome sequencing in UK Biobank reveals rare genetic architecture for depression
Authors: Tian Ruoyu , Ge Tian , Kweon Hyeokmoon , Rocha Daniel B. , Lam Max , Liu Jimmy Z. , Singh Kritika ,   Biogen Biobank Team, Levey Daniel F. , Gelernter Joel , Stein Murray B. , Tsai Ellen A. , Huang Hailiang , Chabris Christopher F. , Lencz Todd , Runz Heiko , Chen Chia-Yen
Published: February 2024

Nearly two hundred common-variant depression risk loci have been identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, the impact of rare coding variants on depression remains poorly understood. Here, we present whole-exome sequencing analyses of depression with seven different definitions based on survey, questionnaire, and electronic health records in 320,356 UK Biobank participants. We showed that the burden of rare damaging coding variants in loss-of-function intolerant genes is significantly associated with risk of depression with various definitions. We compared the rare and common genetic architecture across depression definitions by genetic correlation and showed different genetic relationships between definitions across common and rare variants. In addition, we demonstrated that the effects of rare damaging coding variant burden and polygenic risk score on depression risk are additive. The gene set burden analyses revealed overlapping rare genetic variant components with developmental disorder, autism, and schizophrenia. Our study provides insights into the contribution of rare coding variants, separately and in conjunction with common variants, on depression with various definitions and their genetic relationships with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Deciphering the mechanism of glutaredoxin-catalyzed roGFP2 redox sensing reveals a ternary complex with glutathione for protein disulfide reduction
Authors: Geissel Fabian , Lang Lukas , Husemann Britta , Morgan Bruce , Deponte Marcel
Published: February 2024

Glutaredoxins catalyze the reduction of disulfides and are key players in redox metabolism and regulation. While important insights were gained regarding the reduction of glutathione disulfide substrates, the mechanism of non-glutathione disulfide reduction remains highly debated. Here we determined the rate constants for the individual redox reactions between PfGrx, a model glutaredoxin from Plasmodium falciparum, and redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein 2 (roGFP2), a model substrate and versatile tool for intracellular redox measurements. We show that the PfGrx-catalyzed oxidation of roGFP2 occurs via a monothiol mechanism and is up to three orders of magnitude faster when roGFP2 and PfGrx are fused. The oxidation kinetics of roGFP2-PfGrx fusion constructs reflect at physiological GSSG concentrations the glutathionylation kinetics of the glutaredoxin moiety, thus allowing intracellular structure-function analysis. Reduction of the roGFP2 disulfide occurs via a monothiol mechanism and involves a ternary complex with GSH and PfGrx. Our study provides the mechanistic basis for understanding roGFP2 redox sensing and challenges previous mechanisms for protein disulfide reduction.
Cellular reprogramming in vivo initiated by SOX4 pioneer factor activity
Authors: Katsuda Takeshi , Sussman Jonathan H. , Ito Kenji , Katznelson Andrew , Yuan Salina , Takenaka Naomi , Li Jinyang , Merrell Allyson J. , Cure Hector , Li Qinglan , Rasool Reyaz Ur , Asangani Irfan A. , Zaret Kenneth S. , Stanger Ben Z.
Published: February 2024

Tissue damage elicits cell fate switching through a process called metaplasia, but how the starting cell fate is silenced and the new cell fate is activated has not been investigated in animals. In cell culture, pioneer transcription factors mediate “reprogramming” by opening new chromatin sites for expression that can attract transcription factors from the starting cell’s enhancers. Here we report that SOX4 is sufficient to initiate hepatobiliary metaplasia in the adult mouse liver, closely mimicking metaplasia initiated by toxic damage to the liver. In lineage-traced cells, we assessed the timing of SOX4-mediated opening of enhancer chromatin versus enhancer decommissioning. Initially, SOX4 directly binds to and closes hepatocyte regulatory sequences via an overlapping motif with HNF4A, a hepatocyte master regulatory transcription factor. Subsequently, SOX4 exerts pioneer factor activity to open biliary regulatory sequences. The results delineate a hierarchy by which gene networks become reprogrammed under physiological conditions, providing deeper insight into the basis for cell fate transitions in animals.
Nucleocapsid protein-specific monoclonal antibodies protect mice against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
Authors: Garrison Aura R. , Moresco Vanessa , Zeng Xiankun , Cline Curtis R. , Ward Michael D. , Ricks Keersten M. , Olschner Scott P. , Cazares Lisa H. , Karaaslan Elif , Fitzpatrick Collin J. , Bergeron Éric , Pegan Scott D. , Golden Joseph W.
Published: February 2024

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a WHO priority pathogen. Antibody-based medical countermeasures offer an important strategy to mitigate severe disease caused by CCHFV. Most efforts have focused on targeting the viral glycoproteins. However, glycoproteins are poorly conserved among viral strains. The CCHFV nucleocapsid protein (NP) is highly conserved between CCHFV strains. Here, we investigate the protective efficacy of a CCHFV monoclonal antibody targeting the NP. We find that an anti-NP monoclonal antibody (mAb-9D5) protected female mice against lethal CCHFV infection or resulted in a significant delay in mean time-to-death in mice that succumbed to disease compared to isotype control animals. Antibody protection is independent of Fc-receptor functionality and complement activity. The antibody bound NP from several CCHFV strains and exhibited robust cross-protection against the heterologous CCHFV strain Afg09-2990. Our work demonstrates that the NP is a viable target for antibody-based therapeutics, providing another direction for developing immunotherapeutics against CCHFV.